WillpoleReefers
Active Member
Thanks, fair way to go yet but it s coming together. Will order the tank soon I hope.
Steve
1 metre cube tank build thread
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Steve
WillpoleReefers
Active Member
My plastering skills suck as badly as they did when I last did some a few years back . But the usual wipe of filler and electric sand over should restore things. At least the tank’s piping is covered now
WillpoleReefers
Active Member
Nice to be keeping something marine again. Even if it is pet rocks in a sump. The rear compartment of my square sump is the Jaubert part. Not supposed to have rocks sitting on the gravel bed. Equally I wanted to use the space to add live rock content. I also wanted to get the sump part of the setup live asap so when the tank goes in the system has a bit of a head start. Bought one liveish dealer rock and added two lumps of Marco. I fabricated an acrylic stand for the rocks out of pieces of scrap acrylic. While I find watertight joints very hard without decent cutting gear it seems very easy to make structurally good joints out of the 6mm sheet I have. The rocks all float about an inch above the gravel bed and there is good circulation with nothing significant on the gravel itself. Have decded to make this back section a refugium and will light screen it off. I am going to try using a cheap Chinese “full spectrum” LED light for the refugium, not exactly leading edge equipment but will see how it goes. Before I get the tank will add smaller rocks and some fish to the front part of the sump, want to get a natural cycle established once the ammonia feeding stage has passed. Managed to find my old bottle of ammonia in the shed, so that is in use at the moment, together with the occasional pinch of fish food. Rocks seem to be clearing it with no stick measurable nitrate after a week. Wonder if the big live rock is pulling that out as well,
Steve
Steve
WillpoleReefers
Active Member
Just playing with a cheap Chinese “full spectrum” LED , will make the back half of this sump into a refugium in addition to Jaubert plenum. The thing only cost 59 ukp on eBay, yet looks like it might even grow corals. No PAR data sorry! Anyway should do for the purpose at a fraction of the cost of the tank lights. Wall is getting patched slowly and plumbing is progressing.
Steve
Steve
WillpoleReefers
Active Member
A while since I posted here but am now cracking on a bit as the tank delivery will be soon. Given the inevitable delays I got the sump alive and Dory Damsel is living there happily prior to her move upstairs. It’s all a bit new tank ugly in there but I am keeping an LPS coral alive. Be interesting to see how things go when we couple up to the 1 metre cube. Today I worked on the RODI loft tank emergency shutoff. The tank is a better one than I originally used and no exposed brass this item! Expensive motorised valve but not much available at any scale is truly good for RODI. A simple solenoid would not really cut it here. What price safety. There will be three layers of protection from flood in an all electrical system.
WillpoleReefers
Active Member
Thanks. My woodworking isn’t always the best up close. There are certainly better woodworkers than I here from what I have seen. Back left corner was a challenge to get to align and it’s not absolutely perfect, but pretty academic, it is strong enough I think. Thanks, got the valve controlled by relay today, just need to add the front end wiring to the back up float switch now. Easy to use my ducts to get from the tank anyway.
Reign1
Well-Known Member
My stand had a little flex as I didn’t put as many cross braces in. As soon as k put the ply in it stiffened up.. . You still debating what lights to use ??
May have missed it you running a deltec skimmer ??
May have missed it you running a deltec skimmer ??
WillpoleReefers
Active Member
Mine worked out pretty solid. Feels like climbing on a rock. It’s got 2 2x4 cross braces under the 1 inch plywood top. Like you I wanted good access from all sides. I think the lighting will be be 2x Red Sea reef 160s dialled down a bit, but yes still debating. Lighting is not for a month or two, after everything else really. Want an Acropora dominated reef so would like the option to turn it up as high as needed.
WillpoleReefers
Active Member
While waiting for the delivery today finalised a quick hack of a board to control the emergency overflow valve. Many ways to roll this I know, but I decided to make the flood valve latch off electronically once triggered by the flood sense float. No definite answer as to whether old analogue is better than digital for such tasks I know, but a micro-free solution had it‘s attractions. Zero code for a one off… No schematic drawn, just sketched down a standard NE555 bistable circuit direct to PCB. Hence the homespun layout. China will do much of the rest for 9 usd. Lots of capacitors to minimise glitches, analogue isn’t random error free I know. Nice to revisit the 1980s, also good that the old 555 is available in surface mount, makes for easy assembly and a nice small board! 555 analogue water valve latch, let’s hope it is reliable!
WillpoleReefers
Active Member
While waiting for the delivery today finalised a quick hack of a board to control the emergency overflow valve. Many ways to roll this I know, but I decided to make the flood valve latch off electronically once triggered by the flood sense float. No definite answer as to whether old analogue is better than digital for such tasks I know, but a micro-free solution had it‘s attractions. Zero code for a one off… No schematic drawn, just sketched down a standard NE555 bistable circuit direct to PCB. Hence the homespun layout. China will do much of the rest for 9 usd. Lots of capacitors to minimise glitches, analogue isn’t random error free I know. Nice to revisit the 1980s, also good that the old 555 is available in surface mount, makes for easy assembly and a nice small board! 555 analogue water valve latch design below, let’s hope it is reliable!
WillpoleReefers
Active Member
As it didn’t leak we have moved on to aquascaping. Playing with a whole pile of rock, silicone, epoxy and acrylic. No intention to make this demountable. No intention to even hope to catch a fish from there once it is in. I am including a used Aquaroche piece I got from eBay, been dried out for many months. Seems to be blending in ok. Working on the arch support with the help of some 15mm acrylic. Clam shelf left of the aquaroche fish grotto is due soon.
WillpoleReefers
Active Member
Thanks! Be ready to fill sometime early in the New Year! A long time coming.
WillpoleReefers
Active Member
Aquascape complete apart from some real live rock that will be placed centrally and fairly well hidden. Learned a lot about cement, epoxy putty and hotmelt glue in the process. One finger burned with hotmelt, ouch! Went for rock siliconed to rear wall to cover the glass including the overflow box. There are multiple small shelves for corals on the wall, some made using 10mm acrylic rod which fits drilled holes in small pieces of rock. Today I got the black gravel washed and in the tank, now doing tap water flushes. RODI next in a couple of days, then finally RODI plus salt next week
Steve
Steve
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