Reef Central Online Community

Go Back   Reef Central Online Community > General Interest Forums > Do It Yourself
Blogs FAQ Calendar Mark Forums Read

Notices

User Tag List

Reply
Thread Tools
Unread 04/11/2017, 05:54 PM   #51
Diana A
Registered Member
 
Diana A's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: New Jersey
Posts: 682
Quote:
Originally Posted by benbarfield View Post
The concern was the wood stand legs possibly warping or shifting. I am doing built-in cabinets around the tank as well and didn't to ruing the cabinetry if shifting occurs. Another reason and probably the deciding factor is the sizing of the sumps. With the wood stand I build I only had 18" of width. I am going to use 3 HDPE containers to create a sump system. The first one will hold only a filter and catch all my debris so in theory that one is the one I would have to clean more often, the middle will house the protein skimmer, and the final will house extra rock. The thought was to get as much water volume as possible. The refugium will sit next to the tank hidden in cabinets and drain into the first sump container. My goal is to eventually not have to feed my fish and just have a self sustaining system like in the wild (or as close as I can get). With now 24" of width my sump container sizing options really opens up. The cost of a custom sump was just too much since I am already nearing my "budget" for the tank. I think it would have been fine but my buddy has been building tanks for years and has never had an issue with tanks he builds (as I knock on wood).
I am very impressed! I am enjoying watching this unfold.


__________________
diana
Diana A is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/11/2017, 09:19 PM   #52
Reefgirl89
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2017
Posts: 2
your wife is a saint


Reefgirl89 is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/12/2017, 06:34 PM   #53
benbarfield
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Colorado
Posts: 127
So close I can almost smell the salt...

Ventilation is finally all hooked up to the exhaust fan and seams sealed. I cut a small piece of plywood to cover the remaining access hole in the ceiling. Just needs a coat of RedGard. I am currently painting the new tank stand top with RedGard and will try and get that installed on the cement blocks this weekend.






benbarfield is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/12/2017, 08:18 PM   #54
Brunzy
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Posts: 51
This is all quite impressive!


Brunzy is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/14/2017, 08:30 AM   #55
FoothillCorals
Premium Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Roseville, CA
Posts: 522
It all looks really impressive but I think you would be better off with a properly built wood stand. I would not sleep well with it on blocks like that, but then I live in CA and we have Earthquakes.


FoothillCorals is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/14/2017, 09:39 PM   #56
benbarfield
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Colorado
Posts: 127
Just a quick coat of epoxy paint on the top of the stand to seal it up. I plan on moving it into place in the basement this weekend and hopefully get the tank in place.




benbarfield is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/18/2017, 05:17 PM   #57
benbarfield
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Colorado
Posts: 127
Frame top is done...

The frame top has RedGard and Epoxy paint applied and is down in the basement. This weekend will be leveling the top, building the framing around the tank for the cabinets, and hopefully installing the soundboard. Making the cabinets will be started the following weekend and hopefully plumbing will happen soon. We are getting closer…




benbarfield is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/19/2017, 12:58 PM   #58
mkj
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Vancouver
Posts: 210
wow, you're really going for it, for someone who's never had a tank before. Looks like a good start. I can see you're a gung-ho type of person.

Most people start with a 10 gallon and move up if they like the hobby.


mkj is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/19/2017, 07:30 PM   #59
Darthv247
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: South Florida
Posts: 115
good thing he can fit a 400 gallon on the stand


Darthv247 is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/19/2017, 08:41 PM   #60
benbarfield
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Colorado
Posts: 127
Everyone I talked to said bigger is better, get a bigger thank than you think, and more water volume will be easier to maintain. I believed them, so hopefully it's true haha. Darthv247 that made me laugh.


benbarfield is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/20/2017, 11:23 AM   #61
Darthv247
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: South Florida
Posts: 115
your doing it right man! no doubt. its a good thing. if ever u want to go bigger your already set. just a matter of moving livestock and switching tanks.

Definately bigger is better since your parameters wont swing as much. but if they do swing far its a little more challenging to get em back imo.


Darthv247 is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/21/2017, 02:59 PM   #62
benbarfield
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Colorado
Posts: 127
sump tank is here

Picked up a 75 gallon sump tank today.




benbarfield is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/21/2017, 05:55 PM   #63
Kodock
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Georgia
Posts: 19
This is insane. Have you been saving up for 10 years? Lol Kudos on the handiness. The only part of the hobby that I haven't treaded on is electrical. I'm impressed, great job!


Kodock is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/23/2017, 09:36 PM   #64
reef_aholic
Registered Member
 
reef_aholic's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2010
Posts: 130
Great build. Enjoy reading this one.


__________________
Happy Reefing!!!

Current Tank Info: 120 Gal, 30 Gal Sump, Bubble Magus Curve 7, Kamoer 3 stage dosing system, AI Hydra x2.
reef_aholic is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/24/2017, 12:20 PM   #65
Rallos
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Posts: 86
Great build thread! I am looking forward to having my own house again so I can do something like this in my basement!


Rallos is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/24/2017, 07:22 PM   #66
benbarfield
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Colorado
Posts: 127
it's starting to take shape

It was a busy day yesterday. I didn’t finish all the work I wanted to get done but was happy about the progress thus far. Yesterday was all about leveling the tank stand. I ended up adding a 2” cement block piece to the top of each end of the stand. The second picture shows the 1.5x1.5 metal bar I used to ensure leveling of the middle section of cement blocks. After a few hours of shimming the top is level.





The only issue is the front left of the tank is just off by an 1/8” or so when I finished leveling. Water weight will help with what I have attributed to the wooden frame warping or not being completely level. Time to test the some water weight. I took the hose and attached it in the utility room to fill my RODI water/trash can. Below you can see the trash can full of water.





The water weight in the trashcan is nowhere near the tank weight but it did help a little bit. I am sure the weight of the tank and refugium will be more than enough to completely level it out. I then drained the water from the trashcan into the p-trap under the stand as an official test for draining the tank and it worked beautifully. Score one for the home team.

Next the RODI unit was mounted to the wall in the utility room. Below the RO unit is where the water/trashcan will live.



Framing was then started for the cabinets. The tank will sit on the far right of the stand and have a front and side viewing panel. The cabinets will be “floating” away from the tank and the stand to ensure as the house settles it will not tear away the cabinets. I added a 2x6 across the front ceiling that butted against the access panel into the ceiling. The 2x6 was drilled into the flooring I-bean above. From that I attached vertical 2x4s that will be the framing for the cabinets.



You can see the gap I left from the upper cabinet framing so it is not attached to the tank stand. The idea behind this is like the floating walls in basements to allow for settling of the tank with all the weight.






benbarfield is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/24/2017, 07:23 PM   #67
benbarfield
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Colorado
Posts: 127
These pictures show more of the framing around the tank. I still need to attach the corner L-shaped brace to hold the floating edge about the corner of the tank. Each brace piece will have double 2x4s holding it in place and the upper frame is attached to the 2x6 which is attached to the i-beans of the ceiling above.





The sand and salt has arrived. After framing is done I will make the cabinets, stain, and install them before filling the tank. Don’t want any of those VOCs entering the water while I’m starting to cycle the tank. Hopefully I can finish the framing this weekend and possibly start plumbing the tank. I will do a test fill of the tank to see how it holds and let it sit for a week to see how it shifts before adding sand and live rock. More to come. Thanks again for all the comments and following along.




benbarfield is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/24/2017, 07:32 PM   #68
bendeng
Registered Member
 
bendeng's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Gainesville, VA
Posts: 9
Quote:
Originally Posted by benbarfield View Post
These pictures show more of the framing around the tank. I still need to attach the corner L-shaped brace to hold the floating edge about the corner of the tank. Each brace piece will have double 2x4s holding it in place and the upper frame is attached to the 2x6 which is attached to the i-beans of the ceiling above.





The sand and salt has arrived. After framing is done I will make the cabinets, stain, and install them before filling the tank. Don’t want any of those VOCs entering the water while I’m starting to cycle the tank. Hopefully I can finish the framing this weekend and possibly start plumbing the tank. I will do a test fill of the tank to see how it holds and let it sit for a week to see how it shifts before adding sand and live rock. More to come. Thanks again for all the comments and following along.

How do you intend on accessing the tank for maintenance, etc? An extreme amount of planning for 180g, better safe than sorry I suppose ☺

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk


__________________
<3 Vanessa

Current Tank Info: 20 gal. xH w/ 10 gal. sump
bendeng is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/26/2017, 03:54 PM   #69
hammond0
Registered Member
 
hammond0's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Houston, Tx
Posts: 11
I love following builds like this, you can get great ideas. The hollow blocks worry me a little, I'd feel better if they were solid. Hope they hold up.


hammond0 is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/27/2017, 06:46 PM   #70
benbarfield
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Colorado
Posts: 127
Framing is done

Today I finished the framing for the upper cabinets. Next step will be to put up the soundboards and then the cabinet façade. Cabinet doors will be made over the next week or two. I am going Saturday to pick up the stain to match my bar cabinets and hopefully Sunday the tank will be placed on the stand and all plumbed. All of my supplies have now arrived. If everything goes to plan, may get to do a water test Sunday night and try it out for a week. Cheers






benbarfield is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/27/2017, 09:45 PM   #71
Hefner413
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: WV
Posts: 70
As rare as it is for us to see peeps using masonry block for stands... I don't thing there's really any question of strength. I actually used block for a cheap quarantine tank stand with a 2x4 top. Worked great. We use hollow block for the foundation of our homes above the footer. I really don't think that his tank will be going anywhere.


Hefner413 is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/27/2017, 10:22 PM   #72
Darthv247
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: South Florida
Posts: 115
the blocks have been used plenty of times. they are very strong. my only worry would be about them tipping over in a single stack.


Darthv247 is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/28/2017, 01:33 PM   #73
benbarfield
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Colorado
Posts: 127
They are glued together and hopefully with all the weight from the tanks they won't be moving


benbarfield is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/29/2017, 12:57 PM   #74
fixedwing
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Lantana, Tx
Posts: 8
Looking good!


fixedwing is offline   Reply With Quote
Unread 04/30/2017, 08:59 PM   #75
benbarfield
Registered Member
 
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: Colorado
Posts: 127
Alrighty. Today I finished all the framing for the tank. I had to sand 1/4 of an inch down on the open corner frame. It would have been a tight fit for the tank and I wanted more room for the tank to sit on the frame without any contact to it. That sanding only took forever and a day. After dusting myself off and attempting to vacuum the sawdust up from everywhere I moved on. I reinforced the frame with more 2x4s and installed the lighting frame. In the photos below you can see the 2x4 I put across the tank from the front to the back wall. I cut two u-shaped holes in the 2x4. I am going to use a pipe to sit in the holes and the pipe will hold my lighting. I will attach carabineers to the pipe and that will allow my lights to hang above the tank. If I need to move them to get into the tank, I can just slide them to one side or the other.





Next was to add metal L-brackets to the framing as one final measure of support. The next set of photos show the brackets being installed and in their final resting places. I tried to put one at the top and bottom of each upper cabinet framing.







This photo shows a large L-bracket. I used this to act as a stabilizer for the upper cabinet framing and the tank frame itself. Remember, I am building the upper framing to not come in contact with the tank stand. So as the house and the tank frame settle, it will not tear the cabinets away from the ceiling and/or wall. The bracket is screwed in to the upper cabinet framing and I used a lag screw to prevent the upper cabinets from shifting too far away from the edge of the tank frame. The lag screw is not completely screwed in tight to the tank frame, but just enough to allow for slight movement.



Last thing I did today was caulking all the seams with waterproof caulking. I will allow it to dry for a day or two and then apply another coat of RedGard to the entire framing. After the RedGard dries I will install the soundboard to the tank framing and apply more RedGard to the soundboard. Cabinet wood and stain has been purchased and cabinets will be taking shape soon.




benbarfield is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
built in, first tank, led, reef tank, tank build

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On



All times are GMT -6. The time now is 04:35 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Powered by Searchlight © 2024 Axivo Inc.
Use of this web site is subject to the terms and conditions described in the user agreement.
Reef CentralTM Reef Central, LLC. Copyright ©1999-2022
User Alert System provided by Advanced User Tagging v3.3.0 (Pro) - vBulletin Mods & Addons Copyright © 2024 DragonByte Technologies Ltd.