cardiffgiant
Active member
I’m working on a new build and I’d like to share my progress here in the local club. My target is to have this completed within 2 months, provided I don’t get called back out onto the road for work right away… or run out of $ 
I’ve benefited a great deal from everyone’s experiences so far, and I gladly welcome any feedback or recommendations from the group.
Current System:
Currently I’m running a 55G display, draining from a pump driven HOT overflow to a 10G Rubbermaid with my skimmer, which then drains to 10G refugium with a chamber that has my return pump. A canister filter and a RDSB are pump fed from the skimmer vessel. Power comes from a dedicated 15A circuit with a single GFCI outlet, and 2 power strips. There is a 2 gallon top off.
The current system has a lot of risk (as would be expected when daisy chaining multiple vessels). The return chamber in the 10 gallon refugium doesn’t have enough room for the entire back siphon, and there is a risk of 1-2 gallons of water hitting the floor in the event that the return pump or power fails. There is risk of flooding if a blockage occurs in the skimmer vessel, or if a blockage or pump failure occurs in the HOT overflow. The mounted commercial power strips are difficult to keep tidy, and create potential for electrical problems.
Proposed System:
Objective:
Upgrade the current system to improve safety, reduce risk, improve aesthetics, and reduce noise.
Tanks:
I am in the process of upgrading to a 75G display with a 30L sump. The 75 will drain to the sump with a Calfo style overflow that has 3 drains. The sump will house the skimmer, return chamber, and refugium. The RDSB will still be an external vessel, and the canister filter will be removed.
Overflow:
The overflow will be a calfo style, and will have 3 drains. The first is a siphon, the second is an open channel that will be dialed back slightly to reduce noise, and the third is a contingency drain that should only kick in when there is a blockage. Additionally, the vent for the open channel is brought back in to the overflow box, so that the open channel becomes a faster draining siphon in the event that the water level rises. I’m basing I on the design in this thread:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1310585&highlight=silent+overflow
Stand:
This is scary, because I’m not a carpenter and this is the first piece of furniture that I’ve ever built. I am building a stand with a frame based on the design in the following thread. I will use a ply wood on the sides, quality 1x6 to frame around the front, 1x24x20 doors, and will use 1x2 as molding (to match the mission style molding in the room).
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1169964
I’m going to remove the GFCI outlet that I have in my circuit today, and put a junction cover over the box that is rated for outdoor use. Using 5 2 gang boxes I am going to hardwire the stand with 1 15A GFCI (first in the circuit), 7 15A outlets, and connect 2 outlets to switches that will be on the outside of the tank. I will use EFT to shield the wire that runs between the junction at the wall and the stand, and between each of the 2 gang boxes in the stand.
Canopy:
I haven’t seen a lot of plans for canopies. I am going to attempt one based on the two threads below. Eventually, I want to build a T5 retro kit into the canopy. I don’t plan to use this for a while, but want to make sure that I have something stained to match the stand. I’m thinking that I want to go about 10-12†high.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1198787&perpage=25&pagenumber=1
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1365166
I’ve benefited a great deal from everyone’s experiences so far, and I gladly welcome any feedback or recommendations from the group.
Current System:
Currently I’m running a 55G display, draining from a pump driven HOT overflow to a 10G Rubbermaid with my skimmer, which then drains to 10G refugium with a chamber that has my return pump. A canister filter and a RDSB are pump fed from the skimmer vessel. Power comes from a dedicated 15A circuit with a single GFCI outlet, and 2 power strips. There is a 2 gallon top off.
The current system has a lot of risk (as would be expected when daisy chaining multiple vessels). The return chamber in the 10 gallon refugium doesn’t have enough room for the entire back siphon, and there is a risk of 1-2 gallons of water hitting the floor in the event that the return pump or power fails. There is risk of flooding if a blockage occurs in the skimmer vessel, or if a blockage or pump failure occurs in the HOT overflow. The mounted commercial power strips are difficult to keep tidy, and create potential for electrical problems.
Proposed System:
Objective:
Upgrade the current system to improve safety, reduce risk, improve aesthetics, and reduce noise.
Tanks:
I am in the process of upgrading to a 75G display with a 30L sump. The 75 will drain to the sump with a Calfo style overflow that has 3 drains. The sump will house the skimmer, return chamber, and refugium. The RDSB will still be an external vessel, and the canister filter will be removed.
Overflow:
The overflow will be a calfo style, and will have 3 drains. The first is a siphon, the second is an open channel that will be dialed back slightly to reduce noise, and the third is a contingency drain that should only kick in when there is a blockage. Additionally, the vent for the open channel is brought back in to the overflow box, so that the open channel becomes a faster draining siphon in the event that the water level rises. I’m basing I on the design in this thread:
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1310585&highlight=silent+overflow
Stand:
This is scary, because I’m not a carpenter and this is the first piece of furniture that I’ve ever built. I am building a stand with a frame based on the design in the following thread. I will use a ply wood on the sides, quality 1x6 to frame around the front, 1x24x20 doors, and will use 1x2 as molding (to match the mission style molding in the room).
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1169964
I’m going to remove the GFCI outlet that I have in my circuit today, and put a junction cover over the box that is rated for outdoor use. Using 5 2 gang boxes I am going to hardwire the stand with 1 15A GFCI (first in the circuit), 7 15A outlets, and connect 2 outlets to switches that will be on the outside of the tank. I will use EFT to shield the wire that runs between the junction at the wall and the stand, and between each of the 2 gang boxes in the stand.
Canopy:
I haven’t seen a lot of plans for canopies. I am going to attempt one based on the two threads below. Eventually, I want to build a T5 retro kit into the canopy. I don’t plan to use this for a while, but want to make sure that I have something stained to match the stand. I’m thinking that I want to go about 10-12†high.
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1198787&perpage=25&pagenumber=1
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?threadid=1365166
Always nice to do things the right way first...
. Are you going to be using the screens shown in the older pics?
