Bill's 60 g Build

BillyKVT · Jul 22, 2020

Hello friends!

I've decided to scale up my 20 gallon operation to a 60 gallon system w/ sump. I'm trying to save money where I can and will ultimately be re-using equipment from my previous tank. I've also been fortunate enough to have been given a bunch of equipment from a friend who recently tore down their tank. The things I have are as follows:

2X AI 16 Prime HD lights (Planning on getting 1-2 more for the build)
2X Jebao PP8 Wavemakers
Jebao DCT-6000 return pump
Tunze nano ATO (extremely unhappy w/ it)
Bubble Magus Curve 5 Skimmer

I really like the red sea system my LFS has set up and as such I am planning on building something very similar. I chose to go with the 60 gallon clear4life (48x15x20) for the build as it offers the best dimensions for my family room. Furthermore I am planning on going with a trigger systems ruby 30 sump.

Aesthetics coupled with an extremely clean look throughout is my number one priority.

I've decided to build the stand myself and below are some renderings of aforementioned alongside the final render (still a WIP as I am still debating on how I want the doors to be i.e. sliding vs conventional). I also ran a preliminary FEA on it but I won't get into the details on here. PM me if you are curious as to how I approached that and what assumptions I made.

I'll be adding some shelving in the right compartment as well as adding an ATO reservoir I'll be building out of acrylic. I'm also planning on running all of my wiring into/out off one hole in the first quadrant. The overflow will be custom made as well using a water-jet I have access to at work. One of the valves will be replaced with a gate valve for finer tuning. I am also considering adding a canopy to accommodate my lighting needs.

Moving forward I would greatly appreciate any suggestions to the build, mostly with equipment selection and powerhead #'s and placement.

Looking forward to your input!

Happy reefing

revhtree · Jul 22, 2020

Awesome Bill and following along!

BillyKVT · Jul 25, 2020

Hello all!

Thought I'd update my build log. I'm nearing the completion of the stand - everything went smoothly for the most part and I am very happy with the final result. I have to sand the second coat of primer tonight and then throw on the final two coats of high-gloss ultra white paint.

I wont be working on the build anymore for the next few weeks as it's a busy month for me and will be going on a much-needed, overdue vacation. Planning on having the tank ship by the end of August and will most likely be resuming in September. In the meantime, I will be working on the door design and installation. Can't wait till this thing is ready!!

Here are a few pictures of the stand thus far, hope you guys like:

BillyKVT · Oct 21, 2020

Update to my build as of 10/21/2020

Been a hectic few months with grad school and covid but progress is being made.

I decided to move the overflow to the far left side as I'm positioning the entire build in a corner wall. The overflow box will be a bit bigger and sit up from the bottom of the tank and go up the back. Bit of an eye sore but I decided to do it this way because I messed up when building the stand and didn't account for adequate room for the drilling of the bulkhead holes. I'll be using the recessed height for placement of frags - no biggie.

Attached are some pics of the canopy and tank which finally came in - she's a beauty.

Sump should be arriving next week at which point I'll start on plumbing and ventilation of the stand.

BillyKVT · Jul 11, 2021

After a six month break from the build due to all this covid craziness and a much needed vacation I’m happy to share my progress and the near completion of my build.

The build is 90% complete as I am still waiting on a few more things to come in (power heads, lights and acrylic for ATO res.). Everything went smoothly for the most part with the exception of the aqua cape which was a major pain due to the nature of the acrylic tank and lack of adequate top access. I glued all of the structure together in the tank with the unfortunate accidental drips of glue on the front pane which I had to dissolve and buff out for a few hours. Other than that, she’s almost ready!