Carey's Final Reef Upgrade- 180g

[carey]

Awesome guys, thaqnks for all the information. i will use the new mag18 then.

Do you know how much the wp's are with the group buy? And the DC is a controllable pump right? lol

I just drained the tank after soaking it in vinegar overnight but there is still ALOT of scraping to be done. lol All the poweheads and skimmer are clean now though at least, the two heaters look brand new now, its amazing. The sump just needs a rinse and then thats ready too.

Thinking of moving the stand into position maybe tonight or tomorrow, living room is gonna be uber crowded until I get the 125g down. Poor big screen tv is gonna be wedged in between the two tanks. I elevated all the cords and strips in case of any accidental water spillage, hope thats enough.

[Gregcoyote]

Just be careful, frankly, I have come closer to killing myself playing which electricity and saltwater than flying, diving or anything else I do.

[carey]

LOL, yeah I will be. After I blew out my reefkeeper with water I vowed to be ultra careful.

[Greenstreet.1]

The 25 are 55$ and yes in the dc pump.

[Fishman007]

Originally Posted by carey

Awesome guys, thaqnks for all the information. i will use the new mag18 then.

Do you know how much the wp's are with the group buy? And the DC is a controllable pump right? lol

I just drained the tank after soaking it in vinegar overnight but there is still ALOT of scraping to be done. lol All the poweheads and skimmer are clean now though at least, the two heaters look brand new now, its amazing. The sump just needs a rinse and then thats ready too.

Thinking of moving the stand into position maybe tonight or tomorrow, living room is gonna be uber crowded until I get the 125g down. Poor big screen tv is gonna be wedged in between the two tanks. I elevated all the cords and strips in case of any accidental water spillage, hope thats enough.

I would think it would, unless water spilled directly onto the outlet or onto a plug.

[Gregcoyote]

Originally Posted by Fishman007

I would think it would, unless water spilled directly onto the outlet or onto a plug.

Saltwater unlike fresh water is pretty conductive. A splash of fresh water is unlikely to short a circuit, but SW takes just a drop. I would wrap some garbage bags around any power strips and outlets if you think it's gonna get crazy. That flat screen won't like saltwater either...

[Fishman007]

Originally Posted by Gregcoyote

Saltwater unlike fresh water is pretty conductive. A splash of fresh water is unlikely to short a circuit, but SW takes just a drop. I would wrap some garbage bags around any power strips and outlets if you think it's gonna get crazy. That flat screen won't like saltwater either...

Oh my mistake, didnt know that

[Gregcoyote]

Originally Posted by Fishman007

Oh my mistake, didnt know that

No problem, I learned this the hard way. I set a outlet on fire once because of a saltwater accident.

[carey]

The new tank is going to the right of the TV, against the adjoining wall and the 125g is already on the left about a foot away. Havent had any issues with the 125g and the electronics but with a new install there is bound to be a splash here and there. I just may use that idea of putting a garbage bag over the strips, very nice idea btw!

[carey]

So I posted a thread on my local reef clubs site asking for help moving the tank into the living room from the garage. It's cleaned up pretty well so I am ready to actually get going with this finally. lol

So, the hope is to get it moved this weekend, the stand we can just move ourselves since its not too heavy. The sump is pretty clean too. I put the skimmer for now into my 125g and it is a beast! I wish i had that skimmer the whole time,it is pulling out all sorts of gunk, it should do a great job on the 180g.

I'm still kinda torn on the lighting though. The canopy already has 3 250 watt halides and 2 vho actinics (they are almost 6 feet long!). Now, if I could sell this setup off I would consider buying 3 Tao Led panels but should I? I figure I can get the panels for about $400 give or take but I know the lights in the canopy arent worth that. Does anyone have any ballpark idea on how much lights like that would be used? I would love to save some money on the electric bill with the LEDs' but should I keep what I have? I plan on keeping mostly softies and LPS with maybe some easy hard corals like monti's. I ALSO have the 12 bulb T5 fixture over my 125g that i could use, BUT I need new bulbs and thats like $200 so thats not a very cost effective option.

