fareforce's 75 Gallon tank Build

[fareforce]

This thread is dedicated to my newest addition. A 75 gallon reef.
This will be my 5th reef tank build, and hopefully should have tons of pictures for everyone to look at.

~~~3/21/08~~~
Well I ordered a pre-drilled AGA 75 gallon tank for the main display, and an AGA 50 gallon tank for the sump. Because of both tanks being 18" wide, and the fact I just dont trust the store bought tank stands I needed to build my own. ETA on arrival of tanks 3 weeks from date of purchase. :( Sometimes living in Alaska really just sucks!


~~~3/29/08~~~
Lets the games begin. Time to start making the stand. For those of you looking to build your own stand now is the time to pay attention! :D

First thing is first, design it out. (will post design plans once I get them scanned). Next, figure out what to make it out of. Well, originally I was going to use 2x4 sistered together, but then I decided to go with something stronger. I ended up buying sheet of 23/32" CDX ply-wood. To do this right, you need to cut twice as many peices, and use gorilla glue, and glue to of the same pieces together basically making a 1.25" thick lam-beam. With the plan I am using the stand should effectively hold between 10,000 & 15,000 pounds. I guess you can say I like to over engineer things. Well, let get started!

Cutting the pieces. Make sure you cut your pieces 1/4" longer than you need (it will make since in a second):
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5528.jpg

Clamping, and making the smaller Lam-Beams:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5529.jpg

Finished Smaller Lam-Beams:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5530.jpg

Gluing the larger beams (this should answer how much to use. Just remeber.. A little goes a LONG ways!!):
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5531.jpg

Clamping the larger beam. Once you get it clamped tightly, I ran a ton of 1.25" brad nail into one side, released the clamps, then put a few more brads on the other side. Then you can release the clamps. The brads will holds it tightly while the gule is curing:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5532.jpg

Here is all of the laminated pieces curing. This needs to be done overnight:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5533.jpg

Once the gluce is 100% cured time to run the finished pices back through the table saw. Take 1/8" off of each side (remeber the extra 1/4 of an inch?):
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5536.jpg

When you are done you should have nice clean, flat edges:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5537.jpg

[fareforce]

Take the extra time to make sure is perfectly square! I use two speed squares, clamped into place for this part. We now need to make two boxes, the upper box, and lower box. Put Gorilla glue on each end that will touch another piece of wood. Then clamp them together, and screw together using 3" screws.
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5543.jpg

Better pic of clamps:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5544.jpg

Top box is finished:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5546.jpg

Finishing Bottom Box:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5547.jpg

Next are the side styles. These are the braces that connect the top and bottom boxes. To secure them to the top and bottom use more gorilla glue, and make some pocket holes to screw the pieces together.

Making pocket holes:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5549.jpg
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5550.jpg

Once you get the first ones on, flip it over and do the other side:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5553.jpg

Here is a look inside of the finished frame for the stand:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5554.jpg

More pics of the finished frame:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5555.jpg
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5556.jpg

[fareforce]

Tomorrow I be adding lateral supports to the stand.

Also here is a quick equipment list for those who are wondering:

Skimmer: Octopus DNW-200
Main return pump: Ehiem 1262
Skimmer feed pump: MJ 1200
Fuge feed pump: Quiet One 1200
Fuge Lights: 2 x Mini-Freshwater Aqualight 18w PC 6500k
Media: 3 x PhosBan Reactor (one carbon, one sulfur, one Arm media)
Heaters: 2 x Stealth Heater 200W
Water movement: 2 x Koralia 4's & 2 x Koralia 3's (going to play to see what I like better)
Fuge water movement: Koralia Nano
Lighting: Tossing this one back and forth, but currently looking at Nova Extreme Pro T-5 Fixtures 48"; 324 watt a tek fixture

[tmantaylor18]

pretty cool man.

[BLKTANG]

Nice job so far.

Cant wait to see that Tec Fixture on that baby.

[fareforce]

I'm just hoping the tanks dont come in cracked! :rolleyes:

For the tek fixture should I do the 6 or 8 bulb? I am leaning twords the 6 right now.

[Amoore311]

Depends on what you want to keep. I'm doing LPS/Softies on my 90 Gallon and a 6 Bulb will be fine for that, and my tank is taller than yours.


High Light SPS I would go with the 8 Bulb, for everything else the 6 Bulb will do fine.

[fareforce]

I will most likely get the 8 bulb one. Worst case is I only use 6 of the 8.. But them I will always have the extra light if I need it

[Amoore311]

I think the only way to run six or the 8 bulbs is to not use the actinics.

Just got my 6 bulb this week and the way the fixture lights the bulbs is 4bulbs on one switch, 2 bulbs on the other. All the bulbs need to be in place or they won't light.

For instance if I only had 1 bulb in the Actinic spots, it wouldn't light.



TBH if you do go with the 8 bulb you will just have to keep the lower light corals down low in the tank, or in shady areas.

I went with a 6 Bulb b/c I got a deal from a guy in my local club. And also b/c I have no desire to keep SPS in my tank.

I paid 200 for the fixture and 9 bulbs everything brand new lol.

[fareforce]

What is the reccomended ratio to run the bulbs? (actinic, daylight, etc)

[Amoore311]

My 6 Bulb has 2 switches.

1 controls 4 bulbs, these are my daylights and some aquablue's. Then the other controls 2 bulbs which are my super actinics.

To be honest there is a ton of different ways to configure T5 bulbs. I'd recommend getting a bunch of different bulbs and test out what you like.

Here's a picture of my tank currently:

http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg215/amoore2326/002.jpg

[fareforce]

How heavy is the 6 bulb fixture with bulbs in it? I am looking at getting the Yo-Yo things to hang it from the cieling, but dont know how many I will need. 2 or 4. They hold 22#'s i think.

[Amoore311]

Not sure what you mean.

But they do sell a hanging kit specifically for the fixture. Almost postive the 6 bulb 48" unit weighs 40 lbs.

[fareforce]

These are what I was looking at. http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem~idProduct~SL2915.html

Each pair holds 22 lbs, so I will need 2 pairs. =)

[Amoore311]

Those are pretty neat.

Unfortunately I don't have any experience in that area. I use the legs for all my tanks.

[fareforce]

Yeah, they are tention based so you can raise/lower your lights as needed. It will let you raise them almost all the way up to the ceiling to make easy access for your tank.

