RC 75 DIY Stand and Sump

[choir]

This is a journal of a 75 gallon build, highlighting a DIY stand and sump. I have had two all-in-one tanks. This is my first system with a stand alone sump.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0471_zpse4e87a4a.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0471_zpse4e87a4a.jpg.html)
Some of the equipment gathered over the past several months

The Gear

Aquarium 75G Standard 48x18x22 Starfire Glass
DIY Stand Birch Plywood
Lighting Ecotech Radion Pro Gen 3
Ecotech RMS Tank Mounts
DIY Sump 20G High
DIY Sock Silencers
Skimmer Skimz Monzter
Reactor Avast Marine Vibe
Return Pump Eheim 2400
Circulation Ecotech Vortech
Backup Power Ecotech Battery
Controller Neptune Apex Lite
Ecotech ReefLink
Dosing Pump GHL Profilux
Dosing Containers BOA

[choir]

It took a while to accumulate the equipment, since most of the gear pictured above is used or refurbished, including my tank and sump. The tank is not to glamorous, but it has potential!

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0077_zpshuyqegrb.jpg

Aquarium 75G Standard 48x18x22.

[jimsflies]

That's an impressive pile of equipment! Should be a great build.

[choir]

Starting with the DIY Stand

My previous tank was a black European modern style cabinet. It was nice enough, I decided to go with that style again. The location with stairs and doorway limited the tank size. Because the narrow footprint, I decided to go with plywood construction, in lieu of 2x4 framing to maximize the cabinet space. Lastly, I wanted a taller tank display to avoid leaning down to view.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0210_zpsc460ed2c.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0210_zpsc460ed2c.jpg.html)
Plywood panels cuts.

[Tom@HaslettMI]

Looks like a great set up in the making. I recommend going with a larger sump if you can.

Please keep us posted.

Tom

[choir]

I used two sheets of 3/4" birch plywood for the stand. There was very little wood scrap leftover after making all the cuts.

For the joints, I used a Kreg pocket hole jig.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0208_zps45d59c87.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0208_zps45d59c87.jpg.html)
This was my first time using pocket holes. All the joints were screwed and glued.

For the back panel, I cut out large oval openings for cords and ventilation. In the past, I have experienced frustration because openings were to small from so many cords. I made the openings wide enough to pass equipment and transformers.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0209_zpse9e7f5c5.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0209_zpse9e7f5c5.jpg.html)

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0212_zps836797f2.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0212_zps836797f2.jpg.html)
Back panel with cord and equipment slots.

[choir]

Equipment Tray

Lots of thought to the equipment layout in the stand, especially managing the cords. I wanted the cords to be out of sight, but not so difficult to unplug and remove equipment for maintenance or replacement. In my last tank, I had cords organized bundled neatly with plastic ties, mounted on the side walls or ceiling of the stand. It looked nice until I had to unexpectatly remove one piece of equipment. this ended by cutting every tie to find and remove one cord.

This plan has what I call an equipment tray that sits between the sump and the cabinet ceiling. The idea was inspired from a stand built by nanotopia. I was able to use this space because the stand is slightly taller than most designs. The tray accessible from the front and back. The front has doors to mount controls like the Apex to the front of the doors. The back is lined up with the equipment holes. All wires can sit loosely in the tray. This is easier to see than describe:

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0221_zpsd1e30163.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0221_zpsd1e30163.jpg.html)
Equipment tray will be accessible from both front and rear.

With a tall stand and plywood construction, I felt it important to provide additional lateral support. Using several pocket holes at each end of the tray, the equipment tray provides that added bracing.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0219_zpsc625e206.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0219_zpsc625e206.jpg.html)
Placed the equipment tray for size and fit.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0242_zps04741cb4.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0242_zps04741cb4.jpg.html)
Front doors of the equipment tray open. I mentioned the tray does not extend all the way to the back panel, leaving room for plumbing. The top holes on back panel match the height of the tray for easy access.

