The longest tank build.

[caferacermike]

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g48/caferacermike/cleaning.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g48/caferacermike/skimmerpic.jpg

More to come in weeks to months. For such a small tank I cannot believe it's already taken a year to get it this far.

Now that it is clean it can move into the house. Only have to tear down one fence for that to happen.

That's nearly 400g of water and 10g of vinegar.

Yeah cruddy pics but the Kodak is broken indefinitely.

[Headless_donkey]

Nice giant skimmer! How does it feel to own the tank and the house?

[caferacermike]

Only the tank is paid for...lol.

[cpreefguy]

Awesome Mike! I cant wait for more progress posts (but I guess Ill have to... :nerd: )

[LoneStar]

Only the tank is paid for...lol.

Looking good so far! Well at least you could sleep in that tank if you didn't have a house :wink_smile:

I bet with that garage door closed, smelled awesome in there with all that vinegar. :sick:

[apedroza]

MAybe you can clean it by snorkeling in it. Awesome tank!!!!!

[LoneStar]

For such a small tank I cannot believe it's already taken a year to get it this far.

Hey I feel your pain on that! My tank was going at a good pace until life interupted things for me. Mine might take longer than yours to get done!

[erikharrison]

I still can't get over the size of that skimmer! Are your plans to build a room? :D

[greenmako]

looking great Mike can't wait to see that monster running!

[urban79]

Looking sexy.. LOL So are you trying to skim out everyone tank. LOL that thing is HUGE!!!!!!

[caferacermike]

And to think that it only uses 4 Eheim 1262 modded pumps without any head restrictions. What do you think it circulates? 4,800-5,200GPH?

[txstateunivreefer]

man why didnt the mfgr just make it run on a dart or hammerhead needlewheel

[caferacermike]

Mr. Ace built a sump for me.
http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c329/hobogato/projects/DSC01291.jpg

If you don't have google sketchup you are missing out.

If you do... Check out how close the sump came out to my drawings.

http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=4aee0200e917bb705480e39ef98c05e1

And then....

Check out my plans to install everything into my home.

http://sketchup.google.com/3dwarehouse/details?mid=4511ed2f028f3dc95480e39ef98c05e1

If you don't have Sketchup will you please let me know if you can still open and view the images?

[apedroza]

Glad everything is fially coming together!!! That is gonna be an awesome tank!!! Nice job on the sump Ace. It maybe time for me to get a new one!!!

[thedude]

Great sketchups Mike! Having personally been working in that terrible program for 12 hours of the last 2 days I can say that you have both patience and skill.

John

[Drzy]

Looks great, thanks for the pictures! The skimmer looks like those cryogenic freezing chambers in Austin Powers. :thumbs_up:

Thanks for posting the pic of the beautiful sump from Ace. I've seen other pics of his sumps around here, it's pretty obvious where I need to go when I need one in the next couple months.

[caferacermike]

Yet another update to my "back from the dead once in awhile" thread. I told you this would be the longest tank build.

Ok so I decided to hecks with the foundation, it's my house I'm stuck with it. I laid out on the floor where the tank will sit and then transfered certain measurements to my vaulted ceiling using a plumb bob. After some short soul searching I made the "commitment cuts" (that's professional speak for doing something you have reservations about doing) and cut out the sheetrock that will be removed from the ceiling. See I'm committed to the project from this point on. I did leave the rock on until this weekend when I have a bit more time (oh and money), I'm only working 6 days x 10 hours a day. It's like a vacation for me having all this free time. This is why I shouldn't be allowed to have free time. I'll be pulling down that rock and framing a shaft all the way up to the roof line. Once framed and shaft lined I'll be cutting 3x 16" holes in the roof on 24" centers. That's where all those SolarTubes will go you see in the pics. Once the tubes are in place I'll be running a dedicated circuit with outlets at cabinet level and a few choice outlets above the tank in the shaft. Ever wished you could just plug some powerheads (or all those Tunze Waveboxes you got for Xmas) right behind the tank instead of yet another 6 way strip under the cabinet? OK well I did. These will provide me with the ability to add or change just about anything on the fly. Some will be direct powered and some outlets will plug into the DC8 controller for my RKII. I'll be able to plug items with short cords into those outlets just above the tank. See I have to think this way as the tank is 3 feet deep and almost 3 feet across, 6 foot cords will be a problem.

