faded1004 250g build, first timer...

faded1004

faded1004

New member
hi, my name is jason and i am relatively new to this site... for the first time i will be starting the biggest tank for my dreams, yes... only 250g, but it is my dream tank! got lots of room for larger fish and also room to grow some nice coral... i am not the richest guy but i will try my best to make a nice tank... of course i will add lost of pics! that is the best part!

so... here we go!

this last month, i have been going crazy over what to buy and what to do. but, it has all started this week! so fun!

i got a 250g glass tank, used... and will start with that. i first came up with a simple tank stand design, and started to run with that. today and yesterday i cut, sanded, drilled, tested and also broke my back in trying to get the build going...

getting the 4x4x8, 2x4x8, and the 2x2x8 pieces home with my little trusty prius! yes, they all fit in there!!!



i then cut all the pieces i wanted and also sanded down all the sides and put on slight bevels on the edges... so that they would be easy to handle and treat later on... no i am not a carpenter, and all the tools were bought this week. and yes that tool list was long!



after 2 days of cutting and 1 day of sanding... i put all the pieces in thier general spots so that i can make sure i got all the pieces i needed... as you can see, i also put in kinda where my sump and fuge will go. my return pump will go in the middle...




double checking my fitment, i put together my lower structure using clamps. everythign looks great! so next is the put in my angled holes to join everythign together. my method will be to glue and put in a set of screws, then it will be reinforced with structural plates on the outside of the frames... only non load bearing beams will be drilled so to minimize the damage to them...
yes these were all done my hand!!! my two hands! the pieces all look nice because i sanded down all the sides... so nice and smooth!



so tonight, i need to get an extended phillips head for my drill so i can start putting all the pieces together which shouldn't be too hard... or noisy? so i shoudl be able to put the top and bottom levels together easily tonight...

some specs for my setup:

250g 8' x 25.5" x 25" glass tank
60g acrylic sump (will be making dividers and stuff, shoudl be interesting post also!)
60g tall acrylic fuge
dart return
1.5" dual retun, 1 to sump, 1 to fuge
1.5" return to display with dual 1" penductors
plumbing will be another adventure?
 
okay, it is 1am!!! and i just finished screwing my stand together... kinda...

so i started with the base... just simple procedure... glue, clamp, screw, release... here is a close up of my hidden screw tactic. you can see the crazy clamp action in the pic... i am hoping after i cover it up, the salt water will have a hard time finding it... hehehe... i then take the first piece then tilt it over to finish up the lower box...



so after that, i start on the top structure of my stand... by far so much easier then the bottom one! still some great clamp action... also a good time to check up on my sump and fuge space... looks good!



so now it is off to get the main load supports mounted to base first... then i flip that sucker on to the top structure and screw them together... this part was hard, because some of the support beams were slightly unequal, so i had to just try to tighten them as much as possible... but still i got them together and this is where i stop for the night, i bet all my neighbors are unhappy... i dont' think i can show my facce tomorrow... anyhow, i will be sleeping in, my back is mad sore now...



so tomorrow morning, i will start on the sheet metal reinforcments and also put in the diagonal beams... i also have to check the level of the top, which there is a very likely chance it will be off slightly... then it is off to the store again for the sheet plywood... still not sure as to how i will go... face will be done professionally, i just have to make sure the front is flat, top i was thinking abotu just puttting on a ply wood board, not sure what the normal thickness shoudl be...

finaly stand height is 42" from ground to tank bottom! my optimal viewing height! hahahaha... this tank will be amazing! i am so excited!
 
