Here it is at last, my new tank build thread!!!

[stlouisguy]

As many of you know, I am aquiring a tank from griss to install inwall. The tank is 6 ft by 4 ft and 30 inches tall. Sump that comes with it is 4ft by 4 ft build by Geo. I am running kinda blind here as I have never undertaken a project like this and very worried I will screw it up LOL (wife is more worried than me though)

Here is the wall where the tank will be. First order of buisness is clean out storage room which will be dedicated fish room and install additional outlets and move wiring that is already in the room for my cable, surround sound, and light switch.

Here is where the tank will go, with two sides viewable. The wall where the door is now is just over 4ft so the tank will go the length of that wall

This is the wall between the bathroom and storage room where the door on the right is going to be moved to access the room

And finally the room that I need to clean out and find room for all this crap

Going to find a 150-200 gallon rubbermaid this week to get the rock from griss and start cooking it. Going to give it a good powerwash first then cook it for about a month or so while I do the build out

Look for many many updates as this will take months Im sure. Once its in SLASH meeting at the house for the unveiling!!

 

[momac]

i'll tag along. This should be sweet !!

 

[pewter_jean]

This is going to be good,
Just need some popcorn and a couple of beers, and I'm ready to watch.
This is so exciting.

 

[stlouisguy]

Okay after a LOONNGGG day or rearranging, moving stuff and cleaning the room is almost ready. All I have left is a frig which is going to stay and one set of shelves almost empty

Discoverd a few hurdles to overcome. First one is there is no place to tap a pipe for my ro/di and no drains for the waste water. The only thing I can think of is off of my main there is a faucet that maybe can be set up to a ro/di in some way

I also need to figure out a way to vent the room. I have ductwork that is air output, no air intake. I can vent to the garage, but still need a way to get it out of there. I cant go through the outside wall as it is stone (I guess I could cut through that somehow but wife will not be happy, and thats the sup-objective through this process!!)

I also see my wiring is going to need to be completely redone, and this room is cut off from the main HVAC and fuse box by finished basement, so not sure how to runwires. May be able to run along garage wall from one unfinished area to tank room.

More to come as problems come up!!

 

[latazyo]

I, too, will tag along, this will be a long and very interesting build

I see that you have managed to have every conceivable problem

the door on the right is going to be moved to access the room

wife will not be happy

there is no place to tap a pipe

wife will not be happy

no drains for the waste water

I also need to figure out a way to vent the room

wife will not be happy

my wiring is going to need to be completely redone

wife will not be happy

this room is cut off from the main HVAC and fuse box

and last but not least

wife will not be happy

at least you're not going to make it simple, like those of us who simply put a tank on a stand without having to move any doors, tap any plumbing, rewire any basements, cut holes through stone or produce new drains

 

[Nanook]

Uh, Clark, that skimmer in the pic might be a tad bit too small

 

[zt444a]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7935367#post7935367 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Nanook
Uh, Clark, that skimmer in the pic might be a tad bit too small

Naw...

He's good to go Dave. He's going to hook it up to the world's largest Mag pump!

It might be a tad bit easier if it had at least a bigger collection cup though!!!

 

[stlouisguy]

What do you mean my turbofloater isnt going to work??????????? But its a multi!!!!!

 

[ol'saltybastage]

duct tape and bailing wire.. that's all you need. everything else is cosmetic

 

[rams]

Is that a "how to set up a Large Reef Tank for dummies" book?

Can't wait to see some tankage! in there.

 

[stlouisguy]

And so it continues.......

Today I picked up the rock from the current owner. Here is his tank before we broke it down. All we did today was get the rock out of it. Now the problem was he has battled bubble algae ever since he set this tank up and it was covered in it. As we took the rock out we pulled off as much bubble as we could, and we fulled a 5 gallon bucket over halfway with bubbles. This doesnt count the ones that popped or was left of the rock.

This rock though, after I got it out of the tank, is amazing in 1. size 2. shape 3. caves and overhangs. Pics below show the size and shape.

Now my plan was to try and keep the rock alive, yet clean it off so I decided to cook the rock in the dark for 4-6 weeks after I powerwashed it. I think I got the majority of the stuff off and still kept the bacteria alive. Last pic is the tub it is cooking in. Its 100 gallon tub and if there was another piece of rock it wouldnt have fit.

Here is the tank (stole the picture) before we tore it down

Here are some pieces before I powerwashed them on my driveway

Here is a little hitchhiker

Here is the three wheelbarrow loads I took around back

and finally everything in the tub

Next on the hit parade is 1. ventilation of the room 2. Water supply and top off 3. Electric ran 4. Finding a carpenter

'til next time.........

 

[pewter_jean]

Very nice rock. You had a busy day, no wonder your back hurts.
Suggestion. Stock up on the icy-hot, looks like your gonna need it.

 

[stlouisguy]

Time to update progress

Today I moved the door. Now I know it sounds like a small job moving a door but it took me all day but was very rewarding. As I have never done any carpentry work before this was very cool when I got it right. I think I will have to replace some trim on one side that split out on me, but overall very happy. Wall tear down is next

Here are some pics


In Progress

[<img src=http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g297/ccreighton77/Pictures054.jpg>

Done
[<img src=http://i59.photobucket.com/albums/g297/ccreighton77/Pictures055.jpg>

Additionally James from Envision sent me some background on the tank that I thought people would find interesting:

I thought I'd throw out a little background info on the tank for ya:
The previous owner of the tank wanted one that served all of his purposes (eurobraced, large overflow, lotsa flow) and also one that didn't have any discernable deflection and he would never have to worry about, so we came up with this one. I'm glad that the tank will continue to provide the same benefits in it's new home
Tank Specs::
The tank is 72 x 48 x 30", 1.25" material on the clear vertical panels, 1" black on the overflow end. Top & bottom are 1" acrylic. IIRC the overflow is roughly 24 x 8", made from 3/4" black acrylic and shoud be able to hande ~7000gph. All acrylic is Polycast cell cast acrylic.
The tank is eurobraced so no crossbracing and has hand polished corners to reduce the risk of crazing. Since it was to have no crossbracing, we upped the material thickness to reduce deflection and handle the added stress. We used NIJ Level I bullet resistant material for the 1.25" acrylic for it's increased ability to handle stress without failure and further reduce the risk of crazing.
I hope you enjoy the tank as much as we enjoyed building it and I look forward to following your thread as it progresses


More to follow



:rollface:

 

[latazyo]

great, now if you have a dispute with a friend over a football game and a shootout ensues or if someone challenges you to a dual near your tank, it will be safe from any crossfire

 

[stlouisguy]

:lol:

 

[stlouisguy]

Tank move in three days so finished tearing out the wall

Need to deal with the electric soon but this was the main thing so we can get the bad boy in

More pics on Saturday!

 

[craftytony]

can't wait to see how this turns out....good luck!

 

[stlouisguy]

Well yeasterday we moved the tank thanks to the great members of SLASH our reef club. I couldnt have done it without them.

The tank came out of a basement with no walkout and an 8ft ceiling. The tank filled the stairway with no room to spair, and we had to lift it over the stair runner just to get it on the stairs. It was a very difficult move out.

Tank moved off stand

the stairs it had to go up

Wrapping the tank which worked very well, moving pads with stretch wrap holding the pads on

Starting the move

Samll problem of not being able to tilt it

The stairs challenge

Onto the trailer

 

[stlouisguy]

Into the house

And finally done

Now to cleaning and starting the process of setting it up

More to come

 

[Chelsey]

Well gosh Clark, I thought after we left yesterday you'd start working on the stand and cleaning up the tank! What a slacker :lol: