Huzzah! My 75 Gal is Finally Salty! :D

[corruption]

Whee! about 2 months in the making -- been underway since the day of my join date, when I picked up the tank, stand, lights and a wet/dry filter from jeffro. Tank has been drilled with dual 1.5" drains, and since I wasn't thinking when drilling, 1.5" returns.. Ace built me a Calfo-style overflow, 36"x3.5"x7", as well as a sump -- 36"x14"x15". All plumbing was done by me over the course of the last 2 months. Here's the overall specs:

-Standard 75 gallon rectangular tank -- 48"x18"x21"
-Ace-built Sump -- 36"x14"x15"
-Ace-built Calfo -- 36"x3.5"x7"
-Mag 9.5 return pump, teed into dual, somewhat oversized returns -- future safe, I guess :)
-Dual 1.5" drains (Up to 1500 theoretical gals per hour -- expansion room if needed :D )
-Current 4x 54w T5 HO fixture, running BlueLife bulbs (2x 15000k, 1x 420nm, 1x 460nm)
-Approx. 60 Lbs of live rock
-Tunze 9010 skimmer is on its way next week

Future plans:

-Lighting upgrade (prolly 2x 250w halide w/ T5 supplement)
-Move my Vortech MP10 to the 75 once I move stuff out of my old tank

Alright, enough of the blather -- on to what you all really want... the pics! :)

http://binarybuccaneers.org/tank/jordan/DSC_0224.JPG
http://binarybuccaneers.org/tank/jordan/DSC_0228.JPG
http://binarybuccaneers.org/tank/jordan/DSC_0229.JPG
http://binarybuccaneers.org/tank/jordan/DSC_0230.JPG
http://binarybuccaneers.org/tank/jordan/DSC_0265.JPG
http://binarybuccaneers.org/tank/jordan/DSC_0267.JPG
http://binarybuccaneers.org/tank/DSC00528.JPG
http://binarybuccaneers.org/tank/DSC00529.JPG
http://binarybuccaneers.org/tank/DSC00530.JPG
http://binarybuccaneers.org/tank/DSC00531.JPG


As you can tell -- adding the rock moved the water level a bit from where I had marked it... :D

More to come -- its gonna be more or less fallow for 2-3 months.. :)

-Corruption

[Europhyllia]

tell me about that overflow. why is it so big? what's the advantage?

[corruption]

more surface area for drainage -- thinner sheet of the same amount of water -- improved oxygen/gas exchange, superior surface skimming, improved protein skimming and easier to maintain... don't have to reach to the bottom of a 1.75 foot tank to clean it :)

The added bonus is because the water sheets across the overflow, the surface has a far less disturbed appearance as well -- easier for viewing from above :)

In case the dimensions were confusing -- that was LxWxH -- the overflow is pretty narrow and doesn't intrude into the tank very far.

-Corruption

[TexasTodd]

Nice! I love big sumps!

Todd

[jeffro]

The tank looks great, love the overflow. That sump looks awesome, it's what I should have had on it instead of the wet/dry. What are your stocking plans?

[Mr Cob]

Love it! The refugium on that sump is perfect!

[ErikH]

woot woot!

[Europhyllia]

That sump looks awesome, it's what I should have had on it instead of the wet/dry.
It's never too late to change it out

[FireWater]

Very nice and clean rock work. I like the look of smaller separate areas. Something I wished I had accomplished better in mine. Good luck and can't wait to see what you turn it into from here.

[justahobby]

Lookin' Gooood.

[corruption]

The tank looks great, love the overflow. That sump looks awesome, it's what I should have had on it instead of the wet/dry. What are your stocking plans?

Thanks :) Current plans are just to vacate my 40 gallon in a couple months -- not sure 100% where I'm gonna go from there.. prolly just an extension of my 40 gallon's current mixed reef.


It's never too late to change it out

Actually, it is.... since his 75 gallon with wet/dry is now in my living room! :rofl:

-Corruption

[Shu]

Hey justin about time. Its looking good though. What are you going to use for flow just the mp10? or more

[corruption]

More attention, Jarren! There's already a Koralia 3 on the back wall, along with dual outputs from the return pushing around 300 gph each... another K3 is being added below the opposite return, along with my MP10 for randomization :)

None of that is happening until the old tank has been moved over to the new tank.... and as I explained to you before -- its gonna be February, March before I do that :)

-Corruption

[aggman]

hey justin have you setup the skimmer yet? i think it should work great on your setup...or was it going on a different tank?

~alex

[corruption]

Yah, the skimmer has been attached -- still fiddling with fine tuning it... this is the tank it was going onto :)

I agree -- should be perfect for this setup -- oversized, but widely adjustable :) Thanks again!

