Greybeard's Wide, Shallow Peninsula
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Greybeard
2500 Club Member
Didn't weigh it... it's 1.5" 11 gauge steel. Google shows 2.25 lbs per foot, I'm figuring 60 linear feet... 135lbs? Two of us managed to load and unload it fairly easily. If I were going to be carrying it through narrow turns and up/down stairs, I'd likely want 3 guys.
I got a quote on a powder coated steel stand from an aquarium vendor, not going to mention which... $1700 (plus shipping!). I made a couple of calls, and found a local metal fab shop that quoted me $589 + tax, built to my specs. I then made a few more calls, and found a company that would sand blast the mill scale off of it, and powder coat in my choice of colors (gloss black) for $90. I figure spending a half hour modeling the stand and making a few phone calls saved me a grand.
Heck, I was originally going to build a wood stand, and would have spent that much on lumber. I spent about $350 on the poplar and cabinet grade 3/4" ply I used on my old cube stand.
From this:
To This:
I got a quote on a powder coated steel stand from an aquarium vendor, not going to mention which... $1700 (plus shipping!). I made a couple of calls, and found a local metal fab shop that quoted me $589 + tax, built to my specs. I then made a few more calls, and found a company that would sand blast the mill scale off of it, and powder coat in my choice of colors (gloss black) for $90. I figure spending a half hour modeling the stand and making a few phone calls saved me a grand.
Heck, I was originally going to build a wood stand, and would have spent that much on lumber. I spent about $350 on the poplar and cabinet grade 3/4" ply I used on my old cube stand.
From this:
To This:
OP
OP
Greybeard
2500 Club Member
A few items staged... Picked up a Vertex 180i, figured my SRO1000 was a bit small for the new system. Received my PVC parts for doing the plumbing. Blue for return lines, red for the drains. Got a LFS owner building me a 12" x 10" x 3.5" acrylic external overflow box... started thinking about how I'm going to organize the electronics....
Moving slow at this point, but still moving
Moving slow at this point, but still moving
OP
OP
Greybeard
2500 Club Member
Top will be a double layer of 3/4" ply, laminated together, 48"x69". It will attach to anchors that I had welded into the stand. Once I've got the tank, so I can measure it myself, I'll mount a 1/4" x 2" trim board, extending 3/8" above the surface, and glue up a 3/8" square bead at the outside edge of where the tank will sit. My daughter is going to do a mosaic tile surround, like she did on my old cube stand. She can do the work on the top over a couple of sawhorses. Steel stand will be moved in, top screwed on, and then we'll place the glass box.
Here's a shot of the mosaic on my cube. Planning a brighter pallet this time, and solid 1/4" trim, rather than the milled stuff I used last time, but other than that, it'll be similar.
SD_Reefing
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Looks great. Keep them coming
OP
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Greybeard
2500 Club Member
The old Cube is officially sold. The resell value of used reef gear is just sad. Makes my other hobby, firearms, look fiscally responsible. As I've said before, guns don't cost money, it's an investment. Buy decent quality, take care of it, it'll be worth what you paid for it. Ammo. Ammo costs money
Reef stuff is as bad as ammo. Spend good money, go to sell it off, it's worth virtually nothing.
Reef stuff is as bad as ammo. Spend good money, go to sell it off, it's worth virtually nothing.
celebrityovernight
Active Member
Just saw this thread and realized my tank has a twin! 60x30x18 and also made by planet aquarium. Even our steel stand looks alike!
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Greybeard
2500 Club Member
I believe I'm pulling back from mosaic tile on this one... I'm going to build up a 3/8" deep 'rim' around the perimeter, prime and seal, and let my daughter paint it. Reef/fish scenes. Once dry, I'll use pour on clear bar epoxy to 'fill' the 3/8" deep space. Should give me an attractive, extremely durable 'shelf'.
The mosaic tile looked great, but keeping it clean and looking good, what with spills and such, was always a challenge. A hard, smooth epoxy surface that I can easily wipe down sounds like a better choice.
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Greybeard
2500 Club Member
Do you have a build thread on here? I'd love to see what you've done with the rockwork. I'm looking forward to having a wide, roomy platform. I've never been particularly artistic, but I'm hopeful I can come up with something that looks good.
celebrityovernight
Active Member
Unfortunately I don't have a build thread but I'll be happy to post some pics on here when I get home to snap a few pictures. Did you opt for the glass or pvc bottom on your tank?
Also, I think I read something about flow earlier in the thread. A gyre will have no issues pushing water across the tank.
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Greybeard
2500 Club Member
Love to see some pics. Mine is glass bottom. I'm probably going to put a sheet of HDPE/starboard on top of the glass, but honestly, I haven't really decided yet.
I've always been a bit afraid of plastic bottom tanks, silicone just doesn't adhere to PVC the way glass does. I've got no real basis for it, but it still makes me nervous.
celebrityovernight
Active Member
The way planet does it, they basically sandwich a 1/4" piece of glass between two pvc sheets. This way, there's still a glass to glass seal even if the silicone bond on the pvc gives.
I started the tank bare bottom, but added sand later. Now I wished I stuck with the BB. I like being able to grow encrusting montis and other corals on the bottom.
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Greybeard
2500 Club Member
And therein lies my salvation. Bare bottom has never looked good to me... but imagine a bottom made up of sunset montipora, jack-o-lantern leptoseris, a nice cyphastrea... could be very cool, indeed
That's what I'm _hoping_ for. We'll just have to wait and see if I can actually accomplish it.
celebrityovernight
Active Member
Exactly! You won't get that natural look, but you will get that mad scientist with colors exploding everywhere look! Any how, here's a quick snap of the tank. It has a lot of maturing to do. I set it up last year, had a few setbacks and really only started stocking it up again back in March of this year. I recently had a battle with dinoflagellates and they are the devil in algae/protozoan form!
The aquascape is quite boring but it allows me to pack in alot of corals. For a more minimalist look, check out my old 112gallon (48x30x18). I think the 112 had much better aquascaping, but I couldnt add too many corals.
The aquascape is quite boring but it allows me to pack in alot of corals. For a more minimalist look, check out my old 112gallon (48x30x18). I think the 112 had much better aquascaping, but I couldnt add too many corals.
OP
OP
Greybeard
2500 Club Member
DA ReefKeeper light and Finex 800w heater tube showed up today.
Got nearly all of my plumbing parts in now.
Haven't gotten final choice on the sump yet, though Trigger Ruby 36 is the likely candidate.
Whaddya think, Fritz or Red Sea Coral Pro? I was always an IO guy until my last tank, went with Reef Crystals on that one, and honestly, I didn't like it. pH, Alk, and Calc of brand new mixed water varied by more than I was willing to accept. I read good things about Red Sea salts, but many of my local club guys just love Fritz.
I've got a Tunze care magnet long, looks like I'm going to need the strong...
details, details...
Got nearly all of my plumbing parts in now.
Haven't gotten final choice on the sump yet, though Trigger Ruby 36 is the likely candidate.
Whaddya think, Fritz or Red Sea Coral Pro? I was always an IO guy until my last tank, went with Reef Crystals on that one, and honestly, I didn't like it. pH, Alk, and Calc of brand new mixed water varied by more than I was willing to accept. I read good things about Red Sea salts, but many of my local club guys just love Fritz.
I've got a Tunze care magnet long, looks like I'm going to need the strong...
details, details...
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