The Upgrade Build... From 110 to 180

[Dj City]

 

[Dj City]

On a more positive note,
The movers broke my skimmer. I've got an Aquamaxx ConeS C0-2. They broke a tab that keeps the collection cup on the body. I am able to get a brand new skimmer body for $50 shipped! The Aquamaxx ComeS C0-2 is sized just right for my tank. Getting a brand new body for it is a good thing.

I also ordered 160lbs of CaribSea special grade dry sand.
It should be a big enough grain to not get blown away by the very high flow I have planned for this build plus I can keep Wrasses and Gobies.

 

[Dj City]

Im going to try to fix the chip today.
I'm going to put a little silicone on my finger and try to build up the chip just enough to get the gasket to seal.
If it does not work, I will add teflon tape to the threads.
If that does not work, I will run a bead if silicone on the outside of the bulkhead at the glass.
If that does not work then I'm screwed.

 

[Dj City]

The more I think about it, the more I think I should run a thick bead of silicone on the bottom of the gasket itself.

This would put silicone to inside glass to fill in the chip, make the gasket permanently installed but make the bulkhead itself removable.

I will update my final plan along with the results.

 

[Dj City]

Here it is.
If this does not work...
Nothing will.

Now I wait at least 3 days for the silicone to cure.

 

[Dj City]

It worked!
No more leak.

I started my plumbing today. Simple plumb job so far. I have a valve on my 1 inch return and I have me 1.5 inch drain wide open with no valve.

The tank only has two holes drilled so i have a durso. I want the drain to have no restrictions. If for any reason my drain can't keep up, i not only have the valve to dial the return back but it's a DC pump so i can lower the power.

Pics tomorrow...

 

[Dj City]

My sand arrived today.
Between plumbing and rinsing sand, it's been a busy and long day.

I ordered 160lbs of CaribSea special grade dry sand.
I used a qt sized container to scoop the sand into a 1gal bucket to rinse 1qt at a time. This took a long time but it was faster than trying to rinse 40lbs of sand in one shot.
I'm sure the sand rinsed cleaner the way I did it as well.
Funny thing is after rinsing about 65lbs of sand and adding it to the tank, I think I have way more sand than I need.
I will probably stop at 80lbs.

What do you folks think? Is 80lbs gonna be enough?

 

[S.Pepper]

I have 60lbs of CaribSea Fiji Pink on order for my 75G 36 x 24 x 20. I hoping that'll give me a little more that 2". I plan on having a wrasse dominated tank with corals. Not necessarily sand-burying wrasse. Aesthetically, it looks good.

 

[Dj City]

I have 60lbs of CaribSea Fiji Pink on order for my 75G 36 x 24 x 20. I hoping that'll give me a little more that 2". I plan on having a wrasse dominated tank with corals. Not necessarily sand-burying wrasse. Aesthetically, it looks good.

I agree that sand looks good in a reef tank.
I thought about going batter bottom but could not do it in the end.

I wound up getting the yellow flanked fairy wrasse and the red head salon fairy wrasse.
Both of them are in my holding tank with the scopia tang and cinnamon clown.

 

[S.Pepper]

I agree that sand looks good in a reef tank.
I thought about going batter bottom but could not do it in the end.

I wound up getting the yellow flanked fairy wrasse and the red head salon fairy wrasse.
Both of them are in my holding tank with the scopia tang and cinnamon clown.

I don't think I could go bare bottom either (I'm still talking about tanks ;Hilarious). A reef tank feels like it needs sand; however, I have seen several bare bottom tanks that looked killer. It's not for me.

I'm thinking 3 or 4 wrasses. I definitely want a Black Leopard Wrasse... and I have been considering the melanurus. We'll see in the end.

GL with the longest build thread that still doesn't have water. Seriously though, a lot of people would have quit after all you have been through. Can't wait to see this thing pushing water.

 

[Katrina71]

I like a sandy bottom too!

 

[Dj City]

I need to see where I'm going to set up my ro/di.
It's either going in the kitchen under the sink or downstairs in the basement.

I need to get it done cause it's just about time to start getting wet.

 

[Dj City]

I like a sandy bottom too!

Why isn't your miracle build an offical build thread?

 

[Dj City]

I added the rest of the bag of sand to come up to 80lbs of CaribSea Special Grade dry sand.
I truly think 80lbs of sand is enough for this tank.

What do you think?

 

[Dj City]

Serious building going on over here.

I got my RO/DI unit hooked up in the basement. I changed out the carbon block, the sediment filter, the DI resin and the RO membrane.
Zero TDS water here I come!

I am trying to get my equipment cabinet planned out and together.

Good, Bad and Ugly...

I think I'm gonna need to rip out my return plumbing and start over.
I forgot that I have the Neptune FMK (Flow Meter Kit). I need to get that in the line after the valve but if you look at the pic...
I don't see that happening the way I have it right now.

Nothing is clean and pretty just yet but I'm working on it.

 

[Dj City]

Plumbing is a pain in the...

I've tried to get it just right and have it soooooo close.
I am under a 16th of an inch off after cementing the pipes. The bad part is I'm too long to the return pump. I can't get the plumbing to fit with the base of the pump.

Edit:
I got it to fit.
It's super tight but it fits without breaking anything.

 

[Dj City]

Leak test about to commence...

 

[Dj City]

No major leaks!
One minor leak on the drain line that is coming from where the union meets the PVC pipe.
I did not cement that part so the leak is expected. I will probably re-do that part anyway so I can add a valve to the drain.

I want the water level in the display higher than it is but I don't know how to do that yet.

 

[Katrina71]

Success!!!

 

[Dj City]

Next projects...

Hook up Apex
Re-do drain line
Figure out how to raise the water level in the display without having a toilet bowl flush every 12 seconds.