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150cube 1yr later


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This tank is actually one year old last week.   But because I’m technologically challenged  I was only able to insert pictures and start a build thread  this week. (With the help of ReefNewby82).

The tank is a 150 gallon Marineland “Deep Dimension” cube. 36”x36”x27”. The stand is 40” tall to accommodate a skimmer and to access other stuff in the stand. The canopy is 12” tall. 

Edited by Kent12456
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I built an emergency drain into the stand. The drain runs through a closet wall, and then through a second wall into a drain in the garage. The interior floor is coated with a waterproof “rubberized” brush on coating that is intended to be used behind shower tiling  

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Edited by Kent12456
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You need a perfectly flat surface to weld acrylic. My wife was understanding enough to let me use her marble countertops. I couldn’t find a sump that utilized the space under the tank efficiently, so I built the sump.  Auburn Plastics cut and routed most of the panels for my sump. No leaks thanks to their precision work. I would use them again if I ever needed acrylic. Was it cheaper than buying a premade sump? No. 

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Edited by Kent12456
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The tank sits at an angle in the corner. I added a narrow passage in the wall (unpainted in the pic) behind the tank that goes into a closet under the stairwell. The opening gives me access to the back of the tank. It’s cramped, but it’s better than nothing.

NOTE:  It’s true, Bean Animal overflows ARE extremely quiet.

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Edited by Kent12456
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This picture is where the emergency drain passes through the closet. Tank is in the room to the left, garage is on the other side of the wall to the right.  A 1/4” ATO line was added later. The second picture is with the piping/tubing covered.  (the cover lifts off)

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Edited by Kent12456
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RO/DI, 35 Gallon tanks from tractor supply. The brown steel shelving is from Menards. Modular, heavy duty and not extremely pricy, it’s my favorite shelving for any utility type of storage.   

 NOTE: The 6” openings on top of these tanks are not ideal when it comes time to clean the interiors of the tanks. I would look at other options next time  

The tanks are close to the ceiling in the garage. I gravity feed to the tank for both water changes and for the ATO using float switches in the sump.   5B793E33-BD94-42B7-8FB3-C494831C9ED4.thumb.jpeg.0cdb78f3e0ddfc5ea1a6e7c23ead1da8.jpeg

Edited by Kent12456
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The canopy is 12” tall. On the advice of a carpenter friend, we used Mortise hinges that are not visible when the canopy is closed. 

NOTE: I’ve found that a 27” Deep tank (even with a 5”to 6” Deep sandbed) with a canopy like mine that only opens to the front makes it impossible for you to reach the back of the tank. This can be very frustrating  at times. 

 

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Edited by Kent12456
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I had a 6’ long 8 bulb Aquatic life T5 fixture left from my last tank. I cut the fixture in half,  extended the wiring so the two halves would lay side by side which resulted in a 36” x 36” 8 bulb fixture. (Eight  39 watt 36” bulbs) I Used this fixture for several months but I am currently running 4 AI Hydra 26’s. 

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Edited by Kent12456
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Note: With all of this stuff plugged into  American DJ power strips I would never again thread cords through a melamine board. It looks nice and neat but replacing a heater, removing a skimmer or powerhead for deep clean is a pain in the....xxx.... it’s not worth it to me. if I ever do another tank build, all cables will be dangling in the open, each cord will be labeled at the plug for quick identification but never again threaded through holes.

* 4- AI Hydra 26’s 

* 1- 3 head Bubble Magus dosing pump

* 1- Mag Drive 3 for Carbon/GFO reactors

* 2 mp40s for circulation. (Very happy with these)   

*A not so quiet Mag Drive 12 return pump that won’t die  

*1 oversized not so quiet Reef octopus int. 3000 skimmer. 

2- 12 volt Computer fans installed 1 each in the canopy and the stand. 

2- 200 watt eheim heaters. 

Apex Neptune controller

2 power heads in fragtank/sump combo for circulation. 

1- 2’ fluorescent bulb mounted inside of stand for use during maintenance. 

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Edited by Kent12456
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When I received the doors I added a strip of trim that blocks the light from bleeding out of the stand at night. Also added some  rubber insulation strips on the inside of the doors for the same reason.  But the stand still glows after dark. :)

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Edited by Kent12456
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20 hours ago, RajilNaja said:

Wow that looks great! Love the stand and aquascape. One day mine wont just be a mess of rocks with frag plugs thrown around it :D 

Thank you, I feel the same way about the rocks. At some point you have to just stop moving things and leave it alone, but I’m never 100% happy with what I end up with. Enough rock to create Caves and passage ways for fish, flat surfaces for coral, the more live rock the better, but not so much live rock that there’s no room for coral......drives me nuts. 

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2 hours ago, ReefNewby82 said:

Wow great job Kent.  Really like the DIY and thought put into this build!  Glad you were able to get the pictures figured out too.  You needed to show this off!

Thank you, and thanks again for your help with photo posting. Now I’m “fishing” HAHAHAHA! Fishing, get it??!!? HAHAHA! for the best compression app. In the App Store. 

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