A Reefaholic's 1000+ Gallon Mixed Reef System Build

[trickedout900]

That sucks man, it would have been a sweet tank.

 

[dprill]

So what is plan B?

 

[Dustin1300]

My original plan was to go with a 96"X36"X30" but I came across the plywood/glass tank that was nearly 12 feet long and would work in the area which I'd like to put the tank in. That being said it would not make it down the stairs without taking out a load bearing wall and don't really want to ruin my house's structural warranty over a good deal on a tank as my house is worth much more

So back to original Plan A!

Below is my PVC mock up of the 96"X36"X30" tank I'd like to get sometime next year when I've got the moneys built up a bit more This is how I'd have to tilt the tank and move it into its final resting place. With this I only have a few inches to spare.

Sat on it's end:

Wall which I'll have tank installed on. Original plan was in wall with one side viewable but the more and more I look the more I think about having three sides viewable...Thoughts?

I'm going to put my focus back on getting my prop tank up and running and stick to my guns now.

 

[alanbates12]

Just looked at your drawings and look like the inside stair wall should not be a load bearing wall. If this is the room your going to put your tank in it would be awesome to take out that wall to install your tank and then put back a hand rail so as you come down the stairs you could see the tank. Don't think that would cost very much at all. Heck if I lived closer I'd come do it just to see that tank. Just a thought. That would be a sweet tank. Good Luck

 

[JohnM99]

Have you considered having it built in place? That is one way to deal with limited access room. Also - as said above - a heavy weight is one thing carrying across level ground. Manuevering it down tight stairs is quite another - seems to quadruple the weight!
Good luck.

 

[Dustin1300]

Just looked at your drawings and look like the inside stair wall should not be a load bearing wall. If this is the room your going to put your tank in it would be awesome to take out that wall to install your tank and then put back a hand rail so as you come down the stairs you could see the tank. Don't think that would cost very much at all. Heck if I lived closer I'd come do it just to see that tank. Just a thought. That would be a sweet tank. Good Luck

I think at this point since we just moved into our new house that I better not push the wife too much! She's onboard with the planning I have underway and don't want her to go against it I'm going to stick with original plan but go with acrylic. I'm waiting on a quote from Midwest Acrylic and ATM, have already gotten one from IPI so I'll see which has the most features and best price/quality factor.

 

[Dustin1300]

Have you considered having it built in place? That is one way to deal with limited access room. Also - as said above - a heavy weight is one thing carrying across level ground. Manuevering it down tight stairs is quite another - seems to quadruple the weight!
Good luck.

I agree and think I'm going to stick with acrylic on tank in basement. I may get a glass tank built on main floor at some point during some remodeling we're planning on our kitchen/island....Thinking of some way to put a nice rimless tank on island integrated into a 4 stool bar? Still thinking through that one but it would not be an 8 footer!

For moving the tank down the stairs my best idea is to:

- Put tank on dollies
- Build a plywood ramp down the stairs with guides down the ramp to keep the wheels straight
- 6-8 suction cups attached to top end of tank with rope tied to them to easily hoist the tank down between 6-8 guys
- Have 5-6 guys already down the stairs to help tip the tank and move into its final resting place

I don't yet know the weight of the acrylic but would guess that it is 1/3-1/2 the weight of the glass tank!

 

[Dustin1300]

I'll have to post pics later but I've got some equipment to pick up today that should be great additions to the system!

 

[Dustin1300]

As promised I'm posting some pics of some things I have been talking about. Here's the actual pics.

Propagation tank 54"X36"X18":

Got my Ice Cap Fixture in. Has 2 X 250 Watt Pheonix 14ks, 2 X 54 Watt ATI Purple Plus T5s, and Blue LED Arrays:

All Lights Fired Up:

90 Gallon Sump/Fuge I think I'm going to use for live rock/DSB:

 

[Dustin1300]

Today I picked up a Blueline 100 HD External Pump, 75 Gallon Reef Ready Tank, Oceans Motions 8 way (Needs repaired and picked up cheap, rolling the dice...), and Vertex Puratek Deluxe 100 GPD to replace my more inefficient RO/DI unit previously used. Also picked up a sump half built with four sides and a bottom, 41"X26"X20.25". I'm going to try to come up with a better idea of what I'm going to do this week now that I have more of the components coming together in the puzzle!

***SRO 3000 in pic I've had since after they shortly came out!

Sump:

 

[Dustin1300]

Below are some designs of how I think I'm going to do sump...Since the glass is only 1/4" still need to incorporate some bracing but still looking into that. If anyone has suggestions please let me know

 

[Dustin1300]

Thought I was going to get working on the stand today...Well, that has been delayed and I think I'm rather going to empty our unfinished part of basement and go ahead and put down a nice speckled epoxy on the floor.

Here's the before, and hopefully I'll have an after later today/tomorrow! Still determining whether I want to get the clear coat for the floor or not? Opinions appreciated if you've used this epoxy before!

 

[david00061]

It would be nice to find somewhere up stairs for the 8'

 

[kayl]

Awesome build so far, tagging along!

 

[Dustin1300]

It would be nice to find somewhere up stairs for the 8'

Not too late for that either...I wish I could integrate it in my entry way somehow but it is not open enough to do so...We just got the house and plan on settling in it for 15+ years as we bought extra space for the future Basement will be my man cave and putting a 109" movie screen/projector/pool table and fish tank (Planning the 8 foot for that).

Needless to say, we plan on adding on to the kitchen in the near future and expanding the island and eliminating the breakfast area. I've not drawn up designs yet but think I might try to put a tank on the island.

This is area I'm referencing:

OR doing a room divider between living room/kitchen area...

Who said I can't have multiple tanks! Good thing is the fish tank room I'm currently building is directly under the kitchen and would not be a long horizontal run of piping for the room divider either:spin2:

Back to sweeping the floor now that I got the unfinished basement storage all moved to the finished side!

 

[david00061]

I know if I was to put it in my basement I would not enjoy it as much.
Wife does runs me off alot. But with my tank up stairs it gets alot more eyes looking at it

 

[tgunn]

I'd definitely go for three side viewable. Viewing my old 140g tank down the length was my favorite viewing position.

Definitely consider having it built in place; my 140g was moved into the basement of the guy who bought it, and it was a PAIN to move.

 

[Dustin1300]

I guess I've got to think about it more down the road.

Right now my focus is getting this fish room up and operational. I think I'm going to be integrating a three tier stand as follows:

Bottom tier will serve area for 110 gallon sump, second level will hold 75 gallon fuge for rock DSB, and third level will be for QT that will be seperate from the rest of system with three 40 gallon breeders tied together. They will be tied together but will have salinity @ 1.009 and ball valves between each so I can isolate single tanks too.

 

[Dustin1300]

Playing the waiting game....Floor has been scrubbed hard with concrete cleaner and I rinsed with water twice followed by shopvac. Hopefully my back hurting is worth all this effort and the floor looks great I might put my wife on painting the walls come Sunday! (It's also her storage area, right?)

 

[Dustin1300]

Well...Got the floor painted and had enough left to paint/speckle the sump and furnace room! Picture is bad quality but looks a lot better. I think I'm going ahead and picking up some DryLok today to put on the walls while its all empty. If I can get that knocked out first thing tomorrow morning hopefully I can get the stand work moving forward soon.

Fuzzy pic of after

Close up: