Starting My 90g Reef

[mouscacha]

I see a lot of tank progression posts, so I thought I'd share. Unlike talking to my wife about the process, this gives me a chance to chat with people who actually appreciate starting up a new tank.


SUMP DESIGN
I went through several designs before I settled on a 40G breeder with glass baffles. I tried the acrylic pressure locking baffles from directions on a website, but that turned out to be a terrible idea. The depth of the breeder made the acrylic bend, so needless to say, that didn't work.


Gluing process.



This one was during testing to make sure the glass wasn't going to shift. I've been running it since the end of September, and it's been working great. It's a bit overkill for my 20g viewer, but it's just a test right???

Tank and Stand
My buddy finally had time to build the first part of my tank stand. Right now, I just asked him to hurry up and build me the box portion for my tank and sump to stand on. We'll add doors later after the plumbing is done. It's also supposed to have a matching canopy and a side cabinet for the closed loop, top off, and electrical system. I know, it doesn't sound compatible...


Here's a picture of the tank stand with my 90 on it. He built it out of 3/4" cherry ply and made sure to put a brace support across the top. We drilled the back of the tank into the CONCRETE wall, and added feet that hide under the stand. The screws are supposed to hold 800lbs each, but I'm still worried. Anyone think this will hold? Should I ask him to put a brace down the middle of the stand?

I'll update with new pictures after I start the plumbing this weekend. *crosses fingers*