280g Barrel of monkeys build

[pdxmonkeyboy]

ok, its late, I'm in the hot tub after another marathon "hobby session" so yeah, why not, i thought i would do a build thread.

 

So I like big tanks. Every time i look at my 8' cichlid tank i say man... thats a cool tank. I built a small grow out tank to try my hand at killing corals. It didnt take long to master killing sps. At first i tried slow tissue recession, but i found that bleaching them overnight is better. There is a nothing like that sickening gut punch to inspire you to try harder, put more energy into it.

 

Having lost track of how much I have spent to date, i figures it was time to get serious about shoveling money at this hobby.

 

I found out that i couldn't spend enough money on an off the shelf tank to keep me up at night thinking "should i buy this? what is wrong with me?" So i ordered a custom rimless tank from Acrylic and Glass Exhibits (AGE) from texas.

 

So its a 6 foot long x 3 feet deep by 24" tall rimless 3/4" starphire tank. AGE said "we don't build rimless any bigger than this" i had another custom builder refuse to build it 24" tall with those dimensions. its around 270g total.. something like that. It will weigh like 450lbs empty :(.

 

So anywho this is dragging on so i will just list the equipment and then list the tasks necessary to get ready for this thing.

 

* 6x3x2' rimless tank on second floor

* skimmer and 100 gallon refugium in basement

* reeflo barracuda pump for water moving duties

* reef octopus regal 300int skimmer / neo natal unit incubator. seriously, its stupid large.. thats a full grown lab in that picture below.

* DIY steel stand (powedercoated) with sapelle inlay panels (held with magnets)

* bubble magus dosing unit... yes, no reactor

* giessemann spectra lamp over display. 3- 250w halides and 4 80watt T5.

* new apex and powerbar downstairs, linked power bar upstairs with LDK. no

* top secret custom cheato reactor that is proven to remove 23.76% more nutrients.

 

soo here are some pictures..

 

 

 

 

 

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[JimmyK]

This is a great set-up. Having remote sump is awesome. Love the skimmer. This will be fun to follow.

[spectra]

The journey begins  looks great so far and love that choice of rock. Get it soaking now..........

And that's not what a pool table is used for  

Cant wait to see the tank!

[albertareef]

Looking good!  I still can’t get over the size of that skimmer!  Liking the rock work mock-up. Can’t wait to see the data for the super secret chateo reactor 😄. 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

thanks for checking in. I have to admit, that this has been a mountain of work. Starting from scratch it would be signicantly less work, but dealing with a new house with a finished basement (that is built on a gently hillside) has been a pretty large PIA.

For those that are curious, these are the tasks to date:

1. drill holes in interior and exterior walla, use blue tooth endoscope to figure out where the flood joists, deck, etc line up.
2. spend $300 on pvc, bulkheads, flexible pvc. Run plumbing through wall, into crawlspace, out of crawlspace, across finished basement ceiling, to sump/fuge location. sooo much fun.
3. source pumps, refigium, buy acrylic for sump, source skimmer, lights, steel and wood for stand.
4. source rock, soak in mutiatic acid, rinse, bleach, rinse, start up fuge.
5. mock out aquascape 6,000,000 different ways, finally just dump rock in fuge.
6. steal engineered truss from work.
7. slop through muddy crawlspace to install truss and two post jacks under the tank location.
8. tear out carpeting where tank goes. realize that your cats were pissing there because the previous owners cats pissed there. gag on cat pissed soaked carpeting.
9. install waterproof flooring. run 50' of cat 5 cable under carpeting for remote access point.
10. Fish 3 seperate strands of cat 5 cable bewteen tank and sump for internet, breakout box wire and base unit to power module connections.
11. build mixing station.
12. build sump and table for sump.
13. spend a LOT of time welding up steel stand and light holder.
14. drop stand at powdercoater, forget light holders.
15. return to powder coaters.
16. attempt to run 20 amp power to sump, get upset, depressed, question motovation, start drinking.
17. spend $1,700 at BRS on black friday.
18. plug new apex in, get no sleep, call in sick to work.
19. attempt to mount apex and plugs, realize still need to run 20 amp circuit.
20. Cut plwood for stand, install magnets, get yelled at by GF for putting oil soaked panels on pool table.
21.scream at youngest kid demanding he clean his tank. Realize 11yo, magnetic scrubber, sand and acrylic tank DO NOT mix. Ponder making his 120 gallon tank into a qt.
22. receive email that new tank is on truck from texas!
23. crap pants, make lists,
24.Buy fish for QT because its been 3 months of working and nothing to show for it.
25. ponder life and challange of 20 amp circuit. more drinking
26. actually think about stapling romex to the [language filter] wall and calling it good. realize you missed holiday party.

So if you want a big tank with a basement sump.. that is all there is too it.



