Project 58!! (Image intense)

[Maxx]

this is the right side of the closed loop and tank. you can see the sump return in this photo also colored balck by a Sharpie magic marker. The zip tie on the Spa-Flex keeps it from flopping out and putting more outward pressure on the overflow. Yes, I will trim off the excess before the tank is moved inside.For frame of reference the overflow is 10 inches wide from left to right.



Nick

[Maxx]

Originally posted by Hooked
Wow Nick, that's awesome (although that first pic is going to give me nightmares!!!)

The P traps are a great idea. Based on the turbulence on the surface, it looks like you're going to have great flow!

Yeah it does kinda look like a spider doesnt it?
I cant wait to get this thing up and running inside!
Nick

[Maxx]

Things left to do:
Stain and seal the canopy/lightbox support arms.
Construct the handwheel for raising and lowering the lighting.
Install Lighting
Mount that all on top of the tank.
Set up the skimmer and get it in place.
Order the StarBoard bottom, (I will actually be using Cutting Board from the cutting board company, StarBoard just sounds cooler).
AQUASCAPE!!!!
Set up and run Calcium Reactor.
Enjoy my tank!

It still kinda sounds like alot to do, but its not really. Installing the lighting is really just a matter of mounting it via eye bolts and wood screws into the canopy. In fact the biggest PITA is going to be staining and sealing and setting up the calcium reactor.

Assuming my house can handle the added electrical consumption.
Nick

[wooddood]

nick its lookin good buddy, i am very interested in the ocean motion device so when you get it all setup i would like to know if you still think its worth the money. good luck on the final phases of your setup and keep those pics comin.




dave.

[mojoreef]

Looks great Nick, now get that puppy in the house and let the soon to be make her comments, lol. Reefing is a great way to test a relationship, rofl.

if you get bubbles from the cl look to the locline out of the water.


mike

[Maxx]

if you get bubbles from the cl look to the locline out of the water

Yeah, i'm not done with the loc-line Mike. This was just for the wet test in the garage. I was wanting to keep the water inside the tank and didnt really care about all the bubbles caused by the current vortexes.

i am very interested in the ocean motion device so when you get it all setup i would like to know if you still think its worth the money.

Wood,
to be honest with you, I love this thing! Its very well made, and well thought out. Its basically just a rotating motor (1 rpm) connected to a drum with holes cut in the sides. The drum rotates inside a housing which also has threaded holes/outlets cut into it. When the holes line up, water flows out. When the holes overlap, water flows out of more than one hole. The engine is a pretty hard core....I cant remember how many revolutions its engineered for, (a couple of years worth at least). If the motor burns out or stops rotating, water will still flow out of whatever ports the drums stopped on. Its designed to never be without at least one port lined up for flow, (although you order it to have more than one port open at all times if you wish). So your pump wont burn out if the OMmotor malfunctions. All you do in that case is get another motor. It screws right into the existing OM body and off you go. You dont even need to get wet since the motor turns the internal drum by a magnet so its not directly connected to anything wet.
Paul, (the manufacturer) has excellent service and will cheerfully speak to anyone about his product. I have also been sent an upgraded/improvement package since purchasing my OM unit even though it wasnt even set up. Paul had made some minor improvements to the OM units and just sent me the upgrades free of charge. You just can go wrong with this thing.....
But thats just my opinion. I would certainly reccomend this product to anyone wanting more flow in their tank. Think SCWD only industrial and all but bullet proof.
Nick

[Spooda420]

WOW Nick, quite impressed. looks like you put your heart in it... I dont think some zoos have all the features you have, on their tanks.

very impressive, to say the least.

C

[Craig Manoukian]

Super duper Nick!

[Maxx]

Originally posted by Spooda420
WOW Nick, quite impressed. looks like you put your heart in it... I dont think some zoos have all the features you have, on their tanks.

very impressive, to say the least.

C

LOL...
Maybe not, but at least their tanks are up and running....
Nick

[Spooda420]

Originally posted by Maxx
LOL...
Maybe not, but at least their tanks are up and running....
Nick

In due time... patience is a prized virtue in this hobby.

take your time do it right the first time and you wont have to do it again.

