My new 335g

[mpdharley]

Well, I decided to build my new tank. This time, I'm building the stand, tank and sump (and anything else I can!). I haven't decided if I'm crazy for trying this or not, but what else am I going to use all my tools for??!! :rollface:

Here are my plans and my progress so far. All comments, suggestions are appreciated.

Some info:

Tank size (external dimensions): 72 x 48 x 24
Tank volume: Approx 335 gallons
Acrylic thickness: 3/4"

The tank will have a top, 4" lip (on the short sides) and 3" on the long side. I will also have two other cross braces, 4" each

Stand dimensions: 80 x 52 x 40

Plans
The stand, top view
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/stand-top.jpg

Stand, side view
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/stand-side.jpg

Tank, top view
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/tank-top.jpg

Tank, side view
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/tank-side.jpg

Sump/Fuge (3/8" acrylic, might use 1/2")
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/sump-fuge.jpg

Mike

[mpdharley]

The construction has started on the stand. The floor is also being redone in this room. We went with stained concrete (talk about a PITA!). When the tank is finished and the old ones torn down, we will finish the baseboards, etc:

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/stand1.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/stand2.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/stand3.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/stand4.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/stand5.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/stand6.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/stand7.jpg

[Tat2demon]

Will definatly be following this one. Lookin great so far.

[adnup]

WOW! WOW!
Looks great so far!

Is the tank staying where it is? If so how are you getting power to it?

[slevesque]

Nice! I love DIY stuff.

If I'm correct we are talking about 2700 lbs of water. I'm not an experienced builder but from what i saw here in the big tank forum I would suggest you build a grid pattern with 2x4 just underneat your top plywood. Acrylic seems soft to me and it might need a fairly good support.

[mpdharley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7694155#post7694155 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by adnup
WOW! WOW!
Looks great so far!

Is the tank staying where it is? If so how are you getting power to it?

This thing definitely isn't moving! <G> I couldn't build the stand in the garage, because once built, I would have no way to get it into the house!

I currently have two dedicated 15amp circuits for the reef tank. Right now, they are running my 125 reef. The circuits run down the wall with the shade on it and then come down the length on the right (as you look at the picture).

When I'm ready to move livestock into this tank, I'll swing the two circuits over to underneath the window and run two power cords to the built-in power center (in the stand). To cover the cords, I'll use rubber strips like you do in an office (when you run cords over the floor).

The built-in power center will be off the ground and above the base 2 x 4s. So, if water starts to fill up the bottom of the stand (sump overflow, etc), it will flow over the 2 x 4s before it hits the bottom of the power center. The power center will also be sealed (all cords will come in from the bottom which also forces a drip loop to be made) to prevent water from coming in from the top.

Each of the two main feeds to the power center are also GFI circuits.

[mpdharley]

I've been able to get a little more work done. The stand has been primed (inside, outside and bottom), painted (inside only) and linoleum put down on the bottom to protect the plywood. I also ran a seam of silicone along the entire bottom edge.

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/stand-painted.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/seam.jpg

Now I'll start working on the drawers and the power center.

Mike

[adnup]

Looks great! :thumbsup:

I love the linoleum, thats a great idea!

[Jasen Hicks]

Nice.... Looking forward to more pics on this... and more info too! All you people with big tanks make me mad that i live on the second floor of an apartment, my 75 is technically *illegal* in my place by the contract.

Jasen

[mpdharley]

LOL -- sometimes I wish I couldn't have a big tank -- then I might be able to do something else! :-) Seriously though, I've been looking forward to this project for a while.

I'm hoping with the linoleum, sealed with silicone, etc, that I'll be able to contain any leaks that do happen.

[sabodish]

i think you may need more power...2 15A circuits wont be enough for that size tank. when i had my 360 up, i was using 4 20A outlets and still wanted more. if you should need a chiller, there goes out circuit as a chiller for that size tank pulls about 10A!

other than that, it looks great. im probably going to be stealing your sump design next month when i start my 48x48x30 cube build!

[ChemE]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7716489#post7716489 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Jasen Hicks
Nice.... Looking forward to more pics on this... and more info too! All you people with big tanks make me mad that i live on the second floor of an apartment, my 75 is technically *illegal* in my place by the contract.

Jasen

Move all the furniture out of a room and build yourself a 600 gallon tidepool tank which is only 12" deep so that the weight is spread across all the floor joists in the room. I'm sure the contract authors were stupid and made illegal a certain volume rather than a certain loading per square foot. That's what happens when you leave science to lawyers (just look at the government!).

[Jasen Hicks]

Of course its a volume based clause, no more than 45 gallons.... im running triple of course with the prop tank and sump :-D

Jasen

[mpdharley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7716627#post7716627 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sabodish
i think you may need more power...2 15A circuits wont be enough for that size tank. when i had my 360 up, i was using 4 20A outlets and still wanted more. if you should need a chiller, there goes out circuit as a chiller for that size tank pulls about 10A!

other than that, it looks great. im probably going to be stealing your sump design next month when i start my 48x48x30 cube build!

I've actually spec'd out all the equipment I think I'll need (including the chiller) and if what I want to do works, it will be enough. If not, then I may have to run another circuit. Some of the things I'm doing:

Lighting: 3 x 250MH (HQI) down the center. This will be the "High Light Zone". Spreading outward towards the sides, the lower light areas will be stocked with less (light) demanding corals. I may also supplement with T5s running along side (lengthwise) each side of the MH "strip".

I also run my lighting on a schedule to help reduce heat. Meaning, the MH lights run from 3pm - 3am. During this period, we cool the house for when we are home (during the week), keeping it down to 73 degrees starting at 9pm. During the winter, we keep the house at 68 degrees in the evenings, when the lights are on. So the lights help heat the tank at night, helping the tank heaters.

Circulation: 2 Dart Pumps. One for a closed loop and one for the main return. I currently use multiple MAG pumps. The main Dart pump will use less electricity than the 3 MAG pumps I'm currently using for main circulation (2 for returns, 1 for the fuge). The new layout also removes the need for one of the pumps.

Cooling: In addition to a 1/3HP chiller, there is a ceiling fan above the tank. I'm going to put that on a timer to turn on when the lights come on. This will help keep air moving in the room.

Other than that, the lighting on the fuge portion will be slightly less than what I have now -- I currently have a 4 x 2 x 2 fuge. The new fuge area of the sump will 3 x 1 x 20".

Plus the other equipment (CR, Skimmer). So, I "think" I'm going to be okay. If not, I'll just add a 20amp circuit. I've checked, and the house will support it.

Originally posted by sabodish
... other than that, it looks great. im probably going to be stealing your sump design next month when i start my 48x48x30 cube build!

No problem, I "borrowed" the basic design from someone else! :smokin:

[mpdharley]

I've been working on the power center and the box for the drawers. Unfortunately, I may not have room for the drawers. It's hard to believe that I may be tight on space with a 4 x 6 stand, but I might be! For now, here's the pictures of the power cabinet:

Fitting the cabinet into the stand
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/pwr-cabinet.jpg

All the pieces for the inside:
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/pwr-pieces.jpg

The backboard, cut out for the electrical boxes and with the boxes installed
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/pwr-backboard1.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/pwr-backboard2.jpg


Switches/plugs for the first circuit done, pieces installed for the second circuit
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/pwr-onedone.jpg

[mpdharley]

All switches, timers, plugs wired up, front and back
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/pwr-front.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/pwr-back.jpg


Mounted in the cabinet
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/pwr-open.jpg


When I mounted the backboard, I mounted it with hinges so I could get to the wiring if I ever needed to
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/pwr-closed.jpg


And mounted into the stand
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/pwr-mounted.jpg


Now it's time to work on the top for the stand and work out how everything will fit underneath. I'm thinking of making my sump a little wider, to give me room for a larger skimmer (if I need one), future equipment, etc.

[jeffreylam1132]

Very nice work, mpdharley. Love all the details and photos. I have a few questions. Did you used nails or screws to put your stand together? From the pictures, I can't really tell. Does it matters which are better, nails or screws? Also, I'm looking at the stand and with all the brace you have around the stand, how are you gonna put your sump inside the stand? BTW, love your power center.

[mpdharley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7777420#post7777420 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jeffreylam1132
Very nice work, mpdharley. Love all the details and photos. I have a few questions. Did you used nails or screws to put your stand together? From the pictures, I can't really tell. Does it matters which are better, nails or screws? Also, I'm looking at the stand and with all the brace you have around the stand, how are you gonna put your sump inside the stand? BTW, love your power center.

Thanks! The stand is put together with a good wood glue and deck Deckmate deck screws. Mostly, the screws are there to keep the wood together until the glue dries and the to offer some support after that. Also, anything that is truly holding weight is either sitting directly on the ground or standing on another board. Neither the screws nor the glue is the major support for any weight.

The openings in the stand are actually quite wide. The middle opening on the long side is 31" wide. On the ends, it's wider than that. So, there won't be any problem getting the sump under the stand.

[thor32766]

sweet setup so far, keep up the good work

[Bri Guy]

I love that power center you made!!!

Just shows you that some of our reefers are Chemists, woodworkers, electrictions, plastic workers, and im sure other crazy trades that come with the territory. Reef on!

[mpdharley]

Truly, all I wanted to do was to learn something about working with PVC. So, I started a reef tank. Now I know about woodworking, working with acrylic, plumbing, electrical, water chemistry, water flow dynamics (well, not really that, but I have to deal with it! :-) ), ....

[pyro383]

I would (as I did on mine) 2 switches to kill power immediately. 1 for each circuit.

[mpdharley]

Hmmm...didn't think of that, will definitely have to remember that if I rebuild it.

For now, I do (kinda) have that. There are two dedicated circuits that feed the reef tank. I used an external, medium duty, outside extension cord for each of the two circuits (that are hard wired into the control panel), which plug into GFI plugs.

Although not as elegant as a single switch in the control panel, I can simply kill the two breakers at the main (a 10 second panic run to the garage) or pull the plugs.

[boviac]

You could also push the test button on the GFCI outlets... (better than pulling plugs) if I understand the desgin well enough. Great design. Am following along.

