Slow boat to China with a 185

[puretexn]

I decided that I didn't need a stinking fireplace in my house since I live in a "tropical paradise".

http://img692.imageshack.us/img692/6507/img00215.jpg

Here is the ugly wall

http://img134.imageshack.us/img134/9057/house4n.jpg

Hmmm, What could I do to rid of this eye sore wall and fireplace.

I know....replace it with a fish tank.

http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/1421/img0131n.jpg

Grrrrrr. I'm on first name bases with the Lowe's peeps now.

185g tank, 160#s of sand, 175#s of Marcorocks, 50+ of live rock adding later from the old tank, 50#s of live sand from the old tank. 46g old tank will be the new fuge.

A shiny new red sports car would have been so much easier.

[Mr Cob]

LOL! Love the start of this thread. Great idea to replace the fireplace with a fish tank!

[JLiu]

Hey looks like a great start to me.

[Europhyllia]

:D

[puretexn]

Getting there

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/5210/img0135zo.jpg

Light bar coming soon.

[Bill S]

Nice! I like it so far. Look for us in Ingleside on occasional weekends. It's our favorite weekend anchorage.

[puretexn]

Nice! I like it so far. Look for us in Ingleside on occasional weekends. It's our favorite weekend anchorage.

post a pic of the boat. I do alot of kayaking in the cove, I'm sure I've seen yall there. I also have a 20'x40' boat slip in the canal doing nothing if you ever need to park the boat.

[Bill S]

http://i191.photobucket.com/albums/z157/bstreep/merlinpiyc.jpg

We draw 6-1/2 feet - not sure we could get in!

[Still Learning]

Getting there

http://img69.imageshack.us/img69/5210/img0135zo.jpg

Light bar coming soon.

Just like that is better than the shell decorated fire place!!! Glad to see it is upstairs and filled!

[allan]

Purtexn, that is going to be a really nice set up. Like the pictures.

Bill, really sweet boat. Now I know why you head out to the coast so often... when are we going to hold the BOD meeting off shore? :wink_smile:

[cyrus]

Perhaps you might install solar lighting where the stove pipe already has a hole in the roof?

[Bill S]

Bill, really sweet boat. Now I know why you head out to the coast so often... when are we going to hold the BOD meeting off shore? :wink_smile:

You missed the CC meeting?

Seriously - to ANYONE who reads this. We are down most weekends. We absolutely LOVE to have an excuse to not work on the boat and go for a sail. It's especially nice when the wind is between about 13 and 20 knots. If you've never been behind the wheel on a 20 ton sailboat making 8 knots, you haven't lived.

I am really serious about the offer - take us up on it.

[puretexn]

We draw 6-1/2 feet - not sure we could get in!

Good Lord, that's a boat right there. I can get 6 feet in my slip when the moon is right, 40 mph SE wind, and a Hurricane near Houston.


Just like that is better than the shell decorated fire place!!! Glad to see it is upstairs and filled!

Yessir, that was one ugly wall.


Perhaps you might install solar lighting where the stove pipe already has a hole in the roof?

Dang good idea, but the chimney was taken out, the hole plugged and a new roof installed.

I've migrated some live rock full of coraline over to the new tank. Looking good. Should have my light bar by this weekend. Trading out small amounts of water from tank to tank to make a happy neutral between the two for the livestock swap. Taking it slow.

[allan]

Dang good idea, but the chimney was taken out, the hole plugged and a new roof installed.

Unfortunate. That natural sunlight seems to really make things grow quickly.

I've migrated some live rock full of coraline over to the new tank. Looking good. Should have my light bar by this weekend. Trading out small amounts of water from tank to tank to make a happy neutral between the two for the livestock swap. Taking it slow.

That is going to be one heck of a tank, really looking forward to the next few steps. What are you thinking of stocking?


Bill,

I don't know which I would prefer, to take a ride or to roll up my sleeves and work on the boat. :)

[puretexn]

That is going to be one heck of a tank, really looking forward to the next few steps. What are you thinking of stocking?

For now, just what I have in my smaller tank. Then a couple tangs. And for corals, LPS because of the colors and easy lifestyle they live.

Tank, lights, livestock are all from Aquarium Masters. Good people there.

http://img251.imageshack.us/img251/1362/img0148fp.jpg

[puretexn]

Oh yeah, forgot to add. I had a 15" speckled trout I caught in the back yard in the bare tank to start a cycle. I made a fishing pole out of a wooded spoon, 18" on mono, and a scrimp for bait to get him out.

