Rainbow Archipelago 1.0 Reef Journal - Page 2

naterealbig · 07/01/2015, 04:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by markalot

Subscribed!

Awesome, I'll be looking for your input!

naterealbig · 07/01/2015, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by slin1977

Fantastic start. Looks like you set yourself a pretty good idea of how you want this to turn out. Keep the updates flowing mate.

Thank you for the kind remarks slin. As much as I hated waiting as long as it has taken to get everything in order, the upside is that I was able to plan out everything. Extra time has been scarce lately, so I will squeeze updates in when I can.

reefmutt · 07/01/2015, 05:48 PM

Looking good so far.
Progress, progress.

markalot · 07/01/2015, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by naterealbig

Awesome, I'll be looking for your input!

That would be a mistake.

You're well ahead of anything I've ever done.

naterealbig · 07/03/2015, 12:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reefmutt

Looking good so far.
Progress, progress.

Thanks Matt!

Cdodge1 · 07/03/2015, 10:35 AM

Nate, everything looks superb. The amount of planning and aesthetic consideration rivals any build I've seen. So far I'm loving the layout. Good idea on the dual return. I'm looking forward to seeing some water in that bad boy!

naterealbig · 07/03/2015, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cdodge1

Nate, everything looks superb. The amount of planning and aesthetic consideration rivals any build I've seen. So far I'm loving the layout. Good idea on the dual return. I'm looking forward to seeing some water in that bad boy!

Thank you for the compliments Christian, a lot of time has been put into the planning and equipment choices. A lot of people would say the dual returns are overkill, but if there is anything that being a reefer and a submariner has taught me, is that redundance is key! I can't wait to get water in it either.

To get water in it, I need to do the following things:

1. Cut, route, and install the 3/4" HDPE board that will be used as the bare bottom "substrate".
2. Install the siphon and emergency drain lines
3. Fill and test for leaks with tap water
4. Fill with RODI

I should be able to knock out some work this weekend - I'll keep the thread updated as I make progress.

How is your tank doing? Any pointers based on your experience with the Radions?

naterealbig · 07/03/2015, 04:17 PM

Man! I can't believe I forgot to update my thread this morning - I didn't realize it until just now. Photobucket was being a PITA when I tried to upload my pics.

I finished the return line plumbing, which was physically the hardest part of the build. Everything after this should be a piece of cake!

About 1/2 way through....

Finished!

plyle02 · 07/04/2015, 04:51 AM

Nice Nate,
I met you years back, I think I may have purchased an item, or vice versa, either way, I remember you being a sincere person. Anyway, I am very happy to see what you envisioned come to fruition, it seems you have a solid game plan, and looking over the plumbing, I think you missed your calling as a plumber

All I can say is wow, your attention to detail is quite impressive! I am subscribed and looking forward to seeing your tank as it comes to life, again great job!!!

naterealbig · 07/04/2015, 11:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by plyle02

Nice Nate,
I met you years back, I think I may have purchased an item, or vice versa, either way, I remember you being a sincere person. Anyway, I am very happy to see what you envisioned come to fruition, it seems you have a solid game plan, and looking over the plumbing, I think you missed your calling as a plumber

All I can say is wow, your attention to detail is quite impressive! I am subscribed and looking forward to seeing your tank as it comes to life, again great job!!!

Hi Perry, I remember you well - I quietly followed your threads then, and you have a beautiful setup now. I must admit though, I liked your previous setup a little better as it was bare bottom

. Thank you for the compliment about my sincerity, it means more than anything anyone could say about my tank. Thank you also for the kind remarks about my planning and progress so far. I will have this tank for a while, so my goal is to not say to myself later, "I wish I would have done it this way. I hope you chime in if you see anything that seems awry, and I am always looking for helpful tips!

- Best Regards

dantdodge · 07/06/2015, 10:39 PM

This looks amazing! Subscribed... I think you are ready for some water in that tank. Looking for the next update.

naterealbig · 07/10/2015, 10:47 AM

So I found out last week that the anemone that I bought (pic in an earlier post) to put in this tank died. I haven't even gotten water in the tank and I'm killing stuff. Really, really bummed about it.

The show must go on though, so let's talk about some progress. Everyone says you work with HDPE like wood - I had a little different experience

It's not as easy as it seems. I still need to fill in the gaps and create a ridge around the top to keep the detritus out of the cracks. For this, I was going to use silicone from home depot.

After some consideration, I don't want to risk any type of contamination, so I am going to go with FDA approved food-grade white silicone from RTV. The problem is, they don't have this at home depot. I need to order some RTV-102 from Grainer, which should be here on Monday, so some more waiting.

This weekend I will try to plumb the drains, and leak test the plumbing.