-Justin

[roscozman]

Coming along nicely. We were thinking of the Calfo for our 75gal, but it was already set up. Looks like you also had the returns drilled as well.

[corruption]

Indeed, returns are drilled as well... I did all the drilling myself -- really quite simple :) I was originally thinking SCWD or oceans motions 2-way on the return, but instead decided to stick with straight flow... Will use my Vortech MP10 to randomize it (about 70% flow rate max, set in reef crest mode)

-Justin

[ErikH]

Make those pics smaller! My laptop resolution is making this thread scroll city! Looks like it's time to stop using your website as your PB account! :p

Nah, you could just DL the Microsoft Image Resize Tool. Highlight your jpegs, right click, and resize. Best utility EVAR!

:p

[corruption]

You forget, Erik... I'm a linux geek :)

I can resize the pics with about 8 typed characters... How about you scale the page down to fit your laptop instead?? :rofl:

Seriously tho -- i use a lenovo s10 as my daily use machine... Screen is 1024x600 pixels... I just set opera to 70% scaling and all pics fit with no scroll :D

-Justin

[corruption]

Hopefully, I'll get a chance to get the camera charged up and take some pics this weekend... I've now successfully moved everything over from the 40 gallon into the 75, save a few softies I still haven't figured out where to place. Got some macro donations from Mr Cob and Gabe, and the refugium is well stocked and starting to grow in. The Tunze 9010 skimmer is in place, tuned, and pulling the funkiness out on a daily basis :) I also ordered the last part of this tank's equipment, set to be delivered this Friday -- a new IceCap Reef Illuminations 2x250w HQI halides, 2x54w T5, 2x15w LED hood/fixture :D AquaCave was offering free Phoenix 14000k DE's, and your choice of T5's, along with the fixture -- I went with a pair of UVI Super Actinic R's... I can't wait :D

Oh, and my MP10's should be repaired by next week (at least thats my expectations based on my conversations with Ecotech...) They had me verify today that the pumps themselves, and not just the power supplies, are dead... Tomorrow, I'm sure we'll be arranging the exchange portion of the ordeal :)

-Justin

[TexasTodd]

YGPM Justin.

Todd

[corruption]

YGresponse! :D

-Justin

[corruption]

IceCap Reef Illuminations fixture is out for delivery, and I'm getting giddy with anticipation :D Pic update to come this weekend, once I get the light all setup, and my camera battery charged..

Spoke to Steve at EcoTech again -- they had me do one last run of tests before sending me out repair components. As the MP10 uses the same control module as the MP20, they equate pump failures across both lines as one... According to Steve, there's been less than 10 outright failures of MP10/MP20 models in 2 years of being on the market, and never within the same batch. I'm the less than 1 percent fluke -- yay!

It looks like either the control module, or the control module + dry side was problematic on both units. We've at this point ruled out the power supply being bad, by testing it with Servernode's MP10. Steve was going to have me do some component swapping, and try my dry sides with my brothers control module -- until we spoke to their chief electrical engineer further and I explained where the damage on the control module I was seeing was. Once he had heard that -- all further tests went out the window. They should be drop-shippng me a new control module and dry side for both pumps, along with return shipping for the failed units. Should be back running next week :D

-Justin

[corruption]

Wow... IceCap Reef Illuminations fixture is delivered, set up, and on the tank... This thing is a heavy beast! All the ballasts are internal (2 digital HQI ballasts, 1 T5 ballast.. I believe an IceCap 440..) and the thing is SOLID aluminum... it weighs over 50 lbs. Good thing they include cast aluminum legs! I'd be afraid to suspend this thing...

But WOW. The light is IMPRESSIVE. the 14k Phoenix bulbs, plus the UVL Super Actinic R's, plus the LunarLite supplementation with LED makes for a beautiful color... The LunarLite's are bright enough to be differentiated, even when the fixture is completely on... they really make things pop. I love this thing :D I'll get some pics later tonight, and post em up...

In other news, my MP10 control module and dry side motor are on their way, should be here by Wed. next week. After the repaired MP10 is in place, all thats left equipment-wise is auto topoff... probably a Tunze Osmolator down the line :)

-Justin

[Shu]

Hey Justin,

I love the 14k phoenix bulbs. Just the correct amount of blue. Still waiting on pics though get that camera charged buddy.

[RayAllen]

Looking Sweet!

[ErikH]

Justin all you need is Microsoft picture resizer! Right click and select "resize pictures" even less clicking than KEY strokin'!! :)

By the way, no more disappearing Houdini!!!

