The shallow pool 2/4 Update p.3

[Sherita]

C'mon in, the water is fine. Or, it will be when I get done :)

I'm finally getting around to the build for the tank that I bought at MACNA. Tank dimensions are 24" x 60" x 6", acrylic. So, a shallow pool that I intend to fill with a multitude of colorful zoas and palys. For those who were at MACNA, this was the display tank for ReefKoi. I snarfed it up as soon as I saw the for sale sign, since I've always wanted a top down viewable shallow tank. This tank is going to have a cutting edge return system on it (it will either be cutting edge, or OMG, what did you DO?). The build is going somewhat slowly, since I am suffering from a bad case of "can't remember what to get-itis". Plus, some of what I am doing as far as the return is far out in left field, so I'm trying very hard to think ahead to prevent major screwups.

Enough jawing........here's the stand:

http://coralbeauty.us/shallow/shallowtankstand.jpg

The tank:

http://coralbeauty.us/shallow/shallowtank1.jpg

End shot:

http://coralbeauty.us/shallow/shallowtank2.jpg

The stand is 36" tall, because I despise short stands that make work in the sump difficult. If it's hard, we tend to put it off, and if we put it off things go wrong. The door is magnetic, and is easily removed, giving a large area of access under the tank.

I still need to build the sump for this tank, and start drilling it for drain and returns. The stand will house the sump, all electrical, and my ato. This tank will be lit with either 6 or 8 T5's with led moonlights. Leds will provide the work lighting in the stand. The tank will be controlled with a Reefkeeper lite, and will have a DJ8 powerswitch for things such as pumps and powerheads. I haven't decided if I will run a skimmer yet, but most likely I will. Algae control duty will fall to a group of saltwater mollies from my other system.

Stay tuned, I'll update as I get things done :)

[Zack]

Holy crap that tank has awesome dimensions.. sub'ng to this for sure

[SABOB]

Interesting, keep us updated


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[Milly]

Awesome!!

[350gt]

sweet!

[Scutterborn]

Bout time!!

;)


-Ben-

[Low_KingMatt]

Oh i like!

[allan]

Nice find, Sherita. Looking forward to the build.

[Sherita]

Caution - Construction Zone

Sump construction, that is.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/02/01/egapa4yq.jpg

I should finish it tomorrow. The returns are done. New lights arrived yesterday too. Brs order comes tomorrow with the last of the necessities.

I'm closing in on completion.

[rrasco]

That is awesome. I want one. I would finally have a tank I can reach the bottom of. :D

[350gt]

I need to construct me one of those...


construction zone that is... awesome work area...

[Sherita]

Just wait till I start the build on the 90g cube. It's 36" tall........the hilarity will commence, I'm going to have to climb in upside down to work on the sandbed :)

Tony, thanks. That's my shop. 16' of workbench in a 12x20 building...........and I should have built it twice as big! What you can't see is the rest of it..........welder, two table saws, 16' of triple shelving on the other side. And a small woodburning stove that keeps it toasty in there when the weather is crummy. It makes it easy to work on stuff.

[Sherita]

Sump water test is underway.

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/13/02/03/u4ahu3am.jpg

The overflow and related plumbing are done. Once I build the light standard the tank can move into place.

[Scutterborn]

Nice!!


-Ben-

[Paul28]

Very nice ummm thats alot of weight on that tailgate scary

[allan]

Good job, sherita.


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[Sherita]

It's in the house and set in place. Please ignore the 2x4 nonsense in the right side of the picture, that's the disassembled stand that is on the frag system that this tank is replacing. Soon it will be gone.

http://coralbeauty.us/shallow/shallow.jpg

A shot of the sump area. Plenty of room to work in there! Once the old system is out of my way then life will get much easier for me.

http://coralbeauty.us/shallow/shallowsump.jpg

The light standards have been built and are bolted on. Now I can actually start setting this tank up. I've got to build the canopy this evening or in the morning and paint it. I can start plumbing this sucker in first thing in the morning. If I'm lucky, it will be wet by nightfall!

There is still much to do. Build fan brackets for the sump, light brackets for fuge lighting and work lighting in the sump/stand. Plumb drains and return, heaters (inline), ato float switches. Once it's wet and running, then I have to move over the controller, livestock, moonlights, macro and live rock, skimmer, etc, etc.