[choir]

Thanks Tom - I agree and wanted a bigger sump too! I made this actual size layout to determine what would fit. That was all the room there was to fit all the gear.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0249_zpsc3261eda.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0249_zpsc3261eda.jpg.html)

[choir]

This is very unpopular and not my preference, but a necessity for my situation. There is only one location of the tank. It sits close to a door that may need full access at some point in the future. I wrestled with the ultimate risk of tank failure and water on the floor from cracking, leaking and levelness. After much consideration, I decided being able to move the tank a few inches is better than breaking down the entire tank to move it. If I have to move it, I would half empty the tank water and it would only move a foot or so on level concrete...and if it fails, I will share the drama :] These are low profile wheels, rated over +1200 lbs.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0214_zpsf8a0b0f8.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0214_zpsf8a0b0f8.jpg.html)
The bottom of the stand was built with two layers of plywood for added support for the wheels.


http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0236_zpseb293cab.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0236_zpseb293cab.jpg.html)
Finishing the last stand doors with European frameless cabinet hinges.

I was concerned about deflection in the front at the door opening. The front of the top is a wood beam, made out of two layers of plywood, glued and screwed together. This is supported by a center post, that rests on a double layer bottom (also glued and screwed together)

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0240_zps865474f3.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0240_zps865474f3.jpg.html)
This is the final cabinet assembled. 3/4" plywood was the only material used, besides the hardware. A toe kick apron will be added in-between the wheels in the from and the sides.

[choir]

Finishing the Stand

It was a struggle how to finish the stand. Going with no canopy, the black tank trim really sticks out. I thought black would be the best color to blend the trim into the "big picture" and keep from standing out. The finish had to be easy with no shading between coats. To avoid sanding between coats and get a nice level finish, I used a metal paint with an oil base primer.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0322_zpsfcf0ba68.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0322_zpsfcf0ba68.jpg.html)
The stock black paint color ended up matching the black trim on the tank.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0415_zpsc0f5e060.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0415_zpsc0f5e060.jpg.html)
The back of the stand finish painted. I made large openings for ventilation and to make pulling cords and gear easy.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0409_zps253831ca.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0409_zps253831ca.jpg.html)
The equipment tray.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0408_zpse8bb120e.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0408_zpse8bb120e.jpg.html)
I ended up going with a light gray interior, which actually turned out okay.

[choir]

Here are the finished pictures of the stand. With a taller stand, the extra space in the cabinet is nice, but it will be needed when it is stocked.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0414_zps7e10e44e.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0414_zps7e10e44e.jpg.html)
The stand with the equipment tray doors open. The equipment tray ended up taking almost as long to build as the stand shell itself. It was a project inside a project.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0420_zps267d152c.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0420_zps267d152c.jpg.html)

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0419_zps2fd542ab.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0419_zps2fd542ab.jpg.html)
The stand painted and finished.

In hindsight, I wish I would have used a clear spar urethane finish on the birch plywood inside of the stand, instead of gray paint. It would have been a nice natural look inside, while keeping it a light color. As it goes, I literally thought of this in the middle of priming the wood!

[rfgonzo]

Nice job!!! keep the pic's coming.

[Tom@HaslettMI]

Awesome progress!


Thanks Tom - I agree and wanted a bigger sump too! I made this actual size layout to determine what would fit. That was all the room there was to fit all the gear.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0249_zpsc3261eda.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0249_zpsc3261eda.jpg.html)

As for a bigger sump... A 20H is only 12 inches wide... Could you fit something with a 24x18 footprint?

Tom

[Poseidon]

If it is not to late, I would go with as big of a sump as you can fit. A 30 long would be the same width, and give you a foot more length to account for skimmer and refugium.

Not sure that having to 2 layers of ply would be enough for a large sump though. (I have no science or math, just a gut feeling.)

The equipment and stand do look fantastic!

[choir]

Nice job!!! keep the pic's coming.

Thanks rfgonzo - have more on the way.


Awesome progress!

As for a bigger sump... A 20H is only 12 inches wide... Could you fit something with a 24x18 footprint?

Tom

Tom - The width of the stand and tank are 18 inches. The cabinet style gives me 16" inside to work with. Never even thought about going wider, but now you mention it, I wish I would have. I'm keeping track of all the "should have" things like this. There is likely to be more :]


If it is not to late, I would go with as big of a sump as you can fit. A 30 long would be the same width, and give you a foot more length to account for skimmer and refugium.

