slowly but hopefully surely

leveldrummer · 02-05-2006, 11:32 PM

ive been posting on here for a while, im switching a 46 gallon bowfront from african cichlids, to a salt tank, heres a couple before shots, and a pic of how it looks now.

i painted the back black, and im sticking with the tahitian moon sand, hoping it will convert to live sand, im going with 2x96 pcs, a 20 gallon sump, with ecosystem mud. hopefully this will turn out good, i placed some random junk in the tank just to imagine how the live rock and and other stuff will stand out against the back ground and sand, i think it looks great. and ill be getting all my stuff soon to get going on setting it up, in the next ten days ill get my taxes, and im sending off for the lights and the mud, im building my own sump, im just trying to figure out how big of a tank i can fit in my stand. once i get one, ill post some DIY sump pics.

flamingo · 02-06-2006, 02:54 PM

Pretty cool.
Ah reminds me of my first saltwater tank lol.

WEll good luck with everything..it's definitely worth the money and the wait.

leveldrummer · 02-25-2006, 12:35 PM

well slow just got slower, i was supposed to have my income tax return direct deposited in my account on the 17th, aparently i had a typo on my return, i put the wrong account number. so it didnt get deposited, and now i have to wait on a check to be mailed (up to ten weeks!!!??) so unless i can squeeze more money out of my paychecks. ill be waiting to get the lights till then, in the mean time, im gonna diy my sump. and probably get the over flow box, maybe get the pump, and fill it, i have to do some cutting on my custom stand so i can get the sump in it. ill be updating with pics pretty soon.

Georgia Peach · 02-25-2006, 01:04 PM

aww man, that sux about the taxes!

leveldrummer · 03-25-2006, 04:49 PM

well, finally got my taxes, ordered my skimmer, return pump, some test kits, lights, and a hydrometer. they came in the mail last week, i went and got a 20 long to build my sump, but i had to cut up my stand to get that stuff in. the skimmer was to tall too, so i had to knock out the bottom shelf, and lower it a couple inches. got the stand done now, gonna get some measurements on the 20 long, figure out how many panes i need to finish the sump, and go get them soon. glue them in, plumb it, and fill it. check back for pictures.

leveldrummer · 03-27-2006, 02:30 PM

got the glass for my sump today, im about to start glueing it all together. ill take some pics and pop them up in a minute.

leveldrummer · 03-27-2006, 05:05 PM

ok so i cut my stand to bits, i built it myself in the first place, so i think it should be just fine... here is what it looks like underneath now.

the shelf on the bottom was level with the top of the door, i had to lower it to make a little more room for the skimmer.

and here is the sump i built 20 gallon long. sectioned off. let me know if it looks ok...

im very limited in space with this so i smushed every thing together as much as possible to make the most room for the fuge in the center. hope i dont have to upgrade anything. there probably isnt room for it.

here is the first two panes glued in for the start of the bubble trap...

here is the finished bubble trap

a shot of the skimmer compartment, and the return pump...

another of the skimmer, you can really see how much room i dont have.

Reefneck · 03-27-2006, 08:31 PM

VERY nice! I think you have done a fine job and it should function very well for you! Makes me want to tear mine apart and redo it.

I didn't build mine....It does the job but I'd change a few things on mine to more closely match what you have done.

Excellent work!

leveldrummer · 03-28-2006, 05:48 AM

thanks keri, i have you to thank for it, i wouldnt know what the heck to do if it wasnt for that site you showed me.

Reefneck · 03-28-2006, 05:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by leveldrummer

thanks keri, i have you to thank for it, i wouldnt know what the heck to do if it wasnt for that site you showed me.

Just sharing information with my friends here.

Was really nothing special. You did the research and the work and should be proud of what you have done.

Now come on down to Florida and visit me in the SW dept at a LFS where I am now running the SW dept. and stock up.

leveldrummer · 03-28-2006, 11:31 AM

florida? what part? my girlfriend and i were just starting to plan a vacation, and we are looking for some out of the way areas, but something nice.

edit. messege me, or email me, or something, i dont want to hijack my own journal hahahah.

leveldrummer · 03-31-2006, 02:48 PM

worked out the last few little kinks, had a few leaks here and there with plumbing but i got it all straightened out... i filled it last night, added the salt today. its a little cloudy, but it will clear, im waiting on the salt to mix in good, then check it and adjust, let it run a couple days, hopefully clear up, or im gonna get my old HOB filter out and run it a little to help it, once it clears and everything is stable, LIVE ROCK HERE I COME!! YAAAY. im so happy right now. been dreaming and planning forever. here are some pics of how its looking right now.

the tank

over flow box running nice and smoothly

return lines sprayin just fine...

left side of sump

and the right side

let me know what you think...

