Marine Built Project upgrade

Hey!

So I decided to create a new thread as we can always go back to the previous one if we want to see the whole picture.

So lets get started.

The new tank is being built by Bart, it will be 160 x 65 x 65 cm, thats around 64 x 26 x 26 inches give or take. 676 liters of volume plus sump. It will have optiwhite glass on the front and sides.

Here is a design of the tank

Tank

I will be using an external overflow beananimal design, this design allows for a completely silent flow. The way it works is we have a full siphon pipe (~3.5 cm) which on its own can take over 2000 gph or 7500 lph which is a bit more of what I am aiming for in the sump. The second siphone sits slightly higher and it is used to compensate for flow variations so if at any moment the flow exceeds the maximum flow rate this siphon will take the excess of flow. The third siphon the emergency siphon in case these 2 become clogged which shouldn't really happen.

The first 2 overflows will go straight into the first section of the sump, the emergency one will go into the return and will sit higher than the water level so I can hear it and then realize that the emergecy siphon is on and therefore that there is something wrong.

The tank will (almost) have a C2C (coast to coast) overflow as I wanted the maximum surface skimming. Ideally you want the weir to be teethless but because of some of my inhabitants in the tank I had to put teeth on it.

The cabinet will be based on rocketengineers design. This design will allow me to remove middle support beam, therefore I can put a bigger sump in the aquarium. I made a small modification to the cabinet design so it would allow me to pull the sump all the way back so the return pipes will drop into the sump on a straight line.

Cabinet front

Cabinet side

What you see is just the chassis. The cabinet will be covered in plywood but the final design is not finished yet.

Although there is no need to use a middle support beam in the tank, I will place one on both ends (removable) just for extra support and to allow me to hang stuff of it.

For the stand itself I am not sure if I will be using pine or timber, I will decide soon.

I will add more pictures as I finish them. The tank should be ready by mid September. I will share my ideas as we go along.

Let me know what you think.

+1 im going to be glued to this thread

I thought you mentioned earlier you were going to go for a steel stand....apart from cost...asumming a wood stand is cheaper....any other reason for opting for a wood stand over steel????

Thanks John for your moral support!

Here is a picture of the cabinet with a bit of wood cover so you will get an idea of how it will look in the end (no doors though)

Front with covers

Side with covers

The design will likely change a bit, for instance, I will make the skimmer section a few cm wider to allow more flow in that chamber.

Hi Chris, just seeing your reply. Steel or aluminium stands are great, aluminium is much ore expensive (still not an issue here), steel is just a bit more expensive but a lot heavier.

There is no real need to use either of those if you select the right wood. Although I havent decided yet I will probably go for either pine or timber. Both woods will be treated so they will be waterproof so even in the case of a leak, the cabinet should not be compromised.

Some cabinets are made out of agglomerate which in the even of a leak will end up expanding and could lead to trouble. Aluminium or steel are perfect for this but again, if you use adequate wood and prime it well there is no reason why it wouldnt last many years.

Just put it this way, the purple beams can withstand 65 tons each! So this is how strong they are!

We will see, I might change my mind next week again!!!

Just a little update, here is the cabinet with the sump in it, as well as how the skimmer will look like as well as the return pump

Front right

Front left

Bringing the sump to the back of the aquarium gives me more space in the front allowing me to place things such as a reactor, dosing containers etc on the front of the cabinet, things that will require some frequent maintenance.

On the right side of the cabinet (internal side) I will place the Apex controler with the power bars etc. The left side will house a switchable wall plugs (not sure if this is the technical term).

On the back top of the aquarium I will place the UV filter (top back) but I will explain more about the plumbing later on as it might end up going behind the aquarium on the right!

JohnH wrote:

...and so begins another excellent series from Bohrio.

Good man Alex.

John

+1 on that. I always look forward to your comprehensive posts, and I don't even keep marines.

Ok guys just a little update, Bart finished putting the tank together today (just the glass no overflow etc)

Looking good so far, very happy with it

He is going on holidays for a few weeks and will continue working with it when he comes back, so exciting!

Some pictures

Front

Rear

cool

am I looking at it right????the hole in the middle is the return?????

There is some good tanks coming out of that little shop in clondalkin. Bart knows what he is doing when it comes to building them, even if he has to follow very specific plans!!
The tank he has just built now looks small compared to yours.
Hope the rest of your build goes smoothly.

Thanks Jonlate, Bart actually says this is a medium size tank for him! He is a great chap, very happy with hi,m

Chris, yes, the whole in the middle is the return (it actually goes through the overflow box as well) I want everything inside the tank as there will be a cover covering the top. It will need a ball valve to prevent flooding.

is the tank up and runnin up yet?????



any update?????




please......... ( ( (