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Ok so I've been working on a 55L build for a little while now and it's still in progress. I haven't finished yet and posted a few threads asking questions here and there. I figured the place for all this was a build thread so here goes.
The Plan:
I want to build a 55 long. I picked the 55 Long because I really like the 4' long footprint the second reason is that I got the tank and stand for dirt cheap on craigslist.
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Here it is the day it came home checking for leaks.
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and here it is where it will reside in my living room.
So Far:
So far I've accomplished a few things here's what I've been up to:
The first thing I worked on was the hood. I went with a 36" CF retrofit fixtures (2x96W). I think I'll probably eventually add some LEDs to it but for now it should suffice.
I built the hood out of wood. A mixture of 1/2" and 3/4" with the top piece being one solid piece of wood. I wanted the top to have some height to prevent salt creep on the fixture and to also allow for heat dissipation from the lights. I added 4 fans, 2 in and 2 out which can be turned on in pairs of one in and out. Intake and exhaust are on opposite sides to cause thorough air flow.
For the fans I used simple 12vdc PC fans and got some wiring from my local auto part store. The switches are simple 12vcd toggle switch with built in leds.
Here are some pics...
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Hood after paint.
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Installing fans.
![]()
Fan covers and switch installed, starting wiring and hood edge.
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Mounting the light to top.
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Finished hood open.
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Finished hood closed and lit.
Next I wanted to do a sump. I started educating myself and realized the most common and easy way to do a sump was to get a cheap glass tank and partion it yourself. Throw that puppy in the stand and done. This is where the first issue really arose and when I realized why a 55L might not have been the smartest move I made.
The problem with the 55 gal long is that it's only 12 wide and that means the inside of the stand is only 11 wide. Good luck trying to fit anything in there especially since the back and front both have a central support.
After a lot of research I decided to follow melevsreef design and build one myself.
![]()
Image of the 3D design I did
![]()
Here is the build in progress.
![]()
Here is the finished project (well it has a few leaks I need to address.)
So that's where I am, Waiting on the weldon to fix the leaks on the sump.
Got some more goodies over the last few days:
![]()
My new RO-DI
![]()
The overflow -need to cut out the back of the hood
![]()
My valve to divert flow on return from sump.
That's it for now....
What's everyone think?
:beer:
The Plan:
I want to build a 55 long. I picked the 55 Long because I really like the 4' long footprint the second reason is that I got the tank and stand for dirt cheap on craigslist.
Here it is the day it came home checking for leaks.
and here it is where it will reside in my living room.
- I want a custom hood, with ventilation. Lights was between LED or CF. I didn't want to venture with MH due to the heat. I get summers with my place reaching 90 and the last thing I need is more heat coming from my lights.
- I want a sump. My current system doesn't have one and everything is hanging over the side or in the tank. I want all that to be hidden.
- I want to prevent having numerous powerheads and such in the tank. The goal is to see as little as possible. Since the tank is not reef ready I'm going to go with an overflow and my return is going to be diverted to one of 4 options. This will not only give me flow but changing flow.
- Hide all the equipment. I don't want to see it or hear it. This returns to my want for a sump. Heaters and protein skimmer and all go there. Get one large return pump and divert the flow to reduce the number of ph needed inthe tank. Also by putting all the equipment in the sump I reduce the chance of bubbles forming in the main tank. No bubbles popping means no salt all over the lights among other things.
So Far:
So far I've accomplished a few things here's what I've been up to:
The first thing I worked on was the hood. I went with a 36" CF retrofit fixtures (2x96W). I think I'll probably eventually add some LEDs to it but for now it should suffice.
I built the hood out of wood. A mixture of 1/2" and 3/4" with the top piece being one solid piece of wood. I wanted the top to have some height to prevent salt creep on the fixture and to also allow for heat dissipation from the lights. I added 4 fans, 2 in and 2 out which can be turned on in pairs of one in and out. Intake and exhaust are on opposite sides to cause thorough air flow.
For the fans I used simple 12vdc PC fans and got some wiring from my local auto part store. The switches are simple 12vcd toggle switch with built in leds.
Here are some pics...
Hood after paint.
Installing fans.
Fan covers and switch installed, starting wiring and hood edge.
Mounting the light to top.
Finished hood open.
Finished hood closed and lit.
Next I wanted to do a sump. I started educating myself and realized the most common and easy way to do a sump was to get a cheap glass tank and partion it yourself. Throw that puppy in the stand and done. This is where the first issue really arose and when I realized why a 55L might not have been the smartest move I made.
The problem with the 55 gal long is that it's only 12 wide and that means the inside of the stand is only 11 wide. Good luck trying to fit anything in there especially since the back and front both have a central support.
After a lot of research I decided to follow melevsreef design and build one myself.
Image of the 3D design I did
Here is the build in progress.
Here is the finished project (well it has a few leaks I need to address.)
So that's where I am, Waiting on the weldon to fix the leaks on the sump.
Got some more goodies over the last few days:
My new RO-DI
The overflow -need to cut out the back of the hood
My valve to divert flow on return from sump.
That's it for now....
What's everyone think?
:beer:
