Double or Nothing... AJ's 405-Gallon Reef Savvy Upgrade

[Stylo328]

Double or Nothing... AJ's 405-Gallon Reef Savvy Upgrade

A little bummed today. Tuesday came and went and the cabinet guy was a no-show. He called late in the afternoon to reschedule for tomorrow. I hope this isn't an indication that he will be delayed with the work itself...

I am having second thoughts on the white acrylic laminate and so is my wife. She is thinking navy blue and I am thinking light grey. The white would match perfectly with our new kitchen, but with a potential move in the not-to-distant future, she is concerned with how the white might look in a new home with more traditional fixtures and finishes.

This is the kitchen we are matching in this house.

This is the laminate that will be used.

The nice thing about this laminate is that there is no brown or other base color in the corners. It truly is acrylic with a white backing. It can be buffed and polished like any other acrylic, and the edges are color-matched pvc, making the install very clean and finished.

This material is also available in Ferrari red or black, neither of which would match our decor.

I'm open to suggestions on using traditional laminate in other colors, or pressing on with the white acrylic.

Thanks in advance.


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[Stylo328]

Double or Nothing... AJ's 405-Gallon Reef Savvy Upgrade

Today was a good day!

The cabinet guy came over to pick up the canopy as well as the platform. He took all of the requisite measurements and expects to be ready to mount and wrap the stand as early as Saturday. We chose to go with white after all. This is equal parts exciting and unnerving. I really hope it turns out well. (Fingers crossed).

Here is what the platform looked like in front of the tank. It's about a 1/4" taller than the dollies the tank is resting on. I like the overall height!

Hopefully I will be posting pictures of the finished stand and canopy soon.


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[Stylo328]

Good evening.

I currently have 1/2" of white styrofoam under the sump. I don't like the way it looks or the quality of the original install. I am considering replacing it with 1/4" recycled tire matting. Actually, thinking of ordering this one:

Rubber Cal Recycled Floor Mat, Black, 1/4-Inch x 4 x 3-Feet https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001V7JBRO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_De8hyb4QFDY65

Was hoping to get your thoughts as I can only find a few references for its use under a tank or stand online. Primary purpose is for vibration dampening and noise reduction as the stand floor is flat.

Thanks in advance.



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[jonnyu]

I would use neoprene . BRS sells it and come in black.
Very sharp looking tank.


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[Stylo328]

I would use neoprene . BRS sells it and come in black.
Very sharp looking tank.


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Thanks for the advice and the compliment.


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[Stylo328]

Went ahead and ordered a high density closed cell neoprene pad in 1/2" thickness for under the sump. Thanks again.


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[Stylo328]

Quick question. Any thoughts on tightening 2" bulkheads? I've got six to install between the ghost overflows and the sump. The nut is ~ 3.5" and fixed wrenches in that size range are a few hundred dollars on amazon. Not a purchase I would like to make.

Thanks in advance.


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[dadummy]

nice tank man, enjoy the build, going to be awesome,

why not use a big pair of channel locks on the bulkheads, put a rag on the nut so you don't mar them up

 

[Stylo328]

Double or Nothing... AJ's 405-Gallon Reef Savvy Upgrade

nice tank man, enjoy the build, going to be awesome,

why not use a big pair of channel locks on the bulkheads, put a rag on the nut so you don't mar them up

Thanks for the kind words; we are having a lot of fun with the build.

Thanks for the advice on the channel locks as well.


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[dgasmd]

Looking good. I would favor the brown laminate sort of like the floors.

 

[Stylo328]

Looking good. I would favor the brown laminate sort of like the floors.

Thanks bud. The white is going to look pretty [emoji6]

Cabinet guy called today, said base will be delivered Friday morning. Should be getting the stand mounted on Saturday. Fingers crossed. This thing is HEAVY!


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[Stylo328]

Double or Nothing... AJ's 405-Gallon Reef Savvy Upgrade

Found the perfect bulkhead solution.

Thanks for the advice.


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[Stylo328]

With some help from some friends we got the tank mounted on the platform yesterday. It was harder than I thought. One guy almost got his fingers crushed and another guy really hurt his toe. This reeftank thing is dangerous.

Tools for the job.

Some additional slider added. Probably a few too many, but whatever...

A couple of action shots. This was at the end making some adjustments and my gluing the two together.

The 6" spax screws I used to reinforce the adhesive.

And the finished product.

The Hayward ball and true union ball valves arrived this week. Looking forward to starting the plumbing as soon as the laminate is done.

Thanks for checking in.


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[rovster]

Is that foos table a Tornado?

 

[Stylo328]

Is that foos table a Tornado?

It's unbranded. I went online to see what the tornado looks like, and this isn't one.


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[rovster]

Lol Tornado FTW! Build looks great:thumbsup:

 

[Stylo328]

Lol Tornado FTW! Build looks great:thumbsup:

Thanks bud. Really looking forward to getting water in there!

My 12-year-old son beats me at Foosball every time we play. Lol


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[Stylo328]

Double or Nothing... AJ's 405-Gallon Reef Savvy Upgrade

Today was dedicated to prepping the inside of the stand for two coats of Kilz 2 followed by a topcoat of (yet to be determined).

First step was suspending the sump as it cannot be removed from the stand. Used a pair of ratchet straps and up it went.

Back needed some attention as there was still some industrial Velcro, some zip tie tabs and a bunch of salt creep to remove. As you will see from the pic, the PO had a leak at one of the bulkheads on the ghost overflow. I noted when tearing down the tank that it was loose.

I used two orbital sanders and sandpaper ranging from 80 to 120 grit. Should be ready for the first coat of Kilz 2 tomorrow.

Thanks for checking in.


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[McGee10]

My son loves the camp straps. LOL It is amazing how much more difficult tickets when you get into the bigger tanks and how much more you have to think ahead. Looking awesome

 

[Stylo328]

Thanks. We camp a lot so the camo kinda fits with the trips [emoji6]

And I'd have to agree, everything takes so much more thought! I hadn't anticipated this being so complex.


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