Terry's 120g money pit

[framerguy]

There are lots of beautiful algaes for nutrient uptake that need really bright lighting so don't rule them out for the fuge. I'm putting my 250w MH's on my fuge when we do our build/buy. We talked to our RE Agent today about looking at a couple of places. One has 5 acres on what looks like a huge lake! Looks like we're both moving up in the world!!!!

[hma]

Originally Posted by tbittner

Heinz, I love those lights! Really nice and really expensive!

But VERY cool how the controller/ballast brings the light up slowly and then follows the daylight like it was in the area that these corals come from.

yepp ....LoL, VERY EXPENSIVE, but one of the best HQI/MH Systems i have ever seen

[tbittner]

This morning I sent Current USA an email asking them about the 250w MH's being used over a 36" deep tank. Their response was:

Thank you for contacting Current USA. We recommend using the 250w metal halide fixtures for tanks that are 24” in depth and deeper. The 250w version will work great on your tank.

At this time we are not planning on a 400w fixture.

Now, can I trust a manufacturer to know/tell the truth about a lights capability? I do really like my Outer Orbit. If nothing else, the zoa's and shrooms get the bottom, other LPS's get the middle, a few SPS's and Clams get the top.

And Champion Lighting (awesome sponsor btw) has a great price on the 72" outer orbit. Combined with the 48" I already have and I have the whole tank covered. Without the legs, they are also only 4 1/2" high so no room concerns with them either.

[framerguy]

Originally Posted by tbittner

Now, can I trust a manufacturer to know/tell the truth about a lights capability? I do really like my Outer Orbit. If nothing else, the zoa's and shrooms get the bottom, other LPS's get the middle, a few SPS's and Clams get the top.

And Champion Lighting (awesome sponsor btw) has a great price on the 72" outer orbit. Combined with the 48" I already have and I have the whole tank covered. Without the legs, they are also only 4 1/2" high so no room concerns with them either.

They are reputable and I think they mean well so I'd say "probably" you can trust them. Before investing in more light I would really try your 250's over this one. Just a thought here...will you have enough working room after the lights are installed. The stand isn't built yet so think about that before you build. Or, if you did cut out the ceiling, lining inside with a heat resistant substance wouldn't be that though. Your lights could be on a simple pully system or something and could be raised if you have to work in the tank if the ceiling is opened. Just some random thinking here.

[tbittner]

D'OH!!! Great idea, Greg! I'm planning on the canopy going from the top of the tank all the way to the ceiling so it wouldn't be easy to change out after it's built. But I can certainly hang my current light, place corals on that side of the tank and see how everything looks after a couple weeks. THEN decide if the 250w's are enough and then build the canopy around the lights. I'm going to have doors on the front AND the sides so I would be able to unhook the light from the hangers and slide it out the side so I can clean it, change bulbs, etc...

[boozeman]

The xr6 is a big fixture , I got one for my frag tank to cover the 36'' width OT: A new addition

[tbittner]

It looks like they only come with 150w though. I think I'm pushing it by trying 250w's to reach the 36" depth. This tank is also only 24" wide.

It's a darn pretty light though!

[tbittner]

I ordered the 3/4" thick glass pieces I need in order to fix the center brace. That is expensive stuff! I worked on getting the old piece of center brace removed. I'm a little over half way done. This is VERY nerve wracking work! Does anyone have a recommendation for getting the silcone to "let go" between these pieces? I've been using a putty knife to squeeze in between the pieces and sllllooooowwwwwllllllyyyyyyy getting them separated.


We also expanded the doorway into the theater room. This tank will go against the wall to the right. The doorway is all squared up and framed in. We are finishing the drywall work, then we have some painting to do, then we just have to put up the trim pieces. I had to move the light switch for the light in the threater room and I also eliminated a wall socket.

Before:


After:



Pics of just the general mess I'm making...





Unfortunately, the glass for the center brace will take 3-4 weeks to be made and ground down to size and delivered so that gives me a chance to slow down on all of this a bit. I already have four of the legs cut for the stand, 6 more to go but that is only an evenings worth of work. You can see one of the legs in the last pic. I'm notching the 4x4 and the 2x6 will sit plumb with the edge of the 4x4 so give me a nice even surface to put the shell on to the stand. Putting the stand together will take a weekend. Plumbing prep work is only a few days worth of work.

I think I've settled on the lights for this tank. I'm going to get four of these. Mr. Coral uses these and three of them lights up an 8 foot frag tank so I figure four should light up a 10 foot tank quite nicely.

[Dentoid]

OMG! Looks like you have every tool sold by Home Depot! This is one exciting project. Are you sure you don't want any help. Believe it or not, I'm pretty good with home DIY.

[tbittner]

Sure! Come on over anytime! As you can see, the area is a real mess though. SO NO COMMENTS!!!

My poor wife had out patient surgery today too, she had two screws removed from her foot that have been bothering her for a few years now. So I lost my "supervisor". Thank God!

[boozeman]

luminarc reflectors
try using two very sharp (try filling them) putty knives inserting one to first cut into the silicone and gently lift it to insrt the other...slowly lifting and cutting thru as you go...its a PITA

[tbittner]

Thanks Booze. I'll give that a try here in a little bit.

As far as those lights, I have a choice of bulbs. I really like the look of the 14k bulbs on my 120g so I'm really leaning towards that spectrum. But would you get the SPS or the Icecaps?

[boozeman]

I never heard of sps brand bulbs

[CMG]

About the silicone you are trying to get rid of between the two pices of glass:

Have you thought about using nail polish remover which has acitone? I have never tried this in such a case but it is what is used to remove Krazy glue so I thought maybe it may be applicable here? Dont know what it would do to glass though?? Just thought I would throw it out there.

Or perhaps a hair dryer? Maybe it will heat it up and make it losen but it could also warp the glass...hmmmm, just trying to brainstorm outloud here.

[boozeman]

no, you can however lubricate the putty knives with crisco