My new tank & tank cave - 125g

jpc763 · 01/30/2009, 09:43 AM

Long story short, I have been complaining for a little while after filling my 55g up. My wife got tired of hearing about it so eventually she cracked, just a little. That was all I needed to get started.

First thing was that I needed a new place. My current setup is a 55g that is upstairs in the main hallway/loft area. It is in the only place that does not get flooded with natural light (30+ windows i n the house). Problem is that this location shares a single 15amp circuit with the loft, upstairs guest BR and the kids "bonus room". Turn on a hair dryer and I loose power.

Option A - run more power up to the bonus room - $$$$$
Option B - put the tank in the basement - Actually wife's idea

Basic needs - Dedicated Power, Water Source, Drain Source

So once I figured out what I was going to do, it was time to start.

I picked this location for the future tank.

First thing I did was to frame it in and run 2 GFCI protected 15 amp circuits. There is a left side circuit and a lighting/right side circuit.

Next I needed to convert my rough-in to a water source which included getting under the sub-floor and running 20+ feet of copper.

Here is where it needed to go - Left of pipe A

Here is the drain that I tied into, under the subfloor.

Here is the result!

jpc763 · 01/30/2009, 10:02 AM

Next step was to find a tank! I picked up Urville's 125g tank, sump, pumps, etc. off of this site. I drove up to Wyoming and with his help, got it all loaded and drove it back to Fort Collins.

He was GREAT to work with. Sorry he is out of hobby for now. Hopefully he will be back soon.

Anyway, this is what I picked up!

125g Reef Ready

75G Sump/Fuge - I removed all of the baffles so I had a place to store the 200# of LR!

You can see my new (brand spanking new) Vertex IN250 skimmer! Here she is out of the box with a 2L bottle for reference!

And now skimming!

jpc763 · 01/30/2009, 10:05 AM

Well now that I had some equipment, I needed to clean it and build a stand! I used the design from this thread http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1169964 for the design.

This...

became this...

Pictures of it skinned, stained and varnished will be coming this weekend.

whyamisofly · 01/30/2009, 10:34 AM

Looking good John!

miwoodar · 01/30/2009, 10:45 AM

Nice start - can't wait to see updates!

jpc763 · 01/30/2009, 11:09 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by miwoodar
Nice start - can't wait to see updates!

Quote:

Originally posted by whyamisofly
Looking good John!

Thanks guys! My doors arrive today so I plan on staining and varnishing them this weekend. The tank is pretty much clean so I will then paint the back black and get it on the stand.

After being out of the water for a few hours and getting a FW bath and scrubbing, the LR had some die off. The ammonia spike is done and the Trites and Trates are at zero so that is good news.

I did go after a half dozen aiptasia on the LR with Joe's Juice but there are no more that I can see.

John

spleify · 01/30/2009, 04:35 PM

Gonna be a sweet setup!! Can wait to see it all come together.

Keep up the great work and keep us posted.

Spleify

murfman · 01/30/2009, 05:23 PM

Nice build. I did one like that two years ago and now just finished my 300.

Can I ask a question though? Why did you go with 15A GFCI instead of 20A?

Off The Deep End · 01/30/2009, 06:14 PM

Very nice build going on, keep up the good work John!

jpc763 · 01/31/2009, 08:18 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by murfman
Nice build. I did one like that two years ago and now just finished my 300.

Can I ask a question though? Why did you go with 15A GFCI instead of 20A?

I talked to a couple of electrical guys and they said that two 15A dedicated circuits would be more than enough.

jpc763 · 01/31/2009, 06:31 PM

Today I finished cleaning and painted the back of the tank.

I also got my doors yesterday and all of the hole were on the right side (I need 2 sets of left and 2 sets of right) so off to the Home Depot for a special drill bit to recut the holes. Not a huge deal since I need to put a plate that will go behind the doors so no light comes out.

So after finishing cutting the new holes, I stained them to match.

Here are some updated pics.

The stand with Oak skin.

And the backside of the doors being stained.

The tank in position with a newly painted black back.

