Shelly 90 Gallon Mixed Reef Build

[Mark Shelly]

After 3 years with a 3 foot 65 Gallon mixed reef tank with hang-on filtration, I decided to upgrade slightly to a 4 foot long 90 Gallon reef ready Aqueon Mega Flow aquarium with home made cabinet with sump. The primary reason for the change was to provide more swimming space for the fish, switch to an in-sump filtration system, and relocate the tank, all while keeping all of the fish and corals I had. In addition I wanted to emphasize bubble tip anemones and improve the lighting. I didn't have room for what I really wanted, a 6' long aquarium.
This first post is about the stand I made for this aquarium out of cherry and cherry plywood. I used cherry as it was available and somewhat water resistant, as well as easy to work with. I didn't want a frame from 2x4 pine on a 18' deep aquarium as I wanted a 12" wide sump to fit between the walls and the holes were drilled in the tank fairly far back. I went with more of a traditional cabinet style, and mostly assembled it with pocket screws, dowels, and biscuits.
I started with the frame, making the outside stiles full height to transfer the tank weight without interruption. I securely clamped each corner and checked diagonal dimensions to insure squareness. While biscuits, dowels, or mortise and tenon could have worked, I did not feel they were the best for my working conditions.

I supported the corner stiles with cherry plywood on the sides. These could also easily handle the vertical loads on the side, but more importantly, provided diagonal bracing from front to back. The center stiles support more weight but are interrupted, and could conceivably buckle under load at the joints. I formed lumber skid under the stiles, rails and bottom plywood sheet that would spread the load to the floor without making it a flat bottom. This was very useful when positioning the tank into location on a carpeted floor before filling with water. Note the frame had a coat of tung oil and then polyurethane in the picture below. I coated after the fit check and before assembly. This sequence extended the time duration to complete the stand, but it didn't effect the overall timeframe as I already had the corals cycling.

This photo shows a backing board for the center stiles as well as the top panel and a spur of the moment shelf. Unfortunately, I glued the stiffeners to the center style which prevented me from removing it to substitute a longer sump. In addition, I should have placed the back stiffener outside the cabinet for more interior room, although it would have mad attaching the back plywood more challenging..

Before securing the top panel, I made sure I could drain straight down. I decided not to use the smaller container on the left for the ATO. I moved the sump left due to the shelf on the right side. I did regret not drilling a slightly larger hole size when securing the bulkhead.

I added plywood panels in the back for lateral diagonal bracing. Not shown are the holes I later drilled through these panels for electrical cords. This photo will be referred to when discussing the plumbing in a later post. This is where the skids came in handy.

The tank was up and running for a while before I finished the doors. I used dowels on the frame. The panels float.

I finished the doors with shell handles as this was to be a Shell themed aquarium.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Nice start! Stand looks great!

 

[Mark Shelly]

While I was working on the stand, especially between coats of tung oil and polyurethane, I prepared some new rockwork as well as cleaned, cured and cycled much of the tank rockwork. Most of the coral had been in tank before. About half was very white and had been collected over the years, while some of the newer stuff still had dried algae on it. A few pieces had come from my last tank and were algae covered. I cycled these in a brute container for over a month while breaking in the skimmer. Note the red piece of pipe organ coral.

I also prepared a few ledges. They were made from coral and from shells I acquired from the beach or at hobby stores. I was hoping the shells would add a little color interest while going through the ugly new tank phase and shape interest when covered by coralline algae. I used some pool cement for its white color and low alkalinity. I mixed it with aragonite sand and crushed coral for the cement mixture. I used as much coral as I could for the ledges and legs, adding shells to the bond surface to get stiffness. I planned to allow fish to swim below the first ledge which would also shade the pipe organ coral from the light, hopefully preventing coraline algae growth. I hope the pipe organ coral acts as a pod hotel.

Here are some of the shells I used or selected from.

The lower shelf was more manmade. Looking back I wish I had used a piece or 2 of shelf rock.

I also created an arch using the shells. I bonded a few pieces of shell together and placed them in a form made in crushed coral. I then applied a little cement mixture. and cement flowing between the shells was stopped by the crush coral which became imbedded.

I added more shells and cement to finish the arch.

I added a few extra pieces of shell to the arch to provide hiding places, shady areas, and act as feet. Here is a back view that reminds me of a amphipod.

I made a few other pieces, but ended up not using them or removing them due to space restraints.

 

[BestMomEver]

That’s nice! Looooooove the stand. Very pretty. Question.... is this going to be a bare bottom tank?

 

[Mark Shelly]

That’s nice! Looooooove the stand. Very pretty. Question.... is this going to be a bare bottom tank?

No, I have a yellow wrasse that is coming over. It needs sand to hide in. The coral legs rest on the bottom of the tank though. To protect the glass, I did secure 2 pieces of acrylic to the bottom of the tank like many people do who have bare bottom tanks. The ledge legs do help water flow down low to keep the bottom sand fairly clean. That is the goal at least. I also like to start a tank with live sand to speed up the cycle time, especially since I am also bringing over a sand sifting goby. the foam under the glass is only slightly compressed. I have it there more for vibration control, although I doubt it is needed. The glass rests on the frame, which is supported by the stand.

 

[Mark Shelly]

Here is the initial plumbing. I designed the stand for a 24" sump, but had decided to go with a 30' sump when I decided to use a refugium. But since I glued the center braces on, I was 1 inch too short vertically to get it in. (Of course, I could have taken off the cover, but I didn't want to put in a sump that I couldn't remove (Not that I could remove a center brace with a full tank either.)
The tank came with an overflow box with 2 holes drilled, One hole was for a durso drain and the other was for the return, I would have preferred 3 drains, with a dry emergency drain and the Durso as the secondary drain. I decided to use both for drains. I decided to use the durso pipe for the main drain (The syphon drain). This was partly as it was adjustable in height so I could control the amount that drained to the sump with no power, and because the return tubing was above it, making is useless as the emergency drain. I decided to route the return behind the tank and over the top of the return. I secured this return to the stand.

I have a gait valve below the main drain to control the syphon flow (red valve). I used 1" flexible tube for the return, but its stiffness and pre-bend dictated the return pump location in the sump. It is overkill. I did a union on both drains and the return to allow removal.

I adjusted the valve so that the overflow box level was just below the emergency drain. This worked fairly well initially but needs constant adjustment due to dirty socks and circulation pump pulses. Since it is strait down, any overflow makes some noise. It doesn't help that the lock line drips directly into this overflow. Over time, I home to have some sort of cap that both raises the level and deadens the sound. I don't have enough lock line to create a syphon.

The initial sump setup is below, I wanted to build in a refugium in the front. Note the filter sock is pinched between the return and the tank, keeping it in place. I decided to go with a used hang-on refugium I got from another reefer. Note the sock hanging in place.

Here is the starting configuration for the sump as I cycled the tank and rock, The water level was dictated by the hang on refugium I used inside. The water would have fallen too far if I used it as a hang-on. The elevation did not raise above the refugium when power was lost, but it did tend to make the skimmer overflow when it returned. The green foam was used to get the skimmer at a good working depth. I also wanted to separate the return pump and place it at a lower level, to try and keep the skimmer section always at the same level.

 

[Mark Shelly]

Once the basic stand was complete, much of the new rockwork was placed into the tank followed by a mix a new cleaned sand and live sand. As usual, the new live sand made the water cloudy. I still had the tank I was moving fish and coral from going as well. Unfortunately, the skimmer didn't work very well in this setup as it would constantly overflow.

The next step was to start the sump early by moving the skimmer to the sump, even though it wasn't complete. I know I could have raised the sump as well, but not enough of the rock was wet.

Then I filled the tank and the tank which gave it a ghostly look. I added a few more potential coral as well.

Next, I let the tank sit with the rock in various setups under t5 lights. Much of the top left would not end up in this tank when I moved some rockwork from my old thank which contained corals or sponges I wanted to keep. The good news is that it ended up in another reefers new tank (that didn't have a detectible cycle either). The arch was in different water.

Here is end view of what was kept before the coral transfer.

This is the top right with the manufactured arch. I don't expect the color to last on the shells, but hoped for interest as the tank went through the ugly diatom stage that was starting by this photo. No fish or corals are in the tank.

 

[Mark Shelly]

I thought I would show you my last 65 gallon tank, I am moving the fish and corals over to the new tank from it with both going at the same time for a while. Some things, like the purple sponge, I trimmed back first,. This tank is 3 years old. The bioload includes a yellow tang, an orchid dottyback, a diamond goby, a flame angel, two clown fish, a fire shrimp, and many soft corals. The yellow tang has outgrown the tank as there are few swim-throughs he can still pass through. I thought the clownfish would like an anemone, and I really don't want everything hanging on the aquarium. Plus I want to be able to see into the tank from more than one side.

After the first diatom bloom I reworked the rockwork and brought over only 7 coral filled rocks. I tried to bring over those with the most coral and most porous. This picture was taken through coral viewing glasses. The presence of the overflow box and the orientation needs of the coral and sponges limited spacious swim-throughs with the old rock in the new tank.

Most of the fish were brought over a week later. The rock on the above right in the picture above was not staying, but positioned in the flow to encourage a rock flower anemone to find a new rock. He is more visible as the orange and yellow in this picture (almost off) after fish were moved over.

This is an end view showing hidden swim-throughs with the yellow tank, fire shrimp and flame angel all visible.

This is a full tank shot with the fish brought over.

This picture shows the left side with the new coral under the old. Shells add some interests as it goes through the ugly stage.

For some reason, my yellow wrasse did not want to come over, nor stay out in the open in a tank with little rockwork. I also had to get this flower anemone off of the bottom glass.

Since I would only see where he was with rocks nearby, it took a long time to transfer him, as did getting the toadstool and flower anemone from this rock (the corals with a little help from Mark at Ultimate Corals).

 

[Mark Shelly]

Here is an update of the tank about 8 months in. I added a purple tang I nursed back from HLLE and a fox face. Having different levels in the tank helps keep aggression down. I also added a few bubble tip anemones, but my clown fish have only occasionally rubbed against them.

The fox face is swimming down low near some vase sponges with the flame angel and the yellow tang. I like how the fox face camouflages at night.

I added 3 bubble tips. This one divides quickly and there are now 4 on the arch. Note the purple tang and the spreading harry mushrooms. The anemones like shell openings to anchor in.

The top rock is mostly covered now with a blue encrusting sponge , palys or zooanthids.

This purple sponge is doing great as well. I have to keep it trimmed.