DirtyDev's Tank Build Journal 3000 x 700 x 700

[dirtydev]

Hi all,
I've kept a mixed reef tank for three years now.

I started with an Aqua 1 980 which was nice but it was not ideal lighting with the old T8 fluro tubes . I removed the top lighting system and added four T5 which was nice but unfortunately the ballasts kept on failing and I gave up on that system. I progressed to a 5ft x 1.5ft x 2ft which has been going great. Apart from the odd hiccup with power failure and having to freeze blocks of RO water over summer it looks pretty good.

BUT sometimes this hobby makes us want for more and after many months of searching Ebay and Gumtree for a suitable 8ft I thought I would bite the bullet and BUILD my own 12ft tank.

I must say thanks to everyone involved in this development and maintenance of site and the many who have posted such useful information.

I have gathered several items over the past 6 months to help reduce the impact of a great big expense at once. My aim is to have the tank completed for stock transfer by no later than April 2012.

This is my first time to use a sump and refugium as I have had canister filters so far. I purchased some 6mm sheets of glass that are 1500mm x 680mm to help with the build.

My stand is going to be built from 50mm x 50mm x 2mm wall. I have purchased from Orrcon Steel and begun the welding in the last two weeks. I'll post some pics soon. Just as soon as I work out how to

There
gallery/image.php?album_id=502&image_id=2016



I will be making the glass purchase for the display tank in the next two weeks. I have chosen 12mm starfire for the two long sides, 12mm standard float for the two ends and bracing and 15mm standard float for the base piece.

I am interested in all your comments and suggestions as the final design has not been confirmed as yet.

thanks

[dirtydev]

bit of a rough morning today..... MAJOR disaster

We had a friend stay overnight and the only place to sleep is in our lounge room on a mattress near the 5ft x 2ft x 1.5ft aquarium. To help reduce the noise in the room, I turned off one circulation pump and the Aqua Remora protein skimmer. This left running 3 canister filters; one AF1200 canister drives a Seachem Phosguardfluid bed filter, the second canister AF700 runs through the Resun 450 chiller unit, the last canister 2200 through the 18w UV filter, there were two 6000 litre wave maker pumps at each end. Still a bit of a hum but nothing to keep my friend awake.

It is stocked with about 8 fish;
group 1
2 x blue tangs
1 x yellow tang
1 x lipstick tang
2 x clown fish
1 x blue line cleaner wrasse
1 x doublesaddle butterflyfish
1 x foxface rabbitfish

group 2
2 x rock crabs
10 x black sea snails (Nerita species)
4 x trochus snails
1 x black spiked sea sausage
between 100 - 1000 small bristle worms - buggers
4 x long tube spiral feather worms
1 x blue linckia star fish

When I checked on the tank after breakfast all of group 1 were dead . All of group 2 were still alive and looking well . All my soft corals were still OK and the bubble tip anemone was OK too.

So today instead of continuing to weld the frame I'm off to Seaview Aquariums to try to get some answers.

If any one has a suggestion as to why they all died I'm interested.

I can imagine that the O2 levels would have dived just because I turned off the Remora skimmer....!

anyway there goes another $500..... How am I going to continue? this really has floored me.

Well I just discovered not all of group 2 had survived.......

My blue star fish had not moved for a day and a half and I found him wedged under a large rock. A bit of rock rearranging found he was really worse for wear. White slime ran from his wounds and he was limp. The smell was another DEAD give-away...... OMG not even the yellow green slime that fills newborn nappies was this bad...

Well back to the mig and grinder..... nearly done...!

A quick update of the stand an how it is coming along.....

Here is the new photo!



I've gone from mig back to stick (arc) welding for the 45degree corner bracing. I've also done a Google Sketch 8 drawing of it so here it is.....



I think there is enough steel cross member bracing.....!

I've now kept going on the glass design. Constructed of 12mm starfire long sides, 15mm float for the base, and 12mm float for the ends.

The base reinforced edges consist of 12mm x 20mm x 2972mm on the long and 12mm x 20mm x 632mm on the ends.

The bracing on the top is 12mm x 220mm wide x 672mm to allow for the 2mm silicone each end on the starfire sites. The 4 braces are 554cm apart with at each end a 50mm x 12mm x 672mm piece.

here is a pick just before I start to look at the sump and plumbing design......

