# My Custom Install (S)...



## Ægir

Ironically, i built this system about 3 months before i started my project and it too is being shut down due to lack of time. It was setup to be extremely simple, and use existing equipment to save money (they had spent enough already). The homeowners had this setup by (not going to drop names just incase) somebody locally 2 years before i started. The person set it up using baskets of filter floss, and sponges in the sump, no RO water, on and on.... broke almost every rule. The system would run great for about 3 months, then nuke itself from crap buildup... long story short, after flushing several thousand dollars down the toilet they lost interest and shut it down. This was a really nice and eunique tank... its custom built to sit beside the fireplace in what used to be a planter. The dimensons arent ideal... its like 7' long, 30" tall and only 10" deep (approx) with a single overflow.

This was in my learning stages of SW when i had my 55gal, and after walking into the basement, where the sump is located... i could pick out 10 problems and explained to the owner what was going on. I threw it out there, that i would take on the project and that i could prove their system wasnt "haunted" or impossible to run. We removed everything (Including the clear tubing returns with NO siphon prevention... they drained the tank 4 or 5 times TOTALLY into the basement and the dipshit installer didnt catch it)

So i came in and tore EVERYTHING out, removed the tank, replaced the bulkheads and HARDLINED everything in with SCH 40 and lots of glue. Revamped the sump layout, added some baffles and a refugium above the sump. Modded the skimmer which wasnt ideal (Berlin turbo) but better than nothing.... And beefed up the return pump (the existing one was pushing 80 or 90 gph after head loss on a 220+ gal system hahaha) I also built a "wet dry tower" using a 3 drawer rubbermaid organizer.

Heres some pics i took, because they are selling the tanks locally... i took the fish (see the 155 bowfront topic for a vid) and the rock is going to a friend who is letting me build YET another system in his office...



















Basement sump...









2" drain and manifold with DOUBLE overflow prevention... one return is on the bottom of the tank so









With flash, the drip tower is full of rock rubble and bio balls to fill the viods









Simple manifold, the plumbing runs 8' to the left, and then up about 5'. Was hard to drop the tank in and glue everything!









The system ran problem free for over 2 years, and only one or 2 fish losses (due to undulated trigger, not water quality!) But the owners have had enough.. and dont have much free time now.

Just thought i would share! If you have any questions, just ask!


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## His Majesty

quite the SW building guru you have become lol

well done on fixing the setup into an easy to run and pleasent looking aquarium







we need more people like you in the hobby


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## Ægir

His Majesty said:


> quite the SW building guru you have become lol
> 
> well done on fixing the setup into an easy to run and pleasent looking aquarium
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> we need more people like you in the hobby


Thanks man









Its kinda funny, never in my wildest dreams did i imagine i would pack in 250 gals of RO/DI water from the driveway to the tank (would have taken months with their RO/DI system) and then pack out 60-80 gals, and a couple hundred lbs of rock back to my truck 2 years later. I even packed 3 full buckets of sand (2 black for the other tank, one white for my new DDSB... thats double deep) that had to be 75+lbs each... My truck wasnt loosing traction in the snow for sure!

Today i drained the tank, took the rock and as much water as possible across town to the 3rd install i am doing... an office 150 gal

I will get some pics of that once its full of water (a week or so)

I also scored a 25w Aqua UV system (needs a new bulb 50$, but is 250$ new so i can justify that....) some salt, and other things for myself... which is nice.

Tomorrow i go back with the sawzall and lift out the display and pack it all to the garage... going to suck!


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## His Majesty

i really envy the fact that you get to do so many SW setup projets. its a great way to build experience and learn new techniques and methods. all i have to work with are my own two SW tanks. keep up the good work. i look forward to the updated pics of the 150 office tank


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## Ægir

His Majesty said:


> i really envy the fact that you get to do so many SW setup projets. its a great way to build experience and learn new techniques and methods. all i have to work with are my own two SW tanks. keep up the good work. i look forward to the updated pics of the 150 office tank


I wouldnt envy the work, but the experience is amazing all around.

example: Today, myself and the home owner packed out the tank (79x11x30) that is 15mm thick (3/5 of an inch) and prob a thicker bottom... i would estimate it weighs over 400 lbs. The trick is... the tank drops 3" down into the brick mantle and all the plumbing runs 8' horizontal, 3' down into a concrete access hole in the concrete slab, 3 more feet horizontal, then down another foot to reach the access hole (12x12" maybe, you can see on the top left of the manifold?) anyways... by the time we got the tank jacked up enough to fit a sawzall blade in to cut the plumbing, we had already busted 2 of the 4 connections right at the bulkhead (lucky not the tank) but it was easier than making the glued connections when i put it in for sure!

took 3.5 hours to remove the plumbing starting at the basement end, and then packing the 3 tanks out... everything was dry from yesterday (manually removing all the rock, sand, and a buttload of water by the 5 gal bucket... then carrying it to my truck) and it was still a PITA

So i have had an action packed 2 days... and made no money (but several hundred dollars in freebies) If the tank and stuff sells, i get part of that.

For that display, sump tanks, return pump, skimmer, lighting etc... i think its worth the 500$ i posted it for, dont you? Hopefully somebody wants an odd dimension tank....

I actually just got ahold of my new tank too, its a Marineland 120H (60x18x26 i think?) with a single end overflow drilled... I hate where its placed, so i will prob turn the 2" drain into a closed loop intake and then turn the back panel into swiss cheese









I really like the Oceans Motions 8 way... talk about a fun plumbing project! Click Only not over the top... or have like 2 over the top in the front corners?

Anyways man, thanks again...


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## His Majesty

for what your selling $500 is a good deal. im sure someone will take it

congrats on the new tank. although all this pluming sh*t sounds over complicated to me. but i suppose it depends how your setting it up. you usally have the sump, skimmer and all the quipemtns out of side in another room to the main display tank.


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## Ægir

His Majesty said:


> for what your selling $500 is a good deal. im sure someone will take it
> 
> congrats on the new tank. although all this pluming sh*t sounds over complicated to me. but i suppose it depends how your setting it up. you usally have the sump, skimmer and all the quipemtns *out of side in another room to the main display *tank.


Yeah, just because its easier... i could have all my equipment (skimmer, phosban and carbon reactors etc) in my sump, which would be the same as in a stand. And i could baffle off a section for my fuge/dsb in my sump (more than enough room!) but for the sake of making things like cleaning easier, i have them out. and the volume increase of the external fuge is kinda a plus.

The reason i like complicated plumbing projects is the ability to fine tune anything i need down the road... if i change my rock and need more flow in one area i just open the ball valve. The reason i want to do a closed loop, is NO powerheads in the display (maybe a MP40W) and random, VIOLENT flow. I wont have ANY sand in my 120 either... all in the fuge under the tank. I can only open my manifold 2/3 open on any port, and then a sand-storm whites out the tank. It prob woundt be like that if my penductors (eductors, "flow boosters" whatever you want to call them) werent at the top of my tank pointed across or down, (rather have them on the bottom facing up, and back of the tank near the bottom) and the randomness of the Oceans motions is more, well like the motion of the ocean (wow ya dont say!... hahahah)

My 120H, and the office 150 will be "in stand" for the most part (topoff bins?) so we will see how they turn out. I found some Precision Marine in sump skimmers i really like, and will get to demo one on the office build (its in his budget range) or also would like to try a cone skimmer (ATB?) if i can afford it. I will not be running my external PM power hog, despite how much i love it, i dont want to pay for the power myself


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## Murphy18

Excellent job on the tank man!!







