Greg's 16 gallon DIY special - Bubble gum millie and FTS

[Koleswrath]

Current FTS March 10, 2024

 

 

9 months in and we get our 1st FTS - Jan 29, 2024

 

 

It's UPGRADE time!!

 

I'm very excited to start this thread! After weeks of modelling and layout to get every detail nailed down I'm ready to start. I've had the sump designed for a while and the tank was finalized last week but MAN that PLUMBING!!! It took a bit.

This will be my biggest reef aquarium to date so I'm thrilled about new possibilities for fish and coral (even though were still in nano territory 🙂).

 

I'm pretty heavy with the words in this journal so If you would rather not read all my rambling thoughts and just skip to some build pictures please feel free to use the timeline and links below.

 

So why upgrade? You know why….we all know why.  Am I unhappy or bored with my current tank? Nope, not even a little. I briefly thought about keeping the 9 gallon cube and trying to build an overflow for it that wasn't ridiculously oversized. I decided if I was going through all the trouble anyways I should just go a bit bigger. The main reason is simply to remove the annoying bits of upkeep and in-tank equipment that result from not having a sump. In spite of its glowing character my little 12” cube is a bit of a pain in the ass to clean.

·         The heater is almost the entire length of the tank and is sort of tucked behind the live rock so when it needs cleaning and decalcifying it's a chore and a half. Live rock needs moving, the HOB filter needs to come off, etc. etc.

·         As awesome as the Seachem Tidal 35 is….and it is awesome, I have to cut strips of filter fleece into an intricate shape to fit it properly. Changing these filter fleece strips twice a week and having to cut out a couple stencils each time is getting to be a bit much. A roller mat is sure looking appealing!

·         Finally, the live rock is a little crammed in this tank and any sand siphoning, algae scraping or other type of manual maintenance usually ends up with me bumping something or not being able to fit a tool where I want. 

These are little nitpicky things for the most part so to remove the little annoyances while keeping all the things I love about it took some planning. The goal is to be able to easily maintain EVERYTHING! I'm OCD so I want to make each task perfectly easy and hopefully even enjoyable.

 

The solution? More room/less equipment in the display and a sump. BUT......I had to keep the aesthetics of the room in mind with the open stand, no visible equipment and rimless unassuming tank with few protuberances and distractions. A sump in a tiny stand under the tank will not help my goal of easy and accessible. Luckily I have a coat closet directly behind the wall from the tank.

 

Here’s the current tank:

A nice little reef that fits the room fairly well (maybe a touch small), doesn’t scream FISH TANK EQUIPMENT at you and is a positive and interesting addition to our living room. I’m aiming to keep the feel and serene quality of this in the new tank. I especially like sitting in the chair to the left of it with my face pressed to the glass looking for cool little creatures in the rock.

 

 

 

 

 

And here's the new plan: Intricately drawn to exact dimensions including the room and wall studs (because that's important here).

The tank will grow from 12” x 12” x 12” to 28” x 16” x 14” high - roughly 27 gallons. I’ll build from precut 6mm glass with a 10mm bottom. (This has since changed to a 16 gallon Waterbox clear mini due to availability and timing.)

 

 

 

 

I’ll build the ghost overflow from black acrylic and some leftover 3/8” clear acrylic and plumb it with a bean animal drain.  The ¾” drains will be neatly routed through removeable wall plates to the closet behind the wall and you won't really be able to see any of it except from a tight angle to the wall.

 

 

To keep the open stand design I’ll weld a frame from 1-1/2 square tube and build around it with 4/4 maple. I’ve done this for a floating bathroom vanity that worked great. I typically use aniline dyes and Osmo to finish my furniture but to keep saltwater drips at bay I’ll go with Arm R seal sprayed on for multiple coats and a thicker finish.

