Tycho's 70g Rimless Starphire Build

[adamfajge]

What is the white screen in the back of the new tank going to be used for?

[DIYnitemare]

Kool tank, Have you got the plumbing done?

[Tycho]

The white screen is a light diffuser panel from home depot. Its going under my sandbed to give my rock a stable base and protect the glass bottom.

[Tycho]

I plan on finishing the plumbing over the weekend. I need to read up on some how to's. This will be first time installing any kind of plumbing setup like this.

[adamfajge]

The only problem I could see with the white screen on the glass is the detritus that will settle on the bottom and you won't be able to get it easily.

[SNAKEMANVET]

You could always place a 1/4'' plexi glass to cover the bottom,that way it won't collect detritus and protect the bottom glass. btw a really nice tank.

[Tycho]

Got the stand where I want it



And got some supplies in the mail

[Tycho]

I got 15 pounds of dry rock from Reefcleaners. I'll merge this stuff with my existing 30 or so pounds of live rock.



I been really liking minimalist style aquascapes, so I don't plan on stuffing too much rock in

[Tycho]

I got some time to finish up my plumbing today




The Mag 9.5 didn't come with anything to cushion it against the glass so I just put a bag of sand underneath.

[Tycho]

I cant fill the tank until I install the arms for hanging the light fixture. It attaches to the back of the stand which will be up against the wall. It will be delivered next wed, so I plan to start filling it then.

I figure in the mean time I can show how I installed my RODI filter (and clean under my sink!!!)
I live in a downtown studio apartment, so doing heavy modification to the stock plumbing was out of the question.



In this photo you can see the whole system under my sink. I put a little cable clamp in there that keeps the tubing wrapped up neatly when not in use.



The only way for me to T off the cold water supply line under the sink would be to disconnect the drain and lift the sink out. Since its not my sink, and i didn't want to use the saddle valve, I settled on the faucet adapter. This then has a quick connect fitting attached to it.



Although i did not want to drill into any of my plumbing, I just couldn't stand having to shove the waste line tubing down the hole in the sink during each use. So I decided to go ahead and install the waste line into the drain pipe.
This can plugged up very easily whenever I move out.



So this is basically what it looks like in my kitchen when I'm making water. Yeah it's not really pretty, but for a 600sqf studio I'm pretty happy about it's functionality.

[adamfajge]

Who told you the Razor Light is coming Wed? I bought my Razor fixture from Hello Lights and I believe its being dropped shipped from the manufacturer just not sure on exact date. They got their money last month already.

[Tycho]

not my razor light... my current usa arm hanging kit from aquabuys.
Im going to use it to suspend the razor.

[E.intheC]

Tagging along. Even though it sucks to see the first tank scratched, it looks like they took care of you.

I'm very interested in that Maxspect Razor light. Good luck

[Tycho]

The tank they sent me as a replacement is nearly perfect and they took care of me pretty quick. In less than 2 weeks. I'm very happy with the outcome as this tank looks badazz when you're standing next to it. It's a steal for the price.

[blutang007]

Hey what shipping service did they use? Was it shipped right to your door? Loving this build, hope to see more.

[Tycho]

I just realized that if I plan to fill the tank on Wednesday I should start making water. Even at 75gpd, I can only run my rodi while I'm home since I dont have a float switch or anyway to shut it off.

I figured now was a good time start rinsing my sand. I ordered 55 lbs of CaribSea Dry Aragonite Special Grade. And when I rinsed a small batch, I could not believe how dirty this stuff was out of the bag. I think i can get it pretty clean with two rinses though.

I'll let this soak for a while then transfer it to another trashcan with clean water tomorrow.

[Tycho]

Originally Posted by blutang007

Hey what shipping service did they use? Was it shipped right to your door? Loving this build, hope to see more.

They use FedEx Freight to ship. It comes on a pallet and the driver will just slide it off the pallet at your door. If you want them to bring it in for you, they will charge you for the service, but i didn't ask them how much. I just borrowed a little dolly / cart from my apartment manager and wheeled it inside and up the elevator.
The shipping was really fast both times i had the tank sent. only took 3 days from where they shipped it from in California, to Portland, Oregon.

[Tycho]

My arm hanging kit arrived today, so i was finally able to slide the tank into its final position and level it.



The arms are very slick and extend right over the center of the tank.

[Tycho]

Now it's time for water... FINALLY!

[DIYnitemare]

You are going to want to soak that dry rock in some water for at least a few weeks to get rid of phosphates. All dry rock tends to leach it out for a bit.

[triggers_150]

Looks good so far.

Your plumbing is nice and clean.

[Tycho]

I finally got the tank filled and fired up and tested my overflow/drain system. Well it appears that the durso pipe that came with the tank is a bit too low. Water still has over a 4" drop into the overflow before it enters the drain. It makes a loud trickle...
And the drain pipes are so incredibly loud going into the sump that it sounds like all of the tanks at my LFS combined! also, for some reason the durso they gave me won't come apart, so I'm thinking it was glued.
Whoever designed the plumbing system for this tank didn't put any thought into it at all, soooo now I have to drain the tank and rip out all the plumbing and start over. I decided to build a herbie system this time, as I can't live with all the noise. I'll post some photos when I get started.

[adamfajge]

Originally Posted by Tycho

I finally got the tank filled and fired up and tested my overflow/drain system. Well it appears that the durso pipe that came with the tank is a bit too low. Water still has over a 4" drop into the overflow before it enters the drain. It makes a loud trickle...
And the drain pipes are so incredibly loud going into the sump that it sounds like all of the tanks at my LFS combined! also, for some reason the durso they gave me won't come apart, so I'm thinking it was glued.
Whoever designed the plumbing system for this tank didn't put any thought into it at all, soooo now I have to drain the tank and rip out all the plumbing and start over. I decided to build a herbie system this time, as I can't live with all the noise. I'll post some photos when I get started.

This is one of the reasons I am not going with Cadlights. Greeleafaquariums.com is coming out with large rimless tanks in a few months and stands.

[Tycho]

To top it off, after I yanked out the plumbing and measured the hole sizes I discovered they are too small for standard bulkheads. The 1 1/4 hole is actually drilled for maybe a 1" bulkhead and the 1/2" hole is too small for even a 1/2" bulkhead.
After searching around online, I figured out that they drilled the holes only large enough to fit mpt nipple fittings. Then they simply added bushings and gaskets on either side. That's not terrible, but It makes things more difficult...
I put a huge plumbing parts list together and ordered what I need to set up the herbie and modify my return. I should have the new plumbing done by thursday.

[Adam G]

Very cool looking tank. Looking forward to seeing it wet. I have a 22g Cadlights Nano I purchased from a local club member and I have to say I really like it. I have heard mixed things about Cadlights, but I sure like mine. My main 150g display is a Miracles rimless and I had a great experience with Miracles In Glass.