Initial planning stages for tank and fish room
- Thread starter Bilk
- Start date
Bilk
New member
Yeah is 1/4" aluminum stock. I mean that's what I ordered LOL It's not heavy enough to be SS. Just raw aluminum stock.
Bilk
New member
Whoohoo! Plumbing fittings arrived yesterday. Did an item count and took the obligatory pic. Willie thinks he just got a whole new box of toys :lmao:
Guess I'll start the plumbing this week. I think I need a valve or two more and some miscellaneous fittings, but I have enough here to get started.
Just realizing I need to set the date on the camera :facepalm:
Guess I'll start the plumbing this week. I think I need a valve or two more and some miscellaneous fittings, but I have enough here to get started.
Just realizing I need to set the date on the camera :facepalm:
Bilk
New member
Some plumbing started and new deliveries 
Started working on the Bean Animal components. These are just loose fitted.
I'm plumbing everything in 1". I plan on placing the sump on a movable platform below the tank, so the overflow drops will terminate with a hose fitting and then plumb them to fittings on the sump with flexible spa hose. I want to have the ability to pull the sump out from under the tank while it's still operating. It should make maintenance much easier than having to reach under the stand for this.
The sump is yet to be determined. Found I may not want to use the 65 breeder I have and may just make a sump with everything I want it to have.
I picked up a Jebao 12000 DC adjustable flow pump off of the classified board here. It may be too much pump for my tank, but I'll give it a try.
These are from US Plastics. They come with the bulkhead already fitted and are 30G and graduated at 2.5G increments. They also come with a spigot which accepts a hose. I may plumb the water change system with hose rather than rigid pipe, but the bulkhead is threaded, so that option is still open.
I am making a stand for the tanks from industrial shelving supports. This will then get bolted to the wall for lateral support.
T5 Hamiltons should be here in a day or so and the process continues
Started working on the Bean Animal components. These are just loose fitted.
I'm plumbing everything in 1". I plan on placing the sump on a movable platform below the tank, so the overflow drops will terminate with a hose fitting and then plumb them to fittings on the sump with flexible spa hose. I want to have the ability to pull the sump out from under the tank while it's still operating. It should make maintenance much easier than having to reach under the stand for this.
The sump is yet to be determined. Found I may not want to use the 65 breeder I have and may just make a sump with everything I want it to have.
I picked up a Jebao 12000 DC adjustable flow pump off of the classified board here. It may be too much pump for my tank, but I'll give it a try.
These are from US Plastics. They come with the bulkhead already fitted and are 30G and graduated at 2.5G increments. They also come with a spigot which accepts a hose. I may plumb the water change system with hose rather than rigid pipe, but the bulkhead is threaded, so that option is still open.
I am making a stand for the tanks from industrial shelving supports. This will then get bolted to the wall for lateral support.
T5 Hamiltons should be here in a day or so and the process continues
sfsuphysics
Active member
Can't wait to see those lights in action. Always have been curious about those "multichip" light arrays (Ecoxotic cannons, Kessils, etc) seemed like a nice way to get a good POP on a particular rock structure where you might have some higher light sensitivity creatures.
Bilk
New member
After putting a sketch together of what I would want in a sump, calculating the costs of the materials and the time to build it, I've decided to go with an Elite Aquatics off the shelf model - the Elite M2. It doesn't have quite the volume I want, but it does have everything else and there's no long lead time for it.
I have been considering utilizing a RSB and that would give me the volume I want for the system. Reading about EA sumps here, I expect the fit and finish to be excellent. The little features incorporated in this model make it almost a custom sump, as I'm not sure there's anything else I would have included. I'm sure I can make any additional modifications as needed, to accommodate additional equipment.
I have been considering utilizing a RSB and that would give me the volume I want for the system. Reading about EA sumps here, I expect the fit and finish to be excellent. The little features incorporated in this model make it almost a custom sump, as I'm not sure there's anything else I would have included. I'm sure I can make any additional modifications as needed, to accommodate additional equipment.
Bilk
New member
Another delivery and little more work accomplished.
The Hamilton T5s arrived earlier. Now I have to figure out a way to fasten them to the EZ Tube support structure. I thought the body of the Hamilton would open on the back. It is actually a square extrusion. The only access to the inside is from either end. I couldn't find any cut sheets on the fixture before ordering, but I have some ideas. At least the anodizing matches
I cut and assembled the supports for the mixing station. This will get fastened to the walls in the corner of the fish room.
I have to put together a plumbing scheme for this. I've been going thru the RC thread on mixing stations and there are some really great ideas to draw from there.