[mpdharley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7784245#post7784245 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by boviac
You could also push the test button on the GFCI outlets... (better than pulling plugs) if I understand the desgin well enough. Great design. Am following along.

Very true!

[rsxs1212]

looking very nice so far

[bubblethumper]

I'm in Jacksonville and would love to see the tank when it's finished. Very cool

[mpdharley]

rxsx1212 Thanks!

bubblethumper No problem, just send me a PM.

I've been able to finish the structure of the stand. The top is now primed and secured. I'll be putting a finishing skin on the stand, but that won't happen until the tank is done.

Now the real fun begins because I start building the tank and sump. After the tank is built, water tested then drilled, I'll be able to cut out the parts of the stand top necessary for the tank plumbing.

I'm hoping to get started next week on edge cleaning (of the acrylic) and gluing. I'll post pictures of that as I go. For now, the pictures of the finished stand structure.

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/stand8.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/stand9.jpg

Mike

[crvz]

Quick question... are you planning on putting anything between the tank and the wood top of the stand?

[frankie33]

Looking Great! Very well thought out! Can't wait to see more of your progress

[mpdharley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7792809#post7792809 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by crvz
Quick question... are you planning on putting anything between the tank and the wood top of the stand?

Yes, there will be a layer of pink insulation foam between the stand and the tank. It allows for some settling and leveling out.

frankie33 -- Thanks!

[livehuman]

you detail is very nice,.. i have one thing to add though,. usually the electrical boxes are supposed to contain the connections, and the tabs that push out in the back are only supposed to be pushed out where the wire goes thru,(you could also use water tight plastic conduit and gray surface mount boxes with water resistant outlet covers......anyway great job

[mpdharley]

Thanks.

I brought the wires to the back to make it easier to work on, replace timers, etc. The power center itself is sealed all the way around. If the entire bottom were to fill with water, it would also run out before it got up to a level were water would be anywhere near the wires.

Also, with all plugs coming up through the bottom, it forces a drip loop on all the cords.

I did think about using the surface mount boxes, but decided I like the inset look better. So I tried to make the box fairly water tight. Although, I doubt I could completely submerge it! :bum:

[livehuman]

sounds like you got it covered

[jeffreylam1132]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7796130#post7796130 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mpdharley
Yes, there will be a layer of pink insulation foam between the stand and the tank. It allows for some settling and leveling out.

frankie33 -- Thanks!

Where can you buy these pink insulation foam at? Also, do you have a pic of it? Are you planning to put a finish touch to the stand? Thanks.

[mpdharley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7801190#post7801190 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jeffreylam1132
Where can you buy these pink insulation foam at? Also, do you have a pic of it? Are you planning to put a finish touch to the stand? Thanks.

I get it from Home Depot, sorry, no picture. It's back in the insulation section though and comes in 4' x 8' sheets.

I am going to put a finished "skin" on it, but that won't go on until the tank and sump are in place, plumbed, etc.

livehuman Thanks, keep the suggestions coming -- there is always an upgrade planned! :rollface:

[Chihuahua6]

Awesome!! You have given me even more ideas on my tank and I have been planning it for over a year! Your electric work is great and easy to follow. Your stand is great too. I always thought you need to put legs in the center under the tank. Will your stand be strong enough? What is the maximum amount of space that could be left open before center legs would be necessary?
My tank will be 90X56X30H. The front 6" will be sitting on 2x6s every 16" on center since it will be inwall. Could I build the stand the same as yours with 2x6s along the front and sides?
I'm looking forward to seeing the progress of your tank. What types of fish will you have?

[mpdharley]

I certainly believe the stand is strong enough. Although the supports aren't directly centered under the tank, using the 2 2x4s, supported by the vertical braces, should be enough.

I've seen a tank that was 8 foot long with only a single 2x4 brace at 4'. As for maximum space, number of supports, I'm not a structural engineer, so I couldn't give you any figures there. FYI, tThe center opening on my stand is 31".

As for fish, right now I have a midas blenny, mandarin, purple tang, basslet, false perc, foxface and a coral beauty.

I'm going to add a few more fish in the new tank, but most of them will be small fish (firefish, anthias, etc).

[biggt 2k1]

Ok now you might want to scrap the powering you tank with extension cord idea and run 2 20 amp circuits on 12g romex so you don't burn your house down. Other then that looks like a great stand.

[mpdharley]

Actually, these there are two dedicated 15amp circuits for the tank. The external medium duty (rated for 15 amps) outdoor extension cords (on per circuit) is only used to get power from each dedicated circuit to the power center.

Given this, what would be the difference between the extension cords and 15amp rated romex?

[biggt 2k1]

Because Romex is solid core wire vs. stranded wire that can get a lot hotter under load. Extension cords are made for a temporary fix, not perminent duty. If you have that catch on fire you will find that it was not built to code and will not be covered by insurance.

[grochmal]

What if you used two 20amp extension cords instead?

[mpdharley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7810886#post7810886 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by biggt 2k1
Because Romex is solid core wire vs. stranded wire that can get a lot hotter under load. Extension cords are made for a temporary fix, not perminent duty. If you have that catch on fire you will find that it was not built to code and will not be covered by insurance.

Thanks for the heads up. I had thought that since I went with the "medium duty" outside (not inside) cord that was rated for 15 amps, that it would be alright.

The circuits that I have end in GFI plugs (that the cords would plug into). I assume that if I make my own plug using Romex, that plug into the GFI, then wire into the circuits, that would suffice, correct?

[steve68]

I dont think that stand is going to hold the tank LOL J/K
you did a great job on it & i cant wait to see the tank.
it's going to be a sweet set up.

[H20ENG]

"Romex is solid core wire vs. stranded wire that can get a lot hotter under load."

Yes, but stranded wire is actually larger to compensate for this. Thats why they can get the same amp rating as the solid.

That said, I'd still use #12, whether hard wired or a cord. If the cord is firmly seated in the socket and the socket holds it tight, then its fine. Install a brand new outlet in the wall if you are worried about it. And again, dont use the stab in type.

A loose connection here is more likely to cause a fire than the wire getting too hot.

[mpdharley]

Thanks for the info!

[Cody Ray]

Very impressive!

[mpdharley]

Thanks! Now if I can only get time to work on the tank! Things have been a little hectic, so I haven't had a chance to start on the tank. Hopefully I'll be able to in the next couple of days.

[ataylo13]

Amazing... are you planning any type of battery backup?

[mpdharley]

I have a 7500 watt generator behind the house. Eventually, I'll have a transfer switch installed and connected to several specific circuits, which will include the dedicated circuits for the reef tank.

I also have several battery powered air pumps for the tanks (we also have two freshwater tanks). The plan is that during extended power outages (ain't hurricanes wonderful!), the primary water movement wouuld be the air pumps with the other pumps turned on for a few hours every day when we were home and the generator was running.

[ataylo13]

I feel your pain. I just moved from Melbourne, FL. Hurricanes tend to make reef keeping a little trickier.

[mpdharley]

I hear ya, but at least it doesn't snow here! I grew up in Indiana -- loved the snow as a kid, hate the cold now! Thankfully, here in Jacksonville we don't get it as bad as down south. Now that I said that, I hope I don't jinx things! :mixed:

[mmd]

WOW, looks great so far

[Chihuahua6]

More pictures please : )

[Cody Ray]

Just take 2 weeks vacation and finish things up ;)

[mpdharley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7848079#post7848079 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ChinChek787
Just take 2 weeks vacation and finish things up ;)

Don't I wish!! Lot's of stuff going on at the home front, but I have started laying out the acrylic. All the major (raw) cuts were already done, I just need to clean up the edges and get all the edge pieces down to their final size -- which I've finally started!

With any luck, I should have some pictures by the end of the week of how the tank build is progressing!

[reefez]

Excellent work! I love the laminent flooring idea. That will make cleaning up spills a cinch. I'm going to rip off that idea if you don't mind :)

[mpdharley]

Don't mind at all! It seemed to me to be the easiest way to seal the bottom.

[mpdharley]

Well, I hit a delay in starting the acrylic work for the tank. I was checking the acrylic and getting ready to clean the edges using my table saw stand and the attached router table.

But, as I was getting my acrylic pieces set up and setting up my table, I started getting nervous about cleaning the edges on acrylic that was this thick, heavy and long like I had with thinner, lighter and shorter pieces.

Given that this is going to be a display tank holding 300+ gallons (and that the acrylic isn't cheap), I decided not to take any chances. So, I bought a jointer.

Damn, I hate that I had to buy another power tool! :beer:

It should be here next week, then I can start the acrylic work. Until then I'll refine the design on the sump and work on wait (not so) patiently <G>

[rsxs1212]

haha well that stinks that you have to wait a week or so but at least you will be more comfortable about it being OK.. i did something similar, i was going to buy a 75 gallon tank and drill it myself but then i decided just to buy one pre-drilled.. i was afraid to drill even though i heard it was a simple task.. they are somewhat similar i guess, i just thought id share!! i think you made the right choice!

[mpdharley]

Thanks! I definitely think that you need to go with your gut on most decisions.

[Jasen Hicks]

I agree 100% on the gut feeling... but still... i want more pics man!

Jasen :-D

[reefez]

Ya keep us up to date on the progress. I'm going to be doing this soon as well.

[CoolUsername]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7848641#post7848641 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefez
Excellent work! I love the laminent flooring idea. That will make cleaning up spills a cinch. I'm going to rip off that idea if you don't mind :)

This idea was cheaper than what I did. I have had so many spills and I like to work messy (not worry about drips etc) that I ended up building a 6 inch high fiberglass trough into the bottom of my stand. It's water tight and will hold around 18 gallons. Since then I have overflowed my sump already once. - That's another story - but was very glad that I have a waterproof base under there.

The vinyl flooring is very nice and likely lots cheaper and easier. Not sure if it would hold water, but would make cleaning up small spills a snap.

[mpdharley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7867350#post7867350 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Jasen Hicks
I agree 100% on the gut feeling... but still... i want more pics man!

