50 gal refurb/build

Discussion in 'New Tank Builds' started by jonwright, Jan 14, 2015.

  1. jonwright

    jonwright RRMAS Supporter

    Been lurking for a couple years and had a simple 40 gal. I bought a 50 gal used and this is my thread for the cab refurb and system build.

    When I got the thing home I realized that there was quite a bit of damage to the cab as the little "sump" they had cracked. Sure enough the crack was right where the supports in the cab were a little uneven. I'm sure over time it just wore down the acrylic.

    Bottom removed:

    [​IMG]

    So I took out all of the MDF in the cab and replaced it with scrap 3/4" ply I had laying around from other 'jects. This was step 1. Then I wanted to assemble the system so that I could keep just about any critter I wanted (most likely doing a species tank with clam(s) and/or anemone with clowns and others. My 175 office man/cave was put on hold pending this "quick" project that on the way to pick it up I had ASSUMED would be a quick project. Turns out I was buying not a system but a tank, stand, and some other stuff he had around to make a system (MH light and pump).

    Here's the condition of the MDF I pulled out:

    [​IMG]

    All of the MDF, naturally, needed to go.
     
  2. jonwright

    jonwright RRMAS Supporter

    Bottom with new ply all painted up:

    [​IMG]

    Back:

    [​IMG]

    Bottom with 3/4" ply. I messed up and instead of putting that in BEFORE I put in the new top where the tank resides, I had to put that in later. This is why its in two pieces.

    [​IMG]
     
  3. jonwright

    jonwright RRMAS Supporter

    The previous owner had hacked up the hood to mount 4 fans. I put in additional vents using the router and made a top to cover it. I also covered the side with some ply and redid the trim to match.

    With this using a 250w MH with 2 36" T5HO lights I only get 2 degree rise when all the lights are on. Very acceptable.

    [​IMG]

    Quick box to cover the huge fan holes:

    [​IMG]

    Side fan holes I covered up:

    [​IMG]
     
  4. huntindoc

    huntindoc RRMAS BOD Membership Director Staff Member

    Nice work! I envy your carpentry skills.
     
  5. jonwright

    jonwright RRMAS Supporter

    Thanks! I see all the little mistakes I've made....
     
  6. jonwright

    jonwright RRMAS Supporter

    So I brushed the interior with oil enamel and was unhappy with how it looked. So I went ahead and got complicated with HVLP spayer. wound up with 2 coats of oil enamel thinned 10% with naptha. Made for a nice, even coat once applied and dried. I almost used rattle can - but I just couldn't do it.

    Turned out OK I think. Even though I wanted the wood grain and trim details to show up in the paint since it's black and the room is kinda dark it's all lost in the room. Eh.

    [​IMG]

    Here is the finished top from the side.

    [​IMG]
     
  7. jonwright

    jonwright RRMAS Supporter

    Finished cab

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
    NatalieMadison likes this.
  8. huntindoc

    huntindoc RRMAS BOD Membership Director Staff Member

    Wow, that really turned out nice!
     
  9. jonwright

    jonwright RRMAS Supporter

    Thanks! So after having the cab done I then started on the sump. With the help of some math I have plenty of room when the pump is off AND when the overflow box on the side empties. I can put just shy of 5 gal in my ATO box I built as well to have all volume in sump (pump off, overflow empty, and ATO fully drained in sump). Yes, I tested it. :D

    [​IMG]

    I would have like it to be longer (my return section is small enough that I get some bubbles into the return intake) but I wasn't interested in further modification or installing a side panel in the cab. Besides - I'm kinda groovin' on challenging myself to fit all the stuff needed into a small space and not have a science experiment going on in the kitchen with tubes, tanks, and wires everywhere.

    This is barely small enough to fit in the door opening (I have to remove the hinges!).

    [​IMG]

    The height is also just fits to remove the skimmer cup between top of door opening and sump. Although given that it's a Vertex 130 I don't ever see upgrading skimmer unless I just want a new one for some reason. I don't see ever going bigger.

