Tank Upgrade Build for my Mother

jcovercash · 09/21/2009, 11:51 AM

So my mother always wanted a saltwater tank ever since I was a kid. When I got my Nano she absolutely had to have one then. I found a good deal on a 29G/Stand/PC Light and my Girlfriend, Father, and myself chipped in and got her that for Mothers day this year.

The 29G is nice but had some limitations that I didn't think about, such as a 30" width, and only one light on the market fits a 30" fixture other than PC lights.... So I had her start saving and the upgrade has began.

Specs of the new system are:
40 Breeder Display
-Glass-holes 700GPH Overflow
-Drilled Backwall return
29 Gallon Sump/Fuge
ASM Mini-G Skimmer
ReefKeeper Lite (L1 - For Now)
BulkReef Supply Reactor
Quite One 4000 Return
2x Korallia 2's (Trying to convince her to get an MP10 instead)
Nova Extreme Pro 36"
And of course a stand built by me!

Heres a picture of what she will be upgrading from, just a basic 29G with a HOB filter and PC Lights, on a basic aquarium stand.

*edit* fixed the text about where the overflow came from... the software thought you were saying something else

jcovercash · 09/21/2009, 11:51 AM

New Stand Framed Up:

Sheeted with Plywood:

Everything on the stand is Pocket drilled, from 2x4's to the how the plywood is attached.

Added an American DJ powerout on the left hand side so she could have easy access to anything not hooked to the reef keeper for easy maintenance.

Tank Drilled (Phew!) and Molding added.

Overall Shot

Doors should be here next week. Just much easier to order them than to make them especially if your not in a hurry. Still waiting on a lot of components to arrive in the mail. The only major thing she has not ordered is the light yet. So by the time I get everything ready for her the light should be ordered hopefully.

jcovercash · 10/04/2009, 08:33 PM

Getting there. Doing the freshwater tests now. No leaks so far.

Holes drilled in back are large enough to allow the union bosses to slip through so I can completely remove the plumbing if I need to for some reason. Hopefully the openings will allow the cabinet to vent some also as I am not sure yet if I am going to put fans in the cabinet.

Very nice surface agitation from just the return pump.

Modified RKL. I took the backing plate off and drilled a hole through the middle of it and then into the cabinet so the wire is behind the RKL and not hanging under it going into a hole.

BRS Reactor and drip acclimation line. Drain line/Sock holder in background.

Return plumbing and manifold for reactor, drip, and a spare output.

Overview of the sump, figuring out my baffle size and placement as soon as I can get the ASM Mini-G out of her current tank for sizing up in this sump.

Shot of the whole system.

Pending Aquascaping. Going with mostly base rock for this and will use from live rock/sand out of her current tank to seed this. Will drill the rock and use acrylic rod like I did in my 75G.

ny176 · 10/04/2009, 08:40 PM

Nice work there. It looks awesome! I'm sure your mom would go

. I know I would. Good job.

Blownsvt · 10/04/2009, 08:43 PM

looking great so far!

matt880305 · 10/04/2009, 09:41 PM

looking pretty good so far. not trying to be mean or anything but were was the dado blade on the cabinet work.

koranAngel · 10/04/2009, 10:34 PM

looking good
nicely setup

lordofthereef · 10/04/2009, 11:18 PM

Happy Mother's Day

Caetano_Thiago · 10/05/2009, 02:33 AM

looking good, ill be tagging along.

