Here we go with 75 gal

[carbondave]

I've been stalking the classifieds in my area for a bit looking for a good deal on a tank and I found it - a 75 gal tank with stand for $60! I'm attaching a picture of the listing for the new tank, both to show what I got and to provide some context on my first question.

The tank previously housed cichlids and has some sand in it, so I'll definitely be cleaning out the sand, rinsing with ro/di and recaulking the seams, just in case.

My first question has to do with sump setup. I definitely want a sump, but the stand is not designed very well for that. There are 3 total sections, with the two sections on the end having doors. The interiors of those sections are ~14" x 15", which is smaller than even a standard 10 gal tank. From where I sit I can see two options.

Option 1: New stand
I can build a new stand myself out of 2x4s and the like with one continuous space underneath that would easily accommodate a 20 gal long tank as a sump. This would be the most straightforward from a sump design perspective, but would require some building on my part and convincing my wife who I think likes the looks of the current stand.

Option 2: Split sump
The other approach I could envision is a split sump design where the filtration happens on one side and there's a fuge on the other. This approach would require significantly more sump design work and finding containers to fit the existing footprint, but would not require building new furniture or convincing my wife.

If this was your tank, which approach would you choose? And do you have any suggestions for a container to use in the existing stand?

 

[ShepherdReefer]

I will say that cabinet will need remodeling to use a sump. What are your plans to get the water from the DP to the sump? What product are you using and/or how will you clean the tank? You could make a new stand out of 2x4s, or you can make a stand out of an aluminum structure...so many different ways depending on your budget. I will say, do it right for the first time, look at other reefer builds, and collect ideas.

 

[carbondave]

Yeah that's pretty much the conclusion I came to. So I decided to go the DIY route using the plans here. I will post once I've gotten it built.

Regarding getting water to the sump, I purchased the Eshopps L overflow. My plan is to go with a Herbie plumbing configuration and use the third hole in the overflow to route my return. Lots of parts purchased from BRS, just waiting on delivery!

 

[carbondave]

Well, it's been... Much longer than I would have liked, but I am finally almost to the point of having a tank! Here's where it stands now.

I built the stand out of 2x4s and sheathed it with oak plywood that I stained. The staining didn't come out perfect, but all in all I'm pretty happy with it. The scape went through several iterations to get where it is now, but I like the look. It's kind of hard to tell from the pictures but the rock group on the left has a large arch between the middle and the right pillars, but there's a small island in front of the arch opening.

I opted for a Herbie overflow design out of an Eshopps Eclipse L overflow box. The center hole serves the return which is piped to two Loc Line returns. The overflow drains to a 20 gal sump split into three zones: downflow from the tank through a filter sock with a protein skimmer; refugium; and pump return. I'm aiming for roughly 900 gph through the overflow and will have two power heads in the tank for additional flow.

The main next step is to add water and the additional equipment (heaters, pump, powerhead, skimmer) - just waiting for some super glue on the rock to cure. Once that's added I'm going to order some live rock from TB Saltwater to start the tank cycling, then start quarantining some clowns. In parallel I'm going to build a canopy to match the stand that will house 6 T5s. Hopefully all of that won't take as long as it did to get here!

 

[Cichlid Dad]

Well, it's been... Much longer than I would have liked, but I am finally almost to the point of having a tank! Here's where it stands now.

I built the stand out of 2x4s and sheathed it with oak plywood that I stained. The staining didn't come out perfect, but all in all I'm pretty happy with it. The scape went through several iterations to get where it is now, but I like the look. It's kind of hard to tell from the pictures but the rock group on the left has a large arch between the middle and the right pillars, but there's a small island in front of the arch opening.

I opted for a Herbie overflow design out of an Eshopps Eclipse L overflow box. The center hole serves the return which is piped to two Loc Line returns. The overflow drains to a 20 gal sump split into three zones: downflow from the tank through a filter sock with a protein skimmer; refugium; and pump return. I'm aiming for roughly 900 gph through the overflow and will have two power heads in the tank for additional flow.

The main next step is to add water and the additional equipment (heaters, pump, powerhead, skimmer) - just waiting for some super glue on the rock to cure. Once that's added I'm going to order some live rock from TB Saltwater to start the tank cycling, then start quarantining some clowns. In parallel I'm going to build a canopy to match the stand that will house 6 T5s. Hopefully all of that won't take as long as it did to get here!

