The Prismatic Lagoon

[Flameback Pair]

The MJ 600's are at 750gph on circulation mode each. Plus the return at the head height I have is approximately 500gph. This is about 2000 gph.
2000 / 54 = 37 roughly... Isn't 37x the tank volume sufficient for in tank circulation?

Sorry, I think you were talking about standard maxi-jets.

 

[big ole blue]

Hey no worries. Any help with these builds is appreciated. Don't hesitate to chime in. By the way, I'm in the middle of researching my rock structure builds. Since my tanks are only 54g and Corners as well… it'll be limited. But it'll more than likely consist of a Rock wall and and adjoining Island with overhangs/caves… Stand by for the Posts

 

[big ole blue]

Progress! I've completed the first live rock structure and let the Epoxy harden for a few days. About sixty hours actually. Now it's curing! I got in on the Black Friday deals at BRS... Great deals by the way. I got a 40 lbs box of Pukani dry rock and a 20 lbs Tonga shelf rock. I severely underestimated the size of the Tonga... It's 22" across!

 

[big ole blue]

The Tunze ATO would be amazing too! I've been looking at that thing for months. I hope I win! Either way, merry Christmas to my fellow reefers! ... Oh, and I'll let you all know how well the Tunzi performs

 

[big ole blue]

Corner Tank Stand Build

This build took a few weekends at a liesurely pace. I first started with planning it. I used a Microsoft office program called Visio. I've also seen "apps" that are good CAD programs as well. Once this is drawn you can then use the drawing to calculate the supply costs. Time to head to the store and get the lumber and hardware. (Side note : this view is a planar view. The height of the stand is essentially dependent on your taste and the requirements of the sump setup)

 

[big ole blue]

The first thing I did was make sure the overall height of the setup was aesthetically pleasing to the wife... Once this was debated for 7 months I could then get out the tools and start the project.

If you observe the image below you'll see I used standard two by fours. I also used 3" and 2 and 1/4" coated deck screws and drilled pilot holes.

Tip : if you affix the two by fours as shown below it exponentially increases the load capacity or support strength of the support legs.

 

[big ole blue]

The perimeter braces were simple. Essentially I secured them to the support legs with the 2" deck screws one at a time until I had the basic structure built. See images below for reference.

 

[big ole blue]

The cuts on the two by fours were the most difficult. I did this task by using a table saw and miter saw. Measure twice cut once. A couple of boards were thrown into the scrap pile because no matter how many times I cut them they were still too short.

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Loving this! Keep going!

 

[big ole blue]

The cabinet will also need corner braces to keep the structure from "racking". I used 2 by 2's and made a 45 degree cut on each end of a 6" piece. Drill the pilot holes for the screws at a slant so when they're attached they'll go straight into the perimeter braces. If you notice in the last image I used standard drywall screws. I didn't want to make another trip to the hardware store... My wife was starting to get concerned that I was obsessed...

 

[big ole blue]

Painting time!

This was done by placing cardboard on my garage floor and suspending plastic painters sheets from the garage door. To suspend the plastic I used 30lbs fishing line and fish hooks. I got good quality spray paint and a spray nozzle. Invest in the hand held spray nozzle, it'll keep your hand from cramping.

 

[big ole blue]

Progress! I've completed the first live rock structure and let the Epoxy harden for a few days. About sixty hours actually. Now it's curing! I got in on the Black Friday deals at BRS... Great deals by the way. I got a 40 lbs box of Pukani dry rock and a 20 lbs Tonga shelf rock. I severely underestimated the size of the Tonga... It's 22" across!

Forgot to post this pic. I'm pretty sure this is the mother of all Tonga rocks...

Seriously, what am I supposed to do with this?! It's almost the same diameter as my tanks!

(Insert Epic "Lord of the Rings" music here). :smile:

 

[big ole blue]

So here is the end result of painting. Keep in mind that the instructions on the spray cans are put there for a reason, follow them.
Such as, keep your distance from the item being painted, paint in a somewhat warm environment, and in my opinion... Light coats. I'd rather place 3 coats gradually with no runs then burn through a dozen cans with runs and uneven coats.

Tip : Dry wood will almost literally "drink" the paint out of the can. Don't buy in to the "Paint and primer in one" malarkey. A cheaper paint as a base coat or a cheaper primer will go a long way.

I personally wanted to spare no expense on this build for the sake of the fish. Which is why I bought quality paint and will be covering said paints with an "ECO" friendly glossy final coat. Also, the paint I purchased is a High gloss variety, which is easier in my opinion to wipe clean of salt deposits.

 

[big ole blue]

Ok, so this tank stand will be encased. I have a 4' x 8' sheet of cabinet grade plywood in my garage just waiting to be cut and stained and varnished... This means the entire stand will be constructed out of solid wood. The only problem is since Christmas is right in front of us, I needed to get my wife something that might outweigh the "Tank obsession"... So I hired a painter to cover about 50% of the interior of our house...

Maybe I can win the Tunze ATO to make up for it :angel:

Here is a shoddy view of the plywood. This will cover the three front sides and the top. The back will be covered by paneling with a specific type of shipping foam glued to it. I'll post a pic of the rear Foam panels when I build them...

 

[big ole blue]

Display Tank overflow question

Ok, so I'll have an ATO unit to compensate for evaporation but...

if the main drain from the overflow gets clogged and the return pump is chugging along, how can I hook up a float switch in the display tank and have it shut off the return pump?