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aqua-nut's 120 - getting back to salt!

aqua-nut

aqua-nut

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I'm finally getting around to starting a tank journal! I had witnessed the abuse gimmito received and wanted to avoid that as much as possible :) by getting some things done BEFORE starting this thread.

The tank is a standard format 120. I really like the 24" height and 24" depth form factor. I don't have room for anything bigger or it would be a 180! The tank was made by Gen at Kritter tanks. It has a modified coast to coast into an external overflow. This is drilled for three drains to use the 'beananimal' quiet drain system.

I built and stained the stand to match the fireplace facade which I also made.

Right now the tank is in the garage awaiting the first water test. Since I built the stand, I'm a little insecure about it being strong enough. Better to flood the garage than the living room! I finished the plumbing today and will 'fill 'er up' tomorrow.

So now on to the first of many questions!

I build the stand to have a removable center brace. I'm now debating whether or not that was necessary. I don't think I should remove the brace if the tank has water in it. My question is about sump sizes. Should the sump be as big as possible and not removable or small enough to be taken out? With the center brace in, the sump cannot have a footprint bigger than 30x16.

All input appreciated!

Here is the setup in the garage.



Attached files /attachments/sites/default/files/DSC00272.jpg
 
I'm a big beleiver in the largest sump possible.
If you have a 5 gallon tank but a 100 gallon sump your water quality will be better. Fish poop (phosphate) gets diluted. Obviously an extreme example but you get the point.
You shouldn't ever have to remove it. You can also use bulkheads to couple smaller sumps and join them in the stand, eliminating the need to remove the
center brace.
 
What no water yet ??? You are off to a great start there John. LOL.

A simple solution is to tie in two sumps via bulkheads as Scarbird suggested or have removable side panels so you can slide the sump out.
 
Since I have a 40B, I can easily avoid the center support up front. In your case, maybe you could just have it slide through the side like Jim suggested? I don't know where you plan on placing your setup but knowing that might help us help you. :)
 
John, that stand is beautiful! Nice work. Stoked you are starting your tank, and I love the dimensions!

Not sure what you have to get underneath your tank, but if it's EVERYTHING, then a large sump to put it all in might be much easier than trying to plumb external stuff around the sump. You could also look at some sumps on "lifereef." He does some pretty creative things with sumps and you might get some idea's.

Congrat's on the new tank. Excited to see how it turns out.
 
aqua-nut said:
Right now the tank is in the garage awaiting the first water test. Since I built the stand, I'm a little insecure about it being strong enough. Better to flood the garage than the living room!
Click to expand...

Ahh, testing the stand is the fun part.
Get 4 more guys. Have a few beers.
Dance around on top of it.
That is a remarkably good approximation of both the weight, and a mild quake.
:party:
 
rygh said:
aqua-nut said:
Right now the tank is in the garage awaiting the first water test. Since I built the stand, I'm a little insecure about it being strong enough. Better to flood the garage than the living room!
Click to expand...

Ahh, testing the stand is the fun part.
Get 4 women, Have a few beers.
Dance with them on top of it.
That is a remarkably good approximation of both the weight, and a mild quake.
:party:
Click to expand...
Fixed that for you,
Or 4 guys, your call!
 
Mark and Mike,

I think I'll just fill the tank. Although your suggestions are good, Mark's seems like it has 'YouTube crash video' written all over it and well Mike, I'm not looking to be living IN the garage. 'Get 4 women, have a few beers' - Ha! Did you write Romney's 'binders full of women' line???

Perhaps I'll :beer: while the tank fills.
 
My setup, which I should document here someplace, has two 40 gal tanks tied via three 1" bulkheads. In my previous reefer life, I had 2 smaller tanks tied via two 1" bulkheads. I can say that 3 works way better for flow, but maybe two 1.5" bulkheads will work just as well.
BTW, in both instances I have a sump room where I can access and mess with the sumps if something goes wrong with any of the bulkheads. So, I'd advice with going with the largest sump you can get and then put the appropriate baffles in.
 
Time for the most boring tank video ever! I put water in the beast today! No funny noises from the stand. Didn't have to dance upon it to test!

I really like the 'beananimal' drain system. It's so quiet!

Take a look & listen here:

[youtube]mwlhJNG4SxA[/youtube]

Oh yeah, kudos to Gimmito for his live video and narration. It's really hard not to sound like an idiot while doing the video. Jim does a great job of not sounding like an idiot! ;)
 
Nice video John...the highlight was the sound effects you were making. :)

Oh, and don't give me too much credit on my videos...my wife says I sound like a idiot when I make them all the time. :p
 
Wow, the 120 is finally coming online! I thought I would see nuclear fission first. :p Congratulations, John!

What are your plans for livestock?

Sadly I could not hear how quiet your system is because it was overshadowed by the sound of rotifer cultures bubbling in the room I am in. :D
 
Thanks guys.

@Jim
Wives are not the best judge of their husband's idiocy. ;)

@David
I deserve that! :)
Current plans are for a mixed reef. I really like the colors of sps, my wife really likes the movement of lps (frog spawn, elegance) and thinks the colors of some sps are 'too much'. Fish? Too many choices, not enough tank space! There will be clowns. ;)

Trust me. The only sound is the hummmmm of the return pump. In the final setup I plan to put the sump on a foam pad and maybe put the pump on a pad too. I don't mind the sounds of water running, air bubbling. The toilet flush sound of some overflows is not acceptable!

@Denzil
Have you drilled your tank yet? Check out beananimal's thread on RC. There are many variations on this system to achieve silence!
 
Nope, I don't even have the tank yet. I'm waiting until the stand is built before I go out to buy the 40B on the $1/gal sale at Petco. I think I'm still going to remain open to the idea, even if it is overkill for my tank.
 
Silence is NEVER overkill! :) I also like the failure back-up nature of the system.

The current buck/gal sale ends tomorrow, IIRC.

Always good to have the tank on hand for motivation and exact dimensions.

I'm thinking about getting one today to use as my sump.
 
Update time! Where does the time go? Seems like it was just a couple of days ago I posted the last video. The tank and stand are in their 'final resting place' :). I'm working on the plumbing now. It was so easy to do in the garage and so hard to get to when it's up against a wall!

I decided to go with a 40B as a sump. I'm not planing on doing anything fancy in the sump like a fuge, so have just put three dividers (over, under, over) for bubble control. Now I have a HUGE amount of room for the skimmer and any reactors I want to park in the sump!

HELP ME CHOOSE A SKIMMER!
I had a line on a good skimmer thru someone up here but it looks like that is falling thru. There are so many choices! For no really definable reason I've decided on the Super Reef Octopus line. Now which model? I'm trying to decide if the SRO 2000INT or the SRO 3000INT is the skimmer for me. I'm open to any and all suggestions.

As a reminder, the tank is a 120g and I plan on it being a mixed reef. My wife really likes 'things that move in the current'. There has to be (wife required! :) ) an elegance, members of the Euphyllia genus and a clam. I've never kept SPS so that's where I want to go.
 
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