120RR & Custom Stand Build Thread!!

[benihana]

I picked up Mattb's 120, and after spending quite a while thinking of how I wanted the stand to look/function, I came up with this. While it is not a finished product yet (still have to paint the inside, stain the outside and hang the doors) it feels good to get this part completed.

I started off with a 4x2x2 120RR, and expanded on the front three sides 6" out, so the stand measures 60"wx30"d, that way I will have lots of extra room for equipment to go underneath the tank as I do not have a fish room, nor a basement sump.

Everything, with the exception of the core of the stand was built with maple, and will be stained with a oil based, cherry stain

I also built up the stand so that none of the bottom trim from the tank was showing, that way when (or if :gay1:) I build a canopy, it will come together nicely

If anyone is interested, I documented most of the build with pictures and can post

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/IMG_0686.jpg

I will be using my existing 8 bulb Tek fixture, but upgraded pretty much everything else. Here is a partial list of the equipment that I have/am planning on getting for it. I am sure there is more, but that is all I can think of now

8 Bulb Tek
AcJr
Tunze Osmolater
MSX Extreme 200
Precision Marine Calcium Reactor
Reefstock Kalk Reactor

More to come...

[Wetone]

WOW! that is a piece of art work, it is like palace for your animals.

[bkoppes]

Great work Ben!!

[RaysReef]

Nice to see u finally start this 120G build thread :beerchug:

[fivesmallworlds]

Fantastic Work!!!

[mattb]

Ben, that stand is amazing!!!!

[this1fish]

that is one hell of a stand you built there!

[lizmomdad]

nice job, looks great!!!

Way to go Ben

[JTNanoFish]

Wow! Very nice! Would love to see more pics!

[tjp]

very nice job, keep the pic's coming.
I'd like to see how this ends up!:beerchug:

[benihana]

Thanks guys....here are a few more pictures of the build

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/IMG_0613.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/IMG_0615.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/IMG_0616.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/IMG_0635.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/IMG_0645.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/IMG_0673.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/IMG_0674.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/IMG_0675.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/IMG_0687.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/IMG_0688.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/IMG_0689.jpg

[veloboy]

Wow, great work man. Stand looks really nice! Watch the staining on that maple-the tight grain patterns of maple can make staining it tricky.

Can't wait to see this thing progress.:biggthumpup:

[Aberrix]

looks awesome!

[rihanssu]

thats an awesome stand. i built that identical one for my 90 gal a few years ago. where did you find that molding in maple? i could only find it in pine.

[benihana]

Thanks...I found all of the molding at Home Depot, with the exception of the cove molding, I got that from Lowes

[old_man_river]

looks good.:biggthumpup:
get the tank on it :gay1:

[benihana]

yeah, it will be a few more weeks before it is ready to have the tank put on it:nuts:

[BeerNut]

Very nice stand. Good handcrafted furniture is always something to be proud of. You might try some sanding sealer to help keep the stain from soaking in so it doesn't darken too much. As always, try it on a sample first. I love the stuff.

[clownnut]

wow, nice stand.;)
:biggrin::biggthumpup:

[NightOwl]

Great looking stand
Did ya count the hours?

[benihana]

I will be sanding it down to get all of the little nasties off of it prior to doing anything else.

I will also be applying a wood conditioner before the stain to help the stain take evenly.

As far as hours, I am probably close to 10-12 hours so far. Overall, it was not too complicated, just a lot of cutting when it came to the trim

[Zekester]

Nice work Ben:biggthumpup:

[benihana]

Made a little progress this weekend. The wife was sick, so I was on kid duty pretty much non stop, not to mention taking care of her (words to others: always carry a spare scrunchy when the girls are feeling sick, they come in handy when hair needs to be pulled back quickly!!:biggrin:)

Anyways, I was able to get 2 coats of White exterior latex paint on the inside of the stand, might do another 1 or 2 (I have plenty of paint left over:gay1:) Managed to get all of the nail holes/imperfections filled with wood filler, and got a little sanding done as well. Was hoping to get to the wood conditioner this weekend, but never quite got there

updated picture:
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/IMG_0701.jpg

[old_man_river]

look good :beerchug:

[Zekester]

way rad

[Aberrix]

very nice looking!

[benihana]

just spent 2 hours sanding, 1 hour preping and 1 hour staining....what do you think? I am debating if I want to go darker, or keep it this color....

