Dary's tank!

[Dary421]

Self check out at Home Depot is usually faster and at least you have no one but yourself to blame if you forget anything. I always end up making multiple trips to the old hardware store.

For some reason Dary does not do those self check out lines,.. I had to once at a " Ralph's" when one of the checkers called me over but I didn't like it at all..... I was at home depot at 6am this am and got all my stuff back without incident,...I also did an amazing amount of trim and fitting etc on my cabinet this morning along with my tanks's pwc ,..whew !!! It's been one busy couple of days.!!!! The end is in sight !!
So now that you've had your new skimmer up and running for a month whats your overall opinion ? Dd you make the right call or do you wish you would have purchased another model instead,.

 

[Gregcoyote]

No, I only paid $250 for it. It has been a bargain at that price and works very effectively. Hadn't needed to even touch the unit except to clean it at least once a week.

 

[Dary421]

No, I only paid $250 for it. It has been a bargain at that price and works very effectively. Hadn't needed to even touch the unit except to clean it at least once a week.

Good to hear.... I figured as much,...how's the new clam ?

 

[Sqasnatch]

Hey guys, dary the cabinet is looking awesome. I wanted to ask you pros a question about phosphates. My tank is 120 gallons and in 5 days time the phophates rise .02 which is interesting because a 5 gallon water change will drop the phosphates .02 . I was testing it today because I was up to .11 phosphates so I did 10 gallons today and it dropped to .07. I use Hanna phosphate checker. So tomorrow I will do another to get it to optimal phosphate. The question is is it cheaper to do 10 gallons a week water change or run ferrix oxide and do less water changes. I currently run with only protein skimmer and small amount of carbon.

 

[Gregcoyote]

Good to hear.... I figured as much,...how's the new clam ?

Clamming right along. They will get some new lights next week.

 

[Keithhjs]

Clamming right along. They will get some new lights next week.

Nice. Rapids I take it?

 

[Gregcoyote]

Yes. I want to do a direct comparison with the Chinese panels.

BTW...the Onyx fixture is back in stock tomorrow at Rapid. Get them while they last as they go back out of stock pretty quick. I hope I like these. I heard they will have a controllable fixture out soon as well. Price is a bit higher than Chinese panels, but much less than some of the other popular fixtures.

 

[Dary421]

I think I've hit the wall with my tank cabinet extension,..I've probably got another 15 minutes of wood cutting etc to do before I start the " grayling process" but after the last coupe of weeks or so and so many trips to home depot and the countless hours of measuring and cutting etc I simply can't get my butt off the couch long enough to get started today.
I did start mixing up the "graying formula " this afternoon (after a quick visit to the cemetery to wish my dad a " happy birthday ".) ..so I'll have to start on that Friday afternoon wether I really want to or not.,..it's kind of a interesting formula using vinegar,steel wool and a cup of tea that is applied to the wood,,.they say it's the tannins that'll turn the wood grayish,.... We've experimented using some test pieces and it's real easy to go too dark,..I think I'll prob go for a rather light shade of gray that'll show the grains in the wood as is.
Other than that ,all is well.

 

[Keithhjs]

I think I've hit the wall with my tank cabinet extension,..I've probably got another 15 minutes of wood cutting etc to do before I start the " grayling process" but after the last coupe of weeks or so and so many trips to home depot and the countless hours of measuring and cutting etc I simply can't get my butt off the couch long enough to get started today.
I did start mixing up the "graying formula " this afternoon (after a quick visit to the cemetery to wish my dad a " happy birthday ".) ..so I'll have to start on that Friday afternoon wether I really want to or not.,..it's kind of a interesting formula using vinegar,steel wool and a cup of tea that is applied to the wood,,.they say it's the tannins that'll turn the wood grayish,.... We've experimented using some test pieces and it's real easy to go too dark,..I think I'll prob go for a rather light shade of gray that'll show the grains in the wood as is.
Other than that ,all is well.

Sometimes you gotta take some "me" time. I'm in the same boat as you after cracking my frag tank and having to start half of my unfinished projects over again lol. Hang in there cuz your cabinet extension is looking very nice!

 

[CorallineAlgae]

Even draft horses have to rest every now an again. Sitting back for a night or two with a cocktail and some Gunsmoke ain't no crime! I find that mixing power tools and critical measuring with "burn-out" can be a pretty big waste of time anyway.

Still, it would be cool to see a few of those greyed out test pieces. I made my Kotatsu (Japanese heated coffee table) out of +-150yo reclaimed cypress and I regret not making my tank stand and hood out of it as well. Old wood, and even antiqued finishes on new wood, make such an impact. It'll be exciting to see the end results. Well worth waiting for.

 

[Gregcoyote]

Off topic, why heat a coffee table?

On topic, Sea Hunt would be more in style with the setting than Gunsmoke.

 

[CorallineAlgae]

It's an odd type of table. During the warmer parts of the year it's just like any other Asian style low table but in the winter you remove the top and place a heavy blanket over the table frame then replace the top. When you sit at the table the blanket keeps your legs nice and warm (low watt panel heaters are under the table frame). The kids LOVE to lie under it to watch TV or play games. If you google Kotatsu you'll see some examples. My daughter ask me for over a year to make one (from the time she was 8 & 9 years old). A place near my house sells loads of reclaimed wood from all over the nation so getting the wood was a breeze.

 

[Dary421]

Well,...after a few well deserved days off from the build I decided that Monday and Tuesday ( days off) will be the working days,...I really would like the cabinet to look like it came off an old dock after sitting out in the weather or the last ten years ,Distressed would kinda sum it up,...now weather (intended pun) I can achieve that look is another story but I'm going to try to at least come close.
I applied an ugly dark stain to the overall cabinet and now I'm using a small orbital sander to achieve a calico cat look which I hope will add some definition to the overall cabinet once I apply the finishing up staining combo.
It will be a busy day or two and if the fumes don't kill me than I should be ok ,... Man,..I could really screw this thing up in a heart beat ,... Oh well,..no guts no glory ,...and away I go !!!

