Snake's comeback - 55g mixed reef

eric b 125

eric b 125

Active Member
Have you considered doing a BeanAnimal with C2C? Those g-holes kits are loud and for the cost of one you could buy the glass to make a nice narrow internal weir with external BA.
I've never used a float valve on an ATO. I've had a Tunze Osmolator that has been in operation for years and I've very happy with it. I know people that have used float valves with no problems, though.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
I'll be adding two more legs in the morning. Heck, i might add the plywood in the morning and bring the router home to finish it up. Might paint it tomorrow.
 
eric b 125

eric b 125

Active Member
How are the top and bottom frames connected to the legs?

I can't tell you enough about how much quieter my system was with the BeanAnimal overflow compared to the G-holes kits. I know it's a bit of extra work but it was so worth it.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Pocket holes and toe nails. I'll reinforce it with a couple of 45's. Of course, when the plywood goes on, there will be nothing to worry about.

I'll have to do some research first. I have always wanted to do a bean animal design.

I'm guessing 3/4" bulkheads are plenty big,...

I won't have time for the next couple days to work on the stand.
 
novahobbies

novahobbies

Well-Known Member
Nice score on the sand! I need to start collecting it. I'm officially tired of my black sand. Not looking forward to sucking it out to replace, but what the heck.

So the stand is started, after 3 pages. Is this the part where I get to return the favor and give YOU a hard time about the slow build?? ;-)
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
LOL you guys...

I have to modify the stand a bit. I built it with simplicity in mind, but that's not always a good thing. I need to lengthen two boards on the bottom so that I have more room for the sump to sit on the floor as well as the reservoir and the salt mixing container. I'm considering drilling the mixing container and putting its own external pump on it so that I can empty the container and mix it with the same pump. I'll have to see how it all goes. I might not change anything.

I have to take care of my daughter tonight and I don't want her to be around power tools at this age, so I will have to wait until tomorrow before I make any changes. I'll be buying a little pine wood to finish off the doors, some glass for the sump, and some egg crate for all the float valves (unless I have egg crate stashed somewhere.) I'm buying tried and true aquarium sealant this time and not risking using mold and mildew resistant silicone this time.

I'm doing more research on CCLEDs (using your term, Nova) and I think I'm going to go along with two of them on ebay for $92 each. It looks like a good deal and there are a lot of good reviews.

Other than that, I'm just a chugging along. :D
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
I'm worn out. I've been finishing out an 11ft alligator and an 8ft alligator for the last two days. Sad to say, no progress on the stand.

I'm still considering widening the bottom so the sunp sits on the floor to have more clearance for a protein skimmer.

I decided to use a direct float valve to my sunp for top off, rather than using a jbj ATO. I'm going to use the jbj ATO for my water change bucket. I'll set it up and you'll see what I mean.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
I don't know how it happened, but money has gotten really tight. Thankfully, I have everything I need to finish the stand, but it will be a few weeks until I get caught up.

Prepare for a long build!
 
eric b 125

eric b 125

Active Member
A long build is better than no build, and in many cases they turn out better than fast builds IMO. My build is taking WAY longer than I expected, but the work that I've put into it is a better quality than what went into my last aquarium. As long as I keep moving forward, a little bit at a time, then once "reefing season" (aka winter) comes around I'll be ready
 
siptang

siptang

Member
I thought i put eric there as well but looks like i somehow missed it. Good to see you here again Eric.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
Hey man, glad to see you back.

I'm just going with the flow right now. Saving and paying off a lot of things in between and trying to do things cheap when I can. I'm also getting to re-use a lot of my old aquarium stuff that I really need...

I was able to finish up this baby alligator this week though.

 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
I was able to put the front skin on the stand. I am going to wake up and put the top and one side and a support on the stand and take more pics. I also am researching the bean animal overflow. I'm going to buy some silicone and post what it is on here to see what ya'll think of it before I use it in the sump.

I'm going to use a 20g tall tank as a water change tank and have a separate 2 1/2g aquarium as a water reservoir for the ATO and have a place to put the kalkwasser stirrer. Yes, I'm using a kalk stirrer this time instead of a calcium reactor for my makeup water, but that will be later down the road.

After I get the stand built and the aquariums set in it, I want to start working on getting my RO unit fixed up and back online. If I can get the tank set up and the beananimal overflow built and the pump on it I can get it started going and wait on getting the lights. I'm going with those CCLEDs - and since it will be a mixed reef, I'm sure they will work.



Does someone know if you can hook up a kalkwasser stirrer directly to an RO unit, or if it needs an ATO and a certain pump? I guess I could look it up and find out myself... lol.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
So I went ahead and made the decision to get the Reef Octopus 110sss space saver in-sump skimmer for this tank. It's a little overkill, but I plan on feeding the tank plenty. :D
 
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