150 DD cube build

Well, not much to see here yet but it feels a little like a small victory to have water in it. This has turned into a much more challenging adventure than anticipated.


History to now:

• Used 150 DD purchased from Des Moines after two trips from Cedar Rapids (my own dumb fault). 8 hours invested there...sigh.
  
• I was able to drag this beast inside with just my wife and I (poor thing) only to get cold feet about having it on the main level. There it sat for two weeks empty while I decided whether to sell it or find a home for it in the basement.
  
• Borrowed suction cups from local glass shop and again abused my poor wife as we drug it down my narrow, steep, not really up-to-code steps to the basement.
  
• Worked all weekend on plumbing it to my used Eshopps sump.
  
• Proceeded to make somewhere in the neighborhood of a million trips with buckets from my RO system in the second floor laundry down to the basement. For a tank that looks pretty small, this thing swallowed up water like a sponge. Sigh. I need a better water solution.
  
• Hooked up Reef Octopus skimmer, my durso arrangement, ReefBreeder LEDs and Sicce pump and let her rip.
  
• 7 nights of drip, drip, drip, tearing apart plumbing, dripping, plumbing, dripping, plumbing, finally replacing bulkheads and a few pvc pieces and on the 7th day the PVC gods said let there be sealed plumbing.
  
  
  So here I am....probably 20 pounds of live rock, 40 pounds of Marco and dead rock, and a tank full of water. There is really nothing to see but holy cow is it nice to be at...well.....the beginning?
  
  
  
  So the plan from here. Find a good deal on more live rock and add another 50-100 pounds. Figure out a better setup for my RO system. Purchase an ATO. Purchase a reefkeeper or Apex JR. I am actually planning to set up a 125 and build it into the wall so this may not even be a long-term venture with the 150 but if I keep investing this much time into it I will probably name it "The Nemesis" and just keep it so I can give it the stink eye. I am trying to keep it as simple as possible, stock it as lightly as possible, and literally populate the entire tank from frags I take out of my 30 gallon cube and then eventually transition the livestock and filters to the 125 when I buy one. Who knows how it will all turn out....I AM TIRED.
  
  

 

AWESOME tank! Honestly, I don't think I would add more rock if I were you. You want to keep room for the corals to grow. Do you have any pics of the side & inside the stand?

 

You could easily double your rocks with plenty room

 

nice tank! keep us up to date with the progress.

 

You have a good wife! And tough to. /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default//emoticons/smile.gif

 

Tank looks sweet dude. I have an AC jr if you are interested.

 

Thanks guys. I will add a few more shots as I go, including the inside but I have stuff squeezed in there. Basically everything is hidden behind a 15 gallon Rubbermaid I plan to fill for ATO. I will tell you this...being able to remove the sides of the stand has saved me a million times over...a really great design.
You know I really set out to set up a 60 cube or 75 reef ready that was furniture grade. If I am being honest I almost think I bit off more than I can chew only because my plan was to be closer to sinks, ro, etc. I am going to give it a little time to see if I want to create a fish room downstairs but otherwise I will probably downsize. This is just a lot of water to maintain long term without close proximity to equipment. It really is a cool tank though!
Thanks roman, pm me what you are looking for on that. I probably want to hold out for the newer ones with alerts but always open to saving money.

 

Hats off to you and the wife for the work you both have done to date! I hope you can figure out the RO quandry and other equipment obstacles that seem to have you questioning whether you will keep the DD tank! I think it looks awesome and I would just die for having that tank!! You have a masterpiece in your hands and I'm sure you could make it come to life :=0) Get some rest and your perspective about whether you will keep may change :0) Take your time as a masterpiece does not happen overnight! I look forward to many more pictures of your awesome build!!

 

Thanks for the pep talk Sponge! I think that is exactly what I will do...just take a few days and not think about it. My basement is really strange...I partially finished it but turned it into my man-cave so the ceilings are just unfinished and painted black. You would think that would make it easy to figure out a plumbing situation that would allow me to relocate the RO system from the second story. The bigger issue is really figuring out a drain because I put in a normal vanity...no real drain to add a utility sink and I think my wife likes the bathroom the way it is.

I really appreciate the support...it is kind of hard to fight the demons of second guessing when you realize how much time you are investing just to get to square one. I will try and shoot a few more photos. My ultimate goal is to try and keep this as simple and "natural" as possible. In other words use as little equipment as possible outside of water pumps, protein skimmer and strong lighting. I want to stay around 4-6 fish depending on the fish and just try and achieve as much "balance" as possible. Cubes are not the most ideal for large active fish anyway but man is it fun to look 36" deep from all sides!

 

Your response put a smaile on my face :=0) That's the spirit! I'm sure you will get the plumbing figured out and everyone is willing to give their ideas if you need them :0) Simple and natural is an awesome approach...life is complicated enough! lol Pumps, flow, skimmer, lighting and maybe some chaeto and wha-la!! Your spot-on about the fish in the cube :=0) Anthias, Banghaii's, Wrasse (Possum's are cool), Gobies (Clown is cool)...so many to choose from!! To make your life harder, then you need to figure out corals, inverts.... :+) I'll be waiting patiently for your masterpiece :0)

 

Wow really nice tank.

 

Sorry, not sure why I am turning a photo thread into my personal journey into insanity. This morning I am noticing a fair amount of salt creep around my threaded fittings below the drain and on the return line. I see no evidence of drips, well, beyond the salt creep of course...but my point is there is no active dripping.

Is this somewhat normal or just another sign that I did not tighten things down enough? I am supposed to be taking a few days away from it, lol. I am dangerously close to pulling the plumbing out and going entirely flexible tubing...the parts I did as flexible seem rock solid.

I guess the most productive part of this is that I have gone ahead and crossed off "plumber" as a potential career for my next life.

 

Where did u buy ur tank from and for how much?

 

I actually bought it on here used from another member for his asking price on the buy/sell forum. I think it was like 500. I really wanted to get like a 60 gallon cube but I kept missing out on those. This is a much larger tank than I really want to maintain long-term but you start pricing these things out in the store for new and it would have cost just as much to get a 45 gallon cube or 75 gallon with a cheap stand so I decided to get the big one. I definitely feel a little like I bit off more than I can chew here but I am sure I will be venting in here enough that I will have my answer soon enough.

I keep looking at my little 30 gallon cube and thinking how easy that was!

 

it sure is nice i am looking for a 75 or bigger cube myself just want to get a feel for the pricing on a used one for myself.

 

Thanks again Sponge...I will do exactly that and just watch it. I still have one slow drip in the hard plumbing from my pump but it drips into the sump so just leaving it until I am motivated to address it.

A couple more cruddy phone pics to at least validate existence in a photo thread:


Here is the obligatory man cave shot:




Quick shot of the simple sump. As you can see things are crammed in there but it really makes no difference because the sides of the stand all come off, and just as easily as opening the front doors. It really is a brilliant design and has saved me countless times. Basically a 14 gallon rubbermaid serving ATO using a JBJ. Reef Octopus skimmer which I am absolutely pleased with. Used Eshopps sump from AC&C.




Finally here is a shot of the canopy which is also brilliant in design. The entire front quarter lifts up or you can just open the front panels. It is definitely the best canopy design I have seen. Previous owner installed fans but I am not using them. I am currently just using a single ReefBreeders value fixture (120 optics) on here and I have an old Marineland LED I am using only for accent lighting or more often mood lighting. I have a second AWESOME controllable ReefBreeders fixture (90 optics) I was planning to add to this as well but it is currently doing duty on my 30 cube.

 

Haha, I meant moon lighting, not mood lighting...but if the shoe fits......

 

After everything your wife went through helping with the move, mood lighting is probably a good thing and needed! LOL

I bet you got it from Joe!?!! DEFINITELY a SaWEET tank, stand and canopy!!! Nice man-cave :=0)

 

No pics but just an update. Things have definitely improved. I picked up another 45 pounds of rock from a great girs member. The entire tank is now live rock from members so that is cool.
On the down side i picked up an orange spot goby from ac&c who was doing great and really adjusted well to the tank. Unfortunately he decided to take a midnight leap and jumped out...real bummer. Definitely need to add netting but I will definitely try again as it was an amazing fish.
All leaks appear to have stopped. Yes it was joes tank. All reading are really good, added a partial cleaning crew and just enjoying it as-is.