Angry Upgrade 120 to 230 Peninsula!

AngryOwl · Aug 29, 2018

So while doing my daily tank detailed look... I see this on my gold torch...

Started another ID thread and was told they're Polycads.. gotta do more research.

Anyways I checked all my other eupyhilla and only saw 1 other, was able to manually remove it. Then I took out the gold torch and used some coral rx... they came right off but tried going into the torch more. Turkey baster blasted em out. Scrapped the skeleton to get all the eggs but I doubt I got everything....

No idea how these guys got so big without me noticing... :mad:

For the new build I'll be dipping all the corals before placing them in the tank and inspecting much more thoroughly.

Diesel · Aug 30, 2018

Either you “WAKE UP” and start working for it, or let it stay a “DREAM”!!

Imo, your dream is about to become a fact soon.
Yes I did talked to your mentor

AngryOwl · Aug 30, 2018

Diesel said:
Either you “WAKE UP” and start working for it, or let it stay a “DREAM”!!

Imo, your dream is about to become a fact soon.
Yes I did talked to your mentor

;Drool;Drool;Drool

AngryOwl · Aug 31, 2018

Got off work early today, so what else was I suppose to do? ;Playful

This is as far as I got for the day, should be done tomorrow with all the framing.

Diesel · Aug 31, 2018

I guess I can go straight from the beach house to the deer lease as I’m not needed next weekend.

Looking exciting so far.

AngryOwl · Aug 31, 2018

Diesel said:
I guess I can go straight from the beach house to the deer lease as I’m not needed next weekend.

Looking exciting so far.

I couldn't help myself! So many idea's running in my head, put em on paper and then got to work haha. I could use some help skinning it with the stone for sure though!

Just need to add the side support pieces and a middle(ish) support in the back and the engineering will be done. Should we pallet test it? ;Playful

Diesel · Aug 31, 2018

AngryOwl said:
I couldn't help myself! So many idea's running in my head, put em on paper and then got to work haha. I could use some help skinning it with the stone for sure though!

Just need to add the side support pieces and a middle(ish) support in the back and the engineering will be done. Should we pallet test it? ;Playful

We could.
I have 40 pallets of pavestone delivered on a job close by.

xaflatoonx · Sep 1, 2018

I could always visit you and talk about the stand

but would love if you can post details about it as you build

Like the type of wood you are using? How you are connecting the ply wood - and your thoughts as you build.

Loving the build so far. Thanks so much for sharing.

AngryOwl · Sep 1, 2018

xaflatoonx said:
I could always visit you and talk about the stand but would love if you can post details about it as you build

Like the type of wood you are using? How you are connecting the ply wood - and your thoughts as you build.

Loving the build so far. Thanks so much for sharing.

Send me a PM with your name so I can check if you have a murderer type of face ;Pompus

As for your questions:
I'm using 3/4 inch maple plywood from lowes, technically I think its 22/32. About $50 a sheet. I bought 5 sheets and what you see built so far is only 3 sheets.

I cut a bottom piece of plywood to screw everything into. This does 3 things... 1) helps distribute the weight across my floor. 2) will prevent any sump leaks from getting on my floor, more on this once we get there. 3) eliminates the need for more wood for cross beams to make a raised platform where the sump sits.

Everything is screwed into the bottom using gorilla wood glue and pocket screws.

The side and back corners are glued and screwed using 2 1/2 deck screws (I already had this from my last build so I just used em, you could use 2 inch).

Since I wanted I large span where I can get my sump in and out easy, I went with a 2x6 beam connected to 2x4 supports. 1 8ft 2x6 and 1 8ft 2x4 will get this done.

My thoughts on the build so far... hmm... it's going pretty good. I originally planned to have 6 inches on each side left over and somehow I screwed up my bottom cut so I only have 4 inches on each side. Also the bottom was suppose to be wider, but it's no big deal, it will look the same in the end. Overall its pretty easy but time consuming. Here were my plans below.... if they look confusing it's because its chaos ;Hilarious having a cut plan only works if all your cuts are exact.

And here and some tools I think are a must. The Bora wtx saw clamp... I wish I had this thing so long ago! So easy.

AngryOwl · Sep 1, 2018

Lunch break. Not much done so far today. The structural support is all in now. And everything from here on is cosmetic and functionality planning.

So the right side is the "wet side" (54 inches) and the left is the dry side. I've been doing some thinking and I think I am just going to reuse my Trigger Systems emerald 39 sump. I'm not sure what more I stand to gain by getting a 50 or 55g, besides maybe an additional 10-15g water volume.

With that said the wet side will have plenty of space to host a calcium reactor in the future.

On the dry side the plan is to create a box to host the wires and DJ switches. I think I will put it up against the left most panel. I will make a shelf on the back panel for my dosing pump.

Overall at this point I want to plan everything out for not only now but in the future. Anyone have any suggestions on features they wish their stand had? Extra storage?

AngryOwl · Sep 1, 2018

Faced with the top resting to show you the idea. Last steps include the outside mouldings, filling the screw holes, building the equipment cabinet and painting the inside.

AngryOwl · Sep 2, 2018

So while building this beast this weekend, one has much time to think. I got to thinking about the sump situation and that's when I determined I will just reuse my current sump. I plan to use a check valve on the returns so if that fails I might be screwed. But we'll see.

The main thing I keep thinking about is the transfer from my current tank to the new. As I mentioned before the 120 is in the way of the 230's final resting position; and with me wanting to use the existing sump, I have to break down the 120 to get the sump, then plump the 230. This probably could be done in a day but I don't want to rush. I can still run my powerheads and an airstone in the 120 to keep it going just fine. But it gives me slight anxiety thinking about moving my fish. I have some QT tanks I could put them in but I'd rather move them right from one system to the next.