 

 

 

 

 

I’ll build the sump from 3/8” acrylic with eurobracing and structural baffles. It will be fairly long (28”) and narrow (10”) to fit the closet without blocking the bifold door opening. The full siphon main drain will be plumbed to a manual fleece roller mat I’ll build from polycarbonate to fit the sump and a 4” roller fleece. I’ll also build a media rack to fit between the baffles if I ever need to run carbon or anything else. An acrylic rod welded to the media rack will let me pull it out easily. I’ve got enough ¼” polycarbonate to build section lids for the sump as well.

 

 

 

This was a solid week of modelling and learning some new Sketchup techniques to get the plumbing to be nearly invisible in the living room. The bonus is I can basically precut my pipe and just follow the drawing to plumb the tank when the time comes. (Started plumbing this week 12/30/2023 - definitely can't use the exact measurements from Sketchup...lol)

 

 

The ATO container is already in the closet feeding the tank from a ¼” RO tubing line. I’ll just move the line output to the return section of the sump. A Tunze ATO is likely in the future.

The salt mixing bins are in the laundry closet which is kitty corner to this coat closet. It will be pretty nice having everything within a couple feet. The Salt bin and fresh water bin are above the washer and dryer and each has a vinyl hose with a valve for instant gravity fed water whenever needed.

So that’s the build plan. Over the next few months I’ll update with build sequence pictures and progress updates. If anyone is interested in specific details let me know and I can try to document it better. Questions and comments are always welcome!

I’d be grateful for fish suggestions for this tank. I have a pair of clowns and two Astrea snails that will be transferred over but that’s it. I try to stick with aquacultured fish for whatever that’s worth.

 

Thanks for checking this out and making it to the end of the big intro! I hope it will be educational and interesting. 

Greg

 

 

Timeline and links:

July 15, 2023 - Roller mat complete - https://www.nano-reef.com/forums/topic/427059-88-to-16-gallon-upgrade-diy-roller-fleece-done-diy-ghost-overflow-done-diy-acrylic-sump-done-diy-ai-prime-mounts-done/?do=findComment&comment=6100455

 

 

November 27, 2023 - Acrylic overflow complete - https://www.nano-reef.com/forums/topic/427059-88-to-16-gallon-upgrade-diy-roller-fleece-done-diy-ghost-overflow-done-diy-acrylic-sump-done-diy-ai-prime-mounts-done/?do=findComment&comment=6104390

 

 

December 4, 2023 - Drilled tank for overflow and completed test fit - https://www.nano-reef.com/forums/topic/427059-88-to-16-gallon-upgrade-diy-roller-fleece-done-diy-ghost-overflow-done-diy-acrylic-sump-done-diy-ai-prime-mounts-done/?do=findComment&comment=6104556

 

 

December 10, 2023 - Acrylic sump complete - https://www.nano-reef.com/forums/topic/427059-88-to-16-gallon-upgrade-diy-roller-fleece-done-diy-ghost-overflow-done-diy-acrylic-sump-done-diy-ai-prime-mounts-done/?do=findComment&comment=6104703

 

 

December 27, 2023 - Sump stand completed; Sump installed - https://www.nano-reef.com/forums/topic/427059-88-to-16-gallon-upgrade-diy-roller-fleece-done-diy-ghost-overflow-done-diy-acrylic-sump-done-diy-ai-prime-mounts-done/?do=findComment&comment=6105209

 

 

Dec 28, 2023 - AI Prime 16HD light mounts completed - https://www.nano-reef.com/forums/topic/427059-88-to-16-gallon-upgrade-diy-roller-fleece-done-diy-ghost-overflow-done-diy-acrylic-sump-done-diy-ai-prime-mounts-done/?do=findComment&comment=6105209

 

FTS Feb 23, 2024

[mitten_reef]

wow, someone really love playing in Sketchup.  some nice modeling work there, can't wait to see this comes together.  

[Koleswrath]

2 minutes ago, mitten_reef said:

wow, someone really love playing in Sketchup.  some nice modeling work there, can't wait to see this comes together.  

