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-   -   Asylumdown's 275 Tank build (http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=75447)

mseepman 02-09-2012 03:22 PM

I'm a big believer in DIY...so I would be talking to Modularled and see if Martin has some suggestions.
If you can hold out for the controller, the Cerebra should still be the bomb (if it is ever really released)

asylumdown 02-12-2012 01:54 AM

Stopped in at Levi's place today to check out his mind blowing tank. I have to say, seeing those radions over top of a tank like that makes a world of difference. They are out of this world. A small part of me was worried the tank wouldn't look as good in real life as it does in pictures, but holy crap was I wrong. It looks even better.

My mind must have been playing tricks on me when I was in Edmonton, because the brightness, colour rendition, and basically everything I care about in tank lighting was spot- on perfect. Then the pre-built software...

Took all of 8 seconds in front of that living piece of art to make up my mind. Radions it is. My tank is 5 inches taller though, so I am considering adding an extra inch of sand, and i'll build the hanging rack so that I can buy two extra units if I think I need it.

Thanks so much for letting me come over Levi, you solved in 20 minutes a dilemma I've been losing sleep over for 3 months.

asylumdown 03-07-2012 10:40 PM

So. Close.

I can practically taste the salt water:

http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/...n/IMG_2292.jpg

Except for the doors (which you can see stacked on the other side of the tank in the office) which will be hung last to give us as much room as possible to work, the enclosure is finished from the builder's point of view. I had no idea the p-trap they needed to install for the under tank drain was going to be so obtrusive and obnoxious, but after I took this pic I had them to re-work it so that it's not jutting out directly in to the cabinet space.

I'm hoping to start the plumbing this weekend. I am losing my mind with anticipation.

asylumdown 03-10-2012 05:17 AM

Doors got hung today!

Dining room:
http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/...n/f49b1795.jpg
http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/...n/a05e5307.jpg

Office side:
http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/...n/a98c8eef.jpg

MarkoD 03-10-2012 05:57 AM

Looks great. Why didnt you go for a basement sump?

mseepman 03-10-2012 05:59 AM

Looks Awesome! Can't wait to see you getting that wet. Take lots of pictures of the plumbing too!

asylumdown 03-10-2012 06:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MarkoD (Post 692017)
Looks great. Why didnt you go for a basement sump?

Originally because my fiancé was only willing to go so far. We're not planning on spending the rest of our lives in this house (though after how much it's cost I'm starting to re-consider that!), so the compromise was to build something that could be relatively easy to remove.

Then later in the design stage we ended up needing to move some stuff around, so instead of having a laundry room with tons of space for fish equipment right beneath the tank, we ended up with the most jam packed utility room I've ever seen. It's barely got enough free space for the R/O reservoir. The laundry room got moved to another part of the basement, walled in on 3 sides by concrete foundation.


Quote:

Originally Posted by mseepman (Post 692019)
Looks Awesome! Can't wait to see you getting that wet. Take lots of pictures of the plumbing too!

Oh you know I will! Had to reschedule the plumbing to Monday so the floor guys could work all weekend without people kicking up dust. I can't wait.

krazykarl 03-10-2012 03:55 PM

Wow, I cant wait to see wait your set up looks like once it's filled with water and lights and rock and some awesome corals and fish.

asylumdown 03-18-2012 02:21 AM

The day has finally come!

First, a massive thanks to Kevin from Red Coral, when I said 'come over on Saturday and we'll plumb the tank!' I fully intended to be more helpful than I was, but I really could have said 'come over on Saturday, and you'll plumb the tank, while I sit around offering suggestions and otherwise being annoying', and still have been correct.

The display is filling with tap water as we speak, but first, here's some photos!

I came last night and spent 2 hours cleaning the entire set-up. There was like a solid inch of construction dust on everything.
http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/...n/701da16b.jpg
http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/...n/4a8ab87f.jpg
http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/...n/cc5afa84.jpg

Bulkheads go in:
http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/...n/a1a4c28b.jpg

Checking to see that the hose attachment works
http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/...n/baaee848.jpg

All sorts of 2 inch plumbing:
http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/...n/b02c98f5.jpg

We went with the Reeflo Dart. This thing is whisper quiet
http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/...n/91f45286.jpg

The two overflows needed to be teed together to feed to the gigantic three-way gate we installed.
South end (office and dining room side)
http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/...n/d86e3327.jpg
http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/...n/4096050d.jpg

North end (office and dining room side)
http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/...n/8f7b31df.jpg
http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/...n/d5d66552.jpg
We put gate valves on both sides in the hopes that we can make a herbie work. Since the two overflows join in to each other then flow in to a 3 way valve, it might not happen (in which case we'll do Dursos), but here's for leaving your options open!

And the main event - the three way valve. The ones on our pool in California are smaller than this! Everything was positioned to provide maximum access, and to not interfere with the skimmer chamber.
http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/...n/5f60eb44.jpg

Filling the return chamber for a leak test. One minor adjustment and we're leak free on the return side!
http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/...n/836239ce.jpg

Started filling the sump for real.
http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/...n/68ff6193.jpg

This is the part I was most worried about, the water exiting the skimmer chamber has to split in two and fill both the frag chamber and the water change chamber. Turns out it works perfectly :)
http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/...n/e0960438.jpg

And now to fill the main tank... This is where I'm at now, so far it's been an hour and it's not full!
http://i1100.photobucket.com/albums/...n/c16f910d.jpg

Next up - testing the overflow system, and that monster 3 way valve...

Skimmerking 03-18-2012 02:37 AM

looking good man


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