Jim's 300 Gallon Reef Build Thread-Landlocked so bringing the ocean to me!

[RobinsonFam1]

yep. i agree. squash blocks will cure any more issues. the fish room adding all that support is great! you will love not crawling under your tank anymore!

Keep it up!

[CuzzA]

Originally Posted by jlnielsen13

Well,

I finished the stand as far as all the wood working and have it sanded and ready for stain.

To get a break from the wood working I did a little plumbing and made this manifold to run up to 3 canisters.

Here's a pic and would like feedback if it needs any changes.... Thanks

Jim,

Those appear to be brass valves, I'm sorry but you're going to want to go a different route. PVC ball/gate valves would be best. Brass is an alloy made of zinc and copper, these will no doubt leach copper into your system. There are countless threads where people have used brass fittings, etc. only to have inverts perish.

Your system should never be in contact with any metal. Even stainless steel is not worth the risk as it's impossible to know for sure the quality, especially since so much is sourced from China these days and they deliberately cut corners whether it's being lazy or cheap. Furthermore, stainless steel will corrode under water. In simple terms, in order for stainless steel to work it must be in contact with oxygen to produce the protective barrier. Submerge stainless steel and it will eventually start to rust.

Get those valves out of there. Good luck, the build is looking good.

[Dapg8gt]

^those look like the non true Union gate valves they sell at HD/lowes/Tru value to me. I've always wondered if the screw on the top indicates any metal hardware inside but I've been using them for years on manifolds/reactor runs without issues..

[jlnielsen13]

OK,

Great idea! I will install those this week!
tHANKS,
JIM

Originally Posted by Propjockey

Oh, one more thing...

Install "squash blocks" on both sides of the I-Joists, above where the beams are. They are 5 1/2" wide, so use a vertical 2x6 from beam to subfloor. It helps transfer the weight from the top chord to the bottom chord, without relying on the 1/2" flakeboard core.


-J-

[jlnielsen13]

Hello,

The outside is all pvc and I looked on the inside and didn't see any metal.. Is there some hiding in there???

Let me know and thanks for the heads up- here is a new pic from side-

Originally Posted by CuzzA

Jim,

Those appear to be brass valves, I'm sorry but you're going to want to go a different route. PVC ball/gate valves would be best. Brass is an alloy made of zinc and copper, these will no doubt leach copper into your system. There are countless threads where people have used brass fittings, etc. only to have inverts perish.

Your system should never be in contact with any metal. Even stainless steel is not worth the risk as it's impossible to know for sure the quality, especially since so much is sourced from China these days and they deliberately cut corners whether it's being lazy or cheap. Furthermore, stainless steel will corrode under water. In simple terms, in order for stainless steel to work it must be in contact with oxygen to produce the protective barrier. Submerge stainless steel and it will eventually start to rust.

Get those valves out of there. Good luck, the build is looking good.

[CuzzA]

Ok. I'm not sure if there's any exposed metal. The angle from that picture obviously shows they have a PVC body. The shadow on the previous picture made them look like brass. They're probably fine, but if it were me I would check a drawing or contact the manufacture just to be sure.

[beadlocked450r]

Check the seal on the end of the stem. When the valve is closed it has some sort of seal, they are normally screwed in. Take the valve apart and check.

[jlnielsen13]

Hey everyone,

so I have been working non-stop on this fish room and was able to get the drain done yesterday!

Lets just say the adjacent bathroom I built 3 years ago didn't use to have wanescotting (spelling) before yesterday.. Hides the pipe real well.



Not sure if my plumbing under the sink will work??

[jlnielsen13]

Mods,

Could you move this to the large reef tank forum, I think it would fit better there!

Thank you,

Jim

[jlnielsen13]

Big day today... I have Water!!



I also finished the "water station" stand where my two barrels will go, one fresh and one salt.

My new question is this: Plumb both tanks into one 135 gallon sump or do two separate sumps??

Thanks,

JIM

[Dapg8gt]

Looks great and impressive progress..

On the sharing of sump's, it's really up to you as both ways will work fine, but me personally feel that having two separate systems leaves you an out if something goes wrong in one of them. If something catastrophic happens most likely only one will be affected so a quick transfer can save numerous animals, especially if they are using the same salt and kept in similar shape, also double the maintenance though but having your sump's centralised makes that a lot easier.. .

[jlnielsen13]

Well,

A big setback, I tried to fix a small drip in one of the copper pipes and made it MUCH worse. After a couple trips to menards and a few compression fittings I am dry again.


This Saturday I am going to move the 130 into the fish room and attempt to put the 300 gallon in its final resting place.

ANY advice on moving this heavy thing- we couldn't get it off the ground our last attempt.

Thanks,

JIM

[RobinsonFam1]

low profile jacks. then a lift table.????? definitely need lots of suction cups to get it off the ground though.

i dunno. ive moved some big tanks with lots of ppl before. i think my buds tank was a 340 and 10' long. i think there was like 10 of us to haul it off the truck and directly onto the stand. his 240 cube took 6 ppl.

[Socalreef60]

You could consider making a wood frame above the tank and use synching tie downs connected to a series of 4x4 blocks below the tank, and move it up incrementally, build up your cabinet below and remove the frame and tie downs.

[pbft_90]

Jim I live maybe 30 minutes from you I'd be glad to offer some brute strength if you need a hand getting it in place. Depending on how cumbersome this beast is you may want to consider calling a piano mover. We had bought a cast iron claw foot tub at our previous house got it to the stairs and myself and 4 guys damn near killed ourselfs. We called a piano mover they fit us in before their morning got going and 3 guys that were half our size and a few straps had it shimmied up those stairs in less than 5 minutes. But let me know more than willing to help and catch up with a local reefer. I'll be following this thread either way you're current tank is a beauty.

Jon

[JuanSchezuan]

I concur on Piano movers. A moving company used two purpose type piano mover / lifters to move the 8' x 4' x 32" tank to stand in our basement via the sliding glass doors. One of them started to snap.

[jlnielsen13]

Thanks,

I rented two of these:

http://www.firstplacerental.com/equi...=57&key=LIFTCV


Plus 2 sets of lifting straps.

My plan is to have them on the ends?? Lift the tank over the stand and then back out one end at a time with people on the lifting straps? Have to figure out how to get the lifting straps out!

Any advice is appreciated.

If you feel like coming out I would love the extra help! I am going to get pizza and beer for everyone coming but if you want a frag from something in my 140- it is mostly softies!

Let me know if you guys have other ideas... super nervous about Saturday! I can't get any plumbing done without the old tank in the fishroom and the new tank upstairs!

Thanks,

JIM

Originally Posted by pbft_90

Jim I live maybe 30 minutes from you I'd be glad to offer some brute strength if you need a hand getting it in place. Depending on how cumbersome this beast is you may want to consider calling a piano mover. We had bought a cast iron claw foot tub at our previous house got it to the stairs and myself and 4 guys damn near killed ourselfs. We called a piano mover they fit us in before their morning got going and 3 guys that were half our size and a few straps had it shimmied up those stairs in less than 5 minutes. But let me know more than willing to help and catch up with a local reefer. I'll be following this thread either way you're current tank is a beauty.

Jon

[Propjockey]

Jim-


You should be fine with those lifts. I will however caution, that if I were moving it with straps under it, I would put a spreader bar over the top, so the weight of the tank doesn't "compress" the sides in.

In other words, don't pick it up with a single attachment point over the tank and lift. You need to get rid of that triangle, from the top of the tank to the hook, to prevent any possible damage. If your tank is 24" wide, cut a 2x6, 36" wide and drill a couple of holes 30" apart, large enough to pass the straps through. Ensure the weight of the tank is only on the strap under the tank, not the sides.

Make sense? (typical pic below)

One more word of caution: Moving large objects with people who've never moved large objects together before, can be very dangerous. All it takes is one overly-confident ego to smoke his back out, and the weight he "dropped" gets transferred to those that are still holding on, possibly have the domino effect of more injury.

We have an in-house moving company at our cabinetry showroom/warehouse, and those boys are always looking for a Saturday "sider". Let me know if you want me to get a number for you...



Best of luck!

-J-

[jlnielsen13]

Hello,

Are you or the company more importantly in my area??

My idea on the straps is to have one guy on each end of the strap, hopefully we will only need them to ease the tank down as we pull the lift off each side.
Thanks,

Originally Posted by Propjockey

Jim-


You should be fine with those lifts. I will however caution, that if I were moving it with straps under it, I would put a spreader bar over the top, so the weight of the tank doesn't "compress" the sides in.

In other words, don't pick it up with a single attachment point over the tank and lift. You need to get rid of that triangle, from the top of the tank to the hook, to prevent any possible damage. If your tank is 24" wide, cut a 2x6, 36" wide and drill a couple of holes 30" apart, large enough to pass the straps through. Ensure the weight of the tank is only on the strap under the tank, not the sides.

Make sense? (typical pic below)

One more word of caution: Moving large objects with people who've never moved large objects together before, can be very dangerous. All it takes is one overly-confident ego to smoke his back out, and the weight he "dropped" gets transferred to those that are still holding on, possibly have the domino effect of more injury.

We have an in-house moving company at our cabinetry showroom/warehouse, and those boys are always looking for a Saturday "sider". Let me know if you want me to get a number for you...



Best of luck!

-J-

[Propjockey]

I'm in Elgin, the movers and my office office are in Bloomingdale.

[PCygni]

Can't wait to see this come together!

[jlnielsen13]

Got some progress done on the room.

I epoxy'd the floor and also was able to do some of the plumbing on the water station!





Also, thanks to a local reefer - I've got SALT.. enough for a while I think, just gotta find a place for 8 buckets!



Saturday I have around 6-7 guys, two 500 lb lifts and 4 lifting straps to try to put this tank up on the stand... Nervous big time.

JIM

[RobinsonFam1]

its Sunday......were looking for some pics Jim!

looks like everything is going great! keep it up!

where do i find local reefers with a "spare" 8 buckets of salt now.....1/2 time my lfs only has the bags....ugh

[Socalreef60]

Haha, true, update! Hope the lift went well

[pbft_90]

Agreed the progress looks great! Can't walt to see the tank in place.