New In-wall Project Begins

[dougchambers]

Tyler -

The Rubbermaid version was definitely more than the tuff tub here also. I want to say I paid about $46 for the 110g tub and ~$23 for the 54g round tub.

We didn't run through the bottom because our sump/fuge sit right under the main tank and we wanted as much clearance as possible between the tank and sump.

The tank didn't have to conform much at all. Looking at it, I doubt you would know unless you were there to see me tighten it down.

-Doug

 

[vanburen]

Thanks Doug. I was planning on feeding the fuge with a tap off the tank return but depending on location may need to use a powerhead. Either way, it will drain back to the sump. I wonder how many pods and such really get send back up to the main tank?

 

[tgunn]

Tyler -

The Rubbermaid version was definitely more than the tuff tub here also. I want to say I paid about $46 for the 110g tub and ~$23 for the 54g round tub.

We didn't run through the bottom because our sump/fuge sit right under the main tank and we wanted as much clearance as possible between the tank and sump.

The tank didn't have to conform much at all. Looking at it, I doubt you would know unless you were there to see me tighten it down.

-Doug

Doug,

Makes sense why you didn't run through the bottom. Mine isn't under the stand so I should be okay. I have a feeling my fish room is going to feel small once I get the stock tank in.

Great! Glad to hear the bulkheads fit nicely in the curved portion of the stock tank. That will work much better for the room layout I'm planning..

Thanks,
Tyler

 

[dougchambers]

Tyler - Be sure to valve after the bulkhead when you exit the stock tank. I had to tighten a fitting on one of the pumps and it made life much easier for service.

Here are the ones I've been using from Savko. They have a good price point compared to many we looked at.

We have a whole slug of them in our system from 1.5-2"

-Doug

 

[tgunn]

Tyler - Be sure to valve after the bulkhead when you exit the stock tank. I had to tighten a fitting on one of the pumps and it made life much easier for service.

Here are the ones I've been using from Savko. They have a good price point compared to many we looked at.

We have a whole slug of them in our system from 1.5-2"

-Doug

In my current parts list for plumbing my tank I think a good majority of the cost is from unions and ball valves. Admittedly I'm cheaping out on the ball valves and using standard slip valves available locally for about $8 CDN (for 1.5" valve).

I had originally planned on a union after each and every ball valve under the tank, but I later decided to omit those to cut back on the number of mechanical seals in my setup... If I need to cut the pipe I can do so later..

Tyler

Thanks,
Tyler

 

[Ginzo]

Hey Doug,

Any pictures ? I'm dying to see this system !

I've pretty much based myself on the design of your tank, hope there wasn't any copyright
I'm ordering mine very soon, as soon as my stand is done !

Ginzo

 

[dougchambers]

Contrary to popular belief, I havenââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t fallen off the face of the planet or torn down the tank in favor of an in-wall plasma TV. Work and other house projects have consumed way too much time and Iââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢ve been neglecting this thread. Here are a couple of shots I took in the reef room after a water change tonight. I still have a lot of work to do in the room to install the counter and sink, but at least one set of shelves got installed over this past weekend. I donââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t have the wires dressed up as neat as they will be, but itââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s a work in process. Here you go and I will get pictures from the front side when the lights are on tomorrowââ"šÂ¬Ã‚¦

View walking into the room. The Brute container always has fresh RO/DI from a Kent float tied into our water maker. The other can is for water changes. Iââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢ve got everything marked and measured so I can transfer the water, Mg, and salt for a water change prep in ~ 5minutes. The actual 15g water change takes less than 10 minutes and will get faster once we have the sink installed in the room.

Here is the full shot of the tank from the back side. I really need that wider angle lens to compensate for the 1.5X factor on our D70.

The sump/refugium shot. Note I need more live rock in the fuge area.

Left side of stand area with the OM 4-Way, Sequence 4200Seq12, and MRC CR-2 Ca Reactor.

Right side of stand area with MRC MR3 skimmer. The return and skimmer pumps are PCX55-HPs.

Here is a short list of things that still need to be done (As if itââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s ever really done!);
- Better aquascaping
- Tie up the loose wiring
- Build a Neilson reactor
- Load more rock in to the fuge
- Find a good DSB invert package to get things stirred up
- Build another high-limit/low-limit pump interlock system
- Build containment and exhaust duct system for our chiller to vent outside
- Iââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢m sure there are a 100 more, but that will get us startedââ"šÂ¬Ã‚¦

For those that are ready to give me copious amounts of grief for not updating the thread, hereââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s whatââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢s been keeping us busy. For some reason the kids want grass. I suggested we pave it, paint it green and call it a park, but it didnââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢t get past the local planning and zoning commission (see wife ââ"šÂ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å“ Love you sweetheart!).

Feel free to ask questions if there is anything I can help with...

-Doug

 

[tgunn]

Hey Doug,

Everythings looking great! What did you use for the top of your stand? It almost looks like a butcher block.

