Brian's 520 gal. Plywood Build + Fish Room

[zachtos]

I LOVE this build. Attention to detail and beautiful craftsmanship. I am too chicken to try epoxy reef, usually a good deal to be had on smaller used tanks, but true you can never get much bigger than 240-300G in glass. I was close to doing the pond armor route, but I have used US composite epoxy for many projects, very nice stuff.

How did the old Jabeo DC10000 pump treat you? I am switching from reeflo pump this time to DCS jaebo 9000 x 2 to combat noise. I don't know if I trust them, so I rigged 2 in parallel.

I tried zip tie skeleton in the past but went foam rock background this time. My zip ties all began to snap after a few years and the rocks collapsed, did not work long term. Maybe will try acrylic rods, what size acrylic rod did you recommend (length and diameter?)

I may have missed, but did you say where you got those lid hinges? They are exactly what I'm looking for.

 

[m0nkie]

How did the old Jabeo DC10000 pump treat you? I am switching from reeflo pump this time to DCS jaebo 9000 x 2 to combat noise. I don't know if I trust them, so I rigged 2 in parallel.
.

I've used a few Jebao DC pumps. The pump itself run great. solid pump, tons of flow, decently quiet. Their controllers are terrible. I lost every pump to broken controllers. mostly fried

 

[Brian Crook]

I LOVE this build. Attention to detail and beautiful craftsmanship. I am too chicken to try epoxy reef, usually a good deal to be had on smaller used tanks, but true you can never get much bigger than 240-300G in glass. I was close to doing the pond armor route, but I have used US composite epoxy for many projects, very nice stuff.

How did the old Jabeo DC10000 pump treat you? I am switching from reeflo pump this time to DCS jaebo 9000 x 2 to combat noise. I don't know if I trust them, so I rigged 2 in parallel.

I tried zip tie skeleton in the past but went foam rock background this time. My zip ties all began to snap after a few years and the rocks collapsed, did not work long term. Maybe will try acrylic rods, what size acrylic rod did you recommend (length and diameter?)

I may have missed, but did you say where you got those lid hinges? They are exactly what I'm looking for.

Thanks a lot! The DC10000 is a pretty solid pump, though definitely not the highest of quality. I had to replace it once due to a faulty controller, and the controller on my new one is a little quirky too, but it still works. I'm keeping it and will use it in a less "high profile" role as my saltwater mixing pump.

The gentleman that purchased my 220 gallon tank happened to mention that he had a noisy Reeflo pump when he was checking out my new build, and mentioned that mine was very quiet by comparison. I purchased the "Gold" version with the Baldor motor, whereas his was the original; perhaps this makes a significant difference. I'm pretty pleased with my Reeflo but it's my first time owning one so I can't offer much more info there.

The hinges for the front access panels are simply kitchen cabinet door hinges, supported by some vertical lifts. All of this was purchased off the shelf at Home Depot; nothing out of the ordinary or custom, so it shouldn't be hard to find. They work great and are plenty adjustable to ensure your panels line up nicely. Let me know if you have any other questions, cheers

 

[zachtos]

Thanks a lot! The DC10000 is a pretty solid pump, though definitely not the highest of quality. I had to replace it once due to a faulty controller, and the controller on my new one is a little quirky too, but it still works. I'm keeping it and will use it in a less "high profile" role as my saltwater mixing pump.

The gentleman that purchased my 220 gallon tank happened to mention that he had a noisy Reeflo pump when he was checking out my new build, and mentioned that mine was very quiet by comparison. I purchased the "Gold" version with the Baldor motor, whereas his was the original; perhaps this makes a significant difference. I'm pretty pleased with my Reeflo but it's my first time owning one so I can't offer much more info there.

The hinges for the front access panels are simply kitchen cabinet door hinges, supported by some vertical lifts. All of this was purchased off the shelf at Home Depot; nothing out of the ordinary or custom, so it shouldn't be hard to find. They work great and are plenty adjustable to ensure your panels line up nicely. Let me know if you have any other questions, cheers

Well, I can wire my own controls for the jebao maybe, hopefully the newer DCS is better.

Thanks for the information. I had a baldor motor too, last a lifetime, though seals and bushings must be replaced every 4-5 years to stay quiet.

 

[Dirtball]

Very nice.

