Alright let's try this again.....perhaps we can stay on topic this time and not drag personal conflicts into it. If someone has an issue with something I did technically and it is related to the build or reef keeping post up so we can all learn something. Also if there are any questions feel free to ask and I'll answer to the best of my ability. Ok so on to the build thread.
Concept: I wanted to expand my reef tank to accommodate the collection of corals I HAD accumulated over the last 6-8 months. The problem was the floor plan in my house doesn't have a good spot to place an in wall tank without some major work (moving furnace and the water heater.) So I decided that the best answer was to expand down the existing wall while keeping the depth the same. I also wanted to maximize swimming space and that meant removing the overflow box from inside the tank. Some things i liked from my last system were the large panel doors, the three sided viewing angle, and the shelf around the tank itself which is very handy when fragging and working in the tank. (holds my beer).
Execution: Okay so I decided on a 48x48 foot print. I then had to decide the height that I could obtain while remaining rimless. After talking to my glass hookup I learned half inch glass was on special and that all the polishing/grinding/beveling was included. So I went to a handy reef calculator for rimless tanks and started crunching the numbers to obtain at least the industry standard of 7.6rs for a rimless tank. I ended up with a height of 20" and a RS factor of 7.9 and a deflection of .013mm on the side panels. I then went with a water jet cut weir on the back panel that would feed a coast to coast calfo style overflow using a bean animal overflow system.
Cost comparison: I got several quote to have this tank built and all were in the 2500-3000 dollar range for just the tank. I ended up with my glass for just over 220$$.
Step one: So while I was waiting for the glass to be cut I decided to build the sump. The sump is an irregular shape being styled in an "L". The long legs are 36" and the short legs are 18" with a 18" depth. It is built with a skimmer section feeding into the return section and the return section plumbing feeding a refugium that overflows back into the return section.
Concept: I wanted to expand my reef tank to accommodate the collection of corals I HAD accumulated over the last 6-8 months. The problem was the floor plan in my house doesn't have a good spot to place an in wall tank without some major work (moving furnace and the water heater.) So I decided that the best answer was to expand down the existing wall while keeping the depth the same. I also wanted to maximize swimming space and that meant removing the overflow box from inside the tank. Some things i liked from my last system were the large panel doors, the three sided viewing angle, and the shelf around the tank itself which is very handy when fragging and working in the tank. (holds my beer).
Execution: Okay so I decided on a 48x48 foot print. I then had to decide the height that I could obtain while remaining rimless. After talking to my glass hookup I learned half inch glass was on special and that all the polishing/grinding/beveling was included. So I went to a handy reef calculator for rimless tanks and started crunching the numbers to obtain at least the industry standard of 7.6rs for a rimless tank. I ended up with a height of 20" and a RS factor of 7.9 and a deflection of .013mm on the side panels. I then went with a water jet cut weir on the back panel that would feed a coast to coast calfo style overflow using a bean animal overflow system.
Cost comparison: I got several quote to have this tank built and all were in the 2500-3000 dollar range for just the tank. I ended up with my glass for just over 220$$.
Step one: So while I was waiting for the glass to be cut I decided to build the sump. The sump is an irregular shape being styled in an "L". The long legs are 36" and the short legs are 18" with a 18" depth. It is built with a skimmer section feeding into the return section and the return section plumbing feeding a refugium that overflows back into the return section.
