New 125 On The Block - Watch The Process! *Pictures Inside*

[TJcop]

OK, here we go with my new 125! In this first installment, I'll have pics of the stand building process. The tank will be on the first floor, with all of the equipment in my basement. I thought this would be the easiest way to do my housekeeping. Only have to put 4 holes in the floor to run the pipes, and we're in business!
Anyways...here we go!

First pic of the 4x4 I used for the corners of the stand.

Here's the four corner posts after I've notched them out for the 2x4 main rails.

The first portion of framing. You can see that by notching the posts, I'm using the strongest portion of the wood, but I am able to secure everything.

Cross bracing in place, along with ALOT of metal supports. Overboard? Yes. Rather safe than sorry!

The finished product. Two 22" doors will be on the front. The stand is going to be enclosed in Oak (when I get to Home Depot later this week).

A test run of the tank on the stand. It fits! Yippie!

Lastly, a pic of the MegaFlow overflow system that the tank comes with. There are two of these in the tank, with a total output of 1200gph. We...shall...see....To Be Continued.

 

[*j-cat*]

Where are you going to put the sump in? Does one of the middle supports come out?

 

[TJcop]

Everything is going into the basement. So, room under the tank wasn't a concern.
Speakin of the sump...I was going to go with a 40g. Too small? Also, what paint should I use to paint the back of the tank?

 

[swims withthe fishes]

with plumbing all the way to the basement i think 40g isn't gonna cut it... maybe a 55 will do. here's a good little tool http://reefcentral.com/calc/sump.php

Ace makes a paint i love for background, Royal high gloss Regal blue.

 

[*j-cat*]

Better drill some holes for a closed loop before you paint. Well unless you are going to use powerheads. I have the exact same tank. I used Rustoleum painters touch flat black on mine. Something like that. Works like a charm. It didnt even chip when I drilled my holes in the glass (painted then drilled).

 

[sesegal99]

FYI the mega flow system handles alot more than 1200 gph.

After some research I found (based on fluid dynamics) that a 1" hole with a 1" column of water above it at a height of 24" (durso standpipe) the 1" hole will pass 27.65 gpm or 1659 gph. The weight of the water above the hole has a dramatic impact on flow which is why durso pipes are usually 1.25". If a 1" hole could only pass 600 gph people could not be using Mag 24s with two (2) 1" openings. So Two 1" holes will easily handle a MAg 24

I run a MAg 24 no prob.


__________________

 

[partagas]

If you want to see a basement that can handle your tank check this out.

http://vinmiller.net/aquaria/index.html

Click on lab.

He is a member of RC.

 

[TJcop]

To answer a few of your questions/comments:

SWIMS WITHTHE FISHES: The sump won't be "all the way in the basement". The sump will be approx 6-8ft below the tank, it is going to be mounted on a basement wall on a rack. Thanks for the paint info.

J-CAT: The overflows are pre-drilled in the bottom of the tank.

SESEGAL: Thanks for the flow info. I'll have to take that into consideration when I shop for my pump(s).

PARTAGAS: Nice setup...but a little more than I can handle right now.

 

[Dr.King]

I have that exact set-up. Here is a link to my tank construction, maybe this will give you some ideas. I used a 40 gallon breeder as a sump. One thing to keep in mind is the return from the pump will siphon back into the sump without a check valve. Make sure your sump can handle the water racing back down if the power goes out.

My 125

 

[sesegal99]

Dr. King....not true. On the new AGAs the returns have holes pre drilled in the elbows just before the locline attachment if power goes out air gets suked in to break the siphon.......unless there is a snail over the hole at that exact moment. Check valves are a good precaution though.

 

[Dr.King]

Speaking strickly from my experience, my tank drains to the bottom of the returns when the return pump stops(approximately 3" of tank volume). I have the AGA megaflow kits on my 125. I'm not talking about the overflows, I'm talking about the return lines from the sump to the tank.

 

[TJcop]

I think I'm going to need a check valve on the return side no matter what, since there are holes in the mid and lower sections of the overflow (not just slots at the top). How do I prevent an overflow on the drain side though?

 

[wasp9166]

looks like overkill to me

 

[TJcop]

What is overkill? The number of slots? This is the way it came, I guess that's why they call it a MegaFlow!

Oh, and regarding the lower and mid drainage...the bottom of the overflow is sealed, so the water has to come up over a barrier at the top of the overflow, so the water will stop draining when it gets below the slots.

 

[uscgbeachbum]

Just remember that checkvalves are not gauranteed to work. You will still need a large enough sump to hold the water if/when the power goes out.

 

[Dr.King]

I think I'm going to need a check valve on the return side no matter what, since there are holes in the mid and lower sections of the overflow (not just slots at the top). How do I prevent an overflow on the drain side though?

The drain side won't drain once the pump stops returning water. There are anti-siphon holes in the dursa drain pipes that stop the water from draining. The only place you need a check valve is on the return side.

 

[TJcop]

New Pics

New Pics

Well, here's some more pics on the progess of my 125.
Fist is the R/O/D/I system, installed and running.

Next, here's the stand being finish sanded and varnished.

Finally, here's the setup in the basement. Skimmer on the left that drains into the first tank/sump. The second tank (below) is the refugium. It pumps back into the sump. The show tank is upstairs, where it drains down into the basement sump & refugium. The right half of the sump is for the water return, heaters, dosing, addition of chem/top off/ etc. The grey bin on top is where the RO water is stored. The line drains directly into the top of the bin!

 

[Agent_Smith]

This is Going to be GREAT!

 

[TJcop]

More Progress

More Progress

Here's a pic of the finished stand, which we are moving this very second. After the tank is on, I have to put another corner bead around the top to finish it off and secure the tank. Getting very excited! :bounce1:

 

[TJcop]

In Place

In Place

It's in place....barely ! You can see how tight it is against the couch. I forgot to figure in the thickness of the oak plywood on the sides for the overall dimensions, so that's how it came to fit so snugly. Currently painting the back of the tank, so it should be on tomorrow. Wooo Hoo!