[fareforce]

Today I got 3 of the 4 sides on the main stand. Here is the rough plans I am using, and some pics of todays progress. For the most part 1 square on the plans = 3". I made a few modifications to sizes as I was building, so those are hand written in.


Plans:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/stand.jpg

Puting the front face on using the cheating method. Gorilla glue, counter sunk screws, and then use a router to make a nice flush trim! :D
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5557.jpg

Picture of the side pannel:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5558.jpg

After doing a flush trim:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5559.jpg

Just to show some nice clean edges, and how thick this beast is. A wopping 2" thick lam-beam! Ohh yeah, nothing is going to break this. Go ahead, park your C-130 on it! haha:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5560.jpg

[Aaronovky]

looking good hope it turns out well!!!!

[fareforce]

Today I am going to check out live stock for the tank, and testing stain colors for the birch that will go on the outside. I will post pics later on them!

[fareforce]

Pictures from todays venture:

http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/r5562.jpg
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/r5563.jpg
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/r5564.jpg
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/r5569.jpg
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/r5571.jpg

[fareforce]

http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/r5573.jpg
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/r5578.jpg
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/r5582.jpg
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/r5583.jpg
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/r5584.jpg

[fareforce]

http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/r5585.jpg
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/r5589.jpg
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/r5590.jpg
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/r5592.jpg
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/r5593.jpg

[fareforce]

http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/r5594.jpg
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/r5595.jpg
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/r5596.jpg
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/r5603.jpg
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/r5604.jpg

[fareforce]

http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/r5605.jpg
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/r5606.jpg
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/r5607.jpg
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/r5608.jpg
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/r5609.jpg

[fareforce]

--== Update ==--
Yesterday I got all of the pieces cut for the side stands, and today I got the side stands built. Tomorrow it's time to put the bottoms in! I am hoping the tanks will come in this week so I can get started with those as well, but I had to have a tank.. So, I broke down and bought a little 10 gallon QT tank. :D


Here is a pic of the corners. They are pre-drilled for pegs every inch so I can adjust the selving in the middle:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5635.jpg

Here is a trick to drill them so you get nice level shelves. Take a piece of hardwood, and pre-drill it, them use it as a guide. Make sure you mark one direction as up, and make sure you keep all of the corner pieces the same direction!
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5637.jpg

Here is another shot of the coner showing the steel straps. There is on on the top, and bottom since the outter boxes are only a single piece of 3/4" ply-wood thick:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5636.jpg


Here is a shot of the whole thing how it is looking so far. This thing is a beast! 8 feet long on the nose (just as planned):
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5634.jpg

[fareforce]

I guess I mention where things will sit.

The Skimmer will be in the left cabinet, 75 gallon sits on top of the middle section, RO/DI top off water in right cabinet along with tools, chemicals, etc. The top of the left, and right cabinet will be a countertop the connects accross the front of the tank.

http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5634.jpg

[Aaronovky]

looking good so far

[fareforce]

Thank you! I also forgot to say that the 50 gallon sump pwill be in the middle.

So do you guys think it will hold the fish tank?

[fareforce]

Today I cut out the front of the main stand, insalled the bottom panels of the side stands, and put in the bottom supports of the main stand.


Here is the pic of the main stand with the front cut out, and the bottom braces installed. (the stand is up-side-down):
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5638.jpg


Inside of the side stand showing the bottom in place:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5639.jpg


Bracing for the bottom panel on the side stands:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5642.jpg


So do you think I over built the stand for my tank?
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5644.jpg



Tomorrow I have to help the wife with stuff, so I dont know if I will get to work on it, but if I do, I will be cutting out the fronts of the side stands, and start putting on the fascia of the main tank. I checked with the LFS yesterday, and we are still waiting for the 2 fish tanks to come in. :( Hopefully next week.

After that this thread should get much more interesting. I have just been trying to document every step of the stand build in case someone wanted to build their own. Most build thread start with what they are thinking about doing, and then.... poof.. in the next thread it is done or near done.

If anyone have any questions please feel free to ask! :)

[RocketSeason]

Just hopping on this thread. I am planning my stand for my 75 gallon dream tank now. Hope everything works out well for you!

[fareforce]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12296126#post12296126 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RocketSeason
Just hopping on this thread. I am planning my stand for my 75 gallon dream tank now. Hope everything works out well for you!

Enjoy the ride, and if you need any of the measurements to make this stand, let me know what you need! :)

[Aaronovky]

is that your sump on the stand?

[fareforce]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12298891#post12298891 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Aaronovky
is that your sump on the stand?

Nope. It is just a 10 gallon QT tank. The sump is going to be an AGA 50 gallon.

[RocketSeason]

Are you using a cornerflo tank? I am just curious what the clearance is for the bulkheads. Am I running into trouble with 2X4s in that spot?

[Aaronovky]

oh rite any piccs of that ?

[Aaronovky]

have you thought about your plans for the LR formation?

[RocketSeason]

double post

[fareforce]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12299216#post12299216 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by RocketSeason
Are you using a cornerflo tank? I am just curious what the clearance is for the bulkheads. Am I running into trouble with 2X4s in that spot?

Nope it will have a single overflow on the back wal off center.

[fareforce]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12299291#post12299291 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Aaronovky
have you thought about your plans for the LR formation?

oh rite any piccs of that ?

The tanks are currently opn order, and should hopefully be coming in next week.

As far as the live rock formation, I think I am going to do 2 mounds. One on each side, with the middle being more open. I will have a tang in the tank so they will nee some swimming room. Right now I am planning on having about 120#'s on LR in the main display, and another 100-150#'s in the sump.

Later down the road the two side stands mightl both hold a tank that will be plumbed into the main system. My wife and I are still deciding that. But if we do put tanks on the side stands, the right side will be either a 22 cube, or a 10 gallon that will have seahorses and pipefish in it, and the left side will have a 10 gallon frag tank.

[Aaronovky]

sounds good do you mean a valley like formation?

[fareforce]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12305434#post12305434 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Aaronovky
sounds good do you mean a valley like formation?

Yeah pretty much. There will still be a little bit of rock in the bottom of the valley though. While it is curing it will just be in tank however. I learned to cure rock in a bare bottom tnak so you can syphon out the mess it makes. Once it is cure, rock will go into buckets, a final syphon of detrius, and then in goes some PVC risers, then sand, then the rock.