Not sure that having to 2 layers of ply would be enough for a large sump though. (I have no science or math, just a gut feeling.)

The equipment and stand do look fantastic!

Thanks Poseidon - I am too far along with the sump for now, but it's nice to know I have that option.

[choir]

20 Gallon DIY Sump

The sump design has four chambers; a drain, filter sock, skimmer and return pump. Although I would have like to go bigger, I used the smallest size I thought I adequate, to allow room for other equipment in the stand.

Baffles not so simple

I thought baffles could easily be done. I read about those buying glass baffles from Home Depot. They would even cut it to size. I found stores only carry picture glass (1/10” thickness). Glass from glass shops were well over $100 polished. I even went to a thrift store and found glass that looked old, which turned out to be tempered. It exploded into hundreds of pieces when I tried to cut it. I finally found 3/16” plate glass on craigslist.

My first time cutting glass was not that difficult. Now that I had the pieces cut and edges sanded, I wasn’t sure how to how best to hold the baffles in place and square while caulking. There were all kinds of bracing methods online. The easiest one I found was by RocketEngineer, who turned the tank on end and used spacers. Gravity kept the glass panels square and made easy access for caulking.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0285_zps01307562.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0285_zps01307562.jpg.html)
Starting the baffles using wood spacers and caulking with GE silicone 1.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0286_zpsb897159a.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0286_zpsb897159a.jpg.html)
This is more tedious than expected having to wait for the each baffle to dry each time.

[choir]

Baffles on the other side of sump

This side was not quite as easy. Two pieces of glass required a square notch cut out at the corner. The filter sock baffle and a glass cover over the filter socks. For the first side of the notch, I used a grinder with a diamond blade to wet cut (one of my kids spraying water). That was the most delicate part. Using the glass cutter on the second cut of the notch was easy in comparison.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0312_zps040003e7.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0312_zps040003e7.jpg.html)


http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0313_zps41b64f58.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0313_zps41b64f58.jpg.html)


http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0315_zpsc25a65b4.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0315_zpsc25a65b4.jpg.html)
Notching the filter sock / skimmer chamber baffle.


http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0433_zps7b8fd077.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0433_zps7b8fd077.jpg.html)
Filter sock cover with notch for drain pipe.

[choir]

The last baffle divided the drain chamber and the filter sock chamber. My thought was to keep the drain pipe separate from the filter socks to make changing them out easier.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0320_zps44ba526f.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0320_zps44ba526f.jpg.html)

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0317_zpsca51fb15.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0317_zpsca51fb15.jpg.html)
The last baffle, dividing the drain and the filter socks.

[choir]

All the baffles caulked in place. The 4 chambers are the drain, filter socks, skimmer and return pump.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0323_zpsa81f58af.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0323_zpsa81f58af.jpg.html)

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0327_zpsf9d08739.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0327_zpsf9d08739.jpg.html)
The drain chamber (the smallest section at the top right corner) is sealed to the bottom on all 4 sides.

[choir]

Filter sock holders

I made the filter sock holder with two layers of 3/16” acrylic sheet. There are two different size holes in the top and bottom plate. The top hole to keep the edge of the sock level with the top plate. The bottom plate supports the sock.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0376_zps663aa8a1.jpg

You can see on my first try, the holes do not match up. I had to cut the bottom plate section in half, then realign the holes before gluing.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0379_zps4cfeb647.jpg

Although the bottom plate was cut, its not seen - an unintentional good result.


http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0383_zps3902a70c.jpg


http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0385_zpsdc6e7a3f.jpg

Ended up caulking the sock holder in place.

[choir]

Here is the finished sock holders with the filter socks.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0387_zpsca40db56.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0387_zpsca40db56.jpg.html)

The extra height in the tank accommodates a longer filter socks. I used a 4 x 11 sock.

