180 gallon system for $453.49‬

[dankaqua]

Here's the rundown for the tanks, hardware and lumber:

Aquarium 20g high $26.79 each at PetCo 9 tanks ~ 180 gallons total volume	$241.11‬
2x4x8 studs $4.32 each at Home Depot 23 pieces	$99.36
Sanded Plywood 11/32 in. x 4 ft. x 8 ft. Home Depot $38.83 each 2 sheets	$77.66
5/8" x 16" Hex Bolt - galvanized $4.42 each at BoltDepot - 8 bolts total	$35.36
Total	453.49‬
	Front view of the system. Nine 20gal high aquariums are plumbed in series. The bottom left tank holds the return pump and pushes water to the top right tank. The bottom row can hold a fuge, skimmer, baffles, ato etc. 1/2" plywood provides shear stability and strength and dresses up the build. The plywood also can be waterproofed to catch any leaks and allow for drainage to the bottom.
	Side view with the plywood removed. 16" carriage bolts bolt through 5 (horizontal) and 2 (vertical) 2x4 studs. The top uses a 4.5" filler piece and so has only 2 (horizontal) and 2 (vertical) 2x4 studs.
	The system with all the wood removed. 1" PVC was used for the model. Unions would probably be a good addition to each connection and would increase the cost as would the bulkhead fittings. I only priced out the "aquarium and stand".
	Another view from the side. The height for the whole system takes into consideration adequate space (hopefully!) for lighting each tank and space on the bottom row for adding/removing equipment. The width is 8 foot, to maximize use of plywood and lumber. Lighting, internal flow, etc could be customized for each tank depending on the needs of that tank's inhabitants.

So the idea was to build a system which, in theory, could be portable. It's hard to move tanks larger than 75 gallons, and certainly a 75gal with a nice sump is a contender. This model proposes using standard 20 gallon tanks because they are cheap, reliable, and fairly sturdy.

The idea with the stand was to make it simple with minimal tools required. For example, a drill bit for the 5/8" bolts only needs to be about 6" long (because the longest piece that needs drilling is the 4.5" filler piece on the top).

Other thoughts I had about this build would be to add a bracket and bolt it to the wall (into a stud)... especially if there are kids/animals around bent on doing some climbing.

I haven't planned out what equipment goes where in the sump. The protein skimmer will probably be the tightest fit. I guess I could add 5" to the overall height and make more space above the bottom row.... or.... I could switch to a couple of 20gal long tanks....

Very interested to hear everyone's thoughts/ideas/opinions/warnings/reactions to the above!

 

[Reefer40b]

I understand that these tanks are meant to be portable, but what are you planning on housing in them?

Very detailed post with pricing! looks good

 

[dankaqua]

I understand that these tanks are meant to be portable, but what are you planning on housing in them?

Thanks Reefer40b !

Haven't really thought about what each tank will hold... on the bottom row, a refugium for sure.

As for the "display" tanks, could be all mixed reef or could be separated into SPS, NPS, LPS, softies...

Also, one or more tanks could hold non-reef-friendly fish or inverts. Maybe a Crown-of-thorns? (kidding!)

I think the tanks will dictate what grows well in the confined space. Flow is a bit more problematic in the smaller volume...

Mostly tho, I was hoping for feedback from the community as to what might work best and/or limitations due to the design.

 

[dankaqua]

I looked at this thread on my phone, and the images (inside the table) were super small...

so reposting the images below:

 

[dankaqua]

 

[Mical]

First off - I like your ingenuity (at least on paper) Now don't take this offensively but with as many views as this thread has had and lack of responses, I'll be the bad guy.

I see all kinds of problems w/this arrangement. The #1 problem is keeping temp constant. were you planning 9 heaters? Problem #2 - flow (and this is a BIG problem) First off you're going to have to figure out the amount of flow, head height from return source, plumbing is going to have to be EXACT down to the inch & and how did you plan on connecting these tanks? Are you going to drill them and use bulkheads?

Have you calculated weight per shelf? Were you planning on bolting it to a wall?

I'm going to stop here because in all honesty it's going to be a "calculation nightmare". I'm not saying it can't be done, but I seriously think you can buy a 180 gal tank premade and outfit it with proper gear & in the long run be cheaper & less labor & experimentally challenging. Granted it won't be portable but why? I have yet to see a portable reef tank. I've seen portable frag tanks (for shows, etc..)