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[Bicyclebill]

#8 been there! #26 I actually did add 20A circuit and stapled romex through garage and ran it under house and brought up into house. I fully expect to put blank outlet cover if and when I ever move and tear out the romex.
Richard was telling me about your cichlids. I’d love to check that out too. I was pretty deep into Africans before getting into saltwater myself


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[pdxmonkeyboy]

#8 been there! #26 I actually did add 20A circuit and stapled romex through garage and ran it under house and brought up into house. I fully expect to put blank outlet cover if and when I ever move and tear out the romex.
Richard was telling me about your cichlids. I’d love to check that out too. I was pretty deep into Africans before getting into saltwater myself


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I dont have an attic or a crawl space or unfinished basement :(

i think i have to run the wire through the garage, then outside the house, then back in. Yeah the cichlid tank is pretty cool. the cost of admission is carrying a tank

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[spectra]

26 minutes ago, pdxmonkeyboy said:

I dont have an attic or a crawl space or unfinished basement :(

i think i have to run the wire through the garage, then outside the house, then back in. Yeah the cichlid tank is pretty cool. the cost of admission is carrying a tank

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#7 on your list says crawlspace? Now I am confused................

[pdxmonkeyboy]

#7 on your list says crawlspace? Now I am confused................

it is a very confusing house. It is an awesome house, but a confusing design. The crawl space is only under approximately 10% of the main floor. It has a daylight basment to the north, but not to the west.

I cant for the life of me figure out why they didnt make the basement have the same footprint as the first floor. What they saved on excavation they more than made up with additional footings.

anyways.. crawlspace? yes. Crawl space between the panel and new circuit location? no.

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[spectra]

1 minute ago, pdxmonkeyboy said:

it is a very confusing house. It is an awesome house, but a confusing design. The crawl space is only under approximately 10% of the main floor. It has a daylight basment to the north, but not to the west.

I cant for the life of me figure out why they didnt make the basement have the same footprint as the first floor. What they saved on excavation they more than made up with additional footings.

anyways.. crawlspace? yes. Crawl space between the panel and new circuit location? no.

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Ok get what your saying now. So how much concrete between them  get a drill......................

 

I have a wonderful assortment from a certain German company  I can make a 1/4" all the way to about 8" hole................

[pdxmonkeyboy]

I have a bulldog, but its not going to be neccessary for this job. thank god

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[youcallmenny]

Super cool!  Can you go into elaborate detail about that mixing station? Looks super slick and since I'm about to build one, may as well model success! 

[albertareef]

Nice recap!  Now I know why you missed the party... you were busy writing this up!  Sorry you weren’t able to make it. 

[Willapa]

Pretty cool and sounds like house surgery! Hey, the salt mixing station is pretty rad, where did you score those storage tanks? I'm tired of mixing up small batches of salt and would like to keep more on hand and automate the process a bit.


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[pdxmonkeyboy]

yeah Sean, wanted to make it but my son had three soccer games today.

The mixing station is honestly the coolest thing ever. i got those tanks from a business out in greshamphetamine. he is all over craigslist. they were $90 each i think.


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[Willapa]

Cool, I'll check him out, thanks.


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[youcallmenny]

I know where they came from lol.  Can you explain how they're built and how they function?

[pdxmonkeyboy]

I know where they came from lol.  Can you explain how they're built and how they function?

its stupid easy. look at the picture.
valves at each input side and output side.

so i add RO to the left tank. then when i want to mix salt in the left tank i close the right input and output and leave the right valves open. therefore its just circulating the left side.

add a crap load of salt more than the target amount. then open the right input valve to add more RO.

when i have it where i want it i open the valve to the hose, take it over to the sump and add it in. the hose (3/4 food grade pvc) and barb fitting shut off valve for the hose can be purchased at the local hydroponic store.


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[youcallmenny]

Thank you!  That is indeed a wonderfully simple design that I will probably steal wholesale from you.  Offhand question, do the bulkhead pipes that enter the top of each reservoir reach the bottom?  

[pdxmonkeyboy]

Thank you!  That is indeed a wonderfully simple design that I will probably steal wholesale from you.  Offhand question, do the bulkhead pipes that enter the top of each reservoir reach the bottom?  

not all the way but close. i wanted it deep enough to disturb any pile of salr.

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[Bicyclebill]

not all the way but close. i wanted it deep enough to disturb any pile of salr.

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What about the ro/di line and float and all that jazz?


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[xmas_one]

3 hours ago, pdxmonkeyboy said:

its stupid easy. look at the picture.
valves at each input side and output side.

so i add RO to the left tank. then when i want to mix salt in the left tank i close the right input and output and leave the right valves open. therefore its just circulating the left side.

add a crap load of salt more than the target amount. then open the right input valve to add more RO.

when i have it where i want it i open the valve to the hose, take it over to the sump and add it in. the hose (3/4 food grade pvc) and barb fitting shut off valve for the hose can be purchased at the local hydroponic store.


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I may be wrong, but I’m fairly certain you don’t want to add a crapload of salt to your mix. Once your ca and alk are elevated to certain level it’s going to start precipitating  into an insoluble carbonate. 

[pdxmonkeyboy]

it was a figure of speach dude... je-suz

but when you dump a whole bag of salt in one shot, technically its called a crap load.

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[pdxmonkeyboy]

What about the ro/di line and float and all that jazz?


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i have faith you can figure that out.

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[youcallmenny]

I guess the mixing station wasn't the part you wanted to talk about?