36x24x17 Custom tank input

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NathanSE

So I'm going to order my tank from Tom at Glass Cages this week (yeah, I know, I know, but the price can't be beat and it's not my dream system) but I need to finalize my bulkhead locations and sizing. Scott Comstock is going to build me a clean, modern stand (and I'm stoked! Thanks Scott!) and I also need to nail down the final details on the stand, so I decided to model everything in SketchUp, a pretty intuitive 3D modeling program we sometimes use at work.

The tank is going to be an SPS-dominated system - barebottom with tons of flow. I suspect the sump will be either a 20L or a 29, fed by two 1.25" overflows (for redundancy) and the returned by an Eheim 1262 through a 1.25" loc line. The 1262 will probably be pushing about 700gph once you account for head pressure, plumbing elbows, etc. The remainder of the flow in the tank will be provided by 1 or 2 Tunze Streams, probably 6100s but I haven't gotten quite that far.

Having done only nanos in the past, I want to make sure I get the drain/return worked out properly. Is 8" x 6" big enough for the overflow box? Are two 1.25" drains adequate (according to the RC calculator, the size is good but they recommend a larger overflow box - no thanks)? Is the 1.25" return properly sized? That seems like a dumb question, in retrospect, but I guess the only dumb questions are the unasked ones. My biggest concern is getting enough clearance from the structural 2x4s with some wiggle room to account for any error on the builder's part.

Any other thoughts? I'm all ears :)

Oh yeah, the return is 4" from the right side and 3" down. Any thoughts?
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Wow, you take the look of your tank seriously! :)

For what it's worth, my new anemone tank has a 6" x 6" internal overflow, with a single 1" drain (Which drops down about 1.5 inches and T's into an existing 1 1/4 drain line).

Just for testing today, I switched the ball valves around so that this 20L tank got the full feed from my Quiet One 4000 pump (Rated 1000 GPH) just to see what it would do...

The 6" by 6" internal overflow and 1" drain handled it perfectly fine (Well, for all 10 minutes that I had it running that way)
 
Not a lotta room inside the overflow... Since I drilled the back of the tank and not the bottom, I created a hybrid internal/external Durso that seems to be working for me... (The Air inlet part of the Durso is external to the tank.)

I just tried to take some pics, but it's impossible to get the camera back there to get a pic of the area.

It MIGHT be possible to do a Durso in there, but it'd be REAL tight. I also don't have the return in there, the return comes up on the other side of the tank through it's own bulkhead. With a return in here, I don't know that a Durso could be made to fit...
 
Not an issue - my return is going to be outside the overflow box. But if yours is 6x6 with 1 1" overflow, 6x8 doesn't sound viable for 2 1.25" overflows.. it may have to get bigger.
 
Sorry if this doesn't make sense, just got off a shift that started 8PM Friday and worked straight thru so I'm a bit fuzzy headed, but maybe get the plumbing bits you'll need, and make a cardboard cutout of the overflow to see how/if it'll fit?
 
@Matt wrote:
I hope you will keep this thread updated throughout the buildup of this tank. I am watching w/a lot of interest as I would like to build a tank very close in dimensions as this one. said:
Well just FYI the tank is going to run a little over $400 delivered, presuming I go with low-iron for the front and sides. If I use regular float/plate it should be a bit over $300 delivered. I've thought about making it a bit taller but it's going to add cost as it's "cuts out easier" at 17". I think the depth will make up for it being shallow. If I had the room I'd make it wider, but my space is limited. On top of that, I'm on the 4th floor of a concrete and steel building and don't want too much more water volume as it means increased weight.I also take all my water out to the street to dump so...

The stand, made of maple, stained and varnished, should be somewhere in the ballpark of $400, although you could do it cheaper yourself. I, on the other hand, live in a 900SF loft and have no room for tools even if I owned them, nor do I have a space to do the work in. Scott is saving the day for me! :)
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Nathan,

You are the only guy I know that accessorizes his CAD drawings :lol:

I think a wavebox is paramount in this system. Too bad it is soo much damn money. The tank looks sweet. Although I haven't seen it, I think the wavy sea doesn't create a full wave down to the bottom, but might with the height you have. Anthony Patrick has the wavy sea and it doesn't disturb his DSB.
 