    And yes, that is a crack in the skimmer cup. Had it sitting on my workbench and slid it of w/o watching what I was doing. Crash down @4' high (I'm tall and so is my work table). Luckily the acrylic is so thick no damage was done to the skimmer body. I applied weld-on to seal it back up. Works OK so far. I think it's probably the closest I've been to crying in a long time - after the crash I just stood there for a minute in shock. The skimmer and ATO were the ONLY items purchased new for this tank (and after having a sub par HOB skimmer I was NOT going to cheap out here). So yea - that hurt me in my special place.

    Notice that the sump has 2 return lines. The tank stock has your typical side overflow - one drain Durso and one return line. I'm using a full siphon Herbie setup with an emergency drain. The return is off to the other side of the tank. I didn't put an extension on the emer drain as if it's ever used I want it to make a lot of noise. With the flow that pump is putting out is does. I also used a 1 1/4" drain. If it's ever obstructed the valve fully opened is a bit bigger than the 1" return internal diameter pipe. So HOPEFULLY if I get an errant snail or who-knows-what that I can just open the valve fully and not have to disassemble the return line. With the grate I put over the intake pipe let's hope I don't have to do that.

    And yeah - it's tight adjusting that big valve.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 21, 2015
  10. jonwright

    jonwright RRMAS Supporter

    For lights the tank came with a really old Coralvue MH ballast that's was plugged with the electrical male plug to the lamp. Soooo....when the balast was plugged in you had a 3 prong outlet plug that was hot with electricity. NOT good - especially if you switched the plugs inadvertently. I decided that I use that ballast for my QT/acclimation set up. I purchased a used 155 set up with all kinds of stuff (on hiatus until I get my man cave sorted) and used a few MH ballasts so I used an e-ballast that came with that stack o stuff. Besides, it fit nicely on the back of the top with the T5 ballast.

    In looking for T5 supplements I called the Fish Tank looking to see if they had T5 retrofit mounts. They informed me they had like an 8 light setup with 2 Icecap 660 ballasts for $50. SOLD! So now I have 2 extra 660 ballasts and plenty of T5 retro sockets as well.

    Mounted 2 36" Actinic + lights and 1 250 watt MH. Still would like a little bit more blue so I may hook one or two more T5's with true actinic - maybe. I don't like a LOT of blue - just enough to pull out the fluorescence for the corals and fish. When Northside went out I bought a cache of their 250 watt MH bulbs which were 10k for $20 each. So I've a stack of 'em to use. So just switching to 12k on next bulb change ain't gonna happen.

    When the MH kicks on I only get a 2 degree rise in water temperature which is OK I think for now. I keep the house below 69 degrees in winter so the real test will be summer, of course. Since we're in and out often in summer I keep the house higher than most folks do @75 or 77 if it's really hot out.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 21, 2015
  11. jonwright

    jonwright RRMAS Supporter

    Other equipment:

    DJ 8 switch panel from Guitar Center. 5" BRS media reactor with a little GFO and carbon. ATO sytem. Lights. 2 Koralia power heads with their "wave" maker controller (it's poop I tell ya). Blue Line 30x return pump.

    I figure I have about 600 GPH through the sump. Along with the powerheads (850 GPH or so each) I've got plenty of flow methinks to keep about what I wish to keep.

    I'm thinking at he moment I may do a bubble tip nem with a couple clowns for it to host (hopefully). I have a flame angel, pistol/goby pair/skunk cleaner and various CUC in there now. I have a sea cabbage, birds nest (I THINK) and another coral I have no idea what it is. I got these frags from Kevin Koplan when I bought some live rock from him a few months ago.

    So far so good - everything is doing well around a month after moving all the critters from the 40 to this one.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 21, 2015
  12. jonwright

    jonwright RRMAS Supporter

    Um yeah. For the record those ain't my pics.....
     
  13. graciesdad

    graciesdad Treasurer Staff Member

    we had an issue with this happening on our old website platform. The club invested in a redesign on a new platform and we haven't seen this issue since.
     
  14. graciesdad

    graciesdad Treasurer Staff Member

    I deleted them from the post
     

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