Bloke's 90g Build Thread

[Bloke]

OK, here we go...

I bought a 90g reef-ready tank from Sea Dreams to replace the 55g tank sitting in my family room. I wanted something a little larger without going to a 6' tank. I will be running it with a 45g sump which should give me a nice volume of water. The sump used to run DNGSPOT's 150g setup so it should work great for this 90g. It has already been drilled for an auto top-off and I already have a float valve - therefore, it's ready to go.

For plumbing, I have an Ocean Runner 3500 which pumps ~950gph. I am sure with a single drain that I will have to adjust it, so I plan to use the pump to run a UV sterilizer as well. I have heard nothing but good things about these pumps and best of all, they run very quietly, which is another plus since this tank will be sitting within 3 feet of the TV.

I've already purchased the lighting for it from a place called Catalina Aquarium. I really would suggest checking them out. I bought a 2x250w MH setup including 2 10k bulbs for less than I could find at most other sites including piecing one together. The only draw back is that some sites offer free shipping whereas they do not.

My first chore is to build a stand. The tank footprint measures 48.5 x 18.5 so I added .25" to each and started cutting. I wanted to make certain to have enough support for what will probably weigh somewhere close to 1000 lbs when filled. I also wanted to make it a little taller than most factory stands, so I made it 36" tall. I plan to make the canopy between 12" and 14" tall. More to come...

Here are a few pics of the SketchUp blueprint I drew for the stand.

 

[Bloke]

For the sump, I think I am going to have a place where the water can flow over a filter pad before dumping into the return chamber. You can see the pieces of glass which will be holding up the eggcrate and filter media on the left side. My only concern is keeping the calupera off the media, but if it does, the water will simply overflow the last baffle which is lower than the top of the sump.

This is a 45g (~ 48x12x19) tank. Water will be moving from right to left. The display tank will be draining down from the left side to the right side of the sump. I wanted to reduce the head pressure on the pump so I figured I would have it make the shortest run instead of the drain - does that make sense? The pump plumbing will run straight up about 2 feet is all. The Ocean Runner will "T" off where about 200gph will run through a Coralife Turbo Twist 9w UV.

 

[Bloke]

The sump is going to fit VERY tightly! I measured before I started and there will be about 1/4" extra space between the 2x4 nailers on the stand.

 

[Bloke]

Anyone heard any reports on Fulham Electronic Ballasts?

I've used a Workhorse5 to fire 2x36w PC actinics without trouble and was thinking about buying a Workhorse7 to fire 4x54w T5. I've gone to Fulham's website and if you select the lamp type (T5 Linear HO) and then select 4x54w T5, they suggest the Workhorse 7.

Most online vendors price other T5 ballasts at twice what this ballast would cost me to run a similar setup.

I already have a 2x250w MH 10k setup, and was looking for something for actinic supplementation. I know Bogey runs 2x96 PC in her 90g and since T5 bulbs are cheaper and seem to last longer, I thought I would go this route instead of PC lighting.

Also, am I correct in my understanding that URI bulbs do not require a reflector because one is built into the bulb?

Any thoughts or suggestions?

 

[Bloke]

Here's a picture of the progress on the stand...

I've got the majority of the work done, but I'm not finished. I still have some trim work to do on the canopy as you can see, and of course the doors aren't made yet. Overall, I can't compain; it's coming along nicely. To cut the holes for the doors, I used a router with an edging bit. Worked like a charm.

I hope to be finished with everything tomorrow so I can start to stain this weekend.

 

[Bloke]

Well, between visiting with some family friends, talking a while with friends, and watching the race today, all I got accomplished was finishing out the canopy. As you can see, I managed to get the rest of the trim on the canopy, the ventilation holes, as well as the lid and the hinges.

I wanted to make certain that I didn't have to hold up the lid when it was lifted, so I bought spring-loaded hinges; typical to those found on children's toy boxes so that once lifted, it would remain open.

For ventilation, I cut three 3" holes in the back. I will leave the center hole open and install two 3" Sunon fans in the others. I plan to finish out the doors tomorrow.

 

[Bloke]

I built doors for it out of 1/4" oak paneling and panel molding and did not like them. They were too flimsy and a waste of time - and after a piece of wood flew off the table saw and caught me in the leg leaving a 4" scratch & bruise, it was a nice release to throw, kick, stomp, and tear up that first set of doors.