Jasen :-D

LOL...I'd love to post more pics, because that would mean I've been able to work on it! Dang, doesn't my boss know that I should be working on my tank instead of at work! What's up with him!!! :confused: :bum:

BTW, what do you do when your gut says go for a 1,000 gallon tank but your wallet says 250??? <G>

CoolUsername
The vinyl flooring is glued down (silicone) and I've sealed all the edges (with silicone), so it should hold water up to the lip of the 2x4 bottom frame. But, I think I'll wait to actually test that! :rollface:

[mmn_usn]

Living in Guam I had to deal with Typhoons... Wife didn't like it much when she had to start the generator for the tank instead of the fridge or lights.

[mpdharley]

LOL..I hear ya there. We run the tank and the fridge of the same generator -- after all, gotta keep the beer cold!

[RickD1]

Generators are for the Tank and the Window A/C units to keep the tank cool and you need to drink Crown and water (Ice is free) instead of beer.:rollface: :rollface:

[horkn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7779314#post7779314 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Bri Guy
I love that power center you made!!!

Just shows you that some of our reefers are Chemists, woodworkers, electrictions, plastic workers, and im sure other crazy trades that come with the territory. Reef on!

wastewater treatment plant designers/ integration.



you should see the UV sterilizers we have at work. :eek1:

great work btw, and quick at that.:)

[CoolUsername]

The vinyl flooring is glued down (silicone) and I've sealed all the edges (with silicone), so it should hold water up to the lip of the 2x4 bottom frame. But, I think I'll wait to actually test that! :rollface:

Let me know how it goes. I'd be interested to see how your test turns out. I did another built in stand trough using several coats of Herculiner truck bed liner. It held water nicely. It was extremely durable, had a nice look, but took months for the smell to go a way. They say to let thing air out for a couple of weeks. No big deal if you actually use it on your truck, but indoors it would smell everytime I openened the stand door.

If you have the time to wait it was a decent idea. But at $80 a gallon for the stuff, I think the Vinyl has it for the economics award.

[Ltlduc]

You might want to make all of your electrical connections in the electrical boxes. The only place that the electrical will fail is at the connection. Electrical connections expand and contract over time and can eventually loosen up. If this happens, the wirenut will melt and you will have a poor open connection. This can start a fire. The electrical boxes are fire rated for 1 hour. It is better to know there is a problem from something not working rather than it burning. You are doing a great job on the stand. I cant wait to see the rest!!!!!!!!

[mpdharley]

Hmmm...wasn't aware of that. I'll have to give that some thought, thanks!

[alien9168]

Looking great!! :)

[pcola]

Nice setup and I will be tagging along as well. I also live in JAX and I am interested in taking a look. I have a 225 gallon acrylic with stand and canopy that's it. It seems like I will be about a year out from completion with everything else I have to get. Nice wiring idea. Please keep updating, this help tremendously. Thanks. :D

[Jabbajaw]

Thanks for the great photos of the stand I will be referring to them when I build mine. I am trying to tell by looking at the photos, it the entire stand sitting on top of the plywood bottom?
Did you do a custom stand for your 125?

[mpdharley]

There is a plywood bottom. I did that so I could seal the bottom in case any water spilled in the stand.

I bought the stand for the 125; however, I built the stand for our 75 freshwater Oscar tank.

[Jabbajaw]

So is the bottom flush with the 2X4s or do all of the 2X4s sit on top of the plywood? Is regular pressure treated ok you think?

[mpdharley]

The 2x4s sit on top off they plywood. I didn't use any pressure treated boards. Since pressure treated boards are loaded with chemicals, I decided not to use them. Instead, I put one coat of primer on all wood surfaces, then added a coat of paint the wood on the inside of the stand.

After the tank is built, centered, etc. I'm going to add a finishing skin to the stand. The current thought is to use a thin plyboard skin, painted to make it look like it is built of stone.

But, that may change.

[mpdharley]

Well, after several delays, I've finally been able to start building the tank. The delays including needing a jointer (for cleaning the edges) to having problems with the side panels not being square (more on that in a minute). But, at long last, I was able to start building the tank. So, from my last post to now, here are some pics.

First, the jointer I bought. I love this thing:
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/jointer.jpg


This thing does a great job on the edges. Here are the before and after shots.

Before
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/before-jointer.jpg


After
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/after-jointer.jpg


After the panels were prepped, the dry fit
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/dryfit1.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/dryfit2.jpg

[mpdharley]

Here is the first side being glued

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/side1-1.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/side1-2.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/side1-3.jpg

[mpdharley]

Now, a little on the issue I had with getting the panels squre. First, what I didn't know when ordered the acrylic was that the 4' x 8' panels that the company buys can be up to 1/4" out of square. They consider anything within 1/4" of square to be "in spec".

That was why I originally stopped building the tank and started building a cross cut sled for my table saw. After getting that built, I still wasn't comfortable trying to square up the panels myself. So, I called the company I bought the acrylic from and asked if they could square them up.
They were able to square up one of the panels, the worst one. The other I trimmed up with jointer. During the dry fit, the tank came out square, so I'm good to go.

So, a word of warning when buying acrylic. You might want ask if the cuts will be exact and the pieces square.

As for building the tank, I'll probably let each seam set for 24 hours before going on to the next one.

So, the fun begins!

[Jasen Hicks]

I've been waiting to see some updates on this project... so long so that i started some crazy ones myself including the 8ft monster stand! But this is way cooler to watch, less work :-D

Did you use the pin method and weldon 3 ?

Jasen

[mpdharley]

LOL..It is definitely easier to watch someone else! :-)

I did use the pin method (30mm acupuncture needles), but used weldon 4, not 3. I'm going to let each seam set for 24 hours before I go onto the next seam. Then, once it's done I'll wait a week before I wet test it.

[Alphabet]

Looking good, can't wait to see it together and wet tested. Did you say you were also building you sump too?

[Cody Ray]

24 hours each, u better post pics of each on ;)

[reefez]

Great info. I just got my 180gal. stand almost finished, and will be starting the sump and tank pretty soon. What did the acrylic run you? And where did you get it?

[mpdharley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8025729#post8025729 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Alphabet
Looking good, can't wait to see it together and wet tested. Did you say you were also building you sump too?

Yes I am. I'll start that after the tank is finished -- I'm out of room in my garage! :rollface:

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8027052#post8027052 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by ChinChek787
24 hours each, u better post pics of each on ;)

Definitely will post as often as I can.

[reefez]

So the material cost on the acrylic must be worth it as opposed to having it professionally constructed?

[mpdharley]

Definitely worth it. The tank will cost 1/3 to 1/4 less than if I had someone else build it and ship it. I've also got a great LFS in the area who is buying most of the gear I've torn down (I had a 180 FO that I tore down) and will tear down (my current 125). So that has also greatly helped reduce the end cost.

[chopsuey]

OMG I just got done reading this entire post.

That has to be the coolest thing to build your own aquarium. In the last 2 months we just moved out of our apt and in to a house. The wife allowed me to get my dream tank. (only 180gal) but it is a total custom from ground up. I did not have a hand in all of the making of the tank but it was custom buit for me. Nothing on my tank is prefab. the enitre tank is built to my specs. but would have been cool to be able to DIY it. Keep us up to date on your prgress.. Very Very coo!! :eek2:

[blfuller123]

Looks great! I started cutting the acrylic for my new tank the other day and hope to start getting it all glued up soon.

[bubblethumper]

Do you mind saying which LFS? I happen to be local and would consider a bigger tank if I knew that there was a place that might take the livestock if I have to move.

Great work by the way!

[mpdharley]

chopsuey Building it myself was a driving force in doing this. I've built a few sumps and this just intrigued me -- to be able to say I built my tank. Hopefully I won't come home to find the reef on the floor some day! :eek2:

blfuller123 Thanks! For me, it has seemed to be forever to get to this point, but once you do the dry fit, it all seems to start coming together. Then, the time really seems to drag, because you can start seeing it! At least, for me it does.

bubblethumper I think I can, since I don't work for them -- MODs, if I'm wrong, please let me know -- Anyway, the LFS is Rob's Reef on Blanding. Since it is close by, it's my primary LFS. I think he has a good store. I also frag some of my corals and take them in for store credit.

[blfuller123]

Updates/pictures?

[mpdharley]

I did get the second side panel glued and have the pictures. Just haven't had a chance to post them yet. I'm hoping to be able to flip the whole thing over tonight and start glueing the final side panel.

But, first I have to replace my thermostat in my house. I came home from work last night to find it not working, and not turning on my A/C! Now I'm really glad I have a chiller! This is not the time of year for the A/C to go out!

[TandN]

Looks awesome cant wait to see it finished

[mpdharley]

I was able to get another panel glued to the side. I was hoping to get to the next step (flipping the whole thing over and starting on the next two seams) tonight, but after replacing my thermostat, I just don't feel up to it. But hey, at least its down to 82 degrees now -- it was 89!

But for now, the current pictures (and a 3 day weekend coming up -- woohooo!)

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/twosides-1.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/twosides-2.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/twosides-3.jpg

[mpdharley]

Well, I just couldn't stand it, sitting here and not working on the stand, so although I didn't feel like working on the other panel, Dawn and I brought the tank down to sit on its edges. Of course, once there, I had to take a look at the seams -- and here they are:

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/seam1.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/seam2.jpg

[BumpinTJ24]

Do you plan on gluing in 1"x1" (1/2") reinforcements on all the seams with bubbles? How thick is the acrylic? Looking sweet!! Keep 'em coming.

[mpdharley]

The acrylic is 3/4" and I am thinking about adding some vertical braces to the corners. Since the acrylic is 3/4", I'll probably use 3/4" x 3/4" bracing bars.

As for the bubbles, I don't think that they will degrade the seam in any way as there aren't that many of them, but adding the braces will just make me feel better :)

[ambaratur]

Great job!

Those seams look really good - for that thick of acrylic in your garage I think you should be very happy with the quality that you achieved.

I think your bracing idea is not a bad one - but the seams themselves are really good for do-it-yourself when you are not building tanks every day.

[mpdharley]

Thanks, I'm definitely very happy with the seams. But, I'm also paranoid, hence the braces :D

[Versus]

Great job! , Were you kind of upset to see the bubbles though ? They are not bad by any means of course ( The area on mine had more bubbles than actual contact area heh ) but I remember I was kind of fustrated since the acrylic sheets werent cheap .


Also , are you coming over to build me a new stand with electrical panel , Thanks in advance.