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If you open a photobucket account (free) and then post the pics from there to RC, they will be larger and easier to see without having to open each pic. That makes it easier for folks to follow.
Otherwise, looks great so far!!!
 
yeah i have 40" tall stand on my 220 and love it. I to am doing a 42" on my new 450. I love tall stands! no bending down!
 
omg, i never understood the reason for foam? can anyone tell me? i was just going to plywood it... which would take me to about 42.25" to the tank bottom! i was alittle too scared to go higher... hahahhaha.... i think in an earthquake, i can go hide inside this stand! my body is so sore today, i don't know how much i can get done today, but be rest assured, i will be taking alot of pics as i go along, this is my waay of recording and reliving my fun moments!

tank height specs so far, 1/8" foam bottom scratch gaurds, 42.25" stand, 25.5" tank... which means anout 67.8" height to the top of the tank... the tank is in storage right now, no room for it here, as soon as i get the stand out to get faced, i will bring the stand here for final cleaning and stuff...

still thinking about lighting... but i think it will be hung on the ceiling... not too far from the ceiling... so it shoudl be easy... hehehe....

i will try to make a photo bucket account tonight... thanks for the info...
 
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The main reason for foam is to prevent an uneven stand surface from stressing the bottom of the tank.
 
that is what i was thinking... i might just put foam along the edges of my tank stand...

right now i just treated the stand to a pesticide/preservative... and now the stand is all green! looks so weird... directions say it will fade after a few months... after that dries, on goes the water sealant... i just got the plain deck sealant in a white color... it was the longest protection spec i could find. 8 years... it was the olympic maximum protection sealant...

 
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<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10064039#post10064039 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by faded1004
that is what i was thinking... i might just put foam along the edges of my tank stand...

8 years... it was the olympic maximum protection sealant...
Click to expand...

looking good so far...i think that sealent rating is for UV, and likely not relevent to your stand, as it will be skinned anyway...but that is just my .o2, i used minwax polyurethane for mine.


as for the foam, i would use a whole sheet on the entire bottom in direct contact with the tank...Especially if the bottom of the tank is trimless, whihc i would think a tank this big would be...otherwise and boards not correctly crownd when put into the stand will make the plywood flex slightly...glass is not so forgiving though..
 
okay so the verdict, i will be returning my 8 year sealant for some non outdoor sealant... i dont know the name but i saw it today when i went to lowes... but forgot to buy it... hahahahah... ops...

so, today... i went to buy the sheet wood for the top and bottom levels. regular 3/8" sheet of ply, and i took it home once again in my trusty prius! cut at the store, the biggest piece is 8' x 26.5" !! after getting home, i sanded it and filled in all the big holes and cracks. but after i finished, i realized that i didn't need to because it is going under the tank and also under the foam... damn, few hours lost... ohh well... time to move on!



i also put on the metal brackets on the frame and also put in a few more braces. after doing that, i coated the rest of the wood with the preservative...



sorry about the picture quality, i have been using my camera phone, and at night, it gets hard to take clear pics. anwyays, i am going ot leave the wood over night, and tomorrow i will be mounting all the sheets and also starting the water sealers...

the top will not be foam cushioned, mainly because the tank will be glass. but the bottom tanks will be foamed only where the tanks will sit, with 1" foam because my sump and fuge will be acrylic. i will cut the foam and set it up and take pics of it tomorrow... the foam was on sale tonight for about 6 bucks, 4' x 8' sheet, what a deal...

i spent like 2 days seeing green, i know alot of people dont' treat their wood, but i hope to keep this tank for many years, and i hope that it won't let me down... hahahaha...

i am also getting worried about the plumbing, not sure how i will attack it, i have a doodle pad next to my bed, and before i sleep, i plan out the routes i want to run... things i am considering:

pump to display tank (center)- 1.5" up, 1 tee for UV + chiller + phosban reactor + drain plug? + future accesories?
return to sump (left overflow) - 1.5" straight into sump through 200micron sock
return to fuge (right overflow) - 1.5" straight into fuge
fuge to sump - 1.5" fuge over flow into pump return area
 
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okay, so again, today i woke up early and worked on the fish tank all day long! so i started by notching the lower board, to get a tight "fit like a glove" setup... after cutting, i also treated the remaining sides with the preservative green stuff... and let it out to dry... i ended up buying 2 furnature dolly's so that i can move it on my own... and belive me, making this all myself is very hard!



so while that was drying, i got out the foam i bought and made foot prints with them, so i can cushion the acrylic tanks going inside... my sump and fuge...



after the green stuff dried, i started with the water sealer! and oh my goodness! this stuff took like 5 coats!!! i got it to be a nice white... looks very nice, a person came by today, so i got a quote to get the frame faced... going to go with a nice modern look... doors will be inset into the frame but will be hung outside to give it a deep door look... it will be a nice dual double door setup... i put in the foam foot prints to see the tank placement alittle better...