Momma always told me it was OK to play with your food as long as it's still alive...lol

http://img202.imageshack.us/img202/8638/img0138ic.jpg

[puretexn]

LED action

http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/6999/img0149k.jpg

[Still Learning]

Coming along great! I like the look that orange sponge adds to your tank. Does that big white tube towards the right have a hole drilled to stop back siphoning in case the power goes out?

[puretexn]

Coming along great! I like the look that orange sponge adds to your tank. Does that big white tube towards the right have a hole drilled to stop back siphoning in case the power goes out?

That tube does not have an anti siphon hole. I do have a backflow preventer valve on the sump end of that tube to keep the water from a flush. (temp)

That's a temp setup untill I get my refugium set up and redo the whole return piping. It will be necked down to four 3/4" outlets across the tank. (with siphon holes)

Thanks for asking, and yes, I like the orange sponge also. I hope to get a couple more and some type of fans.

[hobogato]

that has to be one of the most creative ways i have ever heard for getting a tank to cycle :D

i bet it still tasted good, but what a strange dinner conversation!

[Still Learning]

That tube does not have an anti siphon hole. I do have a backflow preventer valve on the sump end of that tube to keep the water from a flush. (temp)

That's a temp setup untill I get my refugium set up and redo the whole return piping. It will be necked down to four 3/4" outlets across the tank. (with siphon holes)

Thanks for asking, and yes, I like the orange sponge also. I hope to get a couple more and some type of fans.

Glad to hear you have stuff in place and future plans....no fun to come home to more water on your living room floor than what is suppose to be in your tank!!

If you do the piping yourself...angle the holes so that they are facing different directions. Adds a nice touch to the return. :thumbs_up:

[ErikH]

I admire you for your dedication into such a big project! Did it taste gamey?

[puretexn]

I got the refugium and skimmer installed

http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/1015/img0163lv.jpg

Re-routed the plumbing.

http://img685.imageshack.us/img685/3853/img0162tp.jpg

Looks like it's time for some wall building.

(I let the trout go by the way)

[StevenSeas]

wow thats looking really nice. The external pump setup threw me off for a minute, couldnt figure out where u return line was LOL

[Still Learning]

Very cool! So are you going to put in cabinet doors to access it from the front or leave it open in the back to access all the equipment?

[puretexn]

here are a couple better pics with the flash on.

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/3839/img0164sa.jpg

http://img683.imageshack.us/img683/7117/img0165g.jpg

[puretexn]

Very cool! So are you going to put in cabinet doors to access it from the front or leave it open in the back to access all the equipment?

Living room side, just one panel to access the top of the tank. Master bedroom side will be full of access panels to reach all areas.

[Still Learning]

We need a pic of all your wires...I see some going to the ceiling and to the left.

[puretexn]

We need a pic of all your wires...I see some going to the ceiling and to the left.

That's just a wavemaker power strip mounted up top to keep the wires out of the way. It will be moved south for easy access.

Why did I not choose to raise goldfish???????

[hobogato]

looks good

have you done a power outage test? maybe i am just paranoid, but if you lose power and that return pump gets enough air in it to cavitate, it may not restart when you turn the power back on. i know you have the checkvalve to keep the plumbing from draining, so maybe that will protect you. i have just always been a little reluctant to trust a check valve that much.

[puretexn]

looks good

have you done a power outage test? maybe i am just paranoid, but if you lose power and that return pump gets enough air in it to cavitate, it may not restart when you turn the power back on. i know you have the checkvalve to keep the plumbing from draining, so maybe that will protect you. i have just always been a little reluctant to trust a check valve that much.

I have done several shut downs while working on the tank and testing the calfo and the pump fired right up. I do have a concern when algae builds up around the back flow valve and keeps it from seating properly.

I went with an elevated pump so I could drain all the water out of the return for pump cleaning and maintenance with out all the water spillage.

Hmmm

[puretexn]

I ended up moving the return pump to sump level and got rid of the backflow valve.

Looking good!

http://img340.imageshack.us/img340/7082/img0197z.jpg

[Still Learning]

Very nice. :thumbs_up:

[puretexn]

http://img85.imageshack.us/img85/4765/chopy.jpg

[puretexn]

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=404843163352&ref=mf

sorry for the sound

[puretexn]

Fishing seaon has put a damper on my tank building. Here is an update on the Slow Boat to China.

http://a.imageshack.us/img571/9959/img0328x.jpg

http://img830.imageshack.us/img830/9208/img0330s.jpg

The top panel is hinged to gain access to the tank from the front.