Teebone's Epic 210G SPS Build
 

Well, it's been a long time coming, but I finally have some pics of my new tank!

:dance::dance::dance:

The specs are as follows:

72" x 26" x 26"

3 sides Starphire

Internal Overflow 4" x 18" glass/acrylic

Mitered Eurobracing

Mitered Corners

Floating Bottom

All glass 3/4"

So enjoy, here are a few sneak pics from Aquatic Kingdom during its manufacturing process overseas…..

http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/...ps1b0bc49f.jpg

http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/...pscedf1bba.jpg

http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/...ps27f4e5bd.jpg

http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/...ps4b7c2906.jpg


Got a few sweet frags growing out in my frag system in the meantime….

http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/...psd0efef61.jpg

http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/...ps66ea94b3.jpg

http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/...ps9b0bb245.jpg

Looking forward to the new build Tyler, indeed going to be epic...

...another step toward Canadian reefing supremecy! :beer:

Epic for sure...

I'm sure it's going to be an amazing tank when it's all up and running. What's the plan for the stand?

If I can only get half the results you guys get, I will be happy... Thanks Jordan for all your help so far!

I hope so :lolspin:

Looking forward.

Thanks.. I have decided to go with a rocketengineer's stand design, and skin it afterward with a nice looking hardwood. I would like to go without a centre vertical brace so there will be unobstructed access to the sump. Since the sump will be underneath, I am going to avoid metal and stick with wood.

I have also seen a few designs with a designated electronics compartment along the side. I will post some pics soon with progress.

I am jealous. This indeed will be an epic tank. Good luck.

I am in the initial stages of planning a 240g build....

translation: mentioning a larger tank to the wife but also mentioning how we should replace the carpet with nice hardwood floors. Hopefully this tactic works and I will have my 240g this time next year.

as one of your frag tank brethren i will be following this beautiful build. best of luck

Thanks guys!

Here's an update…

Just finished constructing the framing for my stand, based on RocketEngineer's plan on ReefCentral.
I wanted full unobstructed access to the sump area so I chose to go with this design.

The plan called for a 2x8 as the top brace to handle the weight and force of my sized tank. I ended up going with 2- 2x6s sandwiched together so that the opening underneath would be slightly larger. The 2-2x6s should also be stronger then a single 2x8.

I had to decide what height I wanted to make the stand, as my tank is already 26" high, so I wanted to ensure access for maintenance wouldn't be too difficult then it already would be.

The stand height is 30.5" plus 26" for the tank, add some plywood and foam board and I will be at about 58 inches.
The result is that under my stand, I will have about 27-28" of height available for a skimmer and working area.

Just thought to put this out here for ideas and opinions, as it still not too late to make any modifications.

Here is a current pic of the stand up on a few 2x4s as I am doing some patch work, etc.
The additional 2x4 gives it a height of 34" versus the 30.5" without.

http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/...ps52924bb1.jpg

looks great, did you account for the base? I guess what I mean is the bottom shelf how are you going to install a bottom? I made this mistake and then hadd to add 2 x 4 to screw down the base.
hope this help

food for thought -
I think you will like it the new height. The stand on my old tank was the standard 30" high however I went to about 40ish high on my latest because I found when I was standing at the tank to view it I was always needing to squat a bit or bend down to see the action. Since I rarely just sit on the couch and view the reef I wanted it higher since I tend to stand when viewing. I tend to tinker when viewing (always needing to move or adjust something) so maybe that is why I am seldom sitting down to view.

Updates???

Looking Great!

My stand is 36" and my tank is 27" and it is perfect. you are taller than I am so I differently recommend the taller stand. Especially if you have furniture around.

Tom

Yes, That sounds like a fine idea:beer:

The stand will have a total height of about 33inches, including the plywood base, foam, etc. It will be within direct view without any obstruction from furniture and be a good height for my kids too.


33" + 26" is tall enough that I can still touch the bottom for maintenance and aquascaping. I really like the look of a tall tank, but I wanted to find a good balance for maintenance and aesthetics.

Here is a little history from my local forum about how it all came together….

I have had another thought about increasing the height within the sump area under the stand. An easy mod can be made with the supports in the middle of the bottom frame (see the picture for reference)…

http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/...ps52924bb1.jpg

Option #1 - turn the two 2x4 supports on the bottom on their side = +1.5" of height space.

Option #2 - remove the two 2x4 supports on the bottom = +3" height space (I would attach 5/8" plywood to strengthen the bottom frame)

Option #3 - leave as is, with about 28" height space


I pulled out the bottom center braces, attached 5/8" plywood and sealed all joints with a paintable silicone. This instantly gives me an additional 3 inches of height, which translates to 30.5" inside the stand. I should be good to go with most skimmers or anything else I need to squeeze into the area.

Here is a pic..

http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/...ps92d05c39.jpg



I added a white KILZ primer to the stand to give it a "white-washed" look. If you look closely, you can see the inside corners are still bare. The silicone was still not 100% dry, so I will let these areas cure a little longer. Who would of thought we would have hit -8 degrees in April! Anyways, here is a quick shot..

http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/...ps385227d6.jpg

stand looks fabulous, anymore updates?

I finished priming the frame with about 3 coats of primer. I used polyurethane to seal things up. To my surprise the extra coats of polyurethane actually turned the white primer a "yellowish" colour :(

I did some reading and apparently it is only with white finishes that this is really noticeable. I might sand it down and go lighter in some spots, the good news is that most of the yellow staining will be covered by my sump, so no big deal.


Just now considering my stand "skin" and have identified these three designs…


http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/...ps49235956.jpg

http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/...psccf3ed54.jpg

http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/...psf3b6d35a.jpg

Because my stand is 72" in length, the first two designs will have to be slightly modified to allow for the additional length.
Another consideration is that I would like to maintain the wide open access under the stand without obstruction, so I would like to stay away from a center brace. Options could be a centre door that is removable, wider doors, or folding doors.

Any other ideas, let's hear about it?

Really nice work on the stand. The trimmings in the last pic makes it look like a million buck :)

I like that first skin design, looks really slick.

Ya, nice stand! It looks very professional.

Agreed, these are nicely designed stands. I took these from the Reef Savvy website, as their work is exceptional.

Hey Phil! The first pic is my favourite, I think it is slick and will be easy to build. I am also thinking that I can add a center door to make three and make it removable for full sump access if needed.:fun4:

This thing is heavy!

Took four of us to get it up on the stand.. ;D
http://i1213.photobucket.com/albums/...ps7e0e95e7.jpg

Black vinyl background applied.