Lol, yep, kinda slow at work.... 🤐

 

[sapling]

wow very cool and ambitious, when are you planning to start on this? 

 

 

[Koleswrath]

2 hours ago, sapling said:

wow very cool and ambitious, when are you planning to start on this? 

 

 

I started testing my edge prep on some scrap material I have but my local acrylic shop is out of Weld-on #3 so I can’t test my glue ups yet. The edges look really good though so it should go smooth. I get a really nice finish on my router table and I made a jointer fence to run all edges really quick after the panels are cut. I’ll start the roller mat first since it doesn’t really need to hold water. It’ll be good practice to refine my gluing method. Glue should be restocked in a week or so!

[Koleswrath]

Worked on some options for the lights today. I think the best bang for my buck is going to be another Prime16HD. Two should fit the 28" x 16" footprint of the tank fairly well and give me less shadowing than the single Prime I have on my current tank (hopefully). I might look up the Blade Grow and see how it would mount with a couple Primes for an option down the road if needed.

Got a few options here, what do you all think? 

I'm leaning towards #3.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[sapling]

I think thats an option for more even spread and makes sense since you already have the one prime. 

 

If I remember right, you had a decent amount of SPS. 

 

If I was doing this myself, and adding the second prime, I would probably just do the first option. 

 

 

[mitten_reef]

25 minutes ago, Koleswrath said:

Worked on some options for the lights today. I think the best bang for my buck is going to be another Prime16HD. Two should fit the 28" x 16" footprint of the tank fairly well and give me less shadowing than the single Prime I have on my current tank (hopefully). I might look up the Blade Grow and see how it would mount with a couple Primes for an option down the road if needed.

Got a few options here, what do you all think? 

I'm leaning towards #3.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All 3 looks the same to me, ie they’re all wall mounted. But I like the wooden box to tie it in with the stand. 
 

also, if you do this, maybe a swivel brackets that turn to the side? To fold the fixtures to ward the wall and open up the east access topdown of the tank for more maintenance etc. just a thought. 

[Koleswrath]

3 minutes ago, mitten_reef said:

also, if you do this, maybe a swivel brackets that turn to the side? To fold the fixtures to ward the wall and open up the east access topdown of the tank for more maintenance etc. just a thought. 

Yes! This is how my current mount works and definitely how I'd keep it for two lights. So handy to just swivel the light out of the way!

 

[Koleswrath]

I think I'm settled on this. Hopefully I won't have to add any strips down the road. 

 

[Koleswrath]

Well, this took a while eh!

 

Really happy with how it turned out. Great practice on welding solvent joints. There’s definitely a huge difference between using the proper pins method and the way quicker capillary method. I still got a few bubbles with the pins method so I’ll have to keep practicing. This doesn’t need to be water tight though so no biggie.

I ran the tap through the filter inlet and it works perfectly. The water wicks up the roller fleece a few inches. I wonder if people have problems with that.

Just a quick spin of the pvc rollers and we have brand new filter material rolling through. So awesome!

Enjoy!

 

 

 

[Koleswrath]

I'm back from a hectic summer of camping, fishing, boating and other distractions that took precedence over my tank and planned upgrades.

Now that that's all done with we can get some work done until skiing starts!

 

 I decided to change the design and tank size a little based on what was available and how much free time I can allocate to building certain things from scratch. I realized my primary focus needs to be getting a sump installed even if I don't upgrade to the most ideal tank yet. I really need the automation for when I'm away.

 

This lead me to a compromise with a sort of "in between" tank that's big enough to run a nice ghost overflow without needing to build a whole new stand for it saving me months of time and a bunch of money.

 

I found the perfect size for my existing console table "stand" at Waterbox. 23.4"×11.8"×14.2" LxWxH. There's really no comparison on a basic rimless aquarium up to 25 gallons or so. I went with the Clear Mini 16 gallon for less than $150 CAD shipped to my door. I was blown away! 6mm low iron glass, polished edges, included leveling mat..... HOW CAN THEY SELL THESE SO CHEAP??  I priced out regular float glass to build my own and it was twice as much!!

