Jump to content





Posted Image

PCS & Stuart M. Grant - Cichlid Preservation Fund - Details here


Photo

8X3X2' Reef Tank Journal


  • Please log in to reply
89 replies to this topic

#21 ice

ice
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 18-January 07
  • Location: Huntingdale, WA

Posted 03 July 2018 - 02:31 PM

A little from column A, a little from column B :)



#22 Peckoltia

Peckoltia
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 15-October 04
  • Location: Dianella

Posted 03 July 2018 - 03:27 PM

My wife's instructions are 'don't blow anything up, don't set the house on fire, don't make it impossible to holiday anywhere'.



#23 ice

ice
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 18-January 07
  • Location: Huntingdale, WA

Posted 03 July 2018 - 04:01 PM

"Yes dear"



#24 Peckoltia

Peckoltia
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 15-October 04
  • Location: Dianella

Posted 06 July 2018 - 11:05 AM

tank5_zpskaqzxiwu.jpg
 
Wall has now been painted black, and I must say it really pops already with the black stand and the rest of the house being painted 'ivory white'. The light brackets are currently at the powder coaters, getting finished in 'satin black' like the stand. Should look pretty spectacular once the tank gets pushed back on the wall, putting a real focus on the tanks inhabitants.


#25 ice

ice
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 18-January 07
  • Location: Huntingdale, WA

Posted 06 July 2018 - 02:40 PM

Going to look great mate!



#26 Peckoltia

Peckoltia
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 15-October 04
  • Location: Dianella

Posted 09 July 2018 - 07:30 PM

Thanks mate. 

 

Not long now until there is water in the tank. Leak tested the overflow box (synergy ghost) and all the pipe work I have done so far over the weekend. Not a single leak from the bulkheads or any joins which is always a good start! 

Hopefully collect the lighting brackets/arms at some stage this week from the powder coaters. Then I just need to drill a couple holes in them for the light hanging kits to feed through and they are done. Just finalizing a couple things with the supplier of the lights and then get them shipped over.

Will keep the thread updated with how I have suspended the lights when there is something to show for it!

There is also a shortage of Carib Sea 'life rock' in Australia at the minute. Have put my order in, and hopefully will land at my supplier on the 21st of this month. So if everything stays to schedule the tank should be up and running with water by early August. 

It's been a long slog so far, but there is light at the end of the tunnel. I started this process (moving on my FW stingrays) back in early feb. So 6/7 Months from day 1 to having water in the tank.



#27 Jules

Jules
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 07-July 09
  • Location:Treeby
  • Location: Treeby

Posted 10 July 2018 - 07:40 AM

The best bit Alex is your doing properly, marine and reef keeping is all patience!

Really liking the black wall too, looks unreal.



#28 Peckoltia

Peckoltia
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 15-October 04
  • Location: Dianella

Posted 10 July 2018 - 09:45 AM

Thanks Jules - I agree the wall looks mint. 

 

Yeah it's a brutally long slog - the issue with living in Australia, there is no store that has it all (in my opinion). I've kept a spreadsheet of purchases etc and I am up to 20 or so different stores I have bought things from. It's the little things; for example buying my RODI filter and it only coming with an adapter for the laundry hose. Then needing to find one to attach to the garden faucet. There have also been some pretty serious waits for products to come back into stock. Having said that I have come across a lot of people that have been absolutely lovely to deal with!

 

All that aside it will be worth it in the end, and it is a first world problem, nothing really to complain about.

 

Nothing good happens quickly in this hobby, only bad things.



#29 Jules

Jules
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 07-July 09
  • Location:Treeby
  • Location: Treeby

Posted 24 August 2018 - 07:43 AM

Hey Alex, hows the progress on this going...….?

 

Need some more action on PCS!


Edited by Jules, 24 August 2018 - 07:43 AM.


#30 Peckoltia

Peckoltia
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 15-October 04
  • Location: Dianella

Posted 24 August 2018 - 09:09 AM

Jules - there is no progress unfortunately. 

 

I have all my equipment sitting in a cupboard in boxes. The only piece missing is my lights that were ordered/paid for 6 weeks ago. Had to wait for them to come in from overseas to the distributor, and then shipped to me. Received an e-mail a week ago saying they have arrived and have been shipped. So hopefully should see them any day now (fingers crossed).

 

The tank is still sitting in the middle of the room. To say getting all the equipment has been a pain is an understatement. 6 week + wait for lights, 6 + weeks for my skimmer, multiple other items out of stock at all Australian vendors! But I am almost there. 

 

The tank is still in the middle of the room because my lighting brackets need to be fixed to the wall and I don't want to lean over a 3' wide tank drilling into a wall. 

 

As soon as the lights get here it was all happen very quickly and the tank will be filled within the week. 

 

Decided I'm going to go down the premium live rock pathway. The Carib Sea Life Rock is in such low supply in Australia, was finding it extremely difficult to get the amounts in the type I wanted, I don't want to give the company my money when they have serviced the Australian market so poorly (my opinion). There's also a part of my brain that struggles with the concept of paying as much or slightly more for 'dead rock' and premium live rock - I'll deal with any pests that come my way.