[mpdharley]

I wasn't frustrated with the bubbles at all. The pictures show 'the worst" of them. There are some bubbles in other areas, but they are small (in area). I also have 4' x 2' x 2' fuge that I purchased, and there are a few bubbles in it as well, so comparatively speaking, I'm quite happy!

Sure, I'll be right over to build your stand and panel, right after I build my tank, build my sump/fuge, plumb everything, finish skinning my stand (will happen after the tank is in place), build my light hood, win the lottery so I don't have to work, .... :rollface: :D

[xtrm suv]

great thread i'm building a tank soon so keep the info coming!

[blfuller123]

I think your seams will work fine. I dont have any pictures of my seams, but here is my tank.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=906741

[mpdharley]

Funny you should post just now, I was just thinking about how I could've used my corner clamps on the sides (I have those same clamps)!

How did that work for you?

Tank is looking good so far!

[blfuller123]

So far so good. When I glued the pieces together, I clamped the piece with the corner clamp like it was going to be permanately. Then, I loosened up the one side of the clamp and put pins between the piece and tightened up the clamps again and pulled the pins leaving a pin size gap. I then put the glue in and let it set for a minute or so. Then I loosened the clamps and put the back in its final resting place and tightened up the clamps and let it cure. Dont know if that makes sense, but I am happy with my seams.

[mpdharley]

Makes sense. Basically, the same steps I use, but without the clamps. However, I can see where the clamps would really help. I'm going to try it when I set my next side piece (hopefully tomorrow).

[mpdharley]

The tank has been flipped over and the other side glued (both seams). The clamps work great!

Blfuller123 Thanks for the steps, I did basically what you did, except that I left the pins in. Essentially, using the clamps to keep the vertical piece fairly stationary. So, when I pulled the pins it basically dropped straight down.

One note of caution to any that try the clamps. Do not tighten them to much. If you do, you might leave an impression in the acrylic. I didn't on mind, but I think it would be possible (blfuller123 -- did you have any issue with this?).

Here are the pics. The internal wood structure is there to keep the top long side from bowing. It's also part of the template that I'm making to do the cutout on my top.

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/allsides.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/clamped.jpg

Tomorrow I'll finish up the template for the top and hopefully get the top glued tomorrow night (probably won't get it cut out though).

For the most part, I've been letting my seams cure for 24 hours (minimum) before I do anything major, like tip the tank up, move it, etc.

[blfuller123]

Looking good! I didnt have any issues with the clamps leaving marks. I didnt do much with my tank today. We took the kids to the GA Aquarium and I come home and my tank looks really small now. I did get the overflow boxes made. I will try and cut the teeth for the overflows tonight and then get the top bracing glued soon after that. Are you doing internal or external overflows? Mine are external.

[mpdharley]

How was the GA Aquarium? I want to get up there to see it, but haven't made it yet.

At this point I'm thinking of using an internal overflow along one of the short sides. The internal piece will be almost as long as the side itself to get lots of skimming area. Then I'll have an external box for the plumbing.

[reefez]

Looks great so far. I used your idea on your stand on my 180gal. stand. Excellent idea for possible spills. Your edges look nice.. Not too many bubbles at all. It really must take a lot of practice to get a clear bubble free seam..

[jman77]

I see you under estimate the strength of acrylic...the seems are fine.... ;)

Oh yea, great work !

[mpdharley]

reefez No problem, I probably got the idea from someone else anyway! :D I don't know how much practice it takes for bubble free seams, but these are probably the best I've done. I'm really happy with them.

jman77 Thanks for the info. I figure if I underestimate, I won't have to worry about coming home to a floor based fish tank! :rollface: Actually, I tend to over build most everything. For me, it's a safety/anal factor :D

[blfuller123]

Where are the updates?... I got my thread updated.

[mpdharley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8079173#post8079173 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by blfuller123
Where are the updates?... I got my thread updated.

I guess that's a neener, neener, neener on me then! :lol: Just kidding!

I did work on the tank this past weekend, finishing the MDF template for the top and starting to level up the top edges, just haven't had a chance to post the pictures till now (I was slacking some yesterday, lounging in the pool drinking!:mixed:)

Getting the template done for the top was a pain, especially since I messed up "version 1" and had to start over. With the first attempt, I was using 1/2" OSB. That problem with that was that as I was doing the cutouts, the wood kept splintering. So, keeping a smooth edge for my router bit guide bearing was going to be impossible.

On version 2, I switched to 1/2" MDF. Although it was a lot easier to work with, I still had the issue of peaks and valleys (or rolling hills) on the inside of the template, which would be the guide for the router bit.

Of course, these "hills" would transfer to the acrylic when I did the cut-out so I had to figure something out. I figured if I could get something semi flexible yet sturdy, I could line the cutout and get rid of the hills (I did sand and file these, but was not able to get it as smooth as I wanted it). My wife came up with using some shelf edge wood that already has glue on it. You just heat it up with an iron.

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/edging.jpg

And here is the template with the edging glued on. And yes, that is every clamp (of that type) that I own! :rollface:

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/top-template.jpg

Now I just need to finish leveling off the top edge of the sides (goes back to the issues I had when the panels were cut). Then I can cut out the top, glue it on and glue on the bottom. I'm hoping to have the edges leveled by the weekend, since I have to get caught up on yard work (kinda ignored this past 3 day weekend!).

[blfuller123]

That is a nice template. I cheated on my tank and made a frame instead of a single piece for the top. That should work good for you. Dont skimp on router bits either.

[scumonkey]

mpdharley (I have those same clamps)!
Looks like you have every kind of clamp (and many mutiples of each), ever made! :lol: My local hardware store dosn't have inventory like you and I live in NYC!!! (I'm jealous) :p

[mpdharley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8086081#post8086081 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by blfuller123
That is a nice template. I cheated on my tank and made a frame instead of a single piece for the top. That should work good for you. Dont skimp on router bits either.

What do you mean you made a frame instead of a single piece? Just curious.

scumonkey :lol: I got lucky and bought some of the clamps during a buy one, get one free sale. You had to send in the proof of purchase and supposedly, you were only supposed to get one free clamp per household. Thankfully, they didn't hold to that!

[mpdharley]

I was able to finish the top this weekend

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/top-cutout.jpg

There was a small problem while cutting out the middle section. I didn't have the cutout piece supported well enough, so when it was almost cut out, it broke off. Thankfully, it didn't take a big chunk out of top. It did take out a small piece, but I'll just consider that part of the tanks "personality". :D I'll be able to smooth that out when I finish the top (sanding/polishing)

When the piece broke off, it also busted my router bit, tearing off the guide bearing -- and that was a brand new bit! So, off to Home Depot to get a replacement.

This week will be all about finishing the top edges of the sides, smoothing out a couple of high spots and smoothing out the inside edges of the top itself. I'm hoping to be able to glue the top on by the end of the week.

I was also able to cut the pieces for the inside piece of the overflow. I had some 3/8" left over from another project and one of the pieces provided all the overflow pieces that I needed!

I still need to find a good way to make a template for the teeth on the overflow though. Any suggestions on making the template are greatly appreciated. A few of my other attempts didn't come out well at all.

On another topic, I thought my IPOD died on me this weekend. I hated working in the garage and doing the yard work without my tunes!

Thankfully, I was finally able to revive it, get rid of the "sad face" and recopy everything to it. I am getting worried though, this is the second time I've had to do this and it's only about a year old.

[fishnut321]

wow, your my hero, i want to build a larger system once im out of college!

[mpdharley]

LOL...thanks, but I tell ya, I don't think I'll be building anything this large again! You really have to be setup to handle the larger, longer and heavier pieces. There are definitely a couple of "oops" because of this.

I thought I'd be okay, especially with the larger jointer. But there were still issues. The biggest thing I can say to anyone else trying this in their garage is to have a serious "sit down" with the company you are buying the acrylic from. Make sure that the company will cut square pieces to the size you want and not have some cuts that may be "a little off" or not what you asked for. Having to trim down beyond what I was expecting, not having the pieces square and having a couple of pieces that had different measurements from one end to the other really messed me up.

Had the pieces been square and the cuts done better, most of the issues I've had would not have happened.

But, building smaller projects, like my sump, which I'll start when the tank is done should be made much easier because of what I've learned on this project and with some of the new tools I've purchased.

[mpdharley]

The top is being glued on today. I sanded and polished the edges of the cutouts before attaching it. I'm very happy with the overall look of the top and the cut outs, but I'm not real happy with the edges of the cut outs.

I'm thinking that I didn't have the router blade set to go fast enough and/or I was moving the router to fast. I ended up having a lot of nicks along the edges. I couldn't get all of the nicks out when I was sanding and the ones remaining collected some of the buffing compound.

I was hoping to get compound out with a toothpick, but that didn't work. Next, when the tank is finished and the paper has come off of the top, I'll try a rag soaked in hot water to try to soften the compund and then get it out with a toothpick.

The top has turned out to be a bit of a pain, from the uneven top edge of the sides to the inside edges of the cutout. I evened them out as best as I could, but my first look at the seams (from the bottom, because I haven't turned the tank over yet) don't look to be as bubble free as the side seams.

But, all in all I think everything will turn out okay.

I've also almost finished the inside overflow -- I'll post pictures as soon as the glue dries on it.

[mpdharley]

Here's the inside overflow:

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/overflow-inside1.jpg

And this picture shows you it's size relative to the short side of the tank. The actual dimensions are 36.5" x 4.5" x 6.5". The teeth are 3/4".

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/overflow-inside2.jpg

This will be installed on the short side, with the top of the overflow attached to the underneath of the top of the tank. It should have some good flow and good surface skimming.

I'm going to build an external box that I'll attach to the outside that for the plumbing to drain to the sump, using two 1.5" pipes. To take the water from the inside overflow to the outside overflow, I'll cut four holes (before gluing the outside overflow box).

[fufi5]

Awsome! That's a sweet looking setup.

[mpdharley]

Thanks! It's been fun so far, but boy, I can't wait till it's finished! :-)

[Milleme]

Just curious why not an external overflow instead of a box inside flowing to one outside.