The Hamilton T5s arrived earlier. Now I have to figure out a way to fasten them to the EZ Tube support structure. I thought the body of the Hamilton would open on the back. It is actually a square extrusion. The only access to the inside is from either end. I couldn't find any cut sheets on the fixture before ordering, but I have some ideas. At least the anodizing matches
I cut and assembled the supports for the mixing station. This will get fastened to the walls in the corner of the fish room.
I have to put together a plumbing scheme for this. I've been going thru the RC thread on mixing stations and there are some really great ideas to draw from there.
Bilk
New member
Finished the light setup today. If I find I need more par, I will probably remove the two moon light strips on the bottom of the Hamilton T5 fixtures - they're LED strips taped to the housing - and replace them with Build Your LED strips - probably 14K setups.
Some quick dirty pics. (Man not sure about iOS 7) It's giving me a headache LOL
This is the clip I made for affixing the Hamiltons to the support.
This is what I did for the Cannons.
And the finished product.
More to be done ............................................ another day. Time for a beer :beer:
Some quick dirty pics. (Man not sure about iOS 7) It's giving me a headache LOL
This is the clip I made for affixing the Hamiltons to the support.
This is what I did for the Cannons.
And the finished product.
More to be done ............................................ another day. Time for a beer :beer:
Bilk
New member
I've been contemplating how I was going to mount the fixture assembly over the tank and have adjustability for raising and lowering the fixture as required. Did a little hunting around on Amazon and found the Rad Bicycle Hoist. It comes in a 2 pack for 27 bucks. Rather than purchasing pulleys and cable and figuring it all out, this will do just fine. It holds 100lbs. which is more than enough. I'll mount the two brackets to a 2x4 and then bolt that up thru the ceiling and thru into the floor joists above.
It's great when someone else has already solved the problem
It's great when someone else has already solved the problem
Bilk
New member
But of course. There are two devices that will prevent that occurrence. A cleat and another pulley mounted on the adjacent wall. The cord will be tied to the cleat and the limits will not allow the fixture to lower further than I design it to. The second is another pulley mounted above the cleat with a stop between the cleat and pulley. Obviously the whole thing get's installed, set and adjusted before there's water in the tank, but I'm open to alternatives if you have any
Bilk
New member
I was able to get a little more work done. I built a movable platform for the sump and filter components. It's made from 3/4" underlayment and has appliance casters to make it mobile so it can slide out from under the tank. The casters are rated for 250lbs. It's painted with some leftover paint I used on the 4 story steel and wrought iron terrace structure on the back of my townhouse. It's from Sherwin Williams, called Steel-Master 9500 - a silicone alkyd coating. It is designed to hold up under tough environmental conditions, including a marine environment so it should hold up well to spills.
A few pics of the end result.
Next up was to get the light support structure and lights over the tank. The Bicycle hanger didn't work out well. It raised and lowered the assembly just fine. However it wouldn't level off. Two attachment points were not going to work. But all was not lost. I used the components - pulleys and brackets from the bicycle kit - and fabricated the system below. It's not my design. I found the design on the CanReef web site. Someone there made a really nice design which is also motorized. It uses a linear actuator to raise and lower the lights above the tank. I may do the same and have provided for that.
I also remembered I had one more Johnson Hardware pocket door track assembly in storage. I used them when building this place. They are heavy duty. All the doors here are solid mahogany and very heavy. The rail has two stops - one for high limit and one for low limit. This was perfect for the required sliding assembly that the cabling is attached to. The cabling is 3/32" SS aircraft cable. The range of movement is 18" and the low limit is 2" above the tank. It's also fully adjustable for leveling in both directions. The suspended assembly with the lights weighs 46lbs. I'm really happy with the results.
These are the components that make everything work.
Caster assembly where the cables are attached and the low limit stop. (there's a stop for high limit so the whole thing doesn't crash up against the ceiling)
The sump from Elite Aquatics is scheduled to be delivered Monday! Next up is plumbing the system and then wiring the controls into the panel that will be located next to the tank. Getting closer bit by bit.
.......................................................................................................
A few pics of the end result.
Next up was to get the light support structure and lights over the tank. The Bicycle hanger didn't work out well. It raised and lowered the assembly just fine. However it wouldn't level off. Two attachment points were not going to work. But all was not lost. I used the components - pulleys and brackets from the bicycle kit - and fabricated the system below. It's not my design. I found the design on the CanReef web site. Someone there made a really nice design which is also motorized. It uses a linear actuator to raise and lower the lights above the tank. I may do the same and have provided for that.