[Aaronovky]

right hope it goes well.:thumbsup:

[fareforce]

Tonight I cut out the fronts on the two side stands, cut out all of the facia board, and got the front face on one of the side stands.


Front opening cut into the side stand:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5647.jpg


Glueing, and clamping the facia onto the side stand:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5648.jpg


Closer shot of the facia I am using. It is Pine beadboard wall panneling:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5649.jpg

[Aaronovky]

good looking stand!!

[fareforce]

I forgot to mention a little trick when you are putting facia on a cabinet. Cut all of you r facia pieces about 1/4" long, and when you glue them down, leave about 1/8" overhanging off of each end. One everything is dry, come back through with a router (using a flush trim bit), and trim the edges. This will give you the cleanest, most flush, and smoothest edges you can get! =)

[Aaronovky]

thanks for the advice cheers

[NeveSSL]

Did your tanks come in yet, bro?

Brandon

[fareforce]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12355488#post12355488 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NeveSSL
Did your tanks come in yet, bro?

Brandon

Not yet.. Still waiting for them.. It can sometimes take awhile to get them up to Alaska. I did check on them, and we are hoping for next week!!!! :D

[fareforce]

Here is an update. I have been working on facing the stands, and caulking the seams. Next is to seal, and paint the inside white, then stain the outside. This weekend I have to run my electrical for the tank. Should be pretty easy. I am running 2 20amp gfci outlets on seperate breakers.

Here is a good tip for planning electrical. I was origanally going to use gfci breakers. Well, long story short, GFCI breakers are a lot more sensitive than GFCI outlets. So every time your flourescents kick on the GFCI breakers will detect a ground fault and trip. The GFCI outlets will not.


Here are some pics from the last few days. Glueing the panneling on took FOREVER!!!! lol :D


Side of stand:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5654.jpg


Whole stand (corner trim is not on yet):
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5651.jpg


Caulked Seams:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5653.jpg

[logiktest]

Cool stand. Looks like you could park a truck on top of it, no problem!

[Aaronovky]

this is going to look awesome when its finished!!!!!!:thumbsup:

[shag26272]

im about to start on the stand for the 75 I just ordered, Im thinking about just using 1 sheet of plywood as the support and putting thinner cabinet grade on top of that, im trying to do it without a center brace in the front of the stand where the doors close, anyone do something like this?

[fareforce]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12363628#post12363628 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by logiktest
Cool stand. Looks like you could park a truck on top of it, no problem!

We were actually joking around about this to see if there was a way to get my father-in-laws f-350 deisel on it to do a strength test. lol But after we started building it we did up the math, and it should hold around 15,000 lbs. Maybe I need a bigger tank! :p

Truth be told it is being build to retrofit an 8' tank onto it later down the road! :D

[fareforce]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12364485#post12364485 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by shag26272
im about to start on the stand for the 75 I just ordered, Im thinking about just using 1 sheet of plywood as the support and putting thinner cabinet grade on top of that, im trying to do it without a center brace in the front of the stand where the doors close, anyone do something like this?

This one will not have a center brace in the front or back, but if you only use 1 sheet thick, you would have to "gorilla" engineer it by building the main frame out of 2x6's, then cover it with a solid piece of plywood, then cut out the open spots. My 75 will not sit edge to edge on the sides or the front/back. It will be 4" away from the back of the stand, and 1-2" away from the sides. Because of this I had to dramatically reinforce everything since the weight of the tank was not going to be directly over the corners. If your tank corners will be directly over the stand corners you can start using less and less plywood.

When you get the plywood you need to look at the garde it is, and how many layers it is. You will want at least 23/32" CD 4-ply plywood. You will be tempted to get a 5-ply, but what they do to make the 5th ply it take the 4th, and cut it in half (thickness wise) and then put one piece on the top and one on the bottom. This looks better, and will keep the wood sraighter, but you loose strength. When you laminate 2 pieces together (like I did), you put the bow in the wood together so there will be a gap in the middle, then clamp them together. This will make a super strong piece.

If I was you, and the tank corners were going to be over the stand corners I would build something like I am doing, but use 2 pieces thick, not 3.

[fareforce]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12363722#post12363722 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Aaronovky
this is going to look awesome when its finished!!!!!!:thumbsup:

Thank you!

[shag26272]

i see what youre saying, sounds like a good idea to make the stand a little bit longer and wider and use more reinforcement, maybe like 52x22 , im gonna try to find some 1/4 in maple for the outside of it, not sure where to get it and maple moldings though

[fareforce]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12365254#post12365254 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by shag26272
i see what youre saying, sounds like a good idea to make the stand a little bit longer and wider and use more reinforcement, maybe like 52x22 , im gonna try to find some 1/4 in maple for the outside of it, not sure where to get it and maple moldings though

Lowes carries it. If you are going to get maple why not spend an extra $10 per sheet and use 3/4" maple 5 ply for the outside sheet?

The reason I wanted my stand to sit away from the wall is so I cam run plumbing behind it, and have room to work behind it, but still have the stand fulsh against the wall. The reason for the side to side on mine is that the tank will actually be "inset" into the counter top, so I needed the room to brace the counter top, and an area where I could wipe up water befor it runs between my cabinets.

[fareforce]

Also forgot to mention that instead of maple you could also use cherry (very nice looking), or birch. They both stain up very nicely, but IMO to many people already have maple stands.

[shag26272]

well I dont want to make it too heavy the last stand I built could have held 50 times more weight then it needed to, maybe the 3/4 would be the way to go with a fram of 3/4 regular behind it

[fareforce]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12365309#post12365309 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by shag26272
well I dont want to make it too heavy the last stand I built could have held 50 times more weight then it needed to, maybe the 3/4 would be the way to go with a fram of 3/4 regular behind it

That could work. I know all to well on how heavy these things can be. Give me a minute, and I will post the test piece of pine that I stained.

[shag26272]

also for some reason where I live, Lowes doesnt carry maple plywood

[fareforce]

Here is a pic of my test piece stained. I was only going for color, so it doesn't look as nice as it could. For reference it is on my oak table.

http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5656.jpg



Just remeber each wood has it's own characteristics so go with the one you like the best. Dont do maple because that is what you know. Explore around a bit. I made my stand from pine because of all of the variations in the wood, and all of the knots. I plans on beating up the cabinet with chains, and burning a few spots before I stain it to give it a more rustic look. Here is a quick break down on woods.

Oak has very nice gain tone to it, and it a consistant color wood

White oak has the same characteristics as oak, but is white instead of golden in color. It should be used if you are white-washing the stand

Northern red oak has more pronounced grain tones, and give the best color differences in grain color when stained.

Maple is overused a lot IMO because of it's ability to stain to any color to make it look like a different wood.

Cherry has awsome color differences, and good grain tones and some knots.

Pine has some grain tones, but is very knotty, and is hard to stain (you need to use a stain 2-3 shades darker then you want)

Mahogany varies from yellowish, reddish, pinkish, or salmon colored when freshly cut, to a deep rich red, to reddish brown as the wood matures with age, and has a very consistant color through out the pieces with some grain tone. It also accepts stain very well and has a unifor interlocking grain.

Hickory is a more rustic looking wood IMO with pitted knots and nice grain tones.

Beech is is a white wood with a red tinge, while the heartwood is light to dark reddish brown. The wood wears nicely, and will hold a stain, but is hard to work with. It also bends easily when steamed.

Elm is a white wood with the heartwood being golden with a redish tinge. It is a very dense heavy wood that is very hard to cut.

Walnut is a white wood with the heart wood being light brown to dark, chocolate brown, often with a purplish cast and darker streaks. It is a very hard, dense, and stiff wood, and a little hard to work with.


The choices go on and on.. LOL Basically you should try to imagine what you want to final look to look like, and then choose your wood based on that. Let me know if you need more help.

[fareforce]

Forgot to add in here is a good site that talk about the coloring of wood. http://www.am-wood.com/wood/wood.html

[fareforce]

Well, to day I got the corner moulding put on, and the 2 designated 20amp gfci outlets run. Nothing really to usdate picture wise, but tomorrow I will start building the doors, so I will have a step by step on that.

[fareforce]

I have been fairly busy with the stand the last couple of nights so here is my progress. I should get a full weekend worth of work on it as it is snowing hard outside!! It is now 8pm, and we have already received 12"+ of snow since 9am this morning, and they are calling for another 8"-15" by the morning, and another 3" tomorrow. It really sucks as last week it was in the 50's and sunny, with no snow on the ground, and I was planning on raking the yard this weekend..


Anyways, I have the doors built and one of the cabinets ishas the first coat on white on the inside. Here are some shots from what I have been doing.

This is the trick to getting square doors. Take your pieces that go accross from each other, clamp them, then cut the to length together. This way you get perfectly sized doors:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5658.jpg


Here are some shots of the joints that I routed out before joining the doors. Here is one side of the frame:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5662.jpg

Other side of the frame:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5663.jpg


Here is what the joints look like sitting together:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5664.jpg

[fareforce]

Notice the recess on the inside of the door frame (this gets used later):
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5665.jpg


Glue and clamp the pieces together (I had to break out the big clamps for the doors :D :
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5668.jpg


I installed the wood slats (same ones as used on the rest of the stand) from the back to give it a recessed look:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5666.jpg


Here is what the fronts of the doors look like when done:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5667.jpg


I will post more pics over the weekend!! I also went by the LFS to check on my tanks. They said they are hoping they come in next week!!! Woohoo :D :D :D

[fareforce]

So to day I finished painting the inside of the side cabinets, and started staining. I also got the top shelf, and bottom shelf installed, and caulked on the main stand.


Side cabinets went from looking like this:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5671.jpg


To looking like this:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5673.jpg


Here is a shot of most of the doors after staining:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5670.jpg


Here is a close up of one of the doors.
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5669.jpg

[fareforce]

Well last night I put it my orders for all of my equipment. It should look like christmas over the next week! :D Also I have never seen a complete list of someones order that was setting up a new tank, so I thought I would post mine so newbies could see how much stuff is needed. However the one thing I didn't get ordered was my controlled because it is not out yet. I am waiting for the Reef Keeper Elite to come out!

Here is was is coming in:

From The Filter Guys:
1 - 75 GPD FIVE STAGE OCEAN REEF RO/DI SYSTEM (SINGLE DI)
1 - GARDEN HOSE ADAPTOR (BRASS/PLASTIC)
1 - STANDARD REPLACEMENT FILTER SET FOR FILTER GUY SYSTEMS
1 - HM DIGITAL COM-100 TDS METER-WATERPROOF EC /TDS /TEMP COMBO METER


From Premium Aquatics:
1 - 3/4 PVC TRUE UNION BALL VALVE - SLIP
2 - 1' PVC TRUE UNION BALL VALVE - SLIP
1 - OCT-DNW-200 Large 8" Octopus Recirculating Skimmer


From Marine Depot:
2 - SUNLIGHT SUPPLY SUN LIFT (PAIR)
1 - DOUBLE SLIP BULKHEAD FITTING - 3/4IN
3 - DOUBLE SLIP BULKHEAD FITTING - 1IN
4 - OVERFLOW STRAINER - 1IN SLIP

[fareforce]

