Nate June 6, 2009 June 6, 2009 (edited) This is my first tank thread. I have always loved to look at pictures of other people DIY projects so I will be posting a lot of pictures on this one. OK, I started out with a stand alone frag tank system which I built about 6 months ago. I built a stand and purchased a 40 gallon breeder tank(the main display) and a 30 gallon tank(the sump). I bought a 15000gph overflow kit from glass-holes.com and drilled four holes in the 40 gallon tank. I had this system up and running for a while with no major problems. Then about a month ago I decided to upgrade the system because I have been running out of room for newly aquired frags. I posted a diagram of how I was going to setup the new system in the DIY section. 4 x 40 Gallon Breeders = 160 Potential Total Gallons. This is what I wanted the end result to resemble: So, I guess I will start by showing some pictures from the first frag tank build. I built the frag rack frame out out 1/2" pvc and drilled small holes in it. Then I hooked up an extra quite one pump to the rack and created a DIY spray bar. I also did it to keep nasty crap from settling inside the tube and rotting. The below picture shows me testing it in the tub. The picture below is the new stand I built for the setup. It with house one main display and the refugium. I didn't finish it like the first stand because of financial reasons. So for now it will have to look the way it does. Edited June 6, 2009 by Nate
rioreef June 6, 2009 June 6, 2009 If the power were to go out, the sump is in a position to receive the water from all three tanks to the level of siphon breaks in each. Can it handle this?
Nate June 6, 2009 Author June 6, 2009 If the power were to go out, the sump is in a position to receive the water from all three tanks to the level of siphon breaks in each. Can it handle this? All the return lines have check valves on them. The only water that would be draining down when there is a power outage is the skim off. The the sump you are referring will run at half full and has space for 20 more gallons to be dumped back in before it overflows.
zoozilla June 7, 2009 June 7, 2009 Beautiful setup. Nice work with the stand; looks very clean in black. Btw, nice touch with the labels on the switches
Nate June 7, 2009 Author June 7, 2009 Thanks for the comments everyone. Only thing left to get is the light for the display tank on the right. I am planning on getting a Tek 6 bulb. The light that is currently above the other tank is a 250w 10k in a lumenarc stealth reflector.
TROLL June 7, 2009 June 7, 2009 Very impressive and I can see your design has changed a lot from original concept. Those check valves will be very useful when power outage occurs. Best of luck to your frag farm!
Nate June 15, 2009 Author June 15, 2009 Whats with the tire end-table looking thing in the corner? Ha ha....Its a Trans Am WS-6 Rim & Tire that I turned into a coffee table when I was in high school. It has a sheet of glass on top and a neon light inside the base that lights up the entire tire. It has traveled with me every time I move.
Supreme Reefs June 15, 2009 June 15, 2009 thats an amazing set up! the stand itself.... wow... very nice!
DaveS June 15, 2009 June 15, 2009 What kind of switch is that? I like the labels. Also, what's that other box on the outlet panel? The white one. Just curious since I didn't recognize them. Nice setup!
Nate June 15, 2009 Author June 15, 2009 What kind of switch is that? I like the labels. Also, what's that other box on the outlet panel? The white one. Just curious since I didn't recognize them. Nice setup! The white box is the digital timer for the UV Sterilizer. I bought two of these switches at home depot. Only I got the black ones. I put them both in a junction box, wired them into the stand, and put a black faceplate over them. Three of the switches controlled the three outlets I wired in. I labeled each outlet with its correlating switch. The light switch actually controls a light bulb I installed in the stand. I was getting sick of never being able to see what I was doing.
Boret June 15, 2009 June 15, 2009 Great job Nate. A lot of planning and very clean look!! You have some great building skills.
blaze98 July 7, 2009 July 7, 2009 Awesome set up man, everything looks so neat and well put together. Is that the glassholes overflow you were telling me about?
lhcorals July 7, 2009 July 7, 2009 Very nice, I really like how clean and well built it is. Good Job.
Nate July 7, 2009 Author July 7, 2009 Thank you everyone for the comments...I put a lot of time into planning and constructing these tanks. I cut all the lumber in the bathroom of my apartment...ha ha...I am sure I ticked off a few neighbors.
Sikryd July 7, 2009 July 7, 2009 SWEET! I like the setup and clean look of it! Nice touch on the labels. What kind and where did you pick it up? I am looking for one right now to do the same, but only on the plug ends so I can see what they are for when plug them in or removing them from my controller and stuff. Thanks for sharing.......
Nate July 7, 2009 Author July 7, 2009 SWEET! I like the setup and clean look of it! Nice touch on the labels. What kind and where did you pick it up? I am looking for one right now to do the same, but only on the plug ends so I can see what they are for when plug them in or removing them from my controller and stuff. Thanks for sharing....... Are you asking how I made the labels? If so...I printed them off my computer on a 8.5" x 11" sticker sheet and used a thick clear tape as a laminate. Staples sells a bunch of different sticker material for home printers. Only think I wish I had done differently was to print on vinyl because every time the stickers get wet, the ink will start to run. I try not to get them wet now.
Sikryd July 7, 2009 July 7, 2009 I bought a Brother label maker off ebay last night. I want something easy so I can do it for a lot of stuff around the house. I used to do the computer thing - Thanks for the info
GaryL July 7, 2009 July 7, 2009 I bought a Brother label maker off ebay last night. I want something easy so I can do it for a lot of stuff around the house. I used to do the computer thing - Thanks for the info i picked a small one up from walmart makes things alot easier for sure
Nate July 26, 2009 Author July 26, 2009 Update! Got my Tek light this weekend. Enough talk, here are the pictures.
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