SC Aquariums Owners Thread
- Thread starter OceanWolf
- Start date
fishsticks4sale
New member
Hey SC owners, i have a question about the silicone....
My buddy tells me when looking down while above the tank he noticed the silicone protruding on the inside, like instead of a clean silicone spread and not protruding on either side of the glass they seemed to have put alot and u can see it in the inside. Is that true?
My buddy tells me when looking down while above the tank he noticed the silicone protruding on the inside, like instead of a clean silicone spread and not protruding on either side of the glass they seemed to have put alot and u can see it in the inside. Is that true?
z3speed4me
Member
Yea I took off my T yesterday to check out my strainer; wow it was gunked up. Bottom half had stuff all over it and was semi-restricting the flow which explains why I've had to play with the gate almost every morning for the last few days.
IF you are going to pull the T, just make sure your sump has room, it's going to empty the whole chamber which is some extra water you normally don't account for.
I also have a cover, so nothing but the smallest snails can get through the weir anyway, so I may remove the strainer piece.
IF you are going to pull the T, just make sure your sump has room, it's going to empty the whole chamber which is some extra water you normally don't account for.
I also have a cover, so nothing but the smallest snails can get through the weir anyway, so I may remove the strainer piece.
TX_Punisher
New member
I"ll be watching this thread. Been researching SC for a few days and the price seems reasonable. I don't care for internal overflows, so can he do something else? I like the solid wood stand upgrade and starfire for sure. Thinking 160+. What are his sump options?
Thanks
Thanks
davocean
Active member
Silicone on mine is super clean.
davocean
Active member
I know a friend of mine just had a ghost overflow done, they have been providing options for this.
Not sure what sump options there are now, I prefer to build my own anyway so I get exactly what I want for gear and max fuge area.
davocean
Active member
I would contact SCA and see what they say, but I personally would never rely on foam to eliminate any deviations, I'd be inclined to add a new solid top, but then I'm a carpenter so that is easy for me to say/do.
Yes thanks I did contact SCA. I measured again a little more carefully. It is actually maybe a little over a1/16" sag in the middle of the stand. The person I spoke with suggested 1/4" yoga mat. Then out of curiosity I called BRS and the person I spoke with there said the main concern would be if something was creating a pressure point pushing up on the glass. So I made a few phone calls and found a local place that carries 1/4" closed cell heavy duty padding. Best part is it is only $3/ft for 24" wide piece.
I do have another question for those with an mdf stand. I bought mine used and when I got it home I noticed a few of the cam screws looked funny and realized they were broken. So I went ahead and got new ones at Lowe's and replaced them all to be safe. The ones at Lowe's seem stronger. Anyway my question is just in general about mdf and the weight it can support. I know there is concern about water damage and mdf absorbing water but aside from that how much weight can mdf support. My stand is going to have about 800 pounds sitting on it. The stand seems pretty sturdy right now. I guess I am just looking for some reassurance from others who have mdf stands. Thx
davocean
Active member
MDF is plenty strong enough, the issue is getting wet and moisture damage and then the integrity is then compromised, so they don't last as long.
I'm a carpenter, I'm just not a fan of MDF at all and especially in a marine environment where it will get wet eventually, so if that is what you have make sure it's sound and well sealed at least.
Greaser9999
New member
If you can skip the MDF stand and get one made out of wood, do it. I just tore my tank that a month ago, it was almost two years old. Eventually water damage caught up to me and had to take it down, never again will I go with MDF stand
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soulpatch
New member
Few things edolan. I am normally not concerned with a slight <1/8" dip in a wood stand as that is easily remedied either manually through sanding/new top or padding. A dip in MDF though is not one I like to see since MDF is manufactored and it is pretty rare I see pieces with dips like that. Since you bought it used I woudl be slightly concerned about water penetration causing a slight warpage. You can add some extra bracing internally to the stand if you wish but personally I woudl look towards a better quality stand that will last longer then your tank and thus woudl go wood.
With a wood stand you can build it yourself should you wish to invest the time and make a beautiful stand. For slightly more $ but a lot less time and energy you can order through SC and get a wood stand or they will also custom make you a stand for a bit more should you wish to do some cool things to it (think side electronics compartment for one idea). Or for more money a local cabinet maker or such will typically build a stand.
Personally I would go with a custom SC. I know when I finally decide to sell my house and move I will get them to build me both a custom tank stand as well as a second matching electronics cabinet for the wall to my specs.
With a wood stand you can build it yourself should you wish to invest the time and make a beautiful stand. For slightly more $ but a lot less time and energy you can order through SC and get a wood stand or they will also custom make you a stand for a bit more should you wish to do some cool things to it (think side electronics compartment for one idea). Or for more money a local cabinet maker or such will typically build a stand.