From DrFosterSmith:
1 - Black Diamond 3.65 L
1 - AquaDose 1400 ml
1 - Air Control Kits Air Control Kit
1 - Silicone Tubing 20'
1 - Ulti-Nets 8" x 6" w/ 12" Handle
2 - Aqua Gloves Pair
1 - Siphon Kleen Large
1 - Oxygen Plus Bio-Filter 2
1 - Titanium Probe Grounding Probe
2 - HoldFast Epoxy Stick 4 oz
1 - Salt Creep Eliminator 8 oz
2 - Easy Grabber Tongs 18" long
1 - Prime 250 ml
1 - Pro-Scrapers Long
1 - Pro-Scrapers Stainless 3" Replacement Blade
1 - Mag-Float Medium
1 - Grid Feeding Clip for gel-based frozen fish food
1 - Master Liquid Test Kit Saltwater
1 - Maxi-Jet Powerhead/Pump Model 400 (106 gph)
1 - Maxi-Jet Powerhead/Pump Model 900 (230 gph)
1 - Maxi-Jet Powerhead/Pump Model 1200 (295 gph)
1 - Tech-M 16 oz
2 - Reef Dip 250 ml
1 - MarineSnow 16 oz
1 - Zoe Marine 8 oz
1 - Micro-Vert 16 oz
1 - Selcon 60 ml
1 - PhytoPlan 1 oz
5 - Chew Toys Thin Sticks (the fish are going to love these!! lol)
1 - Pipettes 10 pk Size: Large
1 - PhosBan 150 g
1 - Eheim Hobby Pumps Model 1260
1 - Formula Two Small Pellets 14 oz
2 - Ocean Nutrition Formula One Small Pellets 7 oz
10 - Syringes 6 cc
1 - Portable Refractometer 0-100 ppt salinity and 1.000-1.070 specific gravity
1 - CritterTrail 10-3/8" wide x 15-3/4" long x 22" high (you think I can train the fish to use the wheel?)
1 - Continuous Siphon Overflow Aqua Lifter Pump
2 - Mini-Aqualights Mini-Freshwater Aqualight
1 - ZoPlan 1 oz
1 - Book of Coral Propagation Volume 1 Second Edition (I hope my fish are smart and can read!)
2 - PhosBan Reactor 150
2 - PhosBan Replacement Foam Discs 2-pk
1 - Garlic Guard 17 fl oz
2 - Aquatic Forceps 10" Straight Tip
2 - Aquatic Forceps 10" Curved Tip
2 - Aquatic Forceps 6" Straight Tip
1 - Stealth Heater 50W
1 - Stealth Heater 100W
2 - Stealth Heater 200W
1 - Continuous Siphon Overflow Aqua Lifter Filter
2 - Thermometer 2-1/4" x 1-1/2"
1 - Lunar Aqualights Compact Fluorescent Strip Lights 24"
1 - Cyclop-Eeze Freeze-Dried 30 g
1 - Clip-On Chews Style: Carrot (For those pesky chewers)
3 - Treat Sticks 2 pk Species: Hamster/Gerbil Flavor: Fruit & Veggie (I hope the fish like gerbil flavored treats!)
1 - Whisper Air Pumps Model 40
1 - Air Pump Battery Air Pump 3 pk
1 - Power Center Dual
1 - Eclipse Cartridges Rite-Size Z, 9pk (for wife's tank at work)
1 - Eclipse Cartridges Rite-Size K, 9 pk (for my tank at work)
1 - Vegi Clips Sea Veggies
1 - Magnesium Test Lab 30 tests
2 - Cleaning Mat 28" x 36" Color: Black
1 - Snak Shak Small House 7" dia x 6" h (house for the fishes)
1 - Reef Master Test Kit Liquid Test Kit
1 - Coral Plugs 25 plugs; 1-3/4" long
1 - ORAGlo Fish Food 4 oz
3 - Koralia Water Circulation Pumps Pump 3
1 - Kaytee Fiesta Hamster/Gerbil 2-1/2 lbs (fish food?)
1 - Sump Inlet Assembly 4", 1 inlet
2 - Sump Inlet Assembly 200 micron Replacement Filter Sock 4"
1 - C-Balance 32 oz
1 - Koralia Water Circulation Pumps Nano
1 - PhosBan Extension Kit
1 - Nova Extreme Pro T-5 Fixtures 48"; 324 watt
1 - Deluxe Fragging Kit 21 Piece Kit
1 - 53.0 mS Calibration/Reference Fluid 2 fl oz
1 - Air Check Valve Single

[fareforce]

Also, hopefully my stupid tanks will finally come in soon. Been waiting 6 weeks for them now.. grrr.. Talked to the LFS yesterday, and they are going to call the distributor to find out where they are. They should have been here 2 weeks ago.. :(

[fareforce]

Darn webserver is currently down, but pics should appear by morning at the latest. My server hosting company went to reboot the server, and it basically stuck out it's tounge at them. lol.. ETA for it to be back up is about 2 hours. Anyways, below is my update (with broken pics for the next few hours).

Well, I talked to the LFS again today, and we finally have a arrival date! Apperently, the west coast division of Aqueon (AGA) was out of stock on the tank I ordered so they had to make more. The main display and the sump should be coming in on the 13th!! Woohoo!!

The first of my orders started coming in today. I received the RO/DI unit, and 3 of my 4 lights I ordered. I also received a phone call from Marine Depot saying they send me someone elses order, and sent mine to someone else. So, they had to reship my order. They said they were going to email me the return labels for the 2 boxes of whatever they sent me. Still havn't received the email.

Anyways, here is an update on the stand. Everything is all done except for the counter top. I got it moved inside today (damn it was heavy). Tomorrow I will bolt the three lower pieces together, and drill the holes to run the plumbing, and electrical.

Here are a few pics:


Stand against the wall where it is going:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5674.jpg


RO/DI Unit. This thing is a lot bigger than I thought it would be, but I like it!! Big thumbs up to The Filter Guys! Very fast, and very good customer service!!!!
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5675.jpg

[fareforce]

bump now my server is back up and working! Horay for pics!

[RaiderFan in NY]

i'll give a bump...just b/c i'm interested in the final product

[fareforce]

I'm out of town on business right now, but I talked to the wife, and she said all sorts of stuff has been showing up for the tanks! I cant wait to get home and see it all!

[TheSaltwaterGuy]

Can't wait to see this tank progress! Looking great so far, fareforce!

[fareforce]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12500630#post12500630 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TheSaltwaterGuy
Can't wait to see this tank progress! Looking great so far, fareforce!

Thank you!

I talked to DrFosterSmith today because I have only received 2 of the 4 boxes they shipped. One of them was shipped today because the main light was on back order, so no big deal. But what about the other box? The one that has 95% of my stuff in it. Well, they had to track it down, and it looks like the accidently sent it out USPS Parcel Post instead of Priority mail. Doh! So it will get here some time late next week. :( On the bright side though they refunded 100% of my shipping charges! At least they tried to make it right! I still love Dr F&S. They have always taken good care of me!

So here is the latest on my timeline:
This weekend I will build the counter top for the stand.
Tanks - Should come in Tuesday
Equipment - Should be here late next week

Guess what I will be doing next weekend! Can we say plumbing, leak tests, and ro/di time! :D

[Ehaze]

Any more pics? ... it looks great man!

[fareforce]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12502719#post12502719 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ehaze
Any more pics? ... it looks great man!

Not ATM. I am out of town on business. I will be getting back tomorrow, so I will post some updated ones over the weekend.

[Aaronovky]

good looking pics have you thought about your fish lost if i or anyone hasnt asked yet?