Boring, but here are the pics.

Also, picked this up from Diver's Den

maxxII · 07/10/2015, 08:02 PM

That's a Radiata urchin.
They are venomous and also will eat corals, hard and soft.

They are very pretty though.

reefmutt · 07/11/2015, 03:29 PM

Progress is progress!
Any bit gets you closer.

naterealbig · 07/12/2015, 08:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dantdodge

This looks amazing! Subscribed... I think you are ready for some water in that tank. Looking for the next update.

Hey Danny, thank you for the kind words, every bit of progress I make gets me a little more excited. Keep checking back, I definitely want your input on this! Thanks!

Quote:

Originally Posted by maxxII

That's a Radiata urchin.
They are venomous and also will eat corals, hard and soft.

They are very pretty though.

Yes, it definitely is a beautiful specimen. I had a green banded urchin (very similar in physiology) in my last tank, and I found out it's venom was very painful, along with the fact that it would eat my corals if it was hungry the hard way. I did notice however that I could actually feed it veggies, and that seemed to stop his appetite for my corals. What has been your experience specifically with the Radiata? I figured as long as I spot fed him, he'd be OK?

Thank you so much for the feed back!

Quote:

Originally Posted by reefmutt

Progress is progress!
Any bit gets you closer.

True, but I want to get water in this thing so bad it almost hurts!

naterealbig · 07/12/2015, 09:00 PM

Done with the plumbing - Woo Hoo!!

Decided to go ahead and check for leaks, so filled with tap....

I found a leak at the bulkhead where the external wiper rod handle connects to the wiper rod inside of my UV sterilizer. It started as a quick drip, but has slowed considerably the last couple of hours, to where I'm not even sure if it is leaking any more. I am concerned however, that I can not manipulate the wiper rod any more and I'm not sure what is causing this. It was working fine before I installed it. I'll pop it out and take a look when I drain the tank to seal the HDPE with silicone.

Got antsy and started to install some hardware and electronics.

So.....there are a lot more wires than I was anticipating

The electrical compartment is a complete mess, but I decided to give things a rest after several hours of work today. I'm going to trim some wires and organize with zip ties and wire holders over the next couple of weeks.

That's all for now. Look for an update on Wednesday or Thursday when I get my RTV in!

sahin · 07/13/2015, 06:40 AM

Nice progress. That urchin you picked up is awesome. I saw one at my LFS a couple of years ago; those metallic dots look like little lights! Looks crazy awesome.

naterealbig · 07/13/2015, 08:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sahin

Nice progress. That urchin you picked up is awesome. I saw one at my LFS a couple of years ago; those metallic dots look like little lights! Looks crazy awesome.

Thanks for checking in Sahin. I saw one in a LFS's reef tank several years ago, and I have been in love with them since. Of course it was not for sale, and I haven't seen one for sale in any fish store since. I saw it pop up on Divers Den the other day, so I had to have it! I know there are hot pink ones too.... if I see one I might have to scoop it up.

UV Leak Update

I checked under the stand today, and it looked like the small leak coming from the UV sterilizer has completely stopped. I still would like to know why the wiper isn't moving any more.

reefmutt · 07/13/2015, 12:44 PM

Wow! That sump compartment is so neat, I would eat off of those pipes!
The electrical compartment.. Well you know the saying 'if you don't have anything nice to say...'

Great to see the system wet!!
So far so good.

dantdodge · 07/14/2015, 09:44 PM

Looking good I will come by to take a look at this beauty some time this week. I need to test that Radion out clean the lens and get it over there on that mount for you.

naterealbig · 07/15/2015, 03:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by reefmutt

Wow! That sump compartment is so neat, I would eat off of those pipes!
The electrical compartment.. Well you know the saying 'if you don't have anything nice to say...'

Great to see the system wet!!
So far so good.

Haha, thanks for not stating the obvious Matt..... I made a trip to home depot today and picked up some additional organizational equipment. I'm going to trim some of the unnecessarily long wiring on several pieces of equipment. Should have it perfect in a couple of days.

Quote:

Originally Posted by dantdodge

Looking good I will come by to take a look at this beauty some time this week. I need to test that Radion out clean the lens and get it over there on that mount for you.

Hey Dan, good to see you're checking up on things. The apex is hooked up, but I haven't installed any software or even looked at the programming. When you come over be prepared to do some port forwarding as well as Radion installation

naterealbig · 07/16/2015, 11:22 PM

Installed and caulked the Starboard yesterday. This morning I started filing her up with RODI water. Came home and the tank was full, so I added some salt, turned on the pumps, heater, and skimmer and voila! I probably should have waited until tomorrow, but I couldn't help myself added the live rock while I was at it

.