I like the patio! We must've had the same landscaper or something.. This is the patio I just put in last summer (real stairs to be installed still):

Later,
Tyler

 

[dougchambers]

Tyler -

Nice pavers buddy. We hand place 2968 at our old house for a sunken patio but the new one is stamped. The hot tub will have a paver surround in a few weeks once we recover from the yard.

For the top of the stand I glued down a sheet of Formica and trimmed the edges with hemlock. I like the Formica for the small spills and drips from working in the tank. If I had known how much I would be standing on the edge of the stand, I would have made it bigger. I'm thinking of building a cat-walk across the back so I quit falling off the ladder.:rollface:

-Doug

 

[NexDog]

Doug, I forget - is this the 135g?

 

[tgunn]

Tyler -

Nice pavers buddy. We hand place 2968 at our old house for a sunken patio but the new one is stamped. The hot tub will have a paver surround in a few weeks once we recover from the yard.

For the top of the stand I glued down a sheet of Formica and trimmed the edges with hemlock. I like the Formica for the small spills and drips from working in the tank. If I had known how much I would be standing on the edge of the stand, I would have made it bigger. I'm thinking of building a cat-walk across the back so I quit falling off the ladder.:rollface:

-Doug

Hey Doug,

Yes, we hand placed all the pavers ourselves too. :lol: Although I don't quite know exactly how many there are.

Sounds like your yard is quickly shaping up! Mine seems to be quite a work in progress. :lol:

Oh, okay, the hemlock trim would be what kinda made it look like a solid chunk of wood to me. The formica top is a great idea; I think it'll stand up to small spills much better than just paint.

I need to get a nice step ladder for accessing my tank; my wife doesn't like it as much when I pull out the 6 foot ladder from the garage and plop it beside the tank. A catwalk would sure make regular acessing of the tank easy though..

Later,
Tyler

 

[dougchambers]

Doug, I forget - is this the 135g?

Hey Dog - This is the 135g. I'm glad we took the advice of everyone and stretched it out to 30" deep. With the 5" consumed by the front wall and the 5" of eurobracing, it makes access over the top much easier. The front is still a stretch, but I can get there by pulling the light rack up to the ceiling.

I need to get a nice step ladder for accessing my tank; my wife doesn't like it as much when I pull out the 6 foot ladder from the garage and plop it beside the tank. A catwalk would sure make regular acessing of the tank easy though..

I thought I saw an add for Lowes the other day for a 4' aluminum ladder at $29.99? You could dedicate it as the "House" ladder. Perhaps a Birthday present for the wife? (Perhaps not...)

 

[tgunn]

I thought I saw an add for Lowes the other day for a 4' aluminum ladder at $29.99? You could dedicate it as the "House" ladder. Perhaps a Birthday present for the wife? (Perhaps not...)

I'm definitely going to need to get a dedicated ladder for accessing the tank... Although at the moment the 6' ladder is handy for getting into the tank to do some things like reaching into the overflow, etc...

I wish I could've done an inwall setup personally. With the tank in the wall like you've got it there'll be no problem reaching into the overflow and into areas in back.

Do you reach into the front areas from either side of the tank?

Once my tank is up and running reaching into the overflow for anything is going to be next to impossible with my stubby arms...

Later,
Tyler

 

[ReeferMonkey]

Looking good! No FTS?

 

[dougchambers]

Looking good! No FTS?

You lost me... FTS?

Do you reach into the front areas from either side of the tank?

Once I'm standing or kneeling on the perimiter of the stand, I can work from all three sides. Fortunately, I have pretty long arms so I can reach out to the front edge of the sand bed from the back corners.

The strange thing about this new setup is that we really haven't had an algae bloom to speak of. We saw a 1-2 day brown diatom bloom in the DSB and some LONG filament algae growing from the PVC return pipes overhead, but nothing really pronounced in the tank. The overflow on the other hand has long algae strands that are 3-4" in length. I'm not complaining!

 

[ReeferMonkey]

Full tank shot We get to see your equipment but not the glory that is the aquarium?

 

[dougchambers]

Full tank shot We get to see your equipment but not the glory that is the aquarium?

It's coming... I'm not completely happy with the aquascape yet, but I will try for some shots tonight. The lights kicked off before I could snap any pictures last evening.

 

[HOZERTHEBONEFISH]

Doug

Awesome set up. Cant wait for the "FTS"

BTW Thanks for your help regarding Miracles

Henry

 

[dougchambers]

Here are the first FTS pictures. Don't be too dissappointed... Like I said, I still want to do some different aquascaping.

View coming into the room;

Front View of tank;

View looking from the tank;

Lastly, a picture of a blue tip that needed more depth of field

I'll clean the glass and move some things around this weekend for a set of better "FTS" shots.

What do you think so far? Needs more frags doesn't it!

 

[JustOneMoreTank]

Looks really good. I like it. I do agree that the tank wants more frags.