[fareforce]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12506595#post12506595 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Aaronovky
good looking pics have you thought about your fish lost if i or anyone hasnt asked yet?

I have thought about it, but am still pondering the possibilities. Right now it is .

In the main 75 gal:
Powder Brown Tang (getting him a 1.5" and will move him to a 8' tank when he gets bigger)
Perc Pair (havn't decided if they will be false or black percs)
Purple firefish (might get a helfrichi)
Pistol Shrimp
Pistol goby (probablly a hi red fin randalls)
yellow clown goby (as long as he doesn't nip my sps)
Green chromis (undecided still might do blue reef chromis instead, or might not do any.)
Zebra Barred Dartfish
Green Mandarin
Neon Goby (maybe)

Left tank (species tank):
Seahorse / pipefish tank (dont know what type the wife wants

Right Tank (species tank):
M. Wannarae mantis
Neon Goby

[Aaronovky]

is your PBT japonicus species? any crabs or snails?

[Aaronovky]

oh and good on your stand (and canopy?) it looks like you spent alot of time on perfecting your stand unlike some people (like me) who would buy one second hand or get one made for me not make one myself i like to be let loose by mother (if she lets me) with hammer nails and wood but the result doesnt always look promising lol

[fareforce]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12507746#post12507746 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Aaronovky
is your PBT japonicus species? any crabs or snails?

Yep. PBT will be the Acanthurus japonicus, and there will be a normal clean up crew. Crabs, snails, 2-3 peppermint shrimp, 2 cleaner shrimp, one serpant or brittle star.

[fareforce]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12507764#post12507764 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Aaronovky
oh and good on your stand (and canopy?) it looks like you spent alot of time on perfecting your stand unlike some people (like me) who would buy one second hand or get one made for me not make one myself i like to be let loose by mother (if she lets me) with hammer nails and wood but the result doesnt always look promising lol

Havn't fully decided if we are going to do a canopy yet. Right now we will probablly have a complete open top, and see how it looks. I can build a canopy later if I need to.

Building one yourself that looks good can be tricky. A lot of the ones I see are more simply engineered stands. They may look really nice, but if you loko at them the corners of the tank line up with the corners of the stand. This makes it very easy to build. I didn't want this. Mine sits offset from the stands so it has a 1-5" "platform" on each side of the tank.

[fareforce]

ok, I'm back in town, and back to work on the tank. Here is what has come in so far.

http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5676.jpg


Better shot of the sand:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5677.jpg



I also got the stand bolted together, and level. It was super easy leveling it as once it was in it's final resting spot it was perfectly level side to side, and 1/8" off level side to side on the whole stand (8 feet!). Not to bad:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5681.jpg

Another View of the stand:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5682.jpg



Here is a pic of the walking platform so I can work in the tank:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5680.jpg



Here are the recessed bolts holding everything together:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5679.jpg


Here are the normal bolts holding it together:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5678.jpg

[fareforce]

I also got the counter top base built:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5683.jpg



Here it is with the edge trim on and stained:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5685.jpg


Another angle of the trim:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5686.jpg



This is kind of what the counter top will look like when it is all done. This tile is just sitting there right now:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5687.jpg



So this is where I am sitting with everything. The stand is almost complete, tanks should be here on Tuesday, Main light, and equipment should be here by Friday at the latest, 198 lbs. of live rock in coming in on Wednesday. I will be reinforcing my floor most likely tomorrow, or Monday. I forgot to add that the total amount of sand I have is 120 lbs.

[fareforce]

Ohh yeah, Octopus changed their skimmers, and they pull twice the air as the old ones, and they are a little bigger. You think this one is big enough for the 75gal? lol

[turtleman9100]

Please don't forget to post the completed stand. It's beautiful. With someting like this so nice, I think I would do a 110 gallon tall. The biggest aquarium I could find for that footprint. Just me though.

[fareforce]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12516451#post12516451 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by turtleman9100
Please don't forget to post the completed stand. It's beautiful. With someting like this so nice, I think I would do a 110 gallon tall. The biggest aquarium I could find for that footprint. Just me though.

Actually they way this is being built, I can switch out the top display tank pretty easily. With minimal modifications it will hold an 8 foot tank. :D I also thought about doing a 90 or a 120 tank up there (both will fit as is), but the problem is I am only 5'8", and my wife is only 5'3". Because we are shorter we would have to basically crawl in the tank to reach the bottom. By the time we go to an 8 foot tank we will have kids, and we can just put a snorkel on them and throw them in! :lol: j/k

[TheSaltwaterGuy]

That stand looks amazing! That counter-top is going to look great, also.

[fareforce]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12517225#post12517225 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TheSaltwaterGuy
That stand looks amazing! That counter-top is going to look great, also.

Thank You!

[fareforce]

Well, today I got the counter top installed, and tiled. Tomorrow I can grout the tile and the stand will be done. Yeah!!! Here are some pics of the very close to done stand:

http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5688.jpg

http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5691.jpg

http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5689.jpg

http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5690.jpg

[Aaronovky]

good looking stand how long did it take you in total?

[fareforce]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12522018#post12522018 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Aaronovky
good looking stand how long did it take you in total?

Thank you! It took right about 4-5 weeks to build. Total cost of the stand is about $550. Not that much more than a pre-build AGA stand, but a heck of a lot stronger, and bigger! :D

[nevolved]

Awesome stand.

[fareforce]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12523014#post12523014 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by nevolved
Awesome stand.

Thank you. I just can't wait for it to be 100% done!

[fareforce]

Free bump for me! =P

[Aaronovky]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12522852#post12522852 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fareforce
Thank you! It took right about 4-5 weeks to build. Total cost of the stand is about $550. Not that much more than a pre-build AGA stand, but a heck of a lot stronger, and bigger! :D




worth every mintue in your garage making it!!! what wodd did you again?

[fareforce]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12528845#post12528845 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Aaronovky
worth every mintue in your garage making it!!! what wodd did you again?

Definately. For the way way it turned out, and how strong it is, and the peice of mind. I would build it again in a heart beat.

[fareforce]

Well, the tanks came in today. However the main display came in shattered. :( So now I get to wait for another one. The 50gal sump looks okay, but I still have to inspect the seals, and do a leak test. I will post pics later of it.

So, it looks like my live rock will start it's curing life in a brute trash can.

[fareforce]

Forgot to add that the replacment for the 75 is most likely going to be a Oceanic 90 gallon with a starphire front. :D The LFS thinks they might be able to get the Oceanic in 10 days from Monday. So we wait some more.. :(

[Reeftanks6]

Great looking tank. Will be following along.

[fareforce]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12536116#post12536116 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Reeftanks6
Great looking tank. Will be following along.

You should have seen the main display that came in yesterday. You could tell were they put the forks of the forklift through the front of the tank. :(


But after more talking to the wife I think we are either doing to do an Oceanic Starphire 90 or 105 instead of trying to get another AGA 75.

[fareforce]

WooHoo I just got off of the phone with the LFS and we are going with the 105 gallon Starphire front Oceanic tank! :D I guess a tank breaking in shipping isn't always a bad thing.

[Heavy Hittah]

just found this thread like 40 minutes ago. And just got finished catching up. 75gall + getting broke in shipment= new 105 w/ starphire front also equals one lucky dude!!! Congrats.

[fareforce]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12540668#post12540668 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Heavy Hittah
just found this thread like 40 minutes ago. And just got finished catching up. 75gall + getting broke in shipment= new 105 w/ starphire front also equals one lucky dude!!! Congrats.

Thank you! It should go nice with the 50 gal sump, and twin 22 cubes on each side.


Here is something funny about Alaska. We have one plastics company here in Anchorage, and I called to get a quote on a custom tank that was 20" wide x 16" deep x 20" tall. They want $1500.00 for it.. lmao I asked them how much a 4' x 8' sheet of 1/4" acrylic was and it is $198 . They will also cut it for $2 per cut. So figuring high lets say $250.00 in materials, and cutting. Where do they get the idea to charge $1250.00 in labor?

[NeveSSL]

Maybe they just don't want to do it unless its REALLY worth their while. :D

Can't wait till you get all your tanks in, and although its more waiting, you'll LOVE the starphire! I LOVE mine! I wish I could get a bow front in starphire. :(

Brandon

[MyMonkey]

Great work! Stand looks excellent.

[fareforce]

Thank you! I need to order the glass for the sump dividers today so hopfully they can get those cut and polished in the next few days for me.

[fareforce]

Ok so here are some more pics.


Here is my 6x54w T5 w/ individual reflectors:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5692.jpg


Here is the brace #1 I put under my house:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5694.jpg


Here is brace #2
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5695.jpg





And now the big one. What does 198 lbs of live rock look like?

Brute Trash Can:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5696.jpg

33 gal rubermaid tote:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5697.jpg



You think I will have enough rock? lol :D

[NeveSSL]

Rock is a beautiful thing. *sniffle* :D

Is that copper piping going to the tank or something else? I'm sure you're aware, but just in case. ;) Looks like it could be whole house ro/di perhaps?

Brandon

[fareforce]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12549567#post12549567 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NeveSSL
Rock is a beautiful thing. *sniffle* :D

Is that copper piping going to the tank or something else? I'm sure you're aware, but just in case. ;) Looks like it could be whole house ro/di perhaps?

Brandon

It it the main manifold block for my cold and hot water pex lines for the house. Nothing to do with the tank. All of the tank stuff if on the main floor in luding the RO/DI unit. :)

[fareforce]

So the post about copper made me think. Could I use pex to plumb my tank?

[fareforce]

Let the cycle begin!

Brute trash can:
Ammonia 4.0ppm

Rubbermaid Tote:
Ammonia 0.5ppm

[fareforce]

Well after USPS loosing my entire Drs. Foster & Smith order, and Drs. Foster & Smith having to reship it the majority of my stuff came in today! I have to get Drs. Foster & Smith big kudos as they have been great to work with. Shipping stuff up to Alaska means that you are always going to have problems. Anyways here is a few pics of the pile 'o stuff. :D

http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5703.jpg

http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5704.jpg


Update on the replacement tank. It was ordered today, and so now I wait more. :( Since this one is a different brand, and distributor it should get here quicker. I hope.

Update on the rock. I took a quick ammonia test on the brute trash can, and it was down to 0.5ppm! The cycle is continuing!!!

[michealprater]

Congrats on starting the cycle! Good build.

Here is my build thread.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=12574274#post12574274

[fareforce]

Just did tonights tests.

Ammonia - 0 ppm (woohoo!)
Nitrite - 0.5ppm

[Aaronovky]

congrats on the low tests that is one big pile of stuff !!!!!

[fareforce]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12577082#post12577082 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Aaronovky
congrats on the low tests that is one big pile of stuff !!!!!

Thanks you! Now I have to sort out all the stuf in that pile!

[Aaronovky]

now thats the unlucky pasrt if you have got two of anything and need yo get rid of it you know your best friend aaron is here to take it off your hands!! :thumbsup:

[kar93]

Everything looks great fareforce, Nice work on the stand!

[kar93]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12578279#post12578279 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Aaronovky
now thats the unlucky pasrt if you have got two of anything and need yo get rid of it you know your best friend aaron is here to take it off your hands!! :thumbsup:

Unlucky part?!?! Thats a pile full of reef stuff!!:)

[Aaronovky]

no he has got to sort it all out

[kar93]

Yeah I know but, I'd be quite happy sorting a big pile of reef stuff out. :rollface:

[chrismunn]

there's only 1 single thing i would change... that tile top, should be GRANITE! :)

[fareforce]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12578446#post12578446 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by chrismunn
there's only 1 single thing i would change... that tile top, should be GRANITE! :)

I will agree, but shipping granite to Alaska is very, very spendy! A 12"x12" granite tile up here is about $8 each. :eek:

[fareforce]

I still have 2 more boxes of stuff to open up too.. =P

[kar93]

:D More fun!

[EBOLII]

watching I am

[fareforce]

Rock is all cured up and ready to go. I got some of my tunze gear in, and I will try to post a pic of it tonight. Still waiting on my main tank to get here in one piece! :D

[fareforce]

Woohoo!! Got my Reef Keeper Elite ordered today!!

[MyMonkey]

Nice!

[Ratpack]

Looking good so far. Tagging along to get ideas for my 75g.

[AngeloM3]

Just curious why you thought you'd need to use floor braces.

