My New Tank Build

Braves Fan · Jan 28, 2012

Well, five years in the making, its not the 200 gallon tank that I wanted but it will do. When I first got into the hobby 5 years ago, I knew nothing about saltwater tanks, thru this forum and a few others, we have a really good forum in my area LARC, am sure they will help me out, I learned more, I bought a standard sized 125g tank, made a mixed reef tank out of it and made all of the newbie errors in that tank, always loved the pics ya'll posted of the SPS coral tanks and feel that I have learned enough, with forum help

to give SPS corals a shot. I picked what I think is a tank with good dimensions for my SPS tank, although the tank has yet to be ordered

I have price quotes out from 2 companies, the tank will be ordered when those quotes come in. The tank will be a 48x30x25 Euro Braced, black silicone, sprayed black vinyl paint on the back panel, sadly it won't be low iron glass, that's a bit out of my price range at this time. I am going to have 3 AI LED lights over this tank. I had 3 250w MH lights over my 125g tank, I traded those lights to a friend, he did the work on my 40 breeder sump and also made my Top Off tank, pretty good deal for both of us

He did a bang up job on both. I bought a Apex controller for this tank, a Tunze Top Off system, Soccerbags views on Calcium Reactors convinced me to go with a Bubble Magnus Dosing pump. I took the Live Rock out of my old tank and soaked it in some bleach water and now have it in a tub trying to get some life back into it. I also am putting in a 20 amp plug just for the tank. I ran the wire already, just need the electrician over to hook it up.

The stick in the pic, not a frag, same height as the tank, I have another rock or two that will be added for height

Stand looks racked in this pic, but its not

The plastic tubs in this pic, same height has the tank

Sump

Top Off Tank

Braves Fan · Jan 28, 2012

Got the stand into the house yesterday

didn't have any help, had to walk the tank from the back of the house to the front, get it up on the porch and into the house. Wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.

Braves Fan · Jan 28, 2012

One thing I forgot to add, the stand is 6ft long, I will sit up my fish quarantine tank on top of the stand also. Display tank will be on the right, quarantine tank on the left, it will sit so that you see the side of it. Pump in the center of the sump will feed the Manifold, to the far right will be the return pump. The wife's son will be skining the stand for me. The upside

he is pretty good at that sort of thing, works at a cabnet shop part time. The down side

it may take him awhile to do it in his spare time.

MarvinsReef · Jan 28, 2012

awesome! looking forward to seeing the progression.

Aquaph8 · Jan 28, 2012

I like your stand, really nice job so far.

revhtree · Jan 28, 2012

Dude that's going to be sweet!!

Braves Fan · Jan 29, 2012

Got a few things done yesterday after I got the shed cleaned, sure is nice to be able to walk around in there and find things. Ok, I got the shelf for the dosing pump installed and have the dosing pump setting on it. I installed the shelf on the back wall behind and above the Top Off tank and have the 3 jugs for the Mag., Alk, & Calcium setting below the shelf between the Top Off tank and the back wall, the 3 jugs fit in there like the space was made for them. Read my Tunze Top Off system book, pretty much have that figured out and it will take 15 min. or so to set that up tommrow. Then the biggie The Apex Controller, shouldn't be that hard, I am not turning it on, just placing all the stuff in the stand. Sure would be nice to get the quotes in for the tank, so I can at least get it ordered. It won't be much longer and I won't have anything left to do but wait on the tank.

Braves Fan · Jan 29, 2012

Today I got the Tunze top Off system installed and the Apex Controller system installed. The Top system kinda had me confused a bit. They have two ways to mount the system, a one magnet system (which I used) and a two magnet system. Anyway, this might be my last update for awhile, have seem to run out of things to do.

orlando809 · Jan 29, 2012

Looks really good,love the stand, can i copy your design idea?

