Newbie 90 Gal build thread

Gtstricky

Gtstricky

New member
Well I thought I would start my build thread.

Here is what I am starting with:

A used 90 Gal RR tank bought used yesterday:

Front

DSC00724.jpg


Rear and Left side

DSC00725-1.jpg




The tank will be located in a finished portion of our basement. I have been debating on if I should build it in-wall or use a stand. The wall the tank will be on backs up to an unfinished portion of the basement. I decided to go with the stand however I will be plumbing through the wall. The sump will be located in the unfinished portion of the basement which will allow me to go as large as I want, be as spread out (messy?) as I want.

So the planis:

90 Gal RR tank (going to repaint the back and put in a Durso)
Stand (to be refinished)
Canopy (maybe depending on how the stand looks)
Sump (home made for 1/4 acrylic, I am thinking 40X16X16)
Top off system
Lights (unknown)
Skimmer (really unknown)
 
If i could have put my tank in wall. I defintely would have. In walls have a much cleaner look. Either way you go just take your time and get the right equipment the first time, otherwise you end up spending more money and more time fixing. Good Luck and Have Fun.
 
you can build your own sump yeah, but if it is hidden than why not just go for a big ol' Rubbermaid tub, not the containers that are just large I mean an actual large plastic tub with built in drain hole. I don't think they are that expensive, and than you wouldn't have to worry about buying acrylic and trying to make it look nice and be functional. Your best bet for a skimmer is to get the biggest one that you can afford, but I would aim for something that is rated for twice the size of your tank, I like the ASM brand of skimmers, many others like the octopus's. The lights will have to be decided after you figure out what kind of corals you want to keep. I would recommend looking into T5 lighting because they are really functional and can go over top of any corals as long as you have a good system with enough bulbs. Good luck, and keep us posted.
 
I am building it mainly for the experience. So far it looks to be $105 for the sheet of acrylic and $10 for the Weld-on #4. I figure with all the mistakes I make plus the large tub I buy when I give up is should end up costing me about $500 :)

Ok here is a total newbie question:
How do I determine what size bulkheads I have? Is it the size of the hole in the glass or the inside diameter of the bulkhead?
 
inside diameter. well experience is the foundation for knowledge, hows that for a fortune cookie response haha. just make sure ask around before you get to the real plumbing (not sure how experienced you are with stuff like that, no offense) so you don't end up wasting money, or worse.
 
haha, he didn't even get close to putting the tank where he wants it and you already are on him about power heads. talk about pre emptive! he is right however, start looking into getting some powerheads for water movement. Recommend getting 2 koralia 4's (one for each side of the tank) and seeing what you need after that (maybe even another two). You can't rely on your return pump to circulate the water in the display tank.
 
You dont mix new water batches without water movement and as soon as water is in the tank you need movement. But he may have some.
 
I agree with you, and thats good information that he won't have to look for later if he didn't know better, I'm just saying its funny that we often repeat what we say in every thread to the point that things like this are the first thing even mentioned, even before Welcome to RC! haha.
 
yup forgot to put them on the list.

I bought 2 koralia 4's and the tsunami wavemaker last week (used on RC). They look great. I also bought a used pump, a Turbo Sea 790-P that I think will be my skimmer pump.

I also got my RO/DI system up and running. That was the first thing I worked on. I will get a picture of that up tomorrow.
 
Its never to late to ask about water moevment.First koralias dont work well on wavemakers then wavemakers need proper setup for it to work. In a new setup a good circuler flow is much better and more effective.
 
Anyone have opinions on these two skimmers:

AquaC EV-180
or
MR-1 from My Reef Creations (rated at 175 gal)

I can get the first one for around $300 or the second for around $200.

The MR-1 uses a Beckett and the AquaC uses a spray injector.

Thanks
 
I know a lot of people like aqua c's, but I do not have experience with either one of them, sorry. I figure if I'd respond anyway to give your thread a bump so maybe someone who has used either one of them can respond to you.
 
Well here is the skimmer I am getting. I am going to remove and plug the second injector for now and remove the extra riser I think. This skimmer should be able to handle a much larger tank if I ever get there. It is a MR-2.
Should I set it up in the sump or external?


IMG_1632.jpg
 
Here is where the tank will end up. It will be next to the stairs where the book case is now.

DSC00731.jpg



I am planning on putting the sump on the other side of the wall. You can use the door as a reference point to understand the location better.

DSC00728.jpg
 
looks like a good place for a tank to me. You will definately enjoy the room you will have putting the sump behind the wall. now just tell your kids to go play somewhere else haha.
 
This weekend I got the tank cleaned up and painted. I added some fresh stain to the stand. I still need to seal it. I also added some Kilz to the interior. It turned out nice. I used a darker blue then was on before. You can see the contrast in colors as I left the bottom painted with the old color since I will be using a sand bed. Here are some photos:

Cleaned up

IMG_3471.jpg


with new paint

IMG_3473.jpg
 
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