An unforseen fork in the road

[Putawaywet]

There is little doubt in my mind that from the moment one first enters this tumultuous, although somewhat cathartic hobby, they will be able to accurately predict the hand that fate will deal to them. Let alone, that someone could possibly have the slightest inkling as to the unexpected aquatic ups and downs that they are destined to experience along the way. Truth be told, we probably stand a better chance of obtaining the five winning lottery numbers than we do accurately predicting the road we’ll be traveling after just a few short years into the hobby.

That’s just the way it is. Because as much as we like to think we know where we might be headed, life just has this uncanny way of throwing out curve balls, if for no other reason, than to ensure we aren’t becoming overly complacent in our daily routine.

The reality of it all is that our lives are forever evolving. Homes are bought and sold, employment changes, priorities (and sometimes marriages) come and go, and what was good yesterday, is suddenly not so good today. Or, what was exciting just a year before, has slowly begun to feel somewhat mundane. Especially so, if you are like me and enjoy the excitement of seeing a project come to fruition just a tad bit more than you do the longevity of the finished product.

So given this recent revelation I guess it shouldn't really be any great surprise that just when I'm on the verge of going from a family of one, to a family of five, with a house that is buried in a quagmire of dust from an ongoing remodel, and with a checkbook that has a six mile umbilical cord connected directly to Home Depot, I’ve come full circle yet again and am knee deep in the task of setting up another tank.

The surprising part is this wasn’t a decision that had been contemplated for any real significant amount of time. No, nothing of the sorts. At least not in the manner I had planned any tank previous. Because in all honesty, I already had what I considered to be my very own dream tank. A tank that even before it came into being had occupied a sweet spot in the back of my mind for a very long time. A tank that I had fantasized about some day owning.

And as the years went by I worked, I saved, and one day I was lucky enough to actually turn that dream into a reality.



And life was good.

[Putawaywet]

...And then along came fate.

However, while I can lament all day on the mitigating circumstances that brought me to this fork in the road, I’ll spare everyone the details and
cut to the chase.... my so-called dream tank - the tank that was supposed to be the one that would satisfy my thirst for any future tank- is coming down, and in it's place will stand a new and (hopefully) improved version of the dream.

Of course, human nature being what it is I’ve been attempting to rationalize this decision out to the fullest in some misguided attempt to appease my unsettled conscious. Telling myself that a single tank will be less upkeep than two, that an open top will make maintenance chores a snap, that the new location will mean a better layout for the living room....

[Putawaywet]

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.

[Putawaywet]

Electrical:

When it comes to my electrical I guess you can say I’m rather particular with the particulars. Especially since a screw up at this stage of the game could possibly have serious consequences down the road. So, not only do I make a concerted effort to do it right the first time, but I try to anticipate any future needs as well.

The majority of the electrical is Carlon conduit coupled with their moisture resistant junction boxes. The main feed is split between 2 20 AMP breakers which should provide plenty of juice for everything I plan to run. I also plan on splitting up the core life support equipment equally between the 2 breakers so losing one shouldn’t be the end of the world.







The all-weather boxes will all receive individual GFCI’s so a tripped circuit will only shut down one or two pieces of equipment at the most. However, I’ve been troubled in the past with GFCI reliability issues when certain types of electronic lighting ballast's are plugged into to them so I’ll have to wait and see how that goes.

[Putawaywet]

The Sump:

After several years with a sumpless tank I found myself behind the curve on what was out there. During my search I stumbled across the sumps made by Royal Exclusive (the Bubble King skimmer folks) and really liked their nice clean look. I've long wondered about sumps here in the U.S. and why they all tend to look the same. Granted, they come in different shapes and sizes, with different internal configurations, but once you get beyond that, one pretty much resembles the next: A big clear acrylic box.

No doubt, many here regard sumps to little more than something to hold their water and equipment, and I certainly understand that logic, after all, everyone is entitle to their preference. But I wanted something a little bit different. I wanted that nice sleek look I saw when I viewed the pictures of the Royal Exclusive stuff. And granted, while there was a price differential between clear and black acrylic, it certainly wasn't prohibitive. So, I consider it money well spent.

