Ongoing tweaks

Goldndoodle · 02/23/2015, 09:35 AM

I consider myself to be a pretty detail oriented person. I have gone to great lengths to think about, and plan each phase of my new aquarium build. But I constantly find myself tweaking / changing things I thought were done, with each forward step.

This weekend's example ... I finally moved my corals out of my nanoCube into the new tank. I installed my BML LEDs in the canopy over a month ago. I measured, and tested the placement several times. Everything looked great during the cycle. I start putting corals in the tank, and realized I had the three fixtures grouped too close together. I wasn't receiving enough light on the front of the rocks for the Zoo frags I wanted to put on them. So this morning, I moved the front 14k fixture closer to the front of the tank, then moved the Super Actinic to be halfway between the 12k in back, and the 14k's new position.

After moving the fixtures, I sat back and noticed that the 14k fixture lit up the front of the rocks better, but there was a dark spot running the entire ridge of the rock work. After looking around a little, I realized the hinge for the glass lids was the problem / culprit. So now, after considering for weeks to run with or without the lids, I have removed them. Now I'll have to cut some egg crate to keep fish from seeking freedom.

Does anyone else find themselves constantly finding some reason to tweak their system?

gone fishin · 02/23/2015, 10:18 AM

Instead of egg crate consider a window screen frame kit from depot or lowes and some 1/4" clear mesh from BRS. I have heard of fish making it through the eggcrate.

It seems like I always find something to tweak.

Goldndoodle · 02/23/2015, 01:53 PM

Screen ordered from BRS - just checked Lowes the local store has the DIY screen frames.

I've still got a couple of weeks for the fish to make it through TTM, so I've got time before the screens HAVE to be in place.

BTW - had my first injury this morning due to my aquarium ... while moving the LED fixtures, I left a cordless drill sitting on the floor. Went to go get a cup of coffee, the phone started to ring, ran back into the Office to grab the phone and jammed the 1/8" bit that was still in the drill into my leg about 1.5" deep. Had to pull it out, then head to the Dr. for him to clean it and dress it, get a tetanus shot, script for antibiotics and pain pills! Fun morning ... NOT!

I'm adding the Office visit, tetanus shot and prescriptions to the Aquarium costs spreadsheet!

ZeeSparrow · 02/23/2015, 01:57 PM

Ouch!!

gone fishin · 02/23/2015, 02:22 PM

Ouch!! Need to be coffee'd up before power tool use.

I saw a thread the other day with the screens. The fella had notched the outside of the screen for a place for the wires to go. Instead of snipping the screen for the power wires. I will doing that when I get some time, more tweaks

Goldndoodle · 02/23/2015, 02:29 PM

Hadn't thought about the wires and the screen frames - going to have to find that thread ...

I'm guessing he just used a roto-tool ... not much chance of impaling myself with one of those!

gone fishin · 02/23/2015, 02:34 PM

yeah I believe it was a rototool or a dremel. It was a fairly recent thread. I will see if I can find it, I responded to it.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2480852

Goldndoodle · 02/23/2015, 02:45 PM

That will work. I might also notch the black plastic on the tank as well to allow the cables to go straight up, instead of around that. Though that will probably require a floating "catcher" to keep the black plastic shavings from ending up in the tank. Hmm ... more thinking and planning to be done.

You do realize you're giving me ideas for MORE tweaks ...

mmn · 02/23/2015, 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gone fishin

Instead of egg crate consider a window screen frame kit from depot or lowes and some 1/4" clear mesh from BRS. I have heard of fish making it through the eggcrate.

It seems like I always find something to tweak.

I was at HD yesterday looking at screen frames. There was this "hardware cloth" made out of plastic and looked like 1/4 inch mesh.

Anyone tried that?

gone fishin · 02/23/2015, 06:15 PM

[QUOTE=
You do realize you're giving me ideas for MORE tweaks ...[/QUOTE]

Glad to be of service

gone fishin · 02/23/2015, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mmn

I was at HD yesterday looking at screen frames. There was this "hardware cloth" made out of plastic and looked like 1/4 inch mesh.

Anyone tried that?

I have not seen that. Next time I am there I will take a look.

Goldndoodle · 02/24/2015, 09:24 AM

Bought a 48x48 frame kit at Lowes this morning for $12, and picked up a second set of corner pieces for $2. I'll get the frames together today, with the holes for cables appropriately spaced. I've got some electrical anti-short bushings in my toolbox, I think I'll trim a couple of those to fit, and caulk them in place so the wires aren't rubbing on cut aluminum. The clear mesh from BRS will be delivered tomorrow.

I'll snap some photos along the way and post.

Hopefully I won't lose any limbs, or do any serious damage to myself during this "tweak".

gone fishin · 02/24/2015, 01:46 PM

Good Luck

kmbyrnes · 02/25/2015, 06:04 AM

+1 on BRS netting. -1 on egg crate, it blocks too much light

Goldndoodle · 02/25/2015, 08:58 AM

-1 on BRS Security breach!!

Loved getting the letter yesterday saying they'd been hacked and my Credit Card may be in the open! AWESOME!

Goldndoodle · 02/25/2015, 09:00 AM

Notches in frame w/ anti-short bushings in place ...

BRS netting is out for delivery.

Goldndoodle · 02/25/2015, 11:47 AM

BRS netting delivered and installed ...

Goldndoodle · 02/25/2015, 01:06 PM

It's only been a couple of hours, but I gotta say - the screens are an awesome tweak!

I put some egg crate up there the other night ... just because. The difference in lighting is noticeable - much improved. I just noticed one of the clumsy clod hermits knocked a small shroom frag off of the rock onto the sand - much easier to move the screens than either the egg crate or the glass lids!!

Steveg229 · 02/25/2015, 04:11 PM

I am always messing with something. Nice work with the screen tops. I built mine awhile back and am really happy with them. I made my screens 1" smaller in the back and installed a piece of 1" x 1/2" acrylic along the whole length and put my cutouts for the wires in the acrylic.

gone fishin · 02/25/2015, 04:44 PM

Nice

Goldndoodle · 03/07/2015, 10:28 AM

Just had an unexpected bonus from a tweak ...

My returns enter my sump, and go into 2 filter socks. I added some extensions to make the water go almost all the way to the bottom of the socks.

I've been noticing when I change the socks, that the bottoms are filthy, while just a few inches above where the extensions end, it starts to be much cleaner. So this morning while switching out the socks, I decided to drill holes every couple of inches along the extensions, figuring that will allow water to flow more evenly through the socks.

Put the socks back in, attached the extensions, fired up the return pump ... and the return piping is now absolutely silent I never thought my returns were noisy at all, but they are absolutely dead quiet now. The only thing I can hear is the humming of the skimmer pump now.

kmbyrnes · 03/08/2015, 07:17 AM

Sometimes it seems the reason for the tanks is to have something to tweak.
But my wife doesn't mind too much, she says it keeps me too broke to go to the bar!
BTW Goldndoodle, how do you like the DC9000?

Goldndoodle · 03/08/2015, 08:08 AM

LOVE the Jebao DC9000! The slow ramp on start up is really nice! It's very quite as well.

02/23/2015, 09:35 AM	#1
Goldndoodle Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Monroe MI Posts: 576	Ongoing tweaks I consider myself to be a pretty detail oriented person. I have gone to great lengths to think about, and plan each phase of my new aquarium build. But I constantly find myself tweaking / changing things I thought were done, with each forward step. This weekend's example ... I finally moved my corals out of my nanoCube into the new tank. I installed my BML LEDs in the canopy over a month ago. I measured, and tested the placement several times. Everything looked great during the cycle. I start putting corals in the tank, and realized I had the three fixtures grouped too close together. I wasn't receiving enough light on the front of the rocks for the Zoo frags I wanted to put on them. So this morning, I moved the front 14k fixture closer to the front of the tank, then moved the Super Actinic to be halfway between the 12k in back, and the 14k's new position. After moving the fixtures, I sat back and noticed that the 14k fixture lit up the front of the rocks better, but there was a dark spot running the entire ridge of the rock work. After looking around a little, I realized the hinge for the glass lids was the problem / culprit. So now, after considering for weeks to run with or without the lids, I have removed them. Now I'll have to cut some egg crate to keep fish from seeking freedom. Does anyone else find themselves constantly finding some reason to tweak their system? __________________ I don't want an "instant reef" ... I want a successful reef! 120G DT: dual Jebao WP25s, (3) 48" BML LED fixtures, APEX controller 50G sump: Jebao DC9000, Finnex 300 heaters, SCA Skimmer, fuge

02/23/2015, 10:18 AM	#2
gone fishin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Wyocena Wi Posts: 6,936	Instead of egg crate consider a window screen frame kit from depot or lowes and some 1/4" clear mesh from BRS. I have heard of fish making it through the eggcrate. It seems like I always find something to tweak. __________________ Tony Current Tank Info: 180gal DT, BM NAC77 skimmer,3 Maxspect razors, Maxspect Gyre 150, 30g QT

