# Woohoo! Tanks In!



## Emc2 (Oct 29, 2005)

Tank arrived yesterday. It's empty but it's in. The fun starts next weekend when we start plumbing.


----------



## Jason Baliban (Feb 21, 2005)

Cant wait to see what Senske does with that thing!!! 

For anyone who would like info on the Senske workshop, please PM me.

jB


----------



## Emc2 (Oct 29, 2005)

Thanks Jason. Neither can I. 

I have noticed one major problem with my plan. I wasn't prepared for how wide the euro brace would be and the impact it would have on trimming. The combination of the height and the euro brace are going to make this tank difficult to scape and trim. It doesn't help that I'm only 5"2 either.  

On the other hand, maybe this is a good thing. I'll be less likely to get in there and demolish the aquascape like I did to the 55 this weekend.


----------



## fishdude1984 (Feb 17, 2005)

is mike are jeff going to scape this thing? wow!, it will be great then


----------



## Jason Baliban (Feb 21, 2005)

fishdude1984 said:


> is mike are jeff going to scape this thing? wow!, it will be great then


Jeff Senske is coming all the way from TX on April first to hold a demostration on how to aquascape this tank from start to finish. Its going to be awesome!!!

jB


----------



## brad (Jul 10, 2005)

Congrats Erin.

Automated water changes?


----------



## Emc2 (Oct 29, 2005)

That's the plan. If you look to the left of the sink there is a dedicated cold water faucet for the tank. We are going to put a timer on it and have it add approximately 5 gallons twice a day depending on the evaporation rate. Excess water will overflow into a drain under the sink.


----------



## Emc2 (Oct 29, 2005)

One step closer.


----------



## Jason Baliban (Feb 21, 2005)

Now that is smooth!!!

We are getting close!

jB


----------



## Emc2 (Oct 29, 2005)

We made a little progress today. Soem friends from the local reef club came over and lent a hand (actually they plumbed the tank while I entertained the troops ).


----------



## BryceM (Nov 6, 2005)

Did you ever say what the dimensions on this thing are? Very nice - my dream fish room behind the in-wall monstrous tank. Pardon my drooling.


----------



## Emc2 (Oct 29, 2005)

Thanks Guaiac Boy. The tank is 60 L x 23 H x 20 D.


----------



## Emc2 (Oct 29, 2005)

Got the Lights running today. It's a lot of light. Maybe too much light. I may end up dropping the lights down to 150's. I'm afraid my daughter could end up burning her retinaes on these things if I don't put a lock on the laundry room door. I'm going to try end caps first to reflect the light down instead of letting it shoot straight out into the laundry room.

The water change system is a dream. I can push a button and change the water.  . No more buckets or kinked up hoses. I keep coming up with excuses to try it out. I have to work out the evaporation rate and the timing still but it's cool to play with. 

Plumbing the eheim below the water line is nice too. No more priming.


----------



## Phillyman (Dec 2, 2004)

Man that looks fantastic! I can't wait for it to be full of plants. Less than two weeks now for that.


----------



## Emc2 (Oct 29, 2005)

Thanks Bob. It's not nearly as sweet as having a whole basement for a fishroom though. :yawinkle:


----------



## brad (Jul 10, 2005)

lol. That`s alot of pipes. Awfully cool.!!!!


----------



## DelawareJim (Nov 15, 2005)

Erin;

Shweet! The tank looks great! Can't wait to see everything on the 1st!

Cheers.
Jim


----------



## Emc2 (Oct 29, 2005)

Thanks Jim. I'm looking forward to getting together and seeing this thing up and running too.  

Brad, it's definitly a lot of pipe. Other than the misuse of the overflow and the small pump this thing screams reef tank.

One thing that really scares me is the drain valve. I wanted a way to drain the tank quickly and easily. This gets the job done but it's a major weak link in the system. My daughter can turn that valve. With a little effort she could empty the tank in about 5 minutes. I'm looking for a way to lock the valve down. In the meantime, I'm going to run some 1 inch tubing off the barb and into my sink. 

Another thing I'm trying out is the co2. I'm going to run it into the Iwaki. Hopefully this does the job without too much damage to the pump.


----------



## bharada (Apr 17, 2004)

Emc2 said:


> One thing that really scares me is the drain valve. I wanted a way to drain the tank quickly and easily. This gets the job done but it's a major weak link in the system. My daughter can turn that valve. With a little effort she could empty the tank in about 5 minutes. I'm looking for a way to lock the valve down. In the meantime, I'm going to run some 1 inch tubing off the barb and into my sink.


Instead of having a barb come off of the ball valve install a garden hose bib. Then you can remove the knob like they do in public parks/schools.


----------



## Emc2 (Oct 29, 2005)

That's a great idea! Thank you bharada.


----------



## fish7days (Jul 30, 2005)

Drill a hole in the one side "wing" of the valve and use one of those long u-shaped child locks that you use to keep two cabinet door handles together and tie the wing to the pvc riser and slide the ratchet part back over. That should keep little hand at bay........


----------



## Emc2 (Oct 29, 2005)

LOL. That ought to do it.  She actually tried to turn one of the valves today. I hope she never gets mad at me. 

Thanks for the email, Andre. I read through it today and will incorporate some of the ideas. I'm definitly going to add a filter to the water change system.


----------



## fish7days (Jul 30, 2005)

No problem at all. It's looking GOOD !!


----------



## Emc2 (Oct 29, 2005)

Here's what my friend Jim came up with for the drain valve.

http://www.northsafety.com/usa/en/bs_product.html?GID=3060


----------



## Emc2 (Oct 29, 2005)

We installed the acess panels today. I put weather stripping around the panels but there is still light seeping out. I'm going to add eye hook locks to the inside of the panels to pull them tighter.

Jim came by and put the end caps that Brian made on the lights. Much better.

We also added the lock out mechanism for the drain valve.

I ordered some blue and white leds from this place http://autolumination.com/fixtures.htm. Hopefully they will arrive before the weekend.


----------



## jerseyjay (Jan 25, 2004)

Erin, 

Nice tank !

However, aquascaping this won't be as easy as any other tank. 

#1. You can't see anything from the back
#2. You have doors / dividers above the tank which will make planting / rock-wood placing hell of a project 

Good luck. I will see you in few days.


----------



## Emc2 (Oct 29, 2005)

Thanks Jay. 

It's worse than you think.  The euro brace and my height make it very very difficult. On the other hand, the lights are easily adjustable since they are on a pulley system. I don't think hardscaping will be that difficult. It will just have to go in from the back of the tank. 

The back was originally intended to be removable acrylic like the side panels. It turned into too much of a project to build it that way. In retrospect I wish I had.


----------



## Emc2 (Oct 29, 2005)

Jeff says he's used to working in tight quarters and that this is just run of the mill for him. [smilie=b:


----------