I still have a lot of equipment mounting, wire organization, and apex programming to do, but I'm happy to have finished a few big steps. I have some live rock rubble that I think I'm going to put in a reactor for extra biological media. What are everyone's thoughts on this?

biggles · 07/17/2015, 12:46 AM

Just caught up, looks like everything is coming along really nicely mate.

I always use rock in my sump that is at least tennis ball size or larger simply because i worry that smaller 'rubble' lacks the anaerobic zones that you rely on for nitrate reduction. I would worry that running rubble through a reactor even at a very slow flow wouldn't be nearly as effective as placing some slightly larger pieces in a plastic mesh bag or basket in the sump.
Sorry for sticking my nose in, i look forward to regular updates and you're my kind of SPS reefer chucking the rock in straight away

reefmutt · 07/17/2015, 07:50 AM

First, awesome update!! All wet!! Love it.
Second, I think I agree with Andrew. I wouldn't put live rock rubble in a reactor.. Why not put it in a mesh bag and just put in the sump?

plyle02 · 07/17/2015, 02:45 PM

Progress, Progress, Progress...
Nice Nate, looks great, clean, and that skimmer going to be a beast on that system! Now the fun begins

07/01/2015, 05:48 PM	#28
reefmutt Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Mtl. Canada Posts: 7,824	Looking good so far. Progress, progress. __________________ Matt. Current Tank Info: 53x32.5x26 190g dt 60g of sumps 3 tank-100 gal frag system 6xAI prime 8xt5. 4x maxspect gyre. Skimz Dual internal sicce pump skimmer Deltec PF601s ca rx+Kalk stirrer

07/03/2015, 04:17 PM	#33
naterealbig Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 2,252	Progress From Last Night Man! I can't believe I forgot to update my thread this morning - I didn't realize it until just now. Photobucket was being a PITA when I tried to upload my pics. I finished the return line plumbing, which was physically the hardest part of the build. Everything after this should be a piece of cake! About 1/2 way through.... Finished! __________________ My skimmate has notes of saffron, and a hint of lilac.

07/04/2015, 04:51 AM	#34
plyle02 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Lake Helen, FL Posts: 5,526	Nice Nate, I met you years back, I think I may have purchased an item, or vice versa, either way, I remember you being a sincere person. Anyway, I am very happy to see what you envisioned come to fruition, it seems you have a solid game plan, and looking over the plumbing, I think you missed your calling as a plumber All I can say is wow, your attention to detail is quite impressive! I am subscribed and looking forward to seeing your tank as it comes to life, again great job!!! __________________ Perry "Anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die" ~Buddha~ Current Tank Info: 50 Gallon AIO Cube, Aquamaxx WS-1 Skimmer, LED/ Hybrid 4x24 watt t5

07/10/2015, 10:47 AM	#37
naterealbig Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 2,252	Progress: Starboard bottom So I found out last week that the anemone that I bought (pic in an earlier post) to put in this tank died. I haven't even gotten water in the tank and I'm killing stuff. Really, really bummed about it. The show must go on though, so let's talk about some progress. Everyone says you work with HDPE like wood - I had a little different experience It's not as easy as it seems. I still need to fill in the gaps and create a ridge around the top to keep the detritus out of the cracks. For this, I was going to use silicone from home depot. After some consideration, I don't want to risk any type of contamination, so I am going to go with FDA approved food-grade white silicone from RTV. The problem is, they don't have this at home depot. I need to order some RTV-102 from Grainer, which should be here on Monday, so some more waiting. This weekend I will try to plumb the drains, and leak test the plumbing. Boring, but here are the pics. Also, picked this up from Diver's Den __________________ My skimmate has notes of saffron, and a hint of lilac.

07/10/2015, 08:02 PM	#38
maxxII Super Housemonkey! Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: St Louis Mo Posts: 4,442	That's a Radiata urchin. They are venomous and also will eat corals, hard and soft. They are very pretty though. __________________ A good friend will come and bail you out of jail...but, a true friend will be sitting next to you saying, "Damn, that was fun!"

07/03/2015, 10:35 AM	#31
Cdodge1 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Tampa Palms Posts: 649	Nate, everything looks superb. The amount of planning and aesthetic consideration rivals any build I've seen. So far I'm loving the layout. Good idea on the dual return. I'm looking forward to seeing some water in that bad boy!

07/06/2015, 10:39 PM	#36
dantdodge Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Tampa Posts: 308	This looks amazing! Subscribed... I think you are ready for some water in that tank. Looking for the next update.