 

[zachtos]

The hinges for the front access panels are simply kitchen cabinet door hinges, supported by some vertical lifts. All of this was purchased off the shelf at Home Depot; nothing out of the ordinary or custom, so it shouldn't be hard to find. They work great and are plenty adjustable to ensure your panels line up nicely. Let me know if you have any other questions, cheers

how much weight can those lifts on the hinges support you think? I want a 2'x6' 1/2" piece of plywood to lift in one piece and stay up, and not slam back down when closing. Or maybe I need 5 or 6 lifts if I do that?

 

[Brian Crook]

how much weight can those lifts on the hinges support you think? I want a 2'x6' 1/2" piece of plywood to lift in one piece and stay up, and not slam back down when closing. Or maybe I need 5 or 6 lifts if I do that?

I forget what the numbers were but they were intended for the weight of the door panels I was using. And yes you could add a second one to the other side if wanted/required. These were relatively inexpensive and they work well for me, but you may also want to look into vertical-open cabinet door hinges which are an all-in-one solution. They come in a variety of sizes depending on the weight required and offer "hold open" and "slow close" features too; the downside being that they can be quite expensive.

 

[Brian Crook]

I ordered some goosenecks for my Kessil lights to replace the light-bar contraption I created for my previous aquarium. I'm much happier with the goosenecks and it's particularly nice that I can easily reposition the lights. Obviously three Kessil's is not enough light for a tank this size, but it's good enough for now while I work on everything else. I'm still tossing around different ideas for how to supplement my light, but my current plan will be to purchase three more Kessil's and goosenecks and position all 6 in a zig-zag pattern to optimize coverage.

I've finishing building the stand extension for my frag tank (less a bit of trim), and installed my refugium and frag tank. I was able to cut out and reuse a lot of the plumbing pieces from my old aquarium which was pretty convenient and a cost saver. I have plumbed the frag tank with one 1" inlet and two 1" drains, which drain to the refugium. The refugium has two more 1" drains which send the water back to the end of the sump. The frag tank is fed from one end of the manifold off my main return. I used unions throughout and valves to control and silence the overflows, although these two tanks will see low water turn-over.

The frag tank will have an independent backup heater under the frag stands, and a pulsing powerhead to add flow. The refugium will have a powerhead (likely my MP40 leftover from my old tank), which will infrequently power on to stir up the water in there a little and prevent too much detritus from settling.

Here you can see some recent photos of my aquarium room so far and the new installations. I have finally positioned my two 50 gallon water vessels on the left side of the aquarium. These tanks will be used for auto top-off supply. Eventually I will valve them together but for now I'm just using the one. The wiring is still a disaster. I haven't started my power management yet as I'm awaiting the arrival of some wire channels I ordered a while back (backordered). I have a plan for the wiring but more on that later.

 

[Brian Crook]

And here are some photos of some of my livestock. I recently purchased some new additions, but some of them have also been with me for a couple of years now from my old tank. The largest fish in the tank is a Sailfin Tang which is probably about 7" from mouth to tail.

Our sectional couch arrived and I got my television and soundbar mounted to the wall with all the cables hidden. We still need a few other little things in the room and a bit of décor here and there, but functionally the room is pretty well done!

It's been a lot of work over the past year but the major construction is complete and this aquarium is ready to be enjoyed. There's still plenty of work ahead of me with new equipment, livestock, and a mountain of detail work, but it is pretty cool to sit my newborn daughter down on the bar rail and watch her eyes light up from all the colours and shapes in the tank.

 

[m0nkie]

great photos!

How is the osc clown doing with a maroon in there?

 

[Lavoisier]

Beautiful set up.

 

[zachtos]

You planning soft/LPS corals?

Seems like the rock is too tall if you planned SPS, as they grow tall within a few years. I used to have half my coral right at the water line in the last tank, they all flattened out at the water line.

 

[Brian Crook]

great photos!

How is the osc clown doing with a maroon in there?

He's doing well. They've been sharing the same tank for the past couple years. They will even swim around each other now and again. Back in my 220gal the maroon clown lived in the rose tip anemone, but after I transferred everything over to the new tank suddenly the Picasso clown took-over the anemone... for about one day. And then the maroon kicked him out and took it back.

You planning soft/LPS corals?

Seems like the rock is too tall if you planned SPS, as they grow tall within a few years. I used to have half my coral right at the water line in the last tank, they all flattened out at the water line.