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/57 ... 0x700.jpg/

any comments? Particularly from anyone who does build large tanks for a crust?

Please let me know if the bracing on the top needs to be altered in any way.

Thanks

[dirtydev]

Hi All,

Well after many hours cutting, welding and grinding.......... it is all done.

Here is the finished result before it is off to the powder coaters shop...!



It was fun to build and create...

Now to cut and paint the boards for the top and sump area.

Time order the glass next.

bye for now - thanks for watching...... and your patience,,,

Yep been busy working on the design and made a few short changes to the display tank....

Did I mention how cool and easy it is to use Google Sketch 8.0?

Well I've ordered the glass and should arrive on the 19th December. Here is a few pics of the design...

Full shot of base piece 15mm thick, Hope the glass people make this the most accurate as this is integral to getting a square corner for all 4 corners.
The 3 holes in the tank on each side 150mm in from the end is for a closed loop water flow.

http://img534.imageshack.us/img534/1820 ... mholes.jpg

This is the overflow end with the two smaller holes on the outside for the closed loop, the other three will feed the sump, the Octopus 5000s Beckett skimmer, and two fluid bed filters that I have purchased two "clear" big blue 4.5inch x 20inch water filter housings. One stuffed full of carbon and the other will have either K1, K3 and some bio-pellets.
http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/360/ ... detail.jpg

This is the overflow wall with the 4 hoes to feed the closed loop system.....
http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/6923 ... owwall.jpg

Here is a 3d view of the whole thing...
http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/2038 ... d3000x.jpg


Approx cost so far
The glass cost me $2200.00
The steel for the stand $280.00
13m of 6mm rubber for stand $70.00
2 x clear filter housings $180.00 (thanks Ebay)
2 coats of powder coat black $240.00
9 x 25mm bulkhead seals $120.00
1 x 40mm bulkhead seal $22.00
4 x 37mm cage pvc (overflow) $18.00
2 x 20mm bulkhead seals $20.00
boards for the stand and sump $70.00
12mm foam for stand and sump $27.52 (thanks Ebay)
Octopus 5000s Beckett skimmer $400.00 (thanks Ebay)
Stacks of glass for sump $32.00 (thanks Ebay)
1 x auto top up system $41.00 (thanks Ebay)
chiller $214.50 (thanks Ebay)
I'm sure there are a few more things too.......

Soon the fun and games will start..... Now I have to buy some black silicone, some picture frame brackets, and a few other goodies....

The satin black stand looks great. I've bought 9m of PVC that is usually used instead of thin tin to help protect exposed timber on the edge of a roof on a house.... not sure what it is called. The pvc is 3mm thick x 50mm x 150 and 3m long.
I'll use it as a protective barrier in the sump area. the board will fit inside and be sealed so no water gets out of the sump area. I'll upload a pic soon so you all know what I'm going on about.

anyway thanks for looking..

[kipper31]

Gonna be a big setup,look forward to following this one.

[adamfenessy]

Gig set up dude. Look forward to this one

[dirtydev]

Hi All....

Well the glass arrived today.. All up the glass weighs 278kg.... dam heavy.. hope it does not fall through the floor boards...

I was a bit shocked with the quality of the 15mm base... there are some very uneven edges where it looks like it has scooped holes in it... I might complain about it and have them (Chevron Glass) replace it. I had mentioned that this piece was the most important piece of the entire build. If this is out then the entire tank will not be square. This piece was alone about $450.00.

Anyway there is no need having a stroke right now cause the factory finished up at 1200pm and wont be back till the 9th Jan 2012. I'll take a photo of it soon and post it up.

Any one with glass experience or tank building experience I WOULD really appreciate some advice..... Ta

I scored 4 tubes of the 999 Dow Corning silicone today also... only $24.00 I hope the cheap price was not an indicator of the quality.... It is had to tell some times... I just hate paying retail prices for anything... A similar silicone at Bluntings Hardware would have cost double the price...

I could be referred to has being tighter than a fishes' butt... I jut don't see the value in throwing money away and love constructing things myself....

I was shocked to know that the silicone is recommended to be set at a 2 - 1 ratio.... so as my glass braces are 12mm thick then there should be 6mm deep of silicone to hold onto the glass.....