[choir]

Drain Pipe Mount

I wanted to make sure the drain pipe was supported in place. I glued two layers of acrylic together. The bottom layer offset to fit the aquarium rim trim. Hole drilled for the drain pipe bulkhead and siliconed in place.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0441_zps500c535a.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0441_zps500c535a.jpg.html)

This is the glass filter sock cover set in place. You can see the corner cut that fits around the drain pipe mount.

[choir]

Sock Silencers

I saw this item online called a sock silencer. It is designed to spread the water before it falls, instead of all the water falling at the sock perimeter, which supposedly makes it quieter. There is a 1 inch overflow hole in the center that is designed to relieve the water, if the small drain holes plug.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0403_zpsda2da4c4.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0403_zpsda2da4c4.jpg.html)

I used the leftover round pieces from the sock hole cuts for this. First, counter sinked the holes, then drilled through the counter sinks.

Here are the finished sock silencers with a center overflow hole.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0422_zpsa587677c.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0422_zpsa587677c.jpg.html)

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0424_zpsfd4e4606.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0424_zpsfd4e4606.jpg.html)

The center overflow pipe is made from air conditioner drain pipe. It's thin wall SDR 21 or something like that.

[choir]

Putting it all together

The final sump with all the peices installed.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0427_zps269f5a1b.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0427_zps269f5a1b.jpg.html)


http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0430_zpse073b5ec.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0430_zpse073b5ec.jpg.html)


http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0431_zps614d85c8.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0431_zps614d85c8.jpg.html)

Another idea from online to quiet the water was to slot the drain pipe to release some of the water on the way down. Not sure this really works.

Equipment in the sump.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0437_zps39f58d19.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0437_zps39f58d19.jpg.html)

A dry run for skimmer and pump fit.

[Tom@HaslettMI]

That sump looks great. You have some solid DIY skills. Just keep an eye out for detritus buildup in that small area before the filter socks.

Tom

[choir]

That sump looks great. You have some solid DIY skills. Just keep an eye out for detritus buildup in that small area before the filter socks.

Tom

Tom - I'll be watching for detritus in the drain chamber. From what I have read, the drain flow turbulence in the small chamber keeps the detritus from settling and moving on. I have no practical experience to know if the design or sock silencers will even work. I just mimicked commercial designs. This is on the job training for me :]

[choir]

Setting up in the stand.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0449_zps252aa070.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0449_zps252aa070.jpg.html)


http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0458_zpsd822cc64.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0458_zpsd822cc64.jpg.html)

The skimmer cup and return pump come out easy, but not the skimmer without sliding the sump out a few inches.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0498_zpsee631363.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0498_zpsee631363.jpg.html)

A friend who owns a flooring company found this dense rubber tile in their warehouse. I lined the bottom of the cabinet this. I hope this dampens some of the vibration. I ended up with an extra sheet of this, if anyone would like to try it.

[jimsflies]

Wow! Great skillz for sure!

Now that I know someone local that can do this kind of work....

[choir]

Wow! Great skillz for sure!

Now that I know someone local that can do this kind of work....

Thanks Jim - The work is even free, but you get what you pay for, LOL.

[skuttduck]

Maybe I could ask for suggestions as to what I should do for that 40 gallon tank I have and turning that into a sump.

My 20 gallon sump is just a bag filter, skimmer, phosban reactor, top off and return pump.

[choir]

Maybe I could ask for suggestions as to what I should do for that 40 gallon tank I have and turning that into a sump.

My 20 gallon sump is just a bag filter, skimmer, phosban reactor, top off and return pump.

Skuttduck - I would guess your 20G sump works fine and is more than adequate filtration. I think going to the 40G and adding chambers would add some efficiency, more water volume, and allow you to add a refugium section with more live rock.

Having no experience, I would open it up to anyone to chime in with suggestions!

[skuttduck]

I'm just dealing with a bit of a hair algae outbreak at the moment and thought of having some more space for another refugium or a turf algae scrubber. It is a bit cramped now but works.

[choir]

I'm just dealing with a bit of a hair algae outbreak at the moment and thought of having some more space for another refugium or a turf algae scrubber. It is a bit cramped now but works.

You already have a 40G and space to house it, I would go for it! I don't know much about refugiums or turf scrubbers, but I would guess they could only help pull out phosphates and cut down the algae. Let me know if questions come up on your sump build.

[skuttduck]

My 40 gallon tank was purchased for the purpose of housing the fish from the pond during the winter, but we don't do that any longer. So the 40 is my automatic top off for the tank. It lasts a month or longer if I fill it.

If you can view it: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10203785576183036&l=8666700020046331846

The tank has been up for 11 years now.

[choir]

My 40 gallon tank was purchased for the purpose of housing the fish from the pond during the winter, but we don't do that any longer. So the 40 is my automatic top off for the tank. It lasts a month or longer if I fill it.

If you can view it: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10203785576183036&l=8666700020046331846

The tank has been up for 11 years now.

Wow Tim nice going on 11 years! Thats older than some of my kids. That's got to be more than average life span of a reef tank. Very nice clams and gorgonians.

[Poseidon]

As for keeping the noise down in the first two chambers, if you put 2 90's at the bottom, it will drastically reduce the noise. Putting those 2 90s will certainly reduce your turbulence in that first chamber though, so you would get detritus for sure.

[choir]

As for keeping the noise down in the first two chambers, if you put 2 90's at the bottom, it will drastically reduce the noise. Putting those 2 90s will certainly reduce your turbulence in that first chamber though, so you would get detritus for sure.

Mike - I appreciate your suggestion and looking for more detail. Are the 2 90's like a reverse durso?

[Poseidon]

No, not so complicated. A good portion of the noise if caused by back pressure, air trapped in the drain burps out causing noise. The slots you cut will probably do the same thing, give the air a place to vent.

The 2 90's just direct the water air mix up, preventing the back pressure from ever building. You can also put a single 90 right at the water surfacem 1/2 submerged, 1/2 exposed to air, but I found that method creates the most salt creep/spray as well.

[choir]

The 2 90's just direct the water air mix up, preventing the back pressure from ever building.

By "air mix up" your saying the 2 90's form a "U" shape at the drain pipe end, redirecting the discharge upward, as opposed to downward...sound right?

[Poseidon]

By "air mix up" your saying the 2 90's form a "U" shape at the drain pipe end, redirecting the discharge upward, as opposed to downward...sound right?

Exactly. :)

[choir]

Set tank, lights and pumps

Stand is ready to go. A few pictures of the tank in place.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_5428_zpsdb0038f9.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_5428_zpsdb0038f9.jpg.html)


http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_5419_zps29dceed4.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_5419_zps29dceed4.jpg.html)


http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_5425_zpsc3b8785e.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_5425_zpsc3b8785e.jpg.html)

[choir]

Stocking gear inside the stand

I wanted the cords to be out of sight, but not hard to unplug and remove equipment for maintenance or replacement. In my last tank, I had cords organized, tied and bundled neatly on the walls or ceiling of the stand. It looked organized until I had to tear everything apart to get a piece of equipment. After that, I let everything hang. Here, I can hide the "mess", transformers and cords loosely.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0501_zpsfbee36d3.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0501_zpsfbee36d3.jpg.html)
The equipment shelf doors to hide everything. Left space above and below the doors for cords and ventilation.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0524_zps075498f5.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0524_zps075498f5.jpg.html)
Left to right: Apex module, skimmer, monitor, Vortech pumps, Apex display.

Inside the equipment shelf


Everything is fairly secure after its plugged in, but it's the accidental drops working over the sump you don't expect, while changing out equipment or something like that. A bit of healthy concern.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0523_zps5a455525.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0523_zps5a455525.jpg.html)
Left side of the shelf.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0522_zpsad0b0fc3.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0522_zpsad0b0fc3.jpg.html)
Right side of the shelf.

[choir]

Plumbing

This is a first time setting up plumbing for a separate sump. I was nervous about leaks and water all over the floor, that I might not be able to stop and control - just don't know what to expect.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0542_zpsb4fac0c6.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0542_zpsb4fac0c6.jpg.html)

Feeling a little over my head with the plumbing.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0582_zps6bf14fcc.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0582_zps6bf14fcc.jpg.html)

Plumbed and connected.

