The 90g project has begun!!!
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Forum Name: DIY
Forum Description: Do it Yourself
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=14169
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Topic: The 90g project has begun!!!
Posted By: fj40fax
Subject: The 90g project has begun!!!
Date Posted: September 18 2006 at 7:02pm
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It has been over a year since I got a 90g acrylic tank from a patient.
It is 60Lx18Wx20H. It was badly scratched when I got it but I spent
about a month last year sanding and buffing by hand to get rid of all
the scratches. It still has a tiny bit of haze, but I am hoping to get
some suggestions (and perhaps borrow a power sander/buffer) to get the
haze gone. I have buffing compound from the scratch kit already. Anyway, I ran out of time and money to finish the stand. So it got shelved for about a year. After a record month in June at the office I am finally going to finish the tank. For those of you that have seen the current 20g in my office it will be nearly identical, just taller and wider. The idea with these stands is that everything is enclosed including pumps cords and everything. That way no kids (including my own) can mess with stuff while unattended in the waiting room. The sides are 1" MDF (so freakin' heavy). This allows me to rout the front corners to match the radius on the tank. There are extensions glued onto the top of the tank that allow the water level to be exactly at the top of the tank without an air gap above the water line. The stand will have a full plywood platform (necessary for acrylic). It will also have a full plywood bottom to spread the weight over the entire area. The bottom of the tank is 48"H to be viewed while standing, and to give room for more equipment. The sump will be a 45g (36x13x24H) and will have a 6" deep sand bed.   In this picture you can see the extensions over the tank openings and the slant that the canopy (14" tall) will have to allow it to open 180deg and stay there.  I will post up to this thread as I make more progress. I hope to have it up and painted before the reef tour, if I can't have it filled by then. Which reminds me, does anyone know any painters that will be painting with exterior grade white paint? I would like to just trailer it to a job site and get it painted inside and out with a couple coats of good white paint. Feel free to post comments and concerns. Thanks, Fax ------------- Fax 318-3632 90g 2x250W 14kK MH Sump, Fuge, G3, UV, O3, ACIII Pleasant Grove, UT Across State Street from the Purple Turtle Adjustments and Massages for Frags! |
Replies:
Posted By: Mike Savage
Date Posted: September 18 2006 at 7:39pm
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It's looking good, keep the pictures coming. Is there enough ceiling height to open the canopy that far? It might take just over 8 feet.
Mike -------------  |
Posted By: fj40fax
Date Posted: September 18 2006 at 7:51pm
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There is. We have 9 ft ceilings in the office. I'm also trying to work out a way to get the fans on top to exhaust outside, This thing is going to evap a lot of water, and me and humidity do not get along. Fax ------------- Fax 318-3632 90g 2x250W 14kK MH Sump, Fuge, G3, UV, O3, ACIII Pleasant Grove, UT Across State Street from the Purple Turtle Adjustments and Massages for Frags! |
Posted By: fj40fax
Date Posted: May 20 2007 at 3:36pm
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Wow, I didn't realize it has been so long. The stand is now out
for paint! I did some really cool things for this stand. First, I put two high velocity 10" fans in the side of the stand (both blowing in) and cut a panel to hold a furnace filter on the side that will be close to the wall in the office. It should keep the grime out, and they vent out the top of the canopy taking the hot air right out the top. Second, I made an electrical compartment. This compartment vents to the fresh air inside the office and should help keep the moist salty air away from the electrical equipment. The front is 1/4" acrlylic to see what is going on inside (like controller readings). Third, I made a hidden switch for the return pump to make it easy to turn off while feeding. I also put a check valve on the return line so the water level only drops 1/2" to 3/4" when the pump goes off. Fourth, the bottom 14" of the stand is waterproof and there will be a floor drain inside the stand. This is also combined with an emergency drain above the tank so overflows should be much less of a risk. I'll get some pics when it comes back from a friend's paint booth. ------------- Fax 318-3632 90g 2x250W 14kK MH Sump, Fuge, G3, UV, O3, ACIII Pleasant Grove, UT Across State Street from the Purple Turtle Adjustments and Massages for Frags! |
Posted By: Mike Savage
Date Posted: May 20 2007 at 4:41pm
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Sounds great. I'm looking forward to seeing those pictures!
Mike ------------- |
Posted By: kgwilliams
Date Posted: June 29 2007 at 10:35pm
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Ya, me too! Expecially of the floor drain, I've been trying to figure out a way to catch any water that would possibly overflow. I just had a flood and I am bound and determined not to have another one. ------------- 75gal reef /sump/ref 150MH 2 96w CF Perhaps I would be better at basket weaving. . . at least it would be cheaper! |
Posted By: fj40fax
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 9:44pm
The stand is now painted! It will be in the office for final
assembly tomorrow. The plan is to have it up and running with
some fish and corals for the reef tour. I was gone for the
weekend and had a problem in the 20g and lost everything 
(wasn't much in there anyway). It will be a good time to move the
rock over without losing too much. I figure at my present pace
the assembly should take a month or two, but could take as long as a
year...Fax ------------- Fax 318-3632 90g 2x250W 14kK MH Sump, Fuge, G3, UV, O3, ACIII Pleasant Grove, UT Across State Street from the Purple Turtle Adjustments and Massages for Frags! |
Posted By: fj40fax
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 9:50pm
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I will shoot a pic of my current floor drain tomorrow. It is just
a copper fitting flared out into a funnel that is caulked into the hole
in the floor inside the stand. That just runs into some PVC and
goes down into a utility sink down in the basement.
------------- Fax 318-3632 90g 2x250W 14kK MH Sump, Fuge, G3, UV, O3, ACIII Pleasant Grove, UT Across State Street from the Purple Turtle Adjustments and Massages for Frags! |
Posted By: Mike Savage
Date Posted: July 02 2007 at 10:31pm
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Progress: you got to love it!
Let's see some pictures.
Mike ------------- |
Posted By: Shane H
Date Posted: July 03 2007 at 12:38am
| The reef tour is a great motivator to finish a project. Believe me, I know! |
Posted By: fj40fax
Date Posted: July 07 2007 at 5:16pm
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Pics for all those interested... This is the new one next to the old one. Just installed the locks that keep wayward items from little ones out of the sump.  This is the electrical compartment. It will have an acrylic face to separate the fresh air from the moist salty air in the stand. Also visible as the curves in the 4x4 support are the 2 10" fan locations. They should bring in heaps of fresh air.  This is the light rack that will hold the 2 x 250W MH's the third bar will hold future VHO's or T5's. The whole thing slides back for easy access.  This is the sump. Upper right is the skimmer compartment, it will also have the filter bags from the returns. Middle is the refugium area, to be lit by a LOA from home depot. Bottom is the bubble trap. It is 36x18x20H, and holds about 40g all the time plus has enough room for when the pump turns off.  That's it for now. Have quite a bit of work to do before it gets wet, but I'll be workin on it... Fax ------------- Fax 318-3632 90g 2x250W 14kK MH Sump, Fuge, G3, UV, O3, ACIII Pleasant Grove, UT Across State Street from the Purple Turtle Adjustments and Massages for Frags! |
Posted By: Mike Savage
Date Posted: July 07 2007 at 6:05pm
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Fax, it's looking good. Well thought out too.
Mike ------------- |
Posted By: fj40fax
Date Posted: July 11 2007 at 1:33pm
Making more progress, got the doors hung, and started plumbing.
There will be a SCWD on each side returning from a Iwaki 40 at nearly
1200gph (600 per SCWD). Still not sure where to put the return
pump, but I will put that question over in the "Plumbing an external
pump" thread. This pic also shows the wavy glued in sand in the bottom. I didn't mean for it to be so wavy, but I think it looks cool. I should be able to blast it with a powerhead and get all the junk off the bottom without causing a sandstorm. That is one of two Koralia 3's blowing down, and I have another #3 to put in the middle, but I may switch it out for a rectangular tunze or whatever. Fax ------------- Fax 318-3632 90g 2x250W 14kK MH Sump, Fuge, G3, UV, O3, ACIII Pleasant Grove, UT Across State Street from the Purple Turtle Adjustments and Massages for Frags! |
Posted By: Mike Savage
Date Posted: July 11 2007 at 2:14pm
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So you won't have an actual sandbed?
Mike ------------- |
Posted By: fj40fax
Date Posted: July 11 2007 at 2:21pm
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There will be a 6" DSB in the sump.
------------- Fax 318-3632 90g 2x250W 14kK MH Sump, Fuge, G3, UV, O3, ACIII Pleasant Grove, UT Across State Street from the Purple Turtle Adjustments and Massages for Frags! |
Posted By: fj40fax
Date Posted: August 21 2007 at 11:31pm
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More progress lately, suffice it to say that I am in the middle of a diatom bloom... Pics soon... Fax ------------- Fax 318-3632 90g 2x250W 14kK MH Sump, Fuge, G3, UV, O3, ACIII Pleasant Grove, UT Across State Street from the Purple Turtle Adjustments and Massages for Frags! |
Posted By: fj40fax
Date Posted: September 12 2007 at 11:12am
I've got some time this morning for an update, with pics! Here is the 90 next to the old 20. I will be pulling the 20 out on Sat.  This is a full tank shot, notice the little feeding door. I'm so glad I made that because the hood door is sooo heavy.  This one shows the light rack (thanks again John H for getting it welded up for me!). Also visible is the top of the "double durso" Pretty much all that is left is stocking it with live stuff. I got 6 chromis to start off with and lost 1 about a week after they went in. I also got a christmas anthias, a crocea clam, frogspawn, purple gorgonia, and a large devil's hand. Still looks very empty... Thanks, Fax ------------- Fax 318-3632 90g 2x250W 14kK MH Sump, Fuge, G3, UV, O3, ACIII Pleasant Grove, UT Across State Street from the Purple Turtle Adjustments and Massages for Frags! |
Posted By: Mike Savage
Date Posted: September 12 2007 at 12:27pm
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That's really looking good Fax. Thanks for posting the pictures!
Mike ------------- |
Posted By: ReefBones
Date Posted: September 12 2007 at 1:11pm
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Looks great! looking forward to watching it grow! .. keep the pics coming! ------------- 140 gallon Reef 65 gallon Reef 55 gallon Aggressive www.thesalttank.com 801-865-6074 "encourage other divers and sea enthusiasts to take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but bubbles" |
Posted By: BobC63
Date Posted: September 12 2007 at 6:12pm
Wow, Fax - that is an extremely sweet looking setup 
I have to come see that !
I'll send you a PM re: that rock, too ------------- - My Current Tank: 50g Starfire Cube Reef * Marine & Reef tanks since 1977 * |
Posted By: john hill
Date Posted: September 15 2007 at 10:44am
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that is looking great fax ------------- out with the large and in with the nano |