120 build started!

[pascal32]

I got started on the 120 build today! Last month I received final approval from CEO and president of the household (also know as my wonderful wife) to move the reef tank into the living room. I love my 72 Bow front, though I would like more depth, and so the 120 was born.

I picked up a 120 two weeks ago with a glass box overflow - unfortunately the rear overflow move the tank too far into the room so I'm looking for another 120, this time drilled through the bottom. If anyone wants a cheap 120 is good shape with a stand, let me know.

If you have a mint late model 120 or a new one siting around, let me know!

The build plan:

120 in living room
basement sump
dedicated refugium
frag tank

Since I don't have a tank that fits I'm building from the bottom up!

stand plan for basement sump with dual 20 gallon tanks above it.

Getting the saw set up:

Why cut one piece at a time if you can do 4?

First cut made - project officially underway!

stop blocks used for smaller pieces:

wood cut and test fit with one of the 20's

I was listening to music on the phone, so we jump ahead to the assembled stand!

one of the 20s is a frag tank, the other the dedicated refugium

dry-fit of the return pump before marking sump to be drilled:

water mixing station:

(switch controls mag9) - I still need to tidy up the wires:

And tomorrow is plumbing & electric day!

 

[superkat]

very, very nice. wonderful work!

 

[Haffs09]

Looking good!

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

great start!

Now I understand why a commercially manufactured RR aquarium makes sense.

 

[pimpinitup6969]

Looking good!

 

[solRNY]

congrats on the build, looks like your off to a very good start, the stand looks incredibly squared! wanna redo mines?!!! LOL

looking forward to your progress and more pics

 

[Capt_Cully]

Nice! I dig the Gixxer too BTW!

 

[dreaminmel]

Wow, great progress so far! :thumbsup:

 

[Capt_Cully]

Blurry, you see this on STRS?

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1826609

 

[pascal32]

Thanks for the compliments! I just got up (wow it's late!) and will be getting started in a bit.

great start!

Now I understand why a commercially manufactured RR aquarium makes sense.

Sorry I if wasn't clear before, unfortunately it's our only choice.

congrats on the build, looks like your off to a very good start, the stand looks incredibly squared! wanna redo mines?!!! LOL

It is pretty darn square. I believe it has 1/16th twist to it which is easy to shim out. I started with pretty good 2x4's from home depot. To go truly square it tough with real wood. I think it has to be planed which I don't know how to do nor do I have a planer.

Nice! I dig the Gixxer to BTW!

Its an Aprilia Different animal - I love twins for street riding and in-line 4's for the race track.

 

[Capt_Cully]

jeeze, looked like a gsxr, which aprilla is it? impressive.

Check your other thread. Someone's selling a 120 RR on the Southern tier forum:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1826609

 

[pascal32]

jeeze, looked like a gsxr, which aprilla is it? impressive.

Check your other thread. Someone's selling a 120 RR on the Southern tier forum:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1826609

Thanks for the link - 4 foot is the limit, thanks for your post to the FS thread, we'll wait for a response.

probably best not to get me rolling on motorcycles The Aprilia is an RSVR with (IMO) one of the coolest factory paint jobs made.

I'm take a leave of absence from non-competitive road racing. I have had the privilege of instructing for a non-for-profit group which gives people an opportunity to take high performance bikes off the street and onto the track:

 

[superkat]

my knees just got weak.

 

[Capt_Cully]

That Aprilla sure is one sexy machine!

 

[toddmh]

I used that same DIY stand plan for my 120..tell you the truth I didn't like the engineering till I added several steel L braces all over the place..The twisting seems like that stand cold come down quick with 1250 lbs or so in it..

 

[mythicalman22]

nice build, hope everything works out for you

 

[pascal32]

I used that same DIY stand plan for my 120..tell you the truth I didn't like the engineering till I added several steel L braces all over the place..The twisting seems like that stand cold come down quick with 1250 lbs or so in it..

This isn't twisting at all its rock solid. then again a 120 has a lot more depth. I'm planning on doing to same for the 120 tank (with additional skin), I'll take your advice and cross brace it!

 

[pascal32]

Didn't get done nearly what I had hoped for. several trips to Home Depot and lowes along with numerous phone calls made the work time short.

I did learn one valuable lesson today - unions and threaded fittings significantly reduce the diameter of the piping! For the 20 gallon tanks I wasn't worried about it, however for the main 3/4 run I returned the 3/4" ball valves and picked up 1" with slip reducers back to 3/4" - that maintains the same inner diameter as the 3/4" piping.

Also, home depot doesn't seem to sell many unions with slip fittings - another trip to Lowes for those.

so here is the progress:

armored flex conduit to bring in the 20 amp line:

tap box for my dedicated garage line. When I wired the garage I put in 12-3 which is now letting me put in a dedicated breaker for the fish tank without having to run wire back to the breaker box. BTW - when did electrical wire jump in price - yikes!

plumbing - 3/4" line from the wahoo pump (not yet fitted as I need to order the bulkhead and drill bit). 1/2" T's for the two 20 gallon tanks, the bulkhead order will include some lockline returns. The funny looking pipe going down to the sump is a "blow-off" in case the pump pushed too much water (1466 GPH at 15 feet of head - yes, gallons). I figure the fittings and 20's will eat some of that up, none the less, better safe than sorry!

Return from the 20's is 1" which is joined by a T behind the tank on the right while looking from the back side. The left tank (from behind) is the refugium, so the flow will be pretty low.

I anchored 3 boards to the concrete to mount outlets, power strips and all that good stuff.

Tomorrow is Easter so most of this will have to wait till next weekend. Still working on a 120. all the quotes are in. I'm not a fan of the dual megaflows on the AGA - though i gather it is a better tanks.

what to do...

 

[pascal32]

BTW - here is a great calculator for flow through drain pipes:

http://reefcentral.com/calc/drain.php

 

[superkat]

holy cow! you got a TON done! very nice indeed.