ZeeSparrow's 75G LPS tank build

[ZeeSparrow]

Hey everyone!

With much thanks to many members of this community, both new and old, I am very close to putting water into my very first saltwater aquarium. I am planning to keep mostly LPS, though will likely also have a few softies, as well as a handful of fish.

My dad and I built and skinned the stand, I brought it home, added doors, stained and poly'd it. Baffles are in the sump and return plumbing dry fit (though I might make a few changes... suggestions welcome!).

Here's the setup
Marineland 75g "reef ready" with corner overflow, sprayed black with plasti-dip
DIY stand
DIY sump using 29g (from Petco dollar per gallon sale), glass baffles
Herbie drain system w/1" drain and return PVC, manifold to "fuge" and 2 (potential) reactors
DCT8000 return pump
Reef Octopus 110INT skimmer
TLF GFO reactor
2xJebao RW8 powerheads (and 2xHydor Koralia 1050 if needed)
2xEheim 150w heaters
Tunze osmolator universal 3155
~55 pounds base rock from Craigslist, vinegar bath, scrubbed, cured in bucket with LC to help speed up leaching of phosphate
~10 pound live rock also from Craigslist (hopefully still has some life on it...been soaking in cure bucket with the rest) Will get more from LFS if needed
Tonga Reef flakes and mini flakes (60/30 pounds) sand

Also have a refractometer (with calibration fluid), API (ammonia, nitrite, phosphate), Salifert (alk, calcium, magnesium, phosphate).

I still need to decide on lights. Leaning toward LED off ebay or Reefbreeders Photon 48.

[ZeeSparrow]

Stand before skinning:


Skinned and staining:


Stand done, tank sprayed and positioned in house:


Baffle planning:


Baffles in place (please excuse messy silicone job):

[ZeeSparrow]

Dry fit plumbing for return and manifold:


Return line over the top (going to ditch that loc-line, and will secure pipe to stand with clamp):



Any suggestions for changing the plumbing before I cement in place? More unions? End of manifold into "fuge" will be reduced to 1/2" with a ball valve, then a 45 to direct flow to help tumble chaeto.

[mmittlesteadt]

Looks good so far. You said you are using a Herbie. Do you have two 1" drains then? One main drain line and one emergency? I have a DIY corner overflow and my main drain bulkhead is about 7" down below the emergency drain bulkhead. Also, to keep the noise down and maintain a full siphon, make sure your main drain and emergency lines sit about an inch or so below the water line in your sump. You'll also want a valve on the main drain line (only) but not the emergency. It allows you to adjust the water level in your overflow to just at the edge of the emergency's drain level.

Don't sweat the "messy" silicone job on the sump. No one sees it but you and it is easily as clean looking as most I see on RC.

I'm using 3 Aquatop 24" LED lights right now...two actinic and one daylight, but at some point I'm going to upgrade to Kessils.

[ZeeSparrow]

Thanks.

Yes I have two 1" drains in my overflow. I should have a gate valve waiting for me at home to install on the main drain line. I'm also going to pick up some unions on my way home (one for each drain line) and a few other fittings and finish the dry fit tonight.

Everything seems to take longer than I anticipate. LOL

Since I plan on LPS And not SPS, and my husband is starting to wonder when we will plug the hole in my wallet, I doubt I will be getting kessils. I'll just enjoy them through your tank when you get them.

[mmittlesteadt]

I hear you on the taking longer than one anticipates. I'd already be up and running and emptying my wallet on the inhabitants by now because I was originally going to go all HOB for all my equipment. Until a friend told me to use my 65 gallon that was in my basement for a sump. THAT changed everything. Fortunately for the better.

Hang in there. I look at all this time getting it set up as a way to do more research and make sure I do it right the first time. It's kind of like a kid during Christmas...seeing the presents, but having to wait. Is it worth it? LOL. Sure hope so.

[AZdesertreef]

Great work man I think it's coming along great

[ZeeSparrow]

Originally Posted by mmittlesteadt

It's kind of like a kid during Christmas...seeing the presents, but having to wait. Is it worth it? LOL. Sure hope so.

Oh man... great analogy. I hope so too.

Thanks AZdesertreef!

I have to make yet another run to the hardware store to pick up more fittings. Measure twice, cut once has turned to measure 4 times, cut twice, re-measure and dry fit three times just to make sure... cement together, put in place.... cut apart and buy more fittings to re-do ONE section. I thought I got extras of everything but apparently not. I have 4 extra unions and no 45's or 90's ... what the ??

[mmittlesteadt]

Originally Posted by ZeeSparrow

Oh man... great analogy. I hope so too.

Thanks AZdesertreef!

I have to make yet another run to the hardware store to pick up more fittings. Measure twice, cut once has turned to measure 4 times, cut twice, re-measure and dry fit three times just to make sure... cement together, put in place.... cut apart and buy more fittings to re-do ONE section. I thought I got extras of everything but apparently not. I have 4 extra unions and no 45's or 90's ... what the ??

LOL (I'm laughing with you, not at you).

With projects like this (plumbing, electrical, etc.) no matter how well planned out they are, always require a minimum of 3 trips to the hardware store.

[ZeeSparrow]

Originally Posted by mmittlesteadt

LOL (I'm laughing with you, not at you).



With projects like this (plumbing, electrical, etc.) no matter how well planned out they are, always require a minimum of 3 trips to the hardware store.

Is it bad when you go to 3 different hardware stores and order from 2 different websites online so it doesn't look like you don't know what you're doing? LOL

[mmittlesteadt]

Originally Posted by ZeeSparrow

Is it bad when you go to 3 different hardware stores and order from 2 different websites online so it doesn't look like you don't know what you're doing? LOL

Nope. That's how the professionals do it.

[ZeeSparrow]

Originally Posted by mmittlesteadt

Nope. That's how the professionals do it.

Haha! I've got everything cemented in except for the last pieces of the drains and fuge. I want to make sure of the water level and cut those down appropriately first.

Scaping starts tomorrow!

[mmittlesteadt]

Cool. That really is the fun part.

Check out these threads on aquascaping for ideas!...

Aquascaping 1

Aquascaping 2

Aquascaping 3

[ZeeSparrow]

Hadn't seen all of those threads. Thanks for the links!

Set up the rocks today, added sand and almost filled up. Have some finishing to do with plumbing and electrical and I'll be cycling!

[Swope2bc]

Don't forget to give us more pics.

[runjmc2]

Nice plan and set up

[ZeeSparrow]

Originally Posted by Swope2bc

Don't forget to give us more pics.

Will do! I'm not happy with my rockwork from yesterday though. Going to look through those threads linked above yet again for inspiration.

Originally Posted by runjmc2

Nice plan and set up

Thanks!

[Swope2bc]

Originally Posted by ZeeSparrow

Will do! I'm not happy with my rockwork from yesterday though. Going to look through those threads linked above yet again for inspiration.!

Well I suppose, if you must lol. Just remember, while many of us sit in the planning stage (like me, traveling still and can't do my build yet) we are living vicariously through your tank :-). I don't even mind seeing the failed attempts. Good luck on a masterpiece of aquascapeing genius

[ZeeSparrow]

I was going to wait to post all the scaping pictures, but then I thought maybe you guys can help me decide how to change it up! Mostly all just set in there for now, nothing epoxied so I can rearrange. Here's the first attempt, in all its cloudy glory (all I have are iphone pics):



This morning ... some of the pieces from the top are just set in there for now, and I need to blow the sand off the rocks. Sorry about the glare:



Various angles:

[Swope2bc]

Well, if your not satisfied with it then things must adjust, but I quite like it.

[mmittlesteadt]

I like it a lot. Just one thing would make it complete. An arch going over and tying the two islands together!

VERY easy to do. Just use regular gorilla glue. It expands and is reef safe when cured.

Find the right "puzzle" pieces of rock and go from the highest point of one island over to the highest point of the other. Get the first attachment piece (on each side) to lock in to the highest rock and the lower one immediately adjacent to it (on each side), then go from there until you have an arching bridge. Support it iwth something if need be until the gorilla glue expands out of it and is hard. [TIP: I use old small paint brushes I can discard and keep an eye on it and "smush" the glue back into the rock as it expands so you don't see it as much when done].

[Swope2bc]

Got a picture of that?

[mmittlesteadt]

If you meant me, here's a pic of what I mean (sort of). I did use DryLok hydraulic cement and fiberglass rods on the bigger pieces (you can see it in the dark gray sections) but Gorilla Glue on some smaller ones.

Not to hijack Zee's thread, but perhaps this might give some inspiration...

[ZeeSparrow]

I've only got one "extra" piece of rock, which isn't enough for an arch. Maybe if I get more, later.

I redid things and really like the left structure, which is very stable without any epoxy. The right one looks pretty good, but is not as stable on top. The "extra" rock is rather heavy so I don't want to put it up high (it's in the sump with rubble). I might look at picking up some lighter pieces to top this differently. It's okay for now, though. Growing on me, actually.

FTS (angled down a bit to reduce glare):



Left side:




As this is in the corner, very few will see it from the right:




The GFO reactor is offline, but everything else is running, including the skimmer which is just draining back into the sump. I keep having to adjust the drain/pump/fuge to get the level right in the overflow. Hopefully that settles down and won't require constant attention for long. Still have some cleanup and organization in the sump area, and need to set up the Tunze ATO.

But I'm cycling! I added some salt to bring my salinity up from 1.019 to 1.023 maybe an hour before these tests were done, so I'll test alk/mg/ca again tomorrow for a true baseline. I probably won't test them again until I am done cycling and start to add coral.

5/3/2015
Ammonia: .5-1
Nitrite: n/a
Nitrate: n/a
Salinity: 1.023
Alk: 11.5
Calcium: 500+
Mg: 1320

[mmittlesteadt]

Very cool! I like the aquascaping and I think you'll find that down the road you'll be glad you kept it open so water can flow all around the structures.

I'm jealous! I still don't have water in my tank. ATO float coming tomorrow, and I have to get my RO/DI ready to go. Spent the whole weekend caulking and painting soffits on the house. Why do responsibilities always have to interfere with fun? LOL.