The Mammoth Nano - An acropora reef

Very nice stand and overall aquarium build thread. What type of paint did you use on the stand? Oil or water based? Just curious on how the interior will resist water and humidity. Also I’d be real careful with water around the laminate flooring. I did a room that had a back patio and after two years of just letting my dogs out thru the seasons it peeled and ruined the flooring. Would suck to have to break that tank down to replace flooring. I replaced mine with the wood like looking ceramic.
 
Very nice stand and overall aquarium build thread. What type of paint did you use on the stand? Oil or water based? Just curious on how the interior will resist water and humidity. Also I'd be real careful with water around the laminate flooring. I did a room that had a back patio and after two years of just letting my dogs out thru the seasons it peeled and ruined the flooring. Would suck to have to break that tank down to replace flooring. I replaced mine with the wood like looking ceramic.



Totally agree, my laminate floors around the tank look like the Rockies! I think I will go with tile on the next go around.


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What type of paint did you use on the stand? Oil or water based? Just curious on how the interior will resist water and humidity.

I used water based paint. There will be some humidity, but the sump will be covered to reduce evaporation and should help with moisture as well. In my experience, water based paint is more than sufficient if looked after. My very first aquarium had raw plywood inside the stand and I saw no issues after many years.
 
Totally agree, my laminate floors around the tank look like the Rockies! I think I will go with tile on the next go around

The worry with any wood floor is a spill in which water gets underneath the flooring, and this causes it to cup. I'll be sure to use towels when doing maintenance. Barring any major disasters, they should be fine.
 
Looks like it will be a nice setup. I’d probably trim the pad under the stand flush with the stand though. Will look cleaner and won’t stay damp and hold water as easily with spills.
 
Looks like it will be a nice setup. I'd probably trim the pad under the stand flush with the stand though. Will look cleaner and won't stay damp and hold water as easily with spills.

It's a polypropylene rug and shouldn't wick water like a traditional cotton rug.
 
Because I've had a few acrylic aquarium dosing containers start leaking at the bottom seam after just a year, I forced myself to grab some over built containers. I could've sourced some more reliable options that were much more cost conscious, but something tells me these won't cause any down road headaches. If I'm being honest, I also wanted a match for the rest of my setup.

Once past the price, it's easy to see that Royal Exclusiv builds some hefty stuff. The kind of equipment that lasts decades. The lids are beefy chunks of milled pvc and have a large straw that dips deep into the container. The thick clear cylinder is threaded to accept the cap and leads to another even bigger chunk of pvc at the bottom. The base has it's own well thought out recession carved to ensure all liquid is used for dosing. I imagine the CNC machine was busy for awhile crafting these and I keep telling myself that quality things payoff in the long run. :)

Did I mention it will match the rest of the filtration setup in the cabinet? I'm really excited to get the sump plumbed and running.

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Wow! I love your attention to detail. I plan on eventually keeping a peninsula style reef as a room decider. Good luck with your build, jumping on for the ride!
 
After locating some furniture grade PVC online at Home Depot, I started assembling my drain and return lines. I have to admit that plumbing is one of my most hated chores. I always try to get everything exact and accurate, but I've always found it a challenge with PVC and it never looks clean enough in the end. There are just so many adjustments with rotation at the joints and pipe length tends to disappear once the cement is applied.

I tried a few new approaches this time around. I employed the use of a cheap miter saw instead of the previously poor results I was left with using a hacksaw. This really helped square up my cuts and gave me more precision with my measurements. The cuts made a bit of a mess, but the vacuum made quick work in comparison to similar run-ins when cutting wood as there is no dust. I wouldn’t recommend cutting wood inside.

Another method I tried was to use tick marks on the dry-fitted pipe to give me an idea of how far to push the pipe in and how far to rotate different joints once the cement was applied. This ensured results very similar to my dry fitted pieces.

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Due to the size of the drain section of the sump it took some effort to locate unions that would fit the metric pipe but also wouldn't impact the neighboring union. After sourcing a few parts and assembling different components, I ended up with a clean 32mm to 1” union that fits in a very tight space.

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I plumbed three drain lines, but only one has a gate valve to dial in a beananimal style siphon. The fourth drain stub on the sump is 40mm and that allows a 1” pipe to slip in nicely with a coupling as a stopper. I ran this 1” pipe up above my ATO reservoir and capped it off with a drilled hole to accept the ATO tube. Having it at this height allows for a siphon break after the pump runs. This line should also ensure my limewater mixes thoroughly at the drain compartment before getting to the pumps. Here is the result.

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This build Is truly a piece of art and it hasn't even seen a drop of water, puts me to shame! Following though, I'm super excited to see where this goes.

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After locating some furniture grade PVC online at Home Depot, I started assembling my drain and return lines. I have to admit that plumbing is one of my most hated chores. I always try to get everything exact and accurate, but I've always found it a challenge with PVC and it never looks clean enough in the end. There are just so many adjustments with rotation at the joints and pipe length tends to disappear once the cement is applied.

I tried a few new approaches this time around. I employed the use of a cheap miter saw instead of the previously poor results I was left with using a hacksaw. This really helped square up my cuts and gave me more precision with my measurements. The cuts made a bit of a mess, but the vacuum made quick work in comparison to similar run-ins when cutting wood as there is no dust. I wouldn't recommend cutting wood inside.

Another method I tried was to use tick marks on the dry-fitted pipe to give me an idea of how far to push the pipe in and how far to rotate different joints once the cement was applied. This ensured results very similar to my dry fitted pieces.

39096207745_a56b533a36_b.jpg


Due to the size of the drain section of the sump it took some effort to locate unions that would fit the metric pipe but also wouldn't impact the neighboring union. After sourcing a few parts and assembling different components, I ended up with a clean 32mm to 1" union that fits in a very tight space.

25124034867_9012f65580_b.jpg


I plumbed three drain lines, but only one has a gate valve to dial in a beananimal style siphon. The fourth drain stub on the sump is 40mm and that allows a 1" pipe to slip in nicely with a coupling as a stopper. I ran this 1" pipe up above my ATO reservoir and capped it off with a drilled hole to accept the ATO tube. Having it at this height allows for a siphon break after the pump runs. This line should also ensure my limewater mixes thoroughly at the drain compartment before getting to the pumps. Here is the result.

25124009647_3958057525_b.jpg

Great build, I love the Royal Exclusiv product choices! No expense spared:dance: The red plumbing looks really nice.
 
This build Is truly a piece of art and it hasn't even seen a drop of water, puts me to shame! Following though, I'm super excited to see where this goes.

Thanks! I'm most looking forward to getting some coral growing. Equipment is fun, but the livestock is the best part.
 
Beautiful! I'm hooked. How much more do you have before getting water and rock in it?

Water should be in soon. Assuming no major plumbing issues arise, salt will follow. I do have 80lbs of Real Reef rock that has been cycling since August in a rubbermaid.
 
Love it! The attention to detail is incredible. Reading through your experience with Miracles, I had the exact same thing. Inside was scratched, vinyl on the back was bubbling, silicone job was awful, and to top it all I found my tank on its side on the floor with nothing on it when I got to my LFS. Sent it back to them as I live 45 minutes from Miracles HQ in Orangeville, and I payed them a visit in person to figure out WTH happened. They of course resolved all issues and even gave me a free starphire side. I should ad be VERY gentle with the starphire glass. Their low lead glass scratches very very easily. Can't wait to see it full!
 
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