[choir]

Filling the tank

Filling tank with RO water, then mix in salt. It turns out I put too much salt in and sent the salinity off the chart. I spent more time doing water changes to lower the salinity than the initial fill :[

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0621_zpsfad347ba.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0621_zpsfad347ba.jpg.html)

Very nervous about leaks and stand deflection from the weight, but so far so good.

[choir]

Sand and live rock

For the past 7-8 weeks, I have been curing the Pukani rock for this tank. I placed a thin layer sand throughout the bottom. Then added the cured rock and live rock from my other tank. Then placed the rest of the sand.

The aquascape is planned to be tall on each end and descend towards the center. When I ordered the rock, BRS sent me one big peice, instead of what I'm used to. It would not even fit in the tank. Instead of breaking the rock into random pieces, I cut the rock into flat plates. I used the plates to create three levels of caves and openings. Although the cuts are stark, I hope they will cover and blend with corals and algae.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0631_zps2e61e72c.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0631_zps2e61e72c.jpg.html)


http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0633_zps363afc0c.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0633_zps363afc0c.jpg.html)

So with version 1.0, I tried to keep most of the rock off the sand by using smaller pieces as legs with larger pieces on top. Then repeated this for the next tier.

[choir]

Up and running

With everything running, I was shocked at the water noise from the overflow and drains at the sump. I ended up slightly adjusting the the return valve and slowing down the flow. It quieted down considerably. I am looking into Mikes suggestion on terminating the drain pipe with additional fittings.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0638_zpsdc541b67.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0638_zpsdc541b67.jpg.html)


http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0640_zpsfb0bb6f1.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0640_zpsfb0bb6f1.jpg.html)


http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0641_zpsda99ef74.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0641_zpsda99ef74.jpg.html)

Avast marine vibe reactor for carbon dosing with zeovit. This shakes the stones to release bacteria twice a day.

[choir]

Aquascape version 2.0

Added more live rock to the tank. This helped to conceal some of the "cut" looking edges of the live rock. I finally corrected the salinity after starting the salt mix incorrectly.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0645_zps019c41d9.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0645_zps019c41d9.jpg.html)


http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0648_zps37a90695.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0648_zps37a90695.jpg.html)

The focal point is the center opening. There is a channel of sand from front to back to create perspective, with "fingers" of rock that are suppose to look like they descend into the sand...kinda of, sort of... whatever : ]

[choir]

Flow

I have a Vortech MP40 on each side and added a MP10 pump on the back wall. They are all set at different heights and don't face each other directly, but offset for a gyre flow. I would have went with the new gyre, had I not had already had the pumps.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0666_zps189b088b.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0666_zps189b088b.jpg.html)

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_0664_zpsb382171a.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_0664_zpsb382171a.jpg.html)

[skuttduck]

It looks really good.

Your post about the salinity reminds me of others harping on me on another site for saying that I follow the salt directions and not use a refractometer. 11 years later and my salt is still 1.026

One cup of salt per 1 US gallon of water works for me.

I'd also like to see how your overflow is to see why that might be loud. With my old hang on back overflow the trick was to put in a plastic spoon and that let enough air in there to stop the gurgling.

My drilled tank I had to open the cap slightly after putting on an elbow to quiet it down. If the cap was closed it would cause a siphon and then break shortly afterward.

[choir]

The suggestion from poseidon has me thinking about re-working the drain pipe.

[choir]

Tank Cycling Blog

This is a blog on the 14 day zeovit cycle. Using the zeovit guide as a template, I modified it to what was actually done.

