SC Aquariums Owners Thread

[edolan]

Well I went to bed last night thinking about getting a 66 gal and woke up this morning and found an ad in Craigslist for an 80 gal brand new. Got it for about half price. Now I really am going to have to put more support under the floor where the tank is going. :-)

[125mph]

Originally Posted by edolan

Well I went to bed last night thinking about getting a 66 gal and woke up this morning and found an ad in Craigslist for an 80 gal brand new. Got it for about half price. Now I really am going to have to put more support under the floor where the tank is going. :-)

80 gallons wont be a huge deal.

[edolan]

Good to know and thanks 125 but I will brace the floor just to be on the safe side.The stand will need a little work though. It is mdf and it doesn't look like much care went into putting it together. A few of the cam screws were broken but I think I found the same size ones at Home Depot. My main concern is the top of the stand. I put a straight edge across the top of it and there is about an 1/8" sag in the middle of the top. I have seen that SC Aquariums ships there new tanks with styrofoam to go under the tank but I did not get this buying it second hand. I would like to use neoprene but 1/8" thick probably won't be enough given there is an 1/8" sag. What do you guys use?

[125mph]

Go with 1/2" foam board at home depot. The neoprene at 1/8" is too thin... not sure why BRS stocks such thin neoprene when there's 1/4" available.

[edolan]

Thx I will do that

[edolan]

Just looked online. The 1/2" foam tile backer board right?

[125mph]

Ridgid foam insulation. I get the brand R-tech.


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[Klems]

Question about overflow box on a 50g cube with Herbie drain....When / if I need to clean the strainer on the main drain, how do I get it off as my hands do not fit between the return "T" pipes? The only way I can see is to unscrew the two lock lines on either side and then lift the return pipe out of the bulkhead to do the maintenance.... Or should I add a coupling to the return pipe just below the "T" so that I don't have to remove the entire pipe down to the bulkhead? Need help please😁

[soulpatch]

I put my return to the side and redis the plumbing to do so.

Other option is tp buy the overflow lid from steve and run wothout a skimmer. I dont use one with my cover on as im not worried about snails. They get to the sump if they can make it in

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[Klems]

I made a cover at Tap Plastics for $8.00. Had to shave a little bit off in the middle to account for the "T" in the center. Should that be enough protection from a majority of the inhabitants that could cause a problem in there?

[soulpatch]

Yeah that looks fine. I wouldnt bither with strainer honestly.

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[Klems]

Plumbing on my 50g cube is almost complete....Just need to hook up the dosing tubes and it will be ready to get wet!!!

[fishsticks4sale]

Hey SC owners, i have a question about the silicone....
My buddy tells me when looking down while above the tank he noticed the silicone protruding on the inside, like instead of a clean silicone spread and not protruding on either side of the glass they seemed to have put alot and u can see it in the inside. Is that true?

[z3speed4me]

Yea I took off my T yesterday to check out my strainer; wow it was gunked up. Bottom half had stuff all over it and was semi-restricting the flow which explains why I've had to play with the gate almost every morning for the last few days.

IF you are going to pull the T, just make sure your sump has room, it's going to empty the whole chamber which is some extra water you normally don't account for.

I also have a cover, so nothing but the smallest snails can get through the weir anyway, so I may remove the strainer piece.

[TX_Punisher]

I"ll be watching this thread. Been researching SC for a few days and the price seems reasonable. I don't care for internal overflows, so can he do something else? I like the solid wood stand upgrade and starfire for sure. Thinking 160+. What are his sump options?

Thanks

[davocean]

Originally Posted by fishsticks4sale

Hey SC owners, i have a question about the silicone....
My buddy tells me when looking down while above the tank he noticed the silicone protruding on the inside, like instead of a clean silicone spread and not protruding on either side of the glass they seemed to have put alot and u can see it in the inside. Is that true?

Silicone on mine is super clean.

[davocean]

Originally Posted by TX_Punisher

I"ll be watching this thread. Been researching SC for a few days and the price seems reasonable. I don't care for internal overflows, so can he do something else? I like the solid wood stand upgrade and starfire for sure. Thinking 160+. What are his sump options?

Thanks

I know a friend of mine just had a ghost overflow done, they have been providing options for this.
Not sure what sump options there are now, I prefer to build my own anyway so I get exactly what I want for gear and max fuge area.

[davocean]

Originally Posted by edolan

Good to know and thanks 125 but I will brace the floor just to be on the safe side.The stand will need a little work though. It is mdf and it doesn't look like much care went into putting it together. A few of the cam screws were broken but I think I found the same size ones at Home Depot. My main concern is the top of the stand. I put a straight edge across the top of it and there is about an 1/8" sag in the middle of the top. I have seen that SC Aquariums ships there new tanks with styrofoam to go under the tank but I did not get this buying it second hand. I would like to use neoprene but 1/8" thick probably won't be enough given there is an 1/8" sag. What do you guys use?

I would contact SCA and see what they say, but I personally would never rely on foam to eliminate any deviations, I'd be inclined to add a new solid top, but then I'm a carpenter so that is easy for me to say/do.