Dimensions are certainly strange for a long tank like that.


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## Ægir

Alright... Before i left town for a few weeks, this is where i was at with my most recent install. Its a 150 gal tank, with custom cabinets and a sink. Under the stand is 2 40 gal tanks, one is a DSB / fuge, and the other is a skimmer and live rock compartment. The tank is located in a office of a family friend. He took the rock from the first install in this thread, and about 200 gals of water from my system.

I will post lots more pics when i get back and fire up the system completely.

Sketch


















Note the water level is about the bottom of the overflow box, it has 3 1" drains (2 main, 1 spare)









Sweet under actinic!









In the future, this will become a full reef if he likes the saltwater thing... i am planning to do 3 hanging pendants from the ceiling to keep it clean and have no canopy or wires above the tank.

More to come


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## Ægir

Guess im setting up the 155 bow for the new owner... Check out the order we made today



























This is just the preliminary order to get it cycling... this guy is off the hook, and i cant wait to set this system up! He also got a 150GPD RO/DI unit, and some other toys. Also got 300lbs of marco rock, and i guess he paid for 2nd day air on the MD order? hahahah... wow this is awesome










Yeah... thats 420lbs of sand, and a couple hundred lbs in salt... FREE SHIPPING

His UPS guy is going to hate him









Potental setup ideas are a 360deg walk around with equipment behind the tank...



















Or (the one i like) is along a wall, 2 displays (low flow fuge and clown tank on bottom) and using a large rubbermaid sump.



















My baby lives on, and is getting a high tech face lift... I will update this in 4 or 5 days when i get home, and make the drive to his house.


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## His Majesty

that 360 walk around with equipment showing if done well and kept clean and neat would be a kickass setup and definetly something different. i say go for that


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## Ægir

His Majesty said:


> that 360 walk around with equipment showing if done well and kept clean and neat would be a kickass setup and definetly something different. i say go for that


He made the decision to go with it against the wall... Similar to the picture with the water barrels on the left of the display. Mainly because he wants 2 displays (over under) with a low flow fuge/DSB/ clown fish tank under... With it against the wall we can use a 150 gal rubbermaid for a sump, and a Reeflo Dart to feed the entire system. I drew up the stand today, and am flying from denver to MT tomorrow at 2pm. I will prob make a trip up to his house (hour drive) and build the stand, get the tanks in and plumbed, and then filled with water and cycling... a few weeks later i can drive up again and check it out.

I was shocked he just bit the bullet and made a 2500$ order today, and all the sand and salt, and 300lbs of Marcorock, and a glass buffing kit to remove those scratches... He is going to have one hell of a first SW setup, and this is going to be one hell of a build for me... i get to try out and play with almost ALL the equipment i want for my next tank









Just for fun, heres the sketches (poor quality pic sorry)










Stand plan... has to be beefy to span the front with no center leg.


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## His Majesty

ahh what a ****. with the 360 he still could have the two tanks showing. that was kinda the point

anyway his choice. looks forward to see the setup develop


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## Ægir

His Majesty said:


> ahh what a ****. with the 360 he still could have the two tanks showing. that was kinda the point
> 
> anyway his choice. looks forward to see the setup develop


Yeah, but with the 360 one he would be using the 125 as a sump (instead of a 150 rubbermaid)so you wouldnt really want to see it... When its against the wall, the 125 will become a DSB, and the system will have way more water so thats cool with me.

An update while im here:
I have been building the stand (will make a DIY topic, took lots of pics), and make the 1.5 hour drive to start the install tomorrow. The plan is water on Wednesday after the plumbing dries for a day.

Its going to be really difficult to tackle a few problems with this system: Because its in a detached garage, i have to fish CAT 5 (internet for controller) through a piece of conduit, a composite video cord to the projector, and find a water source to tap for RO/DI.

The Office tank is now running, with the skimmer (PM redline 200) and everything cycling... forgot my camera so i will get pics later


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## Ægir

Big day today... Made the drive to start the re-birth of the bowfront! I will let the pictures do the talking









Building the stand (will make a DIY thread about making stands too!)


















Tops of posts notched out









To fit in the frame









Makin sawdust!









view on the drive up









Stand, sump, skimmer in place









Plumbing... my favorite!









Toys! Brown box is the RKE controller and acc. 









Snapper hybrid pump (uses same impeller as a Dart, less power use)
Eggcrate in the sump to keep things from settling. (still need to trim it a little)









Some plumbing laid out, RO/DI on wall


















And last but not least, the tanks... 









They are getting a face lift soon, and we are held up until the bowfront gets buffed out, a bulkhead in the 125, and i find a way to fit a durso in the overflows (have an idea)so... in 2 or 3 days, i will head back up. Would like to see water this weekend if everything goes smoothly.

I can honestly say, this build is so F'n fun...!


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## His Majesty

thanks for the update. the build is looing very organised. keep up the good work im sure its gonna look splendid when its finished

those tools and saws are they the new owners own little workshop or have you brought them with you?


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## Ægir

His Majesty said:


> thanks for the update. the build is looing very organised. keep up the good work im sure its gonna look splendid when its finished
> 
> those tools and saws are they the new owners own little workshop or have you brought them with you?


Thanks man, apparently you are the only one checking out this thread... The tools you see in the stand building pics is our shop. Where the tank is being setup (about 1.5 hours from my house) he only has a limited supply of tools. I built the stand here, and assembled it on site to make it easier and have access to a nice table saw, and miter saw. Then took some things like a skill saw, sawzall, etc to do the work i needed on site.


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## His Majesty

oh i see. very nice.

it does seem that im the only checking the thread but please do keep updateing. i enjoy reading through it.


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## Ba20

Im trying to avoid the big saltwater jump, but everytime i see something like this it feels inevitable. Great Start Aegir


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## Ægir

Ba20 said:


> Im trying to avoid the big saltwater jump, but everytime i see something like this it feels inevitable. Great Start Aegir


MAKE THE JUMP









Thanks man! Stay tuned because its going to get better... Just from this project alone i will have a few DIY projects for the saltwater forum that are going to be cool.

I had to bring home a few manuals to start reading more about this stuff, and setting it up. The Reefkeeper elite controller, and new vortechs aren't something i have lots of hands on time with. But when it all comes together, its going to be sweet... Its giving me soooo many ideas for my next tank, and hopefully i can inspire some other people.


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## b_ack51

Just pure crazyiness with that tank. Wish I had that type of money to drop on a tank and have someone else set it up for me.


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## Ægir

DJ Roomba said:


> Just pure crazyiness with that tank. Wish I had that type of money to drop on a tank and have someone else set it up for me.


Thanks man, I wish i had the money and space to have a man cave like this... Whats up with your sump, you ever set it up? or one up because that one broke?

I am heading back up tomorrow, so expect an update soon! Ideally all the major things have been tackled (extra bulkhead drilling, buffing the display) so i can get a good jump on plumbing it, and have it painted black by tomorrow night. The owner has something with his family all Saturday, so the glue can dry and cure good before we add water. We can also fire up the RO/DI unit, and make some water Saturday while hes gone.