Reefneck · 03-31-2006, 06:16 PM

Looks great. I'd work on losing the sponges as they can become Nitrate traps. Other than that, I say "Great Job"!

GuppysInMyBrain · 04-05-2006, 08:55 AM

sponges aren't nitrate traps with proper maintnence. things like filter pads/floss or sponges aren't bad, they are very good at what they are meant for, to remove particuler matter. however, if you leave them in there, the stuff they catch will till dissolve and digrade water quality. just be sure to have several sponges, and rinse adn change them regulerly. key to success

leveldrummer · 04-05-2006, 01:53 PM

or you can have them out, and let the skimmer catch it, no maintence then.

**Osiris** · 04-05-2006, 02:04 PM

I say looks good now fill that sucker up with crap load of fish in one day!

leveldrummer · 04-05-2006, 03:36 PM

im waiting on pay day to get a little more rock, then its on...

02-05-2006, 11:32 PM	#1
leveldrummer something like a pimp Join Date: May 2005 Location: atlanta Age: 29 Posts: 1,933	slowly but hopefully surely ive been posting on here for a while, im switching a 46 gallon bowfront from african cichlids, to a salt tank, heres a couple before shots, and a pic of how it looks now. i painted the back black, and im sticking with the tahitian moon sand, hoping it will convert to live sand, im going with 2x96 pcs, a 20 gallon sump, with ecosystem mud. hopefully this will turn out good, i placed some random junk in the tank just to imagine how the live rock and and other stuff will stand out against the back ground and sand, i think it looks great. and ill be getting all my stuff soon to get going on setting it up, in the next ten days ill get my taxes, and im sending off for the lights and the mud, im building my own sump, im just trying to figure out how big of a tank i can fit in my stand. once i get one, ill post some DIY sump pics. Last edited by leveldrummer; 02-25-2006 at 12:32 PM.

02-06-2006, 02:54 PM	#2
flamingo One Word: Croutons. Join Date: Nov 2005 Location: Wisconsin Age: 17 Posts: 1,899	Pretty cool. Ah reminds me of my first saltwater tank lol. WEll good luck with everything..it's definitely worth the money and the wait. __________________ If you put "u" instead of typing out the actual, shocking, three letter word... i'm not going to read your ramblings. I'm so behind it's not even funny.

02-25-2006, 01:04 PM	#4
Georgia Peach Senior Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Gray, Georgia Age: 42 Posts: 1,608	aww man, that sux about the taxes! __________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *Cichlids have more personality than most people I know !*

03-27-2006, 08:31 PM	#8
Reefneck Senior Aquarist Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Near a Coral Reef Age: 47 Posts: 1,351	VERY nice! I think you have done a fine job and it should function very well for you! Makes me want to tear mine apart and redo it. I didn't build mine....It does the job but I'd change a few things on mine to more closely match what you have done. Excellent work! __________________ I wonder how much salt mix I would need to turn our in ground pool into a Reef.

03-31-2006, 06:16 PM	#13
Reefneck Senior Aquarist Join Date: Oct 2005 Location: Near a Coral Reef Age: 47 Posts: 1,351	Looks great. I'd work on losing the sponges as they can become Nitrate traps. Other than that, I say "Great Job"! __________________ I wonder how much salt mix I would need to turn our in ground pool into a Reef.

Members currently in the Chat:0
	Users In Chat Room: There are several users in chat now! Don't Be Shy - click here and come on in!

02-25-2006, 12:35 PM	#3
leveldrummer something like a pimp Join Date: May 2005 Location: atlanta Age: 29 Posts: 1,933	well slow just got slower, i was supposed to have my income tax return direct deposited in my account on the 17th, aparently i had a typo on my return, i put the wrong account number. so it didnt get deposited, and now i have to wait on a check to be mailed (up to ten weeks!!!??) so unless i can squeeze more money out of my paychecks. ill be waiting to get the lights till then, in the mean time, im gonna diy my sump. and probably get the over flow box, maybe get the pump, and fill it, i have to do some cutting on my custom stand so i can get the sump in it. ill be updating with pics pretty soon.

