Jazzmik's Fusion 20 Build

[jazzmik]

Here's a list of equipment. Most of it's in, but still waiting on a few pieces that are on order and I haven't decided 100% on light but pretty sure I'll be going with a Nanobox Duo Plus M.
 

• Tank: IM Fusion 20
• Stand: Ikea Brimnes (reinforced)
• Lighting: Nanobox Duo Plus M 
• Flow: Sicce 1.5, Jebao SW4, MP10QD
• Filtration: 2 inTank Media baskets (Filter floss, Seachem Purigen, my own bags of GFO/Carbon)
• Siporax Filter Media
• Heater: Eheim Jager 75w
• ATO: Tunze 3155 Osmolator
• Skimmer: Reef Glass Nano
• Rock: Reef Cleaners dry rock
• Sand: Tropic Eden Reef Flakes
• Salt: I've been using RSCP but just bought IO Reef Crystals so will be trying it out
• ADJ Products PC-100A AC POWER STRIP
• APC Back-UPS Pro 1000VA UPS
• Flipper Nano Magnet Cleaner

Give me your thoughts on first pass at the scape:

 

 

 

Originally I didn't want to spend the money on MP10, which is why the Jebao SW4 is in the list, but picked one up used for good price. I'm spending way more on this build than I wanted to!!

I still have to reinforce the stand which I was supposed to do today but I really am hating the idea of hacking away at a DIY .

[mr9iron]

It seems as if you have a nice list of equipment and you have thought out your design very well.  I do like your aquascape, as well.  What is your plan for cycling the tank?  

[jazzmik]

11 minutes ago, mr9iron said:

It seems as if you have a nice list of equipment and you have thought out your design very well.  I do like your aquascape, as well.  What is your plan for cycling the tank?  

 

Thanks. 

 

Not 100% sure. I have a small rock from my main tank that I was going to put in. Plus I have some Microbacter7 or some of the Pro Bio S.

 

The Siporax also comes with some seeding bacteria. 

[mr9iron]

I am currently cycling my IM 20 with a mix of live rock and some dry rock.  I went the pure ammonia route with MB7.  I am at week 2 and my ammonia has started to drop and I am seeing both nitrite and nitrate.  I also set my temperature to 84 degrees as some suggest this aids bacterial growth.  Just something to consider.

[jazzmik]

3 minutes ago, mr9iron said:

I am currently cycling my IM 20 with a mix of live rock and some dry rock.  I went the pure ammonia route with MB7.  I am at week 2 and my ammonia has started to drop and I am seeing both nitrite and nitrate.  I also set my temperature to 84 degrees as some suggest this aids bacterial growth.  Just something to consider.

 

You have a thread going? Any pics?

[cju84]

That's a great tank and scape!  We nearly have the exact same gear (I have the IM 20 Fusion as well) and the tank has been thriving thus far.

[Detritus]

Hey man!

 

i think that looks really good! I'm sorry if I missed it, but could I ask what kind of rock that is, and where you got it? I very much like the "nooks and crannies" look, I'd like to get similar looking rock myself. And I'm actually still debating on whether to use base rock (so I get the look I want), or live rock from Tampa Bay Saltwater or that livegulfrocks.com place everyone was talking about in a recent "best place to get live rock" thread here on nr.com (so I can hope to get some decent hitchhikers).

 

Thank you!

 

-Detritus

[jazzmik]

19 minutes ago, Detritus said:

Hey man!

 

i think that looks really good! I'm sorry if I missed it, but could I ask what kind of rock that is, and where you got it? I very much like the "nooks and crannies" look, I'd like to get similar looking rock myself. And I'm actually still debating on whether to use base rock (so I get the look I want), or live rock from Tampa Bay Saltwater or that livegulfrocks.com place everyone was talking about in a recent "best place to get live rock" thread here on nr.com (so I can hope to get some decent hitchhikers).

 

Thank you!

 

-Detritus

 

Hey @Detritus

 

Got the rock from Reef Cleaners. I buy my cleanup crews from him as well. Great prices and service.

 

I think I had picked the 30lb package and only used 4 pieces. Still have more than half of it left.

 

 

36 minutes ago, cju84 said:

That's a great tank and scape!  We nearly have the exact same gear (I have the IM 20 Fusion as well) and the tank has been thriving thus far.

 

Thanks @cju84

 

I'm still not sure about the scape. I like it but I'm liking yours and the 2 separate sections. I suck at aquascaping. Never feels like I have the right pieces.

 

I have several big pieces left that I may break up to see if I can come up with something else.

 

By the way how are you liking the Nanobox? What color did you get?

[jazzmik]

Noticed you have it on a Kallax stand also. Any concern on the weight? 

 

I have that Brimnes and not sure about it yet. 

[cju84]

24 minutes ago, jazzmik said:

Noticed you have it on a Kallax stand also. Any concern on the weight? 

 

I have that Brimnes and not sure about it yet. 

No concern on the weight at all.  I got the tank from a previous owner with the stand and he had it up for over a year.  It's very sturdy with the middle support.

 

I am liking the Nanobox Duo (with storm controller).  This version only has blue/white lights and I typically run the blues at 70% and the whites at 35%.

 

For flow, I upgraded the stock pump to a MJ1200 to avoid any powerheads/wavemakers in the tank.

[jazzmik]

Just went to HD... time to reinforce the stand . Let's see how bad I screw this up!

 

 

[Detritus]

45 minutes ago, jazzmik said:

Just went to HD... time to reinforce the stand . Let's see how bad I screw this up!

 

 

Looks like you're on the right track! Post again if you have questions. Good luck!

 

-D

[jazzmik]

@Detritus I do have a quick question before I start cutting this 2x4 up.

 

I really didn't want to use 2x4 since I'm only reinforcing the stand. It takes up more space inside 

 

They have some nice 2x2 by 8ft I think it's select pine wood. Can't remember the type off hand but it's way smoother and has clean cut. Although it's way more expensive.

 

You think 2x2 would work ok? Strong enough? I'm going to attach all the Ikea pieces to the frame.

[Detritus]

10 minutes ago, jazzmik said:

@DetritusYou think 2x2 would work ok? Strong enough? I'm going to attach all the Ikea pieces to the frame.

Yes, I absolutely do think 2x2's would be strong enough. I'm assuming they are really 1.5"x1.5", and I still think that would be plenty strong enough, and save space inside the cabinet. You could also use inexpensive 1x (pronounced " one by") material too. Like, 1x2's, 1x3's, 1x4's, etc. These would be strong enough for sure, assuming you use some logic, lol! And, they would save you space in the cab.

 

Something like this:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/1-in-x-4-in-x-8-ft-Premium-Kiln-Dried-Square-Edge-Whitewood-Common-Board-914681/100023465

 

Or, you could use 3/4" plywood cut into "boards" about 2 or 3 inches wide. HD will cut the plywood for you. Recently, my local HD had full 4'x8' sheets of decent plywood for about $36. They also sell partial sheets like 2'x4', which might just be enough material for it.

 

Is the back of your cab that cardboard stuff? You might want to replace that with something like 1/4" plywood. Or, just make sure your frame really ties the whole thing together solidly, and resists "racking" or side-to-side force. The majority of force on an aquarium stand will be straight down, no surprise, but it has to withstand being potentially bumped from the side too.

 

Have you seen any howto sites or videos on how a lot of people build a stand out of a 2x4 frame wrapped in 1/4" plywood or cheap panel board? Look for those, they are all over, and then try to mimic what they do using your boards for the frame, and the cabinet pieces as the 1/4" wrap.

 

Let me know how you're doing!

 

-Detritus

[jazzmik]

Thanks again! Gonna return the 2x4 tomorrow. Yeah they're really 1.5"x1.5".

 

I've been checking out a bunch of the DIY stands so think I have a pretty good idea of what I need to do BUT having the tight tools (which I really don't) makes a world of difference. 

 

Will update the progress. 

 

[Detritus]

8 minutes ago, jazzmik said:

Thanks again! Gonna return the 2x4 tomorrow. Yeah they're really 1.5"x1.5".

 

I've been checking out a bunch of the DIY stands so think I have a pretty good idea of what I need to do BUT having the tight tools (which I really don't) makes a world of difference. 

 

Will update the progress. 

 

Well, not that I personally have taken advantage of this, but it's fairly well know that HD has a very liberal tool return policy. I have actually heard HD employees refer to this as the HD free tool rental service. Do with that what you wish.....

 

Oh, I meant to mention this before, you definitely want to be using a good wood glue on all the wood joints. If done correctly, you could potentially use nothing but glue, it's that strong, and that important. But, the cheapest and probably easiest thing to do would be to also secure each joint with screws. The screws hold things together until the glue dries. You can use cheaper drywall screws here if you predrill pilot holes for all your screws first. This helps to prevent the wood from splitting as you drive the screws. I can also recommend trying Spax brand screws, which they say you can just drive them in without predrilling. I've used them, and they work great, though I'd personally take a minute to predrill anyway.

 

If you have some extra bucks, and think you might use it again in the future, check out the Kreg jig. it makes joining wood and building things pretty easy. You need the jig itself, a drill, and the special Kreg screws. You could easily do your project with their least expensive Kreg jig mini kit. Check out this video, this guys is actually very good, he has a HUGE YouTube woodworking following:

 

 

Hope this helps!

 

-Detritus

 

[Detritus]

Another nugget of Home Depot info for my fellow wet-sleeves: if you have a Harbor Freight Tools store in the area, many, but not all, Home Depots will accept Harbor Freight coupons as competitor's coupons. This is significant because Harbor Freight gives out 20% off coupons like water, and even 25% off coupons on occasion, so it's worth asking is they'll honor the Harbor Freight coupons if you're going to be buying tools and things. They also accept Lowes coupons, and probably other local tool stores too.

 

Good luck!

 

-Detritus

[jazzmik]

I was just watching some vids on the Kreg Jig. I might pick it up tomorrow if they have it.

 

Using some Gorilla wood glue.

[Friendly]

hey Jazz...what's your plan exactly?

 

why not just reinforce with some plywood cut to size so that it kinda of just taps into place and helps distribute the load better? seems that would KISS...   

[jazzmik]

6 minutes ago, Friendly said:

hey Jazz...what's your plan exactly?

 

why not just reinforce with some plywood cut to size so that it kinda of just taps into place and helps distribute the load better? seems that would KISS...   

 

That's the plan. Just going to get some 2x2's and "frame" the inside of the Ikea stand. 

 

[Detritus]

1 minute ago, Friendly said:

hey Jazz...what's your plan exactly?

 

why not just reinforce with some plywood cut to size so that it kinda of just taps into place and helps distribute the load better? seems that would KISS...   

I have to agree, this was one of my original ideas, as well as another member previously. And remember, your local HD will cut the pieces to size for you, or you can do it with you Worx saw I noticed in the picture above. This would be easy, cheap, strong, and minimize how much room is eaten up inside the cabinet. You can buy a whole sheet of plywood for probably $30-$50 tops, and you'd have a lot left over for other projects. Definitely something to consider.

 

And I have to ask - not to be a downer - but is there a reason you have to use this particular Ikea cabinet as the stand? I'm asking because maybe you or your spouse likes it, or maybe you were hoping to save money on the stand because you already had this Ikea cabinet, but please consider how much you're going to spend shoring it up, plus you're time. Maybe consider building a stand from scratch, or buying a stand. I would think if you looked a little bit, you could find a very similar cabinet, possibly cheap from Craigslist, that is already beefy enough to support the tank. Again, just food for thought.

 

Whatever you decide, if you need a hand with the cutting, gluing, building of the stand, I'm not bad at woodworking, and I will try to help you with whatever direction you choose, if you need it.

 

Best of luck!

 

-D

[Detritus]

10 minutes ago, jazzmik said:

 

That's the plan. Just going to get some 2x2's and "frame" the inside of the Ikea stand. 

 

Plywood might turn out to be as cheap, cleaner, and easier to work with than your 2x2's. It's a more stable material than wooden boards, and will resist warping out of shape better than 2x4's, 2x2's, or 1xanthing. Look for HD's "handy panels", which are 2'x4' sections of ply (so you don't have to buy a huge 4 foot by 8 foot sheet). 