I've never ever seen a tank built with that much silicone at most only 2mm thin was all I've seen. Again any tank builders.... It will be about 4 weeks before I start construction so any comments would be appreciated.

Well enough of all this I'm off to bed... Thanks for watching this space.

[kipper31]

Hi Dev when it comes to your sump we will catch up in the new year,I'm no expert but I have a few ideas etc.

[dirtydev]

Hi All,

I've purchased some more gear for the set-up.

1 x Davey XF 171 Pump Capacities to 175 lpm Max. 10500 litres per hour
Total Head 17m Max. Suction Head 7.5m
power 0.53kW
Inlet Size 1”BSP(F)
Outlet Size 1”BSP(M)

Cost $102.50 (ebay)

I also scored the following;
10 x 25mm PVC Ball Valve - F/F BSP Thread - 1"
2 x PVC Ball Valve - F/F BSP Thread - 3/4" (20mm)
1 x PVC Ball Valve - F/F BSP Thread - 1 1/2" (40mm)

Cost $77.00 (ebay)

I'm going to run the Davey pump as a closed circuit which will suck from the 2 x 20mm bulkhead drains in the overflow end and push the water up the 6 x 25mm bulkheads in the base of the display. I'll attach a standard 12v automatic programmable garden system to the two solenoid gates. One will run three of the 25mm bulkheads for 6 hours then the other solenoid gate will open for another 6 hours. This should give the tank plenty of water current to simulate a tidal movement from each side. The garden systems are good for this as they can only have up to 8 on/off programs in 24hours. It is not good as a wave creator due to the lack of programs.

All I need now are some high pressure PVC couplings to help me do any mods to the pipe work and to remove the large water filter (fluidised beds) for cleaning and replacing media. I'm going to try to put most of the electronic equipment outside in the garage just to reduce any noise inside the lounge room. Nothing worst when you are watching a movie or having a conversation over dinner than that low hum of a pump or fan.

I've recently looked into the use of a "pool heater/cooler" which is suitable for a 20,000 litre swimming pool. They have a RRP $4999 but are selling on Ebay for between $890.00 and $1500.00. They are fitted with a titanium double coil which the coolant runs through inside a water tight chamber. Very similar to an aquarium chillier. They just look like half of a split system air conditioning unit. The unit can be set between 5 degrees C and 45 degrees C by the LCD control panel. This Swimmax 4/4.5KW unit or 0.7KW of electricity for your Spa or Pool with Heating Output - 3.8KW or Cooling Output - 3.7KW and super quiet at 43 DB(a). Unit Size L/W/H - 760mm X 270mm X 570mm. The Titanium Heat Exchanger Tube, is covered by a lifetime warranty. You can extend your warranty to a BEST in market 3 YEAR parts warranty, simply by leaving your positive feedback with 14 days. Sounds good to me..... It seems that just because the chillers we are used to that are manufactured and marketed to the aquarium market are sold at a high premium. These units are essentially the same but on steroids. While most aquarium chillers indicate they can cool xxxx litres by 2 degrees, most of these figures are somewhat optimistic.

something to think about...

Now if I can just get one at the lowest price....


I had an issue with the 15mm base piece of glass from the supplier. It had only 1 of the 4 corners without any issues. Most had a scallop right on the corner for about 3 inches long and up to 5mm deep. One side has some very bad lumps in it which would prevent a good uniform layer of silicone from holding the two pieces together.

Anyway I contacted the company after the 9th Jan when the business reopened after the Xmas break, they agreed that it was an inferior cut and finish and will deliver the new "free" base piece on "Friday 13th" ....... Hope nothing goes wrong with it... not that I'm superstitious.

So if anyone in Adelaide would like a piece of glass that is Identical to my set-up and are able to arrange for the edges to be reground so they are flat they could pick this piece up.

thanks for watching

[adamfenessy]

Pics of the gear would be great!

[dirtydev]

Pics of the gear would be great!

Hi Adam,

Just for you I took some picks of the gear......
BSP Plastic Ball Valves 40mm(in photo), Also have the 25mm & 20mm but all look the same. The Hansen bulkhead in photo is the 40mm.
http://img832.imageshack.us/img832/7780/photo426e.jpg

the Hansen bulkheads cost about $9.00 ea at Home Hardware for the 25mm. The ball valves were bought on Ebay from Cambawarra Enterprises PLEASE CONTACT WAYNE ON 0431 674 890 or EMail wayne@hawkcarts.com.au for a great deal.