I have another small list of things to get on my way up (that i didnt think of initially) , and hopefully i can fit 2" durso standpipes in those narrow overflow boxes. Thats about my list of problems right now for this project.

I will also stop by on my way out of town and get some pics and check on the office install.


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## Ægir

Big few days, water is going in tomorrow. Few notes, plumbing changed because of the stand reinforcements... so the drain goes far right instead of in the center of the tank. Its all black now, so you can hardly tell.









Buffing









Outlined spots 









Start of plumbing!


















Display on, Buffing still in progress









Rock

































Plumbing paint job!









Finished product...


















RKE and MP40W ECOtech controller mounded... cords will be hidden later


















Sump filled, salt mixing for tomorrow!









Start of manifold, and RKE controlled outlets.









Archway for tomorrow...









I will make an update tomorrow night with things fired up... i am really stoked about this install.


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## His Majesty

This setup is looking rather impressive. plumbing job is immaculate as always even though i still think it looks over engineered.

how does the flow of the water work in the system? im a little lost as to where all the water gets pumped about. because you said there is a secondry tank under the main display or something along with the sump?


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## Ægir

His Majesty said:


> This setup is looking rather impressive. plumbing job is immaculate as always even though i still think it looks over engineered.
> 
> how does the flow of the water work in the system? im a little lost as to where all the water gets pumped about. because you said there is a secondry tank under the main display or something along with the sump?


I over engineer everything I build... it helps me sleep at night.

The flow (originally) had the drain from the top tank being split, and using that to feed the bottom tank (left to right)and then everything drains into the big sump. The 2 buckets inside are to separate dirty drain water (so it goes straight to skimmer) and the clean side which has the skimmer and lower tank drains. Because of the wall and stand, i had to connect the top tank drains, and run them straight to the "dirty" bucket with no detour through the bottom tank (which will be fed by the main return instead). In theory, it should work pretty good after some fine tuning.


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## His Majesty

so the bottom tank is just a secondry display tank? it has not mangroves or any other biological filtration? all the water in the system runs to the sump and skimmer returned to the top tank then down to the bottom then into the sump again?
so in theory the sump and skimmer are filtering water from two diplay tanks

i still dont really get the point of the buckets though? the dirty water which comes through from the bottom tank goes into the bucket which then pumps it straight to the skimmer then back down to the sump which in turn. pumps it back into the main display tank? if thats the case would it be just easier to have the water going straight from the bottom tank to the skimmer then down to the sump like you would have normally?


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## Draven1

Please keep posting I enjoy reading your articles, they are both entertaining and informative. Your skill and expertise in setting up such beautiful and elaborate systems is unrivaled. I do not post often but read a lot but in this case I felt compelled to comment. I wish you continued success and good fortune in your future projects, thanks for sharing.


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## Ægir

His Majesty said:


> Please keep posting I enjoy reading your articles, they are both entertaining and informative. Your skill and expertise in setting up such beautiful and elaborate systems is unrivaled. I do not post often but read a lot but in this case I felt compelled to comment. I wish you continued success and good fortune in your future projects, thanks for sharing.


Thank you, it means so much when people leave comments and criticism. I am only 25, and have 5 short years in this hobby. I would like to continue learning, and developing/designing systems like this. LEAVE MORE POSTS









Thanks again, stay tuned as this system is just getting started!


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## Ægir

Video, note the sump is running 2" low


Back tomorrow to finish most of it up, and start playing with the controller!


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## His Majesty

ok understanding the system better now. thanks for the video upload.
its all looking nice. keep up the good work

you keeping the tank bare bottom then?


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## redbellyman21

wow dude, great use of money and setup!


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## Ægir

His Majesty said:


> wow dude, great use of money and setup!


Thanks man! I am finding its easier when using other peoples money









Back to work to get the bottom tank online, and the center brace replaced. I will update tonight when i get back to the cabin.


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## EZmoney

WOW, Just discovered this thread!

That is looking like a high tech setup. Super cool that you have a client with deep pockets so you can experiment with the latest equipment.

The rock work in the bowfront is awesome.

Looking forward to more updates and progress reports.


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## Ægir

EZmoney said:


> WOW, Just discovered this thread!
> 
> That is looking like a high tech setup. Super cool that you have a client with deep pockets so you can experiment with the latest equipment.
> 
> The rock work in the bowfront is awesome.
> 
> Looking forward to more updates and progress reports.


Thanks man!

Heres a video, and some more pics from the bowfront install and the office install. I go back up this weekend to hook the controller up to the internet, and program all of that. I think its going to be awesome having the ability to check the tank (and watch it soon!) from the internet anywhere in the world.

The "My Reef 2.0" controller software for your computer is pretty cool as well.

Quick crappy videos, excuse the giant chew in my mouth













Office install, Sorry about the glare, blinds were open









Left side of sump, PM Redline 220 skimmer









Right side, refuge area









Prob going to be making a lighting order, PAR38 LED spotlights for both tanks (will supplement with a metal halide, or plasma in the center of the bowfront)

I will keep you guys updated


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## His Majesty

things are looking fantastic. keep it up


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## Guest

Gotta get those wires cleaned up but otherwise







Nicely done. I would have loved to install a tank like that - my clients were always lower-key and were more of the bare minimum attitude. What he has should be the bare minimum, there would be a lot less people bitching on the internet about algae, flow and bad equipment. WOuld love to see how the software works!


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer

Man Egir for a guy like myself scared to go sump, you sure make it look extra extra complicated. Damn pipes and tubes going everywhere in your builds! What happened to 1 pipe bringing water in to the sump and one pipe returning water back into the tank.







Your a SW god man.


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## Ægir

Mr. Lahey said:


> things are looking fantastic. keep it up


Thanks bro!


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## Ægir

Just made another order, i will leave the part numbers if anybody cares to check it out on marinedepot



> 3 x Precision marine skimmer muffler PM2131
> 1 x Flow booster FT0035
> 1 x Replacment RO/DI filter set RO2113
> 2 x MJ1200 + sureflow AS1147
> 2 x MJ900 AS1115
> 2 x Gloves ES09505
> 2 x Two little Fishes 550 reactors TL4313
> 1 x Phosban TL4113
> 2 x Activated carbon EV2211
> 3 x Filter socks UJ4113, and 3 x UJ4111
> Strainers FT8588, FT8577, FT8555
> 1 x Ultralife 360mg/hr Ozonizer YUL3333
> 1 x Thermometer RB1313
> 2 x JG speed fittings RO5113
> 3 x Ro/DI valve RO5351
> 4 feet of (its by the foot?) FT1311
> 
> ReefKeeperElite pods:
> 
> SL2: DA1318
> Salinity probe: NS5191
> ORP probe: DA1383
> PH probe: DA1375
> Temp probe DA1373
> Conductivity cell OP3177
> 
> MLC: DA1323
> 2 x DA1393
> 
> Float kit: DA1415
> 
> A couple boxes of Reef Crystals salt mix (200 gal boxes)
> 
> UV bulb (for a 25w Aqua UV setup)


And got the controller online... Soon you guys can check out the webcam, and other heads up display items (PH, ORP, temp, salinity etc) from the internetz, and watch me at work









I will let you know when the order arrives, and things have progressed more... still riding out a cycle in both tanks, but 20 chromis, 50 turbo, and 50 nassarius snails are in 2 weeks from now.