 

[Gregcoyote]

"No Guts, No Glory" is my favorite line from the old guy on Gold Rush. Most really nice furniture or art projects look a mess right up until they look great. Behind every great reef tank, there is a mess responsible for keeping everything alive.

I have seen a similar technique you are using in a home my friend owns in Austin. His wife is a really good interior decorator and pulls off remarkable things. She liked to stain concrete and polish it. She made what looked like a leather wall covering that was really made of brown paper sacks crumpled up. Imagination!

 

[Dary421]

"No Guts, No Glory" is my favorite line from the old guy on Gold Rush. Most really nice furniture or art projects look a mess right up until they look great. Behind every great reef tank, there is a mess responsible for keeping everything alive.

I have seen a similar technique you are using in a home my friend owns in Austin. His wife is a really good interior decorator and pulls off remarkable things. She liked to stain concrete and polish it. She made what looked like a leather wall covering that was really made of brown paper sacks crumpled up. Imagination!

Well i spent the better part of the night applying a white stain base over the calico cat ugly stain which i had applied earlier... After a long early am dog walk with my dog scruffy i jumped in at 6am and started with the top stain coat which determines if you screwed it up or if you kick back and say whoa thats pretty cool.... Originally i was going to go with this steel wool vinegar and tea mixture to gray the wood but decided not to at the last minute because it was just too touchy and inconsistent on such a large project......for ME this has been one heck of a project and im glad the door ( actually ten of em) is closing.... Overall i like the way it came out., shes nice and lightly colored but it looks old and weathered.....ive got the fan blowing out the fumes and im off to run my errands for the day... Im not sure wether to seal if with a gloss or satin finish yet, but either way its gotta dry out first.
Ill take some pictures at a later date when shes finished completely but at this point im happy. With the results.
Its time for a nice frothy one !!!

 

[Keithhjs]

Can't wait to see the pics. By the way, how's that skimmer workin? I'm guessing its settled in and pulling out some nasty skimmate.

 

[Dary421]

Can't wait to see the pics. By the way, how's that skimmer workin? I'm guessing its settled in and pulling out some nasty skimmate.

I tried taking a few pics but its like taking pictures of your tank with your led lights on ., its just not the real way it looks in person..,in the pictures everything looks so brown but its actually rather grayish beige looking with darker hi lites.. but like it or not., its done and i like it., my gf dropped by last nite and said old distressed driftwood would be an accurate description of the color and look. It looks a lot better sitting next to it with a beer than looking at the pictures.,in fact the more beer the better it looks
Yep the skimmer is kicking butt and and its like the popiel oven.., " set it and forget it" im really happy with it., it really pulls out a lot of crud and besides my led lights i bought a couple years back it's my favorite aquarium purchase to date.
Hows your broken tank issue coming along.? I really haven't had a whole lot of time here lately to catch up on things forum wise.
Do you have any upcoming plans for the orca ?

 

[Keithhjs]

Wow the cabinet looks great! Coulda used your skills when I framed up my stand and lighting mount.
I had to acquire another tank as the crack made a new branch after holding water overnight. The new frag tank is still 6' x 3' but is only
10" high so its less water but same real estate pretty much. Ended up changing my sump too lol.
The orca plans have been put off indefinitely due to the acquisition of these over the last few weeks:
4 AI LED lights with controller
2 return pumps with GF wye check valves
Calcium reactor with solenoid regulator
Controllers
Dual reactor
Second frag tank
100 gal stock tank (sump)
100# dry reef rock
80# dry sand
Lots of hoses and fittings
Black egg crate diffuser
Sheesh.
Almost depressing listing it all. Ha. Just need another chiller and I am hopefully done. At least I picked up the ca reactor used and I already have another c skim 1800 on hand. Still longing for the orca though, I find myself periodically looking it up hehe.

 

[Dary421]

Wow the cabinet looks great! Coulda used your skills when I framed up my stand and lighting mount.
I had to acquire another tank as the crack made a new branch after holding water overnight. The new frag tank is still 6' x 3' but is only
10" high so its less water but same real estate pretty much. Ended up changing my sump too lol.
The orca plans have been put off indefinitely due to the acquisition of these over the last few weeks:
4 AI LED lights with controller
2 return pumps with GF wye check valves
Calcium reactor with solenoid regulator
Controllers
Dual reactor
Second frag tank
100 gal stock tank (sump)
100# dry reef rock
80# dry sand
Lots of hoses and fittings
Black egg crate diffuser
Sheesh.
Almost depressing listing it all. Ha. Just need another chiller and I am hopefully done. At least I picked up the ca reactor used and I already have another c skim 1800 on hand. Still longing for the orca though, I find myself periodically looking it up hehe.

Wow.... That's a lot of new toys !!!! All of that must have cost a ton of money but I know how things go with that ,... Don't worry keith ,Sooner or later that big ol'orca will arrive at your door step and your
Wife will give you " that " look when you are unwrapping all the bubble wrap,..she will probably not say anything but will stare at you for a moment and then leave the room ,more than likely shaking her head,..this also will not be the time to tell her that the vacation to Fiji may have to be put on the back burner because you've spent too much money on aquarium things. :-/
P.s. how's the doggie ?

 

[Gregcoyote]

Lucky, new toys seems to come in waves ( no pun intended). If it didn't, this hobby would have bankrupted me long ago. But I sure enjoy it.