[edolan]

Originally Posted by davocean

I would contact SCA and see what they say, but I personally would never rely on foam to eliminate any deviations, I'd be inclined to add a new solid top, but then I'm a carpenter so that is easy for me to say/do.

Yes thanks I did contact SCA. I measured again a little more carefully. It is actually maybe a little over a1/16" sag in the middle of the stand. The person I spoke with suggested 1/4" yoga mat. Then out of curiosity I called BRS and the person I spoke with there said the main concern would be if something was creating a pressure point pushing up on the glass. So I made a few phone calls and found a local place that carries 1/4" closed cell heavy duty padding. Best part is it is only $3/ft for 24" wide piece.

[edolan]

I do have another question for those with an mdf stand. I bought mine used and when I got it home I noticed a few of the cam screws looked funny and realized they were broken. So I went ahead and got new ones at Lowe's and replaced them all to be safe. The ones at Lowe's seem stronger. Anyway my question is just in general about mdf and the weight it can support. I know there is concern about water damage and mdf absorbing water but aside from that how much weight can mdf support. My stand is going to have about 800 pounds sitting on it. The stand seems pretty sturdy right now. I guess I am just looking for some reassurance from others who have mdf stands. Thx

[davocean]

Originally Posted by edolan

I do have another question for those with an mdf stand. I bought mine used and when I got it home I noticed a few of the cam screws looked funny and realized they were broken. So I went ahead and got new ones at Lowe's and replaced them all to be safe. The ones at Lowe's seem stronger. Anyway my question is just in general about mdf and the weight it can support. I know there is concern about water damage and mdf absorbing water but aside from that how much weight can mdf support. My stand is going to have about 800 pounds sitting on it. The stand seems pretty sturdy right now. I guess I am just looking for some reassurance from others who have mdf stands. Thx

MDF is plenty strong enough, the issue is getting wet and moisture damage and then the integrity is then compromised, so they don't last as long.
I'm a carpenter, I'm just not a fan of MDF at all and especially in a marine environment where it will get wet eventually, so if that is what you have make sure it's sound and well sealed at least.

[Greaser9999]

Originally Posted by edolan

I do have another question for those with an mdf stand. I bought mine used and when I got it home I noticed a few of the cam screws looked funny and realized they were broken. So I went ahead and got new ones at Lowe's and replaced them all to be safe. The ones at Lowe's seem stronger. Anyway my question is just in general about mdf and the weight it can support. I know there is concern about water damage and mdf absorbing water but aside from that how much weight can mdf support. My stand is going to have about 800 pounds sitting on it. The stand seems pretty sturdy right now. I guess I am just looking for some reassurance from others who have mdf stands. Thx

If you can skip the MDF stand and get one made out of wood, do it. I just tore my tank that a month ago, it was almost two years old. Eventually water damage caught up to me and had to take it down, never again will I go with MDF stand

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[soulpatch]

Few things edolan. I am normally not concerned with a slight <1/8" dip in a wood stand as that is easily remedied either manually through sanding/new top or padding. A dip in MDF though is not one I like to see since MDF is manufactored and it is pretty rare I see pieces with dips like that. Since you bought it used I woudl be slightly concerned about water penetration causing a slight warpage. You can add some extra bracing internally to the stand if you wish but personally I woudl look towards a better quality stand that will last longer then your tank and thus woudl go wood.

With a wood stand you can build it yourself should you wish to invest the time and make a beautiful stand. For slightly more $ but a lot less time and energy you can order through SC and get a wood stand or they will also custom make you a stand for a bit more should you wish to do some cool things to it (think side electronics compartment for one idea). Or for more money a local cabinet maker or such will typically build a stand.

Personally I would go with a custom SC. I know when I finally decide to sell my house and move I will get them to build me both a custom tank stand as well as a second matching electronics cabinet for the wall to my specs.

[edolan]

Thanks for your responses guys. I understand and don't want to downplay the concerns of water damage to mdf but I would like to use the current stand I have if possible for a number of reasons. Trying to keep costs down, there is a chance we could move in the next few years, and my wife likes the look of the stand. The current stand has no water damage and actually was never fully set up and I plan on doing what I can to waterproof it. Mine was just more of a general question on the strength of mdf supporting the weight which I believe davocean answered. The stand looks and feels sturdy. I guess I just got a little concerned when I realized it needs to hold 800 pounds.

[RogueGrown]

Hi everyone!!! So I'm thinking of buying a 50 pnp for SC. I have been asking questions elsewhere and have been directed to you guys.

I hear I can talk to Steve and basically customize my order. What I'd like to do is get the tank, sump, and add the plywood stand but have him hold back the skimmer and return as I don't find a need if I'm going to be replacing them anyways. Has anyone done this and is it even worth the time to haggle?

I'm curious about and can't seem to find my info on is what kind of plumbing below the tank does the system come with? Is it all clear tubing in the sump area or is that just the return?

I take it the sump does not come with a filter sock? What one am I'm looking for?

One last thing, how much water is in the sump and what is the water height so I can further research what skimmer to go for. So far I'm leaning towards the icecap k2-50 because of its minimal footprint and also has some pretty good reviews. Though I'm weary that it's not enough for this system.

Thanks in advance!!!

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