My 1000 Ga built-in tank

[Anonymous]

Looks like a RRPITA (Right Royal), but it'll all be worth it. It's really starting to take shape - getting easier to visualise how it'll look.

BTW, I'm always watching even if I don't always have something to say!

 

[Anonymous]

Doesn't look terribly large from the photo... you know what that means! MERMAID SHOT!

 

[Anonymous]

Kay, front glass is in, just some bracing left to do..... hopefully water within the week..... Mermaid shots coming, just gotta find a mermaid or two with time on their hands....

 

[Anonymous]

PS, those are 10 Kg (22 lbs) bags of sand (soon to be substrate- currently weights) in there, 200 kg in all....

 

[Anonymous]

Out of curiosity how are you going to clean the thing? Midget divers?

 

[Anonymous]

PS, those are 10 Kg (22 lbs) bags of sand (soon to be substrate- currently weights) in there, 200 kg in all....

They look like 500g bags of sugar! :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

I would think that the silicon would need a good 3 - 4 weeks to cure, given the sheer volume/weight of water.

Seems that I recall glasscages saying that about my 300G tank.

I'd wait to fill it if I were you. Plus, what's the rush? The house isn't ready for an operating reef yet, right?

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

Out of curiosity how are you going to clean the thing? Midget divers?

If needs be the tank can be climbed into, however, we are working on a sling that operates from the lighting rails on rollers that will allow for access the whole length if the tank.

 

[Anonymous]

I would think that the silicon would need a good 3 - 4 weeks to cure, given the sheer volume/weight of water.

Seems that I recall glasscages saying that about my 300G tank.

I'd wait to fill it if I were you. Plus, what's the rush? The house isn't ready for an operating reef yet, right?

Louey

The silicon used is rated at 99% strength after 48 hours. I will however check with the manufacturer's tech help dept today. It's not as critical as it first appears as all that glass, apart from extensive eurobracing, also has been braced and chocked to the room walls. Although it was built to be feestanding, I am taking no chances....
The rush is that I need to get the LR that is waiting to go, cured in another tank, in, to make space for more rock. Also, I need to start breaking down my current tank to move it, and it shares the same sump and return. It can't come until this one Is operational.

 

[Anonymous]

Kay, now here I need some advice..... Out here in the colonies, we do circulation with powerheads- the concept of what you guys seem to call 'closed loop' is foreign to us.... I am going 'closed loop'- or at least how I understand it, this time, as the return pump is a 22000 liter an hour pool pump (for 1400 GA of tanks and a huge sump)

For your viewing pleasure, and , I hope, some constructive criticism, is the closed loop system..... we would have filled with water this evening, but the guy with the 4 ton truck is busy until late, and we can only get water between 5 and 6pm at the local aquarium. As I have an operation scheduled tomorrow evening, the water, rock, and early life forms will be in place within 48 hours..... What do y,all think?

Some diverse photos also attached in the next post, including the pool pump (return) and the 400 liter LR filter for anaerobic bacteria....

 

[Anonymous]

Some generic pics....

 

[bfessler]

That's an incredible tank. I've been following the build but this is my first post.

Looking at the returns against the front glass its not clear how much room was left between the return and the glass. Is there enough room to get a mag float through there? It appears from the photos that these returns are visible from the front glass and if so you will want an easy way to clean the algae from between the returns and the glass.

I can't wait to see the completed reef.

Burt

 

[jamesw]

Very cool - thanks for taking the time to share and post these. I like the use of the blue piping to make it blend in to the background.

Cheers
James

 

[Anonymous]

That's an incredible tank. I've been following the build but this is my first post.

Looking at the returns against the front glass its not clear how much room was left between the return and the glass. Is there enough room to get a mag float through there? It appears from the photos that these returns are visible from the front glass and if so you will want an easy way to clean the algae from between the returns and the glass.

I can't wait to see the completed reef.

Burt

Thanks Burt, its something I picked up yesterday. The entire frame (s) will be clad in cherrywood framing when the actual water level has settled (Water within the next 12 hours, rock is already on site) I will cut those front returns back to make sure they are not obstructing the view and in the way of the magnet. I have more pics and will post them in the next day or so- the RODI- an old one that was 'refurbished to accommodate a TDS meter, pre and post the new integrated calcium chamber 8) , is now plumbed and in, and some removeable steps are being fitted this morning- when I get to site. All the plumbing is working now, and the electrical work is now done- except the electrician wired it all wrong and will have to come back and fix his temp repairs properly later.

 

[Anonymous]

Very cool - thanks for taking the time to share and post these. I like the use of the blue piping to make it blend in to the background.

Cheers
James

Thanks James, out here in the colonies, that blue pipe is our high pressure PVC, its co-ordination from a colour pov was purely accidental.

PS I just realised that I havent posted pics of the completed sump- skimmer plumbed, zeolith reactor plumbed, etc etc- will do later when I have finished pumping water...... loads of pics to come.....

 

[Anonymous]

Am I seeing this correctly? You only have access to the tank from the one end?

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

Am I seeing this correctly? You only have access to the tank from the one end?

Louey

Thats correct, and from above, lying in a sling on runners in the lighting rail. Any major work will require climbing into the tank if needs be.

 

[Anonymous]

Also first few pics on the 27th show what looks like your return lines? A few of them are awfully low in the tank, which translates to the water siphoning out to that level should there be a power outage... do you have siphon breaks? or an incredibly large reservior to catch all that water?

 

[Anonymous]

I also saw that, and catered for it. The pic attached shows the two in line non-return valves I fitted- they are the two grey fittings on the 32mm pipe on the left of the photo. The reason why there are two is purely as a backup, I dont want that water back-syphoning.....

PS, after 5 hours and 50000 liters, we have water....!!! Pics to follow shortly....(no leaks and the skimmer and pool pump are working fine!) (No cracked glass either! )

 

[Anonymous]

Some from today, the removable stairs we built to allow easy access, the conduiting for the cabling etc etc.....