I suppose if I placed a branching SPS coral right on the top of the highest part it wouldn't have too much space, but I think there are plenty of great locations throughout the rock-work. My plan is a mixed reef with a variety (not necessarily an abundance) of SPS corals mixed in with LPS/zoas/etc. I've been pretty self-critical about the height of the rockwork after some previous feedback and after having made some adjustments I continue to come to the conclusion that the height is good for how I envision the tank. Also note that the pictures don't really do justice to the vertical space above the rock, especially since the viewing window is offset on all sides by several inches.

I would be delighted to get to the point where my SPS corals are branching their way upwards. Great time to start snipping and make use of my frag tank

 

[McPuff]

I suppose if I placed a branching SPS coral right on the top of the highest part it wouldn't have too much space, but I think there are plenty of great locations throughout the rock-work. My plan is a mixed reef with a variety (not necessarily an abundance) of SPS corals mixed in with LPS/zoas/etc. I've been pretty self-critical about the height of the rockwork after some previous feedback and after having made some adjustments I continue to come to the conclusion that the height is good for how I envision the tank. Also note that the pictures don't really do justice to the vertical space above the rock, especially since the viewing window is offset on all sides by several inches.

I like this plan of attack... similar to my own. I sold off most of my SPS colonies but kept a select few that I'll move into my 300. They are going to get huge in there but I will only have about 6-8 of them. The rest will be LPS and maybe I'll add a few softies. Not sure yet. I like the idea of having few, huge colonies.

 

[geckoejon]

Phenomenal build! I read through the entire thing, and you have inspired me to try a plywood tank I currently have a 220g mixed reef that I am working on stocking. I really want a large tank for non - reef safe fish.

Couple questions... Maybe I missed the info in the thread?

- what was the thickness of the plywood?

- how is the extra metal bracing holding up, in your opinion? I'm debating on maybe an external metal tube frame??? If I flood the house, I think my lady would not be as tolerant and understanding to my reefing projects

- when attaching the glass, did you place the silicone directly onto the hardened resin surface? Did you scuff it or prepare it at all?

- any sites with estimated weight and size specs for sizing the wood and all? I would like to go just about the same size as yours. I just want to overbuild...

 

[Brian Crook]

Phenomenal build! I read through the entire thing, and you have inspired me to try a plywood tank I currently have a 220g mixed reef that I am working on stocking. I really want a large tank for non - reef safe fish.

Couple questions... Maybe I missed the info in the thread?

- what was the thickness of the plywood?

- how is the extra metal bracing holding up, in your opinion? I'm debating on maybe an external metal tube frame??? If I flood the house, I think my lady would not be as tolerant and understanding to my reefing projects

- when attaching the glass, did you place the silicone directly onto the hardened resin surface? Did you scuff it or prepare it at all?

- any sites with estimated weight and size specs for sizing the wood and all? I would like to go just about the same size as yours. I just want to overbuild...

Thanks a lot, glad to hear this thread has been helpful to you. To answer your questions:

1. The plywood is 3/4" throughout.

2. The extra metal bracing is holding up great and I am happy I decided to add it. I highly recommend some form of bracing if you design a tank with a long section similar to mine. The metal bracing worked great for me but there are other methods you could do too.

3. I placed the silicone directly on the finished epoxy service. I did not scuff or prepare it at all. I had not read anything regarding this and assumed the silicone would do its job regardless (which it has). I very strongly recommend the RTV silicone that I used if you intend on doing a plywood tank; it's incredible silicone adhesive.

4. The weight you can determine with some pretty straightforward water volume calculations or online calculators. Regarding the choice of wood thickness and design of the tank, well this is where opinions and experience varies greatly. I certainly wouldn't want to recommend any particular strategy to you. Just spend some time and research until you can develop a design you are satisfied with. Mine has been operating for several weeks so far and I see no reason why it won't continue operating for a long time.

 

[Brian Crook]

Thought I'd check in to provide a few more photos now that I'm getting it all wired up.

Taking a little breather here before the next big purchases / updates, but the tank is in an operable state and is quite enjoyable at the moment.

 

[Reel North]

I'm going to be doing one similar. Ok if I pm you for some tips?

 

[Brian Crook]

I'm going to be doing one similar. Ok if I pm you for some tips?

Absolutely, and good luck to you!

 

[TheFishGuy31]

Awesome build. If I can find glass locally I plan to do my own build.

Any reason you used epoxy resin instead of a poly resin?

Is there anything construction wise you would have done differently?


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