|
Reeftank Log
Reeftank Log Archives
Monday, August 26, 2002
Purchased 1 inch union, 1.5 inch union, 1 inch and 1.5 inch flex pvc and 1.5 inch bulkheads from fancykoipondoutlet.com over the weekend. I'm trying to put together a two piece sump. I had to purchase a 2.5 inch holesaw in order to cut the correct size hole for the 1.5 inch bulkhead. Purchased a T2 Custom Sealife velocity pump, 3/4 inch bulkhead, 3/4 inch check valve and a Ocean Currents oscillator for sump return. I will probably also purchase a 3/4 inch ball valve and a 3/4 inch gate valve for easy maintenance of the pump. I think the flex PVC will work very well since it's very easy to work with, thick walled and blocks any light from coming in. Put stand in family room and aquarium on top of it over the weekend. The tank looks big!
Other purchases I've recently made are the Reeftec wavemakers available from Jimmy Chen at www.reeftec.com and an Aqualogic temperature controller. I can't believe how much equipment I'm getting for the tank. I just want it done right this time! Oh, yeah, I just ordered a CR-2 calcium reactor from www.myreefcreations.com. There's a three week wait for it, which is fine with me since it will take some time for my tank to cycle.
posted 1:51 PM
Thursday, August 22, 2002
Purchased a 8'x4'x3/4" sheet of Insulfoam yesterday from Home Depot to put between my 150g and the stand in order to insulate and cushion the tank. I strapped the Insulfoam to the top of my Yakima crossbars on my 1987 Volvo DL station wagon and halfway home, the wind pushed back the front part of the Insulfoam, forming a monster fairing. The sheet now is a little torn up, but it should work fine for my purposes. I'll also use it to put it underneath my sump containers.
posted 4:43 PM
Tuesday, August 20, 2002
Went to the old house today in order to clean out the protein skimmers, feed the fish and add water for the 50G/29G and 20G systems. I added 75 ml each of A and B of C-Balance to the 50G/29G system and also a fresh bag of carbon. I can't wait to consolidate those tanks into the 150G! Something's digging in the front of the 50G, but I'm not sure what it is. Corals and fish all seem to be doing well.
posted 12:55 PM
Monday, August 19, 2002
I picked up the oak stand and hood, and the Custom Sealife 2x175 watt MH 2x96 watt actinic power compact hood last week. I also picked up the Euroreef 6-2 skimmer, and it was very well protected in its package. It looks very well designed and constructed. The manufacturer even put a serial number on the skimmer. Because of its large size, I'm going to have to cut part of the top of the 29-gallon acrylic aquarium which I'm using as a sump in order to fit the skimmer. The past weekend, I've been reading a lot about how to seal wood against moisture. I've decided to use Zinsser Bulls Eye 1-2-3 primer-sealer and Behr No. 8050 Ultra Pure White Premium Plus Hi-Gloss Enamel for the unfinished areas of wood on the stand and hood. Looking over the Behr paint line, I think Behr No. 6705 Ultra Pure White Porch & Floor Paint Gloss Enamel would have been a better pick.
I'll use Varathane Outdoor Diamond Wood (Water-Based) gloss finish for a final finish. It appears there's a Formica finish on the particle board that makes up the area right underneath the aquarium and the platform for the sump area. I'm also priming and painting those areas. The reason I'm priming and painting the sump platform is that whoever finished the stand did a sloppy job when they finished the doors since there were drops of stain on the white Formica sump platform. I drilled a 3-inch hole into the stand with a holesaw in order to create a hole for the 1 inch bulkhead at the bottom of the built-in overflow for the 150-gallon. Since the interior of the particle board is now exposed due to the cut of the holesaw, I'll probably seal it up with some epoxy. I'll also caulk the seams on the stand and canopy with a silicone sealant. I like the gloss look of the Varathane on the wood, and I hope it prevents saltwater staining of the oak finish.
I can't wait till the finishing of the stand is done. The interior of the stand does look a lot nice with the bright white appearance of the paint throughout the whole interior.
posted 2:15 PM
Saturday, August 03, 2002
Picked up 150-gallon TruVu acrylic aquarium with a built-in overflow from Natural Life Aquarium today. Luckily, I have a brother with a Toyota RAV4. Since you can put down the front passenger seat, we were able to slide the 60"x24"x24" aquarium into the car. I think we could have fit a 6 foot aquarium into his car. The aquarium looks great and it's very easy to move for two people. Ally liked playing in the tank. I can't believe how big it is. It looks a lot larger than 3 times my 50-gallon. I can't wait to set it up.
posted 10:21 PM
| |
