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Cchsoracle's CAD 34 tank move and upgrades


D Z

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So I have a thread that some of you may be familiar with:

http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/349372-cchsoracles-cad-34g-mini-new-mandarin/

 

It is time for me to start planning my tank move. When I first set this up, I set it up in my bedroom on a piece of furniture that I already owned. That was with the intent to eventually move the tank out to my loft where I will be building a custom L-shaped desk where the tank will be permanent. Along with moving to the new custom stand, I will also be making a number of other changes and just wanted a thread dedicated to discussing those and getting ideas and input from all of you. So please, feel free to give me ideas of things that you have implement in your custom stands or whatever else. Here is my plan thus far:

 

I will be moving the tank to a custom L-shaped desk and it should look something like this once it is finished:

16334616349_8be2971852_h.jpgloft 2.JPG by cchsoracle, on Flickr

 

I am planning on incorporating a larger Topoff reservoir, dosing unit, dosing reservoirs, and possibly a controller with a dry area for the electronics. Included in this move, I will also be upgrading my lighting to include some of Dave's new LED boards in my sunpower, as well as adding a bluefish mini. I have also been waiting for a new skimmer to come out to upgrade to.

 

So here is the big question....should I consider putting my livestock in a holding tank for a couple days so that I can clean out the tank, remove the false wall, drill the back, and add a sump??? The way I see it, this opens the door to a true refugium, gives me more room in the display, almost doubles my water volumn, and lets me have more choices in terms of skimmers. The only drawback is it being a lot more work and stress on my corals than if I just drained and moved the tank.

 

Let me know what you all think.

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I would totally put livestock in a holding tank and drill. The amount of space you'll gain and the ease of having a sump is worth it IMO. Looks sweet tho, can't wait to see the desk come together!

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Sounds like a pretty sweet plan, I have thought of doing this myself ever since the back wall came un glued, but things change and I plan to break it down in a few months and then turn it into a breeding tank.

I look forward to seeing what you choose to do, and how the drilling goes. Back or bottom?

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So I did some more detailed design in CAD. I was able to fit a 15x15x14 sump below the tank and found on on ebay that looks pretty nice for $159. I has a 10x8 skimmer section, so I would have a decent amount of room for picking a skimmer. It also has a 9x5 refugium which I am excited for.

 

16615849650_d7ecf05a8f_h.jpgLoft by cchsoracle, on Flickr

 

 

Hidden door to the dry electronics area.16615646368_c8372aa250_h.jpgDoors open by cchsoracle, on Flickr

 

 

The 15x15 footprint would leave just enough room for my topoff and dosing reservoirs.16595937927_fcbe63c8d8_h.jpgSump by cchsoracle, on Flickr

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  • 2 weeks later...

So I think I have decided against drilling and sumping my tank when I do the move to the new desk. As much as I want the benefits of the sump, I just cannot bring myself to drill this tank and succumb my coral and inhabitants to the stress and instability they would have being in a holding tank for a couple days. I am just starting to get some stability and growth/color in my tank so I am really hoping that when I do move the tank in a couple months, I can do so very carefully and not cause any added stress to the coral.

 

With that said, I do have a couple really cool ideas in mind to make this a custom installation. I think I am still going to build the desk the way I have pictured above, but instead of the cabinet under the tank housing the sump, it will probably house my pod culture and possibly a phyto culture as well. Also, I am considering purchasing a mini fridge to put under the tank to keep all my frozen food and supplements, so I have it close to the tank and not in the garage downstairs. This will also be in addition to having the dry area for electronics and a place to hide by topoff and dosing containers. I'll post more when I get closer to actually building the desk.

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