[rsxs1212]

yeah i had the same question.. i thought maybe it was more structurly sound but that doesnt make sense since now you have an even bigger hole and more seams that could come loose.. so out goes that.. GOOD QUESTION

[mpdharley]

The biggest reason for the internal overflow was to have a large area for surface skimming without cutting out part of one of the sides (to make it lower than the top, thus giving me an overflow). The holes that I'm going to drill will not affect the structure and won't be near the seams (they'll be several inches below the seam).

By using an external box for the plumbing, it gives me easy access to the plumbing and the ability to put in stand pipes if I need it. Since the internal overflow box will attach to the underneath of the top of the tank, I won't have access to the inside of that box. Since it will just be an over flow and not have any plumbing, I won't need access to the inside of it.

[rsxs1212]

ohhh i see i thought you were still cutting out the whole rectangle out in the side of the tank between the two boxes but nevermind now i see... good idea ;)

[Joedaddy]

Love the tank.....your my insperation.

[blfuller123]

Looking good! Any more pictures?

[mpdharley]

No new pictures yet. The top was glued and I'm going to add some braces along the top inside top edge. So I'm working on the braces now and hope to have them in and ready to glue the bottom in place by the weekend.

[mpdharley]

Not a whole lot new yet, just adding some braces to the top. Nothing to see, but some fun pictures the wife took while I was working on the braces

Double checking the the brace fittings
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/braces1.jpg

You ever feel boxed in?
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/braces2.jpg

Are their stairs in here??
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/braces3.jpg

I should be able to finish the braces and start gluing the bottom by the end of the weekend -- at least, that's my hope.

Mike

[mpdharley]

You just gotta love a tank that you can get inside of, sit down in and work on!

[blfuller123]

Looking good! When you going to get some water in it? Mine does now.

[mpdharley]

The bottom will start getting glued later today or tomorrow and then I'm going to let it cure until next weekend.

So, if everything goes okay this weekend, I'll be able to wet test next weekend

How's your tank holding up?

[blfuller123]

So far so good. The water is staying inside the tank and not on the floor so I am pretty happy. I think the last time I glued something was about 2 weeks ago so the glue had that long to cure before adding water.

[mpdharley]

That's great. I found your thread again and checked it out this morning. Tank is looking good!

I just finished gluing all of the braces for the top and the top edge of the inside over flow. I'll finish gluing the overflow today, drill the holes for the water to get to the outside overflow and build the outside overflow box as well.

In between all of that, I'll also be gluing the bottom as well. At least, that's the plan.

[l2oger]

Wow thats looking great. Nice work

[acroporia]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8166718#post8166718 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mpdharley
The biggest reason for the internal overflow was to have a large area for surface skimming without cutting out part of one of the sides (to make it lower than the top, thus giving me an overflow). The holes that I'm going to drill will not affect the structure and won't be near the seams (they'll be several inches below the seam).

By using an external box for the plumbing, it gives me easy access to the plumbing and the ability to put in stand pipes if I need it. Since the internal overflow box will attach to the underneath of the top of the tank, I won't have access to the inside of that box. Since it will just be an over flow and not have any plumbing, I won't need access to the inside of it.

I understand your reason for internal overflows and I think you are right - it is almost always the right way to go. But your thought about "I won't need access to the inside of the overflow" doesn't fit with my experience. Something will get in the overflow and need help getting out. Or else it will become the "made the wrong turn" grave for animals that didn't have the right survival instincts. The other thing you could do if you want to assemble it this way is to open up a hole in the top to give you access (with a thin lid to normally cover it to minimize salt spray). Then you can get into it when you need to.

[mpdharley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8205829#post8205829 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by acroporia
I understand your reason for internal overflows and I think you are right - it is almost always the right way to go. But your thought about "I won't need access to the inside of the overflow" doesn't fit with my experience...

I should rephrase that -- I don't think I'll need access to the inside overflow. There will be 3 or 4 2" holes drilled in the wall of the tank to get the water from the inside overflow to the outside overflow. I will have access to the outside overflow.

My thinking there was 1) Most anything that go into the inside overflow would more than likely be swept to the outside overflow. Then, I can get them out. 2) With 2 inch holes, I should be able to get something in the hole, angled to anywhere in the inside overflow and "sweep" out whatever is in the inside overflow.

[mpdharley]

And now some updates.

Here's the top, all glued and the tank sitting normally. The tank is sitting on the bottom, which will be glued tomorrow.

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/top-view.jpg

And this is the inside overflow. It's hard to tell from this pic, but the outside edge of the overflow lines up with the edge of the cutout on the top.

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/inside-overflow.jpg

[pipper]

haha it looks awsome

[mpdharley]

A little more work has been completed and the overflows are about done. I just need to attach the outside overflow to the tank.

I don't know much about water mechanics, so I guessed on all of this. But, the intake for the pump (a dart) is 2 inches. the drains on the outside overflow are 2, 1.5" holes and then the 4, 1/4" inch holes to take the water from the inside overflow to the outside. As you can tell, from the drain up, the total hole size gets larger.

I had read that 2, 1" holes don't flow as much water as 1, 2" hole. So, that's why I went with larger total hole size as you go up to the tank. I also wanted more than one drain pipe in case there was an issue with one of the drains, so this will at least let most of the water drain. I also don't think I'll be running the main pump fully open. Most of my water movement will be in the closed loop.

However, in re-reading the info on building the stand pipes, I found out that two drain pipes in the same over flow may be an issue -- getting both tuned to drain equally. I didn't think about that being an issue, so we'll have to see. Now for the pics:

Sidewall holes
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/sidewall-holes1.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/sidewall-holes2.jpg


The outside overflow
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/outside-overflow1.jpg


http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/outside-overflow2.jpg

The outside overflow placed against the tank. Of course, it will be placed higher up

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/outside-overflow3.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/outside-overflow4.jpg

I'm also going to build a cover to encase the entire overflow (top and sides) which will be made out of either black or blue acrylic.

[mpdharley]

And the cool news -- tomorrow is the wet test! I'll post pictures of the progress as the tank fills up tomorrow.

[rsxs1212]

hope you have well water because i know down here in bradenton where i live water is pretty pricey.. lol this is looking great!!

[mpdharley]

In Clay county (where I live), its not to bad. They stop charging sewage after a certain point, which I always pass anyway.

[Jasen Hicks]

Pay for water? Hmm... that is definately the only perk to living in an apartment, mine is all free!

Mpd... looking awesome, that is going to be a sweet setup when its done, glad i found this thread back in the beginning :-D

Jasen

[blfuller123]

Lets see the water!

[alien9168]

Wow! This tank looks great.

I'm sure you'll be happy with the result :)

:thumbsup:

[mpdharley]

There be water in that there tank!!!!!

Here we go!

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/water1.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/water2.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/water3.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/water4.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/water5.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/water6.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/water7.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/water8.jpg

And no leaks!!!

I have a small pump to move the water around for a while. I'll drain it tomorrow and get it ready to attach the external overflow, then move it in the house!!!!!

[alien9168]

CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!

:thumbsup:

I'm SOOO Happy for you.

I bet your extatic! :)

[mpdharley]

Thanks and you know it!! I'm real happy with the side seams, but the seams for the top and bottom could be better. Even though I added some bracing, it is great to see everything holding and not leaking.

[blfuller123]

Looks good! I know the feeling.

Is this tank going in a wall? When do you expect to have it all finished? I am shooting for Christmas with mine.

Congrats on the successful water testing.

[rsxs1212]

congrats.. glad to see it coming together!! may i ask why you are circulating the water around the tank?? its not like this is the actual water you are going to use right?

[mpdharley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8253360#post8253360 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by blfuller123
Looks good! I know the feeling.

Is this tank going in a wall? When do you expect to have it all finished? I am shooting for Christmas with mine.

Congrats on the successful water testing.

Thanks! The tank will be in the center of the "fish room" so it will be viewable from all 4 sides. I haven't actually figured out how long it will take to get everything transferred to the new tank, but I do want it done by Christmas and think it is more than possible.

Originally posted</a> by rsxs1212 may i ask why you are circulating the water around the tank?? its not like this is the actual water you are going to use right?

I just don't like having standing water in the tank, so I threw a small pump in there. Just me being anal :bum:

[jeffgp]

just keep us poosted on all the fun . looks great . and cant wait till i get MY house and she has no say on the tank and all the fun stuff to go with it

[mpdharley]

Some new pics:

How big is this thing? It's this big!

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/howbig.jpg

And the external overflow being attached

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/attach-eof1.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/ext-overflow1.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/ext-overflow2.jpg

jeffgp -- Believe it or not, but I was just going to swap my 125 for the 180 I had and then do this upgrade in a couple of years when I was "more ready". But, my wife said -- I don't want to do this again, just do the big upgrade now!

I don't think there was even a 1 second pause before I said okay!

Of course, after this is done we'll be yanking out most of the rest of the carpet in the house and putting down hardwood floors (she hates the carpet). So, it may have been her "master plan" :D

[blfuller123]

You can still do the "big" upgrade in a couple of years. Just might need to go bigger next time. Could be part of your master plan.

[mpdharley]

LOL...If I do, someone else is building the tank! This was fun, but I don't think I want to do it again (well, maybe :D)

[Jasen Hicks]

Super Sweet brother!

Again <--- Jealous

[rp marine]

look good

[matthewdmueller]

Fabulous Tank by the way, it really looks great! I was just wondering how you plan on getting into your overflow if you need to clean it out? Seems like with it sealed in there like that you wouldn't be able to scoop anything out that might get in there or scrub out algea if it starts to grow in there. Awsome tank though, congrats!

[mpdharley]

Thanks!

For cleaning, I'll use filter cleaning brushes that are bendable. The four holes that take the water from the internal (covered) overflow the external overflow should allow enough access to sweep anything (using the filter brushes) that I need to. At least, that is the plan, hope, thought. Only time will tell though.

[rp marine]

have you put the tank on the stand? picture?

[mpdharley]

I wish! I need to wait until I get 3 of my neighbors to help me move it from the garage to the house! But, I did pick up the acrylic for my sump today. I'm hoping to get it moved inside by the weekend.

[xinumaster]

Wow it holds the water with no leak. I can't wait to see it finish. Will the stand fit in your door way?

