My new 100 gallon tank

[adobo]

My new tank threads are popular in the other forums I visit. Are we allowed to do them here?

If so, how do I upload pics as part of a thread?

Adobo

[adobo]

Wow, over 20 lookers and not one knows if I can start a "my new tank thread." Any guesses?

Adobo

[Diesel3443]

I dont see why not, go ahead. To upload pics go to your Zeovit.com gallery to upload. If not you could use some other internet sit to upload them

[adobo]

I meant, how do I upload pics so that they are in-line with this thread? I've already uploaded a couple into my gallery.

Adobo

[mesocosm]

Greetings All !

I meant, how do I upload pics so that they are in-line with this thread? I've already uploaded a couple into my gallery.

For me it's easiest to have two windows open ... one window with the thread open in it, and the other window with the gallery picture in it. Right click on the picture (... not its thumbnail ...) and select properties. Copy the URL specified in the properties box.

Back in the thread window, with the cursor located where you want the picture to appear in the message text area, click the "insert image" icon, the script prompt box will appear, copy the picture's URL into the "enter text to be formatted" line, click OK, and there you go ...

HTH ...

[adobo]

The reef keeping story of me.

Thanks a bunch MC.

I started keeping reef tanks in '98. I picked up a 40 gallon tank since I thought that was "big enough". I moved up briefly to a 100 gallon but I moved in with a girl so I had to take the 100 gallon tank down. I went back to the 40 gallon tank and have been "living" with it since.

Years later.. I married that girl (and had a baby with her). We bought a small house with a garage that is not very useful other than being used for storage. The wife gave me the official okey dokey for a step back up to a bigger tank. And so begins my latest project...


Here is a pic of the new tank.. The stand is nothing fancy. Shop fox work bench legs and a piece of 3/4" plywood on top of it. The tank dimensions are 47"x27"x18".





I started the plumbing already. Here is a pic of one of the OM Squirts. This one is set up for two outputs. I will be running a second OM Squirt which is configured for 4 port output. Also, check out the external overflow box. It's my favorite feature.




This is what she looks like with the protective paper removed. I filled it up with water just to test for leaks. So far, so good.



Other details about the system..
- objective: mixed reef with LPS, SPS, clams and fish.
- tank volume will be ~120 gallons with the sump (still under construction).
- water flow will be from a gen-x pcx-30 and a little giant 2mdq. I think I will get rougly 10x water volume out of it. Two OM squirts will be plumbed with the pumps.
- lighting will be either vho's with 2 10000k metal halides or 2 10000k and 1 20000k metal halides. (lighting system purchase is pending)
- protein skimmer will either be deltec ap600, h&s a150-2001 or barr aquatic beckett skimmer. (obviously purchase is pending)
- I'm gonna try my hand with zeovit when the tank is finished.
- aquascaping will be done using hirocks base rock. I had a lot of success with my 40 gallon using carib sea base rock and now feeling compelled to use it again on the new tank. The economics are one advantage. The other is that hacking up base rock and reforming it into new shapes is infinitely easier with base rock. For some reason, I am really shy about beating up and drilling live rock that I paid $4-$6/lbs for.


I'll update this thread with new pics as time permits.


Adobo

[mesocosm]

Greetings All !

[OUinLA]

Looking good. And yes it is perfectly acceptable and encouraged to share your progress with us

[nyfireman3097]

awesome lookin bro cant wait to see more
Nick

[greg65]

Abodo,
Your tank looks great! Im sure you will have alot of fun with it.

Im a bit concerned with your stand however.......... a 100 gallon tank with water/rock/livestock is going to weigh some pretty serious pounds. I wouldnt trust the stand as i see it now. Double up on the 3/4" ply, and throw a couple cross braces on the legs to insure they dont rack.
Much easier to do it now than to have a tragedy down the road.

my $.02

-greg-

[adobo]

Greg,

Thanks for the heads up. The stand is braced in the back with a piece of 3/4" plywood that ties both legs together. I will be putting a similar piece of plywood in the front once the plumbing is done. The top piece of plywood is a single layer now but I think your right. I will be draining the tank this weekend and will put down another piece of plywood just in case.

Adobo

[gqjeff]

Looking good.. def do somethign with the stand.. I would also suggest using some styrofoam board under the tank aswell.

[adobo]

I have 1/2" foam padding underneath the tank. Hard to see in the pics but it is there. It is dark gray.

Adobo

[gqjeff]

Ok sweet...

[adobo]

Ok... plumbing is about 90% complete. I am just waiting on my new sump and I can finish the plumbing. I assume, of course, that no new attached plumbing will be required when I attach the skimmer. But as they say, stuff happens.

Two OM squirts. One for the retrun, one for the closed loop. Hard to see the one for the closed loop as other pipes are obscuring it from view. From this angle, you can see the piece of plywood (birch I think) I used as a cross brace to tie the two legs together. It really does help the side to side stability of the tank. The shelf that holds the sump also ties the two legs together. I jerry rigged an old sump for use in leak testing the plumbing. Pardon some of the ugliness of the jerry rigged pipes.



Did I mention how much I really like the external overflow box feature?



This is what the inside of the tank looks like. Is that a ghost I see?





I have two water pumps on this tank. The one underneath the shelf is a dolphin silent sea pump used for the closed loop. The other is a little giant used for a return. From this angle, you get a better look at the second OM squirt I use for the closed loop.



Adobo