At the project’s onset I defined a set of parameters, wants, needs, etc.:
Peninsula style / room divider tank / 3-sided viewable.
300+ gals. / Minimum 6' or greater in length / 36" wide
Open top tank for ease of maintenance and supplemental cooling.
Predominantly lit with T5's (preferably overdriven)
Open rock work type of reef structure(s)
Horizontal external overflow(s)
Reduced energy consumption wherever possible.
Reduced heat transfer wherever practical (no chiller)
The Stand:
I had been hearing good things about a company called SoCal Creations out in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. so I decided to give them a call and see what they had to offer. Randy was extremely helpful and was more than happy to discuss potential ideas for my stand.
We kicked around the idea of steel vs. wood, weighing the pros and cons of each, before I finally decided that steel was the best all-around choice for the project. I liked the idea of the added strength and additional interior space, but the final selling point was that my fiancé and I had yet to finalize the plans for the living room remodel and coming back at a later date to build the wood facade meant I could start on the tank now and worry about selecting cabinetry finishes later. That, and the cost of the woodwork could go on the project's back end leaving me slightly more cash liquid on the front end.
SoCal did an outstanding job on the stand and had it all welded up in no time at all. One of the things I had requested was the installation of a couple of interior walls to partition off the different compartments from one another. The other concern was that I wanted the stand to be as low-maintenance as possible - something that would hold up to the rigors of water splashes and salt creep. To this end the stand was powder coated in black with white FRP panels laminated to the underside of it's top, it's floor, as well as all interior walls.
However, along comes Ken (aka: Konadog) who derails everything with pictures of his Linex coated steel stand. Which, at this stage of the game couldn't have come at a better time because one of the problems I was still mulling around was how to best deal with the fact that my stand would be sitting directly on a concrete floor. A serious source of concern since trying to muscle the stand into it's final position might very well damage the powder coating on the bottom allowing potential spilled water to pool under the tank and begin rusting the exposed metal. Needless to say, when Ken began posting pics of this Linex stuff, it appeared to be just what the good doctor ordered.
So, after a couple more phone calls to the guys at at SoCal, and several reassurances on my part that I hadn't gone off the deep end, (I'm still not sure if I ever totally sold them on that one) I talked Randy into sending the stand out yet again to be re-sprayed. (So much for the cost savings on the front end) However, just prior to it going back out the door I requested that 1x2's be added to the stand's perimeter to form several small catch basins which I hoped would give me a little additional insurance against water spills.
In spite of the additional cost the stand exceeded my expectations and I am beyond happy with the finished product. The newfangled "Konacoat" as I have coined it in honor of Ken, is nearly indestructible and could very well outlast me. Better still, the addition of the 1x2's has created a sealed drip tray in each of the three compartments and I no longer have to worry where any misplaced water might wind up.
