My new 335g

mpdharley · #1 07/06/2006, 08:13 PM

Well, I decided to build my new tank. This time, I'm building the stand, tank and sump (and anything else I can!). I haven't decided if I'm crazy for trying this or not, but what else am I going to use all my tools for??!!

Here are my plans and my progress so far. All comments, suggestions are appreciated.

Some info:

Tank size (external dimensions): 72 x 48 x 24
Tank volume: Approx 335 gallons
Acrylic thickness: 3/4"

The tank will have a top, 4" lip (on the short sides) and 3" on the long side. I will also have two other cross braces, 4" each

Stand dimensions: 80 x 52 x 40

Plans
The stand, top view

Stand, side view

Tank, top view

Tank, side view

Sump/Fuge (3/8" acrylic, might use 1/2")

Mike

mpdharley · #2 07/06/2006, 08:16 PM

The construction has started on the stand. The floor is also being redone in this room. We went with stained concrete (talk about a PITA!). When the tank is finished and the old ones torn down, we will finish the baseboards, etc:

Tat2demon · #3 07/06/2006, 08:40 PM

Will definatly be following this one. Lookin great so far.

adnup · #4 07/06/2006, 09:32 PM

WOW! WOW!
Looks great so far!

Is the tank staying where it is? If so how are you getting power to it?

slevesque · #5 07/06/2006, 09:53 PM

Nice! I love DIY stuff.

If I'm correct we are talking about 2700 lbs of water. I'm not an experienced builder but from what i saw here in the big tank forum I would suggest you build a grid pattern with 2x4 just underneat your top plywood. Acrylic seems soft to me and it might need a fairly good support.

mpdharley · #6 07/07/2006, 05:51 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by adnup
WOW! WOW!
Looks great so far!

Is the tank staying where it is? If so how are you getting power to it?

This thing definitely isn't moving! I couldn't build the stand in the garage, because once built, I would have no way to get it into the house!

I currently have two dedicated 15amp circuits for the reef tank. Right now, they are running my 125 reef. The circuits run down the wall with the shade on it and then come down the length on the right (as you look at the picture).

When I'm ready to move livestock into this tank, I'll swing the two circuits over to underneath the window and run two power cords to the built-in power center (in the stand). To cover the cords, I'll use rubber strips like you do in an office (when you run cords over the floor).

The built-in power center will be off the ground and above the base 2 x 4s. So, if water starts to fill up the bottom of the stand (sump overflow, etc), it will flow over the 2 x 4s before it hits the bottom of the power center. The power center will also be sealed (all cords will come in from the bottom which also forces a drip loop to be made) to prevent water from coming in from the top.

Each of the two main feeds to the power center are also GFI circuits.

mpdharley · #7 07/08/2006, 04:08 PM

I've been able to get a little more work done. The stand has been primed (inside, outside and bottom), painted (inside only) and linoleum put down on the bottom to protect the plywood. I also ran a seam of silicone along the entire bottom edge.

Now I'll start working on the drawers and the power center.

Mike

adnup · #8 07/10/2006, 05:56 PM

Looks great!

I love the linoleum, thats a great idea!

Jasen Hicks · #9 07/10/2006, 06:47 PM

Nice.... Looking forward to more pics on this... and more info too! All you people with big tanks make me mad that i live on the second floor of an apartment, my 75 is technically *illegal* in my place by the contract.

Jasen

mpdharley · #10 07/10/2006, 06:51 PM

LOL -- sometimes I wish I couldn't have a big tank -- then I might be able to do something else! :-) Seriously though, I've been looking forward to this project for a while.

I'm hoping with the linoleum, sealed with silicone, etc, that I'll be able to contain any leaks that do happen.

sabodish · #11 07/10/2006, 07:09 PM

i think you may need more power...2 15A circuits wont be enough for that size tank. when i had my 360 up, i was using 4 20A outlets and still wanted more. if you should need a chiller, there goes out circuit as a chiller for that size tank pulls about 10A!

other than that, it looks great. im probably going to be stealing your sump design next month when i start my 48x48x30 cube build!

ChemE · #12 07/10/2006, 10:27 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Jasen Hicks
Nice.... Looking forward to more pics on this... and more info too! All you people with big tanks make me mad that i live on the second floor of an apartment, my 75 is technically *illegal* in my place by the contract.

Jasen

Move all the furniture out of a room and build yourself a 600 gallon tidepool tank which is only 12" deep so that the weight is spread across all the floor joists in the room. I'm sure the contract authors were stupid and made illegal a certain volume rather than a certain loading per square foot. That's what happens when you leave science to lawyers (just look at the government!).

Jasen Hicks · #13 07/11/2006, 05:39 AM

Of course its a volume based clause, no more than 45 gallons.... im running triple of course with the prop tank and sump :-D

Jasen

mpdharley · #14 07/11/2006, 06:09 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by sabodish
i think you may need more power...2 15A circuits wont be enough for that size tank. when i had my 360 up, i was using 4 20A outlets and still wanted more. if you should need a chiller, there goes out circuit as a chiller for that size tank pulls about 10A!

other than that, it looks great. im probably going to be stealing your sump design next month when i start my 48x48x30 cube build!

