Looking for feedback on prop tank build

[Steveb]

Freight and crating would run me $443 for four of the 96"x24"x12" fiberglass troughs or $205 for six of the 51"x31"x18" PE troughs. It's amazing how little I have been able to find locally. I would have thought being on the gulf coast and having so much industry there would be more plastic tank/trough options locally. Not the case at all.

 

[DVA]

Try looking at restaurant supply places you may find containers (generally food safe) large enough to do what you want.

David

 

[jake levi]

Ply frag tank costs

Ply frag tank costs

My 8'L by 30" W by 16" high for two cost me $55 in 1" ply, plus $14 more for 2" by 2" for internal frame, about $4 for screws, and two bulkheads at $14 ea, and a $4 tube of silicon.

I then spent $22 for a can of sealant. Thats $127 for two 8' long by 30"W by
16" high frag tanks. Or $65 ea. Not too shabby.

A 300 gal round rubbermaid stock tank my feed store sells for $180. Their 40 gals start at $29, and they have sizes up to 150 gal.

I really cant justify the cost of the plastic tanks compared to this. I need the money for lights etc. The 300 gal round is just great for one MH light above it for growing colonies or corraline algae on new live rock.

TSC also has the stock tanks, my feed store is a little better on price.

 

[Steveb]

Ok Jake you convinced me! :beer: Can you post or PM the type of sealant you used? Would you mind posting or PM'ing a pic?

I've been poopin out money like it grows on tree's for the reflectors, light movers, pumps, skimmers, calcium reactor... (and that's all used - except for the light movers) I could use a good deal!

 

[photobret]

How easy is it to plumb those fibreglass containers. I am thinking of one of those 66" long guys for a frag system.

Thanks, PB

 

[jake levi]

The sealant is a polyurethane, food safe one from our local hardware, $28 gallon, they didnt have the smaller size in, no pics but will be, the priciest part to me was the bulkheads, for their size, the sump is a rubbermaid stock tank from the feedstore, 75 gals, I think around $65 , it has a small tote , in it, 8 gallons, of live sand that the water comes into from the frag tank, then out , through bottom holes,there is a LOT of chaeto in it, and a submerged pump sitting in a fenced in area pumps the water back to the frag tank, pretty simple, no skimmer, there are also some frags in the tank with sprigs of plants started on them. Some free floating caulerpa there also . Water comes into the tank through a spray bar of pvc. Two MHs 4' apart. A very simple system. Water depth stays right at 15", BB, grows softies mostly .

 

[t.priscu]

Not sure if this helps with your surge vs sump water level question but...

I built a surge for my frag tank.
It's very ghetto looking but its in my back room so i don't care.
but basically im filling up a 30 gallon brute trash can with 2 inch pvc pipe as the plumbing for the surge. (siphon surge btw)

my sump is a 100 gallons which normally has about 70 gallons of water in it. By adding the surge device my sump drains down to having 40 gallons in it but all i have in the sump is cheato and return pump so it doesnt affect anything. Once the device surges the sump is filled back up to 70 gallons and does not over flow.

I dont know of an easy way though to run an auto top off with the sump levels flipping back and forth so much, it plays hell with your skimmer also if you plan to keep one in your sump. I added an extra tank to hold my skimmer where the water level is constant because of this.

That being said I wouldn't give up on the surge so quickly though if you can figure out a way to do it. Maybe its just in my head but i feel like my corals/anems look better and are more healthy with the surge going.

If you figure out a way to do the auto top off please post it, id be interested in this!

 

[Steveb]

I posted in the chemistry forum about using the conductivity of seawater w/a controller as a way to measure but Randy was concerned about the conductivity probe becoming gunked up.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2000804

 

[Tigé21v]

Why couldn't you mount either an ATO switch, (or even a float valve for that matter) at the lowest water level in the sump, right before the surge begins. At the end of the surge the ATO switch/ float valve will be submerged (off/closed), but as the bucket nears the next full fill, top off will be added as water evaporates.
The only problem I see with it is if you tried to use more than one surge bucket. I think you's need one bucket feeding both tanks.

 

[Metal Man 1221]

Well you could always test the system down the road, and calculate how much evaporation takes place in normal operation in a 24hr period, and then have a dosing pump add your daily top off. That way there are no worries about float valves/switches, when your sump level is constantly varying.