The beginning of my canopy. Don't have the final design worked out in my head yet, but I know how to start.

This is my 44g Brute Saltwater Mix Can (on wheels)

And my RO/DI Water Can - A 32g roughneck

Another update tomorrow.

John

spleify · 01/31/2009, 07:08 PM

Lookin good John!!

Where did you get the 44G rubbermaid, and the wheel kit the wheels. I have the 32 gallon rubbermaids, can't find the bigger ones, and can't find anyone local that has the wheels. I have found them online, but was hoping for something local.

jpc763 · 01/31/2009, 11:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by spleify
Lookin good John!!

Where did you get the 44G rubbermaid, and the wheel kit the wheels. I have the 32 gallon rubbermaids, can't find the bigger ones, and can't find anyone local that has the wheels. I have found them online, but was hoping for something local.

I got both the 44g and the Wheel kit at Home Depot here in Fort Collins. Their online shop says they carry them in all the stores.

J

spleify · 02/01/2009, 01:53 AM

It must just be the crappy one by me that doesn't cary them then.

Thanks and keep the updates coming, this baby is ganna be cool.

szgppl · 02/01/2009, 03:26 PM

looking good

jpc763 · 02/04/2009, 11:53 AM

I have made a little progress since the weekend.

Here are some updated pics.

Tank on mostly finished stand

Doors open

Close up of the knobs

Next step is to finish the plumbing and begin filling the tank. I have already leak tested it and it is good to go!

John

Clown-N-Around · 02/04/2009, 03:31 PM

Very nice. I like the handles, nice touch

beav5000 · 02/04/2009, 06:01 PM

its turning out nice!

jpc763 · 02/04/2009, 07:57 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by beav5000
its turning out nice!

Right now it is holding AIR really nice! Some day I will actually fill it up!

J

spleify · 02/04/2009, 10:17 PM

Looks good.Nice work on the stand.

Did you get the bulk heads figured out?

How's the canopy coming?

whyamisofly · 02/04/2009, 10:38 PM

I love the door knobs.......might have to incorporate those into my next build!!!

jpc763 · 02/05/2009, 12:41 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by spleify
Looks good.Nice work on the stand.

Did you get the bulk heads figured out?

How's the canopy coming?

Got the bulkheads figured, thanks to RC and MASC!

I scrapped what I started on the canopy. It was going to be to flimsy. I am going to start full bore after getting the tank plumbed and filled.

I still got to build the 75 back into a fuge after taking all the rock out.

Thanks for all the positive comments. Colin, I can give you the link for the knobs.

John

jpc763 · 02/06/2009, 11:34 PM

Well last night I got the plumbing done! Thanks everyone for the help with the bulkheads!

Here is my plumbing (as best as you can see).

The Overflow is the 1" PVC and the return is the 3/4" PVC

Here is my return with a ball valve to control flow

The return pump is a RIO Hyperflow 17 which I think is underpowered for this tank. I may look into a Mag 12 or Mag 18 or maybe a QuietOne 6000. I need to save some cash first!

John

jpc763 · 02/06/2009, 11:38 PM

And now the pics that we (at least me) have all been waiting for!

WATER!

I put the sand in, the 200# of LR that has been cooking in the sump and water!

It is cloudy, but we have a SW tank!

Here is the makeshift sump until I get the real one baffled! See how big that darn skimmer is!

And the future Sump/Fuge all cleaned and drying out.

spleify · 02/06/2009, 11:55 PM

Coming along nicely!!

01/30/2009, 09:43 AM	#1
jpc763 Nothing to see Move along Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Fort Collins, CO Posts: 800	My new tank & tank cave - 125g Long story short, I have been complaining for a little while after filling my 55g up. My wife got tired of hearing about it so eventually she cracked, just a little. That was all I needed to get started. First thing was that I needed a new place. My current setup is a 55g that is upstairs in the main hallway/loft area. It is in the only place that does not get flooded with natural light (30+ windows i n the house). Problem is that this location shares a single 15amp circuit with the loft, upstairs guest BR and the kids "bonus room". Turn on a hair dryer and I loose power. Option A - run more power up to the bonus room - $$$$$ Option B - put the tank in the basement - Actually wife's idea Basic needs - Dedicated Power, Water Source, Drain Source So once I figured out what I was going to do, it was time to start. I picked this location for the future tank. First thing I did was to frame it in and run 2 GFCI protected 15 amp circuits. There is a left side circuit and a lighting/right side circuit. Next I needed to convert my rough-in to a water source which included getting under the sub-floor and running 20+ feet of copper. Here is where it needed to go - Left of pipe A Here is the drain that I tied into, under the subfloor. Here is the result!

01/30/2009, 10:05 AM	#3
jpc763 Nothing to see Move along Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Fort Collins, CO Posts: 800	Well now that I had some equipment, I needed to clean it and build a stand! I used the design from this thread http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1169964 for the design. This... became this... Pictures of it skinned, stained and varnished will be coming this weekend. Last edited by jpc763; 01/30/2009 at 10:41 AM.

01/30/2009, 10:34 AM	#4
whyamisofly Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 1,241	Looking good John! __________________ "An aquarium is a hole between sheets of glass that the aquarist fills with money." Current Tank Info: 93g Cube

01/30/2009, 10:45 AM	#5
miwoodar Likey the bikey Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Colorado Posts: 3,371	Nice start - can't wait to see updates! __________________ Mike On hiatus. I'm either out riding my bicycle, playing with my family, or throwing ferts in my planted tank. Or working. I hope I'm not doing that though. Current Tank Info: 140 DIY Cube

01/30/2009, 04:35 PM	#7
spleify Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 9,579	Gonna be a sweet setup!! Can wait to see it all come together. Keep up the great work and keep us posted. Spleify __________________ Make it a Great Day!!!! Current Tank Info: 60 gal SPS cube, with 25 gal refugium, 400W MH, DIY Lumenarc III, DIY skimmer, DIY stand and canopy. 40 breeder LPS with 40 gallon sump, DIY stand, 250W MH

01/30/2009, 10:02 AM	#2
jpc763 Nothing to see Move along Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Fort Collins, CO Posts: 800	Next step was to find a tank! I picked up Urville's 125g tank, sump, pumps, etc. off of this site. I drove up to Wyoming and with his help, got it all loaded and drove it back to Fort Collins. He was GREAT to work with. Sorry he is out of hobby for now. Hopefully he will be back soon. Anyway, this is what I picked up! 125g Reef Ready 75G Sump/Fuge - I removed all of the baffles so I had a place to store the 200# of LR! You can see my new (brand spanking new) Vertex IN250 skimmer! Here she is out of the box with a 2L bottle for reference! And now skimming!

01/30/2009, 05:23 PM	#8
murfman Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Colorado Springs Posts: 4,670	Nice build. I did one like that two years ago and now just finished my 300. Can I ask a question though? Why did you go with 15A GFCI instead of 20A?

01/30/2009, 06:14 PM	#9
Off The Deep End Moved On Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Loveland, Colorado Posts: 359	Very nice build going on, keep up the good work John!

01/31/2009, 06:31 PM	#11
jpc763 Nothing to see Move along Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Fort Collins, CO Posts: 800	Today I finished cleaning and painted the back of the tank. I also got my doors yesterday and all of the hole were on the right side (I need 2 sets of left and 2 sets of right) so off to the Home Depot for a special drill bit to recut the holes. Not a huge deal since I need to put a plate that will go behind the doors so no light comes out. So after finishing cutting the new holes, I stained them to match. Here are some updated pics. The stand with Oak skin. And the backside of the doors being stained. The tank in position with a newly painted black back. The beginning of my canopy. Don't have the final design worked out in my head yet, but I know how to start. This is my 44g Brute Saltwater Mix Can (on wheels) And my RO/DI Water Can - A 32g roughneck Another update tomorrow. John