Check out the software for it, pretty awesome!

http://www.digitalaquatics.com/news/myReef2

http://reefbuilders.com/2010/04/12/reef-20-digital-aquatics/


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## Ægir

Thought i would share this... This is the LFS owners car, he just had the decals put on. KICK ASS


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## His Majesty

^^







a true Salty lover


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## Ægir

His Majesty said:


> ^^
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> a true Salty lover


Yeah, i thought it was awesome!

Heres some more pics from last weekend... Temp 400w MH light over the display, got the UV, Carbon/Phosban reactors online, and Ozone should be up and running soon!



















Thats not where the topoff bin will be for the record









Forgot to share this pic, this was on the box from Marcorocks 









And it was an awesome day to receive a package like that









First fish go in next week sometime, and i am working on lighting and a badass aluminum light rack for over the tank.


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## His Majesty

oh yes its looking fantastic. real clean and slick looking


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## Guest

You're doing a superb job man.


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## Ægir

His Majesty said:


> You're doing a superb job man.


Thanks guys, appreciate the compliments!


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## Ægir

Some updated pics... Ran into a few problems but noting _too_ serious. One outlet on the PC4 almost caught on fire, and melted the male and female plugs pretty well. NO it wasnt water or humidity like one would think, OR an amperage overload on the outlet... actually the breaker never even tripped. Contacting them to see what they have to say.










OZONE!









Helping with water clarity already


















Giant urchin... These are extremely hard to find (believe it or not) at this size, because the always get destroyed in shipping. Even when smaller ones are shipped they loose most of their spines.









Bottom tank, added a Yellow headed goby to sift some sand









Top tank, some algae growing









And another shot of the mountains on the drive up









Thats about it for now... more next weekend when i get back.


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer

Looks great, I love the shimmer effect the halides give off, makes it look really natural


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## Ægir

Update from today...



















Calcium reactor and effluent reactor on the stand!


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## shiver905

Went all out, 
You even have one of those skimmate holder containers!

preety cool!


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## His Majesty

the reactors are looking beastly. loving the setup. good work


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## Ægir

shiver905 said:


> the reactors are looking beastly. loving the setup. good work


Thanks man, theres 16lbs of media and i am still a little short... sad it wont be online for a few months when/if his calcium demand is enough in the display.

Thanks again!


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## Ægir

So our first fish order came in, as soon as they are acclimated and comfortable i will post pics!

Includes: M/F pair of blue jaw triggers,
10 clownfish
2 firefish
Royal grama
3 yellow tangs
2 sailfin tangs
and something I am forgetting...

The office build is doing good as well... got 2 MP40w s in, and made some changes to the filtration. A few "tester" fish are in and doing great.


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## His Majesty

10 clownfish? why? just get a pair and choose a few other fish instead. maybe a couple of butterfly fish, imo that be a better choice

pair of blue jaw triggers will look gorgeous in that setup

the tangs sound good too.

maybe a wrasse of some description would be nice to finish the collection off?


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## Ægir

His Majesty said:


> 10 clownfish? why? just get a pair and choose a few other fish instead. maybe a couple of butterfly fish, imo that be a better choice
> 
> pair of blue jaw triggers will look gorgeous in that setup
> 
> the tangs sound good too.
> 
> maybe a wrasse of some description would be nice to finish the collection off?


Yeah, the triggers are already pretty big... i am waiting for the owner to send me some pics.

10 clowns because they get the entire bottom 125 gal tank, with a goby, 2 firefish, and eventually some anemones. Dont want to wait for them to spawn, and have no activity in the lower tank.

We are making another fish order that will have about the same number of fish, including 2 angelfish, a dwarf angel, more tangs, and some other things. Prob add some tester frags soon and get started on the light rack / lighting for the tanks as well. There are a few wrasses in consideration also.


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## Ægir

Sorry for the delay... some pics and videos

Fish list (off the top of my head)

Royal grama
2 Tennenti tangs
M/F pair of blue jaw triggers
2 yellow tangs
2 sailfin tangs
2 scopas tangs
lemonpeel angel
queen angel juvy

Still recovering in QT is a M/F pair of naso tangs.

Temporary quarantine tank









Display









"chaos corner"









bottom tank, only real algae we have seen, caused by too much light









Yum Yum



























Sorry i couldnt clean the glass of the display, theres an outbreak of flatworms of some sort (Amphiscolops sp... harmless) and i didnt want to mess with them until the sixline wrasses arive. Tank is running great, and will be getting a load of frags in the next week or so. Also started the lighting rack for above the tank, so i will update when i have some pics of that.

Also got a sweet RBTA for the clowns, but it decided it likes the back of the rock tower instead of where it can be seen.


----------



## Guest

I love seeing your updates and pics AEgir


----------



## Ægir

ksls said:


> I love seeing your updates and pics AEgir


Thank you!

They will get more frequent and interesting once the coral stocking begins, i promise!


----------



## His Majesty

its looking rather splendid. your doing a great job. really digging the bare bottomness for the main tank

and loving the chaos corner. although if its all working properly its not really chaos lol


----------



## Ægir

His Majesty said:


> its looking rather splendid. your doing a great job. really digging the bare bottomness for the main tank
> 
> and loving the chaos corner. although if its all working properly its not really chaos lol


Thanks man!

Yeah, the corner just needs to be cleaned up and have the cords and crap hidden once everything is online and adjusted. Should be in the next few weeks...


----------



## shiver905

Looking good man
Your rock is starting to color.

What are you water pharams at?
Wats your future stocking plan.aka where do you want ur tank to be in the next year or so.

Keep us updated more man.


----------



## Ægir

shiver905 said:


> Looking good man
> Your rock is starting to color.
> 
> What are you water pharams at?
> Wats your future stocking plan.aka where do you want ur tank to be in the next year or so.
> 
> Keep us updated more man.


Yeah, coraline is starting to spread... especially on the front glass, and pieces of acrylic i used to stack the rock on.

Water params were something to the tune of Nitrates / nitrites / ammonia / phosphates all untestable (close to 0) Alk 8dkh, PH 8.2, ORP 400, CA 425, MG 1350, temp is average of 78.8, with a 2 deg swing. Things are just "running free" right now, and with the controller we can pretty much fine tune any of those params to precisely what we want (even automated water changes incase of emergency, activated from the other side of the world need be)

We will be adding a chiller to tighten the temp swing, as well as an AC unit in the garage, and vent fan for humidity. And as soon as the ca reactor comes online i feel we will have the parameters cinched tight enough and eliminate any and all swings. We will also bring the ORP up to 420 or 450 (more ozone) once the corals are introduced.

Because its not actually my tank, and i am just the mastermind behind the design i really have no say in what happens... just suggestions. I can tell you that i was fortunate enough to meet a local reefer who has a frag problem (cant get rid of them fast enough) and this friday i will be picking up some sweeet frags (multiple color birdsnests, acros, montitropa, stylophora, plate corals) to get a feel for how they do in the system, and what we need for lighting. The 400w over the tank is ample light, but the height its mounted casts too much light outside the tank.