03-25-2006, 04:49 PM	#5
leveldrummer something like a pimp Join Date: May 2005 Location: atlanta Age: 29 Posts: 1,933	well, finally got my taxes, ordered my skimmer, return pump, some test kits, lights, and a hydrometer. they came in the mail last week, i went and got a 20 long to build my sump, but i had to cut up my stand to get that stuff in. the skimmer was to tall too, so i had to knock out the bottom shelf, and lower it a couple inches. got the stand done now, gonna get some measurements on the 20 long, figure out how many panes i need to finish the sump, and go get them soon. glue them in, plumb it, and fill it. check back for pictures.

03-27-2006, 02:30 PM	#6
leveldrummer something like a pimp Join Date: May 2005 Location: atlanta Age: 29 Posts: 1,933	got the glass for my sump today, im about to start glueing it all together. ill take some pics and pop them up in a minute.

03-27-2006, 05:05 PM	#7
leveldrummer something like a pimp Join Date: May 2005 Location: atlanta Age: 29 Posts: 1,933	ok so i cut my stand to bits, i built it myself in the first place, so i think it should be just fine... here is what it looks like underneath now. the shelf on the bottom was level with the top of the door, i had to lower it to make a little more room for the skimmer. and here is the sump i built 20 gallon long. sectioned off. let me know if it looks ok... im very limited in space with this so i smushed every thing together as much as possible to make the most room for the fuge in the center. hope i dont have to upgrade anything. there probably isnt room for it. here is the first two panes glued in for the start of the bubble trap... here is the finished bubble trap a shot of the skimmer compartment, and the return pump... another of the skimmer, you can really see how much room i dont have.

03-28-2006, 05:48 AM	#9
leveldrummer something like a pimp Join Date: May 2005 Location: atlanta Age: 29 Posts: 1,933	thanks keri, i have you to thank for it, i wouldnt know what the heck to do if it wasnt for that site you showed me.

03-28-2006, 11:31 AM	#11
leveldrummer something like a pimp Join Date: May 2005 Location: atlanta Age: 29 Posts: 1,933	florida? what part? my girlfriend and i were just starting to plan a vacation, and we are looking for some out of the way areas, but something nice. edit. messege me, or email me, or something, i dont want to hijack my own journal hahahah.

03-31-2006, 02:48 PM	#12
leveldrummer something like a pimp Join Date: May 2005 Location: atlanta Age: 29 Posts: 1,933	worked out the last few little kinks, had a few leaks here and there with plumbing but i got it all straightened out... i filled it last night, added the salt today. its a little cloudy, but it will clear, im waiting on the salt to mix in good, then check it and adjust, let it run a couple days, hopefully clear up, or im gonna get my old HOB filter out and run it a little to help it, once it clears and everything is stable, LIVE ROCK HERE I COME!! YAAAY. im so happy right now. been dreaming and planning forever. here are some pics of how its looking right now. the tank over flow box running nice and smoothly return lines sprayin just fine... left side of sump and the right side let me know what you think...

04-05-2006, 08:55 AM	#14
GuppysInMyBrain guppy gone reef Join Date: Dec 2005 Age: 17 Posts: 21	sponges aren't nitrate traps with proper maintnence. things like filter pads/floss or sponges aren't bad, they are very good at what they are meant for, to remove particuler matter. however, if you leave them in there, the stuff they catch will till dissolve and digrade water quality. just be sure to have several sponges, and rinse adn change them regulerly. key to success

04-05-2006, 01:53 PM	#15
leveldrummer something like a pimp Join Date: May 2005 Location: atlanta Age: 29 Posts: 1,933	or you can have them out, and let the skimmer catch it, no maintence then. __________________ The meek shall inherit the Earth. Big deal. By the time they get it the rest of us will have messed it all up.

04-05-2006, 02:04 PM	#16
Osiris Super Moderator Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Wisconsin Age: 25 Posts: 3,714	I say looks good now fill that sucker up with crap load of fish in one day! __________________ Reality is for people who can't handle Science-Fiction

04-05-2006, 03:36 PM	#17
leveldrummer something like a pimp Join Date: May 2005 Location: atlanta Age: 29 Posts: 1,933	im waiting on pay day to get a little more rock, then its on... __________________ The meek shall inherit the Earth. Big deal. By the time they get it the rest of us will have messed it all up.

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode