I'm stumped

[wmboots]

spent yesterday pouring floor leveler over 1/4" concrete board to help level these 125 year old floors. Rich just sent me a message letting me know he is on the way with the bit to drill the second return for the closed loop system. It appears the 150 is finally going up, maybe a few more days but have 130 gallons of new water mixed, need to mix another 25 gallons and combined with water in my tank at this time should be enough to fill system with 40 gallon sump. Don't know if I will post pics since this change over is happening at such a spur of the moment and not at all like I wanted it too happen. Had planned on completely redoing my home office where my tank sits now I'm working around so much clutter it looks completely disorganized.
A BIG thank you to Jenn at Imagine Ocean for allowing me and Rich to use her drill bit, this is just another reason she is the LFS I recommend the most (by the way Jenn I hope you got that nice guy who stiffed you).

 

[rdnelson]

Bill may not do pics but I will.
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[rdnelson]

That's my best hole so far. LOL After the first two drilled in my tank I was experienced. Now after the third hole in my tank and one in Bill's I am an expert. LOL Almost no chip out on this one.

 

[wmboots]

Rich did you have to get al that junk that was outside my shop that was supposed to go to dump/recycler? Now that I actually spent the past couple of days in the old shop I realize I need to send a couple of the grunts working for me over to the shop for a few days for clean up and organization.

 

[wmboots]

A big thank you to Rich for coming over this morning and drilling the hole to complete the closed loop system. If you need any help in convincing your wife to let you have your latest and greates toy in the house let me know and you know it goes without saying that when you do start the setup and change over all you have to do is call.

As for progress I finished laying the tile today and will apply grout tomorrow, while that is drying I will begin plumbing. Also I need to contact one of my suppliers to see if they might have 16 or so T5 tombstones to retrofit the hood (until I can let loose of the funds and time to do one of those diy LED setups I've been following).
Hopefully I can get this tank setup before the end of this week, if not I guess there is always next weekend. Just hope the remaining inhabitants wil last that long!

 

[rdnelson]

Well when those grunts are finished, send them this way. I can hardly turn around in my garage. LOL Having a 125 and a 120 both with stands and canopies makes it a bit hard to use the table saw. Oh well, I guess that is what driveways are for right?????

 

[wmboots]

Grouted tile last night, cleaned up this evening, finally ready to move stand and tank into place tomorrow evening. Then the fun begins with plumbing and retrofitting canopy with T5 lights since I can't convince someone to let me use that beautiful LED setup he has been working on with those oh so powerfull 50 watt chips
Hopefully I will be ready to start moving everything over by Friday

 

[siege]

Ok, so I know I'm a little late into the thread, but I have a question and a suggestion, for what it's worth.

First, what is this vodka dosing??? I've been out of the hobby for a couple of years now, but I think I have to assume that this does not mean what it first sounds like... I can't really imagine anyone is pouring vodka into their reef tanks...?!

Next, as much as it pains me to realize I probably need new bulbs for my own lights (they ran for about a year before going in to storage in early 2008, and haven't been used since), I'm guessing the others are probably right about getting new bulbs.

Finally, have you considered trying Garf Grunge? I had some odd problems with my corals and nitrites, etc., that I just couldn't seem to track down no matter what I tried in my last tank. We had started it off with some garf grunge anyway, and then after a power outage lasting nearly 3 days (the tank was on life support with a single internal pump and heater being run off an enterprise-grade server UPS) things just got worse and it seemed like nothing was ever going to help short of starting over. As a last ditch effort, we got another bag of Garf Grunge, and just a few weeks later it was like a small miracle had taken place. Then about 2 months later I had to move across country

In hindsight, we were pretty sure that the plenum design we had used under our sand-bed was to blame... I definitely won't be doing that again. Way too much anaerobic crud trapped under there that would occasionally get disturbed and wind up poisoning the tank.

 

[rdnelson]

Got your voicemail last night. Sorry but I was on the phone for well over an hour trying to upgrade my daughters cell phone for her birthday. What a painful experience that was. LOL All I have to say is, it's not my fault. LOL I can't believe neither one of us thought to check that.

Edit: Siege, he found a broken heater that was electrifying the tank. He is pretty sure that is the cause of the problems. He has already taken the tank down and is in the process of setting up a 150 that he has been wanting to put up.

As for the vodka dosing, what you first thought is exactly correct. LOL People dose with vodka because it is mostly carbon. I have read about it but can't explain it in great detail. From what I gather, it is a way to reduce the nitrates.

 

[wmboots]

ran into another situation the tank I had planned to use as a sump won't work. Don't ask me why never tried setting it in the cabinet before but I didn't and really thought it would work but with no doors or removable panels on the end of the cabinet I can't get it inside.

 

[rdnelson]

Oh man. Did you come up with a solution?

 

[wmboots]

tank is in place, plumbing almost complete, my son came over after handling a couple service calls and helped me this afternoon. We finally came up with a solution to the sump and got the 40 gallon sump under the stand. Will try to remember to post a few pics of the stand, tank and plumbing later on.
On the coral and other aquatic life front, I basicly have lost everything, found a sailfin I've had for over 10 years in the rocks and don't find my coral beauty and couple other fish anymore. All coral is gone except for a few neon green paly. Guess I will be starting all over after so many years. I haven't put a $ value to all that is lost but do the math having a tank in place for 7 years or more as a full blown reef system