Personally I would go with a custom SC. I know when I finally decide to sell my house and move I will get them to build me both a custom tank stand as well as a second matching electronics cabinet for the wall to my specs.
Thanks for your responses guys. I understand and don't want to downplay the concerns of water damage to mdf but I would like to use the current stand I have if possible for a number of reasons. Trying to keep costs down, there is a chance we could move in the next few years, and my wife likes the look of the stand. The current stand has no water damage and actually was never fully set up and I plan on doing what I can to waterproof it. Mine was just more of a general question on the strength of mdf supporting the weight which I believe davocean answered. The stand looks and feels sturdy. I guess I just got a little concerned when I realized it needs to hold 800 pounds.
RogueGrown
New member
Hi everyone!!! So I'm thinking of buying a 50 pnp for SC. I have been asking questions elsewhere and have been directed to you guys.
I hear I can talk to Steve and basically customize my order. What I'd like to do is get the tank, sump, and add the plywood stand but have him hold back the skimmer and return as I don't find a need if I'm going to be replacing them anyways. Has anyone done this and is it even worth the time to haggle?
I'm curious about and can't seem to find my info on is what kind of plumbing below the tank does the system come with? Is it all clear tubing in the sump area or is that just the return?
I take it the sump does not come with a filter sock? What one am I'm looking for?
One last thing, how much water is in the sump and what is the water height so I can further research what skimmer to go for. So far I'm leaning towards the icecap k2-50 because of its minimal footprint and also has some pretty good reviews. Though I'm weary that it's not enough for this system.
Thanks in advance!!!
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I hear I can talk to Steve and basically customize my order. What I'd like to do is get the tank, sump, and add the plywood stand but have him hold back the skimmer and return as I don't find a need if I'm going to be replacing them anyways. Has anyone done this and is it even worth the time to haggle?
I'm curious about and can't seem to find my info on is what kind of plumbing below the tank does the system come with? Is it all clear tubing in the sump area or is that just the return?
I take it the sump does not come with a filter sock? What one am I'm looking for?
One last thing, how much water is in the sump and what is the water height so I can further research what skimmer to go for. So far I'm leaning towards the icecap k2-50 because of its minimal footprint and also has some pretty good reviews. Though I'm weary that it's not enough for this system.
Thanks in advance!!!
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soulpatch
New member
You really need to call Steve as he will hook yu up.
Yes he will withhold portions of the packages and lower costs to compensate. I got a package where I subbed out the sump, pump, and skimmer for Kessils. He will work with what you need and price accordingly.
If you get rid of the return pump though he will likely only send the plumbing for inside the overflow. You will need to source plumbing for in the stand and I would go that route. The plumbing in the stand is easily done with PVC and some glue though if you want to go flexible order a spool of masterflex from marinedepot and then all you do is connect to barbs.
Sump does not come with a filter sock but plenty of holders on the market from all the big sites online. Something like this: http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/vertex-filter-sock-mount-100-for-4-socks.html
Most using the SC sump need to raise the skimmer slightly with pvc, egg crate, or such. I can't speak to the ice cap skimmer but I will note that many on here rave about the SC skimmer. I personally use a life reef.
Yes he will withhold portions of the packages and lower costs to compensate. I got a package where I subbed out the sump, pump, and skimmer for Kessils. He will work with what you need and price accordingly.
If you get rid of the return pump though he will likely only send the plumbing for inside the overflow. You will need to source plumbing for in the stand and I would go that route. The plumbing in the stand is easily done with PVC and some glue though if you want to go flexible order a spool of masterflex from marinedepot and then all you do is connect to barbs.
Sump does not come with a filter sock but plenty of holders on the market from all the big sites online. Something like this: http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/vertex-filter-sock-mount-100-for-4-socks.html
Most using the SC sump need to raise the skimmer slightly with pvc, egg crate, or such. I can't speak to the ice cap skimmer but I will note that many on here rave about the SC skimmer. I personally use a life reef.
I run the k2-50 on my seahorse tank. It's not enough for the tank your looking at. It's really not even enough for my 30g seahorse tank. The stock skimmer that comes with the SCA systems gets a bad rap but I'm still running it on my 90 and it does a good job. I raised it a few inches in the sump and it pulls out plenty of ski age.
RogueGrown
New member
Sounds to me like just take the entire system upgrade the stand to plywood and call it a day. I'm sceptical of the skimmer as it really has mixed reviews, but I guess I could try it out. For $95 if I like it then I'm winning and if I don't I can get something better down the road and keep it as a cheaper spare. Same goes for the return pump. What's the biggest issue with the return? Seems like it almost too much for the tank. If I added a reactor or two off the return line would it help bring the flow to the display down a bit? I see some people are running reactors off separate pumps and I'm confused as to why they wouldn't tap into the return line???
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The return pump are pretty weak and louder than they need to be. I switched to a jebao DC pump
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