snyderjd Posted February 14, 2016 Share Posted February 14, 2016 Hello all, Im new to the forum, so I thought I would start a build thread for the 120 I am working on now. I am upgrading from a 60 Cube to a 120 with a custom built aquarium stand. Other than some live rock that I am moving from my 60G, I am going to start this tank completely from scratch. Post will be image heavy and include images of trim used and the general build of the stand for now. Sorry Photos, will most likely, be out of order... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snyderjd Posted February 14, 2016 Author Share Posted February 14, 2016 The images where the vent holes in the back are on the bottom, the stand is upside down.... I still need to finish the doors. but for right now, I am working on getting water in the tank and circulating. When I finish the plumbing this early week, I'll post an updated photo. Right now I have my clown and live rock hanging out in my original 12 gallon nano so that I could tear down the 60G cube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paratore Posted February 14, 2016 Share Posted February 14, 2016 That is a super nice tank stand/canopy! I love all the trim on it! Hopefully I can make a nice skin like that in the future! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emerald525 Posted February 14, 2016 Share Posted February 14, 2016 Wow! Love the woodworking! Very nice stand Jason. I love the attention to detail. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
softy Posted February 14, 2016 Share Posted February 14, 2016 Sweet looking build!!! should be even better wet!!! Nice work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danlu_gt Posted February 14, 2016 Share Posted February 14, 2016 Very nice wood work! Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-N900A using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snyderjd Posted February 14, 2016 Author Share Posted February 14, 2016 Pratore, emerald525, soft, and danlu_gt, thanks for the compliments on the stand. I took my some time, to get it the way I wanted it. the entire stand is built with cabinet grade baltic birch ply. along with a lot of pocket hole joints and more bottles of glue that I though possible for a stand this size. I'll get some better photos posted soon, but I have puck lighting installed for maintenance in the sump/fuge area. they are controlled by one of the switches in the right cabinet. the right cabinet also has switch power that goes back to a dedicated 20 amp circuit. everything else will be run on my Apex Junior. Lighting is 3 AI SOl Blue (may upgrade someday) right now I have one MP40QD for flow in the tank, I am looking at adding or changing got a gyre 130 or150. Sump/Refugium is a custom life Reef system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gil&Fin Posted February 14, 2016 Share Posted February 14, 2016 Holy moly...that's beautiful! If you're not careful, other members are going to ask you to build them a stand. I'm really liking the rock work. Keep the pictures coming! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snyderjd Posted February 14, 2016 Author Share Posted February 14, 2016 Holy moly...that's beautiful! If you're not careful, other members are going to ask you to build them a stand. I'm really liking the rock work. Keep the pictures coming! Ha... They would have to get in line, behind the other wood working projects my wife has for me! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PowderBlue Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 Beautiful stand! This is going to be a great build. Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spectra Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 Great start and is the rock from ReefCleaners ? as it looks like I. Nice stuff to start with! Keep the pics coming Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snyderjd Posted February 15, 2016 Author Share Posted February 15, 2016 Great start and is the rock from ReefCleaners ? as it looks like I. Nice stuff to start with! Keep the pics coming The rock is reefsaver rock from BRS. With as much as the I have been dumping into this stand, I needed to start with some less expensive rock. I have enough live rock from my 60 to help get this seeded. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snyderjd Posted February 17, 2016 Author Share Posted February 17, 2016 (edited) Complete Life Reef system including LifeReef Skimmer, BioReactor and Refugium getting moved over from the 60G and plumbed in as well as water getting added. Hope to have everything cycling in the next 48 hours. Liverock sitting in a bucket with an old bubble magnus waiting to get added once water is cycling through the whole system 48in Rail for 3 AI Sol Blues will hopefully show-up this week. Hopefully, I will get everything ordered to build and install the cabinet doors, I still have a little time before our 6.5 month old daughter starts to crawl around, giving me a little bit more time. Edited February 17, 2016 by snyderjd 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emerald525 Posted February 17, 2016 Share Posted February 17, 2016 Love your attention to detail and the side panel to hide all the cords. Love the separate refugium on the side. Easier to maintain and can have a bigger volume so it is more functional! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snyderjd Posted February 17, 2016 Author Share Posted February 17, 2016 Emerald, thanks LifeReef designs some great products. This sump/Refugium design is one he sells. The left side cabinet will be test equipment, chemicals and food on different shelves. while the right side will be all electronics, which go out the back and then back in through back. so that no moisture can make it to the electronics. To help cool the sump area, I have two external fans mounted that will blow fresh air into the sump area creating pressure to force warmer humid air out. Will see if works at all. I am actually in a bit of a quandary trying to figure out how I am going to set the refugium up for the 120. I want to keep the refugium maintenance low. I tried the caribsea ARK kit on my 60, and I think some poor tank husbandry coupled with a DSB in the fuge caused some nutrient issues Was watching a refugium debate between Jake Adams and Julian Sprung from Macna 2014 the other night and that didnt help me all in my decision process at all, ha. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snyderjd Posted February 18, 2016 Author Share Posted February 18, 2016 A little bit more headway made tonight. 1. Return / Overflow Plumbed in 2. Reactor and canister filters plumber in (may swap out my two canister filters for two more media reactors so that I can run (BioPellets in one, carbon in 2, and ph04x4 in reactor 3) 3. Fuge plumbed in (1inch live sand / rubble rock (aragonite) from 60G cube 4. 55 Gallons Salt water added today - shoubd 60 before I head to bed for the night. Need to add skimmer pump to skimmer tomorrow. replacing 5 gallon bucket with trigger ATO tank or comparable. Also thought I would add some photos show a better view of the sump area with lighting. I still need to route all electrical out through a back vent and into the electrical cabinet. You can see the inlet fans that (push) fresh air into the sump area for when I finally have cabinet doors in place. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PowderBlue Posted February 18, 2016 Share Posted February 18, 2016 Looking good! Man that is a killer setup! Sent from my SM-G928V using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snyderjd Posted February 20, 2016 Author Share Posted February 20, 2016 (edited) New AI classic rail with high legs showed up today 85 gallons in and still making water... Then comes the what the *** moment, while test fitting my AI Sol Blues, one of the figures, all of the blue let's seem to have ceased to work. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Edited February 20, 2016 by snyderjd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snyderjd Posted February 20, 2016 Author Share Posted February 20, 2016 And this kicks, just keep on coming. My AI wireless adapter for my Sol seems to have died. :( I guess I will be spending Monday morning on a support call with AI. I don't even see the wireless adapter on their site, so I wonder if they even make it any more. Until then, I should have 100% of my water finished today and circulating by this evening, which means come Sunday, I can hopefully get the 60G cleaned up with some proper images posted to sell / trade it away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emerald525 Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 Thanks for the updates Jason. I'm following along! What is it about builds ? There is always something that doesn't go as planned: A guy on here made me feel better (Grassi) when he said that's part of the process. Just expect to go to Home Depot ten times because even when you have it all planned out there is always one little part you have to go back for!???? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snyderjd Posted February 20, 2016 Author Share Posted February 20, 2016 (edited) Nothing in this hobby that is good happens fast... I have certainly made my 10x trips to buy a new fitting, change this, change that... just sucks when equipment that has been working decides to stop workingrandomly. I do want get the sol to hydra52 updates, just not yet... not to mention they are sold out. Edited February 20, 2016 by snyderjd 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uliulimaka Posted February 21, 2016 Share Posted February 21, 2016 Looking great so far. I have that same problem with builds. Never seem to quite have everything I need. Even after a dozen trips to the hardware and reef store... lol 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snyderjd Posted February 21, 2016 Author Share Posted February 21, 2016 (edited) by the end of tonight Water will be 100% complete, I have ~115 gallons in now, which is enough to circulate the water through the sump, barely.... Another 10-15 gallons and I'll have the water at the correct level in the sump to run the skimmer, media reactors, as well as flowing through the fuge. I should have been done with water yesterday, but spent the day at the zoo/aquarium with my 7 month old daughter. She couldn't be bothered about the zoo, but she loved the aquarium! By tomorrow, I will hopefully have called AI to try and solve the LED issues and performs some water tests. Sometime early next week, finish cleaning up and routing cables. Edited February 21, 2016 by snyderjd 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
snyderjd Posted February 23, 2016 Author Share Posted February 23, 2016 Finished up the water Sunday evening. The whole system is running roughly 130 Gallons. Let the cycle begin, ran out of phosphate re-agent, for my Hanna checker. So I'll need to wait for that to arrive to check phosphate levels. Will get some more photos posted when the dust settles, the levels drop and I can some live stock moved over. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrett Posted February 24, 2016 Share Posted February 24, 2016 Nice build, great sttention to detail. Thst stand is a drooler, very well made 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.