09/21/2009, 11:51 AM	#1
jcovercash Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Salisbury, NC Posts: 192	Tank Upgrade Build for my Mother So my mother always wanted a saltwater tank ever since I was a kid. When I got my Nano she absolutely had to have one then. I found a good deal on a 29G/Stand/PC Light and my Girlfriend, Father, and myself chipped in and got her that for Mothers day this year. The 29G is nice but had some limitations that I didn't think about, such as a 30" width, and only one light on the market fits a 30" fixture other than PC lights.... So I had her start saving and the upgrade has began. Specs of the new system are: 40 Breeder Display -Glass-holes 700GPH Overflow -Drilled Backwall return 29 Gallon Sump/Fuge ASM Mini-G Skimmer ReefKeeper Lite (L1 - For Now) BulkReef Supply Reactor Quite One 4000 Return 2x Korallia 2's (Trying to convince her to get an MP10 instead) Nova Extreme Pro 36" And of course a stand built by me! Heres a picture of what she will be upgrading from, just a basic 29G with a HOB filter and PC Lights, on a basic aquarium stand. edit fixed the text about where the overflow came from... the software thought you were saying something else __________________ Click the little red house for my build thread. Current Tank Info: Building a 75 Gallon setup......

09/21/2009, 11:51 AM	#2
jcovercash Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Salisbury, NC Posts: 192	New Stand Framed Up: Sheeted with Plywood: Everything on the stand is Pocket drilled, from 2x4's to the how the plywood is attached. Added an American DJ powerout on the left hand side so she could have easy access to anything not hooked to the reef keeper for easy maintenance. Tank Drilled (Phew!) and Molding added. Overall Shot Doors should be here next week. Just much easier to order them than to make them especially if your not in a hurry. Still waiting on a lot of components to arrive in the mail. The only major thing she has not ordered is the light yet. So by the time I get everything ready for her the light should be ordered hopefully. __________________ Click the little red house for my build thread. Current Tank Info: Building a 75 Gallon setup......

10/04/2009, 08:33 PM	#3
jcovercash Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Salisbury, NC Posts: 192	Getting there. Doing the freshwater tests now. No leaks so far. Holes drilled in back are large enough to allow the union bosses to slip through so I can completely remove the plumbing if I need to for some reason. Hopefully the openings will allow the cabinet to vent some also as I am not sure yet if I am going to put fans in the cabinet. Very nice surface agitation from just the return pump. Modified RKL. I took the backing plate off and drilled a hole through the middle of it and then into the cabinet so the wire is behind the RKL and not hanging under it going into a hole. BRS Reactor and drip acclimation line. Drain line/Sock holder in background. Return plumbing and manifold for reactor, drip, and a spare output. Overview of the sump, figuring out my baffle size and placement as soon as I can get the ASM Mini-G out of her current tank for sizing up in this sump. Shot of the whole system. Pending Aquascaping. Going with mostly base rock for this and will use from live rock/sand out of her current tank to seed this. Will drill the rock and use acrylic rod like I did in my 75G. __________________ Click the little red house for my build thread. Current Tank Info: Building a 75 Gallon setup......

10/04/2009, 08:40 PM	#4
ny176 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 17	Nice work there. It looks awesome! I'm sure your mom would go. I know I would. Good job.

10/04/2009, 10:34 PM	#7
koranAngel always on ** at work Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: sydney Posts: 436	looking good nicely setup __________________ y did i start this hobby Current Tank Info: 500lt main tank 39g fuge sump....sohal tang purple tang 2clown,coral beauty banana wrasse coris wrasse royal doty cleaner shrimp coral banded shrimp flame angel bicolour angel sphinx goby cuc mixed corals

10/04/2009, 08:43 PM	#5
Blownsvt Moved On Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Minnesota Posts: 514	looking great so far!

10/04/2009, 09:41 PM	#6
matt880305 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: montgomery, il Posts: 844	looking pretty good so far. not trying to be mean or anything but were was the dado blade on the cabinet work.

10/04/2009, 11:18 PM	#8
lordofthereef One reef to rule them all Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Leominster, MA Posts: 5,299	Happy Mother's Day

10/05/2009, 02:33 AM	#9
Caetano_Thiago Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: 831 Salinas Posts: 420	looking good, ill be tagging along. __________________ just keep telling myself that i only spent half of what was actually spent.. and ill be ok. Current Tank Info: 14G Oceanic BC, RapidLed Retro kit with Cree LEDS, intank media basket (middle chamber turned into fuge),Intank fishsaver, MJ900 return pump,hydor deflector, intank water director, intank fuge underwater light, jbj ato, EcoTech MP10ES