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/IMG_0738.jpg

[drewspuppet]

I think it looks awesome. I tend to like darker wood, but this looks really good.. either way you've got an amazing stand

[Screwtape]

Looks really good. As for darker or not to me that would be determined by the room IMO.

You may have seen this already, there's a lot of nice stands of varying shades in this thread.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1355576&perpage=25&pagenumber=1

[benihana]

yeah, that thread is where I got this idea from.

As far as the room, all of the molding and trim is Honey colored oak, and the furniture is a dark mahagony. The more I look at the stand, I think I may be leaving it the way it is and just sealing it tonight/tomorrow

[Zekester]

perfect

[veloboy]

Looks good Ben. :biggthumpup: What kind of stain did you end up using? What kind of sealer are you planning on?

[benihana]

Thanks, the plywood came out a little lighter than I had hoped, but all in all, I like the finised product. I used Minwax Cherry (#235) oil based, and will use the Minwax Polyurethane Semi-Gloss, probably 2 coats, maybe 3

[clownnut]

come on speed it up.:gay1:










looks great.:biggthumpup:

[RaysReef]

Great Canopy work, I love the idea of the TV inside the canopy and on top of the top...hehe where's the stand? ;)

[benihana]

Great Canopy work, I love the idea of the TV inside the canopy and on top of the top...hehe where's the stand? ;)

you smoking somthing????:gay1:

[freshfish]

Super nice Ben!

[RaysReef]

you smoking somthing????:gay1:

lol, after reading it, it didn't come out the way I intended it to be :gay1:

[this1fish]

i think it looks great ben! i guess depending on the trim of your tank, darken it to match the tank would look better IMO..

[benihana]

The bottom trim will be hidden as will the top (when ever I get around to making the canopy:gay1:)

I decided to leave it as it was, and put the first coat of polyurethane on it this morning. I will put the 2nd coat on tonight and post final pics

[benihana]

Got the doors stained, and somewhat mounted. Just need to go back and make them level

I also got the sump built tonight

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/IMG_0751.jpg

[clownnut]

sweet looking stand.

[reef junkie]

that stand is a beautiful piece of art. What kind of wood did you use? Maple?

[bkoppes]

Very very nice work Ben!!!!

[benihana]

that stand is a beautiful piece of art. What kind of wood did you use? Maple?


Thanks, yes, it is all maple with a cherry stain

[reef junkie]

very nice. Do you do alot of wood working? Or just handy?

[benihana]

Just handy...In fact, I borrowed almost all of the tools to make the stand!:gay1::gay1:

[reef junkie]

well nice job. Cant wait to see the rest.

[benihana]

Thanks...All of the plumbing I ordered from Bulk Reef Supply came today as well, as did my wireless adapter for the Neptue Apex. AND they had the clear primer for the SCH80 PVC!!:beerchug: Stupid purple primer:mad_3:

[reef junkie]

Im a newbie. Didnt know they made a clear primer. I mglad my plumbming not exposed. LOL

[veloboy]

Wow, great build Ben. Super nice!

Why are you using Sched 80? The 80 looks a lot cleaner, but any specific benefit?

[benihana]

Wow, great build Ben. Super nice!

Why are you using Sched 80? The 80 looks a lot cleaner, but any specific benefit?


Nothing besides the look:biggthumpup:

[this1fish]

what there's a clear primer now??? :beerchug:

[benihana]

Yep:biggthumpup:

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/Plumbing-and-Pumps-Schedule-80-Plumbing-SCH-80-Cement-and-Primer/c14_15_42/p232/Pint-of-Clear-Primer-for-SCH-80-Pipe/product_info.html

[Screwtape]

Great looking stand, welcome to the new tank plumbing club. :)

I'm curious if that primer is really clear or if it just matches the color of schedule 80? The description on the site implies that it might just match the color.

I found some clear regular primer in a gold can like the clear cement at a Home Depot but they only carried the large cans.

[benihana]

I'm curious if that primer is really clear or if it just matches the color of schedule 80? The description on the site implies that it might just match the color.



I will let you know in a couple days:beerchug:

[old_man_river]

get that tank wet:gay1:

[benihana]

get that tank wet:gay1:

Get over here!:beerchug:

[Turf]

Ben where have I been! Looking forward to seeing it when it's done... may just be a reason for a grill out!. :beerchug:

[benihana]

you know you are welcome over here anytime...

