reeferinbama Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 I am in the planning stages of my 36" long nano build. Tank: 36" x 12" x 10" rimless 1/2" starfire glass on three sides. 4" x 2.5" full length coast to coast external overflow with three 1" bulkhead holes. There are two large bulkhead holes in the back but these will be covered up. Stand: DIY ADA style 36x36x16. Ribbon mahogany over MDF with oil finish. Inside painted with white automotive single stage urethane paint over bullseye primer that has been covered by auto primer. Sump: 20"x12"x18" custom built from 3/8" glass I have laying around. It will have a heater holder through the side of the sump and DIY auto top off bracket for two float switches. Auto topoff: DIY two float custom built 10"x12"x18" glass tank with lid. Lighting: DIY led (most likely). I will cover the whole back wall with 1/4" plexi to cover the holes and provide teeth for the overflow. I will build this part with the router and a jig with a 1/4" spiral bit. Circulation: closed loop with a mag2(unless I change to a different pump) I don't want any equipment in the tank. I am most likely not going to run a skimmer. Filtration will be a DIY prefilter, carbon and phosphate reactor and water changes. K.I.S.S. method! This will take a while to finish so bear with me. Below are pictures of the tank. Link to comment
DriftingNemo Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 I'm going to have to tag along with this build What are your goals for this tank? Mixed reef? SPS dominated? Softie tank? Or is it a secret? Link to comment
reeferinbama Posted December 24, 2014 Author Share Posted December 24, 2014 Softies and LPS mainly. I have my eye on a mated pair of snowflake clowns and would get an anemone for them. Steven Link to comment
reeferinbama Posted December 25, 2014 Author Share Posted December 25, 2014 I am going to use the herbie method for two of the holes in the overflow. The third will be for the return. I have a split lockline for the return but wonder how goofy this will look coming for the teeth of the overflow or should I notch it. Does anyone have a pic of a return done like this? Thanks, Steven Link to comment
DriftingNemo Posted December 26, 2014 Share Posted December 26, 2014 Softies and LPS mainly. I have my eye on a mated pair of snowflake clowns and would get an anemone for them. Steven I think that Softies and LPS would provide some nice movement in the tank. I really like the way soft corals sway in the current, they're also easy to keep which makes them my favourite coral type. I can't wait to see this tank full of fish and coral. Link to comment
reeferinbama Posted December 27, 2014 Author Share Posted December 27, 2014 I have my lighting figured out. Best of all it was free! A while back I retrofitted LEDs in a buddy's Aqua Medic 250 HQI pendant. He got out of the hobby and gave it to me. The first pic is a stock photo of what it looks like new. The second pic is the lights on while I was testing the fixture a few months back. The plan is to bend two pieces of conduit and attach them to the back of the stand to hang the pendant from. Steven Link to comment
reeferinbama Posted December 27, 2014 Author Share Posted December 27, 2014 I also measured the overflow holes and am going to do away with the closed loop idea. The overflow is drilled for 1.25" bulkhead fittings so I can run a large return pump that will give the tank enough circulation (about 600 per hour wide open with head loss) without adding any more equipment. This will keep with my K.I.S.S. method on this tank. I found out that my buddy does IT work for a sign company and he is going to be able to get my black plexi background really cheap. I will build the jig for cutting teeth and fab it up and take pics. Steven Link to comment
reeferinbama Posted December 28, 2014 Author Share Posted December 28, 2014 Well, today, I tracked down the sand. It was on sale but the local store was out so I had someone pick it up for me about an hour away. I am going to start accumulating the stand supplies this week. I have to wait for the veneer to come in. It was ordered by the local Ace for me and will take about two or three weeks to come in but, it was worth it because they sell me special order stuff at cost sometimes. I have to find some 1.25" bulkhead fittings as well. My local hardware store carries 1.25" PVC and fittings including union ball valves and their prices are inline with buying from a website maybe even cheaper. Tomorrow I plan on making a mockup rack to test the lights over the tank with the sand I have and plain water just to see the coloration and spread. I think testing it way before hand will be a good thing just in case it either doesn't work out at all or I have to change the plan of the stand for some odd reason. If it works out ok, I will put manual dimmers in line and mount them through the side of the stand. Steven Link to comment
Slowtwitch Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 Hows the build coming along? Anxious for more pictures. Link to comment
reeferinbama Posted January 16, 2015 Author Share Posted January 16, 2015 I got my dry rock coming. I picked up some well cured live rock covered in 4 kinds of beautiful mushrooms and a frog spawn. I reclaimed a ton of wood from an antique piano that got ruined by rodents. So the stand plan will be changed some to utilize this beautiful lumber. I will take pics when I start on the stand this weekend. Please be patient with me. I am not going to rush this one at all. I don't have a regular job I just do handyman stuff while I am trying to find a full time gig. Thanks! Steven Link to comment
reefernanoman Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 Nice build so far. following. Link to comment