The plan as of now, is a 250W halide in the center, 2 175s on the side, and 6 or 8 PAR38 LEDs for actinic/ some daylight on the display, and another 4-6 PAR 38s for the bottom tank. We were thinking about going all LED, or possibly plasma but the cost isnt worth it until the kinks are worked out (and they go to the XM leds from the XPE or XRE). Halides are cheap and proven if you can stomach the power use. All of this will be in a neat aluminum light rack, in vented reflectors to help keep heat out.

Thanks for the interest, wish people would ask more questions and leave comments.


----------



## Ægir

This is why i havent been around much... House number 6

7 weeks in so far, 3 people (Brother, dad and myself), all 3 stories of framing, trusses, sheeting complete... The plumber, roofers, and heating / cooling people are just getting started. That roof is the craziest one yet, 12/12 pitch (45 deg slope) and a ridiculous amount of peaks and valleys that had to be custom framed... Shingles, sheetrock, and sometimes plumbing are the only thing we dont do in a house because of time restrictions. Looking forward to electrical so i can take some pictures and do a writeup on ground probes in the aquarium and how dangerous they are.



















Sadly, no "hole in the wall" projects on this house... once the exterior is complete and the house is dried in (weatherproof) things will be on hold for the winter. The good news is, i also just started remodeling a place for myself as well!


----------



## His Majesty

nice looking house. however i dont like the fact that its made all out of wood. needs some good old fashioned brick.


----------



## Ægir

His Majesty said:


> nice looking house. however i dont like the fact that its made all out of wood. needs some good old fashioned brick.


Its framed in wood, but the exterior will be stucco and rock like most of the houses we have done...

This is number 5 (just sold)









And number 4


----------



## His Majesty

ahh i see. very nice indeed. look very nice. so you a property developer?

although they are all one floor only. i like mine to be a few floors high
do they have basements?


----------



## Ægir

His Majesty said:


> ahh i see. very nice indeed. look very nice. so you a property developer?
> 
> although they are all one floor only. i like mine to be a few floors high
> do they have basements?


No, not really a property developer... just for my family really. After about 2 or 3 years we sell the house, and start another one. They all have finished basements, and the current house is 2 story, 3 if you include the basement. Of the 6 we have done: 3 have been 2 story (above ground) 2 single story, and one had a huge second story bonus room over the garage (split level deal). We have never built a house that is single story with no basement. Most houses also have a full basement apartment, kitchen, etc that is accessible from outside, or through the garage. Average selling price is right around 650K give or take.

I just love getting to learn about everything involved in a house... its great to know even if i dont do this my entire life.


----------



## His Majesty

Sounds real good man. id love to build my own house. be great. full level basements are sweet. my aunt in canada has one on her house

i also want a secret room behind a book case or fireplace. be pretty sweet haha


----------



## Ægir

Big update! The office build has its light rack and canopy made! currently housing 9 PAR38 LED fixtures. Going to add more in the future soon, and change the optics to get rid of the spotlight effect. Also will be installing the RKE controller on this tank.














































AND frags in the bowfront!





































anemone crab













































More to come!


----------



## shiver905

WOW,

That alotta light









Looking good man,

wanna share some more pictures?


----------



## Ægir

shiver905 said:


> WOW,
> 
> That alotta light
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Looking good man,
> 
> wanna share some more pictures?


Im honestly not too impressed with the leds so far.. but i have read many reviews that say it takes a few days to "learn to love" it. The owner of the office tank did all of that canopy on his own, so i am really impressed with his end result. We will end up changing the optics to eliminate that spotlight effect... and add 3 more PAR 38s. As you can see from the second set of pictures, 9 of those LED fixtures doesnt compare to a single 400W halide (even in a crappy batwing reflector) thats the temp light on the bowfront build. Its enough light for anemones, clams, and anything else... just with a small spread and narrow focus. The light canopy weighs 50 or so lbs so the track on the wall is AWESOME for lifting it up.

Dont have many more pics, how about some videos?





Great one here!


And some of the frags in the bowfront build


All the frags were from a local reefer... he was extremely generous, and didnt skimp on frag size! I will get names up in a few, when i take the time to look them up.


----------



## His Majesty

loving the new additions









although a little confused. the tank with the black sand? where is that from? doesnt look as if its the one on the bottom


----------



## Ægir

His Majesty said:


> loving the new additions
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> although a little confused. the tank with the black sand? where is that from? doesnt look as if its the one on the bottom


The tank with black sand is the "office build" i am also doing... its a 125 gal with everything in the stand that is local. it was talked about briefly a page or 2 back.

The other pics are from the 155 bowfront build, which was my old tank that i sold to a guy about an hour from here. Its the one with all the PM equipment and high end fun toys.

Thanks man!


----------



## His Majesty

ahh right. yes i knew what one the 155g one was. the 125g tank threw me, wasnt quite sure which one that was. no worries back on track now








have to say love the look of the 125g. especially with the lights and the black sand. looks gorgeous


----------



## Ægir

Bowfront update:

Just talked to the owner. So even after careful precautions including quarantine... ICH has mad its way into the system. "Lots of losses" already... all fish have to be removed and treated in a separate tank for 45 days (min of 30), until it dies off in the displays. ICH requires a fish (or some inverts) host, so with no fish it will die off completely. It came from the LAST fish introduced, and was a premature move from quarantine that spread the problem. NOTHING GOOD HAPPENS FAST!!!

The (kinda) good news is, the corals are doing great, showing visible growth and wont be bothered... Lighting is still in the works, and we have to buy another skimmer for the 40 brdr tank to hold the remainder of the fish for that long... so i will update again when i see whats going on in person. We will handle this problem, learn from it, and move on from square one after the waiting period.


----------



## His Majesty

damn thats real suckish man. hope it dies off soon so you can get back on track with the stocking.

which fish have been lost already?


----------



## Ægir

His Majesty said:


> damn thats real suckish man. hope it dies off soon so you can get back on track with the stocking.
> 
> which fish have been lost already?


2 clowns, a tang, the anemone, and the urchin remain... will prob loose the 3 fish

Losses:

M/F pair of blue jaw triggers,
M/F pair of Naso tangs
9 clownfish
2 firefish
Royal grama
3 yellow tangs
2 sailfin tangs
angel juvy
2 scopas tangs
blenny
and some others

The life cycle of ICH is approx 30 days depending on temp... I will hold the tank with any surviving fish up around 80 or 82 and dose with copper, and the tank around 79 (as to not stress the corals). The fish would get a fresh water dip if they werent barely holding on, and I would have caught this sooner. If nothing makes it, then we will make a skimmer order and get the quarantine tank beefed up.

We will have lighting and be ready for another fish stock when the 45 days is up... i am saying 45 because i want to be SURE theres nothing left. ALL new fish and corals will be quarantined for a set period of time from now on, not just when the owner "feels like adding it" or "it looks ok after a few days"... and I will figure out a dip/treatment for corals as well before they make it that far.

Live and learn i guess... talk about a crash course in reefkeeping for the owner.


----------



## Ba20

that sucks sorry about your loss


----------



## Ægir

Ba20 said:


> that sucks sorry about your loss


Thanks man, even though these arent my fish and i didnt pay for them it still sucks...