[alien4fish1]

wow! dude you are the man i will deff follow this thread nice work! ive done acrylic refugiums but nothing as to that scale

[manofcoral]

MPDHarley, you are the MAN! I love what you are doing. Someday I think (when I have time) I will try something like that. Way cool.

Paul<><

[mpdharley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8271081#post8271081 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by xinumaster
Wow it holds the water with no leak. I can't wait to see it finish. Will the stand fit in your door way?

LOL..nope, the stand does not fit through any of the doorways. I assembled it in place, at its final destination.

alien4fish1 and manofcoral Working at this scale definitely holds some different challenges compared to working on sumps. Some things that I though wouldn't be an issue were. It also became quickly apparent that with this larger and heavier scale, prepping the acrylic (square, edge prep, trimming pieces down to their exact needed size, etc) becomes even more critical. Preferably, most of this can be done by the folks cutting the acrylic for you, with the exception of the edge prep.

One thing I did figure out, for trimming the side panels. I built them so that the bottom edge was flush. Then I used a powered planer to trim off excess height where I needed to. If the panels didn't have high or low spots, I probably would've been okay on my jointer. However, because of their length and weight, working them on the jointer was a pain. I figured that a planer was simply a smaller jointer and working "upside down" :D

It worked out pretty well to!

[mpdharley]

The sump/fuge building has begun!

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/sump1.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/sump2.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/sump3.jpg

The sump/fuge will be 36" x 36" x 24". The fuge area will be a little over 38 gallons.

[Slipknotnos]

where did you buy your acrlyc and how much?

[TandN]

your sump is my dream tank lol

[mpdharley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8288213#post8288213 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Slipknotnos
where did you buy your acrlyc and how much?

We have an acrylic supplier local -- Farco Plastics. The 3/8" 4' x 8' sheets run about $170 and the 3/4" 4' x 8' was about $370

tanya72806 When it comes to tanks, figure out how big you can go then ADD another 20% :beer:

[achilles1]

Mike,

How is that you have managed to build an entire tank from scratch in less time than it is taking me to set up my tank and I recieved my tank before you bought your acrylic? You SUCK!!! But, You are still the man. :) Love the tank. It is looking more than awesome.

[mpdharley]

LOL...Good Tequila!!!

[mpdharley]

The building of the sump/fuge continues

The fuge walls
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/sump4.jpg


Adding some braces
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/sump5.jpg

[mpdharley]

First, a BIG, BIG thanks to Jeff, Pat and Don from our local reef club for helping to move the tank!

The move went very smoothly, no issues and now the tank is in the house! Here are the pics of the move. We had to take the tank out of the garage and move it in through the front door

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/move1.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/move2.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/move3.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/move4.jpg


[B]Need to turn the tank on its side to get it through the door
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/move5.jpg

[mpdharley]

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/move6.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/move7.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/move8.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/move9.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/move10.jpg

[mpdharley]

Run, Jeff, Run!!:rollface:

Right now, Don is holding one end of the tank by himself (inside the house). Jeff's running to get through the garage so he can help Don

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/move11.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/move12.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/move13.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/move14.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/move15.jpg

[mpdharley]

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/move16.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/move17.jpg

And here it is on its stand, all nice and pretty! Thanks for the help guys, its REALLY appreciated!

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/onstand1.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/onstand2.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/tank1.jpg

[Stile2]

WOW! :)

[mpdharley]

And what do I think??

Tank in the house!!

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/itshere.jpg

I love my tank!
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/ilovemytank.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/ilovemytank2.jpg

Now it's time to relax
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/ontop1.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/ontop2.jpg

[mpdharley]

Now, back to building the sump

[Stile2]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8295922#post8295922 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mpdharley
LOL...Good Tequila!!!

since you mentioned Tequila check this out.

Link (http://www.zenmods.com/songs/83956-DrugWarning.mp3)

Looks good!

[mpdharley]

:-) Yep, I've heard that before and can personally vouch for the truth in what they say!!!

[rsxs1212]

looks like the tank isnt equal with the edges of the stand and are the supports right at the edges?? if so from the picture anyway, the top will be holding all the weight and i doubt you want that.. just want to make sure it is supported well enough.. im sure youve already looked at this or whatever if it is a problem but im sure in your planning it was done right.. just wanted to throw it out there to make sure no problematic things happened :)

[mpdharley]

Always appreciate people double checking things!

The tank is centered on the stand and not on the edges; however, there are supports along the edges (of course) and down the center (underneath).

The supports should be fine, but I may add extra bracing once it is drilled, just to be sure. The tank is very close to the edges though, so adding extra bracing shouldn't be an issue if need be.

[rsxs1212]

yep.. thats how my 20 gallon frag tank is situated but obviously there is a bit of a weight difference :) lol anyway just wanted to make sure it was ok to hold a couple thousand pounds... sounds like you have it together though

[blfuller123]

Looking good. Now you are ahead of me. Mine is still on the garage floor (still holding water). I have been completly slammed at work and looks like it will be that way for at least a month or so. Anyway, congrats. Keep the pictures comming.

-Brett

[Grand Delusion]

Ive been reading your posts on this huge project you have taken on and all I can say is wow. I also live in OP, (Oakleaf Plantation). I have been to Robs Reef many times and really like his store. Did you build some sumps for him? I seem to rememeber Rob saying something about someone local building a sump or something like that.
I would like to attend the next meeting from the club you mentioned, actually If its the one I am thinking of... I was at the very first meeting but diverted into other interests. My 150 Reef is in the process of a upgrade, and I really love to see the DIY projects that are currently being done. Good luck with the new Reef Tank , I know you are glad the project is near completion.

[mpdharley]

BFuller I know what you mean, I went through several weeks where I had to work Friday nights (after working a full day). Kinda messes with your weekend. But, it eventually evens out.

Grand Delusion Yep, Rob has several of my sumps and tanks. The big 4' x 8' frag tank is one that I built for him. Pat, Jeff and Don are all from the Jax Reef Club (North Florida Marine Aquarium Society). They have a forum on RC.

It will be nice to see sand and base rock in the tank, which will hopefully happen over the next two weeks

[mpdharley]

I've been able to get some work done on the sump/fuge, so here we go.

The inside of the sump:
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/sump6.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/sump7.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/sump8.jpg

[mpdharley]

For the top, I decided to try something different. Being that this was the sump, and it was for my own system, if it messed up, I could live with it or redo it.

I have an edge guide for my router so I opted to use it instead of build a template for the top. Also, I wanted rounded corners for the cutout. To get those I decided to use a hole saw at each of the corners:

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/sump9.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/sump10.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/sump11.jpg

Well, that looks like it will turn out well.

Now, how did the cutout work using the edge guide. To answer that, I will show you where the edge guide was placed after doing the cutout

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/edgeguide.jpg

Yep, definitely going to stick with making templates!! Oh well, if you don't try, you don't learn. The top didn't come out all that bad, but attempting to fully control the router and keeping it from kicking towards you (the edge guide only keeps you from going away from you) is just a pain.

I had to do quite a bit of sanding on the edges to clean them up. Even though I'm not going to polish the edges, they were quite ragged.

But I'll live with it (for now any way :D)

Here are the pictures with the top cut out and the bottom being glued. The dust along all over the sump is from the sanding.

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/sump12.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/sump13.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/sump14.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/sump15.jpg

I'm taking Friday off so I can drill the tank and start on the plumbing!!

[badgers034]

Wow, just read the whole thread, and I think its awesome. Cant wait to see sand/base rock in this huge tank.

[mpdharley]

I took the day off to work on the tank. It's getting so close to having water in it I can't stand it!! :D

Today was all about the bulkheads, plumbing and picking up some parts. I figured out how I wanted to do the intake for my closed loop, without my doing any drilling. I saw a post on another thread where someone used a spa drain cover. I couldn't find one that was large enough, but found something just as good.

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/intake-parts.jpg

From left to right: A 4" to 2" bushing, a 4" drain cover and a 2" male threaded adapter. The adapter will screw into the bulkhead while the drain cover was pushed down into the reducing bushing. My goal was to not use any glue so I could easily take it apart and modify it if I needed to. It was a tight fit, so I don't think there will be any issues with it coming out. It's also pushed down into the bushing a couple of inches.

Here's a shot of some of the bulkheads. I went for the heavy duty bulkheads
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/bulkheads.jpg

I also picked up my Oceans Motion 4way. I got a great price from Jack at BioReef. For a size comparison, the 4way is sitting next to a Dart pump
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/om4way.jpg

While out and about I also picked up most of my sand from Rob's Reef. Here's a pile of 19 bags (3 more are on order):
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/sand.jpg

Here's a shot of all the bulkheads and the closed loop drain in place (not yet drilled):
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/placement.jpg

[mpdharley]

Now it was time to start the drilling

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/drilling1.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/drilling2.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/drilling3.jpg

And what plumbing work would be complete without a "plumber's shot" :D
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/plumber.jpg

The holes came out very clean and nice:
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/hole.jpg

And see, I do clean around the house, well....at least around the tank
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/cleanup1.jpg

Did you ever wonder what you could do with all the cutouts from the drilling. Well, you can make art out of them -- courtesy of my wife
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/smiley.jpg

And here is the tank with all the bulkheads installed
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/drilled.jpg

[aceheart1976]

that is amazing work. got me all jealous now and wanting to start building mine LOL

[DiscusZ]

WOW thats going to look awesome when its done. I got to the end I was hoping for more Pics :)


Can wait for more pics keep them coming

[steve68]

Awersome work u have great DIY skills.

[mpdharley]

First, thanks to all for the comments, suggestions, etc. I can almost see an end to the project!!

Was going over a couple of things with the stand, plumbing, etc with my wife and she asked a question:

"Will the sump fit through the opening in the stand?"

My first answer was, "of course, I planned it that way". Then I remembered, I increased the size of the sump to handle a larger skimmer. And I did that without double checking the size of the openings on the long side of the stand.

And wouldn't you know it, DOH!!! They would've been fine for my original size sump, but aren't wide enough for the new size! However, the openings on the short side of the stand are wider, there just isn't a lot of room between the stand and the wall. But, I think we can get it in -- just have to remove the power center first.

