205G Tank Build

It's funny how similar our setups are. I also have a laundry room on the other side of the wall. And I also ran two 20 amp circuits into that room for the tank and have my ato and chiller and rodi resevoir in there.

This is my 29 gallon ato resevoir and chiller on top of it. Though you might get an idea from this setup. The box just has 3 sides and slides over the top of the standard 29 gallon tank. It has a hinged lid for pump access and a slot on the other side for filling. And it has slots cut into the sides to view water level.

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Ah, just reread and think you had some older equipment you're carrying over into this tank :). Love the sump btw!
 
Yeah, the AC3 has been running my older tank. I'm sure the lure of the Apex will get me at some point, but for now I'm already breaking the budget!
 
Very cool setup rioshilo. I may well copy your top off idea. I'm looking for some way to make sure that nothing from the laundry winds up in the top off water, and that cover is a great way to accomplish that while still being able to check the water level. What did you build that box out of?
 
Since the rock has been cooking for a few days now, I decided to check the phosphate levels. Let's just say I'm glad I didn't throw this rock into an established tank. I'll hook up a phosphate reactor later this week, and throw a rock from my established tank in when the levels drop a bit.

205_phosphate.jpg
 
When you mention cooking your rock, does that usually mean dipping in vinegar or muriatic acid solution? Or is it more of a heating thing?
 
Fish4Me2 said:
Very cool setup rioshilo. I may well copy your top off idea. I'm looking for some way to make sure that nothing from the laundry winds up in the top off water, and that cover is a great way to accomplish that while still being able to check the water level. What did you build that box out of?
Click to expand...
Its made from mdf
 
Aleonn, from what I read, most of the cooking methods involve either a dip in vinegar or acid, and frequent water changes, plus skimming. Simply "swishing" the rock around and moving it from bucket to bucket causes a lot of detritus to come out, so that alone helps to remove some of what's producing the phosphate.
 
I made some progress this weekend, designing the light rack. Lighting will be 3 LumenMax Elite reflectors, and 4 x 48" T-5's on an IC660. At some point, I'll probably add in additional T-5s, but I'm trying to use the materials I've got on hand from past tanks.

I'd appreciate any thoughts/input on the distance of the reflectors from each other. The tank will be 72" wide, 22" deep, and the reflectors will be mounted so that the glass is about 16" above the water line. Does that sound reasonable? Any suggestions there? I know I won't have rock/coral right at the edge of the tank, so I've got reflectors set in several inches.

Here's the rendering of the light rack, along with the breakdown of tubing and connectors.
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On Saturday, I added 3/4 of a cup of GFO to a TLF reactor in the Brute with my rock. By Tuesday night, here was the new PO4 reading:

205_Day_10_Phos.jpg

I guess that stuff does work!
 
This post will probably excite no one but me, but . . . .
The Tank Has Landed!

Here it is arriving from Lee Mar:
205_arrive_1.jpg


We'd gotten a rental truck with a lift gate, expecting to pick up both the tank and the stand. Plans changed at the last minute, so the tank looks a bit lonely in there, but it made it home safely.
205_ourtruck.jpg


I'm pretty sure the 99 cents dude in the background thought we were all nuts. I haven't fully unwrapped it, but from what I can see, it looks great! The driver who brought the tank from Lee Mar was wonderful about helping us to get the tank safely loaded into our truck.

Next up, getting the stand, and then getting the plumbing started.
 
I am happy to have some progress to report! The tank is on the stand, and the first inhabitant has found it.

205_tankstand.jpg


I lost most of the last two weeks of my life to an antibiotic-resistant infection. I am still hearing ringing in my ears, and while this is the season of "Jingle Bells", I much prefer "Silent Night" when it comes time to sleep. The doctors tell me it'll either be better soon, or I'll be dead, so I figure I might as well keep chugging on the tank!
 
Aside from finding the manpower to get the tank on the stand, I've also spent a week or so building a bit of a "bath tub" under the stand for the sump. When the stand was delivered, it just had flat plywood for the floor. I decided that was too risky on the hardwood floor, so I built a lip around the perimeter, caulked it, primed it. I think that part all turned out well, but then I made what I think was a mistake. I decided to use garage floor/porch enamel paint to coat it. I thought that would be pretty sturdy, but I've already scuffed the enamel off in several spots, just by sliding the sump in. I notice the primer layer still looks good. The next two shots show the tank with the stand open, so you can see the sump and the floor.

From the front:
205_standopen.jpg


tanksideways.jpg


Please excuse the critters - we were wrapping gifts for a friend with dogs today.
 
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