Selling the house tank build?

JuanGutz

Reef Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
#1
In order to do the floors in the house I need to move the tank to the garage. Instead of just moving the tank going to upgrade to an 80g shallow tank. Going to set it up so hopefully it’s “easier” to move. I do have a feeling once the floors are done the wife is going changer her mind and we won’t sell the house but time will tell on that. Tank is 4’X2’X16” with a wood stand. Custom tank that has a top and bottom brace and a middle brace that I’m honestly not sure is needed. I’ll keep it there since it was made to have it but there’s plenty of rimless 80’s this same size. Where the stand sits in my garage it isn’t perfectly level and the bubble is touching the left line. Need to buy something very thin that won’t compress under pressure to lift the right side of the tank and level it out. Ideas on what to use are welcome! The sump I is a (can’t remember right now) , I don’t like the height in the main chamber and think I’ll add a glass pane to raise that. There’s only two sections, the pump and then one big area that I may divide in half with some porous filter stuff to have a fuge area and place for skimmer and maybe a some reactors. The tank will have a 250watt reefbrite with two leds on the side and two Kessil a160’s lighting it. I have two gyre pumps for flow inside the tank with icecap battery backup. I’m not sure where to place these yet. I think I’ll just use one opposite of the overflow instead of one on each side of the overflow. If I go with option one the second gyre can be used as back up or on a frag tank if I set one up. I’ll have an older reef octopus skimmer, reactor for carbon and Kessil h160 for the fuge with chaeto. I have a calcium reactor set up that I hope to sell and setup an Apex DOS with two part or a kalk reactor. Older style Apex with two EB8’s. I’m still working on the plumbing, both drains are done but I need to plumb the returns and the return pipe from the return pump that will have valves that I’ll be able to plumb 1/4” or 1/2” murlok quick connects to feed reactors. On the main drain I wanted to have a T with a valve below and one on the perpendicular part of the T to be able to use the displacement water change method but not enough room to fit all of that. Instead I’ll use a second part of a union to attach to the main drain and do it that way. Sorry this is one huge run on sentence pretty much haha. Really have three questions..
1) what should I use to level out the stand?
2)how would you set up the gyres?
3) how would you hang the piping for the reactors?
 

Dr.DiSilicate

Great White Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
ex-officio
#4
I’d level the stand at the feet with some wood shims.

Maybe put the gyre on the end opposite the returns. Do some sort of pulse on them. Maybe add a small power head to the overflow side for turbulence.

I’d just use some soft flex tube for the reactor so it’s easy to get out of the way and change if needed.

I’d go with 2 part for dosing if you are not liking the reactor. It’s easy to test and make adjustments. Whatever you decide stuck with it and don’t change for at least a year. Every change in approach is going to set you back months.

Do you have a bunch of live rock for the sump or something? Go slow dude! It might be a good idea to have a couple of us over to move your tank the 5 feet to the garage while this one is cycling and setting in. We could drain it a lot and pick it up.


Sent from my iPhone using MASC - Marine Aquarium Society of Colorado
 

flagg37

Anthias
M.A.S.C Club Member
#6
I’d level the stand at the feet with some wood shims.

Maybe put the gyre on the end opposite the returns. Do some sort of pulse on them. Maybe add a small power head to the overflow side for turbulence.

I’d just use some soft flex tube for the reactor so it’s easy to get out of the way and change if needed.

I’d go with 2 part for dosing if you are not liking the reactor. It’s easy to test and make adjustments. Whatever you decide stuck with it and don’t change for at least a year. Every change in approach is going to set you back months.

Do you have a bunch of live rock for the sump or something? Go slow dude! It might be a good idea to have a couple of us over to move your tank the 5 feet to the garage while this one is cycling and setting in. We could drain it a lot and pick it up.


Sent from my iPhone using MASC - Marine Aquarium Society of Colorado
Look for composite shims. They hold up better when exposed to water. Definitely shim the stand though and not the surface between the stand and tank.
 

JuanGutz

Reef Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
#7
I’d level the stand at the feet with some wood shims.
Look for composite shims. They hold up better when exposed to water. Definitely shim the stand though and not the surface between the stand and tank.

I do have composite shims so I’ll use those to level the tank out. Didn’t know if I should use some thin strong wood under the entire leg.
 

JuanGutz

Reef Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
#8
Would you be opposed to doing a large Rubbermaid trough as a tank? Super easy to setup and move stuff in and out of. Not the prettiest thing to look at but it would fit the bill as a temp tank

Wouldn’t be horrible and I have a 150g trough but if the wife decides she wants to stay I’d rather just have a nice tank going.

Sent from my iPhone using MASC mobile app
 

JuanGutz

Reef Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
#9
Maybe put the gyre on the end opposite the returns. Do some sort of pulse on them. Maybe add a small power head to the overflow side for turbulence.
I think that’s exactly what I’ll do, just play with it once I get the rock work set up

I’d just use some soft flex tube for the reactor so it’s easy to get out of the way and change if needed.
So the sixth picture down with the blue pvc, T’s, and valves. How should I mount that to the stand?

I’d go with 2 part for dosing if you are not liking the reactor. It’s easy to test and make adjustments. Whatever you decide stuck with it and don’t change for at least a year. Every change in approach is going to set you back months.
Im hoping to sell the CARX and get a DOS and two part and just use that but if not I just need to find a way to raise PH because it drops way to low.

Do you have a bunch of live rock for the sump or something? Go slow dude! It might be a good idea to have a couple of us over to move your tank the 5 feet to the garage while this one is cycling and setting in. We could drain it a lot and pick it up.
I’ve had some rock in a brute for a awhile now to help with the cycle. I won’t be adding the corals till I’ve got good amount of coralline growing, id like to give it two months to cycle minimum. I might actually just need to move the tank into the garage with a few people but I really don’t want to do that. That tank is a mess to say the least.
 

JuanGutz

Reef Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
#10
Finished the drains and the return plumbing. Almost did the return completely backwards but was able to muscle it to the
correct angle.

One bulkhead has a tiny leak, just need to tighten it a little but it will wait till tomorrow.

The return pipe with valves for reactors is finished and just needs to be hung from the stand. I’ll need help from the wife for this (I’ll never live it down) and to level the stand. Soon as that is done I’ll fill the tank with water and put some of the rock in it. The rock that brs has sent the wrong version of twice will hopefully be here Friday.
 

flagg37

Anthias
M.A.S.C Club Member
#11
Finished the drains and the return plumbing. Almost did the return completely backwards but was able to muscle it to the
correct angle.

One bulkhead has a tiny leak, just need to tighten it a little but it will wait till tomorrow.

The return pipe with valves for reactors is finished and just needs to be hung from the stand. I’ll need help from the wife for this (I’ll never live it down) and to level the stand. Soon as that is done I’ll fill the tank with water and put some of the rock in it. The rock that brs has sent the wrong version of twice will hopefully be here Friday.
What kind of rock have they been sending you and what kind are you supposed to be getting? I imagine they’ve been letting you keep the wrong stuff right?
 

JuanGutz

Reef Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
#12
What kind of rock have they been sending you and what kind are you supposed to be getting? I imagine they’ve been letting you keep the wrong stuff right?
I bought a natural top pedestal and twice they’ve sent me a frag top and yes they did let me keep them both. Turned out at the warehouse they were labeled wrong.
 

JuanGutz

Reef Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
#13
Leveled the tank and mounted the return manifold to the stand. Right now the tank is filled with some rock in it. The rock I had in my brute and just been in there with two pumps for months. Turns out there was no oxygen because the rock was really black. The rock I put in the tank already has its color back though. Had a lot more nice rock then I remembered. Some big pukani pieces that I’ll for sure use and probably a bunch I won’t so I’ll post some up once I get my scape and what I don’t throw in my sump so maybe none haha. Still waiting on a nice rock from brs. Once I get that I’m ill finish the scape and start running the tank thru the sump.
 
Top