 

[Steveb]

Well you could always test the system down the road, and calculate how much evaporation takes place in normal operation in a 24hr period, and then have a dosing pump add your daily top off. That way there are no worries about float valves/switches, when your sump level is constantly varying.

Yep thought about that as well. I'm just paranoid something will change and I wont be paying attention - dang A.D.D.....

 

[Steveb]

The sealant is a polyurethane, food safe one from our local hardware, $28 gallon, they didnt have the smaller size in, no pics but will be, the priciest part to me was the bulkheads, for their size, the sump is a rubbermaid stock tank from the feedstore, 75 gals, I think around $65 , it has a small tote , in it, 8 gallons, of live sand that the water comes into from the frag tank, then out , through bottom holes,there is a LOT of chaeto in it, and a submerged pump sitting in a fenced in area pumps the water back to the frag tank, pretty simple, no skimmer, there are also some frags in the tank with sprigs of plants started on them. Some free floating caulerpa there also . Water comes into the tank through a spray bar of pvc. Two MHs 4' apart. A very simple system. Water depth stays right at 15", BB, grows softies mostly .

Hey Jake any longevity issues going this route that you know of?

 

[acrohead500ppm]

find a company that sell sheets of white plastic, build your own! that was what I was considering doing when I was planning a major basement operation, then I decided that the power usage vs potential profit margin was kinda pointless.

green house is the only way to go these days- long term.

 

[Steveb]

find a company that sell sheets of white plastic, build your own! that was what I was considering doing when I was planning a major basement operation, then I decided that the power usage vs potential profit margin was kinda pointless.

green house is the only way to go these days- long term.

Yes I considered that (plastic) as well.... No green houses where I live (Home owners association will not allow them and my property is not big enough anyway.) so I would end up having to buy or lease property. I'm looking at doing this 2 years in the interior space to gain knowledge and hopefully develop a client list and then I will look at expanding into something larger. But I saw an abandoned plant nursery for lease the other day driving around that I am going to check on....

 

[jake levi]

frag tank/greenhouses

frag tank/greenhouses

Hi Steve

No problems that I ever heard of, they arrived in the shops in good condition without any set backs.

As i have said before the most sucessful operation that I know of in this is Tropicorium in Romulus MI, and its all modified greenhouses with much insulation of them on the north sides.

 

[Steveb]

Fish Room

Fish Room

Well I finally got the room built out. I want to thank my wife's uncle Brent who spent part of his vacation helping me.

I still need to sand one more time, paint it, get electrical run but its a start.

 

[jake levi]

Room

Room

Hi Steve

Thats not the green wallboard? Its more moisture resistent, ifnot I'd put a good moisture blocking paint on it. What are the dimensions?

If there is any way at all to do it I'd advise making the trip to the Detroit/Romulous area and visiting Dick Perrins Tropicorium , I really believe its something that you'd want to work towards after reading all of your posts. You could also take a couple boxes of frags back probably better then what you'd pay at most frag swaps. You might get lucky and get an air fare special. Dicks is just about a half hour drive from Detroit metro.

 

[Steveb]

Yeah its not green wall board but I am going to paint w/epoxy floor, walls and ceiling. Also planning on installing 2 portable A/C units plus at least 1 vent fan running on a humidity controller. I almost went green wall board but since the rest of the walls where already normal sheet rock I didn't see the point. Dimensions are 11wx14dx10h. I agree with you I'm trying to get North....

 

[jake levi]

new room

new room

Hi Steve

I wish we had your cooling need ! But each to his own problems. Mine is how to heat it. Pros and cons for both.

Start looking for bargain fares to Detroit metro, either rent a car or take a cab, will cost about the same, cab might even be cheaper, set it up with them for a return trip, you could most likely make it all in one day and have your new stuff in tanks by bedtime. If you do it email me and I'll meet you at Detroit and take you over to Romulus.

You have a lot ofspace there for a good start, are you going to double or triple tier? The triple sure gives a lot more space but I prefer the double myself, in the current fish rm its a high single and then the floor space for vats/totes etc for rocks and curing rocks. I am going to put lights under the tanks to grow coraline on the rocks and boost growth on the rocks. I can probably get 8 stock tanks/totes under the tanks.

 

[Steveb]

Cool thanks Jake I will take you up on that!

I'm planning on double tier - If I did triple I know I would end up falling and busting my...

I like your idea about lighting underneath. I'm not doing rocks but I bet I could come up with something.