I also remembered I had one more Johnson Hardware pocket door track assembly in storage. I used them when building this place. They are heavy duty. All the doors here are solid mahogany and very heavy. The rail has two stops - one for high limit and one for low limit. This was perfect for the required sliding assembly that the cabling is attached to. The cabling is 3/32" SS aircraft cable. The range of movement is 18" and the low limit is 2" above the tank. It's also fully adjustable for leveling in both directions. The suspended assembly with the lights weighs 46lbs. I'm really happy with the results.
These are the components that make everything work.
Caster assembly where the cables are attached and the low limit stop. (there's a stop for high limit so the whole thing doesn't crash up against the ceiling)
The sump from Elite Aquatics is scheduled to be delivered Monday! Next up is plumbing the system and then wiring the controls into the panel that will be located next to the tank. Getting closer bit by bit.
.......................................................................................................
Bilk
New member
Since the skimmer and remaining plumbing parts are expected tomorrow, I thought I'd finalize the plumbing scheme. I initially planned on using a Genesis system for ATO and water changes. I'm holding off on that for now and will utilize my existing ATO which works off on an Apex. I have a 5g reservoir I've been using so I'll plumb it to the 30g RODI holding tank and keep the 5g reservoir topped off with that. Not sure what the evaporation rate will be on the new system, so until then, this should suffice.
I will also be making another chamber separate from the sump to house an ATS and either a deep sand bed or more live rock. I'm inclined to try the DSB and having it remote and detachable from the main system is appealing. I can service the ATS and or change out the sand/rock without shutting down the system. Water changes will be semi-automated in some way. Probably a pump in the sump for removing water and a pump attached to the 30g saltwater reservoir for replacing the water removed. All done with remote switches while I monitor the change.
Here's a schematic of the sump and components.
The yet to be complete mixing station.
You'll notice sheets of blue plexi taped to the tank. I didn't have the builder install them on the inside of the tank. I want the option to both see into the tank from all sides and have the ability to change the background color by simply removing the panels. Working on a better system than blue tape I'm going to try the blue, but I may also paint the opposite side of the blue panels with black if I find I don't like the blue.
The sump platform under the stand.
It's a tight little package. Wish I had more space, but having this fish room feels like a luxury already :spin1:
I will also be making another chamber separate from the sump to house an ATS and either a deep sand bed or more live rock. I'm inclined to try the DSB and having it remote and detachable from the main system is appealing. I can service the ATS and or change out the sand/rock without shutting down the system. Water changes will be semi-automated in some way. Probably a pump in the sump for removing water and a pump attached to the 30g saltwater reservoir for replacing the water removed. All done with remote switches while I monitor the change.
Here's a schematic of the sump and components.
The yet to be complete mixing station.
You'll notice sheets of blue plexi taped to the tank. I didn't have the builder install them on the inside of the tank. I want the option to both see into the tank from all sides and have the ability to change the background color by simply removing the panels. Working on a better system than blue tape
I'm going to try the blue, but I may also paint the opposite side of the blue panels with black if I find I don't like the blue.The sump platform under the stand.
It's a tight little package. Wish I had more space, but having this fish room feels like a luxury already :spin1:
jarrett shark
New member
Great build
Bilk
New member
Thanks Jarrett and worm. Having fun in the process of building the system.
I was originally going to go with a much larger sump, but then thought about the idea of having a volume of water which is remote and detachable. I think this will help with water changes as I can keep the system running full bore while the second chamber is off-line. I have estimated it will hold approximately 12g. I can pump that water out to the waste line then refill and then bring it back online with the system. I'm just trying to determine how I want to plumb it. I may use bulkheads with vales or if I build it taller than the sump, I can let it gravity feed back to the main sump by taking the runoff from the upper portion of the chamber.
I'll do a few sketches and post them for feedback.
I was originally going to go with a much larger sump, but then thought about the idea of having a volume of water which is remote and detachable. I think this will help with water changes as I can keep the system running full bore while the second chamber is off-line. I have estimated it will hold approximately 12g. I can pump that water out to the waste line then refill and then bring it back online with the system. I'm just trying to determine how I want to plumb it. I may use bulkheads with vales or if I build it taller than the sump, I can let it gravity feed back to the main sump by taking the runoff from the upper portion of the chamber.
I'll do a few sketches and post them for feedback.
That is one of the purposes. To have an area that it will collect and a mechanism inside each that will reduce/process it.
A 30 gallon DSB inside a brute container with a flow of water over the top is supposed to process this material in the same manner that a beach/sand bed would.
I am still reading also.
A 30 gallon DSB inside a brute container with a flow of water over the top is supposed to process this material in the same manner that a beach/sand bed would.
I am still reading also.
