diy part 2a still need epoxy and sand/shell mixture
 

well its taken a bit but im starting back on my build. got delayed buy company then a death in the family. so here we go.

i didnt take pictures of the complete build of this so ill try to explain.i used eggcrate as a base then tie wrapped piping to the eggcrate the one tube is sealed so that the water will push out through the two output pipes holding my flat frag rock shelf. and tied all the rock to eggcrate and pipe acordingly.

i still have to epoxy and sand/shell mixture to the foam but this will give you an idea of what it will look like and is the final rock piece. next part of the build is the stand/hood. im still unsure of lighting if i will do the led route or diy t5's 6 to 8 bulbs. still resesarching costs for most economical route.

anyways here are the pics by next week i should have all cotas of epoxy on and more pics.

jeff

http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/100_6486.jpg
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/100_6485.jpg
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/100_6487.jpg
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/100_6484.jpg

thanks for loking

well the dry rockwork is done next step is stand and plumbing. here are the last pics of the rock work other than live rock i have to purchace to seed the dry rock or to build in between the two.

oh yes i have decided to name part 2 rock sculpture/return, my i was here rock. named after the random rocks you see stacked here and there. anyways here are the pics

http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/100_6490.jpg

http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/100_6489.jpg

http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/100_6491.jpg

http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/100_6492.jpg

I love your rocks :D

thank you. the second one is a heavy sob but my return line is built into it i forgot to mention i tested it and both pipes flow like a dream from the rockwork.

so i made a stand for the tank (just framed not finished yet) stuck a 20g tank under it and did some plumbing. so tonight i just did a fresh water test for the plumbing/ flow.

well first thing i should have leveled the tank before i started but nothing overflowed. close but it worked. i have to tweak the return it leaks a bit but thats minor

the biggest problem i am having is my one diy rock wall floats. sooooo i have to figure out how to make it not float. this is going to be a challenge.

just thought id give an update since its beena few weeks

To make it not float you can attach some marble or tile to the bottom... or you could glue it to the tank...

definately do not want to glue it. if i get bored of it i want to be able to remove it. and i know duct tape wont work :idea: but the marble idea is a thought other than itchanges the hight of the structure which will cause me a problem with the over flow it would have to be thinner than 1/4 inch. i may try notching a portion behind it out. i have a spare koralia #1 magnet/suction cup i can try to attach to the structure. ill have toremove it and dry it out and see.

very good ideas tho thank you i wasnt thinking marble, any other ides are welcomed.

the sump
 

yet another update..... i had searched for a long time for a sump gave up and posted on used regina a lf ad. i just felt a 20g sump just would not cut it for this build, even though all i run is a 20g sump on my 90(which works great, and this is only a 50. and poof within a day i had a reply from a guy who sold me a 36x12x15h. all was well with the world.



so the work began cleaning, scraping, measuring. and this is what i came up with. i got a lot of help searching sites for what other ppl did and liked this design. only downside is i have to make some plumbing adjustments but all in all im quite happy with it.

http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/100_6497.jpg

http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/100_6498.jpg

http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/100_6501.jpg

http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/DSCN1089.jpg

http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/DSCN1091.jpg

on and end note i think i did well no leaks no changes just have to finish the stand/ paint stand get a skimmer(pending) and order my30" 250w mh with pc lighting. (i will retrofit t5's in it at a later date).

Coming along nicely

thanks its been a blast building i need to work onmy syliconing skills if i could do a nicer job id build these things onn the side for ppl just cause i love doing it. all internal glass from the sump i cut and came from ppls discarded borken tanks.

ordering my light for 50g tomorrow 30" 250w mh with actinic pc bulbs and blue moon light. i hope it works out well. will most likely need to add a cooling fan to the hood but this is why im ordering it now to test before i finish the hood.

i was going to wait to post these untill i had more done but i cant just a couple pics of the stand thus far i still have to hide the overflow and build the hood. which i cant do untill my lights arrive as well i have to change my overflow plumbing with adding the 36" sump its a sraight drop to the skimmer section/begining of the sump.

anyways here are the pics

http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/100_6502.jpg

http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/100_6503.jpg

yessssssssssssss

im guessing you approve lol

great idea with the return coming through the rock formation...This is going to be one clean looking tank from the looks of it. I'll be following this one along for sure!

thank you and welcome aboard

Rad love that idea. I have considered this a few times but in the end get a little impatient with the scaping bits and forego the pvc framework altogether. Great way to make use of return flow I think and it serves two purposes: flow and support! Where are the outputs located?