Since SoCal was still working on the stand I went ahead and called them up to see about them building my sump as well. (It certainly didn't hurt any that they offered a reasonably priced delivery when everything was finished) On top of that, they were nice enough to invite me out for a visit to see their work first hand and all I can say is I was incredibly impressed. Steve is SoCal's in house acrylic man and after seeing the 400 gal he had sitting in the shop it's pretty evident that he's been doing his homework. His seams are quite impressive.

The thing I liked best about working with Steve is that once he understood the direction I was looking to go he was able to offer suggestions on how better to improve function, while staying on track with my original drawings. I was so impressed with his low-key approach I pretty much just left my sketches telling him to go ahead and tweak things as needed to make it all work.

Seeing as the current plan doesn't have the sump holding much in the way of life support equipment it’s pretty straightforward and relatively basic in it's design...



Overall, it measures 34x28x20" and is constructed out of 3/8" Spartech black acrylic - except the front - which is clear. Water enters in the right front corner and then immediately overflows into the mechanical filter area. This section can either hold a pair of filter socks, or a flat filter pad Whatever I might have a need for. From there water hooks around to the backside where it passes thru several baffles before being drawn into the return pump.



I asked that the sump have lids, so Steve gave me four of them.



The other end of the sump has been partitioned off into it’s own 7"x28" stand-alone section that has it’s own feed line that will be plumbed off the return pump and a slotted overflow to allow water to drain back into the main portion of the sump. If I find myself deciding to run a fuge I can dial in the flow with a small ball valve and setup a small strip light to grow the macro of my choice. On the flip side, should I come up needing a hospital or quarantine tank I can merely shut off the flow and drop in a cheap sponge filter. I've also added a bulkhead/drain in the rear of this section allowing water changes to be done independent of the main sump.



The sump also contains a probe holder mounted to the back wall and a poss. heater rack will probably come somewhere down the road.



The last thing I requested was a black acrylic overlay on the front viewing window. This was something I had originally done to a sump many years ago, and while strictly cosmetic, it's a little touch that I felt would add to the overall finished appearance. Randy and Steve had previously mentioned that they enjoyed a customer who appreciated the quality of their work, but I’m not all that convinced they were entirely ready for a customer who wanted a side order of “pretty” along with that quality.

Beyond that, I'm not sure what additional equipment may or may not eventually wind up in the sump. At the moment the bulk of the stuff is planned to be external, but who knows...

[Putawaywet]

I have a little more work to do to finish up the skimmer install and then I'll have some more pics up.

Until then..... Happy reefing and thanks for stopping in

Brett

[Konadog]

Brett, as usual your preparation is insanely detailed! Your stand turned out even better than mine did with the catch basins. With everything in black, it looks like it belongs on an Imperial cruiser, very stealthy! Very nice work.

When does the tank show up?

[H20ENG]

Bravo! Bravo!
Impeccable workmanship again Brett!!!
Glad you have cat out of the bag

[matt & pam]

Sweet. Is the new tank going to stick out perpendicular from where your old tank sat?

Matt

[Putawaywet]

Thanks for the kind words guys.

Ken, no build date set as yet for the tank because as strange as this may sound, the stand has unexpectedly turned out to be a really great workbench. It's allowing me to do all my fabrication while standing up. I'm not anxious to give that up (LOL) But if I had to make a guess, I'd say August or so for the tank. I've been checking out your latest pics and your tank is looking really sweet. I wish I could move as fast as you are but certain things are beyond my control.

Matt, yes the new tank will be perpendicular. You probably can tell from the pics that the pier piling tank has been removed to make room. Ultimately, the new tank will seperate the living room from the remainder of the front of the house and a leather sofa will occupy the spot where the reef section is currently sitting. There will be an end table between the sofa and the new tank and I'm thinking the pier piling insert will more than likely find a new home on the table as an "accessory" item.

Brett

[Konadog]

Take your time Bret. By the time your ready, I may have some frags for you!
Did you dig out your slab for the work you talked about, or change your mind?

[Putawaywet]

No, not yet. At best I was just going to saw cut the hallway slab a 1/4" or so to run some RO tubing from the laundry room. It's still on that "to do" list.

In a perfect world I'd have a floor drain, an RO spigot, a direct feed to the NSW tank out in the garage, and a nice little hottie to rub my feet at night.

.....Oh wait, come to think of it, 1 outta 4 ain't bad I guess

Brett

[Putawaywet]

The Skimmer:

Since I'm looking at <400 total gals, and stocking will be relatively low, I selected a Deltec AP702 as the backbone of the system. It was somewhat of a tight fit, but after a little trial and error, everything lined up surprisingly well. The only mod that was needed was a 5” acrylic riser to bring the skimmer up to the correct level to drain into the sump.



The skimmer will be gravity fed from dual horizontal overflows that are fitted with 1.5” bulkheads. These will merge at a tee that will then tie into the skimmer. There is also a bypass line allowing water to be diverted as needed to regulate the flow going into the skimmer.



To handle any additional volume from the overflows there will be a second set of 1.5" bulkheads into each overflow that will tee into a single 1.5" pipe feeding directly into the sump. I plan to fit these bulkheads with standpipes to raise the water level in the overflows and reduce the amount of turbulence/bubbles that might otherwise find their way into the skimmer.



The above shot shows the layout of some of the piping. In the foreground is the skimmer bypass. The middle pipe, is the feed into the skimmer. And the rear pipe running up high is where the remainder of any flow coming thru the overflows will drain directly to the sump.


It might be worth mentioning that upon delivery I discovered that there was a bit of mild cosmetic damage to the Eheim pump bodies and one of the pump covers. Basically, just some chipped plastic, which I discovered was not unheard of, so I guess it’s just par for the course. Also, one of the air injection nipples had been completely broken off on one of the pump feed pipes and was rolling around the bottom of the box. That really spun me for a loop, as it was such a clean break that I wrongly assumed it was part of the impeller assembly and spent and easy 10 minutes trying to figure out where the heck it went. All in all though, the damage wasn't really that bad considering it's robust size and how many miles the thing logged before it got to me.

A quick phone call to Doug and he had a replacement pump cover on it’s way. The air injection nipple I went ahead and took care of myself, as it was an easy fix and was way quicker than boxing up and returning the entire pump assembly.

Other than that, I think Deltec's quality and customer service pretty much speak for themselves. I'm confident I'll be quite happy with the skimmer and am looking forward to seeing the thing in action.

...Brett

[spiderman2000]

Man that is one sweet setup. I really like you original tank also.
can't wait to see more.

[alien9168]

Originally posted by spiderman2000
Man that is one sweet setup. I really like you original tank also.
can't wait to see more.

I agree.

Im following this project.

[alien9168]

Oh btw...nice skimmer and sump..i really like the all black look with respect to the stand...and sump etc...

[skamin]

Brett,

are you going to use any part of the Eco-wheel system? or did you just get rid of the whole setup?

[Lunchbucket]

looks great!! i love the look of the original set up!! can't wait ot see more of the new one

Lunchbucket

[Putawaywet]

Thank you everyone. I'm really getting excited at seeing it starting to come together. As you have probably already guessed I tend to get really amped up when I'm chasing a new idea or up to my elbows in fabricating something special.

I still have a lot of things to engineer. Lot's of decisions to make. As weird as this might sound I have on more then a couple occasions literally sat down in front of the stand for lengthy periods of time and just stared and and stared at a particular area of the stand until an idea jumped out at me. Sometimes it takes more than one session before I know which way I am going to go.

As it is now, I'm trying to figure out where my lighting controls will go without having made a final decision on the lighting. Same problem with water flow, I'm pretty sure I will be using the new Vortec pumps, but since their battery backup and controller are still forthcoming it's a little difficult to try and figure out where all of that stuff is going to go when I have no idea how much room it will take up.

I'm also still kicking around the idea of putting a granite top on the stand. A member here on the board did that on his room divider tank and I thought it looked really nice.

skamin: the EcoWheel will not be part of this setup. Once the new tank is operational and everything is transferred over it will be torn down and stored in the garage. After that who knows... kinda a double edged sword - no room to set it back up, but hate to part with it after all the work that went into it.

cheers,

Brett

[bradford]

your unique and elegant writing style is gonna make this thread 10 times better...im gonna be a stage five clinger on this one

[CW from the OC]

Brett

Looks great, thanks for sharing your story!

