Laud's 210 build

[laud]

First I'd like to thank all the build threads that have helped me get to this place. Marino420td's thread...custom stand. Also, RocketEngineer's stand calculator thread... stand calculator . I'd also like to thank Rob at Exotic Aquatic for his free flowing knowledge and never ending help. My tank would probably be empty without him.

I originally had a 55 gallon tank that had traveled from Pittsburgh toPembroke Pines to our current home. One night we heard a bomb go off at 3am. 100lbs of live rock and a bunch of fish met their death from the bottom blowing out. My wife said, "no more fish".but one day I came across a scratched used acrylic 55 gallon tank for almost nothing. It was a show tank (meaning the edges were rounded and EXTREMELY hard to clean) that become bowed, scratched and very hard on the eyes after awhile. It had a 2x4 stand that we put a couple doors on that looked terrible in my opinion.

Now, years later, I was given permission to start fresh. I learned so many things that I would not accept for my new tank.

Here was my initial list...

1) I did not want to get water from the LFS every week.

2) No acrylic for me.

3) No more wire rat's nests, with plugs into plugs into plugs.

4) I wanted to make a solid, simple, minimal maintenance setup.

5) Bigger too!


Unfortunately, I was given a limited budget and knew I would have to take it slow and do a lot of DIY projects.

Even now I need help figuring out how to solve problems that I've messed up on during design. So, any criticism, advice, inspiration and most definitely, humor is needed.

So, here is where I am... 04/23/09

And here is basically where I began... 08/20/07

 

[laud]

My first order of business was building a stand for a 210 AGA reef ready tank. I looked at some commercial stands at the LFS' and realized just how flimsy they make these things. They used pressed wood, 1x3s,4s and they charged a LOT of money for them.

So, I used the aforementioned threads to design, build and finish this stand to match a majority of our furniture, which all started with the pool table. I guess we built our furnishings around it.

First my wife made me paint the wall a color I hate.

Now the framing..

and the skin

the columns and trim work

 

[Elan L.]

Are you starting over, or just doing a continuation of the pic on 4/23/09? Looks like a good build

 

[laud]

A progression from 8/20/07 to 4/23/09

I don't know if I have the energy to EVER start over. LOL I most definitely would do things different if I could do it all over again.

 

[cnunez3024]

wow that looks really nice man... congrats great job seems to me you have alot of patience lol.. i would just pay someone to make it for me lol... but man good job looks amaizing

 

[cnunez3024]

lol ps i have the same handles on my stand lol.. i had to change mine those are much nicer

 

[laud]

Thanks cnunez, I am a stay home dad, so I had nothing but time scattered in on my duties, or should I say "doodies"?

Our back patio has 198 16x16 patio pavers. I laid those 2 a day with the babies jumping on my back. There is a very fine line between patience and murder. LOL

 

[laud]

My lack of patience cost me when it came to the staining part of the cabinet. I remember Marino420td saying, the next step is sanding sanding and more sanding.

Well, I didn't heed that warning enough. My rush in sanding cost me in many ways, as you'll see in the shiney dots and streaks.

 

[carlosngloria]

nice work. where did u get the doors at? ive been looking for some ready for stain doors. HD sells them pre stained.

 

[laud]

The doors are just 1/4" luan (or more accurately, the higher grade door skin next to the luan in home depot.)

Then I took 1x3's and glued and screwed them onto the edges of the door skin. I also left a hangover on one door while making the second door with a hangunder to block in refugium lighting. A basic overlap when closed. To make it end up centered, I just added 1/2" to one door and subtracted 1/2" on the other while making the 1x3 trim exactly the same size boxes.

Does that make any sense?

 

[nivram]

I think everything looks great. What kinda livestock you got in there? Any corals?

 

[laud]

Thanks Marvin.

Livestock...

2 Potter's angels
1 Yellow Coris wrasse
1 Solorwrasse
1 Diamond goby
1 Shrimp goby (shrimp died)
1 Bang Gai Cardinal
1 Dispar Anthias
2 Clown's of some sort (black and white with yellow noses and fins)
3 emerald crabs (1 male)
a couple blue legged hermit crabs.
a couple big snails
a couple bumble bee snails

Corals...

SPS
red cap (my first coral, free from Rogger)
Idaho grape
blue tort
purple fuzzy
tri color acro
purple bonzai
blue slimer
blue tipped stag
green slimer
ora borealis
blue voodoo
carolina somethingorother
4 encrusting montis
birdsnest green/pink
green/german blue/orange digitata
red planet
green/blue/pink milli
green fuzzy
A. Lorpies
pearlberry
grn spongodes
yellow tort
a blue deep water acro
a couple unknowns

several zoos/polyps IDK the names.

LPS
a couple favias
green whisker
red/lime green blasto
pink frogspawn


That is the first time I ever wrote those down. Most are really tiny, none are big.

 

[laud]

I decided to use my old 55g as a sump/refugium. I glued and reglued plexiglass into the tank to make room for the skimmer, refugium, bubble baffles and return area.

I also thought I'd conserve energy, outlets and supplies by running the return line, the skimmer pump and other pump necessities to one single pump. I got the Reeflo Barracuda pump to do it all.

One of the problems I encountered was that the water return sucked way too much water through the skinny 55g sump. I have been fighting micro bubbles from day one.

That is something I would do differently by making the stand bigger than the tanks base. I would also make it taller to be able to work without head contusions each time. LOL

 

[laud]

On the left side door there is a switch panel for all the electric. My friend and I ran 2 20amp circuits with a GFI at the panel, to the stand. The outside consists of 2 main switches, 4 digital timers for the lighting and 6 switches for everything else.

 

[stagcrazy]

everything looks great looks like u really took your time, btw do u have a pic of the blue slimer ive been wanting to see one.

 

[brians4671]

the stand came out great man!

 

[Linesider]

that side door is great idea!! Looking good. any plumbing pics?

 

[Jgoal55]

very smart idea with the electrical.......probably cheaper than a DJ box too!!

 

[ReefWreak]

Beautiful build and great sounding stocking list! I'm looking forward to watching this grow

 

[erc]

First my wife made me paint the wall a color I hate.


[/B]

reef tank $1,000,000,000.00 , domestic tranquility priceless

thanks for taking the time to show your build, looks great.