The sump is a beast for no larger than this tank is, I wanted plenty of room for live rock and macro algae. And enough room for the skimmer that I didn't have to pick a fight every time it needed to be pulled out and cleaned.

The tank itself will have eggcrate that stands 1" above the bottom of the tank. The return is designed so that the water coming from the pump goes to a custom below rack return bar (made of 1/2" acrylic tubing, cut and bent to fit around the overflow) that runs the full width of the tank. The bar sits on the very bottom/back of the tank, and has 527,000 holes drilled in it (I know this, because I drilled every last stinking one of them), all pointed towards the front of the tank. The idea is for the return water to exit the bar, travel to the front of the tank, then up and over the frag racks on its return journey to the overflow. I'm hoping that this will prevent the buildup of detritus on the bottom of the tank, as well as providing the gentle flow that my zoas like so much. If this doesn't work, then I will remove the bar and install locline returns. We'll see how well it works soon enough.

[Zack]

Sherita, did you build the stand yourself?

[Scutterborn]

527,000. Um, I'd have lost my mind...


-Ben-

[Sherita]

Zack, Bill and I built it.......so, yes. It's home built. Mine are all built with dimensional lumber as the frame. I have zero trust in all plywood stands. I have my suspicions that the glut of stands on the market that use no dimensional lumber is one of the reasons we are seeing big tanks failing. Just a theory, but after being in construction for way too many years, I'm suspicious of anything that doesn't appear sturdy to my eyes. The strong frame is particularly important to me since I live on a pier and beam house that heaves every time the weather changes. This tank isn't too bad, but my upcoming 210g........no way I would trust that to a ply stand without some serious beefing up. The stand for that will be built with 2x6's, and you will be able to park a truck on it with no problems.

Ben, maybe it wasn't 527,000 but it dang sure felt like it by the time I got done. Over 5 feet of tubing, holes every 1/2". Like I said, 527,000.

[Zack]

IT LOOKS AWESOME! Do you possibly have any diagrams as to how you built it, or any pictures of construction?

[Sherita]

I'm sorry Zack, I don't. Bill and I have been in construction for so long, we don't need blueprints for something this simple. I promise I will take pics of the 90g build that will be starting soon.

This stand wasn't built that strong, but plenty strong enough for this little tank. The 140g predator stand has doubled 2x6 throughout, tied together. It would hold up an elephant, LOL.

[Sherita]

Pretty near completion now. I finished building the cooling fan bracket for the sump:

http://coralbeauty.us/shallow/fans2.jpg

and the fuge light stand
http://coralbeauty.us/shallow/fugelight.jpg

http://coralbeauty.us/shallow/fugelight2.jpg

Got the tank wet last night:
http://coralbeauty.us/shallow/shallowtankwet.jpg

I also got the light canopy built last night, no pics, but it looks just like the one on my 2x4 frag tank.

[Sherita]

The sump with all the newly built "stuff" installed.

http://coralbeauty.us/shallow/shallowtanksump.jpg

Got the light canopy hung this morning, and the light installed. This tank is lit with 8 T5's, 4 actinic and 4 10k.

And, I've started moving things over. Since I'm using fully cured live rock that is loaded with active bacteria, there should be no cycle at all.

http://coralbeauty.us/shallow/shallowtankfrags.jpg

They seem pretty darn happy in their new home..........

http://coralbeauty.us/shallow/shallowtankfrags2.jpg

There is still a ton of stuff to do. I've got to soak the skimmer and move it over. Move the powerswitch and controller, transfer the macro over, and hook up the ato. Plus whatever else I run across in the process. Then I have to tear the old system down and move it out. That will be a chore all by itself.

But it will sure be nice when it's all done and I can sit back and gaze into my shallow pool filled with tiny little saltwater flowers :angel:

[BBQHILLBILLY]

That is such a neat setup. Im thinking of keeping my 2nd tank and following your lead on your setup. great job

[Zack]

HOLY SMOKES!!! That looks awesome, when you going to have a sell off??

[RayAllen]

WOW, that is one top notch frag tank!

[koa25]

What a horrible setup... You should just sell it... to me...

[koa25]

Looks awesome Sherita, save some room for some Hawaiian corals ha ha.

[pfcreed]

Have you ever put a tuturial together about working with acrylic.