150g Through Wall Journal / Build Thread - Stolaas

[stolaas]

I Started on the 150 gallon project a couple of days ago and wanted to start this build thread to journal it. I have a few pictures now of the building in progress.

Here is the sump, using my old 55g with a fuge in the middle. The skimmer is a octopus 180 or 240, cant remember now because I ordered it so long ago. The top tank is holding my Regal and Ocellaris and some corals while the display is being made. This tank will become a frag tank when completed. The "sump room" is in our master closet whice has plenty of room for anything I need.

This is what the bedroom side looked before and after I started the bracing and stand for the tank.

after

And here is a picture of the living room side. I have the braced up for the ceiling joists while I am working on the other side taking out the studs. Soon there will be a hole on this side as well.

 

[kraftyforu]

awesome project. i plan on doing one of these one day. keep us posted

 

[Shelby2u]

Wow looks great I was considering doing the same thing. I would love to see you work in progress. How high did you make the Stand?

 

[stolaas]

I am making the stand to be 43.5 inches. 42 stand height and 3/4 plywood and 3/4 foam board. The tank is 31in tall and I am 6'4" so I wanted to be able to look right through the tank without having to bend over. Thats one thing I didn't like about my old 55 with the standard stand because I always had to sit down to see anything

 

[stolaas]

Here is what I got done yesterday. Not much, just took a long time to get the header in. Now that the header is in and the hole made I can clean everything up and not have so much of a mess, drywall is extremely dusty.

 

[edwar050]

Looks great I am very happy with my octopus DNW 250.

Here is the octopus skimmer thread if you have not seen it
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=866254&perpage=25&pagenumber=2

And here is the thread "I recommend reading some of it" for the main octopus skimmer mods"
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=898776

I completly bored out my venturi and ran my hose inside and sealed with a little crazy glue, def improved airflow alot. I also purchased another Ocopus pump 200 and moded it for the feed pump~

 

[stolaas]

Thanks Brad, no I haven't seen that octopus mod site, looks pretty interesting. I have thought about a recirculating pump for it but I'll wait and see how good it works without it. I saw one guy in there snap his from drilling it, I could see that happening to me lol.

 

[stolaas]

Here is an update on the project. I went to pick up the tank on Monday and got in put in on Tuesday. WOW this tank is heavy, must be about 400lbs or something. It took four of us to put it up on the stand. It was a little harder then normal because we had to lift it so high.

I am gluing the trim work for the outside now and finishing up the plumbing now. After that it ready to enclose.

 

[8BALL_99]

Its looking Good!

Will

 

[stolaas]

Thanks Will. The frame is gluing together today and letting it cure overnight and have about a third of the "wrapping" around the base of the stand done.

My corals are doing great in the QT by the way. Thank you Tomoko

 

[stolaas]

I have been working pretty hard on the tank lately. I now have a deadline set for next weekend, its my daughters 1 year birthday so I have to have everything finished by then. Not quite sure if I am going to make but I should, all except paint I hope.

The living room side is all finished so at least it looks good for company that come over now. It also looks like I have gotten somewhere. The trim I choose from Home Depot looks really nice, a picture frame look with lots of artwork and carvings. I went with the gloss white to match the rest of the trim in my house. This is my favorite thing about the aquarium is the height of it in the living room.

The bedroom side is getting close to completion. The base is done except for the doors and am working on the top right now so I can get some lights in there so I can start to move everything in.

The stand and top is also going to be white. I thought long and hard about going with a stain, but bing in the bedroom I didn't want to darken down the room (kinda opposite of what a tank is supposed to do) and instead lighten up the room with gloss white.

The plumbing is very simple although it took a whole day to complete it. This is all that is under the tank.

The rest of the room underneath is for the bedroom use, clothes, stuff etc. I want to keep ALL the fish stuff in the "fish room" (closet ) Where I can sit and watch my sump work and do its thing I think thats part of the fun taking all this time building it is just to watch it work. Something you have created and just watching the water move from one end to the other haha.

 

[stolaas]

Here is a little update on my tank. I had some Aquaclear 50 powerheads laying around since I started and was trying to figure out what I could do with them. I only had 20X turn over in my tank as of two days ago but now I have 43X turnover. I modded my AC 50 like my Maxijets and they are really kicking.

I used a black ABS 1.5" cupling to make the housing. Some use the 2-1.5 reducer for the AC 70 but that one must be a lot bigger.

Here are some pictures, They work great and are silent. The key was keeping the prop pretty close to the top and of course as stiff as possible. I used hard airline tubing like my maxi mods but to keep everything together I used semihard water tubing from lowes instead of the soft tubing which made it go wild and wouldnt stay straight.

With these extra pumps Im now pushing 43X turnover, well see how it effects everything. By the way, I do have a bare bottom so I have them pointed staight down.

 

[bassetbros]

How about resurecting an old thread lol.

Quick question...How did you handle the wires from the powerheads and lights on the bedroom side? How did you hide them?


Thanks and God bless,
Basset

 

[stolaas]

Hi Basset, thats an easy answer but I first thought about this before I had the tank built. In the overflow I have four holes drilled. a 1.5" hole for the drain, two 1" holes (one to the main return and one for a closed loop return that I don't use) and a 2" hole for all the electrical. I use the 2" hole and have a long PVC pipe going up into the hood that has all the electrical wiring and anything else I need ran in the "conduit" pipe from the top to underneath the tank. This keeps all the wires from being seen or hanging over the sides of the tank.

 

[RUGDOG]

awesome....how about some all around complete and full tank shots.

 

[joejoe1055]

we are waiting lol

 

[bassetbros]

That's so simple Stolaas! Thanks for sharing. I've got a different location picked out now for my inwall project after reading this thread. Going to be lots better than my original plan. Now I just need to show the plans to my wife and get her approval lol.

 

[stolaas]

Sorry, no pictures. After 4 years we are moving so I had to take it all down. BUT, at the new house I am planning a dual tank through wall. One will be a Reef tank and the other an aggressive tank the spreading corals like green star.

Should be a lot of fun