That guy looks shady to me. I think he's going to snatch some corals and carry them off in his man bag! :lol:

Should be a nice setup..keep us posted!
 
Nathan,
Have you looked into running two pipes of equal size w/o dursos, one as a backup drain and the other as the main drain. You can control the flow through the overflow with a ball valve below the main tank and leave the other pipe as a backup. I haven't seen it run before, but I have read a lot about it on RC. Should be very quiet when it's dialed in.

Chris
 
Nathan,

Are you getting the glass overflows in the tank?

If I had to do it over again, I would gotten the tank drilled from them and not gotten the glass overflows. I ended up pulling them out and making arylic ones myself.
 
@GraviT wrote:
That guy looks shady to me. I think he's going to snatch some corals and carry them off in his man bag! :lol: Should be a nice setup..keep us posted! said:
You guys are hams. The proper term is "man purse" anyway :wink:

@Olaggie01 wrote:
Nathan said:
Chris, can you provide a link for this?

@Patteto wrote:
Nathan said:
While I don't really care for their overflows that much (glass+acrylic .. ugh) I was always under the impression it's not really all that cool to adhere an acrylic piece to a glass tank? Are you having any issues? I wonder if Vincent or some local glass shop could cut teeth into a glass piece for an overflow...


Also, DAMN YOU RYAN! :evil: Why did you have to talk about the Wavy Sea?!? It's pretty cool and comparable to the Tunze in price, although I would have to run a CL, which involves drilling another drain. It also requires a pump, which would have higher electricity usage than the Streams (a big plus in my book) but... their website is pretty neat and the idea is pretty solid... I think I need to give Anthony a holler..
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Nathan,
I'll have to figure out what to search by. I don't think that anyone is running that setup in DFW, but there were a couple of folks on RC running it.

As long as there isn't much pressure behind the acrylic/glass hookup, you should be fine. Silicone will hold it well enough. You could look into putting a small acrylic teeth adapter instead of cutting the glass. Or eggcrate painted black.

Chris
 
@Olaggie01 wrote:
Nathan said:
GC does a glass overflow and then puts a black acrylic one with teeth cut over it. I'm not really particular about either way.

If you find those links please post them, you piqued my interest.
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I have had no issue with the arylic to glass connection. Every reef tank has this issue unless it is arylic.

For the most part there is little or no water pressure on my overflow boxes since the water level in the overflow is only about 2 inches below the water in the tank. Having the tall durso piples in the overflows also helps reduce the water noise in the overflows.
 
Here are my thoughts.

Love the tank shape, that will give you great aquascaping, especially if you do a top down tank. I think I would do a calfo style overflow versus the corner personally, but that is just me. If you do go with the corner overflow, I would do it out of black acrylic, I think that looks much better. I think 2 x 1.25 is fine, but I dont think it is really necessary, I think 2 x 1" would be plenty. Do you know if you are going to do durso or stockmans? I think your overflow box layout makes it easier for Dursos then stockmans.

I think I would go with an oceans motion 4 way on a closed loop, but that is just me. There will have to be more holes drilled then, but I think it is a lot less obtrusive looking then two tunzes in that small of a tank.

What are your plans for lighting? I would love to see two luminarcs on there, but you would have to make the tank 2 or 3" longer to have them sit completly over the tank. Two reefoptix 3s would work great on there as well. I think you are going to have a bad a$$ looking tank, and at that price... it is something I will have to keep in mind =)

BTW the man purse is so hot right now
 
Nathan, that looks like a "mini-me" of my tank! 4x3x2. I agree with Jason on putting the overflow in the middle. The only drawback I've ever found with acrylic over glass for overflows is that the water will clear the teeth, fall 1/2 to 3/4" then bounce off the glass of , say, 1/2" thickness, then into the bottom. It is NOT ideal for keeping things quiet. I still need to do something to shut mine up. I'll include some pics of mine empty in case you want center overflow ideas. You're still welcome to come up to suburbia and see my tank any night this week. I'm gone this weekend.

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