Myka's 90 gallon build & 3 province move (Pics Feb 6)

[Myka]

Oct 5, 2011: I'm going to change this first post to keep a running log of FTS.



May 27, 2009:




Aug 8, 2009:




Jan 2, 2010:




June 27, 2010:




Sept 11, 2010:




Jan 1, 2011:




Oct 15, 2011:




Jan 1, 2012:



Feb 6, 2012:

[Myka]

As many of you know already I recently moved to Saskatoon from Kelowna, BC. My 33g tank is still in BC (link in sig). I was building a 40 gallon breeder in BC, but I decided that it would be easier to buy a new tank here, set it all up, cycle it, and let it age for a month or two before I bring all the livestock from my 33 out here. I'm hoping to reduce any livestock death. Livestock from 33 should be here early June I think, but who knows.

So... I figured, since I am buying a new tank, why not upgrade while I'm at it?? Ok, I actually had NO desire for a larger tank. Seriously. BUT, I have a really exquisitely colored Kole tang that I really want to keep, so I decided to upgrade to a tank size that would be suitable for him. 90 gallon it is...happened to find one right away.

I bought a 90 gallon Concept Aquarium tank, black silicone, with left corner overflow. Bottom drilled for one 1 1/2" bulkhead and one 1" bulkhead. The overflow is drilled for a 1" return. I'm going to cover up the hole in the overflow because I'm going to run my return over the edge of the tank, and use to the two bottom holes for drains for a Herbie. The stand is an AGA black pine.

For anyone interested, I'm not impressed with the build quality of the Concept Aquarium tank. The edges aren't even, the overflow may as well have been homemade since it is glass with 1/8" black acrylic siliconed onto the outside so you can't see into the overflow. Since silicone doesn't bond well with acrylic the two pieces have separated. The black silicone that is used on the inside of the corners on the tank is poor quality, and peeling off. For reference, the tank is only a year old. So, I will be resiliconing the inside corners in black, and resealing the acrylic to the glass overflow. Should look pretty good when I'm done.

Now...the stand. BLEH. I like the looks of the AGA pine stands, but I think the stability is iffy for the larger tanks. I wouldn't want anything bigger than a 65 on those stands! So I decided to beef up the stand. I think I took enough pictures to tell the story without going into detail about how I built it. I basically used all the pieces of the AGA stand, and built a 2x4 frame to go on the inside of it. I doubled up the framing so I could eliminate the center posts that were on the AGA.

Before I go into photos, I will list the equipment I have for the tank, and stuff I plan to add in the near future:

90g tank
Homemade stand
Sump (next project)
Refugium
EuroReef RS-180
2x250w DE MH electronic ballasts
2x54w T5s
Two Jager heaters total 250w
2x PhosBan Reactors (one for carbon, one GFO)

The MH lights are still in BC, and won't be here until the livestock comes, but I have a little 2x39w T5 fixture to put on the tank temporarily. Currently it is lighting my live rock which is in rubbermaids in hopes to preserve as much coralline as possible.

I also have 150lbs of mature, cured rock to choose from; mix of shelf and branching mostly, probably mostly Tonga, maybe some Vanuatu. About 50-70 lbs of sand. Will add enough sand for a 1-2" sandbed.


In future:

VorTech MP40 and/or Wavebox
Tunze Osmolator ATO
Dosing pumps for calcium and alkalinity
Hang on fuge...to see if I get better pod reproduction than an in-sump fuge



Stand pics:

[Myka]

So then little miss dumbass (me!!) realises she forgot to make room for the plumbing!!! Oh ya, bottom drilled, not back drilled. ARGH! I then measured the holes in the bottom of the tank, and realise that the 2x4s I used in my framing are totally in the way of where the bulkheads will be. Side note...I strongly dislike anything carpentry related having spent too much time working professionally as a renovation carpenter. Also, I have been hugely frustrated due to lack of tools. So, I toss the ENTIRE stand, and decide to build my own. I made the stand wider to make room for the plumbing, and I bought some (real) oak batten boarding to skin the stand with. It now has the first coat of paint on it in the garage, and I realize I haven't double checked my measurements yet! I hope it all lines up!!!!!!!! I painted the outside with black semi-gloss exterior acrylic paint, and the inside is white gloss exterior acrylic. I will be making a matching canopy for the tank as well.

So, this is what I made using the minimal tools I have here in SK. That being a cordless drill, a chop saw, a circular saw, and a plunge router (with only two bits lol). If I had a router table and a table saw this stand would have been waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay different. Oh, and much nicer. Oh ya, I haven't finished the doors yet, so they aren't on the stand.

The NEW new stand...as it is right now. First coat of paint, so it's really streaky. I framed this one a bit differently, so I took some closeups of the framing for you guys can see how I did it because I stupidly didn't take any build photos for this one. I think I was too choked about having to throw away two stands. I put a post in the middle of the back of the stand so i just used single ply framing, but I wanted to skip the post in the front so I doubled up.

The 2x2 blocks on the front are for the mounting of the doors.

[fishytime]

You impress me!

[Rbacchiega]

the dismantled stand is the best picture! I really did Laugh Out Loud...ba dum!

[JDigital]

Solid stand now!

Kelowna to Saskatoon..... BLEH!!! What's wrong with you woman!!

[christyf5]

LOL that stand pic killed me. What do you do with a crap stand? Knock it apart and spread it around the yard of course! I didn' realize you were putting it back together and though maybe you'd torn it apart in disgusted rage

[Lance]

Stand looks pretty strong now. Good Job!

[Myka]

I figured you guys would get a kick out of the stand strewn across the yard, so I took that pic purely for the amusement of this board.

I made a triple post in the beginning so I can add all the photos up to now before your replies would all get in my way (lol), so I edited a bit...you guys didn't see that I have also KILLED that stand too!!!! Go read my second post.

Just gonna run to the garage and take a pic of the NEW new stand!

[Myka]

I am receiving a few SPS frags today, but I got a couple about 2 weeks ago. An ORA green polyp pink birdnest, and a mauve Mille. I received the Mille browned out, and the birdnest is faded, but both are starting to show more color already. The birdnest fell on one of my Lobos and one of the branches lost it's flesh, but it's ok now. I should take some update pics, but here is the first day I had them:







Here is a pic of a blue w/ pink eyes Chalice frag I bought about a month ago or so, also in the pic is an Acan frag that is growing like a weed:




Also a FTS. I removed a rock from the upper left portion to blow torch it as for some reason that rock alone had a few different red algae on it. It is now just in my bucket of live rock, probably ready to go back in. I did rearrange the corals though...all the Euphyllias are now on the right. My new SPS will be going on the high arch on the left.