BIG DAY!!!
Tank arrived yesterday and I spent today building the stand and getting the tank up on top. Have left the doors off the cabinet for the moment for ease of leak testing, getting everything plumbed, etc.
The stand seems very sturdy and was reasonable to put together. I really like the foam to help cushion/level out any hot spots for your sump and the tank.
A couple of helpful hints I wish I would have known:
1. Red Sea uses PVC-U pipe and schedule 40 PVC is just a smidge too big for it if you are doing any kind of hard/custom plumbing. I am going to pick up some schedule 80 and hope it will work as it is allegedly slightly smaller inside diameter. I prefer the gray anyway but the local Home Depot didn't have any on hand.
2. Even the best laid plans don't always work out. I meticulous planned/measured/had customized parts for the sump area of the tank. I even built in tolerances for the width of the cabinet when calculating my interior dimensions. However, I somehow missed calculating that the entire stand is approximately 1/2" inset from the tank dimensions. I also guessed the cabinet wood was 1/2" and it is more like 3/4". Ultimately, this means my dosing container (custom made for my proposed dimensions), does not fit where I had intended to put it. New plan: Dosing container will be placed next to ATO reservoir with no problem and my Apex will now be outside the tank stand and housed in its own cabinet. I was initially bummed out, but with more thought, I'm choosing to look at it as a happy accident because now the Apex will be much better protected separate and apart from the sump. I am going to buy an inexpensive medicine cabinet the same color as the stand and turn it into the Apex cupboard. It should blend nicely and be even more accessible than previous plans. Will post photos when complete.
Next steps: Filling with RO water below the overflow line as the sump isn't ready yet. Will mix in salt and move the rocks to continue curing inside the tank while I gather the correct PVC adaptors and wait a couple more days for my lights. That will at least give me my bathtub back which has been hosting two 25 gallon Rubbermaids to get the rock started off while I waited for the tank to get here. I also need to clean off the ledge behind the tank for a cleaner look. I can tend to be a packrat sometimes. Once lights arrive and the sump is fully plumbed and tested, I can do my measurements and have the folks at Artfully Acrylics send my mesh top.
Coming along, friends. Coming along!
Always like the setup for these kits - cant wait to see what you do when it gets going.
