my new baby... AKA The Café

[Lost in the Sauce]

Poll: how many of you put egg crate at the bottom of your tank before adding sand and scape? I've gone back and forth with this in my mind. Would love to hear some people reasons for or reasons they didn't. Ready. Set. Go.

Me, 100% and will likely never do it again, any other way.

You run 0% risk of seating your Rock too far into the sand and having it touch the glass.

 

[Goaway]

Got a picture? Shouldn’t be hard.

Also debating on cleaning the other end caps and getting that set installed. I could do it.. but maintenance day and frag placement, removal will be awful.

 

[Goaway]

Poll: how many of you put egg crate at the bottom of your tank before adding sand and scape? I've gone back and forth with this in my mind. Would love to hear some people reasons for or reasons they didn't. Ready. Set. Go.

I dont. Im not sure how well that will settle with my wrasse.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Also debating on cleaning the other end caps and getting that set installed. I could do it.. but maintenance day and frag placement, removal will be awful.

I wonder if packing them full of dielectric grease would protect them. Or using CRC 6026 sprayed on them would work. The CRC is what we use for almost all electrical connection or items on a boat we want protected from SW.

 

[Goaway]

I wonder if packing them full of dielectric grease would protect them. Or using CRC 6026 sprayed on them would work. The CRC is what we use for almost all electrical connection or items on a boat we want protected from SW.

Thats interesting. I never thought about that either. My husband has a can somewhere

 

[Eagle_Steve]

Thats interesting. I never thought about that either. My husband has a can somewhere

Just a very light coating on the terminals and exposed connections is all that is needed. It is like a "paint" and doesn't run off. I use it on my kayak props and even after 30-40 trips it is still there.

 

[rmorris_14]

I dont. Im not sure how well that will settle with my wrasse.

That's two comments about the egg crate with the wrasse. I have never had one, but probably will with the new tank. I understand they are sand dwellers. Whats the ideal sand thickness for those? and would it be assumed that if I go that thickness above the crate, it would potentially be non-issue?

my tank is already really shallow. So doing a super thick sandbed because of the egg crate to appease a wrasse might not be the best option for me.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

That's two comments about the egg crate with the wrasse. I have never had one, but probably will with the new tank. I understand they are sand dwellers. Whats the ideal sand thickness for those? and would it be assumed that if I go that thickness above the crate, it would potentially be non-issue?

my tank is already really shallow. So doing a super thick sandbed because of the egg crate to appease a wrasse might not be the best option for me.

My 180 is about 2-2.5" off sand and has egg crate under it. Had no issue with any sand dwelling wrasse. Even very large FL native ones.

 

[Troylee]

Also debating on cleaning the other end caps and getting that set installed. I could do it.. but maintenance day and frag placement, removal will be awful.

Hmmmm the grease isn’t a bad idea honestly.. of course myself I would just make an acrylic one but not everyone has the means I do.. I bet if you marked the bulb with a sharpie right were it meets the socket and then pull them out and run a bead of silicone around them on the line would work also.. let it cure for a couple hours and put them back in would seal it up pretty good! Those end caps are suppose to be water proof to begin with, but hey lol.. they also put out a decent amount of heat so I’d shy away from like a zip loc bag or anything.

 

[Troylee]

My 180 is about 2-2.5" off sand and has egg crate under it. Had no issue with any sand dwelling wrasse. Even very large FL native ones.

I run my sanded about 1-1/2” deep.. my diamond bar goby makes it bare glass and 6” deep every couple days on one end! I love the look he gives me when I put my scraper in and take down the mound! He goes right back to work Sometimes I feel bad! Haha

 

[Goaway]

That's two comments about the egg crate with the wrasse. I have never had one, but probably will with the new tank. I understand they are sand dwellers. Whats the ideal sand thickness for those? and would it be assumed that if I go that thickness above the crate, it would potentially be non-issue?

my tank is already really shallow. So doing a super thick sandbed because of the egg crate to appease a wrasse might not be the best option for me.

3" minimum. Just in case they dive out if fear. Otherwise, they just coat themselves with an inch and a half for bed time.

 

[fishguy242]

I need splash guard ideas.

Wrasse ruined my t5 end caps.

Water proof seals on end caps ? should be fine ...

Poll: how many of you put egg crate at the bottom of your tank before adding sand and scape? I've gone back and forth with this in my mind. Would love to hear some people reasons for or reasons they didn't. Ready. Set. Go.

Nope never ,but already answered...

 

[Goaway]

Water proof seals on end caps ? should be fine ...

Nope never ,but already answered...

I think its actually water going down the cable, into the sockets, if that makes sense.

 

[Goaway]

I might seal those openings off.



Silicone is the best udea so far.

 

[StatelineReefer]

I think its actually water going down the cable, into the sockets, if that makes sense.

Make a nylon drip loop. I use hair ties in a pinch.

 

[Goaway]

Make a nylon drip loop. I use hair ties in a pinch.

These cables are pretty stiff, drip loops done.

 

[fishguy242]

I might seal those openings off.



Silicone is the best udea so far.

yep,drip loops,w sm zipties, water cannot go up,no silicone IMO, if you ever have to mess with
couple wraps of elec tape,also will draw wires down, then you bend back up for drip loop...

 

[fishguy242]

These cables are pretty stiff, drip loops done.

Gee... I'm not that slow...

 

[Goaway]

Gee... I'm not that slow...

I don't take advice for granted.

I've got cable ties, i dont think they'll assist right away.
I'll wire plan after lunch.

 

[Projects with Sam]

I'd go black expanded PVC ceiling tile on the bottom. Same look as STARBOARD just a lot cheaper and only 5mm. they have 2'x4' tiles.