Dirt4dinner's build up

[Dirt4dinner]

Leak test in complete, nothing major to report (which is good)...with a little luck and some muscle. We will get the tank into the living room tomorrow. I think with it being easter we won't have any saltwater into it until next week sometime. I am ready...aren't you?

[Dirt4dinner]

One of my last major hurdles (both literally, and with my wife) was to drill a hole through the wall from the bathroom vanity to the wall where the tank will be. I just did it...was actually much easier than I thought. I didn't have a drill bit long enough to go all the way through (which would have made it really easy) so I had to go through one way, then measure and go from the other wall. To my surprise I hit it within an 1/8" and it's done. I used a BBQ skewer through the wall and hooked my RODI hose onto it and pulled it back through. DONE!

[spookey]

plastic or glass for a sump?

[Dirt4dinner]

acrylic sump...why do you ask?

[Dirt4dinner]

Well,
It is getting SUPER close to done. The only things left are pretty simple. We bought an IKEA box (latace looking) to put the chiller in, I need to cut out a spot for the plug in on the chiller, and a corner out of the top for the hoses. It is stained to match the tank and will look wonderful next to the tank!
The other thing I just discovered is that my float valve leaks BIG TIME when there is water coming from the RODI unit into the sump. It isn't just a leak its a FOUNTAIN! So I need to some how get my arms back there and try to get that tightened up or adjusted...wish I could have tested that before I had the tank full of water and rock. But, live and learn huh!?
Here are some pics, I was so excited that I didn't even clean up my supplies (buckets and tools). So here they are!
There are a couple photos of my SWEET rock with zoas, encrusting monti, and some plate corals that I am hoping survived the extended stay in the bins in my kitchen. I have already seen micro stars starting to move about, and a few baby snails already on the glass. I will test tomorrow to see how bad the ammonia spike is, hopefully not to rough on the sytem!
One more thing I did since the last update, was install a 25W UV sterilizer on the back of the stand (basically not possible to photo it where it is), and I also mounted a big power strip on the inside of the stand with a nice drip loop area for any run-off.
The rock work is only touching the sand in a few spots, and I stuck PVC down into the sand and set rocks on it, I didn't want to see any PVC so the fronts of the rocks are sitting in the sand, but the back are supported about 2" above the sand.
What do you think!?!?

[Sweetpea]

Oh Tyler, that's awesome! You have done such an amazing job! I am so happy for you!!! :-D

(Those are all great pics... a nice journal to keep track of how things progress. It'll be fun to see the changes between these pics and the ones you take 6 months, a year, etc. from now!)

[Whoyah]

Looking good.

[lReef lKeeper]

amazing job Tyler, well "mouth" is speechless, so thats all im gonna say.

[dsfdbutterfly]

Wow, u got Mouth to be speechless. None of the rest can do that.

The tank looks awesome Tyler. BTW, what's up with the kitty food in the pic above? Get a little hungry while u were drilling ur holes or worried that u were going to find mice?

Angie

[Dirt4dinner]

LOL. That looks like it's inside the stand, but that's actually under the sink in the bathroom where I was drilling through to the living room to run the RODI line. Under the sink is also where the kitty food is kept...I don't like that flavor anyways!