My 52x28x28 reef tank in progress

Discussion forum for all general reefkeeping related topics.

Moderator: Admins

Postby Len » November 9th, 2005, 2:52 am

Here comes the rain again .... falling on my head like a tradegy ;)
That's Lewis of Catalina Water Company in the picture. Great company and great folks.
Attachments
cata5.jpg
cata5.jpg (109.6 KiB) Viewed 8098 times
User avatar
Len
Site Admin
 
Posts: 17102
Joined: November 4th, 1999, 2:01 am
Location: behind you

Postby Len » November 9th, 2005, 2:54 am

I'll snap more photos soon. The bulk of today was spent patching up minor leaks and one major one. Suffice it to say, I recommend you tighten down bulkheads with a wrench or socket.
User avatar
Len
Site Admin
 
Posts: 17102
Joined: November 4th, 1999, 2:01 am
Location: behind you

Postby The Escaped Ape » November 9th, 2005, 3:09 am

Oooh. Watching this with interest. Never before have I been as tempted to write the dread words "just tagging along" :D
Tom
User avatar
The Escaped Ape
{squat}
 
Posts: 37099
Joined: November 23rd, 2004, 9:01 pm
Location: In the canopy

Postby LA-Lawman » November 9th, 2005, 3:17 am

i am jealous... do you get all of your water trucked in... looks like a snake oil truck to me :D how do you like the stuff....
-ben

"By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest."
Confucius
User avatar
LA-Lawman
NRF Moderator
 
Posts: 1798
Joined: December 4th, 2002, 10:54 pm
Location: So. California

Postby MartinE » November 9th, 2005, 6:40 am

looks great len!
User avatar
MartinE
{squat}
 
Posts: 1016
Joined: April 6th, 2005, 5:18 am
Location: Middle O' Missouri

Postby Chrispy » November 9th, 2005, 7:51 am

Wow, Len...wonderful!!
"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former." - Albert Einstein
User avatar
Chrispy
Reefkeeper
 
Posts: 20303
Joined: February 9th, 2002, 2:01 am
Location: Under the bed

Postby Louey » November 9th, 2005, 7:58 am

Len wrote:

I recommend you tighten down bulkheads with a wrench or socket.


I thought you were supposed to make sure that you DON'T over tighten them. Something about deforming the gasket.

Tank is looking good! :D

Louey
User avatar
Louey
DIY Forum Moderator
 
Posts: 21913
Joined: May 16th, 2001, 1:01 am
Location: Fort Myers, Fl

Postby knucklehead » November 9th, 2005, 8:31 am

Cool len

what ever happened to just dumping a bucket of salt in there and sticking a garden hose in there?

How much does it cost for a service like that?

Oh, and I think I have a leak in my tank. Yesterday when I came home there was water along the back from the one bulkhead fitting. Its been running for 2 years :Shock:
Bring back the Manny!!!

Image
User avatar
knucklehead
Reefkeeper
 
Posts: 9994
Joined: March 14th, 2003, 11:41 pm
Location: New Jersey

Postby melas » November 9th, 2005, 8:40 am

**warning east coast mentality**

what they heck do they have a nsw (i'm guessing natural sea water) truck for? is there really that big of a demand for seawater for tanks out there? if so i GOT to get me out of PA! haha. . . looking great Len! So what are the ramifications of having smoked glass? is that like puttnig a neutral density filter on a camera lens??
"if the automobile had followed the same development cycle as the computer, a rolls-royce would today cost $100, get a million miles per gallon, and explode once a year, killing everyone inside."
~ robert x. cringely
User avatar
melas
Reefkeeper
 
Posts: 285
Joined: February 12th, 2005, 11:31 pm
Location: PENNSYLVANIA

Postby knucklehead » November 9th, 2005, 8:54 am

I think that's an illusion

If I remember right its Starphire glass

Right len?
Bring back the Manny!!!

Image
User avatar
knucklehead
Reefkeeper
 
Posts: 9994
Joined: March 14th, 2003, 11:41 pm
Location: New Jersey

Postby melas » November 9th, 2005, 9:10 am

dolt!

Here's a close up of the top of my Durso standpipe. Because my overflow is made mostly of dark smoked glass (which is somewhat transparent), I couldn't go with white PVC pipe which would stick out as an eye sore.


i read that too quick and thought that was referring to the whole tank. . .