[old_man_river]

new pic :gay1:

[old_man_river]

I know it is running:gay1:

[this1fish]

I know it is running:gay1:

+1! :biggthumpup:

[benihana]

Just wanted to say thanks again to Dustin for driving up here and heloing me move everything from the 75 to the 120. I even got a picture of him in action!!:biggrin:

Here you go::biggthumpup:

Nothing is quite where I want it to be, but I thought I would still post a few pics, MAN there is a lot to do:

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/IMG_0752.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/IMG_0753.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/IMG_0755.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/IMG_0756.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/IMG_0758.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/IMG_0759.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/IMG_0760.jpg

[Bubbles]

HOLEY COW! That's BEAUTIFUL!!! Fantistic stand!!!

[benihana]

Thanks, it was a long process, and I (and my wife) am glad to be this far. Now, I just need to pick up the basement!!

[danreefs]

I love that stand Ben :biggthumpup:

[benihana]

Thanks, I can only take credit for building it, it is a design that I copied from a few guys on RC. I also think that Rihanssu said he built one like it a while back

[this1fish]

man i didnt think the stand was that big from the pictures, it pretty much dwarfed the tank.

[benihana]

Yeah, it is 67" at it's widest point. The main internal parts of the stand are built to be 6" wider than the tank on the left, right, and front. The trim them made it bulk out a bit more.

Let's just say, that I had to do a little "modification" to the doorway leading downstairs to get it into the basement:gay1:

[RaysReef]

nice Ben! That stand is beefy to say the least

[Soltaker]

sweet Ben...frickin sweet :beerchug:

[old_man_river]

I hate the aquascaping, but other than that it looks awsome ;)

[Taklu]

Thats a lot of nice rock...I want ...i want ....:greenguy::greenguy::greenguy::biggrin:


Looking just awesome....now if you could just clean the glass ;):beerchug:

[benihana]

I hate the aquascaping, but other than that it looks awsome ;)

I was thinking the same thing....you have time tomorrow to come and redo it:gay1:

As far as the glass is concerned, once I get the rest of the corals that are in my frag tank into the DT, and everything where I want it, I will be tanking a few more pictures. Not only will I clean the glass, but I may even shut off the pumps!!:biggthumpup:

[old_man_river]

I was thinking the same thing....you have time tomorrow to come and redo it:gay1:

As far as the glass is concerned, once I get the rest of the corals that are in my frag tank into the DT, and everything where I want it, I will be tanking a few more pictures. Not only will I clean the glass, but I may even shut off the pumps!!:biggthumpup:
I was thinking we can start over:gay1:

[this1fish]

i'm off with nothing to do tomorrow, i can probably swing by and give yah a hand with aqua scaping. how far is priceton again? :trout2:

btw, i just noticed, you have 3 blue reef chromis..... how long have you had them and how are they doing?

edit: never mind i googled it.... holy crap dude! you drive that far to work everyday???

[Turf]

Let's just say, that I had to do a little "modification" to the doorway leading downstairs to get it into the basement:gay1:
So did you know it going in or did you start down the stairs and quickly follow it up with an "awe shucks" :biggrin:

[Zekester]

eh......;)

[benihana]

So did you know it going in or did you start down the stairs and quickly follow it up with an "awe shucks" :biggrin:

I knew it going into it....had to take off the trim, door, sheet rock, AND the 2x4 frame for the door:gay1:

[Aberrix]

looks fantastic! do you plan to make a canopy?

:jealous:

[benihana]

Right now, no. eventually yes.

[veloboy]

Looks sweet-nice work:biggthumpup:

[fivesmallworlds]

I knew it going into it....had to take off the trim, door, sheet rock, AND the 2x4 frame for the door:gay1:

Now that's dedication to tank placement... lol

Lookin real nice! :cool:

[mattb]

Ben, looks awesome!

[acharpenter]

Dang - glad I found this thread - gorgeous! Very nice job on the stand - totally blown away

[kvmn]

very nice stand for first time build,,,
,just like the one i want to copy from here but can't find the time yet,,,
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=787189

[benihana]

Thanks. That's funny, that is EXACTLY the thread I followed to constuct it.