So as of now, unless I found a way to move the 120 over about 10 inches, I'd have to:
1) Drain the sump from the 120.
2) Place sump in the 230 and begin plumbing (no water in the tank at this point)(120 runs off powerheads and airstone).
3) Drain the 120 enough where it can be moved, this includes taking the canopy off, all the rock out.
4) After the 120 is moved, slide the 230 into its final position. (sounds easy, but the stand is heavy and it would have the tank on it)
5) Fill the 230. The plan is to have enough water made to at least get it half way so the fish can get in.

Lets hear some opinions on how you would do this transfer?

Diesel · Sep 2, 2018

Put fish and corals in a QT.
Don’t rush at all.
Test sump for a backflow first, if that turns out ( which I think it will) you don’t have to use checkvalves.

xaflatoonx · Sep 3, 2018

question - why leave space between the 2x4 and the ply/sheet.
and why not just make the far ends with the 2x4's?

I am sure you have a plan for it -

AngryOwl · Sep 3, 2018

xaflatoonx said:
question - why leave space between the 2x4 and the ply/sheet.
and why not just make the far ends with the 2x4's?

I am sure you have a plan for it -

Are you talking about making the 2x4 even with the side panels? I could have done that but decided to go this route. When I faced it with plywood it all evened out.

Diesel said:
Put fish and corals in a QT.
Don’t rush at all.
Test sump for a backflow first, if that turns out ( which I think it will) you don’t have to use checkvalves.

I think this is the best option. I think its impossible to move the 120 over a few inches... would probably ruin the floor trying.

AngryOwl · Sep 3, 2018

Working on a video on the build and a brain coming back from sure death?!?

AngryOwl · Sep 3, 2018

Quick update on my current tank 120.

Last month I was having some serious problems with what I'm guessing was cyano. It was pretty much all over the tank and had bubbles as well. On August 3rd it was suggested by @Diesel that I keep a tank log book and start tracking my ALK daily and NO3 every other day. Along with that I did some H2O2 dosing and 5g water changes every other day for about 2 weeks, combined with blowing/scrubbing off the rocks daily. I'd also like to note that I was previously using kalk water in my ATO but switched to 2 part. Here is a little look into some of the highlights in that journal:

8/3:
-10g water change
-Blew off rocks
-First time using red sea blue bucket salt
-Switched back to exclusively frozen foods + a tiny scoop reef roids (only feeding once per day at night)

8/4:
-Dosed 12ML H2O2 (10am/9pm)
-ALK: 8.8
-Test fresh batch of red sea salt, 8.3 (right on target with what the bucket says)

8/5:
-Dosed 12ML H2O2 (11am/8pm)
-5g water change 11am
-ALK: 8.8
-NO3: 16ppm High Range Red Sea test kit

8/8:
-Dosed 12ML H2O2 (7am/6pm)
-Dosed 2ML Reef Energy (Part A) - First time using* ****From this point on I dosed 2ml A and B on separate days; e.g. 8/9 dosed Part B, 8/10 dosed Part A.. etc.)
-ALK: 8.8
-NO3: 8ppm

8/11:
-Dosed 12ML H2O2 (7am/9pm)
-5g water change
-2ML Reef Energy (Part B)
-ALK: 8.8 -Adjusted a drain value causing more ATO water to get put in
-NO3: 4ppm High Range test

Saving some redundancy typing here:
8/12:
-ALK: 8.7
-Refilled ATO but did not clean bottom of ATO

8/13:
-ALK: 8.5
-Installed a fan under the sump for cooling*

8/14:
-ALK: 8.0 - Big drop, manually dosed 12ML Alk 2 part

8/16:
-ALK: 7.7 - Manual dose 5ML 2 part 7am and 20ML 9pm
-5g water change

8/18:
-ALK: 7.7
-5g water change
-Set up doser (15ml alk and 12ml cal)*

8/21:
-ALK: 7.4 (New hanna reagent)

8/22: This date is to note that this was my last water change to date and stopped H2O2 dosing.***

8/24:
-ALK: 7.1 (tested twice)
-Manually added more ALK
-Increased dosing to 20ml Alk and 15ml Cal

8/26:
-ALK: 7.1
-Manually added more ALK
-Increased ALK dosing to 25ml**

8/27: Date important since my ALK has not moved more than 1 point up or down from this date
-ALK: 7.3

9/3:
-ALK: 7.4
-NO3: 0ppm
-PO4: 5ppb = .015ppm

I know this is long to read through but I think there is something to be learned here. In a month I went from having problems and killing SPS, to having only a few spots of cyano still and my SPS (test frags) are still alive. Not to mention I am actually seeing growth that I highlighted in this thread earlier. It is hard to say what is really the cause and effect of the success. Was it the small water changes combined with cleaning off the rock? Was it the H2O2 dosing? Was is a result of feeding less and switching from pellets/flakes to exclusively frozen? Are the corals doing better because lower nutrients or because I'm actually feeding them now?

It's extremely difficult to pin point. However, I think these are all pretty minor changes and didn't really take much time to implement. I don't think I've been this in tune with my tank as I am right now.

Ahh... one major thing I forgot to mention. I've done a few recent doses of bacteria. Specifically prodibo biodigest and microbacter7. This is something I plan to continue to do. Did they cause my nutrients to go down? Who knows.

Anyways I hope I didn't waste my time typing this up and hope someone came away with something positive they can apply to their tank. I'm not entirely happen with 0 nitrates but I think at this point I can increase feeding slightly but I'm in no rush.