OK Two new 75 Starfire tanks on the way and lots of possibilities and money.

[Basile]

Oh yes i'll update but my tanks are back ordered, they are custom made and the shop is overrunned this summer, they say mid october now before i get mine, so until then, i can only prep the room and read and bother people lol.

 

[Basile]

Enough is enough

I had enough with Miracle Aquariums impolite , they are arrogant and i had enought so i went with Concept Aquariums from Calgary who dealth me a good deal in less than an hour , thats the tank they have for me

The Reef 150 G starfire glass tank

This is the Display Refugium 75 G starfire glass tank

This is the floor plan disposition of the tanks since the floor can't take the weight of the tanks on top of each other; The Refugium feeds the Reef by gravity with some king of plumbing not sure which yet, flexible or rigid

The Stands are powder coated 2" steel

Herbie type overflow with gate valve control and a modification to the height of the emergency pipe.

 

[Basile]

Re: Enough is enough

Well i got even better plans upgrades today


My stand for my refugium that will be dumping into the reef tank that why its so high, 83"

Thats the mods on my refugium tank with a c2c

That going to be my Reef tank now much better with a c2c

That my Reef stand

 

[Basile]

Re: Enough is enough

Upgrading my Reef tank plans

I've added a home made glass wavebox i just have to add a pump in it with a sponge and voila! its exterior so no eye soar and does the same thing for a fraction of the price. And i can just replace the pump when finished. The principle is very simple the pump pushes the water out of the box at regular intervals controlled by a tunze controller that i can buy for $80 so instead of a box at $ 600 . The pump is $ 250 much better that way. So for $ 350 i've got the same thing. Thats not including the glass box . I'll find out how much but still cheaper anyway

 

[Basile]

Getting stuff

I got new rock for my sculpture, flat shelves from Marco's rock and i have some more comming this friday the 13....ya i know. Plus lots of goodies, for the sculpting, rods and mortar, diamond drill bits , some macro algae are also comming for my little tank i've started for the refugium, the live rock i have in there will help jumpstart the big system so a combination of live rock, well secured, i've taken precautions, to irradicate potential pest and with the dry rock, sculpture and my ceramic walls , i'll start the system on a good foot hopefully.

All those and the ones comming will be drilled and set with rods and mortar into a specific sculpture , i'm taking my time on this because i don't want to have to restack those rock in 18 months time because i don't like the way they look anymore. Plus tonight i'm getting my Vertex RO/DI unit so i can get that organized and set up right for the upcomming tanks in 2 1/2 weeks time Yippee!

 

[Basile]

Re: Getting stuff

I just came back from picking up my stuff from the UPS store, and my sand is sooooooooooooo cool!!!!! Very pretty,Tropic Eden Tonga miniflakes and flakes. With these pinkish pebbles really nice stuff i can't tank the guy enough who suggested that to me. i can't even remember now who did either lol and from which sites lol. When i set up everything i'll have a shot of it for now its stays in its bag, its not live sand no. I have to rinse it before using it.Cost me $ 410.00

 

[Basile]

My goodies

Here are some of my goodies for my sculptures.

My Nylon rods to hold my rocks in place

http://www.marcorocks.com/aquascape-supplies/3-8-16-nylon-thread-rod-24-includes-10-pk-nuts-10-pk-washers/

The mortar to stick the rock permanently and to strengthen the sculpture.

http://www.marcorocks.com/aquascape-supplies/e-marco-400/

The diamond coated hole saw to make those holes i need for a pvc rod

http://www.marcorocks.com/aquascape-supplies/7-8-diamond-coated-hole-saw-qty-1/

I'm all set to do the sculpture as soon as all the rock are here

 

[Basile]

Finally got an ETA my 3 tanks are ready and they're waiting on the 2 stand to be finish with the coated powder coatings and i should get those babies the end of next week. $ 4 500, not bad for 2 starfire tanks, 2 steel stands powder coated and the 60g sump custom made. So september 27 is party time!!! :fingerx::dunce:BJ::bow:thumber::woody::lisa:

 

[Basile]

This after noon i'm suppose to get pics of the tank before shipping, part of the service of Concept Aquarium who inspect all their tank before shipping, so if anything happen during transport i'm covered with their insurance. So my 3 tanks will be on their way with the two stand who are being finished this tuesday. They also have a better delivery service than Miracle Aquariums, who was just delivering it but you have to provide the hands to take it out of the truck; HOW LAME, Concept Aquarium from Calgary delivers and insure that a jack is used to unload it to ground level and then they wheeled it to your room hows that for service. Miracle Aquarium fell short on everything, in my case anyway. Those who had good service good for you, but according to some merchant i've talked too lately and told my story they say that they've had customer complaints creeping around and now they're reffering these new custommers to other builders including Concept Aquariums...so beware buyers.....

 

[Basile]

YEEeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee Pictures

The external wavebox will be black out to prevent algae growth, so is the overflow box.

The refugium with its connecting bulkhead to the Reef tank

 

[whippetguy]

Look forward to see you getting these up and running

 

[Basile]

Look forward to see you getting these up and running

Yes me too but before i hook these up i've got to do my two sculptures, the backwalls on each with ceramic panels i got from Germany and i have to finish the condo floor, so stay tune lots of pictures comming your way lol and i'll have a few video as soon as can master the edit button, lol . Plus i'm on sick leave i'm suppose to take it easy my doc will be furious if i don't improve lol. I'm off for the year so this is my little project during that time , or else i'm going to go nuts watching Martha Stewards and Ophra during the day lol.