EDIT: Nevermind... I see the tank is running horizontal to the floor joists. Probably could get away with no bracing... but hey... better be safe than sorry! :D

[fareforce]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12646645#post12646645 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by AngeloM3
Just curious why you thought you'd need to use floor braces.

EDIT: Nevermind... I see the tank is running horizontal to the floor joists. Probably could get away with no bracing... but hey... better be safe than sorry! :D

That and the sump hold 50 gallons, skimmer holds 3 gallons, main tank holds 105 gallons, and each side tank will hold 22 gallons. It's a total of 202 gallons. It is a fair amount of weight for 2 floor joists. Anyways I over built the stand, so I might as well over build the floor too. :D

[NeveSSL]

When are you expecting your RK Elite?

Brandon

[fareforce]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12648154#post12648154 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NeveSSL
When are you expecting your RK Elite?

Brandon

In approx. 1 month or so. But as you can tell with my main tank I am use to the whole "waiting" thing.. lol :lol:

[NeveSSL]

:D The reef gods are preparing you well for reefing is all. :D

Brandon

[fareforce]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12651459#post12651459 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NeveSSL
:D The reef gods are preparing you well for reefing is all. :D

Brandon

Yeah they are.. But, luckily I am use to waiting. Not only from always having stuff shipped to Alaska, but this is also far from my first reef tank. :)

[sbwood007]

Nice thread! Off topic, do you ever flyfish ????

[fareforce]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12652525#post12652525 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sbwood007
Nice thread! Off topic, do you ever flyfish ????

I love fishing. I fly fish for trout, and salmon quite a bit, but have to use a different setup for deep sea stuff like shark, and halibut. I will tell you that there is nothing that fights better than a red salmon on a 6-7 weight fly rod. That is a good fight!:D

[fareforce]

:D :thumbsup: :celeb1: :celeb2: :celeb3: :bigeyes: :dance:

Woohoo!! I just found out that my display tank should be in this week!!! So, tomorrow I have A LOT to do. I need to get the skimmer up on-line in one of the LR holding bins to start breaking it in, I need to get the baffles siliconed in place in the sump, and I need to start making RO/DI water. Pictures will be coming tomorrow!

[NeveSSL]

Sweet, man! Can't wait to see everything up and running!

Brandon

[fareforce]

Here are pics of the sump/fuge:

Mock up of sump:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/sump.jpg


Over head shot with the first 2 dividers in place
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5835.jpg


Side view of first two.
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5836.jpg


This it the baffle for the fuge portion. Notice I pre-drilled holes for two bulk heads.
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5837.jpg


Third baffle in place.
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5838.jpg


Third baffle overhead view.
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5839.jpg


Fuge baffle in place
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5840.jpg


Quality of the seams. Notice no air bubbles. Aqueon (AGA) could learn from this! :lol:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5841.jpg

[fareforce]

Got the skimmer up and running on one of the LR tubs to start breaking it in.

http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5842.jpg


Here is the temporary holding room.
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5843.jpg

[fareforce]

Ohh, and yes the water really is that nasty of a color.. You got to love curing live rock with out water changes!!!


Now GO TO WORK skimmer! Show me what your made of!

[fareforce]

Ok so some really good news!! The display tank came in today! For those of you just tuning in, it has been an absolute nightmare getting my display tank, and it is no longer a 75 gallon display, but it is now a 105 Starphire tank. :D

So should I start a new thread for a 105 build, or continue with this thread?

Anyways, on with the pics!


Tonight I got the plumbing holes drilled, the tank put in place, and the sump put in place.

Lights on:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5855.jpg


Lights Off:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5857.jpg


Another Lights off shot:
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5858.jpg

[PaulieWalnuts]

verrry nice i love that stand!!

[fareforce]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12763139#post12763139 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by PaulieWalnuts
verrry nice i love that stand!!

Thank you! I am just glad to see a tank on it finally. I had to cut out one of my supports to drill the holes for the overflow, so I need to patch it back up tonight. Hopefully I will get it plumbed, and water in it this weekend, unless the wife wants to go camping.

[fareforce]

Ok, so I have most of my parts in now, and I am only waiting on my Reef Keeper Elite to come in. I also have my web cam set up temporarilyhere. (http://66.223.149.241/) It will be up and down quite a bit until I get water in my tank, then it will be availible 24x7 through my tank's website MyReefBuild.com (http://66.223.149.241/). I do ask that when you log into my camera please adjust it to 10fps for now until I get everthing moved over to the website.

Thank you.


I am aiming to start filling the tank this weekend!

[reefman30]

WOW very nice stand. Wish I could build like that. :)

[fareforce]

Thank You! I just cant wait to get water in the tank!

[fareforce]

Well, I havn't been working on the tank too much lately, because the wife decided she wanted a 40 gallon breeder, so I have been helping her set it up. She ordered a 40 gallon package from TBS, and the first portion came in last night. She ended up with 2 mantis shrimp, one about 2.5" long, and the other about 3/4" long. We got both out, and then we had to do an emergency set up one of my 10 gallon side tanks. It all worked out because of the 200 pounds of cured LR I had sitting, waiting for me to finish my tank. My webcam is now pointed at the mantis tank instead of the empty main tank.


Dont forget you can view my webcam by going here! (http://66.223.149.241/) Please when you view it change your framerate to 10fps (in the upper left corner of the video). Well, on with a few pics of the little guys after we caught them.

I am sorry for the bad pictures, but it was really late last night. I will try to get better ones of them.


Here is the little guy (still unnamed):
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5871.jpg

Here is the big one (called turbo):
http://www.alaskastudio.com/rc/tank/5873.jpg

[fareforce]

Forgot to add in there that they are both Neogonodactylus Wennerae species.

[fareforce]

Well, tomorrow if I feel up to it, I will finish off the plumbing, and possibly put water in it, and get it up and going. Still waiting on a replacement part for the skimmer, and the Reef Keeper Elite will be here on the first!

[fareforce]

Since this thread started there have been many changes to my system. Because there have been so many changes the livestock portion of the build (Part II) can be found here. (http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1448629)

[Keith A]

Fareforce,

The tank stand looks great. One thing I'm not sure if I've seen before is the baffle in the sump. What is the purpose of that?

Keith

[fareforce]

Which baffle? The ones on the left are the bubble trap, and the one on the right seperates the fuge from the rest of the sump.

[Keith A]

I was talking about the one on the left but you already answered it. Good luck with the rest of your project.