After just going through a similar thing with all of my fish, I can imagine how he feels. The best thing at this point is to learn from it, get a badass quarantine setup and not let it happen ever again.

I have said it a million times, and i will say it again: Nothing good happens fast, and rushing something is asking for a problem... problems in this hobby are never cheap, and usually end up costing you 10 fold.

The owner is coming down to meet me tomorrow, and bring the template for the light rack (to custom match the bowfront) so i can get that welded up, reflectors and ballasts ordered, and focus on some important things (take our minds off the fish) like upgrading the RKE controller and getting net hooked up, the CA reactor assembled and plumbed in so its ready when we need it, hiding wires and cleaning up, ventilation for humidity, and an AC unit installed, and tightening down all the params for the corals. I will let you know after i talk to him whats going on and what he wants to do.


----------



## His Majesty

Damn those are some horrific losses. what an utter shame. id be gutted if i lost them. especially the M/F trigger and tangs


----------



## Ægir

His Majesty said:


> Damn those are some horrific losses. what an utter shame. id be gutted if i lost them. especially the M/F trigger and tangs


Yeah, it really sucks... the good news is they can be replaced, and lots of them were smaller in hopes of growing them out. The triggers and pair of sailfin tangs were my favorite... so much personality!

I Just met with the owner, he is in the right mindset now. He wants to put together an equally badass quarantine tank and be ready for this next go around... He also said he realizes how important it is to be patient. The corals are showing growth, and still doing great from what he said. All water parameters are still prime, and the ich has dropped of the remaining fish (to its substrate part of the life cycle) so we will be removing the remaining fish, and beginning the countdown this weekend.

He also said he thinks this was caused by a temp drop stressing the fish out... 74 one night, so like i said we will be getting that under control in both directions... The entire light rack i am designing uses 6" vented reflectors, so we will be able to literally heat or cool the room during the day using metal halides and a fan controller. That and an AC unit in the window, and furnace should handle about anything. We want to stay away from using a chiller, because they create tons of heat... a smaller one found for a great price might be added as a backup, but ideally never run.


----------



## His Majesty

Sounds like the guy is taking this in his stride and wants to try harder for a better setup









good news that the corals are showing steady healthy growth. a little consolation for the fish losses


----------



## Ba20

I now know who to talk to when i make the leap !


----------



## shiver905

im having the same problem as of now.

sucks


----------



## Ægir

Alright... the tank has been "running wild" after my last update. Other than skimmer cleaning and mandatory things, nothing has been touched.

I cant say enough how sorry i am for the dirty glass, i spent some time trying to get pictures but nothing turned out. The fish are the survivors of the outbreak, and have been testers to see if the ich is going to come back. Nothing as of yet, so it either found a balance in they system or died off.

http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf

http://static.photobucket.com/player.swf

Things will be cleaned up and back on track shortly!


----------



## wizardslovak

man hat down nice houses and that tank setup , just incredible


----------



## Ægir

wizardslovak said:


> man hat down nice houses and that tank setup , just incredible


Thanks man! glad people are still following along... Things will be moving ahead again shortly now that the ICH has subsided and atleast balanced out!

I have been talking with the owner over the past week throwing around ideas for lighting, and other problems we have had. Just ordered a new JBJ heater and controller to replace the fried one, and started sketching up some light racks. Will be getting the controller online, and hopefully a webcam for everybody to check out!

Will have some updated pics and videos in the next week or so... I owe him some major favors because he lent me his camper for the last week


----------



## wizardslovak

once i get land ill be building house myself hehe , bricks and concrete blocks


----------



## Ægir

Time to get this rolling again









Going to be placing an order for a 72" 6x Aquaillumination SOL fixture in the next few days... My local store uses one of their dealers, and after taking a day to do the math comparing MH, T5, T5 MH combo, MH Plasma combo, and the SOL setup. And figuring out the yearly power usage, bulb cost per year, initial cost the SOL fixture was a payoff at about 5 years, although the setup cost to begin with was twice the other fixtures. Some info I read said the par of the 4x is comparable to 3 250w MH...

The SOL fixture is also controllable with the RKE controller he uses, with the add on "advanced lighting controller" (ALC) module... sunrise, sunset and lunar all in one, to keep a clean look. They are back-ordered in the "super blue" for 3 weeks, so hopefully we can find one in stock sooner. If not, it will be worth it in the end.

He also wants to add a chiller for the summer to keep the temp super stable... Will be doing the NET setup with the controller, plumbing in the Calcium reactor and maybe test running it, and cleaning things up again.

Im just glad to get this project moving again!


----------



## shiver905

OOO fancy!

LMK how the ALC with the RKE works out for you.

BTW update your thread a little more often, You give good advice and post alot in this section.
Yet no pictures of you own to entertain us.


----------



## His Majesty

ooooo new lights and a chiller!

i want lights which have a lunar setting too







it sounds cool. although i dont know what it looks like.


----------



## Ægir

shiver905 said:


> ooooo new lights and a chiller!
> 
> i want lights which have a lunar setting too
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> it sounds cool. although i dont know what it looks like.


Several companies make add on moonlights... If you have been thinking about a controller (RKlite?) you can use the MLC module and up to 6 pods. And if you just want a stand alone Lunar setup, there are a few of those as well.

It looks like light blue or white light, the more full the moon is the brighter the light, when its a sliver its almost totally dark. Its kinda cool to look outside and see a full moon, and have the tank following what the real moon is doing.


----------



## Guest

Any update pics? Sounds interesting


----------



## Ægir

Traveller said:


> Any update pics? Sounds interesting


I will have pictures the second its in my hand! Nothing I love more than sharing update pictures!!!

Order placed for:

6x Aquaillumiation SOL LED fixtures 
72" mounting rail, hanging kit (instead of legs)
DA RKM-ALC Light control module (Allows the Elite to control lunar and sunrise sunset)
Smaller skimmer for quarantine tank (Aqua C or Deltec MCE)
4 boxes of salt
Filter socks
Air filters for the skimmer

Possibly a frag tank (40 long 30 wide 12 tall?)and 1/3 or 1/4 HP chiller for next weeks shipment... Will be getting the QT back up soon, and starting to stock fish and more corals. Also on the list is installing the vent fan, and AC unit, the update on the controller and MYReef computer software, hopefully a webacm!?, and some other surprises. Also have to wire up a few floats and switches for fail safe and flood protection.

Already have another 150lbs of Marco rocks waiting... Trying to decide on a few options for the owner at his request.

-Foam rock wall for the 155 bowfront
-Replacing the bowfront with a bigger tank, Marineland 300gal Deep dimension, or something approx 72x30x24ish?
-Foam rock wall for the new tank?
-Add the rock to the lower tank (use one or two of the SOL fixtures?) and fill in the sump and other areas in the display.

Have I ever mentioned how much I love this hobby and project?


----------



## Ægir

Quick update while im here... Lights should be shipping next week (fingers crossed!) according to the distributor. I have been loosing sleep at night thinking about playing with this fixture









Just ordered the SWC Xtreme Mini S cone skimmer for the QT setup and got a plan rolling for that, prob 2 30 gal tanks connected to a 40brdr sump with that skimmer. Chiller should be getting ordered any day now also!

Waiting for the final few things to arrive, and the install party begins! Cant wait to see the tank and get some pictures/videos.

