Come with me on my Custom 77 Gallon setup

[Stile2]

Hello,

I was planning to build a new stand for my 29 gallon to hide the overflow and get a bigger sump. Well, over dinner one night my wife said that as long as I was building a bigger stand why not just get a bigger tank!!:eek2: :rollface: :mixed:

So I started to plan out the new tank.

There are a few features of tanks I have seen on RC that I just had to have in my new one. First, three sides viewable, second, wider than normal. Now I own a pretty small house 1000 sq ft, so the option of a 180 or bigger is just out of the question.

So I decided on a custom build 77 gallon 36"x22.25"x22.25" by LeeMar. I am ordering it today. I know it has strange dimensions, but there is a reason for that. At first I was thinking about a 36x24x19 and being a Math teacher and Philosophy Major I thought wow that is really close to a Golden Rectangle. Ancient Greek stuff that has been proven to be more attractive than other shapes. With a little mathematics I came up with the current dimensions.

So on with the plan.

One of my main goals is to have as few foreign objects in the tank as possible. I do not want to see pvc pipes or powerheads, at least as little as possible.

Custom 77 gallon from LeeMar drilled for closed loop
with DIY external overflow (LeeMar did not want to cut the top of the glass away so I will do what I did to my 29) )External Overflow 29 gallon

The plan is to put the overflow against the wall with the tank sticking out into the room, three sides viewable.

Closed loop with a Quiet One 3000 and OM Squirt. The tank will have two holes drilled by LeeMar. One for the input to the Closed Loop and the other for the low output from the CL. The other three outputs will be over the top with clear pvc 45 degree pieces about 1/2" below the surface, two at the far end and the other near the overflow or maybe in the middle.

DIY Stand and Canopy (Birch plywood with some 2x4 inner support) Stained to match other furniture and front door)

DIY Sump/fuge (in design stage, still figuring out how big it can be and needs to be with skimmer in it)

DIY skimmer in sump (6" diameter with Ocean Runner 2700 NW gravity fed)

Lights will be my current 110 watt pc, with 2 95 watt VHOs, I may add more later, but I am not planning on more than a few SPS high up in the tank.

Chiller 1/10 hp Arctica, running on my 29 right now, hooked to the return pump.

2 heaters in sump

DIY auto top off (need to run RO water from kitchen sink under the floor and inside the wall. The benefit is that we will get RO icemaker, the frig is on the opposite side of the wall from the tank.)

Later I plan on a DIY Calcium Reactor, but that will have to wait for a bit.

It should be fun!!

All comments and suggestions welcome!

Keith

 

[Stile2]

Well, 3 months later and I have finally collected almost all of the stuff I need.

A few pictures of the tank.
Again it is 36 inches long.

And 22 1/4" wide and 22 1/4" tall.

A closer look at the input to the closed loop and one of the outputs for the OM Squirt.

I cut away part of the trim to drill the holes for the external Overflow.

I will be out of town for the next couple of days, Jack Johnson concert, but I will start drilling it on Wednesday.

Keith

 

[Stile2]

I have also been in discussions with people on RC about auto top off systems. I will be running a line from my RODI from my kitchen to the wall behind the tank.

Here is the thread about diy auto top offs.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=606215

I will be using the design on the last page.

This system will allow me to have a small return area in my sump but not have the RODI solenoid turning on and off many times a day.

In the schematic the Turn On float switch will be about 2" below the Turn Off float.

Having Fun,
Keith

 

[fishboy19]

Looks awesome man, I'll be here!

-MatthewM

 

[A\/enger]

That is such a perfect size for a tank. Im tagging along to follow this.

 

[Stile2]

Update Time!!

I did start the holes for the external overflow a week ago or so.

Here is the dam made out of plumbers putty.

And here are a couple of holes, I have a few more done. They are taking about 7 minutes per hole.

Keith

 

[Stile2]

I had some time this weekend to draft my Dad into the project. I had originally wanted an all wood stand, but given my workshop right now, no real table saw, and no money to buy one. I decided that a metal stand skinned with wood would be the better choice.

I drew up some plans and had them checked by a structural engineer that works with my Dad.


With the plans checked I went and bought 40 ft of .120" wall 1"x 2" rectangular tubing.

Raw Material.

Cutting the metal into the right sizes.

Here are all the parts for the stand.

 

[Stile2]

We first milled both ends of all the pieces to get all similar pieces the exact same length.

