IOnceWasLegend
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Aaaaand it's here!
IM IOWL's Nuvo 200 EXT
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IOnceWasLegend
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Still coordinating help for moving the tank, so I figured I'd chip away at some other projects. First off: the stand.
Thanks to a friend for the heads up on the base measurements (~6" between each one for even spacing). Made it one heck of a lot easier. I love the stand: it looks good, it's lightweight, it's solidly built, it's easy to assemble, and as an added bonus...
God bless competent new construction + perfectly level floors on a concrete slab. Checked it multiple ways, because I'm *super* paranoid after my Red Sea's near-failure, and it's bang-on level in every way.
Now that the stand's up, I can start tinkering around with equipment layout and organization as well. I'm trying to prevent the rat's nest of wires that have plagued my prior builds, so I've kept our 3D printer running pretty much constantly to make power brick mounts for XR30s/Vortech/Vectras, as well as controller mounts for the MP40s and Vectras. In addition to the Adaptive Reef controller board, I'll probably mount a small piece of MDF on the back of the tank stand and mount the power bricks there.
Finally: aquascaping and plumbing. I'll need to wait for the weekend and when my wife has some free time to do this together, but I've been noodling around with a few designs.
Manifold, showing off our plumbing color scheme:
Random portion of scapes (fortunately, that table is almost the exact size of the tank):
Thanks to a friend for the heads up on the base measurements (~6" between each one for even spacing). Made it one heck of a lot easier. I love the stand: it looks good, it's lightweight, it's solidly built, it's easy to assemble, and as an added bonus...
God bless competent new construction + perfectly level floors on a concrete slab. Checked it multiple ways, because I'm *super* paranoid after my Red Sea's near-failure, and it's bang-on level in every way.
Now that the stand's up, I can start tinkering around with equipment layout and organization as well. I'm trying to prevent the rat's nest of wires that have plagued my prior builds, so I've kept our 3D printer running pretty much constantly to make power brick mounts for XR30s/Vortech/Vectras, as well as controller mounts for the MP40s and Vectras. In addition to the Adaptive Reef controller board, I'll probably mount a small piece of MDF on the back of the tank stand and mount the power bricks there.
Finally: aquascaping and plumbing. I'll need to wait for the weekend and when my wife has some free time to do this together, but I've been noodling around with a few designs.
Manifold, showing off our plumbing color scheme:
Random portion of scapes (fortunately, that table is almost the exact size of the tank):
IOnceWasLegend
Active member
+1 for Synergy Reef! Despite a six-week advertised lead time, I was just notified today that my sump is in final assembly and should be picked up by freight on Friday, May 19th.
IOnceWasLegend
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Aquascaping time! Almost done now.
IOnceWasLegend
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Crouching tiger, hidden fuge light.
IOnceWasLegend
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Mostly reached the limit of what I can do before the sump gets here, and when I reuse equipment running the holding tank right now. I taped the edges of the stand bottom board with waterproof Gorilla tape, we finished mortaring the aquascape, I've got some of the layout work done on the control boards, and I'm ~99% sure I know how everything will fit together inside the stand.
The primary control board is set up and mounted on the inside door using Command strips. I'll have my Apex head unit in the upper left, and the EB832 on the bottom open area. I have two MP40 drivers on there right now in a 3D printed bracket, and those will be mounted to the left side panel of the tank.
The secondary control board was made using this material cut to 24" wide (using my new table saw for the first time which, hot damn, I'm loving) and holes drilled with a forstner bit. The two double brackets will hold the drivers for my M2 and L2 return pumps, as well as an MP40, with the option to add a 4th MP40 (and other equipment as needed). The bracket on the rear is a 3D printed quadruple power brick holder for everything.
I went ahead and started plumbing (dry fitting) the UV, since it'll sit behind the sump, and also mounted an iPad case to the front of the stand. I'll drill a small, non-visible hole for the iPad power supply, and will rig it to run ReefTiles to keep an eye on what's going on in the tank. I'm also planning on getting a couple leak detectors for safety's sake to put next to the UV, since it'll be out of sight.
The primary control board is set up and mounted on the inside door using Command strips. I'll have my Apex head unit in the upper left, and the EB832 on the bottom open area. I have two MP40 drivers on there right now in a 3D printed bracket, and those will be mounted to the left side panel of the tank.
The secondary control board was made using this material cut to 24" wide (using my new table saw for the first time which, hot damn, I'm loving) and holes drilled with a forstner bit. The two double brackets will hold the drivers for my M2 and L2 return pumps, as well as an MP40, with the option to add a 4th MP40 (and other equipment as needed). The bracket on the rear is a 3D printed quadruple power brick holder for everything.
I went ahead and started plumbing (dry fitting) the UV, since it'll sit behind the sump, and also mounted an iPad case to the front of the stand. I'll drill a small, non-visible hole for the iPad power supply, and will rig it to run ReefTiles to keep an eye on what's going on in the tank. I'm also planning on getting a couple leak detectors for safety's sake to put next to the UV, since it'll be out of sight.
IOnceWasLegend
Active member
Shout-out to Synergy Reef. I ordered this sump on May 4th, and - less than 3 weeks later - it's in my stand. Beautiful workmanship and bomb proof shipping packaging. Now to start the work in earnest.
IOnceWasLegend
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Started working on the plumbing in earnest. Manifold and skimmer positioned. Hoping I'll be able to spend some time this weekend getting as much plumbing done as possible, and then - since my stepmom has movers moving her stuff June 1st - I'm chipping in for the cost and they'll be moving the tank from the garage to the stand. Hoping to get it wet by the first weekend in June!
IOnceWasLegend
Active member
Correct. The pipe clamps are tapped into the stand, and - when I finish the plumbing - there'll be one more clamp on either side supporting the pipes going into/coming out of the manifold I have put together here.
I saw it in a few other builds, liked the fact that it drains back in the tank if it leaks, and am glad that I was able to do something similar with this.
IOnceWasLegend
Active member
Finished and cemented the manifold. Moving on to the UV next.