 
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so by the time i got finished with the painting, it was gettign late once again! where does the time go? you can see the tanks are in place... so this is the general setup... it has taken so long to get to this point. and after getting here, i know i can make it to the end of the project... and yes, for a bit, i didn't think i would be able to finish this project...



so now, tonight, i have to just mount the top level securely and also put in the brakets for my power strip and stuff... i also started to cut the baffles for the sump... there are so many configurations my mind is just going in circles... hahahaha... i will try to post sump photos tomorrow about how i want to design it...

so far i got a max water capacity of about 380 gallons... which is great! i hit my goal... because i thought i would have to take out one of the tanks ... i wanted a tight fit, and with this being my first time building, i wasn't sure if it woudl make it... BUT IT DID... so happy... everythign is working out great! so now the wood working is basically done... it is now on to the acrylic and plumbing... wow... and a new adventure begins!
 
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okay, i have been so busy! wow... work, school, moving (yes still, just got in my dryer), so much with the tank alone!

okay... so.. i got the tank into the house! that wasn't too bad... after getting that into the house, it was time to bring the tank to the house and also clean it out...



man what would i do with out super human strength? hahahaha...



so now time to move the tank into the house and on top of the stand! man i am going to love this tank!



some extras i need that came in... hehehe... such nice goodies! so many sweeps...



after getting the tank into the house, i figured i would fill it partially so i can get some rocks and some sand in there to start the system... that worked out nicely...

 
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here is a picture of one of my small light fixtures i am going to use... i want to simulate dawn and dusk effects by having small pc's come on from right to left...

these will be the second to come on... 24" t5 actinic will be first? well... these are 13w dual pc with ballast and reflector! i ordered 12k bulbs for them... sooo compact and nice... here is a pic of me putting them together...



then it is on to starting the plumbing... here is a pic of my return pump and the unions i got for it... straight on to the pump... very nice also!



so now, after alittle work on the pvc, i need to wait for them to dry... time to attack the sump! i started by cemeting the holes that were made, i am using a 60g regular acrylic tank... then i drilled the 3" hole to attach the pump to... and again, i utilized a sweep!!! damn, sweeps are gettign expensive! you can also see how i will attach the pump. inside, i put in another sweep, this is to restrict the flow going into the pump from making a vortex when the water level gets low... which will bring my minimum water working level down considerably...



time to start my DIY mods to my super duper fancy shmancy sump... my idea was to put in a filter sock holder that would be above water, and woudl be cheap for my to make... i dont want to buy more... spent all my money on sweeps! hahahaha, so here is what i built... i got several sheets of plastic form a guy sellign it for 40 bucks... there was a post a while back, i don't think many people jumped on it... but it worked fine!



i am going to put it on top of the tank, and then cement it in place... the top will be removable, which would give me easy access to the sock...

 
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as you can see, i am pro at acrylic, but i am sure it will get the job done... i am happy with my first DIY sump mod'ing... all the parts i cemented were also backed up by silicone sealer... i need to make sure this sucker doesn't leak!



i shoudl be able to finish up the sump tomorrow morning! which i am so happy for... then i can move on to the fuge! which shoudl be really easy... then, fill up the tank to the nominal level... and start the system! i will try to get more pics tomorrow... i am sure i will get a load more done tomorrow...

bubble trap baffles, filter sock lid with bulkhead, clean it out... then start on more pvc for the returns...
 