[kvmn]

did you build a side doors ?? ,,,

[bkoppes]

Awesome Ben. When I upgrade I think it would be nice of you to help me build a stand :)

[benihana]

No side doors. The tank is in a tight spot, probably only 6-8" between it and the wall, so there was no need. Plus I didn't need the extra expense

Brett - You name the date and time, and I would love to help

[old_man_river]

need more pic:beerchug:

[old_man_river]

:biggrin:need more pic

[benihana]

I still have a lot of crap to pick up yet...no pics for a little while

[benihana]

Not much for new pictures, but I was able to get a few of the SPS colonies placed and epoxied in where I wanted them, and managed to figure out that damn dosing pump, so the Kalk reactor is now online. I was also able to get the OSmolater online a couple nights ago as well.

Plumbing update - I ended up adding the 2 gate valves that I had as I was getting a lot of gurgling in the sump, now it is extra quiet!

One thing I am thankfuk for is ordering the Neptune Apex. I completely filled the memory of the Jr. with all of the commands that I have packed in there, and I still have to add the CaRx!!

Will try to add a few more corals tomorrow and take an updated picture

[benihana]

OK, long overdue for an update:

I still have most of the LPS/Softies in my frag tank, and am having a hard time deciding what to do with all of the corals. I am thinking that there will be a blowout sale to get rid of a few of them as I want to leave room for growth for all corals in the tank.

If you recall, I decided to switch to the Neptune Apex controller and placed my pre-order some time ago, it finally came the 2nd week in August and I was excited to get it up and running. Ryan (Turf) was nice enough to come over to help me set it up and get it programmed, but there was an issue. The unit that was shipped to me was defective as the display unit did not funtion. After a call to Curt at Neptune, he sent me a new unit, and that one worked great. It took about another week to get everything figured out how I wanted in the modules, and to finalize the exact programming language.

Overall, I am happy with the unit, and while the programming is a little different than what I was used to, once you got moving along with it, it really is quite simple. Not to mention that it is SUPER easy to add/delete/re-program both through the computer AND the display! I say, well done Neptune, and if you are on the fence, go out and get one, you won't regret it:biggthumpup:

Everything, with the exception of my Calcium Reactor, is now online and funtioning. I took a few pictures of the Apex, and the installation process

Contents of initial shipment
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/IMG_0856.jpg

Hole that I drilled in the front of the tank to run the Aquabus cable through
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/IMG_0860.jpg

Right side of tank (Energy Bar, Base Module, and all of the cords that go along with it!:gay1:) The 4 open outlets are for the Calcium Reactor (3) and the wireless game adapter (1)
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/IMG_0871.jpg

Left side, (DC8, and all of the cords:gay1:)
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/IMG_0872.jpg

Apex display module
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/IMG_0869.jpg

FTS
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/IMG_0868.jpg

[bkoppes]

Looks great Ben!!! Controller looks awesome as well as the stand which I have already told you that you need to build me one for my next tank!!

[danreefs]

Ben you are da MAN Love that controller.

[livestuff]

Very nice ,someday, someday ,someday:greenguy:

[benihana]

Thanks guys....It really is a cool controller, I don't have any reservation about purchasing it. There were two main factors in my decision to upgrade, one was that I wanted the ability to control a second pH probe (for the CaRx) and the second was that I wanted something that had a clean look to it. All of the other controllers, including my Jr, have multiple cables coming from the head unit that make thm undesireable in my quest to continue to have a clean look

[Aberrix]

I dig it!

[RaysReef]

Another Update is needed Ben ;)

[benihana]

The tank has now been wet for a little over 2 months, and all of the SPS are in it, and some of the LPS, but I am having a hard time deciding where (if at all) to put the rest of the croals I have that are still residing in my frag tank.

The only new livestock that I have added have been the Wild Onyx Clown pair that I got from Bones, and 100 astrea snails.

The equipment is all up and running, and the skimmer is producing nicely, the Kalk reactor has fastly become my favorite piece of reef equipment becasue of the ease of use, and the Neptune Apex was obviously added, and has been dialed in.

The only thing I have left to finalize the the Calcium Reactor. I have filled the 10lb Co2 tank, and got everything into place, only to find out that I need to pick up a check valve that connects the Co2 to the bubble counter. Once I can track that down, I will begin the process of getting that up on-line, and then the tank will be complete.

[Taklu]

:pics:

Now that you have had the Apex for sometime, whats your feel about it? Also curious does it come with a Aquasurf module built in or we'd have to get one to control the Tunze's?

[benihana]

There is not much new to take pictures of, but I will see if I can get some updated pics this weekend

It took me a while to get used to the new style of language, and functioning of the controller compared to the AcJr. that I had, but now that I am used to it, it is much easier to set up/edit/delete programming whether you use the computer or the display module. Plus, I REALLY like the graphing function on it!!:biggthumpup:

As far as the AquaSurf goes, that is built into the unit. In the picture below, you can see the module on the right side labeled Aqua Controller Apex. On the right side of that is where (up to 4) controllable Tunzes can go.

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/IMG_0871.jpg

[bmkj02]

This is the sweetest stand build I have seen. Great job :biggthumpup:

[benihana]

The tank is now 5 months old, I was planning on setting up the CaRx last Monday, but found a crack in the PVC, so I sent that back to the Manufacturer to be replaced, hope to have it online sometime between Xmas and New years.

I moved a few things around today, and have moved pretty much all of the corals from my frag tank that I want into the display. There are a couple that I like, but can not find a place for, so they will continue to live in the frag tank until I can either find a place for them or decide to sell them.

My favorite part of the tank is in the center, I have put all of my favorite acans and my two S. Wilsoni's on there, and I think it looks pretty cool.

The glass is really dirty, and I took the picture with our P&S camera instead of the DSLR

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/IMG_1067.jpg

[RaysReef]

nice to see everything growing well ;) get a close up shot of the acans and wilsonis

[benihana]

Here are a couple of the Acans, and one of the two wilsonis

UFO Acan
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/_MG_1646.jpg

I have a nice 6x4 colony of this guy
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/AussieAcan.jpg

Rainbow Acan
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/_MG_1211.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/AussieColony.jpg

Rainbow Wilsoni
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/S-wilsoni.jpg

[90ct]

Nice.......

[RaysReef]

nice ben, what kind of camera are you using again?

[benihana]

Canon 20D DSLR w/ Canon 100mm Macro Lens, & a Canon P&S. I can't take credit for the Wilsoni shot, that was from the original owner of the coral

[RaysReef]

man, I so want one *Marco Lens*

[benihana]

so get one then:biggrin:

[RaysReef]

so get one then:biggrin:

lol, Thanks for the loan Ben ;)

[benihana]

no problem:gay1:

[goodwin9]

Great looking pictures! :bow:

[fishyfriend]

WOW..your stand is AWESOME...tank is pretty neat too :-) I only wish I could make something like that!!!! Side business :beerchug::beerchug: I would say;);)

[benihana]

Thanks, at this point I will not be starting a side business, but am willing to lend a helping hand (with my limited knowledge:gay1:)where I can to those who have questions

[wireefman]

how about a new fts

[benihana]

things really haven't changed too much. I haven't added anything new to the tank since the last photo, but I did get rid of the purple tang last weekend.

This Friday I will be adding two new additions! One is the Blue hippo tang from Jake, the other is coming from another reefer in florida.......I am VERY excited about him. I will post pictures as soon as he gets here on Friday morning:biggrin:

[cj_doede]

what is he????

[wireefman]

his new fish

[benihana]

Yep, a new fish. It is one of these

http://www.marinecenter.com/fish/angelfish/goldflakeangel/

I have wanted one for about 2 years now, and finally had the chance to get one that has been a model citizen in a reef tank for the past year, so hopefully he will continue those behaviours in my tank, and not eat any coral!

I will be posting plenty of pics/updates when I get him Friday morning

[coralreefer]

Wow, that will be a sweet fish. Will be waiting on the pics. Tank is looking great BTW.

[TriggerFreak]

you didnt spend the price that was one that website did ya? lol

[fishyfriend]

Beautiful fish :biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:

[benihana]

Here is the newest addition to my tank

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/IMG_1150.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/IMG_1149.jpg[/QUOTE]

[clownnut]

nice gold flake.:nuts::biggthumpup:

[montiporalova]

man that stand makes mine loook like crap .
great work .:bow:

[fishyfriend]

man that stand makes mine loook like crap .
great work .:bow:


LOL...that is the same thing I thought :gay1::gay1:

:bln-nice::fireworks:

[benihana]

thanks guys, it was actually really easy to build, it is the trim that makes it look nice.

[benihana]

A couple updates:

Added the mesh netting to the top of the tank, now I don't have to wonder if the fish will jump out

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/IMG_1158.jpg

I also turned the Gold Flake Angel loose:greenguy: Everyone is getting a long great, hopefully it stays that way:beerchug:


http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/IMG_1163.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/IMG_1164.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/IMG_1166.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/IMG_1168.jpg

[irish02bk]

Where did you get teh acclimation box from? I want to add a yellow tang and a flame angel here in the next couple months and i think that would be a good way to do it.