 

[Basile]

Delay

Yep a bit of a delay in my stands fabrication. To be expected i guess, Concept Aquarium have finished my 3 tanks, but the whelders are still working apparently on my stands. Manifactured at another place, they have to wait for them. I'm not worried; Concept has been so great with this very fast build up 4 weeks for the 3 tanks, ahead of schedule too, so , just verry happy to have dealth with them instead of Miracle Aquariums, who according to my LFS has let down a number of customers with their unsavory practices. My LFS has even switch to other builders like Concept Aquariums, for their new cutomers.

 

[StirCrayzy]

Awesome progress. !
I bet youre giddy as a schoolgirl.

 

[Basile]

Awesome progress. !
I bet youre giddy as a schoolgirl.

Yes i'm actually getting a bit depress, waitting .....its been since june this has been started... another delay but now they said next wednesday they should arrive...i'll beleive it when they're in my room. i've started my sculptures but my heart isn't in it. The thing is its not this company's fault it was Miracle Aquariums who delayed and couln't get their act together. This company Concept Aquarium made me 3 tanks in 4 weeks, so no complaints, but the stands were late comming in. Still its too long. Its my first and last custom tanks and stands.

 

[Basile]

Some accounting to cheer me up

150 gallons starfire tank 72"X24"X21" = $ 1680.51
75 gallons starfire tank 48"X18"X21"= $ 843.09
60 gallong sump tank 48"X20"x16"= $ 200


2 " steel powder coated stand 72"x24"x28" = $450.00

2" steel powder coated stand 48"x21"x83" = $550.00

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
$3723.60 +( $850.00 shipping ) = $ 4 573.60

Super Reef Octopus 3000 Skimmer $564

3 X Tunze Turbelle nanostream 6095 ($ 279 ) $983.25
2 X Tunze Turbelle nanostream 6055 ($249) $575
Tunze osmolator universal 3155 $ 219
salt mix pump $ 48
QT pump $ 36

Heaters $ 91,97

2 X Diablo DC 3500 Variable Speed ( $ 170) $339.98

Lighting; Razors

2X 16 k 27 inch Maspect Razors ($ 539) $ 1 078 Reef tank
1X 10k 27 inch Maspect Razors $ 539 Refugium
1 X 10 k 20 inch Maspect Razors $ 449 Refugium

Neptune Systems Apex w/ Display Module, PH & Temp Probe & EB8 (Lab Grade PH) =$619.85


QT ; $101

Mixing Drum Canus 30 G $ 145


Little equipment( valves, strainers, etc) $466.62
Supplies ( testing) $210.32

Vertex Puratek Reverse Osmosis/Deionization (RO/DI) Filter - 100GPD = $ 330



MUD ; $101

German Ceramic panels $ 3/LB 197 LB = $666.70


Live rock; 20lb $289


Tonga branch; $ 115 Sculpture


Marco's rock supplies;

$352.97 Sculpture
$210.46 Sculpture
$73.86 Sculpture

sand = $409.90

Plumbing PVC Flex = $323.84
= $73.33
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
= $ 14 221.65

 

[Bearjohnson]

OMG this tank is still not wet?

Now I'm starting to get antsy with all the suspense and it's not even my tank

Basile buddy, I'm on the edge of my seat and can't wait to see water.

 

[Basile]

I got a phone call telling me that its being sent monday arriving wednesday between 3pm and 7pm in the mean time i've started my sculptures and making videos about it. I have to edit the videos before showing, but here are some of the first pics of the work in progress.

German ceramic panels for my backwall, they'll be foamed to prevent water & detritus trapping behind them, and serve as grazing ground for my fish

Making a foundation root system for my Tonga branch so they stay rightside up like a tree, this will be covered by 2" sand.

Diamond coated drill bit

This is a diamond coated Hole saw for a 1" pvc tubing for heavier rocks

Those drill bits make a 3/4" holes for those 3/4" nylon rods for smaller rocks

I rather use a saw than cutters for my pvc its more precise and easyer for me.

They say its the best putty on the market, i'll find out...

Very useful to cut off excess foam from rock and sculptures

Put that on your foam and then your sand to make it look good and natural, buy the longer curing by the way i bought the 5 min one by mistake

Pond foam is the only one good for UV and its black, its made for ponds and fish and amphibians

My primer and PVC cement

I use the egg crates to make more resistance with the sand and create more stability with the sculptures, it will also be under the sand.The two pvc rods are where the tonga branches will be braced with Zip Ties and cemented with Marco's mortar. Foam will also be used to hide the ties and hiden with sand. In the end the branch will look as if they were coming out of the sand and standing on their own, while having an artificial "root" system.

This is a stand for the second sculpture. This one will be 1" on top of the sand, so 2" of the feet will be under the sand the remaining inch will permit waterflow underneath and allow better circulation and less detritus gathering. Also a cave will be form as some coral will be put near the legs who will be foamed and sand as well to camouflage them better.

This first rock will serve as a platform for all the other rocks to follow it to form an elaborate sculpture going outward. Therefore the bigger rocks will be near the center and the smaller will go on the outerrim.

Plenty of those are needed for any project

 

[kyle4201]

cant wait!!!!

 

[StirCrayzy]

I admire your willingness to add that all up.

Unlike me, who would rather tell my wife honestly that I have no idea how much the tank costs.