The Project - IC/CR DIYers Around?

[pixel8ed]

The Project -

DIY (or in this case, Do It With Help) 120 gallon bullnose acrylic reef.

with -

Lumber framed island unit - including 48x42x25 cabinet/stand, 18x78x25 right side adjoining skimmer/plumming cabinet, and 48x12x25 canopy. Fine grain veneered plywood paneling, triming.

Closed Loop w/ Tidal effect on 2-4 dry, verticle mounted pumps.

48x24x24 DIY 1/2" acrylic 120g tank w/ 6x6o.f in far right corner, 8 3/4" or 1" holes on right wall. (1 sheet of 4'x8' 1/2" - o.f. box)

Sump - DIY acrylic - 60x16x16 - 67g (1 sheet of 4'x8' 3/8") sump/HUGE refugium broken up as:

Skimmer: 8x16x16 /13g /9g

Return/Sump: 14x16x16 / 15g

DSB slowflow Fuge: 36x16x16 / 40g

Budget $500

Set-up (will upload model screen shots when I have the time to finish them)

Cabinet will house the main portion of the sump, but the sump will slide in to the skimmer cabinet. The 6" of leftover space will hold the power strip for the sump pump, air filter for kalkwasser reactor (I'm doing the poor-man's kalk reactor), fuge lights - cabinet will also have 3 doors and two support 2x4's. Middle door panel will be cut out so the fuge is visible without opening cabinet.

Skimmer cabinet will contain guide posts for mounting the closed loop pumps, shelves for the lighting ballasts, 4 bottle holders for phyto growing + air pump, one shelf for a 1 gallon shrimp farm, 1 verticle mounted NO for phyto and shrimp, two timing strips for lights, pumps - and of course, the skimmer.

Canopy will be matching panel siding, with spaced lumber on ceiling for heat dispersal and to hang lighting from - front and top flip up - still not sure how to make it connect seamlessly with the cabinet, however.

..... but the crux.

I need a place/help to build it. Or... I could use some people with the tools necessary to set up shop in my garage to build it here. In either event, I'll bring the beer - but if there's interest in doing this on a weekend at my place, I'll be happy to feed you as well (I slow smoke ribs every Sunday, and I've got a 36 hour memphis dry rub that will make your eyes water).

I would also like to hear feedback on the system as it's written now, if you've got a mind to do it - I can cook, bake, tell you the weather and someday file law suits - but I've never tried my hand with carpentry.

 

[wenszoo]

best person to ask is Glaspie69 he is a carpenter. but any thing else give me a call I sent you my number awhile back

 

[NuccaTree]

$500....really? Have you kept any saltwater aqua before. I notice that you have not been on RC too much before and you seem like there is a lot of different water boxes going to be in the circulation pattern. If this really happens, it will be a while in the making. I spend five weekends to build just a stand and canopy, not including any plumbing or tank design.

IMHO: Buy someone's 120 or 180G setup for under a $1k and you will be better off. I know a budget is a budget, but if you cannot afford this upfront cost, look at nano setups. I am not trying to be rude or offensive at all, but look at long-term costs into your equation as well as the safety of your fish.

 

[pixel8ed]

I've been in saltwater for a decade more or less and nano's exlusively for the past three years. No offense taken or meant, but time spent or post count on RC is not indicative of knowledge in a good reef setup and one way I know that for certain is the ardent posts I've seen elsewhere on RC that still suggest barebottoming or considering that only 4" of LS on anything larger than 75 is a viable DSB. That being said, there are a variety of areas reef management that I have absolutely no clue about because I've never had an interest in it before, like fragging or rapid growth for profit. I am an absolute idiot in these matters and an amatuer, at best, in growing SPS.

$500 is strictly for the elements that I can build, and it's more than generous. The tank, sump, furniture. What I have left to spend will be for a retrofit lighting element (2x Single End MH 400 14k and >= 2 110w VHO actinics) good skimmer, salt, and 3-5 pumps of various assortments.

I'll worry about budgetting money for the LR, LS and livestock sooner or later, but it won't do any good to worry about it now. Problem with pre-owned setups is that one usually ends up buying someone elses mistakes - and it usually involves the drilling, or lack thereof. I'm not opposed to the idea in principle, but I haven't found a 125 that I like for sale in the last month (and there've only been 2), and building a 120 myself is two sheets of acrylic cheaper.

I will have all the verticle and horizontal cuts made for me at the lumber yard for .20 a piece. What will be left will be assembling the tank, the sump, drilling for the furniture, installing, etc. With the precuts already made and the right tools/hardware the first time around and at least one other person, it shouldn't be more than a 6 hour job before the panels are ready to be sanded for staining. The shopping list, waiting for the precuts, physically installing it, sanding and staining will be the longest parts of the task.

 

[NuccaTree]

It sounds like you have done most of the gunt work already and should already know what to expect. Still I believe that the construction layup for a nice quality setup will involve more than a couple weekend part-times to throw together. However, since you already have your plan of action set, go for it. It will be a great testiment for others to follow and a great example of what can be done at a very minimum cost.
As like we did a couple weekend ago when we made 10 mjmods in a matter of 4 hours. simple project that cost factions of the price of a comparable PH. But agin it took 4 hours just for this simple task.
Again, I think it is a great test and will look forward to the results.

 

[glaspie69]

I guess I should say something.......

I'm usually most peoples heart breaker so here goes and while reading this take NO OFFENSE I'm not trying to discourage anything your doing just wanna give some pointers. Your 6 hour estimate is way under rated. I built a stand for Jeremy and it took me 4 or 5 hours in a shop full of tools.....and I've been a carpenter for around 10 years. As for the lumber yard cutting your cuts for you, personally I wouldn't have them do it. If they do cut your peices the chances of them fitting together like clockwork are slim to none, especially if you have doors. Lumberyards usually don't have the right equipment for cutting nice, clean cuts. Even if they do have the equipment most of the time the guy thats trying to cut the material has no clue what he's doing. As for the acrylic the cleaner the edges the better off you are going to be, and you are going to need alot of clamps, your going to want a clamp like every 8 to 10 inches so you get the best glue joists you can get. If you need help with anything send me a PM I've got access to a full shop. Jason

 

[pixel8ed]

... popping my lumber yard cutting bubble.... tsk.

and if that is the case, then there's very little point in doing the pre-drilling either (which is what I'd planned on doing before the construction).

In either event, I've changed my mind, yet again, and think i'm going to do the 125, and now I'm having problems with the internal framing....

verticle 2x4 border frame with verticle 2x4 braces every 18" it leaves a good amount of space for the horizontal wood screws... 'but', no room to mount the border on the support beams unless I want to position the support beams on the outer edge of the base and have them flat facing. original design was so much simpler.

 

[pixel8ed]

I've completed the plans..... the entire plan for this can be found uploaded in my gallery.

This is for a standard 125g 72x18x24

This SS is the 1:4 scale of the model I made for it.

Components are as follows:

Whole Unit:

91x19x83

Cabinet:

73x19x48

Skimmer Cupboard:

18x19x83

Canopy:

73x19x14

Total Sump Room:

91x16x30 (175 gal sump @ max)



Note that this is only the frame - it is meant to be panelled.

~E