Slowtwitch Posted January 16, 2015 Share Posted January 16, 2015 I got my dry rock coming. I picked up some well cured live rock covered in 4 kinds of beautiful mushrooms and a frog spawn. I reclaimed a ton of wood from an antique piano that got ruined by rodents. So the stand plan will be changed some to utilize this beautiful lumber. I will take pics when I start on the stand this weekend. Please be patient with me. I am not going to rush this one at all. I don't have a regular job I just do handyman stuff while I am trying to find a full time gig. Thanks! Steven No pressure man. Take your time and do it right. :-) Link to comment
reeferinbama Posted January 16, 2015 Author Share Posted January 16, 2015 If you look at the front shot of the tank above, you will notice that it is sitting on my table saw. I realized that the saw will turn 14 this year! I have cut literally thousands of board feet of wood, plywood, mdf and plexi on it and it's still just as strong and smooth as the day I got it. I know it's off topic, but, it needs to be said that good tools, properly maintained, make DIY stuff easier, safer and more enjoyable. I will be ripping through 6/4 hardwood that has been aging since 1917 when making the stand and would never be able to do it without my trusty cast iron friend. Now, if I just had a good jointer, planer and a better band saw... Steven Link to comment
reeferinbama Posted January 21, 2015 Author Share Posted January 21, 2015 It's premature but I couldn't help myself. This is a test scape with a cut up piece of dry pukani leftover from my buddy's order: Link to comment
reeferinbama Posted January 22, 2015 Author Share Posted January 22, 2015 I wish my iPhone would take decent pics. Thus far all the pics have been take by my buddy. Tonight I started the stand made out of the reclaimed oak from the piano. Picture a frame and panel ADA stand. The rails and stiles are 2.5" wide full 1" thick oak. This stuff is hard as nails! The panels will be 1/4" Mahogany plywood. I will do the cross piece at the top front from a piece of 4" wide oak and the door will be frame and panel as well. I think I will rout a finger nail pull in the frame of the door so you don't see any hardware. The top, back and bottom will be 1/2" birch plywood set into rabbets. The whole cabinet is being done with glue and pocket holes. The inside will still be a three step automotive finish in gloss white. The outside will probably be either clear lacquer or tung or Danish oil. I betting this thing would hold up a truck! I will get pics as soon as my buddy gets out to the shop and I pick up more pocket screws. I ran out tonight after framing the first side. Steven Link to comment
reeferinbama Posted January 23, 2015 Author Share Posted January 23, 2015 Ordered pocket hole screws via my locally owned hardware store today. They are so awesome! They will be in Tuesday, they will call me and he gave them to me just over cost. NEVER will you find such customer service at a big box store. Steven Link to comment
reeferinbama Posted January 27, 2015 Author Share Posted January 27, 2015 The lighting plan has changed again! I found a scrap of 3//4" acrylic and fabbed up two pendants to fit two of the fan cooled heatsinks I use for 10 watt leds. I frosted both sides of the sheet, glued them up and rounded over the corners. Still need to do final sanding and drill for the bolts that will attach them to the conduit hanger. But, so far, I am pretty happy! I just have to figure out what leds I am going to use. The tank is so shallow, just about anything will light it enough for softies and lps. I might go with a 3up RB/NW and a OC white per pendant. I might even go with a RB and NW 10 watt per side on dimmers. Just have to try different stuff until I am happy I guess. Steven Link to comment
reeferinbama Posted January 28, 2015 Author Share Posted January 28, 2015 Picked up pocket hole screws today. The stand assembly is back on! Steven Link to comment
reeferinbama Posted January 30, 2015 Author Share Posted January 30, 2015 I had to return something to Lowe's and didn't have my receipt so I used the card they give back to get the stuff for the conduit light hanger. The dude in electrical knows me from coming in there and bent it for me. So I have everything needed to finish the hanger except paint. I am wondering if I should go flat white to kinda match the frosted pendants or if I should go flat black. The pendants will be bolted directly to the conduit. Opinions? I also finished cleaning up a 20H that the top rim has been removed to use as a sump. I will pick up the glass later this week for the baffles. This is turning out to be another VERY low buck aquarium setup. Steven Link to comment
RK_tek Posted January 30, 2015 Share Posted January 30, 2015 Flat white, cut down on glare from the light. Sand the conduit down to smooth the zinc coating. And don't inhale the dust, it's bad for you. Link to comment
reeferinbama Posted January 30, 2015 Author Share Posted January 30, 2015 Yep! I wash galvanized with vinegar and then wet sand it so no dust. I have welded it before and use that procedure. I once had an old timer tell me to drink whole milk after welding galvanized to prevent a headache. Uhm... I think the headache would be the least of my concerns! Steven Link to comment
reeferinbama Posted February 1, 2015 Author Share Posted February 1, 2015 New thickness planer! Now, the salvaged oak from the piano will be easier to work while making the stand. I set it up tonight and adjusted it. It works great. Steven Link to comment
Slowtwitch Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 Love it when you can make cool old materials new again. Link to comment
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