#31 Peckoltia

Peckoltia
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 15-October 04
  • Location: Dianella

Posted 29 August 2018 - 10:48 AM

Couldn't script this - the train carrying my lights has derailed en rout to Perth form Melbourne! Shipping company has been contacted and they state that all cargo will be unaffected (damage wise), but we will have to wait and see about that. Hopefully finally receive my lights this week (Monday was the date stated after the derailment), but that has obviously come and gone. Just a waiting game now.



#32 Delapool

Delapool

    Membership Officer

  • Admin
  • Joined: 10-July 15
  • Location:Swan View
  • Location: Swan View

Posted 30 August 2018 - 05:57 PM

Good luck - had same thing happen with a pool several years back. Ended up finally getting a refund.

#33 Peckoltia

Peckoltia
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 15-October 04
  • Location: Dianella

Posted 05 September 2018 - 01:39 PM

Thanks for the well wishes. Got a hold of the courier company - and they have assured me that the lights will be here by the end of the week. Have been scanned in at the Perth depot a week ago, be quicker and easier just to pick them up. What an ordeal, approaching the 2 month mark from paying to receiving my lights.  :brickwall:  :brickwall:  :brickwall:  :brickwall:  :brickwall:  :brickwall:  :brickwall:  :brickwall:  :brickwall:  :brickwall:


  • ice likes this

#34 Peckoltia

Peckoltia
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 15-October 04
  • Location: Dianella

Posted 07 September 2018 - 10:38 AM

After 2 months of waiting, my lights have finally arrived!

 

Will open them up this evening and giving them a going over, fingers crossed there is no damage - boxes look in reasonable nick, so I have some confidence.


  • ice likes this

#35 Delapool

Delapool

    Membership Officer

  • Admin
  • Joined: 10-July 15
  • Location:Swan View
  • Location: Swan View

Posted 07 September 2018 - 06:06 PM

Drumroll on photos!

#36 Peckoltia

Peckoltia
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 15-October 04
  • Location: Dianella

Posted 17 September 2018 - 08:51 AM

The long wait is now over - the lights have now been suspended!

 

I have to say I'm very happy with the results, definitely hitting the look I was going for with the 'sleek industrial' look. Looks amazing with the 'satin' finish on the stand and the hanging brackets as well as the black wall. 

 

Now I need to figure out how to best hide the electrical chords from the lights, weather i run them up and into the ceiling or back and run them down the wall and hide the bulk of it behind the tank. Once that is done, the tank can be pushed back onto the wall and just some minor plumbing done and she is ready for water!

 

Been a long slog, but I am almost there. Please excuse the mess.

 

66E8A30A-A923-4913-BBBA-540E36F9BC84_zps

 

A5312D86-C5F2-4D1D-9FF3-25055FC8F0E6_zps

 

E0C221AB-E56F-4CF5-BE51-D74AE3AE8A95_zps



#37 ice

ice
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 18-January 07
  • Location: Huntingdale, WA

Posted 17 September 2018 - 09:05 AM

Can you high mount a black double outlet up near the brackets (Preferably between the two middle ones) and just shorten the power cables to suit? A sparky should be able to chase a cable through the wall from the outlet below very easily if its double brick.

 

Looking awesome mate!


Edited by ice, 17 September 2018 - 09:07 AM.


#38 Peckoltia

Peckoltia
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 15-October 04
  • Location: Dianella

Posted 17 September 2018 - 01:01 PM

No issue having more power points installed. The problem is that cables have metal 'ballasts' 2 for each unit, so these would also need to be hidden somewhere if i was to just shorten the cable, I'd have 8 of these ballasts that would also need to be hidden somewhere. 

 

I'm thinking another hole in the wall just below where the two middle brackets are for all the cables to pass through (and install a collar on the hole to make it neater) into my garage where all my equipment is. So I could just have all the cabling and ballasts sit on a shelf in the garage. Just a pain to have to drill another hole in the wall.



#39 ice

ice
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 18-January 07
  • Location: Huntingdale, WA

Posted 18 September 2018 - 07:02 AM

Worth it for a perfect fit and finish mate :)



#40 Peckoltia

Peckoltia
  • Forum Member
  • Joined: 15-October 04
  • Location: Dianella

Posted 01 October 2018 - 10:23 AM

Quick update, was just going to drill another hole in the wall to run the cables through, but didn't realize the ceiling in the garage behind is much lower than the living room, so had to rule that out. 

 

Ended up running the cabling down the wall hidden in some television conduit. Looks pretty good for the most part, and hid the rest of the cabling behind the tank itself. Still a couple minor touch ups to be done. 

 

But the tank is back on the wall and the plumbing is now drying. 

 

Filled the tank up to see how 'unlevel the floor is'. Approximately 1/2" over and 8' length. Shimming the stand also isn't really an option with a 10 legged metal stand. Still unsure what I'm going to do about this if anything - the base of the tank is sitting on is a flat surface and the stand is bullet proof.

 

The other thing is there is a lot of light spill from the lights being the recommended 60cm/2' from the water surface, and it really illuminates my house and can even see it from the street (which i don't like) - am considering having a 'collar' fabricate and drilled into the wall around the lights to stop a bit of this light spill. 

 

Hopefully have saltwater in it this weekend!

 

120052BE-344A-4DBB-A570-1F1ACFE12E3F_zps

 

B84C26D1-697C-42E0-A4E3-75FE5E832190_zps






0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users