Oh yeah, 120 build thread!

[pwj1286]

Well, so far...no more clacking. I had to cut the drum sides alittle bit. On one side of the drum took off 1/4th of an inch and the opposite side the same place.

This was done on the verison three.

I agree with Wazzel. I had those thoughts before.


The food mat would be a better idea. Such as, the ones that have small inch sized holes that are really spongey feeling. I like those. You see them in large kitchens.

They are really thick though. You should have it in your stand while your doing your plumbing. The thickness can through off your plumbing when you are doing your pump's return and intake. So you need it under your sump when you are working on your plumbing.

Oh yeah, I called Paul of OceansMotions and he gave me a tip to get that knocking sound to go away. It is diffently plumbing hammer. So much pressure flows through them and when the hole is cut off it makes a knock noise and will do that each time a hole is closed off.

So I am going to cut a small notch out of the drum on both sides to let water in the holes at all times, just a small notch like less than 1/4th of an inch. It still will do alot of surging action, but it will have a tiny little flow out of the closed ones.

So it really isnt the GPH of the pump. It is the pressure exerted by the pump that is making this happen. It can handle a larger pump than mine easily. Just a small modification will help it.

So I am going to do that today.

I use the same system with the Hammerhead pump also, and found that it's important to keep the returns as close to the OM as possible and of the same length.

Do you mean that keeping the OM on the same level as the plumbing exiting the OM, the unit performs better?
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og kush strain

 

[AF Founder]

"Do you mean that keeping the OM on the same level as the plumbing exiting the OM, the unit performs better?"

Yes, as well as keeping the returns as short as possible and as close to the same length as possible.

 

[KJ5432]

Pat, is George making your lighting rack or is John making it? John has one on his tank that is very nice and it's on chains. Have you seen it? I have and if I remember correctly it is similar to your aluminum center brace modification with the pop rivets. I want one. I most likely will use the Lumenarc reflectors that George sells. If for some reason I decide not to use the Lumenarcs, I would use the spider reflectors. Please let me know who is going to make your Halide rack because I would like one also. Please let me know how much it would cost.

 

[pwj1286]

George is making one for himself, but he has not had time to complete his. As of right now, I am working on mine. The aluminum is like 7 dollars for 4 feet. You can safely say that it will cost about 28 dollars.

I am still working on mine. It's a custom job for my tank, because my hood is really weird. It has alot of extra trim on the inside of the tank. This allows the hood to sit on top of the tank. With the extra trim that sits on the tank makes me loose 4 inches so really I have only about 20 inches to work with. Thus I have to factor that into my lighting rack. This means I am having trouble getting all the VHO's on the rack. I might only fit 4, maybe 6 if I am lucky. I dont want a bulb just illuminating that piece of trim. I want the light go into the tank.

For your tank it should be easier. George makes those hoods awesome. For you it should be straight forward if you decide to do it yourself.

I might finish mine up today. I will post pictures.
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how do you roll a joint

 

[pwj1286]

I can see why George did not make his yet. Too much of a head ache. Well, for him it would be much easier. This is the first one I built. I am having logistical problems...where to put all the florescent bulbs? I have the answer, but I had to ditch my last rack and start over again. Drilled out all the rivets and start reconfiguring. So now I need more rivets and aluminum (for the rack).

So no picture tonight!

Maybe I will have a picture Sunday evening.
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Mercedes 230

 

[pwj1286]

Got my LIGHTS!!! I did my light rack and everything.

I could not get 8 VHO bulbs in. It was just not possible. I can only get 4 of them.

I did get my two 400 watt Coralvue 10K ReefLux. I am using LumenArcs. I love them.


I will post pictures tomorrow.

Oh yeah, I bought a sweet T. derasa. SWEET!
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us recession history

 

[trido]

Somehow, I feel confident in saying "Im sure that 800W of MH and 440VHO will be more than plenty on a 120".


:lol: WTH! Are you trying to grow SPS on the underside of your LR? :lol:

 

[pwj1286]

Yeah, its going to be alot. I dont even need VHO's. lol. The Reefluxs have really good color. Its like VHO, but really bright. The spectral plots for them are very similar to a 20KK, but Coralvue added some green, yellow, and red to balance the bulb to a crisp white, but still has alot of blue in the bulb. They are really bright.

I will be producing some crazy colors like, www.Reefermadness.us
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Honda CBR150R

 

[KJ5432]

Can I see a picture of your lighting rack for your halides as well as the one for your VHO's

 

[pwj1286]

Those are LumenArc 3's which measures 14.5 by 14.5 by 8 or so tall. You can see my three fans mounted in the back.

Angle aluminum pop riveted at the ends.

Chains hold up. The chains are connected to the rack and bolts hold the chain to the rack. I used long hooks to really drive the hook into the wood.

The bulb holders are connected by drilling a hole in the center and through the metal and are held by a pop rivet.

VHOs & Halides on. 4 blues VHOs. I am going to take one down and add a white.

Everything on. 2-400 watt @ 10,000K and 440 VHO all blue.
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Male Advice Forum

 

[trido]

Doesnt look too blue to me. Nice job on everything.

 

[pwj1286]

I still got to do some stuff in the full picture. Like get a digital temp and get rid of that white pipe. lol.
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Bali Forum

 

[bleedingthought]

Does look good! I'm glad you didn't go with 8 actinic bulbs, though!

 

[pwj1286]

you know it would have been sweet. All that atinic.

Thats one of my goals in life. 8 VHO atinics on a 55. Just to see what would happen.
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Uruguayan Forum

 

[KJ5432]

Nice job Pat. How do you do the pop rivets? Do you have to use a special tool?

 

[bleedingthought]

Man, 14 flow outlets. That's crazy!

Do you have some close ups of the corals you've got in there? I can make out some of them but I'd like to see some pictures up closer. Also, judging by all the outlets, will this be an SPS dominant tank?

 

[pwj1286]

There is actually 18 outlets. 4 that you cannot see in the back of the rock. Yes it will be SPS/some other choice corals/LPS.

I took the new approach to flow that has been published in advancedaquarist seriously.

Plus, I hate power heads. Two pumps to run 18 outlets. No cords in the tank, no ugly powerheads. No shocking either.

Just two pumps to run anything and everything that I need. calcium reactor, chiller, media reactor, refugium, water changes and ect.
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Men's Health Forum

 

[KJ5432]

Pat, I would like to come check out your tank if that's ok with you.

 

[Anonymous]

Looks awesome PWJ!!

 

[SnowManSnow]

LOOKING very nice! good job there!

You got me wanting to do an undersand closed loop job on my next tank

B