Tank looks great, i also added the fishnetting, its a nice relief isn't it.

[benihana]

Yes, it is a relief to have the netting.

SWE sells the acclimation boxes

[bkoppes]

love the new fish

[Stoneyj33]

love the netting idea

[mrbeachbum2]

How does the screen covering compare to egg crate?

[benihana]

How does the screen covering compare to egg crate?

It is about the same size holes/mabey a little smaller. But there is less material so there is very little (if any) light difference

[sabbath]

Looks great!!!

[Turf]

Love the fish... I know you were waiting on that for awhile! Good lookin' addition.

[benihana]

Thanks! Yeah, it has been a while for that guy, but he was definately worth it:beerchug:

[mrlee]

show me some colonies!

[benihana]

I wish :mad: I had a big Alk spike a few months back and lost quite a few of them.......:mad_3: Everything that lived is still in recovery mode

[reeffamily]

looks fantastic.tank, stand,corals, fish. you did it perfect. shouldn't you help the pres here build his stand? lol just kidding.

[benihana]

Yeah, you would think, but I have retired from stand building!! :nuts:

[Mike Bennett]

Hey Ben, when you get around to it I'd love to see a FTS update! :nuts:

[benihana]

There hasn't been too much change besides loosing a few fish and a couple colonies of my SPS to an alk spike in the early summer.

I will put it on the list for this weekend.

[Mike Bennett]

:greenguy:

[jesse5.0]

Sorry to hear bout the alk spike! Your stand is incredible, thanks for some inspiration! Looking forward to the fts!:goldfish:

[benihana]

Finally got around to updating the pictures...enjoy

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/_MG_1826.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/_MG_1828.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/_MG_1829.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/_MG_1831.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/_MG_1832.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/_MG_1833.jpg
http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/_MG_1834.jpg

[mrlee]

how old is the system?

[benihana]

It was set up in July 2009, so about 16 months

[benihana]

Forgot to add this one!

New skimmer for the DT - BK Mini 180

I also wanted a little more flow in the tank, so I have a controllable Tunze 6105 coming in about a week. Not sure how much of a "wave" action I will give it yet, but it will be replacing the 6085 on the right side, and the 6085 will be moved to the left side where the 6045 is at. The 6045 will most likely either be sold or relegated to my frag tank

http://i230.photobucket.com/albums/ee272/ben_hanson/IMG_2126.jpg

[mrbeachbum2]

Love the big angel.

Why did you get the tunze over the vortech? Just because you already had the tunze?

[benihana]

Love the big angel.

Why did you get the tunze over the vortech? Just because you already had the tunze?


Thanks, I had wanted a Goldflake for a while...he has been with me for almost a year now and is a absolute model citizen in the tank....doesn't pick at anything!!:biggthumpup:

As far as the Tuze vs. Vortech, the main reason is that I have the Neptune Apex which already has the controller built into the unit, so I didn't have to get a controller for the Tunze, and a close second is that I already have Tunze's

[benihana]

I received the Tunze 6015 today and added that to the tank....let's just say that I am glad I used large partice sand!!:gay1:

The fish have been playing in the current ever since I put it in....nice to see they enjoy it as well.

I also ordered the Apex cable so that I would be able to control the speed of the pump. Now I just need to decide if it should be paired with the 6085 that I already own, or if it needs a twin brother...hmm decisions, decisions

[wireefman]

needs a twin brother..... never have enough flow....


how deep is your sand bed....

[benihana]

needs a twin brother..... never have enough flow....


how deep is your sand bed....


I know, right?

becasue of my diamond goby, my sand bed ranges from 0" to 5":gay1: Overall, pretty shallow, I think I only used like 60lbs for a 120, so not much

[veloboy]

Ben tank looks great:biggthumpup: I'd go with the 6105 over the 6085 in your 120. Lots of nice sps in there...never enough flow in SPS tank!

[benihana]

why you guys trying to spend all my money:gay1::gay1:

Did you guys have your baby yet?

[wireefman]

why you guys trying to spend all my money:gay1::gay1:

i spent all mine this week, so im gunna live vicariously through you for a few days

[benihana]

****....not much here to live vicariously through:gay1: