50g lowboy ADVICE NEEDED

[radreef02]

Setting up a grow out tank, all advice is welcome and needed.

I plan to build a stand from 2x4s & plywood sheets, paint the stand white and add panels. I want to drill the tank on the bottom so I can get maximum height of water, I wanted to use an eshops eclipse overflow that has an emergency built in but I don’t think it would allow me to get the water height that high due to the rim on the tank not allowing me to put the interior overflow teeth high enough.



Do I use 1/2” sheets or do I need 3/4”
Any specific wood I need to use for the 2x4s or plywood? All I know is not to use pressure treated


For overflow, if I choose to go with an internal overflow and drill the bottom, how close can I put a emergency drain hole? Is this not recommended ? Should I give up the extra water height to just use an eshops overflow?

For the return pipe I plan to drill the bottom again to keep piping minimal on the outside. Is this a bad idea ? Should I do the return from the side instead ?

Livestock:

I’m going to run a small to medium tang at all times, I was thinking tomini tang or small yellow tang, 1-2 damsels, & six line wrasse


Thanks for any advice !

 

[HankstankXXL750 Verified Sponsor]

So if it is a ZooMed tank, I just installed 4 of them for a frag system. Here is my build thread.

Frag Build - 200 gallon frag system

I recently decided to QT my corals. Tired of hitchhikers and concerned about bringing in disease. So I bought a 75g from petco 1/2 price and also converted 1 of my 20’s and 1 of my 40B. I have fragged my tank once and placed them in the sump compartment in my S1000, but they are hard to see and...

www.reef2reef.com

As far as lumber, buy the best grade of 2x4 offered and make sure they are straight.

For the plywood, better finish equals higher price. So it depends how pretty you want it.

I would use 3/4” and at least get sanded one side. Also determine how you can add levelers to the stand so that it can be perfectly level.

I drilled holes in both end of the bottom of my tanks. Local LFS did this with overflow on one end and return in the other.

After I did this I realized that they didn’t have any kind of emergency overflow. Sinc I didn’t have any more bulkheads I used one end for overflow and the other for emergency. Then ran my returns outside over the edge. Glass is only 3/16” thick so I would spread out my overflow from my emergency. Maybe 6-8”.

 

[David_CO]

I recently built out a low boy frag tank. I drilled the side and put on a waterbox overflow, my water is only a fraction of an inch below the black trim. IMO im getting essentially full volume, I can share a pic if you would like.


For the stand, mine is WAY overbuilt but I wanted some flexibility if I want to install a longer and deeper tank in the future. My stand is 2x6 ft. I think if I got a 16 inch deep tank I could put on some mp40's rather than the mix bag of flow im using now. The corner supports are 4x4's with the bracing linked below. Im using 2x4's for everything else including 2 additional legs at the midspan (6 legs total). I wish I had made my stand a few inches taller its a bit of a PITA to work in.

My design is basically whats shown in the amazon link with the addition of the mid span legs and some cross bars so the plywood doesnt bow at all. I opted for finished a 3/4 finished plywood top which I painted black. I also picked up a thin self leveling mat from BRS.

vikofan 8 Pcs Workbench Bracket Kit Sturdy Steel Angle Brackets​

looks like it wont let me post an amazon link, copy paste the bolded name to see what im talking about.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Setting up a grow out tank, all advice is welcome and needed.

I plan to build a stand from 2x4s & plywood sheets, paint the stand white and add panels. I want to drill the tank on the bottom so I can get maximum height of water, I wanted to use an eshops eclipse overflow that has an emergency built in but I don’t think it would allow me to get the water height that high due to the rim on the tank not allowing me to put the interior overflow teeth high enough.



Do I use 1/2” sheets or do I need 3/4”
Any specific wood I need to use for the 2x4s or plywood? All I know is not to use pressure treated


For overflow, if I choose to go with an internal overflow and drill the bottom, how close can I put a emergency drain hole? Is this not recommended ? Should I give up the extra water height to just use an eshops overflow?

For the return pipe I plan to drill the bottom again to keep piping minimal on the outside. Is this a bad idea ? Should I do the return from the side instead ?

Livestock:

I’m going to run a small to medium tang at all times, I was thinking tomini tang or small yellow tang, 1-2 damsels, & six line wrasse


Thanks for any advice !

1/2" should be sufficient and a piece of 1/2" styrofoam should help also. For plumbing you can go with Durso or bean animal- bean being the best for this configuration

 

[radreef02]

I recently built out a low boy frag tank. I drilled the side and put on a waterbox overflow, my water is only a fraction of an inch below the black trim. IMO im getting essentially full volume, I can share a pic if you would like.


For the stand, mine is WAY overbuilt but I wanted some flexibility if I want to install a longer and deeper tank in the future. My stand is 2x6 ft. I think if I got a 16 inch deep tank I could put on some mp40's rather than the mix bag of flow im using now. The corner supports are 4x4's with the bracing linked below. Im using 2x4's for everything else including 2 additional legs at the midspan (6 legs total). I wish I had made my stand a few inches taller its a bit of a PITA to work in.

Could you show a pic of the overflow ? This is the one part I’m unsure of how I want to configure

My design is basically whats shown in the amazon link with the addition of the mid span legs and some cross bars so the plywood doesnt bow at all. I opted for finished a 3/4 finished plywood top which I painted black. I also picked up a thin self leveling mat from BRS.

vikofan 8 Pcs Workbench Bracket Kit Sturdy Steel Angle Brackets​

looks like it wont let me post an amazon link, copy paste the bolded name to see what im talking about.

 

[David_CO]

pics below. as you can see the water line is above the black trim when looking from the side.