After milling the ends we sand blasted everything so I could paint it when I got it home.

Here is the top tack welded.

The reason for the middle cross tube, is that the tank is as big as the bigger area and the return tubes and closed loop tubes will go through the end section.

Welding the bottom.

We built the whole thing on a 4'x4'x1" slab of steel. It was sitting on a forklift to create a table big enough and flat enough to do the work.
Legs clapped and welding together, also checking for square as we go.

 

[Stile2]

After that was done we made plugs for the eight open ends of the long tubes and welded them in. This is so the entire structure is sealed and when painted will not be exposed to salt water.

And here is the finished product, at least the metal structure.

And just for fun since we had the forklift, we used it to load it onto my Jeep for the ride home.

Now I just have to complete the holes for the external overflow, paint the metal, and get the wood to skin the stand.

I'm having fun, are you?

Keith

 

[Stile2]

Well, it has certainly been a while since an update. I started my Master's Degree in September so that has slowed things down on the tank. But I finally managed to get out to the garage a couple of times this last week.

I got tired on holding the drill by hand to drill the holes for the overflow. So I set up the drill press next to the tank.

There will be about 40 3/8" holes which gives me 15" of linear overflow, so it should be about to handle the QuietOne 3000's 780 gph (not subtracting head).

Here's the water damn I've been using to make the holes.

\

Hopefully the next update won't take so long.

I am hoping to transfer tanks during Winter Break.

Keith

 

[rdmpe]

Re: Come with me on my Custom 77 Gallon setup

...I was planning to build a new stand for my 29 gallon to hide the overflow and get a bigger sump. Well, over dinner one night my wife said that as long as I was building a bigger stand why not just get a bigger tank!!:eek2: :rollface: :mixed: ...

What a way to start a thread! Give that lady a day at the spa!

 

[SHOmuchFUN]

Looks good so far, but those small holes concern me... Not going to take much to get those things clogged with algea and debris.

 

[rdmpe]

Nice job welding that stand up! I've done some novice welding and it sure does look sloppy compared to your pictures! Is that your father's shop?

I haven't built a stand of skinned steel, but I have heard that it can lead to the pumps resonating in the stand since the skinned panels are more free to vibrate. So you may want to consider that when figuring out how to skin it.

I love your plans for the tank overflow. It will be really nice to have the overflow outside of the tank like that.

 

[rdmpe]

Looks good so far, but those small holes concern me... Not going to take much to get those things clogged with algea and debris.

Do you have room to do another row of holes above your current ones, sort of as an "emergency" set that will still drain until you notice the clogging? Will the holes be along the full side length of the tank? Let's see more pictures!

 

[JuJuMan16]

tagging along on this one, looking good

 

[Stile2]

shomuchfun,
To be honest I didn't think about the holes getting clogged. But I have a 29 gallon with a similar set up and only 1/4" x 1" slots and have never had a problem with anything getting even near the holes. Plus there will be 40 holes which is 15" of linear flow, which should flow 1000 gph, and my return is only a QuietOne 300 at 780 gph and that is without head. So I am thinking that if one or two holes do get clogged that the other holes will take up the slack.

rdmpe,
Thanks, I wish I could say I did the welding, but that was my Dad. I have helped him build two experimental airplanes and he works for a company that builds R&D airplanes, so lots of experience. And yes that is his shop that is attached to his airplane hanger on the Mojave Airport.

 

[Stile2]

So I have put a ton of time into drilling the 3/8" holes for the over flow, but now I am starting to doubt myself.

I had the thought the other day to just be done and cut a weir the whole length of the side and use a plastic guard.

Two reasons for this:

1) much easier to clean when necessary than the 40 small holes would be.

2) will get more flow than the holes.

What does anyone think?

All opinions appreciated

Thanks
Keith

 

[rdmpe]

Well, I don't see why the weir wouldn't work. I think it would be fine. So how many holes have you done? How would you make this cut in the glass? I'd be scared to break the tank!

 

[Stile2]

I have finished about half of the holes, 22 I think.

There are several threads out there about people who have cut weirs with Rotozips.

Like this one

and here is another one

I figure it can't be any harder than just drilling a hole. Just use lots of water and go slow.

I still haven't decided, I have put a lot of work into the little holes. So we will see.

It might take a little while for it to happen, I need to pour a cement leveling floor in the back room soon.

Keith

 

[gkarshens]

What kind of bit do you use to drill with?