That layout looks beautiful btw. Still allows fish to complete the track around the front too.

Lmao. Just noticed the locks. I guess it's a fitting addition for you huh? :lol:

under the flat stone/built in frag rack one on each end of the stone covered by foam and epoxy and sand to look like the rest of structure as seen here

http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...100_6489-1.jpg

the locks on this tank are to keep the littlest of the daycare kids out but a key will be near it at all times in case of an emergency.

but being a locksmith does have its perks.. wife cant lock me out.. and interesting jobs for our cities finest... the stories i can tell.

sooooooooooo a little bit of a lighting issue..the company i was ordering from and have ordered from before keeps deleting my order. so im looking into other options possibly. which will not have moonlights which is ok i have a remedy fro that. just waiting onthe dimentions.. do you think 150W MHL with 2 x 2bulbs 2Ft Fixture be enough lighting? i dont know if ill have much for sps in it. but id hate to underlight it.

i think i found a replacement but its going to be tight the tank foot print is 35" x18" and the light will be 30" x 15" so i have a teeeny bit of room to spare :lol: ill have to order it tomorrow it is a 250wmh with atinic pc bulbs it should be good enough to grow anythng. hopefully

just a breif update

lighting on its way shortly thankfully
skimmer on its way
hood in limbo atm
one timer power bar bought (second power bar maybe this weekend)

lower part of stand painted and plumbing almost complete here is a pic thus far

http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/100_6505.jpg

Nice work with the stand...white is SO the new black it's crazy! Will the overflow side be turned towards the wall?

Looking good.

thank you i had to go white to match the decor in the basement i would have prefered natural maple like my 90g. yes the overflow will be up against the wall when i move it downstairs im building it in one of our spare rooms upstairs untill we are ready to move it to its final resting place. it will be up against the main support beam wall hard to explain. easier to show when it gets there there.

and a thank you to you as well

well skimmer arrived "thanks again stircrazy" and looks great. just have one slight problem to get it to sit in 7" of water i have to raise the skimmer (which i planned on) but since i went with a 36'" sump i now have a 2x4 hindering my raising the skimmer. ooooops. so tonight /this weekend i now have to modify the stand slightly.

at least ill have something to do i guess.

ok so im stuck waiting for the lights tobuildthe hood i have a vaague idea on what im going to do but till they show im booooored.

so to keep myself busy (at least for a day) i have decided to paint thebackwallsl of my sump. why... i dunno just because and it will hide the wires. so im going to paint it white to match the stand so i wont have to see the mess of wires in and around the tank... and blue in the refugium area.


am i losing my mind? or would you do the same to pass the time?

we're waiting on a ride to home depot right now so we're building a bp oil rig out of kinnex (sorta like lego) to sit in the tank until all the plumbing etc is done and the rockwork gets here...that way it's not an empty box

is not empty it does have the rock work in it.. i am just slow these days with work so i need to keep occupied or ill go crazy so im planning every different way i can to keep wires andeverything neet and tidy. yes i know itis going ina daycare where the kids will beat the crap out of the stand hitting it with toys and what not. but i can look good once.

on that note i just finished painting the sump. letting it sun dry (again it was a usless thing to do but why not right) have purchased the lumber for the hood so when the lights show up.there is no delays. and will be going out to used computer places to find fans for cooling inside the hood willmost likelyhave them turn on when the mh light turns on.

as well this afternoon in search of sand not fond of that seashell bottom look. a fellow reefer has a bag i am purchasing.. i need to see if what is out there if i need more.

