180 gallon build thread aka Jims' bad idea!

[Thales]

You could do the same thing with the corners and with the sides at the water air boundary.

 

[bookfish]

[quote author=Thales link=topic=2024.msg20060#msg20060 date=1178846327]
You could do the same thing with the corners and with the sides at the water air boundary.
[/quote]Exactly, but viewing-wise, I think it'll be less obtrusive to view the ends of the roundouts than to see a whole strip up the front viewing edges. That's what's pushing me towrds horizontality (is that even a word?).

 

[Thales]

It is now.

 

[bookfish]

Actual update!!!
Norm and I have almost finished building the stand! You know, where "we" build the stand, I pass the nails and Norm builds the stand!
It's actually quite attractive and was done for under $100 spent at home depot! It's designed to need no front center legs at all. For a 6 foot 180, that's quite a feat but watching how it was built gives me a lot of confidence...I think... ;D
Norm, I put the top on all by myself. C'mon over and take some pics before it's all boxed in.

 

[bookfish]

Added a 2"x6" front piece to relieve any bowing over the 6' and also added a bunch of corner braces to see if I could do away with the 2"x4" that was planned to go across the front bottom. Put on 2 layers of polyurethane wherever i thought water might go. This will all make sense when Norm takes some pics for us (perhaps tonight!) but I wanted to get the text up while I had a second. And just for the record, 1600+ pounds of tank, rock and water is a very scary thought unless you're extremely confident in your stand. I'm going to recommend this stand design for folks in the future. Thanks Norm!!

 

[Raddogz]

Me want pictures please.

It sounds good like the stand is a real winner!

 

[bookfish]

Here's THE BIG UPDATE!!!!
Truvu http://www.truvuaquariums.com/index.html
Has offered to provide a tank to allow me to explore some new and interesting advances in our hobby. These will all be spelled out in upcoming issues of the magazine, as my "Zen" series continues. The initial setup will be a full, 6 foot, penducted gyre tank. Truvu has generously offered to provide the rounded corner inserts as well to reduce flow loss through corner turbulence.
My plans are to run this combo SPS/LPS tank with a single mag 12 sump return and a Mak 4 (Iwaki 55RLT equiv) for the closed loop.

Special thanks to Norman Tom for building my new stand and Scott Clark at Truvu for helping me finalize my design plans and building the tank. -Jim
ps. pics will follow soon, I promise!

 

[Raddogz]

Very cool Jim!

A big thanks to TruVu then.

 

[bookfish]

Yes, a huge 6'x2' thanks to Truvu! And this means I'll be able to get back up to speed on growing corals to give away!!!

 

[Raddogz]

Super!

I want to be the first in line of "Free Corals".... LOL

 

[GreshamH]

All right, make a diagram of your layout and let's see it

 

[bookfish]

[quote author=GreshamH link=topic=2024.msg21368#msg21368 date=1182197392]
All right, make a diagram of your layout and let's see it
[/quote] I'll try and do that.

 

[GreshamH]

Sweet

 

[bookfish]

This will come as no surprise to those that know me but the tank will be finished before I figure out how to post a sketch!
Tomorrow is the big day and so I'll be posting pics of the tank instead of the sketch.-Jim

 

[fishnfst]

We need pics With the Gyre setup does the flow always go the same direction? Or is there a way to reverse the flow every so often? Is that even needed?

 

[bookfish]

Yup, pics will start shortly. My tank will have a constant direction, but it should be easy to design a reversible gyre.

 

[GreshamH]

OK< so Matt can hold the camera and you can pose with your new tank there Jim

 

[bookfish]

Yup, on Rich's borrowed camera!

 

[bookfish]

New pics are up.
http://reefhobbyistmagazine.com/discussion/index.php?topic=30.new#new

 

[Elite]

very interesting looking tank Jim ..

Wish you are close by so I can check it out in person