samnaz’s Long and Shallow Rimless [upgrade in progress]

samnaz · Jun 29, 2020

powers2001 said:
@samnaz what ATO did you end up getting?

Mitch

Check post #248 for ATO deets...

powers2001 · Jun 29, 2020

samnaz said:
Check post #248 for ATO deets...

@samnaz nice!!

Mitch

RichtheReefer21 · Jul 4, 2020

samnaz said:
Check post #248 for ATO deets...

So sessy

mitten_reef · Jul 13, 2020

just dropping in to say hi. sorry about kitty, but look forward to some updates on your reef.

samnaz · Jul 13, 2020

mitten_reef said:
just dropping in to say hi. sorry about kitty, but look forward to some updates on your reef.

Hey I didn't know you were on r2r. Got a build thread?
Edit found it ;-)

RobB'z Reef · Jul 13, 2020

samnaz said:
I did it. I finally drilled the tank. After putting it off for months, I'm so glad to have it over and done with. Everyone says it ends up being way easier than they thought it would be, but I have to disagree. That may have something to do with the fact that this was my first time ever using a drill. I should have practiced on a different tank first to get the hang of it. After drilling two holes I've got it down. Only one more hole to go... as soon as I figure out where the return should go.

The first hole was stressful, nerve wracking, and scary. I used a drill guide instead of the template. The drill guide wouldn't stay in place, it was jumping/spinning around the entire time, causing the putty dam to leak. I kept having to put the putty back in place and refill the dam with water. It took forever to finish. Much longer than expected (about 15-20 mins per hole). I was so careful not to give it too much pressure, maybe I wasn't giving enough? Who knows... Perhaps it took forever because of the diamond coated hole saw I got on amazon for $4, the lowest possible quality drill bit you can get.

Before hole #1

Hole #1 complete:

For the second hole, I ditched the awful drill guide and used the included template instead. It was 10x easier. Piece of cake.

Before hole #2:

And here's the finished product with overflow box installed:

It looks *so* good in person. These pics are crap.

Now that I have that out of the way, I can actually start putting this tank together instead of just thinking about it.

awesome effort!

RobB'z Reef · Jul 13, 2020

samnaz said:
Well shoot, I just got one today. How’s that for timing? I appreciate the generous offer though. I got the 3/4” and it’s definitely larger than I hoped it would be. My tank is only 12”H x 14”W, and the nozzle is about 5” That’s taking up some serious real estate, less room for coral and I’m not down with that. Tanks small enough as is.

Maybe I can build a scape around it somehow to make it less noticable and obtrusive. We shall see...

how did that ever end up working? Lol i just bought some of these, and dang, they are huge lol. I can see where they might look out of place in a smaller tank... Just seeing your build for the first time. Really nice!

RobB'z Reef · Jul 13, 2020

samnaz said:
I picked up some flexible PVC pipe and 45 degree elbows. Below is a very ROUGH idea of the final plumbing setup. One concern/problem I see with this rough setup in general is that the pipe isn't mounted or supported to the stand anywhere. I need to figure out where/how to support the pipe.

Thoughts??

RobB'z Reef · Jul 14, 2020

samnaz said:
Reason #436 I regret choosing a MDF stand from PetCoSmart, instead of building one myself...

Turns out I can't fit the ATO reservoir into the stand without moving the sump over. This isn't an issue now, since the sump is empty, but once the tank is running and the sump is full, the ATO would be a huge massive pain in the bum to remove (for cleaning, or for whatever else I may want to remove it).

Options are:

1-Inside the stand (and never be able to remove it).

2-Next to the stand (and find a cabinet/chest to hide it in, OR paint the ATO container black to match the stand).

3-Behind the stand (this would require having the tank a couple more inches away from the wall, which isn't a big deal because it's already 4-5" from the wall bc of overflow/plumbing, but having it behind the stand would make it hard for me to access plumbing and everything back there).

4-Get a new ATO reservoir that fits under the stand without having to move the sump.

5-Other...?

I have no experience with ATOs so for those of you who do, what is most ideal?

Help me decide please ;-)

JoshH · Jul 14, 2020

How on earth have I missed all these updates????? I just figured you were slacking like me ;Bored

Things are looking really good! GREAT job on drilling the tank! And I'm so sorry about your loss