April 25th of last year was when she got salty... making the tank over a year old now!


----------



## CLUSTER ONE

Tell me how you like the SWC


----------



## Ægir

CLUSTER ONE said:


> Tell me how you like the SWC


Have you watched any videos online yet? Check em out... was enough to convince me with the other reviews i read!

Also I found it odd that the "mini S" is bigger than the 160? But for sure, I will give you a review the second its in my hands! We are going to break it in on the big tank and see how it does competing with the PM Bullet 3 for skimmate. Their largest cone skimmer rated for 700 gals uses 1/3 the power of that Panworld 250PS pump needed for the beckett on the PM skimmer.

The owners idea is to use this for QT until the tank is mostly stocked, and then setup another tank in his house... thinking ahead!


----------



## Ægir

Just got some pics of the SWC "mini" S cone! Pretty impressed so far, we will see how she runs i guess!























































More pics of the tank coming shortly


----------



## s4awd

wow. THat's hard core! Awesome!


----------



## Ægir

s4awd said:


> wow. THat's hard core! Awesome!


Thanks for the input! Stay tuned, its going to get better!


----------



## Ægir

So the AI fixture (-mounting rack and hanging kit) have been shipped as of last friday... expecting them this week! Also was told the Sixline wrasse jumped in the overflow, rode the drain into the sump and somehow MADE IT THROUGH THE DART RETURN PUMP, and into the bottom tank which is the only output he can fit through (penductors on the others). Unless this is a rare teleporting sixline, i dont see any other way for him to make it into the lower tank.

Also found some new things in the system... even AFTER using mostly base rock and seeding with small pieces we still introduced things we didnt know about or necessarily want in the system. About 10 have been removed and still finding them.










As far as I know they are called "Chitions" and harmless algae grazers... If it would have been something bad (isopods etc) it could be catastrophic to the system. You can never be too careful!


----------



## BlackSunshine

Wow this is an awesome looking setup. well both of them. Those lil buggers are freaky lookin.


----------



## His Majesty

nice chiton. there was an article about them in my Dive mag a couple of issues back. some of them can have quite colourful shells.


----------



## Ægir

BlackSunshine said:


> nice chiton. there was an article about them in my Dive mag a couple of issues back. some of them can have quite colourful shells.


Yeah, When trying to ID the bastards I saw some cool pics of armored spiky ones too.

I dont mind them now that i know they arent predatory... if they were Cirolanid isopods or something that could be a game ender. After the ICH outbreak and this down time I was a little on edge.

Still waiting on those lights to arrive ANY day now... looking forward to posting some pics.


----------



## Ægir

Just a taste:






















































Spot on 8' ceiling, middle of day near a window









So, first impressions (without seeing more than one at a time, and not having a controller to play with brightness and color) these fixtures kick ass... When I got to my LFS he had already unpacked one module (of 6) and put it on a tank beside the marineland LED fixture he sells the most of, easily 20 times brighter and gave the fish way more pop. I also see how they could be easily replicated as a DIY, The elaborate circuitry is what would be the hardest part (they sell replacement LED modules anyways...)

Cant wait to head up and get these bad boys mounted, The QT setup going, The RKE upgrades, net and Reefkeeper software, chiller, vent fan... and another plus is firing up that skimmer and enjoying that new skimate smell!

Also look forward to RSS feeds and a webcam on the tank (in the works)


----------



## Ægir

Took one of the fixtures to a freinds house and put it on his 55gal FW tank... Please ignore the fake coral and bright fake plant









SOL on left, Direct late day sun on right









Blinds closed


----------



## Ægir

Spent the last 2 days (about 30 beers worth) getting things installed. Got the chiller installed, most of the Calcium Reactor plumbed in, made a temporary light rack for the top and bottom tanks because the AI one isnt here yet, Updated all of the 11 RKE controller modules to the latest firmware (PITA because you have to do it one at a time) and got the MYreef program going for the most part. Installed an Ethernet bridge in the garage to get internet connection for the controller and camera (more info later)... Uh... fired up the cone skimmer and started breaking that in, rebuilt the skimmer pump, added another PC4 and PC1....Got my list of things for next time to get the QT system going, and some other things.

Some MAJOR PROBLEMS I ran into configuring the AI LED setup to the RKE-ALC, The ALC uses a serial (2 wire) plug, and the AI fixtures use a 3.5mm headphone jack... You have to make your own cable by cutting the 3.5mm off, carefully stripping it down and then making your own connections... After an hour of searching, hidden in a special manual (that doenst come with the ALC, and is in their support forums) they tell you how to do it. (Red to red, ignore the white, black to the loose uninsulated wire in the outer sleve) After all of that, You can individually control the White and Blue sides of the AI LED fixture (0-100%) and ramp up or down with dimming features. Right now the lighting schedule is 9-9 Blues take 1.5 hrs to ramp up to 80%, and an hour after the blues start the whites take 3 hours to ramp up to 45%... creating an all blue sunrise/sunset and peak white intensity mid day.

On the list of things for next time: New PH, ORP, and Salinity probes and probe calibration because 3 were way off. Set up the QT tanks, and get ready for a fish order and coral frags. Also setting up an RSS feed and email notifications and the camera... going to start CLEANING UP WIRES FINALLY









Note most these pictures were taken at 15% white and 80% blue LED intensity (Via ALC controller)

Cone breaking in (low foam in the neck to prevent rogue foam cannon)









Clove/Star polyps




































FTsS









What happens when your light hanger, is located directly on another light? DIY!!






















































Kinda blurry but...









Right now there's 4 AI modules on the top tank and 2 on the bottom... prob going to be adding a few more to the system in the future. Like I said earlier, those pics were taken at about 15% white and 80% blue intensity. I will take more pictures of the various light cycles and show the control you have at your finger tips... and the thunderstorm feature is KICK ASS! Will get a video for sure next time I go.

And a quick video...


It was extremely hard to get good pictures that give the feel you are really there... I prob took 75 pics, and wasnt impressed with any of them. Once things get going I will be using a nicer DSLR with macro lens.

LEAVE A COMMENT


----------



## His Majesty

liking the new light fixtures. i also need to get a chiller for my tank. last summer i got some close calls with the temp rising a little too much for my liking.


----------



## Ægir

His Majesty said:


> liking the new light fixtures. i also need to get a chiller for my tank. last summer i got some close calls with the temp rising a little too much for my liking.


Yeah man, i am in love with the new lights... I spent like 3 hours just playing around with color adjustment and the thunderstorm feature









Have you thought about getting one of the "ice probe" smaller drop in chillers? If its not much cooling you need, they are fairly neat and dont take the space of an external chiller.


----------



## FishermanCanada

wow what a setup. I can see you take a lot of pride in your tanks. Awesome looking tanks.


----------



## Ægir

FishermanCanada said:


> wow what a setup. I can see you take a lot of pride in your tanks. Awesome looking tanks.


Thank you for the comment, Its what keeps me doing these updates and posting pictures! Feedback really helps what I am doing, even if its just a reassuring thumbs up.

I try to do everything the best I am capable, and when an opportunity like this project comes up it really opens up new boundaries. Someday I hope i can afford to have a comparable system of my own, but enjoy the "part time" role and not doing most of the dirty work involved with a system this large.