ok proof of my boredom is here my painted sump pics...roll your eyes and shakeyour heads now...my wife did

http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/100_6506.jpg

with skimmer and refuge light
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/100_6507.jpg

and a couple with refuge light on
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/DSCN1245.jpg
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/DSCN1246.jpg

you got me thinking that i should make the hood out of white lego but then there is that chance of the lights melting it lol it would be different tho. imalso thinking that i should get something on the tank daycare themed like on the door and other side a fish pushing a carriage with baby fish in it... id have to find someone to draw it up tho im not very artistic.

just a small update:

lights have arrived in canada....yeah!!!... just awaiting arrival should be this week. as soon as it arrives i will be hard at it making the hood and cooling system.

got some live rock off a fellow reefer/daycare parent. thanks jorjef. so with that and a few pieces i have in my 90g's sump it should be enough to seed my diy rockwalls aprox 30-40lbs

i set up a20g holding tank for some of the live rock. running it with my fluval for now. will be rebuilding it later this winter as a frag tank/qt tank w10g sump for new fish and future corals. just running 3 pc bulbs on it for now may get a mh pendant or something later.

already in the holding tank is a gbta chillin awaiting it's new home.

thats it for now. more pics after the light shows

Maybe some Dr Seuss fish stencils?

good idea searching now:) thanks

the wife vito'd teh stencil idea.. for now...but....

the lights arrived today woo hoo. let the hood build begin.. i alredy see acouple issues with the hood but ill work it out didnt take account of the ballast for the mh. ill find room tho. so tonight and tomorrow i will figure out how to mount this beast and post pictures of the light.

the fun begins again. my first mh fixture. even if it is cheap lol

ok so here it is the pics of the light im sorry im not a great photographer. all said and done im going to like this light. switched the 14k bulb with the 20k bulb right away and will start with that.

here are a couple pics before i figure out how im going to mount it in the hood. ill leave the tank shot for when i have the light mounted.

http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/DSCN1298.jpg

http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/DSCN1296.jpg

http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/DSCN1291.jpg

http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/DSCN1300.jpg

http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/DSCN1302.jpg

Looks snazzy.

so..stand is done just have to find a spot to mount the ballast preferably away from moisture of any sort. i figured a way to mount the light to be able to easilybe remove for maintenance. its not how i wanted my hood originally but i think all in all it will do the trick.well here are the pictures

http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/DSCN1814.jpg

with lights on

http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/DSCN1815.jpg

lid open

http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/DSCN1817.jpg

light mounted with hooks ..alum rod.. light rests on the rod with the chanel meant for original mounting legs

http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/DSCN1819.jpg
http://i998.photobucket.com/albums/a...e/DSCN1821.jpg

and now i have to wait until november to put it in its final resting spot.. its going to be difficult and we may not be able to wait but i need to prep the daycare for a few changes first.

hope you've enjoyed the build as much as i have

well did some work today, moved the tank in to its final resting place. a couple of hiccups but it there now. no water will be in it untill wed/thurs going to do a couple water changes on my 90 and keep the water in a holding tub with power heads. then do another water change on my 90 on tuesday which should give me close to 30g of water for the 50. then i will mix up a new batch of water and start adding water to the tank.

as well i will be rinsing the sand and adding it to the tank as i fill it. the the sand clouds commence. when that is done i will let it run check for leaks/ problems. so hopefully by friday the tank will be running under its own steam.

as for stocking list this is what i will have for now:
in my 20 g holding tank.. fish will be added when im sure cycle is complete...

2 perc clowns ( had two babies 1 got too close to power head(my fault) will find him a friend later may he reast in peace)
1 red scooter blenny
1 cleaner wrasse
1 domino damsel (was in my 90 with a friend.. friend hated him will now go to a new home in 50)
1 cleaner shrimp (currently in 90 hopefully i can catch one of the 2)
1 mandarin dragonette ( will be added once copods start to thrive)
1 green bta
1 ricordea ( have to frag it)

stuff i still need to get:

snails
linkia star
and something for a sand sifter
more corals definately a couple sticks.

well thats all for now:mrgreen: