+Hydro Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 I'm adding a 250 gallon tank to my QT system with a 200 gallon sump, and a in sump refugium. The tank originally had a busted bottom so it was cut apart and just a stack of glass when I traded it for some corals. All the glass for the cross bracing was gone, all I had to work with was the 4 side pieces which were all 3/4" thick. I bought a 1/2" piece of tempered glass for the bottom along with some 5" wide 1/2" thick euro bracing that run the length of the tank. The glass was scratched really bad so I took the front panel and had the scratches polished out which I'm very happy about. I drilled (4) holes for 1" bulkheads for drains and (3) holes for 1/2" bulkheads for the supply. I put the first coat of paint on the sides and back but still need another coat. The stand is made from 2" steel tube with a cabinet grade 3/4" plywood top that has been stained and sealed. I put a brace up the backside of the stand to hold the back piece of glass, I made sure it was level up and down. I put my bottom glass in place and laid down a bead of silicone (dow 732). I added spacers in the middle of the caulking to keep the joint a consistent 1/32". I had help setting the back panel and then I clamped it to the vertical board. I then laid a bead of silicone along the outside edge with the 1/32 shims and then set the side panels in place. I leveled them and squared them, I also used clamps to squeeze the panels together to get rid of excess silicone, my spacers kept me from squeezing to much out. I let this sit for several hours before I placed the front glass on the tank, same method as the rest of it. I'm 100% confident in my work with this and wouldn't think twice about putting it in my home. My seams look excellent with very few bubbles and the bubbles that are there are tiny. Factory tanks are usually much much worse. I will be adding a piece of styrofoam underneath the tank which I think is critical to keeping it from every breaking the bottom glass again. Here are some pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Hydro Posted March 27, 2012 Author Share Posted March 27, 2012 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Hydro Posted March 27, 2012 Author Share Posted March 27, 2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Hydro Posted March 27, 2012 Author Share Posted March 27, 2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offroadodge Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 man i love building tanks....HINT...wish i couldhv been there to help. After setting the bottom and back and one side its easy from there out huh. like the brace, are you gonna add the 2 side pieces or leave just the front and back? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Hydro Posted March 27, 2012 Author Share Posted March 27, 2012 The sump is leftover from a fish store, pretty cool. Its 200 gallons, came with huge skimmer and huge UV light that are already plumbed to hook up to the sump. I'm also putting an in sump refugium. I still need to hook up these items which I'll do tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Hydro Posted March 27, 2012 Author Share Posted March 27, 2012 man i love building tanks....HINT...wish i couldhv been there to help. After setting the bottom and back and one side its easy from there out huh. like the brace, are you gonna add the 2 side pieces or leave just the front and back? Just the front and back pieces. I actually could have left the bracing off completely with the 3/4" glass according to the rimless aquarium calculators. I like the eurobracing better than rimless though, it keeps water from spilling out over the front glass when you work on it. I actually had the eurobraces tempered, I was told it increases the strength by 6 times. Not necessary but didn't cost much more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+olaggie01 Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 That is a sweet sump setup. I like the custom cover that they had made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scream311 Posted March 27, 2012 Share Posted March 27, 2012 WOW thats one Awesome Sump, Great Idea using that Plastic Pallet Crate as a Sump. hmm Ideas now.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Hydro Posted March 28, 2012 Author Share Posted March 28, 2012 That sump is sweet, the detail is insane, very impressive work whoever did it. 200 extra gallons, almost as much as the tank. It came with a HUGE uv and a huge skimmer, I almost got them plumbed in today along with the tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fjr_wertheimber Posted March 28, 2012 Share Posted March 28, 2012 (edited) Is it just me, or do the pipes on the floor in these pics look like a skeleton? LOL Dude, awesome job on the tank, and a great setup, especially love that sump. So what'd you use for your spacers for the silicone? Edited March 28, 2012 by fjr_wertheimber Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Hydro Posted March 29, 2012 Author Share Posted March 29, 2012 Thanks, I'm ready to get some water in this thing! For the spacers I ended up cutting some sheetmetal that I had laying around in tiny little pieces, I knew it wouldn't compress and it was the perfect thickness. It was really hard to keep them in place though, and some even squeezed out with the silicone. Next time I will use superglue and glue the spacer to the glass so that it can't move around. Also next time I will have 4 of those large clamps instead of just 2, they need to be left on for 2 days I leared. After a day I pulled one off and some large bubbles appeared in the seam. I quickly clamped it back down and the bubbles became tiny again. I left it for another 24 hrs and took of the clamps and it looks great and the bubbles are still tiny. I have some tiny bubbles here and there, no big deal. I think there are tiny bubbles in the silicone that can't get pushed out when you squeeze the glass. I've looked at other tanks and its seem pretty common. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
victoly Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sifuentes31 Posted March 29, 2012 Share Posted March 29, 2012 LOL! BRAVO!!! BRAVO!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Hydro Posted March 31, 2012 Author Share Posted March 31, 2012 thanks guys! I started adding water to the sump today! When its full I'll be able to put water in the tank, Monday at the earliest. Its amazing how much time this stuff takes, the last 10% takes 90% of the time. I've been plumbing everything which includes daily trips to lowes. we also put the styrofoam underneath the tank and boy that was an adventure, and I decided to move the refugium underneath the tank instead of running it in the sump. Everything is pretty much ready to go except for the pump and the UV light. I'm waiting on new bulbs for the UV and one quartz tube for it, should be here early next week along with the pump which I forgot to order until today. I went with a reeflo hammerhead which can crank out 6000 gallons per hour and is really energy efficient. All supply lines are hooked up to the manifold and all overflows are plumbed in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Bio)³ Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Hey look I see myself in the reflection! These pictures don't do justice for this tank or build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+o0zarkawater Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Hey look I see myself in the reflection! These pictures don't do justice for this tank or build. If you were doing work instead of standing around in the shop that wouldn't happen. Nice build Stephen, I need to make it out there sometime soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Hydro Posted March 31, 2012 Author Share Posted March 31, 2012 lol, thanks Chris (ozarka) You should come out, its been a while. We buy enough printing from you guys maybe tell your boss its a customer service visit, you can take us to lunch j/k. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(Bio)³ Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 Hey look I see myself in the reflection! These pictures don't do justice for this tank or build. If you were doing work instead of standing around in the shop that wouldn't happen. Nice build Stephen, I need to make it out there sometime soon. Note the RO tube in the sump, shows me that this was at the very end of the day and I was working; I was discussing everything about the day and whats to come with Hydro Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Hydro Posted April 1, 2012 Author Share Posted April 1, 2012 My volume calculator on my phone is wrong!!! The tank is actually a 300 gallon, the sump is 250 gallon (full), and the refugium is 40 gallons. Awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
offroadodge Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 man i have to come out as well, this is gonna be a good investment in the long run...Hope the salt BILL doesnt kill ya. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Hydro Posted April 1, 2012 Author Share Posted April 1, 2012 ughhh, just to fill this up once is going to cost me 3 buckets of salt. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sifuentes31 Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 Maybe for a future meeting you can build a tank so that everyone can see how its done. Doesn't have to be large but it does have to be fun!!! Just a thought! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sifuentes31 Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 Forgot to ask, what kind of paint did you use for the back and sides of the glass? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Hydro Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 I use satin oil based black paint, rustoleum brand, already mixed and ready to go. I thought about what you said about building a tank at a meeting and I was almost on board but I think without having the tables and tools at my shop it would harder for me to do a good job. I'm probably going to have a grand opening of my new business (selling fish) and may do it then if I can get it sold before hand. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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