Construction

Faulty wiring discovered

melev — Mon, 27 Apr 2020 14:17:36 +0000

Faulty wiring discovered melev Mon, 04/27/2020 - 17:17

It seems like lately most of my blogs seem to be about the Apex. I'll try to work on that and add some other things in here from time to time.

The Apex saved my home. Sorta. For the past couple of days, I was getting Power Lost alerts from Fusion, yet everything was on. The reef was normal, tv was normal, internet was normal, the only thing I was seeing was the lights in the bathrooms would flicker a little and I assumed it was brownouts.

Saturday night as I was heading to bed, I heard the tiny bip that the Apex Display Module does when an alarm is on. I checked the alarm, power was off but clearly it was on. Decided to go to bed, and investigate in the morning. When I got up, I had about 9 duplicate alarms, for every hour I slept saying power was out.

My Apex brain is plugged into the Eb832, and I have the black power supply plugged into a UPS for backup. My assumption was the UPS is having issues, so I removed it from the electrical cabinet and plugged in into a different outlet in the kitchen. The UPS started wailing, and a light appeared on the side, next to the words "Crossed wiring."

I recently bought this gizmo to quickly check outlets. You want two yellow lights on the right, but it was showing red and yellow. No bueno. I checked each outlet in the kitchen, and discovered one circuit has been wired wrong for -- 20 years -- and no-one has ever noticed it despite work being done in the house, let alone the original home inspection that was performed when I purchased the house.

This circuit includes my microwave, which from time to time would pop the circuit for no reason. I couldn't make it happen on demand, it just did it once a while and I'd have to reset the breaker. This plug (below) was behind the microwave, 100% out of sight. I pulled out the outlet and visually discovered that the black wire and white wire were on the wrong sides. Black always is on the right side of this type of outlet, white on the left.

Yesterday, I replaced one outlet since it is used so much. The screws on the side of outlets indicate which side gets the white & black wires (the screws are silver and bronze colored, basically), and the markings on the back state the correct way to wire it, too. I bought a "commercial" grade 15 amp outlet, which was about $1.25 more than the regular wall outlet.

All of those outlets are now fixed and I verified a bunch more outlets in my house while I had the tester handy. I still need to get the UPS checked out but now you know how the Apex saved my house.

#powertrip #ThanksNeptuneSystems

Reef Blog

I built an aquarium cabinet for a frag tank

melev — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 22:40:07 +0000

I built an aquarium cabinet for a frag tank melev Wed, 01/03/2018 - 01:40

After the customer told me he wanted me to build his frag tank, he asked if I'd build the stand as well. I said yes. This is the project I undertook, using cabinet-grade plywood. I did use a lesser quality sheet for the top piece since it would never be seen, as well as the inner bottom panel which also is out of sight. The lumber was purchased at Home Depot, and each sheet was cut up on a CNC machine. The final cuts were cut on a compound miter saw, and then everything was glued and nailed together. Our agreement was that I'd build it and give it to him unfinished, he will putty the holes, stain and seal it himself. The frag tank of course was one of my products as well, which holds about 60g of liquid volume. The stand is 36" x 36" x 35" tall -- because it has to fit through the front door of the home it is going into. With the foam sheet and the frag tank on top, it was just shy of 48" tall. The reason there is no ventilation for this stand is because it's unnecessary. The tank will drain into a sump inside another aquarium stand. He can store dry goods and other aquarium gear in this cabinet. It was my goal to build this to the best of my ability, and I'm really pleased with the final product.

If you don't follow me on instagram, you missed all the build updates I was uploading over the weekend as this project progressed. Follow me here: http://www.instagram.com/melevsreef

Reef Blog

One big sump worth blogging about

melev — Wed, 28 Dec 2016 00:15:28 +0000

One big sump worth blogging about melev Wed, 12/28/2016 - 03:15

A few months ago, I was hired to build a big custom sump for a 400g system in Wylie, Texas. It's an all-in-one sump that is nearly 8' long, and needed to be built with 3/8" cast acrylic to be strong enough for longterm use. For me, a minimum of five years is my goal, but the owner was thinking 15-20 years.

Larger sumps take more time to build as there is a lot of labor involved, and I thought I'd include a few images of the progress over time. It was so large, I had to move everything to create enough workspace for this one, and I decided it was best to work at floor level since my build station wasn't large enough. And the temperature in the workshop wasn't going to work either. I used a "super fishy lens" on my iPhone for this picture. This sump measures 92" long x 24" wide x 16" tall.

As you glue different parts together, you have to flip it, rotate it, and work those new joints for a solid seam. Here's a funny picture since it nearly touched the ceiling.

It had to be prepped for the bottom panel next.

Once that was completed - and it took a long time with a sump 8' long - I was able to glue it to the bottom piece.

Cutting out the top piece was a big challenge, because you only cut it once and there is no margin for error. If you fail, you need another big piece of acrylic and that's a costly mistake. I measured this about 30 times until I finally committed to routing out the openings.

At this stage, most of the work is done and it's a matter of making it look good. All edges are routed, holes are drilled, and the access door is glued into place for the top off reservoir.

But first, let me take a selfie. hahaha

It was kind of odd to know this sump was longer than my 400g reef. See below.

Once finished, it was loaded into my trailer for the 75 mile drive to its new home. My trailer isn't big enough for an 8' long item, so I had to pack it as seen below.

And here it is in its new home.

As seen above, the left end is the ATO reservoir which will hold RO/DI water. This section holds about 29g of water to replenish what has evaporated, and this should last for about four or five days before needing to be refilled. The section with the big 7" filter sock is the skimmer section. The next big section is the return zone, where various reactors will stand. The section on the far right is the refugium zone, which has a 4" filter sock if he wants to use one. Behind the refugium, he will have his Vectra L1 return pumps and heaters.

The operational water volume of this sump is about 70g of water. The entire unit holds about 135g of water if filled to capacity.

All the outer edges were rounded over for a smooth work area when reaching in and out of the sump as we so often do. Inner walls were also rounded. There is a probe holder, as well as a bracket for a top off switch. He's using a Tunze Osmolator to handle that task.

It really came out nicely, and I'm glad it is completely done and delivered. Time to tackle some other orders now.

Reef Blog

What's in the box? A brand new work surface!

melev — Wed, 21 Dec 2016 01:44:22 +0000

What's in the box? A brand new work surface! melev Wed, 12/21/2016 - 04:44

I ran up to Home Depot today to get some new router bits, and as I was walking down the main aisle I spotted this awesome adjustable-height workbench. The table's surface is completely smooth, unlike many I've inspected. I need one that is 100% flat for my acrylic work, and the fact that this one could be raised up nice and high was even better.

Not only can I build stuff while standing, but this table will surely double as a great surface for Youtube demonstration videos I'll be uploading in 2017. Often I'm sitting at my desk or kneeling by the regular work station but I really wanted something taller. This one raises up to 43" high simply by twisting a small crank.

Here's a height comparison to my old kitchen table.

Speaking of which, that table is going to Goodwill after all these years. I've been wanting to replace it for some time. Now if only I can manage to not clutter up this new one, right?

Having a second workstation will allow me to work in even more acrylic projects at the same time, which I'm definitely in need of.

Reef Blog

How to drill a hole in glass

melev — Sun, 15 Feb 2015 23:30:00 +0000

How to drill a hole in glass melev Mon, 02/16/2015 - 02:30

A few years ago I had to drill some holes in a 40g breeder aquaarium, and filmed / photographed the process. A couple of computer upgrades occurred and I lost track of those files. Last month I was happy to stumble across them finally, so this week's video provides a decent tutorial of how it's done.

Reef Blog

Super cute, right?

melev — Fri, 03 Oct 2014 04:07:00 +0000

Super cute, right? melev Fri, 10/03/2014 - 08:07

Since MACNA, I've really enjoyed the mated pair of Golden Dwarf Moray eels I brought home. They are quite active and out any time food hits the water. While they live in the rockwork most of the time, one or both will swim in the open looking for food. Sometimes they'll take up space in the Vortech pump since I shut it off during feedings, so I have to always check before turning it back on again. They like krill, but I've also observed them eating sinking pellet food off the substrate. To keep them from escaping the tank, I made an acrylic wall that sits on the top edge of the 60 rimless cube. It's still open so I can reach in to do things like feedings, and isn't in the way nor an eyesore.

I had a pair of Peppermint shrimp in this tank but they are gone. I'm going to assume they were dinner. The Blood Shrimp has held his own though, and I've not seen any reason to worry about it. Maybe it acts similar to a Cleaner Skunk shrimp to them.

I'm going to assume the larger on is the male, but I have no idea if that is true. Will I see eel babies one day? Who knows.

Reef Blog

Day 30: The 400g Starphire Reef

melev — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 02:09:00 +0000

Day 30: The 400g Starphire Reef melev Sun, 03/06/2011 - 05:09

The 400g reef has been up for 30 days. Water quality looks excellent. The fish are happy in their new home, swimming out in the open the way I hoped they would, contrary to their previous home filled with corals. I added over 20 new frags to the tank, including a couple of pieces I picked up at Next Wave last week.

The blog section for this site is no longer editable, once Blogger changed their format. Thus, Melev's Reef is going to have to get an overhaul to allow for blog entries once again. The shop section needs a better cart added, and the site overall needs some major updates, including a new section dedicated to my new reef tank and all of its associated gear. For now, the easiest way to find all of my blog entries on Reef Addicts is to follow this link:

http://www.reefaddicts.com/blog.php/2-melev

If you become a member of ReefAddicts, you can subscribe via email notification to all my blog entries and never miss an update. To the right of any blog entry, the option to Subscribe to this blog is a simple click.

Here's a recent picture of the new tank:

Reef Blog

New items in the Reef Shop

melev — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 10:14:00 +0000

New items in the Reef Shop melev Tue, 04/14/2009 - 14:14

Two new goodies have been added to my online shop, so if you want to see what they are, this is the page to visit:

Melev's Reef Shop

And here's a bit of eye candy...

Reef Blog

A beautiful tank for DFWMAS

melev — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 12:29:00 +0000

A beautiful tank for DFWMAS melev Thu, 01/31/2008 - 15:29

The newest page added to my site is a propagation tank I built recently.

90g prop tank

This tank is going to be used at each Next Wave conference, allowing us to display the corals offered in the raffle.

I was recently asked to build a 4' x 3' propagation tank for DFWMAS, and after a little thinking and a little more time building, this is what they got.

The tank is 48" x 36" x 12", made with 3/8" AcryLite GP. 1.5" drain & 1" return in a corner overflow.

The tank was set up at Next Wave 2008 (Jan 26, 2008) for Dr. Mac to showcase his corals.
Pacific East Aquaculture is a well-known e-tailer.

The top edge was beveled, which really dressed up the look of the display.

The overflow was created so the teeth would touch the top flange. With the teeth 2" deep, the water level worked out perfectly.

A Durso standpipe kept the plumbing quiet throughout the day.

The rear bulkhead is a 1" return, the one in the foreground is a 1.5" bulkhead for the drain.

The drain flowed into a filter sock to improve water clarity since the system was only up for a day. A Mag 9.5" using 1" SpaFlex plumbing provided plenty of flow for the 90g display. A Tunze 6060 added additional flow.

The return line was set up with locline that could be oriented as needed.

Reef Blog

A better way to count bubbles

melev — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 15:22:00 +0000

A better way to count bubbles melev Sun, 11/18/2007 - 18:22

While visiting Lunchbucket's reef in South Dakota, I noticed his Calcium Reactor bubble counter was moving in slow motion. It was really neat, and later at Goodwin9's home, I got a bottle of the mystery syrup.

I noticed my bubble counter was empty again as of yesterday (it either evaporates or bubbles the liquid up the airline tubing), so I cleaned it well and filled it up with this oil.

Here's a video of how it looks. (3 megs - Right Click & Save As to your harddrive please) With the slowly rising bubbles, it is much easier to count bubbles per second.

Finally, a link to where you can buy it.

Reef Blog