 

So with the sizes and design all locked in I started cutting acrylic and welding up the overflow box. I had to adjust the soak time of the solvent to about a minute with the brand of acrylic I'm using but other than that it's going very smooth. It's an enjoyable process once you have your method worked out and you're achieving perfect edges. 
Until next time! 
Greg

 

Refined overflow design:

 

Welding progress:

 

[Reefkid88]

🫡 jam up work on this !! Following. 

[Koleswrath]

Internal side of the overflow complete! Was a little tough to glue up. No room for clamps or additional weight really. It hold's water and won't see much pressure so should be fine. Started gluing up the external side of the overflow which is big enough to clamp and the seam looks flawless.

 

 

 

[Koleswrath]

Had to show off my first bubble free joint that I could actually see (clear acrylic instead of black). Kinda cool how clear it is and how well you can see the drilled holes. Nice to know my method for edge prep and gluing works well. 

 

[Koleswrath]

Making good progress with the overflow! It's pretty much done except for the lid.
The new tank should be delivered Monday and I'm starting to finish edges on the sump panels. This went waaaaaay quicker than I imagined. Gonna start curing the extra dry rock I have so it's ready for the tank transfer in a month or two. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel!

 

 

[Justind823]

Looks clean! As someone who's messed around with gluing acrylic before, I'm impressed with your bubble free seam.

[Reefkid88]

Daaaang that looks super nice !!! Idk how people can do it,I tried to glue some acrylic stuff together..looked like Ray Charles did it...🤦

[Koleswrath]

Just now, Reefkid88 said:

Daaaang that looks super nice !!! Idk how people can do it,I tried to glue some acrylic stuff together..looked like Ray Charles did it...🤦

Thanks! Having woodworking experience really helps but without the pins method and techniques I learned from Turbo's aquatics and some other very helpful folks over on that "other" reef forum it doesn't come out this nice for me either.

[The Rainy Day Aquarium]

 

On 11/28/2023 at 4:14 PM, Koleswrath said:

Had to show off my first bubble free joint that I could actually see (clear acrylic instead of black). Kinda cool how clear it is and how well you can see the drilled holes. Nice to know my method for edge prep and gluing works well. 

 

This makes me happy. Great job mate. 

[poor man reef]

Nice tanks are always born with nice projects. Congrats!

[Koleswrath]

Big updates today!

The new tank arrived safely and a day early. Very impressed with Waterbox. It was very well packaged and even though Fedex obviously treated the box roughly despite being tagged "Fragile" it arrived in one piece.

I managed to get the overflow and return holes drilled last night and dry fit the completed overflow to the tank. 

Looks pretty spiffy!

 

And even bigger news....THE SUMP IS STARTED!!

The sides and baffles are cut and edge prepped and welding has begun. 

I can get one joint done every day so this baby should be done in a week or so. Then we've got a three week cure time and voila...install time.

Bubble free and rockin!

 

 

 

[Koleswrath]

Progressing nicely on the sump. The sides and 1st baffle went great and I've got the front (or back) panel welded and weighted. My shims are made out of playing cards and paper strips. They work really nice for precise shimming but on these heavier glue ups its a bit of a pain to get them in there. Took about 25 minutes to get this panel setup and ready to run solvent. Looks perfect though, I still really enjoy looking through a glued seam and being able to see all the way through an acrylic panel sideways. 

 

 

[Koleswrath]

And just like that we have a sump!

 

 

As a bonus, it holds water!

 

 

 

I still need to add the eurobrace and probe holders but I took a big a sigh of relief when it didn’t leak. The solvent needs a couple weeks to cure which gives me all kinds of time to add fancy holders and lids.

What do you wish you had in a sump to make life easier?

[Reefkid88]