Saltys over the top 29g build.

[Saltydrip]

On account of life taking a few bad turns I'm trying something completely different. Im not planning on being in this apartment for very long time so I need a tank I can move with ease. I'm going to build a 29g with a foam wall with a closed loop and try to contain all my equipment within the wall. The foam wall will also have several pieces of exposed egg crate that can be utilized as frag racks. The main reason for this build is to propagate corals for my next system. Most likely a 75 display and 75g sump tgat will be mostly fuge, seeing that's what my stand was built for.

Phase one!!! Head up to ThatPetPlace tonight and get some dry rock and a few other odd balls to get started in the AM.

Tomorrow I'll try to get into more detail. I just wanted to get things started.

[Saltydrip]

Finally made it to That Pet Place tonight to get some stuff for the foam wall.


I'm curious if this contact comment would be reef safe or if I should use west systems epoxy resin to get the sand and agronite to stick.


I'm also trying to figure out what to use to finish the hood...

[Saltydrip]

The overflow ang egg crating are all set up.

I had a crazy idea to make a small area that I can use as a fuge using a tuperware bowl... The closed loop hidden in the wall will feed it and then flow will go over the little pour spout in the side of the bowl..

I know it sounds crazy but the this whole thing is just an experiment.

[sam.basye]

Are you going to run a tube the length if the tank behind the wall? Can you explain the bowl concept a little more?

[Saltydrip]

A little more progres!

I imagine this pic helps.. I'm looking for low flow threw the bowl on account of the fact that I plan on growing cheato in it. The round shape of the bowl and the water inlet in the back corner I can only assume it will have a nice tumbling effect which is best for cheato. I have no idea how much flow will be running threw the different outlets. It's powered by a mag 5 so low flow won't be an issue...

[Saltydrip]

I should mention that this build is pretty much just to keep me bussy. The restaurant below my previous apartment had a severe fire. I'm lucky to have all my stuff. They barely got control of the fire before it got up into my place.
We plan on buying a house but life keeps kicking us in the ***. This tank is going to be our frag tank to start propagating corals for when I have a nice 180 or 200 to play with. This system is completely contained in one unit and will literal just stay on the kitchen table until I need to drain it and move it. The plan is I'll make a frag rack system I can stack inside a 5g bucket, load it up, fill it up. Drain the tank and move it... A boatload easier than our 75 that's taking up space in my friends dining room.

[sam.basye]

I spoke too soon. Lol I like the concept though! My only concern is that the water level has to stay high enough to prevent the bowl from dribbling into the water below from evaporation.

Losing everything sucks... Sounds like a good plan though!

[Saltydrip]

The pour spout in the bowl is the same hight as the overflow. It should be quiet.

I'm going to fit my ATO floats in the overflow area. I have a 2 gal container I'll keep next to the tank on the table... So it's almost all self contained.

While my DIY LED over 75 isn't pretty it sure is functional and made everything in my tank look amazing. I'm literally going to cut it in half, stick the 2 halves side by side and soldier the wires back together and then stick it in a hood Ill be starting at work next week. I wanted to finish it in carbon but I think for the sake of time I'll just use a decent hardwood and stain it black.

[Saltydrip]

My second home beneath my old home.

[Saltydrip]

I just got in trouble... The apartment stinks like super glue... Oops.

[skey44]

Step 1: Open the window.
Step 2: If you are using the contact cement, evacuate to fresh air

[skey44]

step 3: I don't think the neoprene contact cement is the correct adhesive for this application. Use black pond foam. It works well for rock wall applications.

Here is a product that will work for your application on Amazon.

[Saltydrip]

I'm using black foam but I was looking for something to help additional sand and agronite to stick to the foam. I'm going to use some west systems resin.

[Saltydrip]

Removed the egg crating from behind the plumbing and mounted it to the glass with blobs of silicone, it was pretty noisy during testing. I think the tight fit of the egg crate and PVC was causing a bad drone. Now everything is isolated with wiggle room. Also loosely installed some frag racks. I think tomorrow I'll be doing the foaming and making everything nice and sandy.
I ran a full water flow test and it's amazing how much water blows right past the lower outlets and up into the "fuge" bowl. I think I'll be making some sort of defuser to reduce flow and make it so it isn't pointing straight up making a fountain.

[Saltydrip]

I would also like to say I'm stoked that the scotch tape on the badly cracked back glass is holding just fine.

[Saltydrip]

I do need some advice on frag rack hight...

That upper rack is 6.5" from water level. I was debating adding another corner piece about 2" up to the right, about 4.5" from water level. Would it be pointless to have it that high in the tank? My DIY LEDs are going to be way more than enough to light this tank.

[Saltydrip]

Next I'll let it sit then with some superglue I'll add some more sand to the areas that are still pretty black. I know now that adding it little by little works way better than trying to cover large areas at once..

[dwebster86]

Tagging along on this

[sam.basye]

Looking good!

More pictures!

[Saltydrip]

Like this??

I forgot to get a box of gloves....

[Saltydrip]

So I'm home from the hardware store. I got a cap to put on the return outlet up in the fuge, drilled some holes in the side of it and now flow is perfect. I'm thinking using silicon to apply more sand to the wall was a bad idea.. It looked great while dry but now that water is in the tank it made the dark grey foam an ugly cloudy grey. Areas that I missed look great but the siliconed areas look ugly. Oh well.. It will be purple and green in no time.

This is the dry pic. I'll get a wet one as soon as my photo bucket decides to work.

[Saltydrip]

These 2 are obviously looking down into the tank. I left the bottoms of the racks oppen as much as posable so corals get as much flow as can be and I was afraid the cubes would become detritus traps if the bottoms were closed up.

[sam.basye]

I like the racks. Can't wait to see it wet!

Looks like someone forgot the gloves. Lol gonna see the foam on your fingers for at least 3 more days. Lol

Is there a reason you left the racks white instead of prespraying it black before foaming?

[Saltydrip]

The white racks will be covered in biology in no time. I'm going to fill that thing with my live rock from my 75 and coralline and algae will cover everything in a few weeks.

[Saltydrip]

Getting back on track now that Christmas is passed. Ordered my new RODI finaly. Should be here by the 7th. Things should start happening again now