[corruption]

Sorry man -- Windows is too simplistic for me. I'm a REAL computer geek :bigsmile: Its terminal for the win, every time. Command line uber alles :D

Unfortunately, I don't get to dictate how hellacious my work week will be --if its all crashing down, or theres major maintenances to do, I'm swamped :)

Edit: also Erik -- I don't think you realize just how simple image resizing is in linux -- I type "mogrify -resize <size> *" ..... whole directory resized, one shot. You really don't know what you're missing by avoiding the UNIX world :)

-Justin

[corruption]

Oh, and Jarren -- I've once again lost my battery charger for my camera, so I'll get to it eventually. Maybe when Jordan comes by this weekend, he'll have his DSLR charged.

-Justin

[Mr Cob]

Warning...you have reached your limit on posts without pics. Please refrain from posting until you can post pics.

CODE 404 error.

(this message does not represent my opinion as a BOD member...LOL)

[Shu]

What kind of camera do you have? I might have charger depending on the camera.

[corruption]

newer Sony point-and-shoot -- don't remember the model off the top of my head..

-Justin

[corruption]

Just to appease you, Rob -- I dug through all my pre-existing pics. I did have a shot of the tank from a couple months back -- I think about a week before you came by and saw it:

http://binarybuccaneers.org/tank/DSC00807.JPG

(No, I won't scale it down, Erik :D)

-Justin

[corruption]

It looks like you can see the light structure in that one too -- I might have some pics of the IceCap fixture itself if anyones interested... I'd have to do some digging though :)

-Justin

[hobogato]

i really like the arrangement justin - lots of character which can be difficult with a tank of that footprint. good job :)

[corruption]

Thanks Ace -- I'm pretty happy with the final iteration myself. Always appreciate compliments from someone with such aquascaping prowess as yourself! :D

-Justin

[justahobby]

Great aquascaping.

I realize this is a Marine Aquarists' forum, but how about opening a thread and showing off that planted tank I see hidden in the corner of the 4th picture? :D

[corruption]

its pretty shaggy at the moment, but theres a pic of it floating around in one of Jordans threads -- lemme dig it out..

We've been battling some turfy algaes that was hidden in the back of the plants (we bought the tank established with most of whats in it, sans fish) -- its not inhibiting plant growth, but its just not that attractive at the moment :)

My busy schedule has been rough all around this last month. :)

-Justin

[corruption]

Here we go -- the plant growth is phenomenal despite the turfy algae growth -- its grown out and been trimmed 2 or 3 times since this pic, and we've got no CO2 supplementation :)

http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/4396/dsc0231w.jpg

Edit: Some info about the tank -- its an Oceanic 37 gallon cube, and is my wife's personal tank. Got it for her last November, she picked it as an early xmas present :) She keeps it filled with various tetras and rasboras, some cory cats, a clown pleco and a trio (1 male, 2 female) of dwarf rainbowfish.. At some point she plans to redo the plant scape in a major way, and reduce/remove a lot of whats currently in the tank -- but she hasn't decided 100% what she wants yet.

-Justin

[justahobby]

That looks great. Is that one PC bulb? What temp? Is that the filter to the right of the heater? I've been kicking around the idea of doing planted FW in my ten gallon, might go with the El Natural method.

[corruption]

its a pair of 65w 6500k PC's, and the filter actually runs on either side of the tank -- its an eheim canister filter. We have the intake on the right (what you see is a surface skimmer assembly for the intake), and the return bar on the left at about a 90 degree angle into the tank -- everything swirls towards the intake side, the tetras love it :)

-Justin

[corruption]

Oh, and in the dead center there's a grate-like thing -- that was the diffuser for a natural yeast CO2 setup that came with the tank -- it was a pain and did practically nothing, so it came off :)

-Justin

[hobogato]

very nice! i wonder if there is enough interest to add a freshwater tank forum somewhere here on the site? sorry, rather than take your thread off track, i will ask that question in the charter forum...

[Shu]

wow looking pretty good Justin. Hope to see some recent pics.

[corruption]

Rob instated a no-more-posting rule on me before posting pics... new rule for you Jarren -- no harassing me for pics til you post your own thread! He in glass houses shall not throw stones! :D

-Justin

[Shu]

Ok I did for my 20gallon. I will get one up for my 90 tonight after I install my new korelia.

[Mr Cob]

You Rock Justin...thx for the FTS....love that planted tank too!

[corruption]

Bump for 1000 :D

[corruption]

No pictoral updates -- but an explanation and discovery. Tank's been going through a rough spell, bad algae overgrowth and unstoppable cyano issues -- my work schedule wasn't helping, but we've figured out that wasn't the main cause.... We've determined the proximity of our cat litterboxes to our A/C intake was leading to trace amounts of ammonia being absorbed via oxygen exchange. The problem has now been taken care of, and its beginning to fade... but its still pretty rough. The tank unfortunately sits directly under an A/C vent, so it was getting a good feed of it. Fortunately, it hadn't taken hold in our new 57 gal, which is still curing nicely.

-Justin