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hahaha, thanks! i am just so busy, i will post up as many pics as possible! hahhaha...

so my next step was to make ballfes and also the bulkhead openings on the top, fuge return and tank return...

so, using a regular bi-metal hole saw, going really slowly... i started... i made a practice cut to be sure of what i was doing... and here are some tips...

pilot hole is very necessary... must use lots of lube and cool down the plastic and bit... pushing hard will make the saw catch and stop... this will be either bad or worse, because since the bit gets so hot it will be stuck in the hole or it may break the part of the bit that goes into your drill (yes, i broke one on my first try)...

so here is what i did... if you don't have a place for a pilot hole, glue a piece of plactic there so you can make a pilot hole.



then you can easily start making holes where ever your heart desires... returns, on top of my home made filter sock tower, top of my fuge for the tank connections, etc...



after you make the holes, you can easily put in the bulkheads... and say... finally! hahahah...



after that, in my fuge, i wanted to make a small overflow box. this will be the part to connect back to my sump... so, basically, i cut out a box and also started to make some teeth on the top sides. this will be a 3 sided box to get max flow through a small design...



then it is off to put in the baffles! okay, i went with a simple design, 1 bubble trap and 1 divider... the bubble trap will be in the middle, and the divider will seperate the fuge connection and the return pump...



and since my tank was old, the front was bowing alittle... that is why i chose not to chop the top braces off... so here i put in a wood block to flatten the faces so i can glue in the baffles...



and here it is when it is done... hahaha... my filter sock tower looks weird!



sorry guys about the small pics, i must have set it to text message pics when i took all the pics... i will take better ones from now on... sorry again...
 
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okay, here is a pic the the sump in the works! hahaha... you can see how i made my bubble trap... notice how the middle baffle is drafted a few degrees so that the water slides down the baffle, and now fall down like a water fall... it is working perfectly as it did in my imagination! my filter sock tower looks so crazy!!! hahahha... i put it above water line because i sometimes use low micron ratings and need to gravity to pull out the water as fast as possible... btw, dont' mind the big bag, it has biomedia so that if i have an amonia spike, i won't loose everything...



so fianlly the tank has been running for a bit, and time to organize the wiring! wow, so many thin and thick wires... i went with the AC Jr, and mounted all strips on the inside top of my stand... this will give me easy mounting to put in drip loops and stuff...



after the sump was in works, i put in the sand and the rocks... hahaha, i had to put them all on one side so that i had room to spread out the sand and also gave me room to aquascape... so much actinic power! i hate how the tank gets so cloudy when i move things around. i have to take so many breaks because i can't see anything... hahahaha...



this is how i plan on placing my fuge... such a nice tight fit!



filling up the fuge so test connections... i used a mag 3 to test the flow, that is what that black tubing in the front is for. just temporary. before i let the plumbing from the tank open and let in the rush of water...



so after a bit of circulation, my lights came on and this is the current state! wow, what a long way i have come!



next few steps:

150w hps for fuge tank, move cheato into fuge... hahaha, right now it is in the display tank...

setup icecap 660 ballast and get more lighting for display?

figure out canopy situation or non canopy solution?

move display rocks in to more stable positions... already had 1 rock slide!

final setup thoughts:

fuge - 150w hps with cheato and red glaciera over rubble bottom
sump - nothign special, bio media, heater and stuff
display - 2 x 250w mh 14k, 4 x 4' vho 12k?, 2 x dual 9w pc 12k, moon lights
 
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okay, i have been working on my lighting problem and here is my current solution:

FRONT OF TANK
0----------2---------4--------6--------8 (feet)
................URI super actinic VHO
85w t5 URI aquasun * 85w t5 URI aquasun
................250w MH * 250w MH
85w t5 URI aquasun * 85w t5 URI aquasun
...................URI aquasun VHO
BACK OF TANK

so my main light source for the whole tank will be:
2 x 250w MH 10k
4 x 46" 85w t5 overdriven with icecap
2 x 48" 110w VHO

estimated 1060w concentrated along the 4 feet of the center, will setup for maximum growth for first year with actinic in front for viewing pleasure.
 
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