DSA 105 Gallon Tank Build

[Louis]

DSA 105 Gallon Tank Build

A very special client once asked for a high tech aquarium with all the bells and whistles. The following is a photo journal documenting Dan Kraussmans’ DSA Neo 105 Gallon Build.

The Equipment:


Deep Sea Aquatics Neo 105 Gallon Rimless Pro (Reef Ready) Aquarium 48 x 24 x 21
Custom metal stand
2x EcoTech Marine Radion XR30w Pro with custom mount
2x EcoTech Marine VorTech MP40wES
Custom Sump/Refugium/ATO Reservoir/Dosing Container
Bubble Magus 180 Hero Protein Skimmer
Tunze Osmolator Auto Top Off Controller
Neptune Systems Apex Aquarium Controller
2x NextReef MR1 Shorty Media Reactors

Our goal was to create a beautiful piece of living art with equipment that is functional and easy to maintain. We knew that we only had 48 inches to work with so we chose the sleekest aquarium available, the Neo 105 from Deep Sea Aquatics. The aquarium is a rimless tank measuring 48″ x 24″ x 21″ (L x W x H) with a center back overflow box (2x 1″ drains & 2x 3/4″ returns).
We knew what tank we wanted to start with, now we needed a stand.
The Stand:
Anyone who has setup an aquarium knows that the space under the stand is incredibly important. We wanted to leave as much space as possible with access from all 3 viewing sides. We decided a steel stand was the only way to go, strong enough to park a truck on and built to last. This is our stands skeleton, white powder coat finishes off the frame.
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[Louis]

Something that always bothered me about aquariums is that there is bound to be spills and drips that go undetected, when this happens you can grow mold and damage your stand and flooring. The solution was to build a basin into the stand that would serve as two purposes, to be the floor of the stand to place the sump on and to keep water from making its way to the floor.
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The Sump:
We wanted to utilize every inch of the stand so we designed a sump and A.T.O. reservoir that fits perfectly. We used a U shaped design for our sump. Water flows first through filter socks for mechanical filtration, into a dedicated water table for the protein skimmer, through a refugium/equipment chamber, over a media tray, and finally ends at the return pump chamber. This sump/ato was later redesigned as a single unit with a few additional features.
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Here is what the build looks like so far:
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[Louis]

The look of the tank needed to match the existing cabinetry in the house. We used knotty alder to skin the steel frame.
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[Louis]

The Electrical Cabinet:
To keep the wiring neat and tidy we built an electrical cabinet that keeps all our gadgets in one place.
http://elegant-reef.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Louis_Bueno_2013_26_02_Dans_Build_50_of_61.jpg (http://elegant-reef.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Louis_Bueno_2013_26_02_Dans_Build_50_of_61.jpg)
Custom Radion Wall Mount:
Having a rimless aquarium looks awesome but light hanging kits… not so much. We wanted something different, like this:
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And finally a few shots of the aquascaping.
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This build is about 90% complete. This page will be updated soon.
I hope you have enjoyed this 105G build. If you have any questions my staff and I are always willing to help!
I’ll see you at The Studio!

[KING]

Man.. this tank is sweet ya nailed it at every end.. Thanks for the post of the pics. .. Yeah have clearly represented the name to your shop in this tank..

[Louis]

Thanks King! Hey where have you been? I haven't seen you in 48 hours!!! ;)

[Paul28]

thats very nice, that looks like the tank that came in when i was picking up my box of salt :)

[KING]

Thanks King! Hey where have you been? I haven't seen you in 48 hours!!! ;)

Working late..lol but ill be in. .in 10

[Andresm]

Looks good !!!

[350gt]

Man.. this tank is sweet ya nailed it at every end.. Thanks for the post of the pics. .. Yeah have clearly represented the name to your shop in this tank..


Good gosh..... Someone bought this man a dictionary!

louis, tank looks sweet....

Cant wait to see the pros in person....

[danvan75]

very nice, just wanted to ask, where is the electrical cabinet going? Is it under the tank or is it on the side?

[Big_Pun]

very nice, just wanted to ask, where is the electrical cabinet going? Is it under the tank or is it on the side?

1936419365

[Louis]

19404 19405
revised sump

[1seahorse]

That's a sweet setup! Very glad to see it finally made it to its permanent home! Louis and Dan did it right! Louis, make sure to change the Radion settings to the one I showed you at the studio. It will make his coral collection look even more amazing!!!!! And if Dan wants to donate a bleeding green apple to a good cause, feel free at any time! I'm sure you got one to spare, it doesn't have to be a big one. Lol. Enjoy your new tank Dan! I wouldn't be able to leave the house for weeks if I had that setup! Lol

-Carlos P

[Big_Pun]

so fresh and so clean!

[Louis]

Hey Carlos, thanks for the how-to demonstration on setting up those Radions. I had Dan's XR30W Pro's setup and running within minutes thanks to your advice! Thank you so much!

[Louis]

EcoTech just posted about our Custom Wall Mount on FaceBook!!! Thank you for the mention, Stephen Koehler!

[Big_Pun]

19404 19405
revised sump
Freakin awesome!!

[SinisterLou]

That's an amazing set up. Very artistic wall mount for the lights. 2 thumbs up!

[ErikH]

My OCD is telling me that you should put both radions on the rack with the cords both in the middle so you can zip tie them together. :P

Yes, I am that jealous. :D

[Big_Pun]

My OCD is telling me that you should put both radions on the rack with the cords both in the middle so you can zip tie them together. :P

Yes, I am that jealous. :D

louis and i would like to send them in the wall, but will prob use a cord hider painted to match wall

[hobogato]

+1 on the "into the wall" idea.

[alton]

louis and i would like to send them in the wall, but will prob use a cord hider painted to match wall

Something like this?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0015EDVVU/ref=pd_lpo_k2_dp_sr_2?pf_rd_p=486539851&pf_rd_s=lpo-top-stripe-1&pf_rd_t=201&pf_rd_i=B00004W3ZP&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_r=0BXW0PX5THXQ4WQZJAWA

[rrasco]

I'm curious to see how the wave looks in that tank. Mine only has about 3/4" from water to rim.