The stand has many layers of semi gloss clear coat on it. Three coats were for protection, the other 99 were cause I kept messing it up. lol
Yeah, that part is funny. I thought about just saying screw it and buying some flexible tubing, where is the fun in that!
Thank you. I still have a ton of work to do though. I'm hopeful that I can get the basic system up and running this weekend and get the fish moved over early next week. Then I'll need to get all the Apex gear moved over and reconfigured for the larger tank. I also still have to build the canopy and some lids to keep any jumpers where they belong.
Well.... I might have gone over that $8k budget. lol I think I could have totally done it on budget if I did not go with the fancy sump and colored plumbing. Reducing the pipe sizes would help a lot as well. 1.5" unions are pricey and add up really quick!
I know what you mean, my wife and I added the cost of the build and it was over triple that budget, and that didn't include everything.
The little things really do add up. Since I'm doing a FOWLR tank, I was able to save quite a bit on lighting as well. Building the stand and canopy myself saved at least a grand... but it took me forever to do.
Stand looks great! What was your painting process? I am just starting so sand prime my stand.Okay, it has been a while since I updated this build thread. That's because I've been busy working on the tank with every spare moment I get. So, here comes some update for everyone....
I finished up the lower part of the stand and I'm fairly happy with the way it came out. There are a few nit picky things that probably only I will ever notice that bother me when I see them, but so far everyone that has seen it in person likes it a lot.
I also finished up the floor supports in the crawl space.
With those two things done I was able to move the stand and the tank into their final location in the house.
Thanks! It was quite a bit of work. I sanded everything down to 320 grit and then sprayed the white. I was having a hard time getting an even coat sheen wise with the spray gun on the really large flat areas. I would overlap or spay more in one area and it would end up with more shine then the surrounding areas. So I ended up spraying the whole stand, but concentrated on the trim pieces. After that I took a roller to the large flat areas. I lightly sanded between each coat of paint.
Good feedback, thanks. Lol @12 coats ...I understand that very well. I always seem to take longer/more to get the look I want also.
Great looking sump, nice jobWhile all of this work was going on, my slightly custom Synergy Reef SK-60 sump showed up.
This sump allows you to run either dual 7" filer socks or dual Clarisea SK5000 roller filters. I ordered the extra top plates so that I could run both of them as needed. I plan on running the filter socks initially to catch all the crud floating around from setting everything up. That way I'm not wasting roller filter in the beginning. As you can see in the photo below, the sump is modular to allow for both options.
The sumps is a really nice looking sump and I'm very happy with it. There were a few small cosmetic issues, but since they do not effect the operation of it and are not really noticeable, I'm okay with them.
A couple of glue smears...
And a dinged corner...
Thanks. I was initially looking at the Bashsea line of sumps, but the did not have an off the shelf roller mat sump. I was going to have them make me a custom sump, but having to go through the middle man to deal with them was a little frustrating and time consuming. I was able to personalize this Synergy Reef sump and start the build process before Bashsea could even workout the details with me. They both make beautiful sumps, but in the end the Synergy worked out best for me.
I agree it is very rewarding to finish up different parts of the build after working on them for so long. I do need take some new photos and update this thread though. As I said in your great build thread, I've now got saltwater, rocks and sand in my tank.
Thanks. There really will not be any corals as this is a FOWLR tank.
How did I miss that?
