90 Gallon Build

Figured I might as well start the official build thread since a lot of pieces are coming together. Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals were too irresistable!

Purchased the 90gallon RR tank which should be coming in next week. I still have to build the stand but am waiting for the actual tank to arrive to make sure all measurements are precise. I am going to do kind of a combo design off of the reefcentral stand design thread for the support plus a few of my own modifications and the GAF design for make a fully removable outer skin with doors for complete unobstructed access when needed and simple doors for the other 99% of the time. I like the whole removable outer skin from the supports too because if you dont like it you can always change it down the road without moving a whole reef!

http://www.garf.org/calculators/BuildLargeStand_3.asp

I have also started to purchase a lot of equipment but still need more. So far I ordered a Reef Octopus Classic INT 150, a Waveline DC-6000 return pump, and a NextReef MR1 reactor to run carbon. I also ordered a 4 stage RO/DI system from BRS. I am going to use my 3 vortech mp10 pumps for now but want an mp40 at a later date to swap one of the mp10s out so Ill still have 3 PHs. I will also use my current quad bulb 36inch fixture for now and swap it out for a Kessil or Dimmable Onyx as I aquire more corals. I still want to get a backup return pump. I do not plan on running GFO, not from the start up and hopefully not ever. I might look into biopellets down the road and would look to add another reactor when that time would come.

Lastly I purchased 50lbs of Pukani Rock from BRS, 10 lbs of Tonga Branch Rock, and 30 lbs of dry CaribSea Fiji Pink sand. This was just a start to qualify for free shipping on orders and obviosuly I will need to purchase more. Going to end up with another 60lbs of Fiji Pink and another 50lbs of rock by the time all is said and done.

i hope to get started on the stand soon and have the tank filled by the end of January. Near future purchases will include more rock and more sand as well as materials for stand and sump building.

 

My tank is 75G, 48x18, I have 80lb of Fiji Pink and I feel like I need another 30-40. Just sharing for reference.

Great start, can't wait for progress.

For the stand, I also custom built all my stands (look for my other thread if interested). For my next stand, if I ever do it, I am going to use T-Slotted aluminum and wrap it in plywood on magnets. Seems like much much much less of a hassle and should be 100% solid.

 

Yea im thinking 90lbs of sand is just a starting point I only want 2 or so inches of a sandbed. How do you like the Fiji Pink sand? I like the uniform grain size and the fact it seems to not blow around like sugargrain tends to do. Seems small enough to keep the sandsifters but heavy enough to stay in place.

neverthought of using aluminum to build a stand I guess it would be strong enough and a lot lighter. I will probably stick with the solid wood though and line the sump compartment with some acrylic panels to avoid any moisture issues

 

I like Fiji Pink a lot, but I am having some tiny issues with it moving around due to the flow of Mp40 and my return line. I had the MP40 on the opposite side from the return line and it created quiet a current in the middle front side of the tank. Still playing around with it, I moved the MP40 to the opposite side today, not not getting a lot of flow on one side. Work in progress I guess. But I doubt you will have any issues with 3 of them.

I do want to add a WP10, but my glass thickness is 1/2". Might work, might not. Also considering giving Gyre 150 a go.

For the stand, solid wood is deff cheaper, but I had some issues with wood bowing a little under load. Nothing huge, and my stands are way over-engineered in comparison of what you buy from major manufacturers. Moisture is not an issue if you seal it properly, laying acrylic won't help with that as moisture will get into every possible crack it can find. Issue I am having right now - my hinges rusted in a month. Will probably switch them to SS soon. I used this on my stand: http://www.minwax.com/wood-products...terior-exterior/minwax-helmsman-spar-urethane.

 

Hmm good call with the acrylic. Might be better off leaving everything open to airdry rather than have moisture trapped between the layers, even with caulking it will find a way!

I always over engineer my stands as well, my 65gal stand have 4X6 corner posts and 4X4 center post. Im going to cut back a little bit with this stand as it is just too heavy. I wish I could get away with just the corner post being beefed up and no center post but on a 4ft 90gal Im thinking its a must. Maybe Ill just have one in the back and not the front not sure yet.

My 65gal is 5/8 glass and the mp10s have no problem. The 90 should be the same as it is the added height that makes it the thicker glass over the 75 and 55gal. I believe 5/8 is the max for the mp10 though and I can not comment on the wp10

 

Per Ecotech, mp10's should be on 3/8 glass (which you should still be fine with as a standard 90 uses 3/8). Mine is rimless thus the 1/2 glass thickness. If your tanks are rimless also, might explain 5/8, but I am really surprised MP10s can handle that.

Center brace is totally your call. Per everything I read, all the weight should be on the corners, there should be no weight in the middle of the stand as long as the the corner supports are solid, done right, and support all of the weight. For my 125, I did add the center brace I was extra paranoid. If anything, only to avoid wife telling me "I told you not to build your own stand" if it would ever break. My corners on the 125 are 2x4, I think you are way over-killing it with 4x6. But as long as there's room, why not!

 

I beleive you are right and I meant 3/8 and not 5/8 glass, thank you for correcting me. Echotech does lsit the 3/8 beign the maximum thickness, not sure what would happen if you tried to put it on thicker but have those wires tied and secured incase they drop!

Yea I think my new corners will be 4X6 as well and then just a 2X4 or 4X4 center back brace. If I do used a front center brace Im thinking a 2X4 that is removable. use 2X4s parellel to the top and back brace with a gape in it for the center brace to slide in and out. All the weight should be on the corners and if it were to ever bow in the center the worst that would happen is the 2X4 would get to tight and become permenant instead of removable. I way overkill everything in terms of structural support. I now my wife would kill me if anything ever broke so thats way I build all my own stands, store bought crap is terrible!, and have the tank going in a corner of 2 outside walls over the garage. Even then I was worried enough that I drilled holes in the drywall ceiling of the garage to check the beams to make sure there are no rot issues, it is goign to be over the main electrical box to the house so there can be no leaks!

 

Since I have basically decided and purchased the equipment for the sump I am goign to start configuring a sump design soon. Im thinking I want the water to fall into the liverock/refugium area, fall into the equipment section where the skimmer will be, and then into the return chamber with the pump. The return pump will split where the primary flow will go back to the DT with a T and ballvalve going to the carbon reactor instead of a seperate pump to add more heat and maintenence. Im thinking the flow from the reactor should be directed back to the sump intake through the filter sock to filter any particles from the media that might get though and then go through the skimmer again before returned to the DT.

Not set on this as it is my first sump so any expertise appreciated! Should the reactor flow go right back to the DT or should I keep it as a closed loop like I am thinking? Also should the equipment section come before or after the live rock/refugium section or does it not really matter?

 

I pretty much have this identical sump setup currently. Even though my sump is designed in a way where skimmer is in the first section, and refugium is in second, I reversed it as refugium section had more space to fit the skimmer better.

I like your idea of returning reactor flow back into the tank to be able to filter it. The only thing I would change is a gate valve instead of the ball valve, to give you a better control of how much water goes through the reactors. Ball valves are tough to dial in precisely.

 

Yea im not sure on plumping and valves, my only expertise with this area is changing simple fixtures around a house lol. I want to be able to connect and disconnect thigns relativly easily to allow for maintenance and upgrades down the road.

Where do you get the valves and everything? Obviously using the copper ones from lowes or home depot is a huge no go in a reef.