Homebrewdude 29gal build with DIY stand

[homebrewdude]

I haven't had a reef tank for years. Wanted something small for the kids room. I am planning a large tank for the basement.

Picked this up from Craigslist.
Tank, Lid, Light and DIY stand.

 

[homebrewdude]

I did not like the stand dimensions or the construction
So I took it apart and saved the wood.

Squared up all the wood on the table saw

 

[homebrewdude]

Not the best choice in wood or how it is built.
But I wanted to use all the wood from the old stand.
Tank will be flush with stand on sides and front.
3" gap in the back if I add a sump one day.

I was short one 2x4.

Still need to add some supports for bottom shelf and back of tank

 

[homebrewdude]

I bought a sheet of 1/4" sanded plywood and some oak strips.

Going to build 3 separate 5 part panels.
Two side panels willl be glued and screwed to frame.
Front panel needs to be a lift off for access.

 

[GriffinMarsh]

good thing you went with the sanded ply. I made that mistake and spent forever polishing out the grain. I feel like I was getting close to the second layer when the first coat of paint went on. Should have just went out and got sanded ply. Can't wait to see what the finished project looks like.

 

[homebrewdude]

They did not have oak plywood.
I am going to try to stain and see how the grain looks.
If it is bad, then darker stain.
Still bad, then I will paint the center.

I have never made a 5 part panel, this will be my first try.
I plan on cutting a grove in the oak for the plywood to slide into.
Oak will be pocket screwed and glued.

 

[homebrewdude]

Dado blade used to cut the oak panels.

 

[homebrewdude]

I built the panels today.
They are just leaning against the frame.

 

[homebrewdude]

Used plywood from old stand.
Cleaned up as best I could.

Planning on dark coat of stain and some spar varnish

Plenty of room in the back to run wires and hoses if needed

 

[homebrewdude]

The side panels will be glued and screwed to the stand.
I want the front panel to pull off.

I was thinking rare earth magnets, but I think alignment could be tricky and it could skew the front of the panel.

So trying to think of something else.

 

[homebrewdude]

Bought a cheap RO filter from Ebay.
Still own my old DI canister, so bought some new media for it.
My water has Chloramine, so I need to buy the filter cart for that.
Also a 3 way TDS meter.

 

[homebrewdude]

I have the stand done and added some water tonight.
Not sure what pump this, looks like a mag 5 or bigger?

It is loud and vibrates the back of the tank cause it is jammed in there.

What pumps are people running for the return?

 

[homer1475]

A sicce syncra 1.5 works perfect. Fits in the third chamber, is a little more power, and is super quiet.

 

[homebrewdude]

How does that pump compare to MJ1200?

 

[homer1475]

The sicce syncra is super quiet, and the flow is nearly twice that of the MJ. I'm not sure how everyone is using the MJ1200 as a replacement for the stock pump, I find it barely pushes water to the bottom of my stand and back up for a reactor. I dumped that and use the stock return pump for my reactor and upgraded the return to a sicce syncra 1.5

 

[ReefWreak]

I'm probably getting >300gph through my back chambers. But I don't care, because I have a vortech It's partly because I have a spray bar and partly because the pump is filthy and covered in sponges. Whatever, my flow comes from powerheads. That just feeds the skimmer and heater, though now that I think about it, it could negatively impact my 2 part dosing, since you're supposed to dose in high-turnover areas... hmmm...

HB dude, project sounds good so far. Is that an old PFO fixture? Give me a shout if/when you're digging into those LEDs. Lots to do and learn, and I wonder if you can do something cool with that fixture.

 

[homebrewdude]

Fixture came with the tank, it seems to work ok. The lid to the tank is all stripped out by the previous owner. I was planning on simply cutting a hole in the lid to match the light area. Then caulk the light fixture to the top of the lid.

 

[homebrewdude]

I want to try the MJ1200 for return. To see how the flow is. I am planning on a display powerhead for tank flow. So if the MJ1200 provides enough flow for chambers, I might leave it.

 

[homer1475]

It will provide plenty of flow for the rear chambers, just plan on using a power head or 2. I started with the hydor korralia nano's which work just fine. I upgraded to Vortech mp10's for better flow and less clutter in the tank.

 

[homebrewdude]

Finished up the stand

Finished up the stand

Stained and sealed the stand.

Front has magnets to hold in place