What do you guys think? Please post your thoughts, I need some help deciding.

Thanks guys!

[huma-huma]

without a doubt go with the Tao's. id sell of the current lighting, possibly any extra fish equipment you have laying around, then go for the leds. replacing the bulbs in your t5 setup alone is half the price of the tao fixtures.

[carey]

ANy idea Huma how much the halide setup is worth? Along with the 2 vho's?
I know the wife said she just put in new bulbs too......

[Grizz]

This should give you an idea of there value. Or search the "C" list and see what others are asking.


250 Watt Metal Halide Lights 3 Lights with Hoods and Extra Bulb | eBay

250 Watt Metal Halide Reef Aquarium Lighting System | eBay

[redsea]

Originally Posted by carey

So I posted a thread on my local reef clubs site asking for help moving the tank into the living room from the garage. It's cleaned up pretty well so I am ready to actually get going with this finally. lol

So, the hope is to get it moved this weekend, the stand we can just move ourselves since its not too heavy. The sump is pretty clean too. I put the skimmer for now into my 125g and it is a beast! I wish i had that skimmer the whole time,it is pulling out all sorts of gunk, it should do a great job on the 180g.

I'm still kinda torn on the lighting though. The canopy already has 3 250 watt halides and 2 vho actinics (they are almost 6 feet long!). Now, if I could sell this setup off I would consider buying 3 Tao Led panels but should I? I figure I can get the panels for about $400 give or take but I know the lights in the canopy arent worth that. Does anyone have any ballpark idea on how much lights like that would be used? I would love to save some money on the electric bill with the LEDs' but should I keep what I have? I plan on keeping mostly softies and LPS with maybe some easy hard corals like monti's. I ALSO have the 12 bulb T5 fixture over my 125g that i could use, BUT I need new bulbs and thats like $200 so thats not a very cost effective option.

What do you guys think? Please post your thoughts, I need some help deciding.

Thanks guys!

That's great about getting it moved in, and I am glad everything is going well. As you know already, I am not much of a help with equipment. These days I love LEDs though, that is what will be going over my next tank (which is quickly approaching, finally).

[carey]

Thanks Grizz for the links. I havent seen any on craigslist lately so I was kinda unsure. Looks like with the right buyer I can get half the led's paid for. I guess for the time being I will use the existing light setup, I am dirt poor after this so I will have to wait til next month most likely for the new lights.

Hey redsea! Glad youre following along. I am going to get the new bulkheads today so any day now.....lol When are you going to take the plunge again with a sw tank?

[redsea]

Originally Posted by carey

Thanks Grizz for the links. I havent seen any on craigslist lately so I was kinda unsure. Looks like with the right buyer I can get half the led's paid for. I guess for the time being I will use the existing light setup, I am dirt poor after this so I will have to wait til next month most likely for the new lights.

Hey redsea! Glad youre following along. I am going to get the new bulkheads today so any day now.....lol When are you going to take the plunge again with a sw tank?

SOON! I honestly do not foresee me getting it any later than the end of November! I found a pretty good deal on a 75g, so I will probably go with that to start back up!

[huma-huma]

Originally Posted by carey

ANy idea Huma how much the halide setup is worth? Along with the 2 vho's?
I know the wife said she just put in new bulbs too......

ive never used nor dealt with MH or VHO so I wouldn't even be able to give you a good idea but it seems as though others have given some helpful advice. I know the dirt poor feeling though lol. guess that's what happens when you buy a new skimmer and a bunch of other stuff

[Gregcoyote]

I have a barn full of old MH fixtures. They aren't worth much as fish folks have gone LED. But hydro farmers still use them. Craigslist. And I don't mean "those" types of farmers.

[Sniperhank]

But you could be Greg! I often wonder what's neighbors think about the bright blue lighting that you can see out the windows for a mile...

[Gregcoyote]

The police actually came and checked my house because the power bill made them suspicious. I found it is not illegal to grow coral in all 50 states. They left deeply dissatisfied.