01/31/2009, 07:08 PM	#12
spleify Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 9,579	Lookin good John!! Where did you get the 44G rubbermaid, and the wheel kit the wheels. I have the 32 gallon rubbermaids, can't find the bigger ones, and can't find anyone local that has the wheels. I have found them online, but was hoping for something local. __________________ Make it a Great Day!!!! Current Tank Info: 60 gal SPS cube, with 25 gal refugium, 400W MH, DIY Lumenarc III, DIY skimmer, DIY stand and canopy. 40 breeder LPS with 40 gallon sump, DIY stand, 250W MH

02/01/2009, 01:53 AM	#14
spleify Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 9,579	It must just be the crappy one by me that doesn't cary them then. Thanks and keep the updates coming, this baby is ganna be cool. __________________ Make it a Great Day!!!! Current Tank Info: 60 gal SPS cube, with 25 gal refugium, 400W MH, DIY Lumenarc III, DIY skimmer, DIY stand and canopy. 40 breeder LPS with 40 gallon sump, DIY stand, 250W MH

02/01/2009, 03:26 PM	#15
szgppl Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: aurora il Posts: 335	looking good

02/04/2009, 11:53 AM	#16
jpc763 Nothing to see Move along Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Fort Collins, CO Posts: 800	I have made a little progress since the weekend. Here are some updated pics. Tank on mostly finished stand Doors open Close up of the knobs Next step is to finish the plumbing and begin filling the tank. I have already leak tested it and it is good to go! John

02/04/2009, 03:31 PM	#17
Clown-N-Around Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Thornton, CO :) Posts: 2,168	Very nice. I like the handles, nice touch __________________ Christina Current Tank Info: 120 Reef - softies and scorpion fish, 20H nano, future 375 gallon in the works

02/04/2009, 06:01 PM	#18
beav5000 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: lakewood colorado Posts: 72	its turning out nice! __________________ "it is soldiers who pay most of the human cost. In war it is extraoridary how it all comes down to the character of one man." -General creighton w. abrams, jr. Current Tank Info: 55 gal aquarium and a 40 gallon refugum

02/04/2009, 10:17 PM	#20
spleify Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 9,579	Looks good.Nice work on the stand. Did you get the bulk heads figured out? How's the canopy coming? __________________ Make it a Great Day!!!! Current Tank Info: 60 gal SPS cube, with 25 gal refugium, 400W MH, DIY Lumenarc III, DIY skimmer, DIY stand and canopy. 40 breeder LPS with 40 gallon sump, DIY stand, 250W MH

02/04/2009, 10:38 PM	#21
whyamisofly Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Denver, CO Posts: 1,241	I love the door knobs.......might have to incorporate those into my next build!!! __________________ "An aquarium is a hole between sheets of glass that the aquarist fills with money." Current Tank Info: 93g Cube

02/06/2009, 11:34 PM	#23
jpc763 Nothing to see Move along Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Fort Collins, CO Posts: 800	Well last night I got the plumbing done! Thanks everyone for the help with the bulkheads! Here is my plumbing (as best as you can see). The Overflow is the 1" PVC and the return is the 3/4" PVC Here is my return with a ball valve to control flow The return pump is a RIO Hyperflow 17 which I think is underpowered for this tank. I may look into a Mag 12 or Mag 18 or maybe a QuietOne 6000. I need to save some cash first! John

02/06/2009, 11:38 PM	#24
jpc763 Nothing to see Move along Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Fort Collins, CO Posts: 800	And now the pics that we (at least me) have all been waiting for! WATER! I put the sand in, the 200# of LR that has been cooking in the sump and water! It is cloudy, but we have a SW tank! Here is the makeshift sump until I get the real one baffled! See how big that darn skimmer is! And the future Sump/Fuge all cleaned and drying out.

02/06/2009, 11:55 PM	#25
spleify Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Denver, Colorado Posts: 9,579	Coming along nicely!! __________________ Make it a Great Day!!!! Current Tank Info: 60 gal SPS cube, with 25 gal refugium, 400W MH, DIY Lumenarc III, DIY skimmer, DIY stand and canopy. 40 breeder LPS with 40 gallon sump, DIY stand, 250W MH