ssappington Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 So... I've wanted to get a "large" tank for a while now, but haven't found the right deal... finally, I stumbled across the deal of the century hidden in weeds, half full of nasty water, covered in mud in some guys back yard- the tank was big, obviously held water, looked like a custom build job, and appeared to be in good shape (no cracks, crazing) and, it looked like it was built of ONE INCH acrylic! (did you know acrylic of one inch is considered bullet proof?) We settled on a price of $180 (yep, less than two Benjamin's) join me, and as this thread progresses, I'll try to share the experience, and bits of knowledge I pick up along the way! got it home, cleaned up, and measured- interior dimensions are 92.5x22x28 which is about 247 gallons. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssappington Posted April 27, 2015 Author Share Posted April 27, 2015 coming home... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssappington Posted April 27, 2015 Author Share Posted April 27, 2015 dirty... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssappington Posted April 27, 2015 Author Share Posted April 27, 2015 clean, ready to go to my buddy's for a good buffing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssappington Posted April 27, 2015 Author Share Posted April 27, 2015 I used a product called "Mostenbockers Lift-Off" to remove the funky blue paint from the back... did not harm the Acrylic at all! it's a gel, brushed it on, covered with saran wrap so it wouldn't dry out, and the paint literally peeled off the next morning 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssappington Posted April 27, 2015 Author Share Posted April 27, 2015 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssappington Posted April 27, 2015 Author Share Posted April 27, 2015 ooops! wrong image... them's baby pilgrim geese... my "other" hobby is various feathered things... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
softy Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 sweet find!! following progress! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Z Reef Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 Holy cow Steve that's a beast! I was wondering about the geese lol! You doing a garage tank room/through wall or beast stand? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssappington Posted April 27, 2015 Author Share Posted April 27, 2015 Holy cow Steve that's a beast! I was wondering about the geese lol! You doing a garage tank room/through wall or beast stand? I'll be building a stand- posting details on that as I go... then the same buddy who buffed it out, is going to build me a cabinet quality stand and hood... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssappington Posted April 27, 2015 Author Share Posted April 27, 2015 Equipment List: 75 gallon fuge/sump custom DIY Lights - OR Arctic Revive T-247 x4 Skimmer - Skimz Monster Oval 223 Wavemakers - Jebao WP-60 x2 with dual controller Return Pump- Reeflo Hammerhead Heaters - ceramic element 800w x2 Jebao 4 head Dosing Pump 360 pounds coarse aragonite sand 100 pounds dry reefsaver rock 50 pounds dry pukani rock TLF 550 media reactor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssappington Posted April 27, 2015 Author Share Posted April 27, 2015 a pic of the Skimz- rated for up to 400 gal DC pump, space saver design- quiet as a mouse! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emerald525 Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 Wow good for you in finding that diamond in the rough and seeing the potential in it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mandinga Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 (edited) Awesome find, looks like it haz zerious potential. Pretty amazing gel stripper you have there. I'm really looking forward to seeing the finished buff job. Motsenbocker's, :cheer: Edited April 27, 2015 by Mandinga Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gacayon Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 WOW ! This is going to be amazing! I can't wait to see it up & running. Definitely following :-) It sounds like an American Pickers episde 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheClark Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 I am so happy for you Steve, what a score. Just think of the epic group buys we will be doing in the future. Hey wait, I am running low on room here, hmmm.... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bombertech Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 Nice find, will be a fun build for sure! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JManrow Posted April 27, 2015 Share Posted April 27, 2015 What a score! Keep us posted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssappington Posted April 27, 2015 Author Share Posted April 27, 2015 I am so happy for you Steve, what a score. Just think of the epic group buys we will be doing in the future. Hey wait, I am running low on room here, hmmm.... You will just have to set up another frag tank, J! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PowderBlue Posted April 28, 2015 Share Posted April 28, 2015 That's awesome! 180 bucks is a steal. Can't wait to see what you do with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssappington Posted May 9, 2015 Author Share Posted May 9, 2015 got the stand built! will be having a friend build a custom skin and hood to match my kitchen cabinets! stand was built using plans from RocketEngineer on ReefCentral here's the plans: The basic principle of the design is two box frames connected by four legs. The upper one supports the tank and transfers the load to the legs. The legs are made of several pieces of 2X4 to assist in construction and sheathing the stand in plywood for strength and cosmetics. The bottom frame transmits the load of the tank into the floor. Design notes: *The plan for this stand consists of 21 pieces. Like color pieces are the same length and of the same board size. *The box frames are screwed together first, then the legs are built off the bottom frame, the top frame is then placed on top and secured to the legs. *The green pieces are screw strips. These provide limited load strength but serve to make assembly easier and help keep the stand square. *The blue piece between the upper rails (red) works to keep the upper rails from twisting. Ok, now to the cut list: First off: The calculations below are based off of a stand that is "W" inches wide X "D" inches front-to-back X "H" inches high. (2) Red - Upper Rails: Length = W These will be sized according to length: 2X4 for 48" or less for smaller tanks (Rule of thumb is 75g-90g); 2X6 up to 72" with 125g-150g being acceptable; For longer spans and larger tanks 2X8s are recommended. (2) Yellow - Upper Ends: Length = D-3" Theses will be made of the same material as the upper rails. (4) Green - Screw Strips: Length = H-2" These 2X4s are shorter then the tank is tall. (8) Purple - Uprights: Length varies: - 2X4 Upper Rails: Length = H -7" - 2X6 Upper Rails: Length = H-9" - 2X8 Upper Rails: Length = H-10.75" These 2X4s support the weight of the tank. The ones on the short sides of the stand provide a flat surface for attaching a plywood facing and while they do provide some strength, they are optional. (2) Orange - Bottom Rails: Length = W These 2X4s act to spread the weight of the tank over a larger area. (3) Blue - Bottom Ends: Length = D-3" Covering the sides of the stand with plywood will help to stiffen the stand against twisting and shifting. Doors can be mounted to the legs as desired. So there it is. 21 pieces in 6 lengths equals a tank stand that should fit the bill for most people. There are other plans out there but this is a simple design using simple tools and common wood sizes. It may not suit everyone's application but it should fit the bill for most common size tanks. Should someone wish to have me calculate beam strengths for a specific application, PM me with the tank dimensions and I will be happy to run the numbers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ssappington Posted May 9, 2015 Author Share Posted May 9, 2015 now to paint with a couple coats of KILZ! pics: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jorge Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 How have I missed this build thread this whole time?? Keep up the good work Steve. Can't wait to see water in it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheClark Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 Looking sahhhhweeeeeeeeet! Wish you lived closer, I love this stuff Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefnjunkie Posted May 9, 2015 Share Posted May 9, 2015 Great work Steve, I've built my stands with a very similar method just a minor tweak. I'm assuming the slat in the back might be for cords or "something" to pass through, perhaps something to consider is a couple larger cut outs on either or both ends "just in case" I've had to drill holes in cabinets in the past to feed added on items in the past and wished I had not limited the rear access as much. Not to take away from a great job! -Just something to consider. Will you be using the Styro foam sheet as a mat to place the tank on for "cushion" or are you just placing the tank directly on the stand, just not sure how truly flat the existing tank is but I just assumed the styro gets used by most large acrylic tank builds (maybe ?? ) I think I enjoy the design, build and implementation more than the end product, which is a fully mature reef. I know I'm bored with my display Great pick up for sure-tagging along! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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