So the building has begun! The tank came absolutely disgusting, so it took a while to clean and get it filled.
I got the majority of the plumbing done, but I have a few things to finish up tomorrow. Here are a few shots from todays work.
The tank before I cleaned it. This took almost 2 hours and 3 guys to clean, and it still isn't perfect.
The plumbing in the basement.
The plumbing at the fish tank
The 55g sump doesn't have any baffles in it yet, so for the purposes of testing the plumbing and trying to just fill it with water to try and clean it some more, it is just going to run straight.
Tomorrow, I am going to hook up the connections to the tank (dual overflows drilled in bottom) and get the sump up and running!
I got the plumbing finished and it works perfectly. Their is a problem with the return creating a siphon when the pump loses power, so for now the heads are just at the top of the water line. I am eventually going to drill a hole.
I got the fluval canister filter all cleaned out. I wasn't going to use it at first, but it looks really nice and convenient.
So pictures...the actual tank!
Finished under tank plumbing
The sump
For now, it's filled with tap water. I put in the heater to attempt to get the water a little warm to aid in the cleaning process. The next step is getting the baffles in the sump. Should get that going later this week. Still need to measure out and plan how everything is going to look in there. I think, since I am using the fluval, it's just going to be supply water from tank, two baffles, big refugium, two baffles, return pump. The skimmer I have can be hob, so I think I will make the return section a bit larger for the skimmer and heaters.
Steps for the future...get the sand and rock (gotta start saving some $$)
Does anyone know of some good places to get quality, but cheaper live sand?
I would just get play sand from home depot, and then put a bag or two of live sand on top! $4 for 50 pounds as apposed to $20 for 5 pounds for live sand.
I would just get play sand from home depot, and then put a bag or two of live sand on top! $4 for 50 pounds as apposed to $20 for 5 pounds for live sand.
Bret: This is a good idea to save money which is always a great idea in this hobby
However, mcleodm, You need to make sure that the sand you pick is NOT silica based. Silica sand is what they are using for most of the play sand out there. I looked into this idea also because I think "live sand" that you buy from the pet store is kinda a sham. I ended up getting sand that was dry from "AgraSea" (I think thats what its called) It was nowhere close to the cost of live sand but it is safe for marine aquariums. Someone chime in if I am wrong here but silica based play sand causes really really bad things to happen.
Just trying to state this beautiful looking tank off on the right foot
Heidi
If you mix the live sand and play sand, are they going to look the same though? I am not opposed to this idea, I am just worried about how it will look.
Careful dude, I know not everyone is a big fan of the playsand at home depot. Its usually silica based.
It can be sharp and benthic creatures wont like it.
Another tip, that pump is big for a 55 sump. I would recommend giving it a nice size return compartment in the sump.
Sam, how big should the return compartment be? My plans call for a 5.5 inch area. The only thing I am nervous about is the water not being able to move from one end to the other fast enough.
I have never designed a sump before, so some input would be welcomed.
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