02/23/2015, 01:53 PM	#3
Goldndoodle Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Monroe MI Posts: 576	Screen ordered from BRS - just checked Lowes the local store has the DIY screen frames. I've still got a couple of weeks for the fish to make it through TTM, so I've got time before the screens HAVE to be in place. BTW - had my first injury this morning due to my aquarium ... while moving the LED fixtures, I left a cordless drill sitting on the floor. Went to go get a cup of coffee, the phone started to ring, ran back into the Office to grab the phone and jammed the 1/8" bit that was still in the drill into my leg about 1.5" deep. Had to pull it out, then head to the Dr. for him to clean it and dress it, get a tetanus shot, script for antibiotics and pain pills! Fun morning ... NOT! I'm adding the Office visit, tetanus shot and prescriptions to the Aquarium costs spreadsheet! __________________ I don't want an "instant reef" ... I want a successful reef! 120G DT: dual Jebao WP25s, (3) 48" BML LED fixtures, APEX controller 50G sump: Jebao DC9000, Finnex 300 heaters, SCA Skimmer, fuge

02/23/2015, 02:22 PM	#5
gone fishin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Wyocena Wi Posts: 6,936	Ouch!! Need to be coffee'd up before power tool use. I saw a thread the other day with the screens. The fella had notched the outside of the screen for a place for the wires to go. Instead of snipping the screen for the power wires. I will doing that when I get some time, more tweaks __________________ Tony Current Tank Info: 180gal DT, BM NAC77 skimmer,3 Maxspect razors, Maxspect Gyre 150, 30g QT

02/23/2015, 02:29 PM	#6
Goldndoodle Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Monroe MI Posts: 576	Hadn't thought about the wires and the screen frames - going to have to find that thread ... I'm guessing he just used a roto-tool ... not much chance of impaling myself with one of those! __________________ I don't want an "instant reef" ... I want a successful reef! 120G DT: dual Jebao WP25s, (3) 48" BML LED fixtures, APEX controller 50G sump: Jebao DC9000, Finnex 300 heaters, SCA Skimmer, fuge

02/23/2015, 01:57 PM	#4
ZeeSparrow Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Spokane Valley, WA Posts: 788	Ouch!!

02/23/2015, 02:34 PM	#7
gone fishin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Wyocena Wi Posts: 6,936	yeah I believe it was a rototool or a dremel. It was a fairly recent thread. I will see if I can find it, I responded to it. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2480852 __________________ Tony Current Tank Info: 180gal DT, BM NAC77 skimmer,3 Maxspect razors, Maxspect Gyre 150, 30g QT

02/23/2015, 02:45 PM	#8
Goldndoodle Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Monroe MI Posts: 576	That will work. I might also notch the black plastic on the tank as well to allow the cables to go straight up, instead of around that. Though that will probably require a floating "catcher" to keep the black plastic shavings from ending up in the tank. Hmm ... more thinking and planning to be done. You do realize you're giving me ideas for MORE tweaks ... __________________ I don't want an "instant reef" ... I want a successful reef! 120G DT: dual Jebao WP25s, (3) 48" BML LED fixtures, APEX controller 50G sump: Jebao DC9000, Finnex 300 heaters, SCA Skimmer, fuge

02/23/2015, 06:15 PM	#10
gone fishin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Wyocena Wi Posts: 6,936	[QUOTE= You do realize you're giving me ideas for MORE tweaks ...[/QUOTE] Glad to be of service __________________ Tony Current Tank Info: 180gal DT, BM NAC77 skimmer,3 Maxspect razors, Maxspect Gyre 150, 30g QT

02/24/2015, 09:24 AM	#12
Goldndoodle Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Monroe MI Posts: 576	Bought a 48x48 frame kit at Lowes this morning for $12, and picked up a second set of corner pieces for $2. I'll get the frames together today, with the holes for cables appropriately spaced. I've got some electrical anti-short bushings in my toolbox, I think I'll trim a couple of those to fit, and caulk them in place so the wires aren't rubbing on cut aluminum. The clear mesh from BRS will be delivered tomorrow. I'll snap some photos along the way and post. Hopefully I won't lose any limbs, or do any serious damage to myself during this "tweak". __________________ I don't want an "instant reef" ... I want a successful reef! 120G DT: dual Jebao WP25s, (3) 48" BML LED fixtures, APEX controller 50G sump: Jebao DC9000, Finnex 300 heaters, SCA Skimmer, fuge

02/24/2015, 01:46 PM	#13
gone fishin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Wyocena Wi Posts: 6,936	Good Luck __________________ Tony Current Tank Info: 180gal DT, BM NAC77 skimmer,3 Maxspect razors, Maxspect Gyre 150, 30g QT

02/25/2015, 06:04 AM	#14
kmbyrnes Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Mesa AZ Posts: 2,055	+1 on BRS netting. -1 on egg crate, it blocks too much light __________________ 125g Mixed Reef 5/26/2015; 350 Butterfly Dominated FOWLR 11/26/2015 - 11/17/20217 & 07/31/18 to ??? ; 100g Mixed Reef 11/16/2013 to 06/16/2017 Current Tank Info: Too small