Once all that is done I will be adding a rock ceiling at the old ceiling line and another about 6" from the bottom of the wall where it ends. This will provide a "dead space" to prevent energy transfer from the roof or from inside the house. The shaft will bring my vaulted ceiling down to a level line 18" above the tank. I'm hiding the tubes within this 3 sided wrap around. I'm also going to be piping in a fresh air vent and an exhaust. The exhaust will be piped to a solartube brand solar roof fan. When the sun hits it, it will draw air up and away from the tank. I'm hoping that the transfer will prevent humidity from building up and help allow evaporation.

I hope I have not bored you yet. There is still a lot more preparation to be done and I still need to make lot's of money. Right now I need 250' of 10/2 wire for my 60g air compressor I picked up. I plan on using the leftover wire for the tanks wiring so some projects go hand in hand. There will be 240v at the tank with one leg split off to create a line of 120v outlets in case I ever wish to upgrade to MH ballasts or different pumps. I will be hanging 4 URI 6' VHO Super actinics to the bottom face of my building project to add some color to the natural sunlight. The 18" open space will have Oak trim hanging down to cover 2" of the tank and seal it all in to look as though this was a built in tank.

OK so it's worthless without pics right?
This is where the tank will be positioned. It is exactly the full length of the 7' long wall. One side will face and become the hallway. That wood stand is up for grabs if anyone wants it, not a tank stand.
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g48/caferacermike/002.jpg

The area of the cut.
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g48/caferacermike/012.jpg

The cut.
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g48/caferacermike/011.jpg

Yep someone got a new camera.

let's hope for weekly changes and a fill date of the end of Feb. And yes Garrett even though you've never come to the house to see the tank, it does exist.

[caferacermike]

I realize that this probably does not do a good job of communicating my idea but maybe it will help.

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g48/caferacermike/tankidea.jpg

Yeah I had to flip those French doors around a few months back so that the left one opened instead of the right.

[erikharrison]

Mike, you are really taking things to a new level. With your expertise, I am sure this will come out looking great! Congrats on committing to a project that I am sure will be really great.

[apedroza]

Looks great Mike!!! Why not wall up the second unused door and keep the other as a regular door.

[labrown]

Whoa. :eek: Awesome.

Cute kitty! :bigsmile:

[crossxfire2]

aweomse!!

[labrown]

Almost 2 months and no update? What's new??

[cpreefguy]

He said it was the "longest" tank build, yet the thread is only 3 pages long, I dont get it either :D

[caferacermike]

What's new is that I've been working 10-12 hour days 6-7 days a week. Slowly, very slowly I've found the time to actually tear down the ceiling in the dining room, frame it for the tank (bringing a vaulted ceiling down to become level just above the top of the tank, cut all 3 sky lights in and replace all the shingling (yay no leaks), bought a very nice camera to take pics with, took pics, looked at pics, did not load pics, planted several trees and rose bushes in the yard, bought another motorcycle, instantly disassembled said bike, took it to Htown for a custom exhaust, tore the Norton down for it's annual "touch" session, and just got home from buying some frogfish anglers, fire eels, and Royal Plecos.

Time to feed the cats.

Oh and did I mention that I also have a second job in the evenings from 6:00pm until 10:00pm 3 nights a week?

[greenmako]

Dang Mike your running crazy when you get some free time give me a holler

[caferacermike]

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g48/caferacermike/DSC_0228.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g48/caferacermike/DSC_0223.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g48/caferacermike/DSC_0222.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g48/caferacermike/DSC_0230.jpg


And since you all like pics of the cat.
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g48/caferacermike/DSC_0212.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g48/caferacermike/DSC_0220.jpg

[cpreefguy]

^^^ Is that the ruined surprise?

[LoneStar]

The sky lights look great. I don't remember....were you going to use supplemental lighting too?

[caferacermike]

Yep CP that was the ruined surprise kitty.

LS, I do plan on having about 600w of supplemental VHO T12, probably a lot of URI bulbs as they seem to have been the industry standard for good actinic lighting. There will be 1 or 2 white bulbs so that in winter months the tank won't be dark when I get home.


Looky here, I didn't have to go to work on a Saturday... Hoping to get a few more hours in on the project.

[KyleV]

Looks great Mike!

[caferacermike]

Finally ordered the last piece of the skylight tube I need to finish the overhead work. Might bring the tank in within 2 weeks. I've just been working to much to care about anything but work.

I should be getting back on this thing pretty hard in Sept. Oct will be 2 years.

[LoneStar]

You'll get there Mike. Glad to see your sticking with it.

[caferacermike]

OK pics with new camera are so much better than pics with cell phone. The pics of my tank look so crappy. I still miss the Kodak.

So I finally got the last of my solatubes installed and finished boarding up the ceiling. I'm seriously hoping to bring the tank in next Sunday to do an initial mock up and make any changes necessary.

As was promised in another thread I will upload pics of the project and of th e"lights" themselves. The bright clear pictures are similar to what I actually see. They are not overly bright. I removed one of the diffusers and replaced it with some clear acrylic. That is what the finished lights will all look like. I am adding some under exposed and over exposed pics to help give some ideas of what this looks like in the evening. When the room begins to darken a bit the lights actually look brighter. Thus I am including some under exposed pictures that show the room dark with the light looking brighter.

The real advantage for me is that at night these things glow. I mean really glow. Not sure yet if it will cut through the water, but at this point I'm sure that my moonlighting will be spectacular.

Unless this turns out to grow coral like a corn-fed kid from Smithville, I will never do it again.

An idea of an over exposed pic.
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g48/caferacermike/DSC_0003.jpg

An under exposed pic, what it looks like at night.
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g48/caferacermike/DSC_0006.jpg

What I actually see at 5:00pm
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g48/caferacermike/DSC_0007.jpg

Random shots.
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g48/caferacermike/DSC_0009.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g48/caferacermike/DSC_0010.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g48/caferacermike/DSC_0011.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g48/caferacermike/DSC_0012.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g48/caferacermike/DSC_0013.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g48/caferacermike/DSC_0014.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g48/caferacermike/DSC_0024.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g48/caferacermike/DSC_0020.jpg

What I was actually hoping it would look like.
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g48/caferacermike/DSC_0015.jpg

[caferacermike]

Dug out an old smaller lens that can squeeze in more information.

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g48/caferacermike/DSC_0002.jpg

This is a shot of the light shining into the space the tank will occupy. Note how hot it makes this ultra rare (hence why it lives inside) Yamaha CS3.

[ErikH]

That looks great man! I was wondering where you were... :ph34r:

[labrown]

That is really cool. I would totally buy your house just for those.

[LoneStar]

So is that door going to be removed or permanatly closed off once the tank is installed?

[KyleV]

Alright:) You're not selling it!

[caferacermike]

Lonestar that is one half of a French door. I plan to leave it in place. I will be buying matching blinds for the doors to match the windows. I don't see why I'd actually get rid of the door, especially if I ever want to sell the house.

[LoneStar]

Ahh gotcha...should look great then with the matching blinds.

[SoLiD]

I'm impressed once again, Mike. Very nice!!! :applause:

I wonder what the natural "moon light" will do for your corals and fish???

[Texreefer]

Mike, Will you be running the light diffuser over the openings? and how much distance do you have from the openings to the water surface? Just curious

[caferacermike]

Mike I have it set up for about 20" above the tank. I have some real dilemmas since the tank is 3' deep and almost 3' back. I'm shooting to have just enough space to lay on top of the tank if I need to adjust anything. Can you imagine needing to sort a problem with a durso that far away? I'll be using the clear acrylic as in the one unit of the pictures. All 3 will be clear like that. As this passes through the attic, any chance I have of keeping my AC/heat in the house is much appreciated. Without any sort of cover your ambient temps would disappear into the attic, or vice versa.

[caferacermike]

I have 600lbs of aragonite on the way. Thanks Bruce.

Work scales back in 2 weeks. I haven't had a day off since mid June, 84 hours a week on average. The new 12'hx12'wx20'l barn is to be built in the yard within a month. With both of those events taking place I will be able to take back my garage (bought 5 motorcycles since buying this house and they've been piling up in the garage) making it easier to move the tank from the garage to the house.

[reefer man]

man thats a relly big skimmer

[caferacermike]

It sure is nice not working 80+ hours a week, 7 days a week.

I brought the tank in today. Needs a good cleaning. Seems I was cutting a bunch of lumber in the garage with a mean miter saw and a lotof the dust ended up in the tank. The tank was full of water. Now the entire front of the tank is covered in sawdust from when I drained the tank.

Oh what the hell, as you always say.... It's useless without pictures.

Picture this,
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g48/caferacermike/tankidea.jpg

Would you have ever thought it would come out like this?
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g48/caferacermike/eff32b5a.jpg

Yep exactly like I drew it.


I'm happy with the dimensions of my work, I can mud and paint the construction. The tank is on a set of 4 wheel dollies so I can push it around while I finish it all up.

[hobogato]

looking great mike

[LoneStar]

Very nice! Its gonna look great once filled with water and rock. :)

[texasfootball21]

Wow.

Looks awesome.

[caferacermike]

Whoops. Looks like it'll be at least another year...