 

[dankaqua]

Thank you Mical !

First off - I like your ingenuity (at least on paper) Now don't take this offensively but with as many views as this thread has had and lack of responses, I'll be the bad guy.

Your reply was kick-butt.

I see all kinds of problems w/this arrangement. The #1 problem is keeping temp constant. were you planning 9 heaters?

This is a very good point. I'm spoiled from living in the tropics for so long... I'd monitor temps with a controller to see the deviation. In the past, I let my tanks run between 75-82 ... which is basically the yearly temp range indoors. If temps swing outside of that range, I'll have to climate control the room.

Problem #2 - flow (and this is a BIG problem) First off you're going to have to figure out the amount of flow, head height from return source, plumbing is going to have to be EXACT down to the inch & and how did you plan on connecting these tanks? Are you going to drill them and use bulkheads?

Yes, drilled with bulkheads. I'm ok with 3-5 times turnover in the system, but having flow (powerheads) for each individual tank is definitively an issue. Luckily, not every tank needs SPS flow (if there aren't SPS in every tank). Maybe have a powerhead opposite the in-flow?

Plumbing lengths of course need to be exact. Am I missing your point?

Have you calculated weight per shelf? Were you planning on bolting it to a wall?

I did run those numbers:

Max weight per shelf:
225 lbs (per tank) x 3 = 675 lbs

The compressive strength of a 2x4 is about 1,000 lbs so:

2,025 max total water weight
4,000 max compressive strength of 2x4s

...the model could be switched to 4x4 rather easily, but is that necessary?

I'm most worried about the shear strength of this build as it's very narrow and quite tall/heavy. So putting multiple brackets into the wall is no doubt required.

Putting the system inside a fish room with portals showing the display tanks on the other side of the wall is one idea I'm toying with...

I'm going to stop here because in all honesty it's going to be a "calculation nightmare". I'm not saying it can't be done, but I seriously think you can buy a 180 gal tank premade and outfit it with proper gear & in the long run be cheaper & less labor & experimentally challenging.

Somewhat limited as to what's available locally and shipping would be $$$$...

As for the challenge and the labor, that's half the fun ;Playful

Granted it won't be portable but why? I have yet to see a portable reef tank. I've seen portable frag tanks (for shows, etc..)

The initial idea for this build was to allow for portability... (allow for breaking down the tanks and moving them fairly easily)... Frag tanks at shows are an interesting idea... not quite the same display tho...

 

[bblumberg]

I'd consider rotating the tanks 90 degrees. The rack will take up less space and should have a bigger footprint and more stability... Or you could simply add more tanks...

 

[dankaqua]

I'd consider rotating the tanks 90 degrees. The rack will take up less space and should have a bigger footprint and more stability... Or you could simply add more tanks...

That's some 'out of the box' thinking Bruce! Thanks for that.

I was curious to see what that looked like:

I think it would definitely be a lot more stable in this configuration. Good for breeder tanks or something similar...

The dimensions went from 97"x15" to 66"x26" and the square footage (of the base) went from 10.5 to 11.9 .... which doesn't sound like a big change, but following the 8' plywood size maximum, the width of the stand could be increased quite a bit (more space between tanks).

The key for me tho, is the "viewing area". The "front glass" (viewing space) was cut in half (dropping from 16 sq.ft. to 8). And since this is a "display", I would prefer the larger viewing window.

If this setup goes in a fish room, I will add some width (a.k.a "shelf space") in front of the tank and firmly attach the entire rack to the wall.

...a "nine aquarium jungle gym" is undoubtedly a bad idea...!

 

[mrpizzaface]

This sort of configuration is very common in the freshwater world. A couple things

1 Do you have the tools required to cut the 2x4's? If so I would only have the lumber stop at the bottom of the top row. I don't see any reason to have the framing elements continue up and over the top row of tanks.

2 Are you wedded to using all 20 highs? I would consider changing your bottom row to just filtration. I would use a 75 gallon (or40 breeder) as the main sump, and another 20 high next to it as a refugium.

 

[Mical]

Thank you Mical !




Yes, drilled with bulkheads. I'm ok with 3-5 times turnover in the system, but having flow (powerheads) for each individual tank is definitively an issue. Luckily, not every tank needs SPS flow (if there aren't SPS in every tank). Maybe have a powerhead opposite the in-flow?

