Chris P's 75 build

[DYIguy]

I started a thread about my 'dream tank', but things have changed a bit since then, so I figured I'd start all over. I bought a new 75g a while ago and it sat on a bench for months for a number of reasons- one was trying to figure out how/ what dimensions for building the stand- @reefsandrotts was going to put a 75g, stand and hood in the trash, so I picked it up. I paid the tank forward to @Kevvv317 ,who said he'll be posting a tale of tank thread of his own sometime,.

So, the stand was/is taken care of- I just wasn't comfortable with the way it was built- looked like something from Ikea- so I took it apart and am reinforcing it with 2x4" lumber-I'll repost pics soon

I don't feel comfortable/ trust myself to drill a tank- and am on a budget- so a below the tank sump is out of the question for now- I've built in tank sumps before- learned a bunch along the way and decided to give up 8 inches of face place to build 2 in-tank sumps on the ends of the tank- each will be 4". I'm going with 550gph return pumps. Each sump will be 5 chambers- overflow, upflow to center chamber ( for macro or skimmer ), another upflow to return- each is opposite the other to get a circular flow in the tank

I got the first one glued and siliconed today- I used IPS #16 fast set and backed it up with aquarium safe silicone mostly to keep leakage from each chamber down to a minimum

The pic is the first one- 4.5 inch overflow, 2" up, 3.5" center, 1.5" up, 5.25" return. I plan on using coarse foam in the overflow, some aragonite in the bottom of the first and second, foam and ceramic in the last chamber

 

[MadReefer]

I ran a successful tank with HOB refugium and skimmer with black box lights.
You could use an overflow box into the sump.
Good luck.

 

[DYIguy]

I ran a successful tank with HOB refugium and skimmer with black box lights.
You could use an overflow box into the sump.
Good luck.

I looked into doing an overflow with a sump- way too expensive for me right now. I can always pull the in-tank sumps- the silicone doesn't really stick to acrylic- I'm going with 2 Relassy 165w led's and a Kessil A350W Tuna blue for lights

 

[myrjon]

+1 On hob + black box.

 

[DYIguy]

Worked on the filtration and stand this week- added some shelves and a divider in the center chamber. got the bracing for the stand done- used the design a fellow reefer posted with a few tweaks- most of it is screwed together so It's somewhat modular

Going to silicone the filters in tomorrow and paint the back

 

[DYIguy]

Moving the tank up the stairs was a real chore- thought I could just pull it up using a hand truck, well, that didn't work- ended up pushing it up the stairs. It's now on the stand. I still have to install the shelf to hang the lights from- may or may not keep the top- if I do it will be chopped so just the front is used for easy access and removal. I am not not to use any of the coral in the pic or the light- a 3' led strip. I just wanted to see what it may look like

 

[DYIguy]

Water is clear and going to move/ transfer everything this weekend

 

[DYIguy]

So, I may need more rock. I'm combining a 29 cube and a 30L. I moved one piece from the 30 today ( the tall one in the corner ) and all but one piece from the cube- left if for the fish- the fish are going into 3 different tanks- got 2 out going to the 13g- hope to get another 2 going to the 40b today or early tomorrow. Will move the rock from the 30 tomorrow and if all looks good the fish and corals too- I do like the open spaces though- I just kind of dropped them in

 

[DYIguy]

90% done- still have to get the wiring right- fish are transferred and moved the larger colonies- still have a lot of empty space- Next is a sand sifting goby and maybe replacing the coris wrasse

 

[DYIguy]

Moving along nicely, some diatoms, fish have settled in, what a difference 35g makes with their personalities. a goby that barely ever came out of it's hole is now all over the tank- the other's have grown too with the expanded neighborhood- have a couple of fish/ corals on order, and have a couple/few more to complete the tank- at least as far as fish go- thought about adding an angel- but now staying away- a wrasse and a jawfish I'm thinking

 

[Stone-Reef]

Coming along!

 

[DYIguy]

Lighting- I cut the center brace out mostly and replaced with clear acrylic so I could use the Kessel in the center and the 2 Relassy's I got from @amado - very happy- have my timers to go with just the Kessel on all blue in the morning- love the effect-waves in blue

My filters are keeping things clear so far- started to dose Neo-Nitro and NeoPhos- not enough fish in the tank yet- still don't have enough corals- @Salted was very generous and I moved most from my other tanks and have a few in an order of of fish this week- a toxic green hammer, a white tip torch and a Spiderman rhodactus Shroom

 

[DYIguy]

A few years into the tank now- all the usual stuf- dinos, hair algae etc, fish and corals lost- fish are understandable, corals are anothet thing- you think lighting is fine, parameters are fine, but some just wither and die- even those that everyone say are 'bulletproof', then one day someone gives you a monticap and it doesn't die, and another friend gives you another along with a digi and they don't diei. My buds here and I have had conversations about tank maturity and I now am a believer-my tank is a double peninsula with 2 400+gph returns 2 400 cheapo powerheads and 2 165w leds and a 90wtuna blue with the blues burned out

 

[ericrodriguez]

Brooo that Digi is so resilient that can probably survive in fresh water lol

 

[DYIguy]

Brooo that Digi is so resilient that can probably survive in fresh water lol

Been told that before- slimer- dead after 2 weeks- but that was then this is now- thanks for your gifts- even passed one on to another fellow reefer

 

[DYIguy]

I am gullty- haven't done a water change in a while, have a non reef safe sunset butterfly along with 16 other fish in a 65g with two 5gal in tank sumps. I do think a big part is all the biofiltration I have and the cuc. I really beleive in biodiversity- I add pods every month or so, my sand is clean- don't touch it. there is only film algae, no other kind. I dose for alk daily along with phyto. One pic is of one of the bottom half of the overflow chamber- a thing of beauty all on it's own- spirorbids, feather dusters etc. I am not a nightbird, so I have no idea what my tank looks like after lights out, but I do know that I have multiple micro brittle stars- have found 6+ when cleaning filter pads

 

[nightmarepl]

Love how natural that tank looks