Norms SCA66 build thread

normski619 · Jul 30, 2016

Jimbo662 said:
I got mine yesterday and unpacked it today. WOW...I'd measured out on my desk to see how big it would be but seeing it in person it's much larger than I was expecting. I love the footprint of it. I've got a neon green toadstool that's about 8" across and had considered selling or fragging it. After seeing the tank I'm keeping him!!!

Nice! Get a build thread going so we can all follow along [emoji4]

Jimbo662 · Jul 30, 2016

I definitely will. It'll start off a little slow though. I'm going to be moving on Sept 23rd so the plan right now is to do all new plumbing and water test it. Waiting till after the move to move anything into it.

normski619 · Jul 30, 2016

3 more trips should be enough to fill the tank and sump.

Jimbo662 · Jul 30, 2016

normski619 said:
3 more trips should be enough to fill the tank and sump.

LOL...this is why I'm glad I've got an RO/DI unit.

normski619 · Jul 30, 2016

Jimbo662 said:
LOL...this is why I'm glad I've got an RO/DI unit.

Haha...it's just the start up that takes a lot of water. I work really close to the pier so its not out of the way. Plus, no mixing needed. I just use my ro/di for the top off.

Jimbo662 · Jul 30, 2016

ah...nice!

normski619 · Jul 30, 2016

Semi- wet shot. Couple of things I've noticed.

1. The Kessel A360we is awesome, the shimmer I get is amazing!

2. The Mp10wqd's move a lot more water than I thought they would. Granted I only have the tank half full. I have them set to Tidal swell mode on slave. I'm very excited to see these guys in action when everything is up and running.

I'll get another 35 gallons later today. In the mean time, I'm going to start putting together the front door to the stand.

normski619 · Jul 31, 2016

We're wet!!!(that's what said?)

normski619 · Jul 31, 2016

I asked my wife to help me with the aquascape....this is what she came up with [emoji2]

Front view

Right view

Left view

I would have never come up with something like that...lol [emoji39] next step is to do a vinegar bath overnight then a few good rinses. I'm planning to put them on some extra acrylic I have laying around from the sump.

Jimbo662 · Jul 31, 2016

That's very cool. Can I borrow her when it's time for mine???

MermaidTail · Jul 31, 2016

GREAT thread, man! Looking forward to following along. Love your stand and the 'scape looks great!

normski619 · Aug 1, 2016

Jimbo662 said:
That's very cool. Can I borrow her when it's time for mine???

Lol...sure you can =P

MermaidTail said:
GREAT thread, man! Looking forward to following along. Love your stand and the 'scape looks great!

Thank Mermaidtail! Its coming along nicely. Every since I put water in it, my son has been memorized. He'll enjoy it a lot more once I have some livestock in there.

normski619 · Aug 1, 2016

So we added the rocks Last night. So a couple of things w/ the original aquascape. It looked great visually in the tank but the right hand pillar/formation were a little to high. We wouldn't have been able to put any frags on the side because of the shadow it was creating. Also the big shelf was great for fishies to hangout and swim under, but the overhang was shadowing a lot of valuable space underneath to put coral. So we switched it up a little. We used the same shelf piece and lowered it so it was still high enough for critters to swim/hide underneath it, but low enough where we can use it for frags. I'll tinker with the rockscape a little more when I get home but I think this will be the main design. I'm thinking the flow w/ this setup will be better because its a little more open. The rocks are on 1/4" acrylic. Again let me know your thoughts and suggestions, they are always welcomed =)

Front side view

Left side view ( this is the view people will see when they walk into our house)

Right side view (good shot of the shelf)

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Jimbo662 · Aug 2, 2016

How are the MP10s doing on moving water? I'm going to be ordering mine in the next couple of days.

normski619 · Aug 2, 2016

Jimbo662 said:
How are the MP10s doing on moving water? I'm going to be ordering mine in the next couple of days.

The pumps are running pretty good from what I can see. I really wont know until I have some live stock and corals in there. I currently have them set on reef crest mode anti sync. I have a jeboa dc600 return pump set at 3/4 full so I'm getting some flow from that too. So far everything is going great. I'm picking up some live rock from a local reefer today or tomorrow to help seed my dead rock. I'll start doing some readings so I can start tracking the cycle.

Jimbo662 · Aug 2, 2016

I'm going to see how the stock pump works out. I may switch over to a waveline dc pump. I've got one on my big tank that I'm selling and it's been working great.

normski619 · Aug 3, 2016

Jimbo662 said:
I'm going to see how the stock pump works out. I may switch over to a waveline dc pump. I've got one on my big tank that I'm selling and it's been working great.

Yeah, the waveline and jebao are pretty much the same thing. Both really good controllable pumps.

normski619 · Aug 3, 2016

Made the front cover for the stand. Still have to stain, poly and put the handles on. It's being held up by French cleat picture frame hardware. I got them at Homedepot. The one I got is 18" and it's holding it up pretty well. I think I'll install them on the bottom of the cover too so my son won't be able to lift it off the rails.

Also installed an LED strip so I don't have to keep using my phone as a light when I work on the sump [emoji39]

normski619 · Aug 8, 2016

Front panel done [emoji2] got a few pieces of live rock from fellow reefers. Ammonia is at 1ppm and NO2 and NO3 is at 0. Getting a dusting of diatoms on the rocks. We're visiting some friends in CT this coming week so it's perfect timing. I won't have to look at an empty tank everyday [emoji39] I'm hoping ammonia and Nitrites will be at zero when I get back next week.