| Nano Reef Buildoff 2005 This forum is for contest participants to post their threads to document their tanks progress. The purpose of the contest is to promote the sharing of ideas in system building specifically for nano reefs. |
Registered Members don't see these ads. Register now it's free!
11-04-2005, 08:38 AM
|
#121
|
|
Duper Mod !
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Illinois
Posts: 14,083
|
How would you attach a hood without interfereing with the waterfall effect??
|
|
|
Registered Members don't see these ads. Register now it's free!
|
__________________
Kelli
|
|
|
|
11-04-2005, 10:23 AM
|
#122
|
|
Tang Lover
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Rockville, MD
Posts: 7,284
|
good question!! hahaha
actually...while building the tray, I fell in LOVE with the idea of working with acrylic. SOOO easy.
ANwyays...I"m gonna attach legs to the corners of the light hood that go down to the corners of the tank. At the end of the legs will be small upside down "U" shaped wrappers that will wrap over the corners.. Hard to describe..but they'll only stick out about a 1/2" in each direction from the corner.
uhm...so from the front, they'll look like two updide down U's joined at the side, perpendicular to each other. From the top, it'll look like an L.
yeah...hard to explain.
but anyways...don't wanna do it if the lights will melt the acrylic.
__________________
|
|
|
|
|
11-04-2005, 10:45 AM
|
#123
|
|
squid
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Seattle, Washington
Posts: 5
|
You definately could build you hood out of acrylic, PC lights while hot won't produce enough heat that you would have to worry about the acrylic getting anywhere near the melting point. 
Also, great job with the tank...I've got the same one and considered using it for this buildoff but decided it was just too much work trying to modify it, but you've come up with a great plan. |
|
|
|
|
11-04-2005, 04:44 PM
|
#124
|
|
BIG SMELLY MOD
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Livingston Parish, Denham Springs, Louisiana
Posts: 17,042
|
Don't hold back.Its works best this way , Always someone making progress over the nexts few months. We have 9 months to do it. for myself right now is hard as so much is going on here at home with My other tanks , My wife and her job. So I think it will be cool You and the rest that are really getting thing done fast. Keep up the good work and updating us. I will be in and out on this for a while then I hope to make big junp on it soon.
Your set up is great.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by skeety
btw...I'm starting to feel like we're hoggin' this contest.
If people don't start posting progress on those other threads...I'm gonna start holdin' out on status! hahahah
comon guys...lets see how EVERYONE is doing thus far!!!
progress reports, guys! Let's see it!!!
|
__________________
Vince aka VINNIE
|
|
|
|
11-05-2005, 07:34 AM
|
#125
|
|
Eat more PIE
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Florida Panhandle
Posts: 18,604
|
Great tank!Keep posting the pics dude that thing rocks!
__________________
Double your drive space. Delete Windows
|
|
|
|
|
11-05-2005, 08:56 AM
|
#126
|
|
Tang Lover
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Rockville, MD
Posts: 7,284
|
Well...picked up the acrylic I need yesterday to build the sump and a new tank (cube) to use instead of the hex. here's all the pieces!!
Kayla was VERY excited to help. She's really getting into things now. I think she was a little intimidated with some of the DIY stuff and plumbing, but watching me, she's seen how easy it is.
So I instantly put her to work!! gotta sand down those edges a bit in order to get a cleaner more solid fit!! Sand, Kayla...SAND!!!
whew...Finally done! But wait. I have MORE work for you!! hehehe.
Next task was to peel back the edges so we can glue them, and to tape them off neatly to avoid any scuffs or accidental melting when I anavoidably spill a few drops of the glue.
Seems to be coming along QUITE nicely!!! 3 sides down!!! 2 to go!
and VIOLA!!! the sump's frame is done!!! Kayla even glue 2 or 3 of the pieces! I am VERY proud of her!!! Quite the little DIY'er.
All the work made us a little tired, so Kayla went over to the couch to take a little nap.
Me, being the Obsessive person I am, couldn't stop, no matter how tired I was. SO it was on to the new cube!!!
__________________
|
|
|
|
|
11-05-2005, 09:02 AM
|
#127
|
|
Tang Lover
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Rockville, MD
Posts: 7,284
|
Seeing as this was our display tank...I worked with extra precision. I didn't want a scratch or melt mark anywhere. So this took me about an hour or so. But she's done!