Wayne is about the cheapest I could find for supplying exactly the same product.

My closed circuit pump will be outside the house. While this is not currently the most economical way for now it will do until I find another pump. Then I could use this Davey pump as a transfer pump to get my NSW from my IBC cube into my slim line "rain water tanks". I'm limited in space at my home so while more expensive to buy, these slim tanks 23cm wide will fit nicely inside my garage against the outer wall and protect my car doors from being smashed against the bricks every time the kids want to race to the back door. Bloomin kids..... would have been better to buy a yacht....

http://img18.imageshack.us/img18/9334/photo367r.jpg

Here are a few picks of the first 15mm glass base for the aquarium. I took these as proof of the poor work done by the staff. Fortunately the company replaced the inferior cut glass with one that is absolutely perfect. While I'm sure that the first piece could be used with some sanding of the protruding edges I was not happy to pay the money for this piece. I've still got the first piece if anyone would like to take on a large tank build like mine.....

http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/5272/photo365x.jpg
http://img846.imageshack.us/img846/24/photo363b.jpg
http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/7750/photo362t.jpg

there were a few more sections that looked bad but I'm sure you get the idea from these photos...

I've purchased some Dow Corning 999-A black silicone for the build. The sales rep said that when using this I should apply it in a ratio of 2:1 which shocked me. At a 15mm base piece I should have a gap of 7.5mm between the base and walls.....? I've never seen such a huge gap or volume of silicone in any tank.....! Then I spoke to the senior sales rep who indicated that tank builders use only about 2 -3 mm thick between the pieces.

I've also purchased some more items for the tank..... I got 2 x CLEAR Water Filter Housing 20" x 4.5" with 1" Ports on Ebay from MAGNETIC WORLD, Ph 07 5500 4366 gundrill@bigpond.net.au.

http://img802.imageshack.us/img802/7661/photo428.jpg

I'll use both of these outside in the garage also and fill one with Two Little Fishies NPX Bioplastics Biopellets 2 Litre bags and the other with activated carbon pellets. All I need to do is insert a pipe into the centre to allow the water delivery to be at the bottom of the clear section for this to become a great fluidised bed filter.

http://img836.imageshack.us/img836/3042/photo429j.jpg

I've just got myself a Marine Colour-03-M Dosing pump, Peristaltic pump for aquarium from dehao-department-store again on ebay....
I've not seen these this cheap before ...$140.00AU

I've also purchase a HL-233 Top Off Auto Aquarium Water Level Controller second hand on ebay too.

Well if anyone has any comments on my equipment list, the glass or the thickness of silicone to use between joins just let me know....

I've still got to find some aluminium finned heatsinks at least 60cm long x 30cm wide with 40mm fins ready to make my led lights. Any ideas where to find these?

thanks for reading... Out

[LeeBee]

Try Conrad Heatsinks, they have all sizes.

[dirtydev]

Try Conrad Heatsinks, they have all sizes.

Thanks Leebee,

http://www.conradheatsinks.com/products ... .html#MF30

I've already looked at Conrad Heatsinks before as they do have one that is 300mm wide with 48mm fins but they are unable to cut to size and they only supply them in Standard Lengths of 50mm, 75mm, 100mm, and 151.5mm lengths...... No Idea why as it would seem they are missing out on a few sales into the aquarium market but I guess they are only importers of a product not manufacturers of their own.....! I would go for the MF35-151.5 in their range if only they would sell it in 600mm lengths I would grab 4....... If I were to make mine out of their stock I would need 4 x MF30-151.5 just to make the 1 600mm section and then I would have to add my own items to make it rigid.

Where did you get yours in the photo of your "Home made LED, just 12 cool white and 12 rb( cree) at this stage"

I have looked into getting a 3000mm x 250mm x 38mm with a 10mm base from Semikron but there is none in Aust and the 980.00 for the item then another 600 for shipping....

Ullrich does not have much in their range......

It looks like China will have to come to the answer.

[LeeBee]

Got all my gear from Rapid LED

[kipper31]

Anything new Devon?