 

Something like this:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Sanded-Pine-Plywood-Common-23-32-in-x-2-ft-x-4-ft-Actual-0-703-in-x-23-75-in-x-47-75-in-1502108/202089019

 

As always, best of luck, and just think logically about this, don't over think it; KISS, as Friendly mentioned ;-)

 

-D

[Friendly]

2x2 will help frame it, but take up a lot of space that could lead to inefficient use for storage and such. I think you should just consider getting some 1/2" plywood cut to whatever the interior side dimensions are, minus a bit at the top so you can either fit another piece of plywood along the top or use the shelf that's already there. use some wood glue and clamps and then make everything a bit more secure with some corner braces and quarter inch wood screws.

 

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-3-1-2-in-Zinc-Plated-Inside-Corner-Brace-4-Pack-20492/204760767

 

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-2-x-1-4-in-Flat-Head-Phillips-Zinc-Wood-Screw-8-Piece-Bag-806761/204587381

 

Detrius might have a better recommendation for corner brace and wood screw though. I just grabbed what I found on HD website to reference for you.    

[jazzmik]

Thanks a lot guys!

 

So @Friendly are you saying just 2 pieces for the sides would work along with the braces?

 

@Detritus yes part of it was wife likes the stand and the price was right. Think it was 80 bucks and 36" tall. Unless you DIY aquarium stands are way to expensive for the crap they build them from.

 

Looks like I'll go with the plywood it's much cheaper anyway. Will try and get some cuts done at HD at least to pieces I can work with more easily at home.

[Detritus]

Just now, Friendly said:

2x2 will help frame it, but take up a lot of space that could lead to inefficient use for storage and such. I think you should just consider getting some 1/2" plywood cut to whatever the interior side dimensions are, minus a bit at the top so you can either fit another piece of plywood along the top or use the shelf that's already there. use some wood glue and clamps and then make everything a bit more secure with some corner braces and quarter inch wood screws.

 

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-3-1-2-in-Zinc-Plated-Inside-Corner-Brace-4-Pack-20492/204760767

 

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-2-x-1-4-in-Flat-Head-Phillips-Zinc-Wood-Screw-8-Piece-Bag-806761/204587381

 

Detrius might have a better recommendation for corner brace and wood screw though. I just grabbed what I found on HD website to reference for you.    

Honestly, this is a very good, solid plan for your stand, IMHO, and I don't like to use acronyms ;-) Those corner braces are just fine, and if they work for you, go for it. But good wood glue (Titebond II or III, Elmer's Exterior, Etc.) along with some clamps would make a nearly indestructible joint. Seriously, it's one of those things where if you glue a joint properly (not that hard to do), the wood around the glue joint will break before the glue joint itself. Clamps are a great way to go, but I'm going to assume our hero Jazzmik doesn't have several 2 or 3 foot bar clamps hanging around. So short of clamps, basic wood or drywall screws work nicely to hold your joints together until your glue dries. The Kreg Jig I mentioned previously might be a bit of a luxury, but it really can come in very handy for other projects, household repairs, etc. Once again, if you have a local Harbor Freight tools, you can find a generic Kreg Jig for $10 or less.

 

In general, I do like these Spax screws for these kinds of projects, they work very well. I assume you probably have a drill of some kind. This prticular Spax screw is even corrosion resistant, which certainly might be appropriate on an aquarium stand:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/SPAX-8-x-2-in-Wafer-Head-T-STAR-High-Corrosion-Resistant-Exterior-screw-1-lb-Box-4281670400506/301951998

 

Jazzmik, I think the underlying point of this particular post is that both Friendly and I both think plywood is probably the best option. Do you have an objection to plywood that we can help with? Maybe we're not being clear on what is *probably* the best route, but I explain it by saying think "box inside a box". The ONLY hiccup I see is that you either need new hinges, or you need to cut out a part of the plywood sides to allow clearance for the hinges, which is not that hard to do with your saw.

 

Thoughts?

 

-D