Just talked to the owner, he said the first days light cycle was programmed correctly and things seem to be responding well. Should have some more pictures at various times of the day shortly.


----------



## Ægir

Went up today to do some work... Built a stand for the QT tanks, plumbed everything in and got it up and running. 2 29gals and a 40 brdr sump.

Did more module updates on the controller... Dosed some 2 part and magnesium... Cleaned the 2little fishes reactors and changed the media..

Some pictures:



























Building a fish list to re stock the system now, will keep you updated.


----------



## Guest

Great pictures. I am shocked that such an expensive , elaborate system is just sitting in what seems to be a back room. I would have thought it would be viewable through a wall or something, on display.


----------



## Ægir

ksls said:


> Great pictures. I am shocked that such an expensive , elaborate system is just sitting in what seems to be a back room. I would have thought it would be viewable through a wall or something, on display.


Thanks! It Is actually a detached garage... which happens to be his "man cave" also

His (now ex?) wife didnt want it in the house at the time it was thought up and put into action. Once things get rolling in the right direction and a good coral and fish stock is in place, I would bet a bigger tank comes into play inside the house.

Worked up a fish list last night for the re-stock and it looks a litte something like this:

M/F pair blue jaw triggers
Anthias (flame, or pink square) (2M/6F)
2 Firefish
Sixline wrasse(s)
2 or 3 yellow tangs
2 Tenneti (orange shoulder) tangs (M/F pair?)
3 Scopas tangs
M/F Naso Tang pair
2 Hippo tangs
Lemon peel angel
Queen angel juvy

For bottom tank:
Clownfish 
Sleeper banded bullet goby
Mystery wrasse pair?
Pink tail trigger pair?


----------



## bob351

incredible setup


----------



## Ægir

bob351 said:


> incredible setup


Thanks man, I appreciate it!

Went up over the weekend and did some work, replaced 2 PH probes, ORP probe, Salinity probe and did some other simple things. Also installed his boat stereo...

Alpine Marine deck with Ipod and bluetooth
2 Pair of Kicker Marine Components
2 10" Solobarics in Kicker boxes
1 750w 5 Channel Amp
1 1500w Amp
1 15 farad Stinger cap
0 ga wire pull

Super hard to take pics, but here are a few:


















Both amps are mounted in this TINY ass cubby... Sucked hanging them and doing the wiring!!









Subs under back seat, both ports facing center.









Still gotta do some wire cleanup and bolt the boxes down... would like to find a more secure place for the crossovers also. Oh, and it sounds damn good on the open water too!


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## Red Sox Fanatic

Damn just seems soooo complicated !!!!!


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## Ægir

Red Sox Fanatic said:


> Damn just seems soooo complicated !!!!!


Yeah, there is lots going on in this system for sure... I will draw a picture later to show you how simple it really is. I think if you could see whats going on and how water is flowing, it wouldnt seem so complex.

Also keep in mind, this isnt the only way to achieve the same end result... lots of this could be eliminated and still have a functioning system.

Look at the QT setup, all it takes to drive the entire sump is a maxi jet powerhead, and you just need the tanks and skimmer.


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## Ægir

Fish order placed today, will arrive tomorrow via air cargo... some misc tangs, anthias, a flame angel, Harlequin shrimp to eat small starfish... Corals should arrive in the next week or 2, depending on local fraggers and what we order.

Will update with some pics as soon as I can get them!


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## nataz

A what did you use to buff out the scratches on the bow front? How deep where they and how did it turn out?


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## Ægir

nataz said:


> A what did you use to buff out the scratches on the bow front? How deep where they and how did it turn out?


A product called "Janvil glass revive" i think is what it was called? It was a "kit" that came with 2 grits of buffing compound and a few different pads... It also came with an instructional book (seriously, not a manual) and a few other things. It was like 100$ for the whole deal.

Some scratches were deep enough to feel with a fingernail, and a few areas were bad from the previous owner used steel wool to remove some calcium build up. It turned out great, but took tons of time and work to do. You have to be careful you dont create dimples or lenses in the glass, so basically you are removing an equal amount from the whole inside of the glass panel.

We were hesitant to use the more gritty compound at first, but if you used a large buffing wheel and made a few gentle passes it worked fine.


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## Ægir

Update: first fish order has been in QT for a few weeks... and into the display today




























Lyretail anthias
Purp tang
2 more yellow tangs
2 scopas tangs

Got some other fish coming soon
M/F pairs of Bluejaw Triggers and Naso Tangs
Clowns for the bottom tank

and lots of frags to start stocking corals finally...


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## Ægir

New Corals include 
* Blue Stylophora
* Hystrix Birdsnest
* Light green DW Acro
* Blue Staghorn
* Encrusting ranibow Montipora
* Red/blue, Green, Purple cap montis
* Orange Acan-lord
* Green Duncans

And some others I am spacing... It was a long day gluing frags in place! These were taken at "Dusk" so... hard to get colors to pop




























Closed flowerpot... the two black spots are where it stung the sh*t out of my fingertips. WEAR GLOVES (on both hands)









Brain Coral with feeding tentacles out, moonlights only









Also "beefed up" the skimmer pump..... 2" intake, 1 1/2" output into the beckett. Big step up in flow from the old pump... just needs some tweaking. Prob going to lower the pump so its more efficent, as lifting water 3' is hard for a pump, vs pushing it. It was 1" into the beckett, and it took some customization to get the larger union in place. Did some "porting and polishing" with the dremel to help flow. 









Got the Calcium Reactor plumbed in, and will be hooking up the bottle soon. Need to rebuild the feed manifold as 2 of the 4 crappy ball valves have a drip.

Uploading more pics now...


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## Ægir

FTS, each of the light pieces of rubble are new frags




































Terrible show of color, this piece is dark green with white polyps









Time for a better camera!


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## Ægir

Skimmer pump finally on its stand










Some crappy camera phone pics


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## Ægir

Went up for the first time in 2 months to do controller updates and figure out the problems with the manifold. The shitty SCH 40 ball valves dried out and leak, so I will be revamping the return. We ordered some trick little 3/4" SCH 80 gate valves to fix the problem... So In short I will be chopping the return apart, installing the new manifold with 5 gate valves, moving the 2 GFO and carbon reactors to beside the skimmer, Moving the UV horizontal above the reactors, and leaving the CaRx and effluent chamber in the same place. During that time we will move all of the controller modules under the stand (waterproof box??), and get all of the wiring out of sight. Also adding a 2" drain through the stand to the sump so we can tuck the discharge hoses and not have to run much vinyl tubing.

Tossing around the idea of updating to the new AI Vega fixtures









As for growth of corals... I am extremely impressed! The lights are still only at 60%W 65% blue, and still on the ramp up. I will post pics when I tear the thing apart and make some upgrades.


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## scent troll

you sir, are a god of saltwater
im still reading this thread but i had to post this really quick to give props. this is hands down mind blowing and very very educational.


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## RedBellyCasanova

This is a great thread aegir please lots of pics man i dont have salt yet but this is so interesting,pics pics


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## Ægir

Some updated pics




































































































Things seem to be doing well... need to turn up the LEDs as they are only at 80%, and get ready to bring the calcium reactor online. Weekly water changes of 50 gals have been enough to keep things in check so far.


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## Ariana_Grande

looks good


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