CDodge1's 30 Gallon Shallow Reef Journal

[Cdodge1]

A while back I had to bail out of the hobby due to some issues with my apartment. Not having an aquarium has been driving me nuts; and with two brothers in the hobby constantly discussing their tanks, it's hard to not want one. Time to get down to business. Finding a stand will be impossible so I've been trying to get quotes on a custom built one.

I enjoy keeping a journal of my builds because 1.) it allows others to learn and 2.) it doesn't let me forget what I have learned from past builds.


Tank Dimensions: 24"x24"x12"

For Equipment:

• Basic Apex controller package
• Radion XR15w Pro (with wide angle lens)
• Vortech mp10
• Skimmer?? Still deciding..
• finnex titanium heater
• Mag 5 Return pump

Stand:

• 24x24x38 inches
• Motion Sensor LED Lights
• Removable magnetic panel
• cord organization
• Intake/ Exhaust Airflow Fans

[Cdodge1]

I happened to see this little frag tank on Criagslist in need of rescuing... and at $250 for the whole set up, it's a good deal.





Stand is in rough shape... but not to worry... I'll be building my own!

[Cdodge1]

Started messing with some stand designs. Decided to go with a ADA style stand. Love the clean lines and simple yet strong and lightweight design.
Originally thought of using concealed hinges...but decided against it... I've got a small stand which means less space to maneuver a sump and equipment. Plus it'll reduce the cost slightly. I'll just use embedded magnets.

I'll go into detail of how I'll be assembling the stand later. There are a lot of people that don't believe this could support a 300lb aquarium sitting on it.

[Cdodge1]

Still trying to work out the kinks in the design. I don't want to run into any unseen problems. I might not need 5" Fans since I'll be running LED's but I still want some circulation in the stand. Also I'm not sure which path I'm going to choose for plumbing. Should I go Sched. 80 all the way or do a combo with flex pipe/ shed. 80 PVC?

[A sea K]

I would use flexible tubing for the pump return as it helps in several ways, reduced backpressure, dampens pump vibration reducing noise, and easier installation. BRS sells silicone tubing that is very suple. I used it on my 30gal and have been very impressed with it, only downside is the expense.
As for hard plumbing the drain with PVC, i see no need for sch 80. Sch40 is more than adequate, cheaper and also has a larger internal diameter for better flow characteristics.

[whiteshark]

Nice looking tank Schedule 40 PVC will be fine. The colored stuff from BRS looks real nice. Spa flex tube will work fine as well. I prefer the look of hard pvc.

[dantdodge]

I like the look as far as return on a 30 gallon I would not be to concerned with flow, if you did decide to go hard plumbing or use sch 80 it does look nice! and you wont be using much so cost wont be bad. Just a thought. Let that MP10 do all the work lol

[Cdodge1]

Originally Posted by A sea K

I would use flexible tubing for the pump return as it helps in several ways, reduced backpressure, dampens pump vibration reducing noise, and easier installation. BRS sells silicone tubing that is very suple. I used it on my 30gal and have been very impressed with it, only downside is the expense.
As for hard plumbing the drain with PVC, i see no need for sch 80. Sch40 is more than adequate, cheaper and also has a larger internal diameter for better flow characteristics.

Originally Posted by whiteshark

Nice looking tank Schedule 40 PVC will be fine. The colored stuff from BRS looks real nice. Spa flex tube will work fine as well. I prefer the look of hard pvc.

Originally Posted by dantdodge

I like the look as far as return on a 30 gallon I would not be to concerned with flow, if you did decide to go hard plumbing or use sch 80 it does look nice! and you wont be using much so cost wont be bad. Just a thought. Let that MP10 do all the work lol

Thanks for the input guys! I'll probably go with flex pipe... only thing is I don't want it to look sloppy. So i'll try and get some U brackets to keep it in order. And good point Dantdodge haha

[Cdodge1]

So today I've sourced the wood and gotten it cut, also biscuit jointed.
So far Materials purchased:

• 2x Sheets of red oak plywood
• wood glue
• size 20 wood biscuits
• stain
• latex gloves ( for staining)

Also, I've settled on a Reef Octopus 110INT for my skimmer

Here's a pic of the stand just dry fitted (Sorry for the mess):


Got the tank I picked up from craigslist cleaned up also:


And color of stain I'm probably going to use:



More pics and updates to come! stay tuned

[A sea K]

Originally Posted by Cdodge1

Also, I've settled on a Reef Octopus 110INT for my skimmer

Got the tank I picked up from craigslist cleaned up also:

Nice choice, exact same tank and skimmer I'm using.

[Cdodge1]

Originally Posted by A sea K

Nice choice, exact same tank and skimmer I'm using.

Thanks mate! Yeah I really loved the dimensions and the skimmer is big enough for a whale shark haha

[A sea K]

Do you already have the MP-10? I was going that route myself and caught wind of pre-buying the soon to be released Gyre 130. Very interested in this option but am waiting for feed back from users with small tanks.