Plumbing lengths of course need to be exact. Am I missing your point?


What I was getting at was what kind of pump are you planning on using to circulate ALL this water from the lower tanks to the upper tanks? I'm assuming you're going to let gravity bring it down between each level but you're going to need a MONSTER pump to A) Push water all the way up to top tanks & B) have enough pressure to push water between.

 

[lilgrounchuck]

Are you good with getting up there to maint the top row? That seems like it would get annoying. Maybe drop it to two rows and extend out to each side and add another tank to even it out? This way you won’t be on a ladder to do anything in there.

 

[dankaqua]

This sort of configuration is very common in the freshwater world. A couple things

1 Do you have the tools required to cut the 2x4's? If so I would only have the lumber stop at the bottom of the top row. I don't see any reason to have the framing elements continue up and over the top row of tanks.

I'll admit, I can't live with compound miter saw...

The vertical 2x4 are 7' 4 13/16" tall.... just optimizing the available wood.

As for stopping at the base of the top row, the reason I decided to go above that was
(1) to mount lights above the tanks and (2) to add to the lateral stability of the stand (with the plywood glue&screwed to the 2x4s).

2 Are you wedded to using all 20 highs? I would consider changing your bottom row to just filtration. I would use a 75 gallon (or40 breeder) as the main sump, and another 20 high next to it as a refugium.

I totally agree. The idea for using the 20h tanks is 1) low cost 2) easy to obtain 3)portability. I'd much rather have a 500g tank!

The other issue with a 75g sump is that the bottom row would become so tall that the top row would be too high. Height above the sump is important for getting the skimmer in/out so I've actually changed the sump to a 20gal long. Not sure if I'll put a 20g long for the fuge or leave it as a 20g high...

Thanks for your input!

 

[dankaqua]

What I was getting at was what kind of pump are you planning on using to circulate ALL this water from the lower tanks to the upper tanks? I'm assuming you're going to let gravity bring it down between each level but you're going to need a MONSTER pump to A) Push water all the way up to top tanks & B) have enough pressure to push water between.

The vertical head pressure is 8 feet and the horizontal portion adds an additional foot of pressure. The 4 elbows supposedly add 4' additional feet of head pressure, so at 13' head pressure (just to get the water up there), yes, I'd need a pretty strong pump.

But once the water is up at the top tank, gravity takes care of the rest. Pushing water into the first top tank raises the water level, and it automatically overflows into the second tank (on the top row). That continues from the first to the last tank (assuming all the overflows are properly located).

So not sure I follow your idea regarding pushing water "between" tanks...

I would have to be careful that no overflow gets clogged. That's probably the #1 issue for this type of "serial tank" build... An optical sensor or float valve on the main pump would be a very good idea...

I've upped the "connecting PVC" to 2" in my model.

A good way around the need for extra head pressure would be your previous idea about the "frag tank" type of display (e.g. putting all tanks on the same level). That's pretty compelling...

 

[dankaqua]

Are you good with getting up there to maint the top row? That seems like it would get annoying. Maybe drop it to two rows and extend out to each side and add another tank to even it out? This way you won’t be on a ladder to do anything in there.

I'm ok with getting up on a ladder, but going wider is certainly a good solution.

Easy enough to get longer 2x4s, but longer plywood is not easy to come by... Of course, I could just rip it from a 4x8 sheet.

Good point... thanks lilgrounchuck!

 

[Ranjib]

I don’t think weight will be an issue with 2x4 studs. I’m more worried about accessibility of the top shelf, leading to neglect and light scattering. Your flow solution might end up more costly compared to a single tank setup. If you plumb the. Together, you kinda loose the portability and isolation features. None the less I think it’s worth trying. I was wondering what if you do a bit complex plumbing and instead of series , do a some kinda of logical compartments using valves and scaffolds on the side, that might take care of some flow as a side effect.

 

[bblumberg]

The vertical head pressure is 8 feet and the horizontal portion adds an additional foot of pressure. The 4 elbows supposedly add 4' additional feet of head pressure, so at 13' head pressure (just to get the water up there), yes, I'd need a pretty strong pump.

But once the water is up at the top tank, gravity takes care of the rest. Pushing water into the first top tank raises the water level, and it automatically overflows into the second tank (on the top row). That continues from the first to the last tank (assuming all the overflows are properly located).

So not sure I follow your idea regarding pushing water "between" tanks...