BTW, I grew up in LB, my parents still live in the same house, down in The Shore....

C Dub

[Putawaywet]

The not so quite DIY rock project
(Otherwise known as: How to beat the high cost of Reef Ceramics)

Greetings everyone....

Since it has become readily apparent to me (as I'm sure it has to those of you who have followed along thus far) that this project has fast materialized into the ultimate bass-ackwards way of setting up a tank, I guess it only appropriate that jumping right to the rockwork phase without having a tank present would be the next illogical step in this convoluted progression.

After all, what is a tank really but a big empty box designed to hold water? Water that I'm nowhere near ready for. So who needs a tank you say? Certainly not I.

However, given that I was a little burned out with all the plumbing I had been hacking together, I decided it was time for a little detour into the realm of artistic expression. It was time to rev up those creative juices.

Originally I had been looking at the Reef Ceramics like those offered by Captive Oceans, but after adding up the amount that would be needed for a tank of this size, as well as factoring in some excess pieces to play around with, it was just too cost prohibitive for my liking. It does look nice from the pics I looked at, but not so nice that I was willing to drop a couple grand to fill up a 7 foot tank.

So I started looking at the threads on DIY rocks. I especially liked the pieces that were being made with just cement and rock salt, as I thought they were some of the best I had seen to date. However, the biggest downfall appeared to be not just the time and labor that would be involved, but the mess and the space required to pull it all off. I just didn’t have the time to experiment until I figured out how to do it right. That, and I also wasn’t particularly eager to deal with the lengthy curing involved in the Aragcrete process.

But then I start thinking back to the current tank and some dry base rock that I had obtained from Capt. Jer over at ReeferRocks www.reeferrocks.com in Florida. I had been pretty happy with my original order several years back and remembering how I had cemented them together using various shapes and sizes until I had obtained a reef structure to my liking, I began to wonder if it might be possible to create something resembling the Reef Ceramics using Capt. Jer's rock, and a bit of artistic license.

I placed a call and quickly found that things had changed a bit since we had last chatted. He was now offering a premium or handpicked rock for modest up-charge. This was basically pieces that he hand selected for maximum porosity, size and shapes of interest. The second thing that had changed was the addition of smaller "frag" rocks that were sized for the attachment of corals. I decided on 150lbs of premium rock (requested to be grapefruit size or smaller) and 50 lbs of his frag rock.

[Putawaywet]

Here are the pics Capt. Jer sent for my approval prior to prepping and shipping my order.

Note the waterfront property off his wood deck. The good Captain said he even gets the occasional manatee cruising by to say hello from time to time.








Here it is spread out on top of my workbench .....errrr, I mean the tank stand.






Some closeups

[Putawaywet]

And this is what I was able to come up with after 5 or 6 hours of work and a dozen or so sticks of AquaMend from the local hardware store.





I think I did an OK job capturing the look of the Reef Ceramic’s product. Especially since it appears to be about 1/3 the cost. Additionally, being able to control the shapes I can not only sculpt some really interesting structures, but control how dense I make them as well. Specifically, the caves in the front on the large reef section run thru the center and out the rear allowing the current to pass right on thru. Basically, the whole bottom half of the structure is one giant cave.







This standalone section is a combination of a piece I picked out of the local LFS’ live rock bin, (soaked in a bleach solution for 2 weeks) and the base rock pieces. The upper portion is the LFS piece and was basically epoxied in place and then reinforced with a little Portland cement.



Here is another standalone that I plan to have up near the overflow. I’ll probably seed it with some star polyps or something similar because I think it will look really sweet covered in a bunch of green polyps swaying back and forth in the current.






I definitely need to make more pieces, which means probably a good 15-20 more hours before I'm finished. Overall I'd have to say I'm pretty happy with how it's turning out and I think I'm well on my way to accomplishing the goal I had when I stated out.

Surprisingly, this is one of the easier projects I've undertaken. It's not only incredibly simple but relatively cost effective as well. The end result is definitely going to be worth the effort and it appears I will only be limited by my imagination.

Happy reefing

Brett

[auSS/Tin]

I love the rock. What is Aqua mend that you got at the hardware store?

Bill