[Cdodge1]

Originally Posted by A sea K

Do you already have the MP-10? I was going that route myself and caught wind of pre-buying the soon to be released Gyre 130. Very interested in this option but am waiting for feed back from users with small tanks.

Hmmm I've seen this a while back. Apparently there is some hype about it. But for me, I've always loved ecotech. I've only ever heard good things about them and their customer service is stellar. Not to mention the Gyre 130 costs just as much and also looks like a cheap heater (ugly IMO). I personally like the sleek look of the MP Ecotech series.

But I do have an MP10 sourced already. Just have to pick it up from Tampa.

[Cdodge1]

Pic of the biscuit joints:



I didn't have any clamps big enough to fit the whole stand so I used tension straps. I covered the wood with towels to keep the straps from digging into the corners of the wood. (Also sorry for the poor quality pics. I've gotten a better camera App for my phone and higher quality photos are on the way hah. Thanks for bearing with me.)

[Cdodge1]

Installing Back Brace:


Put in some L brackes on the bottom for extra support:


Dry fitting the tank...like a glove!

[whiteshark]

Looking good!

[Cdodge1]

Next Steps:

• Going to Sand the whole stand down, smooth out the edges, any burs, and fill in any gaps in the ply.
• Vacum/ wipe down with wet rag
• allow to dry then stain
• light sanding after stain is dry
• apply second coat of stain (and subsequent coats until I reach the desired color.)

I should be able to post some more updates soon.

[Cdodge1]

Alright, accidentally posted same pic twice, here is what I meant to show:


Added some L Brackets to add stability to the bottom, as well as a wooden beam across the back. Unfortunately I had to use screws here. There was no getting around it. So I counter sunk them and patched them up. I hope it wont be too noticeable


Also completed first coat of stain! It's lighter than it looks so I'm guessing it'll need 1-2 more coats. Patched up any gaps in the ply and also finished sanding and patching the Removable panel. Will stain that soon.

[Cdodge1]

Hmmm after the second coat I am very displeased with the color of the stain. It's not getting any darker. I'm really going for a charcoal grey here (almost black)...any suggestions? Should I get ebony stain and stain over it?

[Cdodge1]

Got the second coat of stain on...I'm going to give it a day to thoroughly dry and then apply an ebony stain. I was really going for a charcoal grey-black here. Still coming along. Still need to Drill drain and return pump holes in the stand.

I also forgot to mention earlier that I made some adjustments to my original design. I tossed the fan Idea and just opened up the back. I also made the stand 41" instead of 36". I'm a tall guy and I hate having to bend down 3 feet to look into an aquarium. Several mass produced stands I saw for this aquarium were barely higher than a coffee table! I can't be the only one with a gripe about low tank stands..

Also painted the inside an orange red...let me know what you think!

[A sea K]

Looking good! Great idea on using the tension straps instead of clamps. I never thought about doing that and always have to borrow long clamps from a friend on every project.

When I built my stand I wanted it to be around 40" to help offset the shallow tank but ran into a design issue. I wanted a oversized stand and that would only allow me to go 32" due to door sizes as I was too wide in the other dimension. Now that all is said and done I actually like it. You can easily get a nice top down view any time you approach the tank and when seated anywhere in the room the height seems just about perfect.

[whiteshark]

Originally Posted by A sea K

Looking good! Great idea on using the tension straps instead of clamps. I never thought about doing that and always have to borrow long clamps from a friend on every project.

When I built my stand I wanted it to be around 40" to help offset the shallow tank but ran into a design issue. I wanted a oversized stand and that would only allow me to go 32" due to door sizes as I was too wide in the other dimension. Now that all is said and done I actually like it. You can easily get a nice top down view any time you approach the tank and when seated anywhere in the room the height seems just about perfect.

I hear ya. I had to finish my stand in my apartment lol.

[Cdodge1]

Picked up some ebony stain and added a coat of that after several hours. MUCH happier with the results





And the back i haven't really shown:

[Cdodge1]

Finally got all the staining and painting done! Unfortunately there's a minor setback. Originally my design included an enclosed back piece to the stand. Without it the stand has maybe .5"-1" sway with the aquarium on it. This is beyond unacceptable and I'm going to go get another piece of wood to completely enclose the back of the stand and give it structural integrity.

So my To-Do list:

• Cut, and paint back piece & install it
• Patch & stain holes
• Find magnets for the removable access panel
• drill holes for plumbing in stand
• Source a Sump/ have one made
• design & install plumbing

There's plenty more to do but this is all in the near future.

Pic of stand with new stain and aquarium!:

[Cdodge1]

Got the back panel on and painted. Also acquired skimmer and reactor! Also added foam mat on the bottom of stand to help with noise reduction and it also allows me to place a sump over the brackets if needed.