Braves Fan · Jan 29, 2012

The stand is made off the DYI Stand build on RC

dh350twin · Jan 29, 2012

This will be a nice build.....tagging along

Braves Fan · Jan 31, 2012

Well, I guess this is an update of sorts, nothing done on the build but I did spend some money today. Went to the LFS and picked up new filters for the RO/DI water filter. Premium Aquatics got a nice order. Dosing pump hose holder, magnet probe holder, 5 bags of Tropic Eden Reeflakes Aragonite sand. Everything else on the order was water test kits, and med's for the quarantine tank. Tried to make a order to Bulk Reef supply, but couldn't. Wanted to order Magnesium, calcium, Akl for the dosing pump, all three were in stock but the 1/4 inch netting for the display tank and the quarantine tank wasn't, will wait till it is before I make that order. Almost forgot, ordered my third AI LED light, a 20g long tank for the quarantine tank.

revhtree · Jan 31, 2012

Oh I love new goodies!!

Braves Fan · Feb 2, 2012

Good News Today

the tank has been ordered. I went with the DSA tank 48x30x25, haven't a clue when it will come in though. Have saved up a bit of vacation time, and am going to try and take a few days off when it does come in.

Braves Fan · Feb 3, 2012

Just got the news, the tank will ship a week from next Wednesday :bigsmile:

Braves Fan · Feb 4, 2012

UPS driver stopped by the house last nite. I received the 5 bags of sand (guess I will spend Super Bowl Sunday washing sand, wouldn't have it any other way though

) 2 Boxes 400g of salt, probe holder, dosing pump hose holder, all the water test kits and the meds for the quarantine tank. I finished mounting pretty much everything under the stand last nite except for the two MP40 controls and the manifold. Tell you what, the tank is 48x30x25, I made the stand 6ft long so that I would have some elbow room under the tank and I am still running out of room quick. The sump and the top off tank wouldn't have both fit under the stand if I had just made the stand big enough to hold the tank. Then you have the dosing pump, GFO/Carbon reactors, Bio Pellet Reactor, MP40 controls, Power strip, all the stuff for the Apex, the manifold. Just no way if the stand was big enough for just the tank.

Braves Fan · Feb 5, 2012

One of my projects for today is to mount my MP40 hardware under the stand. I just assumed there would be a mounting bracket in the box for doing this, there isn't. What is the best way to do this?

ExtremeReefing · Feb 5, 2012

I think alot of people use 3M velcro tabs

robf · Feb 5, 2012

Very cool! How much should you budget for this size system? I'm guessing about 4k for gear? Skys the limit for the corals and fish. Is that far off?

Braves Fan · Feb 5, 2012

I got the sand washed today and its soaking in RO water in two different tubs. I read some where, don't know if this is true or not that the sand will leech out phosphates into the RO water and that I need to stir the sand each day and replace the RO water, any truth to this? If so, guess that is what my plans will be each morning before work. I got everything done under the stand that I can do without the tank, hooking up to the drain and return lines is all I have left to do under there, and hope I have no leaks. Had to do something I really didn't want to do under the stand today, Someone told me to mount the 2 Little Fishes reactors over or in the sump in case they leaked. With the two different type hoses that I had to hook them up, this wasn't possible. They are mounted outside the sump. I will look for some hose that might fit my needs better. One hose was just to flimsy and kinked when you tried to put a bend in it. The other hose I had, the one I used, was a braided clear hose. Its pretty stiff and to use that I had to mount the reactors out side the sump using the tank mount that comes on the reactors. I used the flimsy hose on the Bio Pellet reactor though, it was good enough for that. I also ordered a PH probe for the Apex today, figured this was something that I would really need. I thought I had ordered but didn't, so I ordered one today also, Ammonia test kit. Wasn't sure but figured I would need it for the cycle process in the tank and since I was ordering the PH probe, why not. Waste of money or I needed it? Also picked up the things I need to make a Durso pipe, won't make that till the tank gets here. Anyway pretty much have everything done that I can think of till the tank gets here. Maybe I can get a full nights sleep now.