Preparation

1. Fill the system with RO water and raise the water temperature to 78°F.
2. Smooth and broad flow, about 20-30 times of the tank’s volume per hour
3. When water temperature is around 78°F add Red Sea Blue salt slowly into the current with salinity around 35%. Add live rock as soon as the salt has dissolved completely and the water is clear.
4. Approximately 20% of the tank’s contents is live rock. 2/3 of the live rock is dry Pukani rock, “cured” for the past 2 months. The other 1/3 is live rock from from the old tank.
5. After the live rock is placed, I added 1-1/2” shallow aragonite sand bed. I soaked the sand in RO water for 3-4 weeks before use and changed RO water weekly to ensure no phosphates. No live sand was used.
6. Start the zeovit reactor and the skimmer. I used .75L of zeovit stones for 75 US gallons of water tank volume. (Do not exceed flow rate through the reactor of 100G / 1liter of zeovit). Make sure to run the reactor with a continuous flow.
7. Started the lighting 10 hours per day

Day 1: Initial high bacteria dosage, based on net water volume of 75G (tank and sump)

Zeovit Stones: 750mL of stones into the reactor, with a water flow of 75 gph. The reactor automatically shakes the zeovit stones 2 x day to release the bacteria (mulm) from the stones.
Zeobak: 15mL
Zeostart: 30mL
Sponge Power: 9mL

DAY 2 – 3 Dosing Break
No dosing was done on these days. Continued to shake the stones in the reactor.

Day 4-14 Dose ZEObak, ZEOstart and Sponge Power daily for the next 10 days.

Zeobak: 3 drops
Zeostart: 3 drops
Sponge Power: .3mL

Shake the stones daily.
Brown diatoms began to appear lightly by day 4.

Day 5
Diatoms turning darker brown, except in areas having coralline algae.

Day 6
Fine filament beginning to grow, especially in areas with diatom. Diatoms still brown, but not turning darker.

Day 7
The brown diatom color is becoming lighter and starting to recede. Fine filaments growing everywhere. Looks like short fine hair. The color is white to very light green tint.
Temp 25.8C
pH 8.3
Salinity 35
Ammonia < 0.01 (maybe closer to 0.005)
Nitrite untraceable
Nitrate untraceable
Phosphate 0.05

Day 10

Continue ZEObak, ZEOstart and Sponge Power daily / shake stones 2 x daily. The diatoms continue to diminish. Short fine hair algae in a very faint light green color on the live rock and sand bed.

Added several fish and many small snails.

Zeobak: 3 drops /day
Zeostart: 3 drops /day
Sponge Power: 0.3ml / 2 x day

Temp 25.9C
pH 8.31
Salinity 35
Ammonia < 0.10
Nitrite untraceable
Nitrate untraceable
Phosphate 0.07 (slight rise from 0.05 a few days ago)

Day 14

Fine hair algae still on live rock with slight signs of receding in spots. Hair algae receded about 50% on the sand surface.

Added remainder of fish from old tank.

Day 15

The recommended dosage for 75G net water volume going forward:
Zeobak: 3 drops / 3 x week
Zeostart: 3 drops / day
Sponge Power: 0.3ml / 2 x day

Test readings:
Temp 25.9C
pH 8.29
Salinity 34.6
Ammonia < 0.10
Nitrite untraceable
Nitrate untraceable
Phosphate 0.03 (down from 0.07 a few days ago)

Observations:
Fine hair algae still present on live rock and sand. The trend I see are several spots of algae receding or it is gone.

[choir]

Clean up crew

On day 10, I put in about 140 various snails to work on the algae. The clean up crew package was from Reef Cleaners in FL. Although it was overnight express mailed, I was very concerned about the clean up crew not surviving freezing night time temps. Amazingly, they survived.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_5451_zpsdupcwsmg.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_5451_zpsdupcwsmg.jpg.html)

[choir]

Screen tops

When I bought the tank, it came with the overflow, drain and screen tops. I ran into a problem when I decided to go with light that mount on the rim. Now the screens had to be modified to fit. There is about the same amount of work to retrofit the screens, as to make them new.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_5452_zpsuauc9k2v.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_5452_zpsuauc9k2v.jpg.html)

[Dmmz]

Clean up crew

On day 10, I put in about 140 various snails to work on the algae. The clean up crew package was from Reef Cleaners in FL. Although it was overnight express mailed, I was very concerned about the clean up crew not surviving freezing night time temps. Amazingly, they survived.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_5451_zpsdupcwsmg.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_5451_zpsdupcwsmg.jpg.html)
Even if they didn't the company is very good about replacing loses

[choir]

Day 17

Green hair algae is almost gone. 5 x SPS corals and 2 x bubble tip anemones.