Moral of this story -- Take plenty of notes on why certain things are the way they are. In this case, size of the sump and the size of the openings!!

I'll be wet testing the sump this weekend, so we'll see if it fits, or if I'm building another sump!

[TomRep]

So thats ALL you got done on your day off?!?! lol Just kidding! Looking great! I can't wait to see it full of water and life!
Tom

[Michael Mota]

I too have been following this thread and getting ideas for my own tank build. I would like some pics of the canopy/cabinet as you complete work on it. Keep up the awesome work.
Mike

[fishyboi]

WOW, thats amazing we need more pic!!

[centerforce]

I can't wait to see the lightning on this monster lol

[mpdharley]

The lighting is actually going to be pretty simple. I'm going to use 3 250 watt MH HQI bulbs straight down the center (think of lighting a standard 125g tank). The center will be for the higher light corals with lower light corals spreading out towards the sides. There will also be a 4" (approx) "dead zone" along the sides. This is to prevent anything from getting in the way of cleaning the sides.

I may put some VHO or T5s along each side of the MH bulbs, but haven't decided on that yet.

The plan for the canopy itself is going to be a basic box (1 x 6 boards) held up at the corners by 2 x 4s and will keep the lights about 10 inches above the water. It will be open at the top for air movement and will be stained/faced the same as the stand.

My current 125 has a suspended system and I really prefer the open top system. I didn't want to suspend the lighting for this system because of the ceiling fan above the tank. I'm going to put the ceiling fan on a timer so it will be on when the lights are on and help keep air moving around the room.

[dragoneggs]

Did you drill your holes for your closed loops straight through the plywood in one step? I am putting 4 CL through the bottom of my 250gal acrylic island project. Did you oversize the plywood so the bulkheads fit against both sides of the acrylic?

[mpdharley]

I drilled through the acrylic and the pink foam board with the hole saw, letting the drill bit go into the stand. With the drill bit hole in the stand, I knew where the center of the cut out was.

I then moved the tank and made a larger cutout in the stand, moved the tank back and removed the pink board from underneath to the size of the larger hole in the stand.

The hole in the stand and the pink board need to be large enough for you to be able to tighten the bulkhead.

Does that make sense?

I'm not sure what you are asking when you ask if I over sized the plywood.

[alex656]

That looks great. Cant wait to see the tank!!! Wanting to build a 96x48x24. Hope it goes well!!

[dragoneggs]

Yep you answered it perfectly. I have my stand finished and am about a month away from getting the tank in the house. I just wanted to be sure my plan was sound. Keep up the status and pictures!!! I am right behind you. Difference is I hired a tank builder... you got guts!

[mtfish]

First, I want to say I wish my DIY skills were even a third of yours. Second, the picture of you hugging the tank is priceless. And finally, you mentioned that you had read somewhere that balancing two drains from one overflow can be hard, I just wanted to suggest adding a divider down the middle of your outside overflow box (the short way), which would then basically create a box for each drain thus making balancing the flows easier.

Forgive me if I misunderstood the drain balancing issue.

Anyway, I'll be eagerly watching this thread for any updates :) Keep up the good work, it really is amazing!

[818]

Damn man nice work. I bet if feels 100000000000000000X better knowing you built that huge tank....Inspirational work.

Thanks for sharin!

Sam

[mpdharley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8343015#post8343015 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mtfish
... And finally, you mentioned that you had read somewhere that balancing two drains from one overflow can be hard, I just wanted to suggest adding a divider down the middle of your outside overflow box (the short way), which would then basically create a box for each drain thus making balancing the flows easier.


You understood perfectly the issue with the two drains in one overflow and you and I are thinking alike! I meant to post this, but forgot, but before moving the tank in the house, I did add a divider in the overflow, splitting it in two. I decided not to take the chance on having an issue.

dragoneggs I don't know if it's guts, or lack of sanity, but what the hell, I figured what the hell and went with it! :rollface:

My F1sh R D34D! It does feel great, and in fact that's why I went with acrylic instead of glass. I've had several people tell me that their biggest concern with and the reason they didn't go with acrylic was how easy it scratches, compared with glass.

But, to me, being able to look at it and say "I built that!" overrides the concern about scratches.

Although, I do understand that I'll need to develop a more structured and consistent cleaning/maintenance schedule so I don't have to resort to scraping the glass.

[dragoneggs]

I am putting my acrylic monster between my kitchen and family room making it the most visible location in the house hoping that my maintenance regimen on the viewing surfaces (all sides) will be almost daily with a magnet at least. It will take more discipline than I am accustomed to but I know the location means my significant other will expect a presentable tank.

[mtfish]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8343654#post8343654 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mpdharley
You understood perfectly the issue with the two drains in one overflow and you and I are thinking alike! I meant to post this, but forgot, but before moving the tank in the house, I did add a divider in the overflow, splitting it in two. I decided not to take the chance on having an issue.


Great minds think alike ;) Glad you took care of that before it was really hard to fix.

[mpdharley]

dragoneggs I'm thinking pretty much the same thing, with a quick wipe down every day and a more detailed cleaning 2 - 3 times a week.

mtfish That's what I was thinking, fix it now and it'll be a lot easier!

[mpdharley]

I was thinking about the plumbing yesterday and it occurred to me that with the bulkheads on the bottom of the tank, if I ever had any type of issue with them, I could have a serious problem. Think of an overflow and how many times you've had to remove a bulkhead for any reason. With the overflows, you have a limited amount of water to drain before you can work on the bulkhead.

With the bulkheads at the bottom of the tank, I would have to drain the entire tank, move the sound out of the way, etc. So, I needed a way I could close off the entire bulkhead for cleaning or whatever.

What I came up with was a "trap clean out adapter"

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/cover1.jpg

And uncovered
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/cover2.jpg

Installed in the tank
http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/cover3.jpg

I attached the pieces to the tank using Weldon 16. Then, on the outside, to help seal them I used some silicon (1) around the edge. Silicon doesn't adhere real well to acrylic, but this won't be under any pressure and will be covered with sand and water so it should be okay.

This is the closed loop intake. The intake piece can be unscrewed and then the drain cap screwed on to close it off.

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/cc-intake.jpg

Here are some shots with the closed loop returns installed. The pipes are different heights and can be changed (all the bulkheads are threaded) or the outlet's direction changed.

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/piping1.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/piping3.jpg

This is the start of the spray bar which is the return from the main pump. I still have to put the side bars in. The total length of the spray bar will be about 3 feet.

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/piping2.jpg

[killereef]

Nice work.. like to see the final result.

[mpdharley]

Thanks!

I was also able to water test the sump/fuge. Everything went well there.

Here's a bubble test of the baffles. I don't think I'll have any issues with bubbles. The "wall" is a bunch of bubbles from the hose sprayer.

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/bubble-test.jpg

[bubblethumper]

Yikes, tell me those "bulkhead covers" are going to be hidden somehow. Seems to me like they'd really stick out a lot.

[mpdharley]

They will be hidden. I plan on having a 3 - 4" sand bed. That will cover pretty much the whole thing. Between that and rock work and coralline, in 6 months or so I don't think you'll be able to notice them at all.

[Zestay]

wow read the whole thread.. wish i saw this before i had my tank drilled. note to self, next time have tank drilled on bottem of tank or at top of tank ( on side wall ) to eliminate nasty ( and unnesassary ) stand pipes...

[dragoneggs]

My issue is my bottom drilled CL and returns will not be hidden by sand. I only want a 1/2 to 1in thick bed. I plan to use loclines and a strainer but don't want the standoff to be to high. I will hide the intakes in the LR but the returns (to the tank) will be in the corners. I will have to be creative with some 'outcroppings' of LR to hide the locline.

[smcnally]

Holy Crap! That tank looks absolutely amazing so far. Some day when I can get out of this condo, move into a house with a garage, buy a joiner (and lots of other cool tools), I hope I can make something close to as nice as that. That isn't a DIY, IMO...That is a pro job.

[mpdharley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8347497#post8347497 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dragoneggs
My issue is my bottom drilled CL and returns will not be hidden by sand. I only want a 1/2 to 1in thick bed. I plan to use loclines and a strainer but don't want the standoff to be to high. I will hide the intakes in the LR but the returns (to the tank) will be in the corners. I will have to be creative with some 'outcroppings' of LR to hide the locline.

You could use the same fittings I did, just cut them in half or more. The threaded portion is what you want to keep. As long as it is taller than your bulkhead, you could still "seal it" with the drain cap. Just make sure you get a straight cut so you can glue them to the bottom of the tank.

[mpdharley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8347800#post8347800 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by smcnally
Holy Crap! That tank looks absolutely amazing so far. Some day when I can get out of this condo, move into a house with a garage, buy a joiner (and lots of other cool tools), I hope I can make something close to as nice as that. That isn't a DIY, IMO...That is a pro job.

Thanks!!!

FYI, there are many ways to hide the "imperfections" when taking pictures :lol:

Seriously though, even with the "imperfections" or issues I've had, the frustrations, etc, I am very happy with how things are turning out so far and still glad that I decided to do all of this myself.

Right now, I just wish it was done ... I still have a new floor to put down when I'm done! :eek1:

[dragoneggs]

Thank you. I will discuss the bulkhead 'caps' idea with my tank builder and get his opinion as well. I do very much like the concept and the fact that replacement is possible without draining the tank. My concern now is that I was going to hide some of them in/under large pieces/groups of LR which wouldn' t easily be moved to gain access.

I figured having some flow in/through the rocks is higly desirable and putting a return or intake within the rock structure would facilitate that.

[mpdharley]

I'll look at hiding them when I aquascape. I'm buying about 100lbs of base rock that I'll supplement with live rock from my 125. With the base rock though, I'll be able to add the sand and base rock without water in the tank and aquascape it. I may also use them as "islands" to put some corals that I want to keep seperated so I can control their spread -- such as zoos.

[mpdharley]

It took about 10 hours, but the plumbing is done. I still have to wet test all the bulkheads and thread fittings though. I'll test the bulkheads today and the pump fittings I'll have to wait until the tank is filled.

Here are the pics

I was going to do a regular spray bar for the main return, but decided on this Calfo style return instead

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/spraybar.jpg


I also changed the drain for my closed loop. I found this basket and siliconed it to the drain fitting. I was worried that the other way I had it done would create to much suction across the top off the fitting and might trap fish.