Had the folks from Centex foundation repair come by today. Seems my home is an "unfit structure". He said my roof is likely to collapse in the middle of the house within 8 months if we don't do anything about it. You should have seen the look on his face when I told him I was going to fill that tank with about 4,000lbs of water right in the middle of the house. So yeah he said that wasn't going to be a good idea. I'll get the estimate for repairs tomorrow. It'll be fun cause we'll need to move out for a month. Seems all the flooring will need to be ripped out and we need piers sunk about every 6 square feet as should have been done when built.

Um Yay!

Anyone need their lawn mowed, car washed, your kid want a vacation from their paper route? The neighbors house was $12,000 for the repair not including the plumbing work (the pipes tend to break as the house comes up, seems to pinch them), all the sheet rock will need to be replaced as well as the tile and wood flooring that will be ripped out. So about $20K. Williamson Co. Bar Association put me in touch with a Trade Acts Lawyer and he told me I'd win the case if we sued. Only trouble is we have to get them to show to court, nothing can be done legally to drag them to court. If I win the case they don't really have to pay me. Law says 3x the cost of repairs but unless they have money to take I won't get any. Can't place a lien on their home if it is their "primary residence" and they signed a Homestead Exemption. Basically it's all mine....

[fjr_wertheimber]

Something seems off there... Hell, you should be able to garner the dude's wages from here 'til the end of time, and if he doesn't show you should be able to get the judge to rule in his absence. What's the home warranty have to say about it? Have you talked to your insurance agent to see what your homeowner's insurance policy has to say about repairs like that?

[caferacermike]

Home owners insurance and warranties are an absolute joke.

If he doesn't show he cannot be jailed so there is no leverage in a "civil case". It can take on average 5 years to settle, in the meantime I still have to have the house fixed out of my own pocket as well as most legal fees. Most contigency lawyers only represent for free if suing a business or insurance as it is a guaranteed pay out if settled.

The list of how the previous owners can get out of paying is ridiculously long. If they no longer live in state, if they move out of state at any time, if they are average middle class and don't have a tremendous amount of cash lying around to take (if they live paycheck to paycheck like the rest of us).. Etc..

I could possibly garnish their wages but again it could take years and years to get to that point. If I do garnish their wages it'll only be a token amount. If they stop paying it or lose their job, oh well tough for me. I've already been down that road once with a guy that stole and then sold a motorcycle from me (Shout out for Jason Farmer-Loser). He was supposed to pay me back at $400 a month. He made payments of $6 a month for a year and then stopped paying. Nothing I could do but file charges again. In the end it wasn't worth it.

[labrown]

I'm really sorry to hear this. Total BS. I've been caught up in crooked deals before too; who hasn't? I hope you can find a resolution soon and get your repairs done so that you can truly enjoy your home. A year isn't as much time in the long run if you intend to stay in this house for a long time. Don't lose touch even if your tank is on hold!

[greenmako]

Man sorry to hear this I hope it all gets worked out. It seems this house has it out for you

what made you call the foundation repair people was there lots of visible damage?

[hobogato]

sorry for the bad news mike. i am no foundation expert, but maybe you should check with at least one more company to see if it can be done without tearing up your floors and sheetrock?

[Bill S]

Couple of thoughts, Mike.

First, if you get the judgement against them, you can send them a 1099, and deduct the "bad debt" from your taxes. The IRS will go after them for taxes on the amount of the bad debt. Just a little bit of revenge, anyway...

The flooring WILL need to come up. They cut 18" holes in the slab to fix this. Sheetrock can usually be repaired.

Foundation problems are usually NOT covered by homeowner's insurance anymore, UNLESS you specifically elect it. If the home is 10 years old or less, there is a TRCC warranty that covers structural defects. Not covered is structural problems from lack of watering.

[jrsatx20]

imo i would buy one of the lights that everyone states starts fires..... well cant say the rest. j/k

[caferacermike]

So after some thinking I've come to the conclusion that it is time to take from my 401K. I'm down 33.5% right now, basically lost $18,000 this year. So if I take out a loan for the repairs I won't be losing out on anything right now. I figure it'll take a long time for the markets to rebound so I'm not missing out on any interest. I already place 15% a week into my 401K. My work offers me loans on the amount with zero interest. Actually I do pay interest, 7% but it goes to my account. In my warped mind that's a HUGE profit compared to LOSING money. At least while the markets are down I can make my money work for me... What do you think? Bad idea? 401's are an investment for my future, not having my house collapse sounds like a good future.

[Texreefer]

as long as your sure you can repay, I would do it

[prof]

401k loans are great. You are borrowing the money from yourself. The only catch is that you usually have to pay back the full loan amount if you leave the company. Of course you probably don't have any intentions of leaving the company.