MitchReef's Reef...well the current one at least....

BTW...water has been running in from the RO/DI for about an hour now.....000ppm TDS....I generally stop it when I'm not here or am asleep but I think I can just keep it going through the night and maybe the display will fill by some time tomorrow evening...dunno, just depends on the actual RO/DI rate....a big step if you ask me....
 
I still have to pressure wash and acid soak the rock before I use it...I don't have sand yet but I just want to get some salt water running in circles, then I will drain off some water as needed for addition of rock and sand and such....Again, I refuse to get in a hurry on this build....

But....I am going to keep things going on....
 
I had a pretty productive day today.....and I snapped pictures of some things I got done this past week....
I got the controller mounted and the Vortech controller will be mounted next to the controller display / keypad....


that's my DIY Breakout Box to the left of the head unit...below all that is the sump....I still don't have the skimmer box / baffles done and will try to complete that tomorrow....

the pipe and valve running across the front right of the sump is my water change drain...the end of the pipe has a hose adapter so I will run a length of garden hose through the wall so I can roll it out and drain down for water changes....just to the right side of the sump, tied into the display is my return pump...I need to build a shelf / stand for the return pump...

Excuse all the wires everywhere, they will all be neatly routed before it's done...this is kinda how I plan to do my rockwork....the rocks are all back in the bin soaking in bleach water...next weekend I will do the Muriatic acid then after it all dries I will use epoxy to build the scape...

That particular scape is about 42" wide and 19" tall...it will be different when done but that is the idea....this one is looking down on the scape....lots of flat horizontal places for corals....

this is the rubble that will go in the fuge along with what is in the current holding tank...

here is a Tank Room view of the tank just now...water level 16 inches and climbing....

Again....all the wires will be neat when done....this is a Living Room view...my sweet wife did the touch up paint except for across the bottom of the tank where I need to build up a little bit more with drywall mud before we paint that part....


Getting there!!!!
 
As it gets closer and closer towards the end result, you amaze me with your level of patience. That's what sets you apart from other reefers. You know the drill, and have like mentally trained yourself to do everything correctly from the ground up. I must say, A+ on everything. Role Model Status~:bowdown:
 
I guess it must be the zen way my chakras are aligned with my happiness axis and my calm and patience auras.....

anyway, I'm usually the world's most impatient human being but this a for ever build....and I'm pretty obsessive compulsive when it comes to DIY, which this whole build really has been....
 
I stopped the water flow last night at bedtime so it would not start going to the sump yet...I figure on doing my baffles / skimmer box today and it's hard to silicone all that in with water in the sump! Then it will be fill'er up time....

Rock is still bleaching, I will dump that and rinse late this afternoon...once well rinsed I figure on setting it out to dry....I will probably wait til next weekend to do the Muriatic acid dip....
 
Okay Kyle....maybe now I can explain the sump baffles / skimmer box....The Left side of the sump will be the fuge, as you can see here the wall has perforations down the right (front of sump) side.



It is 3/8" narrower than the sump to prevent it swelling and pushing the sump apart. It has compressable silicone holding it in....the right side will be the skimmer box with its own baffled outlet...



Each section has its own pipe from the overflows and the fuge empties to the large pump collection area via the runway past the skimmer box....

The locations for ATO float valves and probe racks are endless with such a large pump area in the sump....I like the fuge and skimmer having separate supplies and neither goes into or out of the other, two distinct steps happening. I have a valve to put into either of the overflow outlets if needed to regulate skimmer / fuge water flow distribution....
 
So...why don't you want water to go through the skimmer, then the fuge and then back to the tank or vice-versa? I've never understood that because it seems that way it only gets half of the filtration...
 
It's still going through but the flow through your fuge shouldn't be too rapid so I can adjust what part of the overflow (return pump) flow I want to put through the green stuff!!!!

Oh, and BTW....one overflow is like 2/3 full but the other is only a few inches....return pump water level push up will certainly correct that indifference...anyway, so far no leakage through the bulkheads...first critical water check nearly complete!!!! If it starts diverting to the fuge I will put the RO/DI tube in the insufficiently filled overflow box....
 
No rush....I'm an old fart and bought this house to grow old and ornery in....this build is forever...I even have a backup generator and a chiller if that should be needed.....
 
So, I had the water off from bedtime last night until I got home but it's running into the sump now.....once it comes up to level I will start the return pump....Guess I ought to build the pump stand....I didn't want water running without having been thoroughly water tested.....So far I have one checkpoint cheched off....tank bulkheads are water tight....hand + 1/4 turn.....
 
I made a huge step forward tonight...I got the sump filled up and started up the return pump, the Skimmer and the heater....I have dumped 2 bags of salt to the sump so far and will adjust it up from there....I believe it's a go now!!!
Here is a view of the display tank as it appears now.....

and the sump / fuge with skimmer, heater and return pump all going....

Here is the first real status check....

I figure on acid dipping the rock this weekend then getting a couple sticks of epoxy putty and putting together the major sections of scape.....Also plan to do some serious cable management to get the room as neat as it should be.....

Oh yeah....no leaks...water checks all went fine....
 

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