Thirsty’s 750 AGE build

thirst · 01/06/2018, 01:13 PM

Hi All!

A year ago, I moved into my home with a lower level (basement that leads to the backyard). The space measures about 15 feet x 45 feet, a place where a Reef nerds dreams may come true.

For a while, I filled it with various short tanks. Feeling unfulfilled, i decided to fill one wall with the biggest tank I can fit. I spent some time deliberating on what type of tank.

Acrylic or glass
Which manufacture
Eurobrace, rimless, regular bracing

At the end I decided that I wanted a glass tank, a tank that will last a long time, bracing that allowed easy access ( I love rimless, but for a big tank, that just seems too dangerous). Ultimately I decided to go with AGE, with steel bracing that allows openings to be quite large, and it feels like it is much more secure. Importantly, they were able to deliver and move the tank to its final resting place. I did not want to move the tank myself, especially with basement having access only from the backyard, needing to traverse a tight area down a slope

This build is going to take me a long time. I don’t have all the equipment yet, I have other tanks running, and since it will be mostly sps, I am going to let it marinate for an extended period of time before sticking it up.

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chris.viner87 · 01/06/2018, 01:42 PM

This is gonna be epic!!

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Kain · 01/06/2018, 01:47 PM

Lookin’ good John.

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AdrianOcampo · 01/06/2018, 01:59 PM

Can’t wait to see this come to life!!

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lapin · 01/06/2018, 02:05 PM

Fun stuff. No hurry No worry.

kinggeorge818 · 01/06/2018, 02:29 PM

I’m very impressed already! What an amazing start ... I hope I can come see this epic build in person.
Take your time, patience will pay dividends (not that I follow my own advice)

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locito277 · 01/06/2018, 02:49 PM

Love it! Looking forward to this growing

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nsfishguy · 01/06/2018, 06:21 PM

What are the dimensions of the tank?

thirst · 01/06/2018, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by nsfishguy

What are the dimensions of the tank?

Tank dimension is 120x48x30

Here’s a video of moving the tank from truck to stand

https://youtu.be/c4yjHoOXh3U

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thirst · 01/06/2018, 07:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AdrianOcampo

Can’t wait to see this come to life!!

Thanks! Now time for you to upgrade too! You always have the nicest SPS, time to up the real estate.

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Quote:

Originally Posted by chris.viner87

This is gonna be epic!!

Thanks I hope so too!! I’ve spent days just trying to play with the rocks and gluing then together

https://youtu.be/OJGaVKl_338

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Quote:

Originally Posted by lapin

Fun stuff. No hurry No worry.

Yep, I usually go too fast and end up rtn’ing things or with sick fish. So will take my sweet time.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kain

Lookin’ good John.

Thank you sir!

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Quote:

Originally Posted by kinggeorge818

I’m very impressed already! What an amazing start ... I hope I can come see this epic build in person.
Take your time, patience will pay dividends (not that I follow my own advice)

Thanks George! Your tank and living room is amazing. I’m just a poor man trying to play with you big boys.

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Quote:

Originally Posted by locito277

Love it! Looking forward to this growing

Thanks!

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thirst · 01/06/2018, 07:45 PM

The tank is situated in my basement that currently has a 2 systems going

1 is a stand-alone 60x30x16 tank that’s pretty stable. I plan to take this down once the 750 is up and running.

The other set up is 3 tanks connected to 2 sumps

1x96x48x12 and
2x84x24x12

They house various corals and Fish, and will essentially serve as my coral qt, frag tank

As you can see the 750 is on the left side of the room. Since my basement is not very tall, about 82” tall, I couldn’t build a sufficiently tall stand, only about 28” tall

I tried to put that sump in there, but since the stand is too short, I wouldn’t be able to remove equipment out of it. So I either need to get a short sump, 15” or so, or just do a remote sump.

Still trying to decide on that.

For now, step 1 is to finish aquascaping.

https://youtu.be/e5DlrsJUigs

https://youtu.be/Opmv1IArmHE

I’m still fussing with the islands and floating ledges. I usually let the emanco fully cure before I go onto the next step, so it’s taking a while.

I did some work on the middle island today. Will update progress once it dries!

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locito277 · 01/06/2018, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thirst

The tank is situated in my basement that currently has a 2 systems going

1 is a stand-alone 60x30x16 tank that’s pretty stable. I plan to take this down once the 750 is up and running.

The other set up is 3 tanks connected to 2 sumps

1x96x48x12 and
2x84x24x12

They house various corals and Fish, and will essentially serve as my coral qt, frag tank

As you can see the 750 is on the left side of the room. Since my basement is not very tall, about 82” tall, I couldn’t build a sufficiently tall stand, only about 28” tall

I tried to put that sump in there, but since the stand is too short, I wouldn’t be able to remove equipment out of it. So I either need to get a short sump, 15” or so, or just do a remote sump.

Still trying to decide on that.

For now, step 1 is to finish aquascaping.

https://youtu.be/e5DlrsJUigs

https://youtu.be/Opmv1IArmHE

I’m still fussing with the islands and floating ledges. I usually let the emanco fully cure before I go onto the next step, so it’s taking a while.

I did some work on the middle island today. Will update progress once it dries!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

What I would give to have a tank room for my 720.your life will be so much easier

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thirst · 01/06/2018, 08:22 PM

[QUOTE =locito277;25323662]What I would give to have a tank room for my 720.your life will be so much easier

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Now I gotta read your thread and learn from your experience

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locito277 · 01/06/2018, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thirst

[QUOTE =locito277;25323662]What I would give to have a tank room for my 720.your life will be so much easier

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Now I gotta read your thread and learn from your experience

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Read it then do the exact opposite of what I did lol

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mikekobunski · 01/07/2018, 12:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thirst

Tank dimension is 120x48x30

Here’s a video of moving the tank from truck to stand

https://youtu.be/c4yjHoOXh3U

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After seeing the pictures and the video of them unloading and placing the tank I hope you had some ice cold beers for them.... lol
That was some good work....

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thirst · 01/07/2018, 01:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikekobunski

After seeing the pictures and the video of them unloading and placing the tank I hope you had some ice cold beers for them.... lol
That was some good work....

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G891A using Tapatalk

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thirst · 01/07/2018, 10:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by locito277

Read it then do the exact opposite of what I did lol

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Just read your entire thread! Amazing resilience to bounce back after Irma and keep up the tank!!

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locito277 · 01/07/2018, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thirst

Read it then do the exact opposite of what I did lol

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Just read your entire thread! Amazing resilience to bounce back after Irma and keep up the tank!!

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Thanks :-) rebuilding process in motion :-) keep the pics coming!

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thirst · 01/07/2018, 09:42 PM

Over the next few months here are my project plans:

1. Run the tank sumpless, cycling the rock for a few months

2. Build my light rack. With the tank being so long, wide and room being relatively short, I need to build a light rack on rails that can move out of the way for me to work on the tank.

Since the tank is 10’, I was thinking of build 2 5’ light rails that will move left and right. If I need to access the right side, slide both rails as far to the left as possible. Similarly, if I need to access the left side, slide it right. If I need to access the middle, slide the two away from each other. I hope to have this completed by mid Feb. in the meantime, I will light the tank with some temporary lights.

3. Figure out a solution for my sump. AGE is mailing me my overflows at the moment. So it’s a bit challenging right now to determine how big of a sump I’ll need. I tend to prefer keeping it simple.

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thirst · 01/07/2018, 10:34 PM

Rocks finally nearing final

Also started filling with water

Debating if I should add sand... or just add more surface area for bacteria via siporax.

What do you guys think?

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thirst · 01/07/2018, 11:52 PM

Here’s a quick video of the aquascape

https://youtu.be/cXUx6KgYNj0

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McPuff · 01/08/2018, 08:53 AM

Looks pretty great. I like the dimensions of the tank quite a bit. Almost exactly what I would get if I had the space for it!

Atomic081 · 01/08/2018, 11:21 AM

Ill be tagging on this build!!! Im building a tank with the same dimensions, What size of glass did they use for the tank?

thirst · 01/08/2018, 11:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Atomic081

Ill be tagging on this build!!! Im building a tank with the same dimensions, What size of glass did they use for the tank?

AGE used 3/4”

Who will be making your tank?

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Atomic081 · 01/08/2018, 11:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thirst

AGE used 3/4”

Who will be making your tank?

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Im going to make it myself. Gonna try the plywood/Epoxy method. Im a woodworker so this makes sense for me.....its not for everyone though...

3/4 is what my calculations came out to also. Did they Temper it?

01/06/2018, 01:13 PM	#1
thirst Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 1,907	Thirsty’s 750 AGE build Hi All! A year ago, I moved into my home with a lower level (basement that leads to the backyard). The space measures about 15 feet x 45 feet, a place where a Reef nerds dreams may come true. For a while, I filled it with various short tanks. Feeling unfulfilled, i decided to fill one wall with the biggest tank I can fit. I spent some time deliberating on what type of tank. Acrylic or glass Which manufacture Eurobrace, rimless, regular bracing At the end I decided that I wanted a glass tank, a tank that will last a long time, bracing that allowed easy access ( I love rimless, but for a big tank, that just seems too dangerous). Ultimately I decided to go with AGE, with steel bracing that allows openings to be quite large, and it feels like it is much more secure. Importantly, they were able to deliver and move the tank to its final resting place. I did not want to move the tank myself, especially with basement having access only from the backyard, needing to traverse a tight area down a slope This build is going to take me a long time. I don’t have all the equipment yet, I have other tanks running, and since it will be mostly sps, I am going to let it marinate for an extended period of time before sticking it up. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

01/06/2018, 02:29 PM	#6
kinggeorge818 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 642	I’m very impressed already! What an amazing start ... I hope I can come see this epic build in person. Take your time, patience will pay dividends (not that I follow my own advice) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro __________________ 675 gallon Display, 1,100+ total system volume, 6 x Vortec MP60s, 2 x Vortec MP40s, 15 x Radion Pros, APEX, XP 8000 ext Octopus skimmer, Bubble Magus Dosing 4 part, 2 x Monster sized custom reactors, Current Tank Info: 675 gallon tank, 220 gallon vat, 200 gallon sump, 60 gallon refugium

01/06/2018, 02:49 PM	#7
locito277 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: miami Posts: 1,535	Love it! Looking forward to this growing Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk __________________ Nothings Free in this hobby Current Tank Info: 224 and 720 gallon in progress!

01/06/2018, 07:45 PM	#11
thirst Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 1,907	Thirsty’s 750 AGE build The tank is situated in my basement that currently has a 2 systems going 1 is a stand-alone 60x30x16 tank that’s pretty stable. I plan to take this down once the 750 is up and running. The other set up is 3 tanks connected to 2 sumps 1x96x48x12 and 2x84x24x12 They house various corals and Fish, and will essentially serve as my coral qt, frag tank As you can see the 750 is on the left side of the room. Since my basement is not very tall, about 82” tall, I couldn’t build a sufficiently tall stand, only about 28” tall I tried to put that sump in there, but since the stand is too short, I wouldn’t be able to remove equipment out of it. So I either need to get a short sump, 15” or so, or just do a remote sump. Still trying to decide on that. For now, step 1 is to finish aquascaping. https://youtu.be/e5DlrsJUigs https://youtu.be/Opmv1IArmHE I’m still fussing with the islands and floating ledges. I usually let the emanco fully cure before I go onto the next step, so it’s taking a while. I did some work on the middle island today. Will update progress once it dries! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

01/06/2018, 08:22 PM	#13
thirst Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 1,907	Thirsty’s 750 AGE build [QUOTE =locito277;25323662]What I would give to have a tank room for my 720.your life will be so much easier Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk[/QUOTE] Now I gotta read your thread and learn from your experience Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

01/06/2018, 01:42 PM	#2
chris.viner87 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2017 Posts: 31	This is gonna be epic!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

01/06/2018, 01:47 PM	#3
Kain Registered Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Fontana, CA Posts: 372	Lookin’ good John. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

01/06/2018, 01:59 PM	#4
AdrianOcampo Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2013 Posts: 514	Can’t wait to see this come to life!! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

01/06/2018, 02:05 PM	#5
lapin Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2017 Location: Austin Posts: 801	Fun stuff. No hurry No worry.

01/06/2018, 06:21 PM	#8
nsfishguy Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 94	What are the dimensions of the tank?

01/07/2018, 09:42 PM	#19
thirst Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 1,907	Over the next few months here are my project plans: 1. Run the tank sumpless, cycling the rock for a few months 2. Build my light rack. With the tank being so long, wide and room being relatively short, I need to build a light rack on rails that can move out of the way for me to work on the tank. Since the tank is 10’, I was thinking of build 2 5’ light rails that will move left and right. If I need to access the right side, slide both rails as far to the left as possible. Similarly, if I need to access the left side, slide it right. If I need to access the middle, slide the two away from each other. I hope to have this completed by mid Feb. in the meantime, I will light the tank with some temporary lights. 3. Figure out a solution for my sump. AGE is mailing me my overflows at the moment. So it’s a bit challenging right now to determine how big of a sump I’ll need. I tend to prefer keeping it simple. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

01/07/2018, 10:34 PM	#20
thirst Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 1,907	Rocks finally nearing final Also started filling with water Debating if I should add sand... or just add more surface area for bacteria via siporax. What do you guys think? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

01/07/2018, 11:52 PM	#21
thirst Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2000 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 1,907	Here’s a quick video of the aquascape https://youtu.be/cXUx6KgYNj0 Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

01/08/2018, 08:53 AM	#22
McPuff Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2012 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,735	Looks pretty great. I like the dimensions of the tank quite a bit. Almost exactly what I would get if I had the space for it!

01/08/2018, 11:21 AM	#23
Atomic081 Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Rushville, IN Posts: 476	Ill be tagging on this build!!! Im building a tank with the same dimensions, What size of glass did they use for the tank? __________________ Ross INDMAS Member Current Tank Info: 800 Gallon Inwall