Chris' 125 Build Thread

[TanksNStuff]

Hmm, I like where this is going.

I just bought a used 70 Gal sump for my 140 Gal display and although it holds water just fine with no leaks, the silicone did look suspect with some pitting and areas that look like they were peeled off a bit. It's only cooking my live rock atm, but maybe when I get ready to add the baffles to make it my sump I will redo the silicone like you did. Looks easier than I thought.

Also, I will be drilling my 140 Gal. display for overflow drain and CLS and can't decide on a hole pattern for it all. Maybe I can get some pointers from your build?

I'm thinking I will have 2 x 1.5" drains and just 1 x 2" intake for a CLS. My situation though is that it will be seen from 3 sides, so all my holes will be on the left side of the tank (bottom is tempered). I will just make a fullwidth overflow baffle inside the display (about 6" off the inside left wall) to feed both my 2 drains to sump and my CLS. The sump returns and the CLS returns will all go over the top of the left side and be hidden by the canopy for the most part. I hope the internal overflow box will provide enough water to feed all of that.

You said you might make yours a room divider (like mine will be), so figured I would chime in with my plan in case you go that route and wanted some ideas.

Keep posting pics of your progress though, I think it will help me with mine. Oh, and I'm thinking of getting that Dart for my CLS too. Looks like a good deal.

[ckusnierek]

Originally Posted by crvz

Good thinking on waiting for the trim. Hope it comes in promptly for you!

I tell ya it's been a NIGHTMARE trying to find one.

I called EVERY LFS eithin 30 miles of me a no one would order it!
Thay all said "Our distrubitor doesn't carry them" BS if you ask me It's a cheap part with a tiny margin and they do not want the trouble of ordering it. I found it on petswarehouse.com for somthing like $38 with $39 shipping.

Well the other day I ordered my Dart from premium and talked to Jason about the frame. He called me the next day and said they can get it but will not be placing a order for another 2 weeks unless I wanted to pay shipping from NY to Indy then to me I told him I would wait a few weeks. He called me a few hours later and said that he went ahead and ordered it for me and it only cost $25 and they are only going to charge me $15 to ship it. Cheap shipping for a 72" package.


Long Story short.... I LOVE PREMIUM AQUATICS!!!!!!

[ckusnierek]

Originally Posted by TanksNStuff

Hmm, I like where this is going.

I just bought a used 70 Gal sump for my 140 Gal display and although it holds water just fine with no leaks, the silicone did look suspect with some pitting and areas that look like they were peeled off a bit. It's only cooking my live rock atm, but maybe when I get ready to add the baffles to make it my sump I will redo the silicone like you did. Looks easier than I thought.

Also, I will be drilling my 140 Gal. display for overflow drain and CLS and can't decide on a hole pattern for it all. Maybe I can get some pointers from your build?

I'm thinking I will have 2 x 1.5" drains and just 1 x 2" intake for a CLS. My situation though is that it will be seen from 3 sides, so all my holes will be on the left side of the tank (bottom is tempered). I will just make a fullwidth overflow baffle inside the display (about 6" off the inside left wall) to feed both my 2 drains to sump and my CLS. The sump returns and the CLS returns will all go over the top of the left side and be hidden by the canopy for the most part. I hope the internal overflow box will provide enough water to feed all of that.

You said you might make yours a room divider (like mine will be), so figured I would chime in with my plan in case you go that route and wanted some ideas.

Keep posting pics of your progress though, I think it will help me with mine. Oh, and I'm thinking of getting that Dart for my CLS too. Looks like a good deal.

Premium only has a few darts left for $150 so you had better jump on it!

I decided to go with 2 CLS pickup at 1.5" and I will probally Tee each one to 4 1" strainers. with only one 2" CLS intake you may have too much suctoin in one area.

I have decided it is not going to be a room divider. There are too mant CLS holes in it for them all the be on the short side.

The holes are going along the back.
4 1" equeally spaced 6" from the top (CLS)
2 1.5" equeally spaced in the back on center (CLS)
1 1.5" center on back 8" from top overflow.

[TanksNStuff]

I saw there were only 8 left as of now. I'm sure the Darts won't last long at that price.

I have decided it is not going to be a room divider. There are too mant CLS holes in it for them all the be on the short side.

Yea, I hear ya there, but since mine will definitely be viewed on 3 sides and be a room divider, I really don't have much choice.

My setup will look something similar to this:


... except the whole left side will extend about a foot longer and my bulkheads will be out the left side instead of the bottom with the piping hidden inside the stand/canopy. I will have an internal overflow wall just like in that pic, but it will probably be Acrylic so I can cut the teeth in the top easier. I'm wondering if I will need to put holes mid-way down the overflow box to get enough water to feed both the drains and the CLS, but that sort of defeats the purpose of having an overflow IMO. It won't help stop a flood if my pump fails or power goes out when the overflow box keeps getting filled by the tank. And it certainly won't help if a bulkhead leaks.

Anyway, with this setup, I don't think I will have a problem with too much suction at one spot for the CLS because I will have my CLS intake low near the bottom. The sump drain will be higher up the wall and as long as there is plenty volume in the overflow box I should be ok. The pump itself will be mounted just slightly lower than the intake, and only a foot or so away from the bulkhead, then the discharge will go up and over the same side and split (2" down to 2 x 3/4" maybe) into a loop around the surface (and hidden under the 2" frame/trim)... might even include spray bars down both corners of the overflow wall. If the CLS intake causes a prob for my sump drain though, then I can always make more slots on the overflow wall to let more in.

When it's all said and done, I think it will have a pretty clean look with minimal plumbing visible.

[TanksNStuff]

Hey Chris, where are you buying your bulkheads from btw?

PS, figures, soon as I copy a pic from another site, the link goes down, lol.

Well, if you have Google Sketch-up, this is a quicky rough draft of the shell anyway...

Click Me

[ckusnierek]

I got the bulkheads and drills from HERE.
There super cheap and I got them in 2 days (I'm in Indiana)

I do not have Sketch up. I use Solidworks. It's like Sketch up but costs $15,000
Got it from work

[ckusnierek]

I got really impatient tonnight and started drilling.
I was really nervous untill about the third hole. Now my hands still feel like there vibrating. Still have the 3 60mm (1.5" bulkheads) to drill
Pics tomorrow...

[ckusnierek]

Here is a quick model of the holes.
I have not drilles the big ones not sure about the overflow return.
I have the 4 1" done

[ckusnierek]

Well I did not do much with the tank this weekend. Just looking for equipment right now. I did get all the holes drille dand I'm a lil nervouse about the integrity of the tank now. It looks like swiss cheese.

Here is a model I do not have a pic right now...
I moved the overflow hole down to accomodate and adjustable stand pipe.

[ckusnierek]

I hope to get the trim in this week and I will water test the tank in the back patio for a few weeks... I'm nervouse with all those holes in there.

While testing I will start the stand and canopy.

And continue buying equipment....
I still need.
A return pump
1 250w MH retro
sump

[TanksNStuff]

Just checking in to see your progress Chris. Glad to hear you got your holes drilled and didn't have any problems.

Thanks for the link to where you got your bulkheads. I opted to buy mine locally and paid a few bucks extra on the HD sch 80 bulkheads.

Keep up the progress bud.

PS:
I also missed the boat on the Dart deal at Premium. I just didn't have the extra cash in the bank before they poofed. Guess I'll be looking for a while longer now.

[ckusnierek]

Well It's been a while so I thought I would post :0

Got the top frame in today will probally silicone it this weekend.

Some other goodies I picked up for that build are:
Aquacontroller II
I have a 250w MH lined up from another local reefer
also a Blueline pump and a ETSS 600 skimmer. He's in the middle of a down size build and I'm the opposite.

After being nervouse about all the holes I emailed glass-holes.com and they said they have put more holes than that in a 125 and that I'd be fine

I still have not drilled the overflow. I just cannot decode on the overflow. I'm seriously considerind a Calfo style horizontal overflow. Roughly 36" X4" X 6"

[ckusnierek]

Well I finally got the new top frame installed and now there are 5 rubbermaids on top of the tank holding it down. I will build and 2x4 support to level the tank in the garage and try to et it water tested this weekend. I want to let it set for a few week before filling it in the house.

[crvz]

Good thinking, I'd do the same. good luck with the wet test!

[ckusnierek]

Filled it yesterday and it's still holding water