**sits in corner, adjusts dunce cap**
"if the automobile had followed the same development cycle as the computer, a rolls-royce would today cost $100, get a million miles per gallon, and explode once a year, killing everyone inside."
~ robert x. cringely
User avatar
melas
Reefkeeper
 
Posts: 285
Joined: February 12th, 2005, 11:31 pm
Location: PENNSYLVANIA

Postby Len » November 9th, 2005, 3:04 pm

[/quote]

I thought you were supposed to make sure that you DON'T over tighten them. Something about deforming the gasket.

Tank is looking good! :D

Louey[/quote]

Hehe. Yup, I did that too. I over tightened one of the bulk heads and the front lip got bent out of shape. I've since found a nice socket and short wrench that provides the perfect amount of torque.

I'm probably just a weakling. I can't ever seem to manually tighten down bulkheads with enough force. The nut doesn't provide much surface area to grip.
User avatar
Len
Site Admin
 
Posts: 17102
Joined: November 4th, 1999, 2:01 am
Location: behind you

Postby Len » November 9th, 2005, 3:07 pm

Ben and melas,

I've used Catalina seawater for over a decade with great success. Ben, it's probably what you've seen sold as "live water." I use it for simplicity and because it tests perfect for every parameter I've checked it for.

Catalina Water Co. supplies a lot of LFS and wholesalers in So Cal. There's plenty of demand of NSW here :D
User avatar
Len
Site Admin
 
Posts: 17102
Joined: November 4th, 1999, 2:01 am
Location: behind you

Postby Len » November 9th, 2005, 3:21 pm

knucklehead wrote:How much does it cost for a service like that?


I'm not sure if they regularly fill people's tanks up directly, but they had a scheduled LFS delivery in my area so they agreed to drop by. I doubt they'd fill a tank that's under a 100 gallons though (not worth their effort).

I may have gotten a super deal on this fill, so I don't feel comfortable in stating what I paid. Let's just say it wasn't much more then salt mix and less then drinking water you buy by the gallon at your supermarket.
User avatar
Len
Site Admin
 
Posts: 17102
Joined: November 4th, 1999, 2:01 am
Location: behind you

Postby melas » November 9th, 2005, 4:21 pm

man that blows my mind. . . to your door nsw. . . nsw isn't even an option here let alone via home delivery. in a 150 mile radius of my house there are probably only a dozen places that sell saltwater animals, of that only 2-3 know anything about what they are doing. you don't know how good you west coasters have it!
"if the automobile had followed the same development cycle as the computer, a rolls-royce would today cost $100, get a million miles per gallon, and explode once a year, killing everyone inside."
~ robert x. cringely
User avatar
melas
Reefkeeper
 
Posts: 285
Joined: February 12th, 2005, 11:31 pm
Location: PENNSYLVANIA

Postby LA-Lawman » November 9th, 2005, 8:35 pm

Len,

petco carries the water but it is expensive... $26 for 5 gallons...
-ben

"By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest."
Confucius
User avatar
LA-Lawman
NRF Moderator
 
Posts: 1798
Joined: December 4th, 2002, 10:54 pm
Location: So. California

Postby LA-Lawman » November 22nd, 2005, 2:47 am

Len, are there any updates?
-ben

"By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest."
Confucius
User avatar
LA-Lawman
NRF Moderator
 
Posts: 1798
Joined: December 4th, 2002, 10:54 pm
Location: So. California

Postby Len » November 22nd, 2005, 2:50 am

Nope. I'm the epitome of patience :D

I get my sand tomorrow, but I likely won't add it until next week. A contractor is going to come over and reinforce my floor (sistering the joists, adding cross beams and pillars, etc.). I probably won't have any livestock in the tank until 2007.
User avatar
Len
Site Admin
 
Posts: 17102
Joined: November 4th, 1999, 2:01 am
Location: behind you

Postby MartinE » November 22nd, 2005, 3:05 am

I wish we had a way to get good quality sea water here in the middle usa.
User avatar
MartinE
{squat}
 
Posts: 1016
Joined: April 6th, 2005, 5:18 am
Location: Middle O' Missouri

Postby LA-Lawman » November 22nd, 2005, 3:13 am

did you say 2007... patience... that's not patience.. that's insanity.. obviously you monitor your threads.. and your email.... so go monitor your tank and "get crackin' Mister!"

i could not sit that long with an empty box of glass in my living room. arrrggghghhhh ... :D


well, anyway...keep us posted. I am gonna go sit and look at my filled TANK!!!
-ben

"By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest."
Confucius
User avatar
LA-Lawman
NRF Moderator
 
Posts: 1798
Joined: December 4th, 2002, 10:54 pm
Location: So. California

PreviousNext

Return to General Reefkeeping Discussion

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 2 guests