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/cl-cover.jpg

The main plumbing pieces.

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/plumbing1.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/plumbing2.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/plumbing3.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/plumbing4.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/plumbing5.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/plumbing6.jpg

The ball valve in the last pic will be the connection to my chiller. That won't be completed until everything is moved into the tank and I can take it off of my current tank.

I also added these two drains on the sump and fuge for water changes. If I wanted to, I should be able to pump about 100 gallons out of the sump/fuge.

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/sump-drain.jpg

Now on to water testing and adding sand. Then, a week of making up water, starting the cycling and building the lighting hood!!!!

Oh, and one other thing did change as I was doing the plumbing. I'm going to move the electrical control panel out from underneath the tank. I needed the room and this will also keep the wires away from the water.

[mpdharley]

All the bulkheads have been tested -- NO LEAKS!!!! Hurray Beer!!!!

And the sand has been added. I used Carib-Sea, Aragamax Select for all of the sand. I liked it's mixture of sizes and it isn't as fine as sugar fine sand.

The tank has a 2 - 3 inch sand bed and the fuge has a 6 - 7 inch sand bed.

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/sand1.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/sand2.jpg

I've started making up the water, which will take me all week to make and mix the water I need. As I get close to full, I'll start taking water from my 125 and using it to start the cycle process (giving the 125 a water change in return).

I'm also going to seed the sand with sand from my current 125 and fuge.

[mtfish]

Fantastical! Plumbing looks nice. So my onto my questions ;)

Where are you moving the electric box to?

Oh and I assume you are buying more live rock, are you going to cure that in the tank first then add your current live rock, or just dump it all in, or cure any new LR outside the tank?

If you don't mind my asking, how much did all that plumbing run you?

Nice progress, I'll be eagerly awaiting the next set of pictures.

[reefez]

Looking great! I can't believe you built that monster! Any advice for me? I'm getting ready to glue mine up soon.

[mpdharley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8394727#post8394727 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mtfish
Fantastical! Plumbing looks nice. So my onto my questions ;)

Where are you moving the electric box to?



I'm moving it to the left corner of the wall (facing the tank with the overflow on your right).


Oh and I assume you are buying more live rock, are you going to cure that in the tank first then add your current live rock, or just dump it all in, or cure any new LR outside the tank?


I'm buying mostly base rock, which will allow me to do most of the aquascaping without water in the tank. I'll buy some live rock, which I'll add during the cycle process, but most of the live rock will come from my 125g which is being replaced by this tank.


If you don't mind my asking, how much did all that plumbing run you?

It weren't cheap! Most of the cost was in the heavy duty bulkheads, which I used instead of the cheaper ones, to be on the safe side. They cost me about $200. :eek1:

The true union ball valves were the next largest expense. Those I got from Lowes. The 2" ones run about $35.

Originally posted by reefez Looking great! I can't believe you built that monster! Any advice for me? I'm getting ready to glue mine up soon

These are the things that either really helped me, or caused me the greatest frustration:

1) Make sure you are set up to handle the size and weight of the pieces as you build the tank. This may be as simple as having someone help you flip the tank over for gluing or help you bring it inside. Don't take a chance and try to move it or lift it by yourself if you think it might be a little awkward or heavy.

2) Jigs and templates are your friend! Take the time to build the templates/jigs out of wood/MDF.

3) Make sure your pieces are square. If they aren't square, square them up before you put pieces together.

4) Take your time. This project has gone on for quite some time and I've been anxious to get it done. But, trying to speed through something will lead to mistakes.

5) Think about maintenance of the tank and build in anything you need. If you look what I did around my bulkheads, that was done in case I have to remove the bulkhead. It was a pain, but my thinking was that if I ever had to remove a bulkhead, I didn't want to have to drain the whole tank.

6) Make notes about your design. When I changed the size of my sump, I forgot about checking the size of the openings in the stand. They openings were made to a specific size to handle the sump being installed from the long side. The larger sump wouldn't fit in from that side! Thankfully, the openings on the short side of the stand were larger and I was able to maneuver the sump under the stand.

7) Take pictures and post them! I've gotten some great advice and input during this whole process. I've also borrowed ideas from others that have posted their build.

Mike

[Stile2]

I don't understand how the flanges around the bulkheads on the inside of the tank are going to help take a bulkhead out.

I mean you could block those flanges, but then you won't be able to hold the tank side of the bulkhead to loosen it, and if you get that done anyway, then you won't be able to remove the tank side part of the bulkhead without removing the the flange lid.

Am I missing something? Could you discribe the plan?

Thanks
Keith

[mpdharley]

The plan is if I need to remove the bulkhead from the hole, but not from the tank itself. I've had to do this to work on my standpipes in my current 125g. With this setup, I can take out the pipes inside the tank and cap off the flange. That will leave only the water inside the drain. After disconnecting the plumbing below the tank, there will be very little water to drain. Then I can unscrew the bulkhead from the bottom and push it up and out of the way from underneath.

Admittedly, it is not often that I've had to do this, but I considered it a small "what if" fix.

Also, If I needed to completely remove the bulkhead, I can attach a pipe with a mail threaded end on to the flange. The top of the pipe would be above the water line and would allow me to completely remove the bulk head. I would still have to drain some of the water, but only a couple of inches versus the whole tank.

[Tiki G.]

Very nice. Well thought out.

[Stile2]

I get it. Nice! Good idea.

[mpdharley]

Today was a bit of a disappointing day. I had ordered my base rock from Reefer Rocks two weeks ago. They had said at that time that it may take up to two weeks to get the rock. I was taking today off anyway so it worked out that I might be able to drive down and pick up the rock. Well, that didn't work out. Apparently Capt Jer has sold the business (he's posted it on his web site) and they are working things out with the new owner. In several weeks they are going to "try" to get down to pick up more rock. So, that is now shot and I'm going to order the base rock from someone else.

I really wish they would've said something when we ordered the rock instead of saying it might be "up to two weeks", I could've had my rock already!

So, after slacking off for half the day (it was my day off after all) I started working on the light hood for the tank. These are just the corner posts. The "hood" will be open top and bottom and the sides are 1 x 6s. My goal is to make the tank appear to be topless, like my current 125.

I've notched each of the 2 x 4s and glued/screwed them together to form each of the corner posts:

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/posts1.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/posts2.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/posts3.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/posts4.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/posts5.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/posts6.jpg

That's about it for now. I had to turn off the power tools since I've started in on the Corona and Tequila!!! :beer: :dance:

[smcnally]

Hey Mike, have you ordered your new rock yet? If not, check out http://www.marcorocks.com/ . Send him an email (there's a link on the lower left) for info. Marco Rocks is owned and operated by a guy in my local reef club. He sells dry rock, but this rock is the most incredible rock I've put in my tank. It has so many holes in it and awesome shapes. It is pretty light too, so you get a lot for your money. A lot of people in my local club have been buying 80% of their rock through him, and then seeding it with another 20% of fiji or watever else. I have about 40lbs of it in my tank and it purpled right up with the other rocks and looks beautiful. He has pictures of tanks with it on his site as well. I like the corner pillars you are putting on the tank. Are you going to do fluted pillars?

[mpdharley]

Thanks for the tip, I'll check it out!

[smcnally]

Ok....Where's the update? It's been a whole week, so the tank is done and fully stocked, right? :D

[achilles1]

Mike I ran into the same issue with Reefer Rocks. I've been waiting for over a month now and I'm 30 minutes away. Call some of your local stone places and ask for "lace rock" It's not the same as Capt Jers stuff, but it is nice. I bought some in Palm Coast for 83 cents per pound I think. I think it might also be mines out of the Keyes. Either way it is Limestone based, holy and can be had in a variety of sizes and really cool shapes. IMO it has better shape than Jer's "boulders". I'll try to post some some pics later.

Not to Hijack, but I have/am cycling!!! I am at the diatom bloom. I've got 11 Chromis in. Well, 8 in the tank 2 that took the express overflow route to the sump and are too fast for me to catch right now and 1 that is mia. He is either getting chopped in the skimmer or still in the overflow box or ??

Well anyway good luck. Oh, and instead of buying base you could always catch someone breaking down there tank and get LR for a little more than a dollar per pound

CYA!!!

[maginter]

That is a sweet setup....I can't wait to see it finished

[mpdharley]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8477080#post8477080 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by smcnally
Ok....Where's the update? It's been a whole week, so the tank is done and fully stocked, right? :D

Patience, patience...:p

Not fully stocked yet, but getting closer!

achilles1 I found the same rock from Carib Sea and ordered through my LFS. I've put together the basic layout of the rock work for the tank (pictures coming) and I'm hoping to start filling the tank tomorrow. That would also be the final check of all plumbing fixtures -- mostly those that are connected to the pumps.

Congrats on starting the cycling, I can't wait to get to that point!

[mpdharley]

Last weekend I had been working on the light hood. Once I got the sides up on the posts, I didn't like it. I like the open tank look and prefer the lighting hood to sort of "fade into the background" when looking at the tank. So, it was time to redesign.

The new design (sorry, no pictures just yet) will be smaller and hung from the ceiling by the four corners. It will also be painted gloss black so when I run cords along the sides (from the pendants), they won't show up as much.

The basic box has been built and the glue is drying and I've purchased the hardware to hang it. Just need to finish putting it together.

Now for the rock pictures. My plan is to have a valley that runs diagonally across the tank. The sides will have rock work of varying heights and extend out towards the sides at different lengths. The base rock shows the basic structure. After getting water in the tank, I'll add a few pounds of live rock to help with the cycling. After the cycle, I'll move all the live rock from my current 125g, along with the livestock.

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/rock1.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/rock2.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/rock3.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/rock4.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/rock5.jpg

[mpdharley]

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/rock6.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/rock7.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/rock8.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/rock9.jpg

http://www.mpdharley.com/pics/new360/rock10.jpg

[Stipe]

Man my bearded dragons would love that tank right now. It looks life a real life desert :).

[centerforce]

I am just hanging on for the up and running. THat is gonna be awsome once it is in full operation. Feel Proud For Yourself. Great Job