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CDA 87G

Ibn

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Tank has been sitting at Neptune for awhile now and just waiting for John to finish skinning the 8020 stand. This tank will replace my currently CAD Lights 47G in the same space.

Tank: CDA 87G (40x24x21 rimless, 3 sided starfire)
Overflow: Synergy Ghost with 2x1/2" returns on the rear corners
Sump: DIY 30x16.5x16 sump
Rock: Tonga branch
Skimmer: Vertex Omega 150 (transfer from 47G)
Return: TBD, but waiting for the COR20 to ship
Lights: 36" Maxspect Recurve
Dosing: BM doser (transfer from 47G)
 
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Should be once it's done. :)

Been working on the rock and the sump while John is working on the stand. Here's a teaser of one of the components of the sump.
jg_dosing_preinstall.jpg
 
Thanks! Should be done with the sump sometime this week. Finishing some feet for the rock and then it goes into the bin tomorrow for a bit of cleaning and curing.
 
Did you have old Tonga branch sitting around? If not where did you find some?

I didn't have any Tonga sitting around. I put a notification on the BRS simple branch stock ($3/lb) and ~350 lbs. was available on the site for ~4 days. I picked up 25# of it and used about 50-60% of it. This is basically all the rock that I'll be using in the new tank and it will have plenty of negative space.
tonga_used.jpg


Zip ties were used to hold a couple of the base pieces together before emarco was used. In the case of the branches, 3/16" holes were glued, inserted with acrylic rods, and then emarco to secure them. A couple of flat bottoms were created using emarco as well, since they will sit directly on the glass before the sand goes in.
tonga_hole.jpg


tonga_rod.jpg


Structure measures 20" across and 16" tall at the highest point, the right tip.
rockscape_needs_legs.jpg


I plan to drill some additional 3/16" holes in the finished rock for sps. The sps, which I'll pick up down the line, will be glued to the acrylic rods and inserted into these holes. It'll allow me to move them around and find the right location for them before permanently affixing them to the rock.
 
I hadn’t heard of the brs branch. That’s a good price. I may have to look into that. Thanks for the info. Good plan and cool looking piece.
 
Love that doser look. Very interested to see that Recurve on there too.

Are you just going to have that one structure? Or more than one?

Also very curious about the stand, I was looking into doing that for my 200, however cost of 8020 (or other "t-slot") really shoots up when you start adding all the fastener costs that gives it strength (as a result, might stick with wood, it's easy to work with, very forgiving of mistakes and cheap as all hell)
 
Love that doser look. Very interested to see that Recurve on there too.

Are you just going to have that one structure? Or more than one?

Also very curious about the stand, I was looking into doing that for my 200, however cost of 8020 (or other "t-slot") really shoots up when you start adding all the fastener costs that gives it strength (as a result, might stick with wood, it's easy to work with, very forgiving of mistakes and cheap as all hell)

Mostly that single structure there. I'll move a smaller rock from the current tank, which is used to prop the hammer and frogspawn combo over. The zoa rocks will come over as well, but they're all covered with zoas and you can't see the underlying rock. The current rockwork as well as the tank will be sold off at a pretty steep discount on the day of the actual transition/changeover.

Stand should be done soon and I'm looking forward to seeing it completed as well. The 8020 is expensive, but I haven't done one before so figured why the heck not.
 
Your branching sculpture looks great! So you’re keeping the sand bed?

Thanks! I'm keeping ~2 cups of the old sand and will be seeding some new sand with it. Using Caribsea Fiji pink this time around instead of the Tropic Eden sand. The remaining sand and all of the rocks in the current tank will be sold off once they transfer occurs.
 
Sump is pretty much done. 3 inflows from the Synergy Shadow overflow. One outflow for a TBD return pump and one hole for the wires to sneak through. Quad dosing lines: 3 for Alk, Ca, and Mg; last one for ATO. I might add an additional 1-2 JG fittings on there just in case I look at the Triton system down the line. 2 sets of heater holders with silicone bands to secure them. Eggcrate in between the dividers just in case I need to toss a bag of carbon or a polyfilter in there. Dimensions of the sump is 30x16.5x16 (almost the same footprint as my current tank).

Left compartment - ~11" x 16" for skimmer. Will be reusing the Vertex Omega 150, but I built that compartment to be able to house something along the lines of a BK 160/180. Middle compartment is where the Marinepure 8x8x4 bricks will go (x2) along with the 2L of siporax (I'll build an eggcrate cradle for it or something). Right side compartment is ~5.5" across, which gives me the option to run a number of return pumps (Cor20, L1/M1, etc).
upload_2018-3-24_10-10-9.png


Oh, the top that it's sitting on is actually the front door to the stand that John finished yesterday. Stand looks nice and I'm painting/sealing it the next few days. I'll post pics of it once it's closer to being done.
 
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You should stick a Pax Bellum in there and try going without water changes. You’re planning on doing two part already so just go Triton.
 
Yes, I'm considering it. I have the knockoff version of the Pax Bellum algae reactor already. Will have to read more into the Triton method.
 
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