I've actually spec'd out all the equipment I think I'll need (including the chiller) and if what I want to do works, it will be enough. If not, then I may have to run another circuit. Some of the things I'm doing:

Lighting: 3 x 250MH (HQI) down the center. This will be the "High Light Zone". Spreading outward towards the sides, the lower light areas will be stocked with less (light) demanding corals. I may also supplement with T5s running along side (lengthwise) each side of the MH "strip".

I also run my lighting on a schedule to help reduce heat. Meaning, the MH lights run from 3pm - 3am. During this period, we cool the house for when we are home (during the week), keeping it down to 73 degrees starting at 9pm. During the winter, we keep the house at 68 degrees in the evenings, when the lights are on. So the lights help heat the tank at night, helping the tank heaters.

Circulation: 2 Dart Pumps. One for a closed loop and one for the main return. I currently use multiple MAG pumps. The main Dart pump will use less electricity than the 3 MAG pumps I'm currently using for main circulation (2 for returns, 1 for the fuge). The new layout also removes the need for one of the pumps.

Cooling: In addition to a 1/3HP chiller, there is a ceiling fan above the tank. I'm going to put that on a timer to turn on when the lights come on. This will help keep air moving in the room.

Other than that, the lighting on the fuge portion will be slightly less than what I have now -- I currently have a 4 x 2 x 2 fuge. The new fuge area of the sump will 3 x 1 x 20".

Plus the other equipment (CR, Skimmer). So, I "think" I'm going to be okay. If not, I'll just add a 20amp circuit. I've checked, and the house will support it.

Quote:

Originally posted by sabodish
... other than that, it looks great. im probably going to be stealing your sump design next month when i start my 48x48x30 cube build!

No problem, I "borrowed" the basic design from someone else!

mpdharley · #15 07/16/2006, 02:55 PM

I've been working on the power center and the box for the drawers. Unfortunately, I may not have room for the drawers. It's hard to believe that I may be tight on space with a 4 x 6 stand, but I might be! For now, here's the pictures of the power cabinet:

Fitting the cabinet into the stand

All the pieces for the inside:

The backboard, cut out for the electrical boxes and with the boxes installed

Switches/plugs for the first circuit done, pieces installed for the second circuit

mpdharley · #16 07/16/2006, 02:56 PM

All switches, timers, plugs wired up, front and back

Mounted in the cabinet

When I mounted the backboard, I mounted it with hinges so I could get to the wiring if I ever needed to

And mounted into the stand

Now it's time to work on the top for the stand and work out how everything will fit underneath. I'm thinking of making my sump a little wider, to give me room for a larger skimmer (if I need one), future equipment, etc.

jeffreylam1132 · #17 07/20/2006, 06:17 AM

Very nice work, mpdharley. Love all the details and photos. I have a few questions. Did you used nails or screws to put your stand together? From the pictures, I can't really tell. Does it matters which are better, nails or screws? Also, I'm looking at the stand and with all the brace you have around the stand, how are you gonna put your sump inside the stand? BTW, love your power center.

mpdharley · #18 07/20/2006, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jeffreylam1132
Very nice work, mpdharley. Love all the details and photos. I have a few questions. Did you used nails or screws to put your stand together? From the pictures, I can't really tell. Does it matters which are better, nails or screws? Also, I'm looking at the stand and with all the brace you have around the stand, how are you gonna put your sump inside the stand? BTW, love your power center.

Thanks! The stand is put together with a good wood glue and deck Deckmate deck screws. Mostly, the screws are there to keep the wood together until the glue dries and the to offer some support after that. Also, anything that is truly holding weight is either sitting directly on the ground or standing on another board. Neither the screws nor the glue is the major support for any weight.

The openings in the stand are actually quite wide. The middle opening on the long side is 31" wide. On the ends, it's wider than that. So, there won't be any problem getting the sump under the stand.

thor32766 · #19 07/20/2006, 10:49 AM

sweet setup so far, keep up the good work

Bri Guy · #20 07/20/2006, 12:15 PM

I love that power center you made!!!

Just shows you that some of our reefers are Chemists, woodworkers, electrictions, plastic workers, and im sure other crazy trades that come with the territory. Reef on!

mpdharley · #21 07/20/2006, 12:23 PM

Truly, all I wanted to do was to learn something about working with PVC. So, I started a reef tank. Now I know about woodworking, working with acrylic, plumbing, electrical, water chemistry, water flow dynamics (well, not really that, but I have to deal with it! :-) ), ....

pyro383 · #22 07/20/2006, 12:34 PM

I would (as I did on mine) 2 switches to kill power immediately. 1 for each circuit.

mpdharley · #23 07/20/2006, 12:58 PM

Hmmm...didn't think of that, will definitely have to remember that if I rebuild it.

For now, I do (kinda) have that. There are two dedicated circuits that feed the reef tank. I used an external, medium duty, outside extension cord for each of the two circuits (that are hard wired into the control panel), which plug into GFI plugs.

Although not as elegant as a single switch in the control panel, I can simply kill the two breakers at the main (a 10 second panic run to the garage) or pull the plugs.

boviac · #24 07/21/2006, 01:39 AM

You could also push the test button on the GFCI outlets... (better than pulling plugs) if I understand the desgin well enough. Great design. Am following along.

mpdharley · #25 07/21/2006, 06:21 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by boviac
You could also push the test button on the GFCI outlets... (better than pulling plugs) if I understand the desgin well enough. Great design. Am following along.

Very true!