Day 18

Green algae is mostly gone from the live rock and sand. Added a yellow tang. Concerned the algae in the tank is clearing up too quickly, so feeding heavier and started phytoplanktin.

Day 19

Transferred the rest of the LPS corals from the old tank, then broke it down. Also added a yellow tang and a wrasse.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_5509_zpsccyh5u5q.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_5509_zpsccyh5u5q.jpg.html)


http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_5514_zpszn78ouov.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_5514_zpszn78ouov.jpg.html)


http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_5526_zpsnwu8ntdz.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_5526_zpsnwu8ntdz.jpg.html)

Also added three different gorgonians as a back drop to the channel.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_5518_zpse9hwfs28.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_5518_zpse9hwfs28.jpg.html)

A small blue maxima clam and green star polyps on the sand.


http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_5511_zpszmseulgs.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_5511_zpszmseulgs.jpg.html)

[choir]

Even if they didn't the company is very good about replacing loses

Yes, I have heard that. John at Reef Cleaners did a great job emailing and coordinating the delivery.

[Poseidon]

Excellent progress!

[choir]

Excellent progress!

Thanks Mike! Getting close to finishing, but is it ever done :]

[choir]

Added light

After breaking down the other tank, I transferred the light to this tank. Instead of high power, I'm going to try lower power and more spread and see how the SPS do.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_5528_zpsz2mbyelz.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_5528_zpsz2mbyelz.jpg.html)


http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_5531_zpsfzxo6gkh.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_5531_zpsfzxo6gkh.jpg.html)
By adding the light, I have to modify the screen tops...again :[


Friday, I added a salinity and ORP probes. I don't know about the salinity probe - it's is bit finicky to calibrate.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_5573_zpsvbxpbsqm.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_5573_zpsvbxpbsqm.jpg.html)

Today, I finished up connecting the dosing pump lines to the sump and containers.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_5585_zpslethkcwe.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_5585_zpslethkcwe.jpg.html)


Lost animals

Last week I woke up to see a Vortech MP40 pump unattached and sitting on the rocks. Inside was the remains of the RBTA. I ended up finding this replacement.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_5586_zpsywpg50ah.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_5586_zpsywpg50ah.jpg.html)

The yellow anemone on the other side.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f114/rmchoi/IMG_5588_zpsij516twb.jpg (http://s46.photobucket.com/user/rmchoi/media/IMG_5588_zpsij516twb.jpg.html)

[Tom@HaslettMI]

Looks good. So, what are you dosing beyond the standard 2-part? Also, where did you get the holder for the dosing tubes (the acrylic thing on the sump)?

Bummer on the BTA. Perhaps the foam sleeves would prevent that from happening again?

Tom

[Poseidon]

Looks really good, that is a LOT of light, make sure to go really low power. ;)

No, you are never done. :p

[choir]

Looks good. So, what are you dosing beyond the standard 2-part? Also, where did you get the holder for the dosing tubes (the acrylic thing on the sump)?

Bummer on the BTA. Perhaps the foam sleeves would prevent that from happening again?

Tom

I am dosing 2 part, KZ bacteria and KZ carbon. The bracket is a Sea Side Aquatics dosing tube holder. Its very basic. I used rigid plastic 90º sweeps to connect the dosing tubes at the bracket.

The RBTA was almost dead when I bought it. It bounced back over many weeks and looked healthy. It moved a looong way to get to the pump. I never considered it would go that far.

[choir]

Looks really good, that is a LOT of light, make sure to go really low power. ;)

I hear you on the lights! I swapped out the TIR lens for wide angle lens and running only 50%.

[Poseidon]

You may want to go closer to 30%. A PAR meter would be the best way to know for sure, talk to jimsflies about joining the MMMC and getting access to a club PAR meter.

Of course I am hitting 300 PAR on my sand at the moment, so who am I to talk about being careful. LOL

[jimsflies]

Ray is already a member...just let me know and I can get you the par meter.

[choir]

Ray is already a member...just let me know and I can get you the par meter.

Thanks Jim - I'll let you know!