OldSchool 225 build with some new twists.

[OldSchool Reefer]

Aquascapeing ;Nailbiting so many rocks so few ideas! The old 150 had a Greek ruin theme. The non viewing walls were covered in Travertine Tile and there were some remnants of columns. I have always been interested in Greek and Roman Architecture and ruins, and as a child I would watch Jacq Cousteau diving in the Mediterranean or Red Sea and occasionally he would come across some ruins or a period ship wreck. This was the best of both worlds! Then when I first started Reefing in Germany in the early 90s I went to a shop in Nurnberg and in their main display was a large Greek Amphora sticking up out of the sand bed, the growth and encrusting on it was like it was still in the Red Sea I was geeked and hooked!

 

[OldSchool Reefer]

One more saw to add to the list of saws used in this build! What to do with 12+ square feet of travertine that has been in a tank for 15 years? Make frag plugs? Nope you make ledges and false bottoms to place rock on.

And what do you do about that last large piece of cut rock? Cut it again so it doesn’t look like the other 2 and looks like a hurricane just placed it wherever.

Small saw equals small depth of cut, so we are Just going to be doing it the way they did it a few hundred years ago

That’s how they did it before any of us where around here! Lookie here, it still works! Plenty of rock cutting ahead but I gotta empty out a sump so I know what I have to work with!

 

[DH78]

One more saw to add to the list of saws used in this build! What to do with 12+ square feet of travertine that has been in a tank for 15 years? Make frag plugs? Nope you make ledges and false bottoms to place rock on.

And what do you do about that last large piece of cut rock? Cut it again so it doesn’t look like the other 2 and looks like a hurricane just placed it wherever.

Small saw equals small depth of cut, so we are Just going to be doing it the way they did it a few hundred years ago

That’s how they did it before any of us where around here! Lookie here, it still works! Plenty of rock cutting ahead but I gotta empty out a sump so I know what I have to work with!

You know they make chisels for that? Those poor screwdrivers. Oh the horror!

 

[OldSchool Reefer]

Unloading the sump begins! Pull rock and fill tote move to big tote and scrub rinse with Tunze stream and repeat, move to brute for final rinse once tote is empty load tote from brute. My hands hurt and I’m not even close. Roll wheelie cart with tote of rock through house to sump, large pieces go in the frag section and baseball size go into rock section. Repeat this 3 more times. Oh and most importantly wipe up any sloshes or drips before the wife see it ;Facepalm

 

[OldSchool Reefer]

You know they make chisels for that? Those poor screwdrivers. Oh the horror!

Saw blade was thin and if you noticed the yellow one was a wood chisel Besides 2 were craftsman and the other was a snap on, so lifetime warranty

 

[OldSchool Reefer]

Ok sump is full of rock Well there is still a few hundred pounds of rubble, frag plugs and live sand in the old sump. It’s time to add some more water and fire it up!

Yup the Reef Savey Ghost Overflow is spitting :mad:
Here we go I’m not getting taken out buy a ghost!
So did I mention I hate sharp edges? That overflow is so small that you can’t get your hands in it without cutting yourself! :mad: I’m going to have to sneak up on this without being seen so I’m off to make a wrench!

Loosen everything up unions too and wiggle things around and re tighten everything ;Nailbiting
Say a quick prayer and fire it back up!
No leaks but need more water so I run back outside to open the valve!
Everything is running smoothly but the noise level needs work! Lots of tweaking to do but it’s flowing ( insert happy dance)

 

[R-balljunkie]

1) I think you need to add one more color of PVC just to keep it totally random.
2) rockwork is going to def be unique. Cant wait to see the end result.
3) No one really appreciates the craftmanship and how many different trades you are able to cross over to. I read your other post, and you're right. We live in a throw away society, not a recycle, reuse and repurpose goods. you my good man have vision and forethought beyond going to the intraweb and ordering it! Hats off. I baled on posting my build thread...too much work and for what really?

 

[OldSchool Reefer]

Tunze Skimmer wasn’t happy with the reef epoxy! Their patented anti blow the top off the cup technology sure does work and it makes one heck of a racket to let you know it’s working! Today was drill, peg epoxy day along with some periodic siphon detritus duties and change the sock day.
OldSchool tip; if you aren’t doing a water change but need to suck up some nasty stuff try this. What you need is a big magnet, filter sock clamp and a long siphon hose.

OldSchool tip 2; have plenty of epoxy and super glue gel for when you break that perfect rock trying to drill and peg!