[Maxx]

The support arms for the canopy are almost dry from the final coat of wood stain. I will do the first coat of poly-urethane tomorrow, have to work again tonight. After I get these sealed, the tank can be moved into the house and then I can begin mounting the lighting and plaing around with the aquascaping.
The protein skimmer is en route from Marine Depot and should arrive 11-15-04. Ive been on the phone and emailing Euro-Reef alot in the last couple of days. The skimmer is a Euro-Reef CS6-2 which is rated by the manufacturer up to a 110 gallon tank. It comes with a Sedra 3500 pump. According to Jeff at ER customer service, this runs the skimmer at about 250 GPH. Which puts my skimmer tank volume turnover at around 3 times an hour. Not bad, but I would prefer to get closer to 4 or more times an hour.
I cant remember if I've already posted this link up or not....Skimmer Math but this is a well written explanation of why you want a skimmer rated for your tank, and how to figure out the proper way to calculate your skimmers turnover rate.
Jeff, (at ER) said that I could have gone with a custom CS6-2+ which would have fit in my sump for only 10% more than standard price of the CS62+.......wish I'd known that prior to buying the CS6-2. But he did said I could replace the Sedra 3500 with a Sedra 5000 which would most likely fit just fine in my sump. The Sedra 5000 pumps about 350 gallons per hour when connected to the skimmer according to Jeff. This would put me at my desired goal of 4 times an hour. I plan on waiting until I can test the skimmer for a true rating before I go and buy another pump. If it does what I want to begin with, why spend the money?
Another thing I ordered was some Penn Plax B-11 Silent Air Pumps.
Curt told me about them awhile back. I found that site on the web and never thought about it again. What I didnt realize was that they werent in stock when I found them. I have heard many rumors, (all of which are un-verified ) that the manufacturer is discontinuing them. Looking around on the web to find any for sale was kinda tough....most of the places I found them for sale were out of stock. I finally found some in stock and for sale in Canada. They were more expensive, but better than going without IMO.
Richard Durso wrote a neat article on "Disaster Readiness" for the reef aquarium in a 2002 Advanced Aquarist Online Magazine. In that article he talks about these pumps. Me being Joe Paranoid, and having had several encounters with that Murphy guy, ($@^!&*%), I tend to plan for the worst...(Did you see my stand construction???) anyway...its a neat article.
Disaster Readiness
Nick

[mps9506]

Originally posted by Maxx
Another thing I ordered was some Penn Plax B-11 Silent Air Pumps.
Curt told me about them awhile back. I found that site on the web and never thought about it again. What I didnt realize was that they werent in stock when I found them. I have heard many rumors, (all of which are un-verified ) that the manufacturer is discontinuing them. Looking around on the web to find any for sale was kinda tough....most of the places I found them for sale were out of stock. I finally found some in stock and for sale in Canada. They were more expensive, but better than going without IMO.Nick

Man, wish I knew you were looking for these. I carry em at my store and have had zero problems getting them direct from Penn Plax. When I try to get them through distributors though I was SOL. We sell a ton of them every hurricane season.
My personal tank I use a portable livewell aerator that hooks up to a 12 volt deep cycle battery. It aerates the tank, but also has a built in pump with spray bar on it. I haven't had a chance to use it yet, but hopefully it will work well.

Mike

[Maxx]

Mike,
Thanks for the heads up about your store carrying those. Can you find out if they are in fact being discontinued by Penn PLax? The guy I ordered them from said he would find out and let me know either way...but I suspect if they are not being discontinued he will not tell me for fear I will change my order. Ive already told him I wouldnt, but words are tough to bind in situations like this....
I'm curious about your live bait well with an aerator and spray bar...could you post a pic or two of it?
Nick

[mps9506]

I'll post some pics, just gotta dig it out of storage, I purchased it at West Marine or Boaters world, I have no memory of what I paid. I've had it for two years and honestly haven't had to use it yet (knock on wood).
I'll see if I can find out what Penn Plax says, talking to them is pretty hard though. Seems certain companies feel customer service should be run by people that have a very limited grasp of the English language...
Mike

[mps9506]

Maxx,
Here is the product I bought
Clicky Clicky
I haven't ever used it, but I just realized reading that page, maybe I can't use this on my tank, it has copper parts!
Geez, wish it said that on the package...
I'm gonna break it out of the box and see if it is something I can still use. If not, I'll just buy something similar.
I liked this product becasuse it has an attached spray bar that could move a decent amount of water in my little tank, might have to improvise though.

Mike