So, after my blood pressure leveled back out, I went back to the store, bought 1/2" 2'x4' oak and corner molding a little smaller than I used on the corners of the cabinet. The end result were doors which are much sturdier and worth attaching to a custom made cabinet.

Thoughts?

Next up, stain...

 

[Bloke]

Well, I have been a little reluctant to order the ballast for my T5's (Fulham Workhorse 7) because some people have questioned whether or not it was ever intended to operate the lighting configuration I was intending and consequently would not drive each lamp as needed.

Well, if I ordered everything through three seperate vendors, I would end up paying shipping charges three times over and that would elevate my costs by $50. Instead I think I am going to order two retrofit kits (2x54w T5 HO) through www.hellologhts.com.

 

[Bloke]

Well, not only did I stain the cabinet, but I also managed to cover my fingers in the stuff even though I wore gloves. I will touch up the stain tomorrow and prepare to seal it Friday or Saturday.

You'll notice that the trim on the right side of the cabinet has been removed. I will need to remove the entire side to get the sump into the cabinet because it will fit with about 1/8" on each side!

 

[trido]

Looking good.

 

[DonW]

I think your going to regret the brace between the doors, a 4 ft tank does not need one. It looks like you skinned over a frame? How thick is the skin if that is the case?

Don

 

[szidls]

Hey Bloke,
Just make sure you stain/paint/seal the interior of your stand. Also I would caulk all the interior corners and joints with silicon. Good job on your project!
Scott

 

[Bloke]

Thanks! I plan to caulk things to make sure they do not get water seeping to the cracks. And I did seal the inside too, just not with as many coats as the outside.

As far as the middle brace, I did that for support for the doors as well as uniformity so that things were even on both sides. I will have complete access to the sump and the fuge might be a little blocked, but not a problem.

 

[Bloke]

OK - the stand is complete! Built, stained, sealed, and caulked!

I will get the sump under it tonight and plumb it tomorrow. Thoughts?

 

[Krish]

Looking good so far! Congrats and good luck!

 

[Bloke]

Thanks!

Here is a picture of the sump in place. Paneling from the right side was made to be removed to that the sump could be installed or removed if needed. Like I said before, it fits like a glove.

 

[Bloke]

Here is a picture of everything together. I painted the back of the tank with black Krylon Fusion spraypaint.

Also, notice the height - from the floor to the top of the canopy it's right at 72.5" or basically 6'. And being only 5'10", I will finally have a tank that I can view while standing, instead of assuming the umpiring position.

 

[shawn]

Nice job, it's looking better and better!

 

[Bloke]

I got a lot of work done today, so here goes...

I got everything plumbed and filled the tank and sump with hose water. I started everything up and watched to see if there were any problems:

Once everything was good to go, I drained the 90g (this tank and stand were still in the garage, and began to take down the 55g in the family room. I started by removing the rock and then the fish and finally drained the water. I used the sand from this tank to fill the fuge of the new sump. Once it was finally taken down, I moved it out and brought the new stuff into the house.

I began by getting the sump filled with the sand and Fiji Mud from the 55g and slide it into place. I also glued all the PVC to finalize all the plumbing. The mud sure does make the water look healthy!

While I will probably use a little bit of the water from the 55g, but I made sure that I started to mix up saltwater a week ago making ready for this transition! Always plan ahead.

Here is the little princess modeling for her application for Future Reefkeeper of America!

 

[Bloke]

I cut a piece of eggcrate to fit the bottom of the tank and began to fill it up. I am using Aragonite Special Grade for the substrate and will end up using about 80lbs. The DSB will be in the fuge and not in the tank, but I will add another 40lbs after the rock is in place.

The last thing I got done this evening is the line for the auto top-off. I drilled a small (1/4") hole in the baseboard and ran the line from the basement (where those trashcans full of water were) to the new tank and connected it to the float valve.

Tomorrow I hope to start the aquascaping, will connect the Coralife Turbo Twist UV after I get some 5/8" vinyl hose, and will pick up another 40lbs bag of aragonite. Whew... I'm tired. Oh, btw, the fish were moved to a precycled 29g tank where the Desjardin's Tang and True Percula Clowns have been. Hopefully I can get some of them into the tank by Saturday.