Looks great

 

[Tim'sReef]

That tank cleaned up good! Looks like new, have fun with the build.

 

[carbondave]

Well, the day we all (and by that I mean "I") have been waiting for is finally here: the tank is live! And it has a couple of inhabitants! Some details:

Hardware:
75 gallon Marineland tank with an Eclipse L overflow plumbed in a Herbie design
DIY stand (based on these plans) and canopy (based on these plans)
20 gallon long sump split into 3 chambers - inlet/skimmer, fuge, return

Flow
Return pump: Current USA eFlux 1900 gph DC flow pump, current set at ~2/3 of max
Wave makers: 2x Current USA eFlux 2100 gph wave pump, each set at ~50% of max - one in surge mode and the other in pulse mode

Filtration
Filter sock on drain into sump
Reef Octopus 110 protein skimmer (courtesy of @BBoley24)
~80 lbs of rock, most dry, with some TBSaltwater live rock to seed
Chaeto to be added to the fuge

Lighting
T5 retrofit kit mounted into the canopy with 6x 54w bulbs - 2x Blue Plus, 2x Coral Plus, 2x Aquablue Special - 11 hr total photo period with 30 min each sunrise/sunset, 10 hr at max intensity
LED grow light over the fuge

Automation
2x 200W Jaeger heaters controlled by a RKL (courtesy of @misturrtinnie and @vetteguy53081)
Smart plugs controlling the lights
DIY ATO kit from BRS

The tank has been sitting with flow and the rocks from TBS for a couple of months while the clowns went through qt. At this point the inhabitants are the 2 clowns, a shroom, 2 zoa frags, and an urchin TBS threw into my order. I placed an order today for the first members of the CUC, including some pods, a few hermits, a variety of snails, and some chaeto. Oh, and a pom pom crab because they're cool.

Alright, onto the pictures.

Full tank shot with stand and canopy

Some not great pictures of the first couple of inhabitants

The sump with its rat's nest of wires (apologies to any rats I offended with that characterization)

At this point the question is, of course, what to add next? For corals I plan o eventually have a Euphyllia garden to the bottom right, a zoa garden where the first two zoa frags are, some acans in there somewhere, at least one cap monti, and some acropora toward the top. For fish I'm thinking a couple of flasher/fairy wrasses, a mandarin, and a tang of some kind. Possibly a goby/shrimp pair. Planning to staff up my CUC as the tank inhabitants increase, eventually to include more of what I have on the way, a cleaner shrimp, and a conch.

 

[carbondave]

Got some new LPS corals from Cherry Corals, and I have to say, I'm really impressed! Both in the quality of the corals and the size. I bought a hammer frag expecting it to be golf ball sized and it's more like baseball sized! And the acans look awesome. Main question is: do they all look happy where they are? I think so, but want to be sure before flying in place.

Also have a McCosker wrasse and a Midas blenny in QT. Both looking good and eating great. They're probably roughly 8 weeks out from being added to the DT. I have more CUC on the way but otherwise going to (try to) hold off on any new additions until they're in the DT.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Got some new LPS corals from Cherry Corals, and I have to say, I'm really impressed! Both in the quality of the corals and the size. I bought a hammer frag expecting it to be golf ball sized and it's more like baseball sized! And the acans look awesome. Main question is: do they all look happy where they are? I think so, but want to be sure before flying in place.

Also have a McCosker wrasse and a Midas blenny in QT. Both looking good and eating great. They're probably roughly 8 weeks out from being added to the DT. I have more CUC on the way but otherwise going to (try to) hold off on any new additions until they're in the DT.

Coral look great!

 

[Reef Devils]

Got some new LPS corals from Cherry Corals, and I have to say, I'm really impressed! Both in the quality of the corals and the size. I bought a hammer frag expecting it to be golf ball sized and it's more like baseball sized! And the acans look awesome. Main question is: do they all look happy where they are? I think so, but want to be sure before flying in place.

Also have a McCosker wrasse and a Midas blenny in QT. Both looking good and eating great. They're probably roughly 8 weeks out from being added to the DT. I have more CUC on the way but otherwise going to (try to) hold off on any new additions until they're in the DT.

Good looking hammer.