Corriander
Member
It has finally come time for me to downsize my 860 gallons of tanks in preparation for my move. The tanks (150gal, 450gal), sump (100gal), propagation system (160gal), support equipment, and many of the inhabitants will be going up for sale in the coming months. The replacement, however, is now under construction. Following with my typical over-the-top DIY nature, this is one tank I am pulling out all the stops for.
The key parameters of the new design include:
Greater that 60gallon capacity
Three viewable sides
Little to no visible plumbing or wires
Small footprint
Durable yet collapsible stand
Excellent lighting without need for a chiller
Outstanding appearance
I am building as many of the components as possible myself. The only piece I am recycling is the protein skimmer (a Remora Pro). The only parts that will come out of a box are the pumps and controller.
The Tank
I decided a cube would yield the best 3-sided tank while keeping the footprint at a minimum. To achieve my desired capacity of 60gallons, 24†was the ticket. I chose ½†cast acrylic sides and ¼†cast acrylic for the top. All but the top went together on Thursday and I pressure tested it this afternoon with no leaks. It was assembled with Weld-On #4 and then I went over all the internal seams with Weld-On #16. I will be cutting and installing the top piece tomorrow.
The Sump
Using and extra piece of 24â€Âx24â€Âx1/2†acrylic for a platform, I wanted 10 gallons for a sump, 15gallons for a refugium and room for the protein skimmer plus a few other goodies I have in mind. Using 3/8†extruded acrylic, I constructed a 24â€Âx16â€Âx16†box to which I am adding a spacer once I cut the linear overflow. A mount for a filter sock will also be added for the tank effluent in addition to probe and pump mounts. The skimmer will be used for flow to the refugium with the possible addition of some automated valves if I feel it is too loud at night.
(the wierd line on the back wall is tape goo, not a crack)
The Stand
The stand is designed to break down in to two shelves, a light box and the four corner pieces. The corners are ¼†thick 1.5†hot rolled steel angle that are 5’9†tall. The shelves will be made from 3/16†thick 1†hot rolled steel angle. The light box will be made from a variety of aluminum sheet and angle. Everything will be bolted together using 3/8†grade 8 hardware and four heavy-duty adjustable feet on the bottom. The light box will act as one cross-brace on the top while a hefty piece of high-density plastic (the stuff they make cutting boards out of) will be used on the lower portion and function as a pump mount. Once the construction is complete, the steel will be polished and clear powder coated. The three viewable sides will have an upper (over the light box) and lower (over the sump) skirt of brushed aluminum. The final appearance will be a bit more industrial than your typical aquarium stand, but will hopefully provide an interesting foreground to the mini reef.
Flow
The system will operate on an open loop to the sump and two closed loops.
The open loop actually exits from below the water line and loops up to the desired water level before dropping down to the sump. Using a durso design at the top of the loop ensures a siphon is not created. An adjustable PVC fitting will allow me to control the water level. The return is through two ¾†Loc-line fillings on opposed corners of the tank.
The closed loops will exit the back of the tank and return water through one pair of ¾†Loc-lines in the top (opposite opposed corners from the open loop return) and one pair of ¾†Loc-line fittings split to two ½†Loc-lines each through the bottom and hidden in the rock work.
Double-threaded bulkheads, double-union ball valves, and flex PVC will be used to make sure every length of plumbing is serviceable without draining half the tank on to the floor in the process.
My initial pumps will be Quiet One 3000’s, chosen for their supposed quiet operation, low power consumption (40W each) and low price. If I find them insufficient for the job, I will replace them with Eheim 1260’s. An AquaController Jr will be used for randomizing the flow during the day and keeping the seas quiet at night.
Lighting
The main light is a single 250W 14000K HQI with a heavily modified housing. Beyond simple fan use, heat sinks and air channels will be used to vent as much hot air as possible from both the housing and the open space above the water.
Actinic support will be provided by a pair of 24†24W HO T5 fixtures and an array of blue LED’s will be used for moonlights. The refugium lighting will be with common 6500K PC bulbs in a plastic/aluminum composite housing. Again, the AquaController Jr will be running the show.
Power
In the 6â€Âx7.5â€Âx27†space in the lower portion adjacent the skimmer, a sealed box will be installed. Inside will be all the electrical bits and controller wired in so I can use a single heavy-duty plug for the whole mess. My final power consumption should be around 450watts at under 5amps.
Potential Goodies
After this is all installed, I have two spaces left to play with. One is over the sump (8â€ÂH, 16â€ÂW, 16â€ÂL) and the other is on the other side of the skimmer from the power box (10â€ÂLx7.5â€ÂWx27â€ÂH). Plenty of space for some calcium supplementation and top-off, if not some additional dosing of some sort.