Finished with the cube. Now I will let it dry and allow time for the bonds to seal extra good. Then tonite, i will fill it with water, and check it for leaks!!
But in order to get some satisfaction before bed, I had to put it on the stand, and see what it looked like! NOT too bad!!
We REALLY like the look of the shot glasses...but I truly believe they're going to prove to be too tall. I think the raise the tank up too high, thus the water falls too far, creating spray. So to get around that, I picked up this acrylic cast rod. I'll play around with different heights before I cut the rod into stilts. The height has to be just right. Anyways...here's the rod.
I really think this is the route to go. Especially since when I took the picture, for some reason a glow was cast all around it. I felt like I'd found the holy grail!!!
should have some more progress late tonite or tomorrow.
__________________
|
|
|
|
|
11-05-2005, 09:06 AM
|
#128
|
|
Little Fishy
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 436
|
Looks great.
|
|
|
|
|
11-05-2005, 09:14 AM
|
#129
|
|
Eat more PIE
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Florida Panhandle
Posts: 18,604
|
Looks great!! I got my wife to build me a sump to women do great work 
tell her good job!!
__________________
Double your drive space. Delete Windows
|
|
|
|
|
11-05-2005, 02:47 PM
|
#130
|
|
Little Fishy
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Rockville, MD
Posts: 90
|
Tell me yourself, casey 
__________________
Kayla Mae! Skeety Spawn! First Generation Member of WMRC! As you can see, I'm a very excitable person.
|
|
|
|
|
11-05-2005, 02:50 PM
|
#131
|
|
Eat more PIE
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Florida Panhandle
Posts: 18,604
|
Oh is it you? You do great work what a helper!! 
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by MaylaKae
Tell me yourself, casey |
__________________
Double your drive space. Delete Windows
|
|
|
|
|
11-05-2005, 03:34 PM
|
#132
|
|
Moderator
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Montana
Posts: 5,490
|
Excellent work Kayla. 
Once you build your own tank (either glass or acrylic, or wood ) it's hard to by another premade one.
__________________
~Vince
|
|
|
|
|
11-05-2005, 05:19 PM
|
#133
|
|
Tang Lover
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Rockville, MD
Posts: 7,284
|
i'd agree with that!
Well...got a new pump. The Via Aqaua 1300. ANd I'm sad to say, it's still just barely NOT enough.
but it did help prove the system works!
take a look:
I've checked...and the tank's level. It just happens to run to that side cause there's not enough flow. I took my finger, and ran it accross the lip at the other side, and flow started there too.
I did the empty pitcher push down thing again..and with greater flow, it works PERFECTLY. No splatter, etc. Although, if I had to do it again, I'd either make the cube a little smaller, or the tray a little bigger, just in case.
So I'll order YET another pump, and we'll go from there. This one's ALMOST right...but just a smidge too shy of what I need.
I also thing, I'm going to redo the plumbing with the 90° instead of the two 45°'s...while I'm waiting. And make sure to put the ball-valve in this time.
Anyways...take a close look. With water flowing over solidly, you can see PERFECTLY in the tank:
__________________
|
|
|
|
|
11-05-2005, 05:29 PM
|
#134
|
|
Little Fishy
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Oklahoma
Posts: 436
|
First let me say it reall looks great. I was wondering how much salt build up do you expect?
|
|
|
|
|
11-05-2005, 05:32 PM
|
#135
|
|
Tang Lover
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Rockville, MD
Posts: 7,284
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Flame
First let me say it reall looks great. I was wondering how much salt build up do you expect?
|
on the tank? NONE. the flow will be constant...and almost completely covering the tank...so I don't expect any.
On the tray? hmmm...not sure on this one. I'm pretty sure, if I ditch the shot glasses...and use maybe 1" or 1.5" stilts from the rod...I think the flow will be smooth enough (not a long enough drop to cause much splatter) and I wont' have any creep there either.
Still...that's the reason I might have went bigger on the tray, if I had it to do over again. But in THEORY, I don't think I'll have much salt creep at all. Maybe on the underside of the tank...at at the plumbing joints under there...but that should be about it.
__________________
|
|
|
|
|
