75 gal tank build w/ 90 upgrade! (1 Viewer)

[Txstateunivreefer]

Picked up a deal off Craigsteal today its gonna be our new baby.

I have no idea what brand the tank is but i figured i could do some fun things with it and i am open to ideas.

It came with a 20 high that i plan on using for the sump


Looking at this

water flows in through the right hand side through a teeth-ed overflow and goes into the first chamber then over a baffle into the previous bio ball area which runs to the other side over a baffle and to the return pump. the return pump pushes water through a spray bar that networks across the whole back of the display. the white tube on the top right was a jimmy rigged bulkhead that i am going to seal up with some weld on and scrap.

that is the bioballs (in addtion to the 5 gallons worth from the back of the tank and DIY sump that he had made gonna reconfigure some.

dead rock included in cheap sale and stand that will be repainted.

front view the back "filtration area" parallels the back of the tank and tapers to the corners on each end

Front again

Back View

Top View


this is what the back setup is right now

What i want to do:

Lighting: tank came with a coralife 4x65w PC but I want to do t-5s a retro in a canopy i am gonna build to match the stand. i figure 4 54w should do the job? what do you think?

Scape:
Its acrylic with a false back and i have dead rock--going foam background with rock in it! i can ziptie it to the back wall through small drilled holes

Thoughts and feedback so far?
Gonna go charter after payday!

 

[slyfox]

check valves eventually fail ..i always like to have a valve on the return to the tank so you can adjust flow back if necessary

 

[Txstateunivreefer]

I was gonna put it on because the return may below the water line i was/am worried about back siphon if the power goes out

 

[Ostentum]

Just drill a small hole in the return to combat the reverse siphon. The holes I put are in the elbows at the top so the water from the hole hits the overflow boxes. Hope that makes a little sense, my description sucks I know will try and post some pictures.

 

[flexrac]

Nice tank, +1 on the siphon hole. mine stays out of the water just above the water line and when power goes off, i get little back siphon, only what's in the line. I can take a pic.

 

[Txstateunivreefer]

I've done that before and it should work just fine. Found a good deal on 4x48in vhos better or worse when compared to t-5s

 

[Llama]

On your fuge section:

Since you have two chambers for fuge. You may want to try only macro algae in one, then a sand bed and liverock rubble in the other. That way if you ever need a piece of rubble to glue a frag on you can pull a piece out without worrying about macro being all over it.

 

[Txstateunivreefer]

nice idea! 4x48" VHO setup retro for $100 Good deal? or should i spend the money and go t-5s last tank i had had MH which would be too hot i think for this tank.

 

[Llama]

VHO produce a good amount of heat as well, but I think that is a great deal. I'd go for it if I were you.

 

[Txstateunivreefer]

well dont know if that light deal will work out.

paid dues a minute ago so that should help out with purchases.

made a punch list of things to build buy and do:
Equipment I still need:
Skimmer
ATO
Lights
Pwr heads (hydors most likely.)


possible plan change and scratching my head on it. There is not enough room behind the filter wall to put in a bulkhead in where i want so is it possible to do the returns in the front bottom corners of the display and cover them with rock? what the hell do i do about back siphon then? ck valve?

 

[Llama]

May want to look into a different tank. Sucks but that overflow looks like it may be a hassle. Then you can redesign the sump to incorporate a small fuge.

That's all up to you though.

 

[trb]

I would ONLY put a return at the top of the tank, unless you like the possibility of having a floor full of water. I thought about check valves too, but almost everyone that commented on them warns against them as an only method of preventing backflow. Looking at your tank, I would just put together a "U" from PVC or get a plastic return pipe and mount it on the right hand back corner. That way you can have clockwise circular flow in the tank with the overflow on the left side. Drill a hole in the top acrylic brace for the return line and drill your siphon break hole in the return line right below the brace so the water from it falls into the tank. May not be the best looking solution, but it is the safest.

And I have a few other questions/ ideas. What size is that bulkhead on the rear of the tank? I wouldn't drill the bottom of the tank unless you have an aesthetic reason for it. Since you already have limited room in the overflow area, use the existing bulkhead for your main overflow, and just put a 90 degree PVC pipe pointing down inside the tank and put the rest of the standpipe (the T fitting and drain line like for a Durso standpipe) outside the tank. Since it is not set up yet, I would also put in a second bulkhead and plumbing for an emergency overflow, just in case the primary is restricted or you have more overflow than the chamber can handle, like sticking your whole arm in the tank. Even with my skinny arms, I overflow my overflow when I reach to the bottom of the tank.

Also, how is the rest of the back area supplied with water? It looks like it is relying on water flowing over the top of the divider between the overflow section and the next chamber. If so, that wall might be a bit tall depending on your water level in the overflow and you might not be able to keep a constant level in your fuge area if the return pump is pumping faster than the water falls over the baffle. So you may need to drill a few holes in the baffle if you don't get the flow over the top of it.

Looks like a pretty neat tank, and good luck on the build!

Thomas

 

[Llama]

Just noticed the existing bulkhead Thomas mentioned. He's giving good advice regarding the drain line. Do some research on the design with the dorso on the outside of the tank. You may be able to pull that off!

I think Felix (flexrac) may have done his plumbing this way.

 

[Txstateunivreefer]

problem is thats not a bulkhead its a pvc fitting from a drain kit that is siliconed in. The hole he put in is too close to the brace to fit a bulkhead I may put it through the back wall pending wife's approval she always complains about how far away the back of a tank is from a wall.

But I will go with the original plan of having the return up top. there i know i can fix the back siphon like i have on past tanks with a hole in the plumbing somewhere.

The external durso sounds like a calfo set up in a way

There are two return pumps one that is left hand side that goes through a spray bar at the base of the tank to drain the fuge and i will have another that is in the sump that exits at the top of the tank.

 

[trb]

Well, if there is not enough room for a bulkhead in the existing hole, then you can use that PVC fitting for the emergency drain and put the main drain someplace else. But does that PVC fitting actually hold water? Silicone and acrylic don't work that well together in the long run. Since the tank is acrylic, you could just plug that hole with a square piece of scrap acrylic on the inside, and a round plug to fill the hole, and then drill a new hole a bit further down for a proper bulkhead. A bit more work, but it would be a cleaner and less leak prone solution.

Also, if you just elongate the hole a bit on the bottom to fit a bulkhead, the top edge should be OK even if it is a bit of a loose fit. As long as the bulkhead washer has a decent area to seal against, the top 1/3 of the bulkhead should not see water much at all. You could fill in the gap with scrap acrylic too. I've even read about people shaving down the bulkhead lip a bit (1/3 or so) to fit one in a tight place and they had no problems with them sealing.

I hear you on the pipes outside the tank and having the tank sit away from the wall. But with such limited room in that overflow area, you don't have much room for a proper quiet drain inside the tank. And I would not take the chance of not having an emegency drain.

 

[Txstateunivreefer]

i may try the scrap to fill the hole and bulkhead idea.

I am going to drop the idea of the durso and go with the gurgle buster
http://home.everestkc.net/jrobertson57268/HGB/

it should fit in the room i have and solve the problems. I was already planning to seal that hole with scrap i still think i am going to go through the bottom of the tank I have the room the part that is the issue is that the return pump for the fuge is right where i wanted to place the other one but i have found another place that will still allow me to please the wife with the distance from the wall. ill make another diagram when i get home.

 

[Txstateunivreefer]

a few changes:
Couldnt find a T-5 setup for a decent price that i wanted to pay so I found the parts needed to do 2x250w MH I am going to put some really blue bulbs since i dont plan on supplementing with any blue.

Abandoning the rock wall idea...after seeing how costly it is and the risk that if you dont get it all covered with epoxy it will rot away in your tank...to hell with that ill just spend the money on LR and make some PVC racks or something.

 

[flexrac]

your problem is easy to fix. you can call me and i will help you, easier of the phone. 713 894 8155

 

[RR-MAN]

Re: 75 gal tank build

Scape:
Its acrylic with a false back and i have dead rock--going foam background with rock in it! i can ziptie it to the back wall through small drilled holes
quote]

Good stuff. My next tank will definitely have a foam/rock wall. I saw this tank on RC...

 

[Txstateunivreefer]

Yeah some of the are unbelieveable