02/25/2015, 08:58 AM	#15
Goldndoodle Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Monroe MI Posts: 576	-1 on BRS Security breach!! Loved getting the letter yesterday saying they'd been hacked and my Credit Card may be in the open! AWESOME! __________________ I don't want an "instant reef" ... I want a successful reef! 120G DT: dual Jebao WP25s, (3) 48" BML LED fixtures, APEX controller 50G sump: Jebao DC9000, Finnex 300 heaters, SCA Skimmer, fuge

02/25/2015, 09:00 AM	#16
Goldndoodle Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Monroe MI Posts: 576	Notches in frame w/ anti-short bushings in place ... BRS netting is out for delivery. __________________ I don't want an "instant reef" ... I want a successful reef! 120G DT: dual Jebao WP25s, (3) 48" BML LED fixtures, APEX controller 50G sump: Jebao DC9000, Finnex 300 heaters, SCA Skimmer, fuge

02/25/2015, 11:47 AM	#17
Goldndoodle Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Monroe MI Posts: 576	BRS netting delivered and installed ... __________________ I don't want an "instant reef" ... I want a successful reef! 120G DT: dual Jebao WP25s, (3) 48" BML LED fixtures, APEX controller 50G sump: Jebao DC9000, Finnex 300 heaters, SCA Skimmer, fuge

02/25/2015, 01:06 PM	#18
Goldndoodle Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Monroe MI Posts: 576	It's only been a couple of hours, but I gotta say - the screens are an awesome tweak! I put some egg crate up there the other night ... just because. The difference in lighting is noticeable - much improved. I just noticed one of the clumsy clod hermits knocked a small shroom frag off of the rock onto the sand - much easier to move the screens than either the egg crate or the glass lids!! __________________ I don't want an "instant reef" ... I want a successful reef! 120G DT: dual Jebao WP25s, (3) 48" BML LED fixtures, APEX controller 50G sump: Jebao DC9000, Finnex 300 heaters, SCA Skimmer, fuge

02/25/2015, 04:11 PM	#19
Steveg229 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Manhattan, IL Posts: 65	I am always messing with something. Nice work with the screen tops. I built mine awhile back and am really happy with them. I made my screens 1" smaller in the back and installed a piece of 1" x 1/2" acrylic along the whole length and put my cutouts for the wires in the acrylic. __________________ 90 gallon mixed reef, Apex controller, 2 IT2040 LED's, 2 jebao RW-8's, JNS CO-1 skimmer, GFO/Carbon reactor

02/25/2015, 04:44 PM	#20
gone fishin Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2011 Location: Wyocena Wi Posts: 6,936	Nice __________________ Tony Current Tank Info: 180gal DT, BM NAC77 skimmer,3 Maxspect razors, Maxspect Gyre 150, 30g QT

03/07/2015, 10:28 AM	#21
Goldndoodle Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Monroe MI Posts: 576	Just had an unexpected bonus from a tweak ... My returns enter my sump, and go into 2 filter socks. I added some extensions to make the water go almost all the way to the bottom of the socks. I've been noticing when I change the socks, that the bottoms are filthy, while just a few inches above where the extensions end, it starts to be much cleaner. So this morning while switching out the socks, I decided to drill holes every couple of inches along the extensions, figuring that will allow water to flow more evenly through the socks. Put the socks back in, attached the extensions, fired up the return pump ... and the return piping is now absolutely silent I never thought my returns were noisy at all, but they are absolutely dead quiet now. The only thing I can hear is the humming of the skimmer pump now. __________________ I don't want an "instant reef" ... I want a successful reef! 120G DT: dual Jebao WP25s, (3) 48" BML LED fixtures, APEX controller 50G sump: Jebao DC9000, Finnex 300 heaters, SCA Skimmer, fuge

03/08/2015, 07:17 AM	#22
kmbyrnes Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2013 Location: Mesa AZ Posts: 2,055	Sometimes it seems the reason for the tanks is to have something to tweak. But my wife doesn't mind too much, she says it keeps me too broke to go to the bar! BTW Goldndoodle, how do you like the DC9000? __________________ 125g Mixed Reef 5/26/2015; 350 Butterfly Dominated FOWLR 11/26/2015 - 11/17/20217 & 07/31/18 to ??? ; 100g Mixed Reef 11/16/2013 to 06/16/2017 Current Tank Info: Too small

03/08/2015, 08:08 AM	#23
Goldndoodle Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2013 Location: Monroe MI Posts: 576	LOVE the Jebao DC9000! The slow ramp on start up is really nice! It's very quite as well. __________________ I don't want an "instant reef" ... I want a successful reef! 120G DT: dual Jebao WP25s, (3) 48" BML LED fixtures, APEX controller 50G sump: Jebao DC9000, Finnex 300 heaters, SCA Skimmer, fuge