Eric B's 125 Re-Build Journal

E

eric b 125

Guest
i checked out a few DIY canopy plans online and i can make a decent one in a day, then paint it and let it dry. i tried uploading pics from photobucket, but it wont work for some reason. i'll try later, for sure. now i guess i'll work on cleaning up the room the tank is in (wait till you see the pics, i cant believe the wife didnt make me sleep on the porch).
 
2quills

2quills

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Eric B 125 http:///forum/thread/369906/eric-b-s-125-re-build-journal/120#post_3365767
2Quills: the lights are 31 lbs. i dont think i would trust toggle bolts and dry wall to hang 1070 watts above my tank....?
isthatright: that sucks. i'm pretty livid about this whole situation.
so while in class, rather than focusing on immunology, i thought i came up with a good idea... i figured if i cant find a stud in the wall, i could probably find a floor joist in the ceiling. i was super wrong. i cant believe that this has caused me so much grief. i'm at a total loss of ideas and frankly i dont have the time to be dorking around with this anymore. this has turned from a one day project to a hellish experience. but such is the way with this hobby sometimes.
i'm still pretty hellbent on using this fixture, though. i guess i'll have to build a canopy, which i'm NOT thrilled about. i tried building one before. i got the frame done perfectly but when it came to skinning it, i screwed everything up.
if anyone has any other ideas, please toss them my way. i have a short break from class in a week in a half so i guess that's when i'll bang this out.
or maybe i could screw some 2x4's to the back of my cabinet and attach hangers to those?
I think it really just depends on the actual method that you use for mounting or hanging it. I think you could mount a board to the ceilling and stagered your bolts like every 12" or so than it could be done using some larger size bolts. Probably not my first choice though.
Is there an attic above the ceilling over the tank? I think you were on the right track looking for joists in the ceilling. If you do have that kind of access above the tank you could always add some 2 x 4's for support in the ceilling above the tank and then hang your hooks or what have ya that way.
Not all stud finders are created equal. If you have heavily textured or plastered walls then they are just about useless. But one trick I used to use when working with a textured wall is to take like a post card and stick it between the stud finder and the wall and drag the card along with the stud finder at the same time. That way you can hold it tight to the wall and it will slide easy. Worked pretty good in some cases.
 
E

eric b 125

Guest
thanks for the stud finder tip. i've given up on finding the studs. i've tried measuring from corners, taking covers off of sockets and light switches... i even took a rare earth magnet (wont attract to copper) across the wall to find nails and every time i drilled it was hollow. i tried the ceiling, too. my tank is on the first floor of a two story house, so the attic idea is out (though a good idea). the ceiling is textured plaster and i was having the same difficulty as i had with the walls. i rent this house, so i dont want to mess it up anymore than i already have. some plaster and paint and the landlord wont be hip to the holes, and he's cool anyways (better be for $1200/mo + G, E, W & S). hopefully i'll be moving in august anyway, so i guess a canopy would make the move-out easier.
 
ppanthrah75

ppanthrah75

Member
they have stud finders with a deep scan mode if u have plaster then theres probably lath behind it and in some cases theres chicken wire so its tuff the stud finder i got has the deep scan also and works pretty really well
 
E

eric b 125

Guest
well, the way i see it: its not worth the hassle. if i was planning on sticking around this place for another year, then maybe. i think the canopy is still the direction i'll be heading. not thrilled about it, but i've nearly exhausted all other options
 
E

eric b 125

Guest
well, i have 60 gallons of fresh saltwater mixing. i'm so tired of this mess in my pad. i'm going to set the 125 back up tomorrow and just run halides #1 & #3 for the week, then next weekend i'll build this canopy and finally be able to lay this project to rest.
 
lsboogie

lsboogie

Member
I just read through all 8 pages and I'll say that I admire your persistance on this project and also let you know that I am now hooked as if i'm reading the mystery novel "Which lights will Eric use?"...good stuff.
Question though, not to play devils advocate, BUT, if you have it drained and all the live stock moved into temporary housing, why don't you just order a new tank with european style brace? I know you have spent alot of time here but you could just bite the bullet and get the style you want, reef ready and no center support. I can't help getting the feeling that some where around page 14 I'll be reading about you swapping out the tank for a different one anyways...put the money that you would use building a canopy and put it towards the new tank, keep your 3 light set up and then maybe, just maybe, leave it the heck alone for a few months and enjoy. lol
 
E

eric b 125

Guest
LSBoogie: thanks for the compliments. i'm pickin up what youre putting down about buying a new tank. i couldnt justify buying a new tank when raising the light fixture is all i needed to do.
i finally got the tank back together yesterday. i went with the two-island look. i always wanted to try the islands, and i figured since i'm only running the outer halides for the week now would be the perfect time. of course i took a bunch of pictures of this whole process because i like to document and share my tanks' progress, and while filling a bucket i knocked my iPhone and brand new camera into the water! they've been sitting in some good old Uncle Bens white rice over night. i'll snap a pic with my laptop of the new set up, and hopefully i'll be able to update with the rest of the pics later tonight.
i really like the new light. the T5's really bring the colors out in a way that my old PC's didnt. everything came through this week looking good. i did give away a bunch of corals, though, because they wouldnt all fit into the smaller tank. that's fine with me since i want to start focusing more on sps.
thanks for all your comments and help guys!
 
E

eric b 125

Guest
here's the tank as it stood before breaking it down. it was a total mess. bad picture, but...

here's a few of mess this caused in my house:


some of the corals in stryo's

this is the make-shift reef i had to set up. this should definately make a sweet little frag tank:
 
E

eric b 125

Guest
here's the new set up. sorry if the pics suck:
FTS

left side:

right side:
 
E

eric b 125

Guest
like i said, everything came through looking pretty decent. my devils hand is pretty unhappy, pic #1 in post 155, but its coming around. all these pics were taken with my phone so the colors dont really come through that good. apparently the white rice trick isnt so good with digital cameras
 
E

eric b 125

Guest
i have to fix the return on the left side of the tank. the loc line came off during the move.
 
E

eric b 125

Guest
187 lbs total. 50lbs of it is marco rocks, the rest is fiji. i cant wait to move so i can have the room for a wider tank. 18" just doesnt do it for me anymore.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top