September 7, 2003:
The weekend came, and it was time to get this thing going! I spent two 12 hour days plumbing, wiring, drilling and tweaking the setup. I must appologize for not doing a true step by step, because I was just too busy. I will be glad to answer any questions you may have about the setup... just email me at the address on the first page, or use the web board to post me a message.
Instead of a step-by step, all I have now is a tour of the new setup. First I would like to just mention a couple of things
Learning Point #1: Hole saws are your friends!
I was very glad I had the new drill for this project. I had to get 2 new hole saws in different sizes from the local hardware store...
Expensive, but no time to order them now! I used the saws to make fan holes in the canopy and to drill returns in the TOP of the tank. ( I never imagined the
entire tank top would be enclosed...) Don't let anyone lie to you, I love Dremels as much as anyone (see my previous DIY projects), but if you are drilling acrylic,
and especially if it is in a brand new ~$700 tank..use the right tools, a good strong drill and hole saws.
Learning Point #2: Unions are worth their weight in GOLD
A union is a two piece adapter that fits inline on a pipe and allows that joint to be easily and repeatedly taken apart and put back together.
It is a two piece shell that screws together with an O-ring. Later on I will show you the places I used unions in this setup. I had already read enough horror stories about NOT using them that I picked some up
at the hardware store. (A tip, ACE hardware etc carries unions at about 1/3 the online aquarium store prices) Even at the cheaper price,
unions are going to add a bit to the cost of plumbing...a 1" union schedule 80 at ACE was $3.50, so in total it will add around $20 to the cost of plumbing
a new tank...that's CHEAP compared to having to rip out an entire plumbing job because of one mistake.
Learning Point #3: Never underestimate the ZIP TIE!
I frequently use zip ties for just about every project I do. They are cheap, amazingly strong and disposable. I used zip ties for
supporting the plumbing in the stand, mounting hard to mount devices, and also for joining two pieces of PVC that were different sizes. Also, with a good set of pliers, zip ties
make the BEST hose clamps you can buy, and they are plastic so no worries underwater.
Ok, Ok, enough rambling huh? How about some pictures? This first one is just to prove that yes, everything went together and no I didn't destroy the tank or the canopy doing it heh. It also shows the nice 4" hole for the light fan covered with a stylish chrome grill stolen from a computer I had overclocked and cut fan holes in.
Next is a view with the canopy open. Here you can see the CustomSealife 4x96w PC hood. It was a TIGHT fit inside the canopy. When they say 48" wide they mean it to the micrometer. Also note that this is about as open as the canopy gets because of my Friction Supports, but is more than enough to get to the tank for feeding cleaning etc. You can also see the X-10 mini-controller that controls all the lights in the system: Main/2 (for dusk dawn effect), Moonlights, and Refugium on a reverse photoperiod.