I would have to be careful that no overflow gets clogged. That's probably the #1 issue for this type of "serial tank" build... An optical sensor or float valve on the main pump would be a very good idea...

I've upped the "connecting PVC" to 2" in my model.

A good way around the need for extra head pressure would be your previous idea about the "frag tank" type of display (e.g. putting all tanks on the same level). That's pretty compelling...

While the serial overflow method sounds simple and attractive, I'd not do it that way. Too much potential for headaches if there are any clogs.

For the drains, each tanks should be drilled (as you pictured), but have the overflows feed into a common pipe that collects and delivers water to the sump. the bigger the better for each one - at least 1.5" is fine and 2" as you planned is good. Each tank should have its own water inlet that can be individually controlled. This means that in the worst case scenario, you will overflow only one tank in case of a clog, but more likely this will never happen (1/2-3/4" input with 2" drain).

This configuration also allows you to turn off the flow into a particular tank in case you want to isolate it for some reason (quarantine new fish, medicate a single tank, etc). You can also adjust the flow to fit the inhabitants of each tank separately if you wish. All of the fish and frog aquatics facilities here at UCI are plumbed this way...

 

[dankaqua]

I don’t think weight will be an issue with 2x4 studs. I’m more worried about accessibility of the top shelf, leading to neglect and light scattering. Your flow solution might end up more costly compared to a single tank setup. If you plumb the. Together, you kinda loose the portability and isolation features. None the less I think it’s worth trying. I was wondering what if you do a bit complex plumbing and instead of series , do a some kinda of logical compartments using valves and scaffolds on the side, that might take care of some flow as a side effect.

I'm really ok with a ladder. My favorite type is something like this:

No doubt flow would require more powerheads than a single 180 display tank, but in a 20 high, each powerhead could be a cheapo model. Not the current vogue I know, but a lot easier to obtain locally...

I'm thinking for the plumbing that it's already complex enough... so I'd probably just use "in tank flow" with small powerheads. I'm already violating the "keep it simple stupid" rule with all the tank to tank connections (which would all have bulkheads and unions for servicing).

 

[dankaqua]

While the serial overflow method sounds simple and attractive, I'd not do it that way. Too much potential for headaches if there are any clogs.

For the drains, each tanks should be drilled (as you pictured), but have the overflows feed into a common pipe that collects and delivers water to the sump. the bigger the better for each one - at least 1.5" is fine and 2" as you planned is good. Each tank should have its own water inlet that can be individually controlled. This means that in the worst case scenario, you will overflow only one tank in case of a clog, but more likely this will never happen (1/2-3/4" input with 2" drain).

This configuration also allows you to turn off the flow into a particular tank in case you want to isolate it for some reason (quarantine new fish, medicate a single tank, etc). You can also adjust the flow to fit the inhabitants of each tank separately if you wish. All of the fish and frog aquatics facilities here at UCI are plumbed this way...

That is a very good point. Having each tank with it's own in-flow and out-flow gives a lot more control and allows for isolation/maintenance as you detailed.

But that's a heck of a lot of additional plumbing. I love plumbing, but going that route really removes the "simple" concept of the design. Also would either require 6 pumps or a monster manifold with a monster pump.

However, as you said, any clog in the system would back thing up and cause an overflow. Maybe that's the main flaw with the design.

Overflows can be troublesome. Of course, that's the case with any tank that has any kind of overflow. With 8 overflows, the chance that it will clog and overflow is 8 times higher....

My thinking is a 2" out-flow is pretty beefy. It would only be handling around 550gph as I'm only aiming for 3x turn over. That's on the low side, admittedly...

Your point leads me to the conclusion that an absolute requirement for this system is controller for the pump which can detect a leak and detect low water level in the pump compartment and shut the main pump off.

One thing I didn't put into the model is an overflow box similar to the Synergy Reef Overflow. I might even put in two overflow drains..... have to think about that one. Hoping that a well designed overflow can mitigate clogging issues.

 

[bblumberg]

No doubt the plumbing will be more extensive, but the benefits are many. For example, if you make the overflow from the tank one size smaller than the manifold that will catch the water, and have the inflow from an overhead pipe with valve, you will be able to remove the tanks individually for cleaning as needed.

I will take a few pix in our frog facility tomorrow so that you can see what I mean.

And yes, the sumps in our systems have low level sensors that shut off the pumps if the water level gets too low.