nano-newb1983
Active Member
yes
GreenReefer's 24 gallon Aquapod
- Thread starter greenreefer
- Start date
greenreefer
Active Member
I think I've made the rest of my equipment decisions, although getting opinions these days in the DIY/Equipment thread is like pulling teeth. Unless someone changes my mind in the next 24 hours I'm planning on ordering the nano-cude 28 gallon stand, 2 rio hyperflow 6HF pumps (1 as return and 1 behind my foam wall), and a CPR Aquatics 18w refugium light.
Tank should be here on Monday. I'll make the final adjustments to the eggcrate structure and then finish foaming it. Originally I was going to attach it to the bottom, but now I'm thinking of attaching something solid (maybe a piece of acrylic) to the bottom of the base eggcrate and then let the weight of the sand hold it down.
Anyways I plan to place an order tomorrow for equipment so speak now if you see an error in my planning.
Tank should be here on Monday. I'll make the final adjustments to the eggcrate structure and then finish foaming it. Originally I was going to attach it to the bottom, but now I'm thinking of attaching something solid (maybe a piece of acrylic) to the bottom of the base eggcrate and then let the weight of the sand hold it down.
Anyways I plan to place an order tomorrow for equipment so speak now if you see an error in my planning.
worrballer
Member
It takes a lot of weight to hold the foam at bay. Your best bet would be to attach the acrylic like you said and then silicone it to the bottom like you originally wanted. When I had my foam wall I had to wedge it under the lip of my tank.
Sounds like a great project. Your equipment list sounds good, can't wait to see how it'll look.
Sounds like a great project. Your equipment list sounds good, can't wait to see how it'll look.
king_neptune
Active Member
im chafing at the bit to see your foam build. i want to see how it all fit on the frame you made. got any partialy completed pictures?
also are you going to coat it and put sand on it?
also are you going to coat it and put sand on it?
greenreefer
Active Member
I did the front columns on Friday but decided to hold off on the rest until the tank shows up. It's in my office so I can't take any partial pics until tomorrow. I am using epoxy and sand to coat the surface.
greenreefer
Active Member
I'm glad I waited to foam up the eggcrate. The inside dimensions are smaller than what they list. The actually usable rectangle, roughly measured, is 12 deep by 19 wide (height of 16). That doesn't count for the small bow in the front glass or the bump out in the middle of the back wall. I'll be modifying the structure to fit comfortably and then I'll start to foam. Promise to get pics up of however far I get today.
At least I have tank in hand!
At least I have tank in hand!
greenreefer
Active Member
Still kind of brain storming, but I think I'm going to go with just a vertical back wall and then the 2 front columns and then add a couple of pieces of LR in front of the wall to give me a similar foot print/design to the original structure.
pics!!!
front
top
right
left
pics!!!
front
top
right
left
greenreefer
Active Member
some foam is drying and it's laying on the floor so no more picks until tomorrow when I can pick it up, but I have decided to basiclly go with what is pictured in my last post except for the back wall piece turned upside down (so the point is on the bottom of the tank) and will be angled away from the back wall. The top of it will touch the back wall and the bottom will be about 4 inches out. This will allow for 2 decent size pieces of LR in the 2 back corners. The rock should end up holding the whole thing in place (tested with some base rock and the foam to make sure it stays under).
I also bought a hollow point leather punch to cut out holes for all of the frag plugs. I'm hoping to cut out the holes in the foam and epoxy (small scale so I may go with super glue in places) the sand (carib sea puka shell) to any exposed foam. I should get the sand bed in and structure in tomorrow minus LR.
I'm off to Lowes for plumbing supplies to complete the second return off of the SCWD. I've decided not to use the fuge light mentioned about, so I'm still shopping. I really want something like the hydor multi light, but from everything I've read it isn't powerful enough or in the right spectrum for chaeto. If you think of something please let me know.
I also bought a hollow point leather punch to cut out holes for all of the frag plugs. I'm hoping to cut out the holes in the foam and epoxy (small scale so I may go with super glue in places) the sand (carib sea puka shell) to any exposed foam. I should get the sand bed in and structure in tomorrow minus LR.
I'm off to Lowes for plumbing supplies to complete the second return off of the SCWD. I've decided not to use the fuge light mentioned about, so I'm still shopping. I really want something like the hydor multi light, but from everything I've read it isn't powerful enough or in the right spectrum for chaeto. If you think of something please let me know.
king_neptune
Active Member
awesome. better than i thought it would come out. OK i got a few questions...
1 What is the smooth part by each hole? is that foam you cut away?
2 I notice the texture looked like a lot of pieces of bits and rock stuck into it...is that crushed coral?
3 I noticed you didn't have nearly as many Ramps and whatnot...change your mind?
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have you considered polyurethane? or silicon to "Glue" the frame to the bottom? ive heard many people claim its reef safe and doesn't leech. that stuff dries hard as steel. and bonds to just about anything and everything.
1 What is the smooth part by each hole? is that foam you cut away?
2 I notice the texture looked like a lot of pieces of bits and rock stuck into it...is that crushed coral?
3 I noticed you didn't have nearly as many Ramps and whatnot...change your mind?
`````````````````````````````````````````````````````
========================================
have you considered polyurethane? or silicon to "Glue" the frame to the bottom? ive heard many people claim its reef safe and doesn't leech. that stuff dries hard as steel. and bonds to just about anything and everything.
greenreefer
Active Member
1. yes, I cut away the extra foam to give a nice flat surface arounf where the plugs go.
2. its carib sea puka shell, basicly a mixture of sand, crushed coral, and small shells
3. The inside dimensions where small than what i was planning on when I made the structure and I was trying to figure out the best way to hold everything down (I really didn't want to "glue" it in place) so I can up with this solution...slightly angled back wall with larger pieces of LR that will hold the pvc structure down.
I decided to not glue in place.
More pics to come later today!
2. its carib sea puka shell, basicly a mixture of sand, crushed coral, and small shells
3. The inside dimensions where small than what i was planning on when I made the structure and I was trying to figure out the best way to hold everything down (I really didn't want to "glue" it in place) so I can up with this solution...slightly angled back wall with larger pieces of LR that will hold the pvc structure down.
I decided to not glue in place.
More pics to come later today!
dankbardy31
Member
This thread looks awesome so far. I'm definitely tagging along. Good luck!
greenreefer
Active Member
thanks, glad to have you following
greenreefer
Active Member
it was a busy day today so I didn't get as much done as hoped, but I still made some progress.
I got all of the holes cut for plugs in the 2 front columns (37 frag plug holes). I started coating the remaining foam in puka shell. I got the scwd & ato plumming figured out and just need 1 more piece from Lowes to complete it. I also order the remaining equipment: 28 gallon nano-cube HQI stand, 2 rio hyperflow 6hf pumps, 2 azoo firefly lights for fuge area (nothing fit the back chambers very well and these were in the right spectrun too), purigen, and seachem seagel.
Here's the latest pics of some of the work from today
I got all of the holes cut for plugs in the 2 front columns (37 frag plug holes). I started coating the remaining foam in puka shell. I got the scwd & ato plumming figured out and just need 1 more piece from Lowes to complete it. I also order the remaining equipment: 28 gallon nano-cube HQI stand, 2 rio hyperflow 6hf pumps, 2 azoo firefly lights for fuge area (nothing fit the back chambers very well and these were in the right spectrun too), purigen, and seachem seagel.
Here's the latest pics of some of the work from today
greenreefer
Active Member
oh yeah 22 frag plug holes in the back wall, so 59 total before I have to put anything in the sand
worrballer
Member
The back piece looks like a heart now lol. Can't wait to see water in it. I really hope it works out for you, that foam is super buoyant.
greenreefer
Active Member
I hear you on the foam being super bouyant but I've done this a couple of times and already tested these pieces and they sink although just barely. The extra rock and sand should keep them in place. I'm hoping to get everything as well as a couple gallons of water tomorrow and then the rest on thursday.
worrballer
Member
Sweet action, didn't realize you've tested it already. When I did mine I didn't have a lot of rock available so I just wedged it under the rim of the tank.
This thing should look awesome, I'm excited.
This thing should look awesome, I'm excited.
greenreefer
Active Member
me too, thanks for the feedback and for following along. this place has been so quite lately. Use to be a packed house 