The best part about this project is that, except for the brushed aluminum panels and potential goodies, I have everything either sitting here or on order for delivery by Tuesday.
The key parameters of the new design include:
Greater that 60gallon capacity
Three viewable sides
Little to no visible plumbing or wires
Small footprint
Durable yet collapsible stand
Excellent lighting without need for a chiller
Outstanding appearance
I am building as many of the components as possible myself. The only piece I am recycling is the protein skimmer (a Remora Pro). The only parts that will come out of a box are the pumps and controller.
The Tank
I decided a cube would yield the best 3-sided tank while keeping the footprint at a minimum. To achieve my desired capacity of 60gallons, 24†was the ticket. I chose ½†cast acrylic sides and ¼†cast acrylic for the top. All but the top went together on Thursday and I pressure tested it this afternoon with no leaks. It was assembled with Weld-On #4 and then I went over all the internal seams with Weld-On #16. I will be cutting and installing the top piece tomorrow.
The Sump
Using and extra piece of 24â€Âx24â€Âx1/2†acrylic for a platform, I wanted 10 gallons for a sump, 15gallons for a refugium and room for the protein skimmer plus a few other goodies I have in mind. Using 3/8†extruded acrylic, I constructed a 24â€Âx16â€Âx16†box to which I am adding a spacer once I cut the linear overflow. A mount for a filter sock will also be added for the tank effluent in addition to probe and pump mounts. The skimmer will be used for flow to the refugium with the possible addition of some automated valves if I feel it is too loud at night.
(the wierd line on the back wall is tape goo, not a crack)
The Stand
The stand is designed to break down in to two shelves, a light box and the four corner pieces. The corners are ¼†thick 1.5†hot rolled steel angle that are 5’9†tall. The shelves will be made from 3/16†thick 1†hot rolled steel angle. The light box will be made from a variety of aluminum sheet and angle. Everything will be bolted together using 3/8†grade 8 hardware and four heavy-duty adjustable feet on the bottom. The light box will act as one cross-brace on the top while a hefty piece of high-density plastic (the stuff they make cutting boards out of) will be used on the lower portion and function as a pump mount. Once the construction is complete, the steel will be polished and clear powder coated. The three viewable sides will have an upper (over the light box) and lower (over the sump) skirt of brushed aluminum. The final appearance will be a bit more industrial than your typical aquarium stand, but will hopefully provide an interesting foreground to the mini reef.
Flow
The system will operate on an open loop to the sump and two closed loops.
The open loop actually exits from below the water line and loops up to the desired water level before dropping down to the sump. Using a durso design at the top of the loop ensures a siphon is not created. An adjustable PVC fitting will allow me to control the water level. The return is through two ¾†Loc-line fillings on opposed corners of the tank.
The closed loops will exit the back of the tank and return water through one pair of ¾†Loc-lines in the top (opposite opposed corners from the open loop return) and one pair of ¾†Loc-line fittings split to two ½†Loc-lines each through the bottom and hidden in the rock work.
Double-threaded bulkheads, double-union ball valves, and flex PVC will be used to make sure every length of plumbing is serviceable without draining half the tank on to the floor in the process.
My initial pumps will be Quiet One 3000’s, chosen for their supposed quiet operation, low power consumption (40W each) and low price. If I find them insufficient for the job, I will replace them with Eheim 1260’s. An AquaController Jr will be used for randomizing the flow during the day and keeping the seas quiet at night.
Lighting
The main light is a single 250W 14000K HQI with a heavily modified housing. Beyond simple fan use, heat sinks and air channels will be used to vent as much hot air as possible from both the housing and the open space above the water.
Actinic support will be provided by a pair of 24†24W HO T5 fixtures and an array of blue LED’s will be used for moonlights. The refugium lighting will be with common 6500K PC bulbs in a plastic/aluminum composite housing. Again, the AquaController Jr will be running the show.
Power
In the 6â€Âx7.5â€Âx27†space in the lower portion adjacent the skimmer, a sealed box will be installed. Inside will be all the electrical bits and controller wired in so I can use a single heavy-duty plug for the whole mess. My final power consumption should be around 450watts at under 5amps.
Potential Goodies
After this is all installed, I have two spaces left to play with. One is over the sump (8â€ÂH, 16â€ÂW, 16â€ÂL) and the other is on the other side of the skimmer from the power box (10â€ÂLx7.5â€ÂWx27â€ÂH). Plenty of space for some calcium supplementation and top-off, if not some additional dosing of some sort.
The best part about this project is that, except for the brushed aluminum panels and potential goodies, I have everything either sitting here or on order for delivery by Tuesday.
... I always enjoy a tank building thread 
sad to see u downsizing... let me know if u need help with the move bro... u know im here for you.