Time to add some sand!

 

[RobB'z Reef]

The tank arrives unscathed, Kubi also brought a pair of MP 40s he didn’t use, those 15 YO Tunze 6200s can’t last forever. ‍ Things are progressing nicely, the plans are falling into place wish list is growing daily and orders are being made. Can’t decide on a pump fleece roller or what to do with the fuge yet but the stand build must go on!

yes it is Old School thinking


Yes it is Old School thinking but it still works! Do you understand the new math? It started with pump selection replacing a Hammerhead (3500 GPH) that supplied a 180 a 150 and an Orca 250. I was considering a Dream box but the Red Dragon controller issues were a concern. DC pump controllability will allow for flow optimization. In the end I went with the a Vectra L2 (3100) and Klir 7 (1800 gph) the fuge and reactors will be tapped off the return so flow through the fleece roller will be much lower.

Nice, I love my klirs

 

[RobB'z Reef]

I have been trying to keep my rock in good health while doing my mini cook, with loads of flow and water changes additions of bacteria and pods and live phyto. I want to keep the pod population up for the big switch. Three tubs of rock a 125 sump and an old 44 gal fuge/current tank with a hungry possum wrasse could use all the help they can get. minimum light and feeding, heavy sediment filtration cant be easy on the inhabitants, I have dosed Algae Barn EcoPods and 5280 Pods in the past but I picked up some Tigger Pods at the LFS today and they look great I dosed all the containers and started a culture to see if I can raise some.

Good call, I'm having lots of fun growing my own as well!

 

[RobB'z Reef]

Wouldn’t you know it the smallest partition that never made it into the plans would be key in setting this sump build. I always knew that I needed a baffle in the rock section to direct the flow and separate the inlet side from the skimmer from the outlet to the fuge but just thought I could add it anywhere in the process Nope the hole thing depended on it hanging out holding things up! This is the only baffle where the top edge isn’t hidden by the sump top so I had to give it a nice smooth edge. Cleaned it sanded it test fit it and cleaned it again before removing the rest of the parts so I can get it into place glued down on one side before moving on to the rest. I got everything squared up and ran some Weldon 3 down the edges and gave it a rest!

Impressive so far, you clearly have some skills

 

[RobB'z Reef]

Just as I was inside the stand head and arms through a cutout and mounting the Ice Cap ballast the phone rang was great news the Sump was finally ready

Pendant on (check) Ballast mounted (check) VHOs working (check) Radions on (check) clean up the wiring octopus ..... F that will wait I’m going to get my sump!

Absolutely amazing build so far!

 

[OldSchool Reefer]

1) I think you need to add one more color of PVC just to keep it totally random.
2) rockwork is going to def be unique. Cant wait to see the end result.
3) No one really appreciates the craftmanship and how many different trades you are able to cross over to. I read your other post, and you're right. We live in a throw away society, not a recycle, reuse and repurpose goods. you my good man have vision and forethought beyond going to the intraweb and ordering it! Hats off. I baled on posting my build thread...too much work and for what really?

1) The color on the plumbing is actually quite simple! Red is anything flowing into the sump and the blue is supply from the main pump an Ecotech Vectra it’s white and blue so I went with that. Unless you go to the reactors (Vertex) they were already Red and white even though they are supplied by the Vectra they flow into the sump so the plumbing was red. Red black and white is the most eye catching combination so that was an easy choice over all!
Wait till I get the Red Sea Dose that will blow your mind!

2) it’s the most challenging I’ve done yet! Big Peninsula means you have to have a totally different view from 3 sides and every angle must have depth of view! The days of rock walls are over!
3) Sad isn’t it! I’ve been reusing everything I can and building as much as my skill set allows. It’s frustrating at times but the final product will show the effort put into it and that it’s a one of a kind not off the shelf!

 

[DH78]

Love your varied skill set. I will do just about everything construction/plumbing/electrical with the house, but I've never pulled the trigger on trying to do acrylic and glass. Heck, I still change my the oil on my cars even though it really isn't that much cheaper than a quick lube. Very impressed with your skill set and looking forward to the finished product.

 

[OldSchool Reefer]

Sand, I’m a big proponent of sand in general! Anyway you want to utilize it, and I’ve done them all! Deep Sand Bed, Shallow Sand Bed, Plenum, in tank and remote I’ve even run large fluidized bed filters. One thing I’ve Never used is commercial “live” sand.

OldSchool always got live sand from another tank, a friend or the LFS. I had a stockpile of hundreds of pounds of Aragonite sand that I got for pennies a pound but it hasn’t been available for decades :mad: anyone remember Southdown play sand? I think I had half of a pallet so there was never a need to buy any of the fine stuff.

The last of that sand is in my old sump or drying out in a few buckets out back.

The CaribSea was nice and clean didn’t make a white out in the tank and their clarifier worked as advertised so I have no complaints. The 100 pounds of Fiji Pink looks great and covered the bottom with about an inch of sand except where the flow piles it up. I’m re thinking my pump placement but will probably have to go with some crushed coral or reef rubble in places. Lots of tweaking to do!
I’ll get some tank shots once I figure out white balance, so it’s back to the Photography Forum for me.

 

[DH78]

Sand, I’m a big proponent of sand in general! Anyway you want to utilize it, and I’ve done them all! Deep Sand Bed, Shallow Sand Bed, Plenum, in tank and remote I’ve even run large fluidized bed filters. One thing I’ve Never used is commercial “live” sand.

OldSchool always got live sand from another tank, a friend or the LFS. I had a stockpile of hundreds of pounds of Aragonite sand that I got for pennies a pound but it hasn’t been available for decades :mad: anyone remember Southdown play sand? I think I had half of a pallet so there was never a need to buy any of the fine stuff.

The last of that sand is in my old sump or drying out in a few buckets out back.

The CaribSea was nice and clean didn’t make a white out in the tank and their clarifier worked as advertised so I have no complaints. The 100 pounds of Fiji Pink looks great and covered the bottom with about an inch of sand except where the flow piles it up. I’m re thinking my pump placement but will probably have to go with some crushed coral or reef rubble in places. Lots of tweaking to do!
I’ll get some tank shots once I figure out white balance, so it’s back to the Photography Forum for me.

I'm on the sand train as well. No bare bottom for me. Always had great results with CaribSea Special grade. Large enough to have some flow, not too big for sand dwellers.
Never saw Southdown brand, but I used to use a similar product in my freshwater tanks. Never liked gravel.

 

[OldSchool Reefer]

I'm on the sand train as well. No bare bottom for me. Always had great results with CaribSea Special grade. Large enough to have some flow, not too big for sand dwellers.
Never saw Southdown brand, but I used to use a similar product in my freshwater tanks. Never liked gravel.

I have a bag of Special Grade coming that I planned on using for the base of the plenum. Petco had it on sale and I added it to the monthly dog food delivery to get the free shipping, it should be here any day. I’ll try some of it in the problem areas.
Southdown was all the rage in the late 90s you could get a 50 pound bag at the big box stores for about $5 then the sand mafia stepped in and it went away

 

[OldSchool Reefer]

So this morning was a mess a big Tunze Stream flopped off the magnet and blasted half of the sand across the tank and blew over my big table centerpiece. I was avoiding the drill peg epoxy on the table .... well it’s a big tank and reaching the bottom of the center requires getting your arm pit in the tank But here we go! Find box of Old Tunze parts and try to rig something up so the pump kinda sorta stays in one position. Rake sand back to where it came from. The easy parts are done, drilling and pegging is going to be challenging without breaking anything. Take your time go slow step up drill sizes often.

Remembering that the Skimmer doesn’t like the epoxy I shut it down..... might as well clean the cup Up to my armpits and can’t see what I’m doing i managed to get it stuck down!

now I can get back to figuring out what I’m doing with this wire octopus!

 

[OldSchool Reefer]

Not much accomplished today. Rainy season is coming early! I wanted to work on wire management and racks for electronics but showers kept interrupting :mad: I did manage to clear out and clean and the rock bins giving the wife back some more realestate and that made her happy so it’s a win!
First on the priority list of electronics to accommodate are the heaviest, VHO ballasts and Vortex Battery Backups! The ICECAP ballasts are in the basic position but will have to move a little to accommodate the mounting board for the Battery Backups. Not a big deal it’s just a tight spot and a regular PTA! The Battery Backups are going to need serious attaching points, not just being attached to some 3/4 Starboard. I got the board cut and ready but it will wait until after work tomorrow when it will be mounted to the stand frame!

 

[OldSchool Reefer]

Took a few pics last night, still Trying to overcome the white balance issues .... I may just buy one of those orange filters that clip on the phone. This is the best I could do.