07/11/2015, 03:29 PM	#39
reefmutt Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Mtl. Canada Posts: 7,824	Progress is progress! Any bit gets you closer. __________________ Matt. Current Tank Info: 53x32.5x26 190g dt 60g of sumps 3 tank-100 gal frag system 6xAI prime 8xt5. 4x maxspect gyre. Skimz Dual internal sicce pump skimmer Deltec PF601s ca rx+Kalk stirrer

07/12/2015, 09:00 PM	#41
naterealbig Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 2,252	Made some good progress this weekend.... Done with the plumbing - Woo Hoo!! Decided to go ahead and check for leaks, so filled with tap.... I found a leak at the bulkhead where the external wiper rod handle connects to the wiper rod inside of my UV sterilizer. It started as a quick drip, but has slowed considerably the last couple of hours, to where I'm not even sure if it is leaking any more. I am concerned however, that I can not manipulate the wiper rod any more and I'm not sure what is causing this. It was working fine before I installed it. I'll pop it out and take a look when I drain the tank to seal the HDPE with silicone. Got antsy and started to install some hardware and electronics. So.....there are a lot more wires than I was anticipating The electrical compartment is a complete mess, but I decided to give things a rest after several hours of work today. I'm going to trim some wires and organize with zip ties and wire holders over the next couple of weeks. That's all for now. Look for an update on Wednesday or Thursday when I get my RTV in! __________________ My skimmate has notes of saffron, and a hint of lilac.

07/13/2015, 06:40 AM	#42
sahin Ultimate Reefer Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: London, UK Posts: 8,540	Nice progress. That urchin you picked up is awesome. I saw one at my LFS a couple of years ago; those metallic dots look like little lights! Looks crazy awesome.

07/13/2015, 12:44 PM	#44
reefmutt Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Mtl. Canada Posts: 7,824	Wow! That sump compartment is so neat, I would eat off of those pipes! The electrical compartment.. Well you know the saying 'if you don't have anything nice to say...' Great to see the system wet!! So far so good. __________________ Matt. Current Tank Info: 53x32.5x26 190g dt 60g of sumps 3 tank-100 gal frag system 6xAI prime 8xt5. 4x maxspect gyre. Skimz Dual internal sicce pump skimmer Deltec PF601s ca rx+Kalk stirrer

07/14/2015, 09:44 PM	#45
dantdodge Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Tampa Posts: 308	Looking good I will come by to take a look at this beauty some time this week. I need to test that Radion out clean the lens and get it over there on that mount for you.

07/16/2015, 11:22 PM	#47
naterealbig Premium Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Tampa, FL Posts: 2,252	All systems go! ........ ok, maybe not ALL systems.... Installed and caulked the Starboard yesterday. This morning I started filing her up with RODI water. Came home and the tank was full, so I added some salt, turned on the pumps, heater, and skimmer and voila! I probably should have waited until tomorrow, but I couldn't help myself added the live rock while I was at it . I still have a lot of equipment mounting, wire organization, and apex programming to do, but I'm happy to have finished a few big steps. I have some live rock rubble that I think I'm going to put in a reactor for extra biological media. What are everyone's thoughts on this? __________________ My skimmate has notes of saffron, and a hint of lilac.

07/17/2015, 12:46 AM	#48
biggles Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Australia Posts: 3,907	Just caught up, looks like everything is coming along really nicely mate. I always use rock in my sump that is at least tennis ball size or larger simply because i worry that smaller 'rubble' lacks the anaerobic zones that you rely on for nitrate reduction. I would worry that running rubble through a reactor even at a very slow flow wouldn't be nearly as effective as placing some slightly larger pieces in a plastic mesh bag or basket in the sump. Sorry for sticking my nose in, i look forward to regular updates and you're my kind of SPS reefer chucking the rock in straight away __________________ Andrew

07/17/2015, 07:50 AM	#49
reefmutt Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Mtl. Canada Posts: 7,824	First, awesome update!! All wet!! Love it. Second, I think I agree with Andrew. I wouldn't put live rock rubble in a reactor.. Why not put it in a mesh bag and just put in the sump? __________________ Matt. Current Tank Info: 53x32.5x26 190g dt 60g of sumps 3 tank-100 gal frag system 6xAI prime 8xt5. 4x maxspect gyre. Skimz Dual internal sicce pump skimmer Deltec PF601s ca rx+Kalk stirrer

07/17/2015, 02:45 PM	#50
plyle02 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Lake Helen, FL Posts: 5,526	Progress, Progress, Progress... Nice Nate, looks great, clean, and that skimmer going to be a beast on that system! Now the fun begins __________________ Perry "Anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die" ~Buddha~ Current Tank Info: 50 Gallon AIO Cube, Aquamaxx WS-1 Skimmer, LED/ Hybrid 4x24 watt t5