Buzzer's Dream Reef

[Buzzer]

Ok, so I have been trolling this forum for the past four years and decided its time to dive in.

I currently have a +- 1000lt peninsula reef with a 300 lt frag tank plumbed in. System has been up for almost two years and doing very well. But I am not here to tell you about this system.

Before I set up my current tank I was on a little 200lt and really wanted a wide shallow reef. Started looking around and the peninsula tank was the best I could find. Recently a friend of mine asked if he could buy my current tank and sump, and made a pretty decent offer. I thought about it for about a minute and said "Cool, but you can only get it once I have built a new tank." Perfect opportunity to build my dream tank.

And thats where we are now, deposit paid and no way to back out. Oh have I mentioned I have never built a tank before!

I started drawing out and measuring where the tank would be standing.

So the tank dimensions will be

1400L x 800W x 500H with a centre overflow

Sump:

1100L x 500W x 400H

First things first

The stand...

Disclousure - tank is already up and running as Im posting this.

 

[ShLiMi333]

upload some pics

 

[Buzzer]

The stand will be welded up using square tubing, I will the build the cabinet around the stand once the tank is built and everything lines up.

 

[Buzzer]

With the stand welded up and the main display drawn out I ordered the glass.

Tank will be 10mm with a 12mm base and a starphire front panel.

 

[Buzzer]

Two of these to hang the lights from.

 

[Buzzer]

Checking the high and making sure the LEDs are centred.

 

[Buzzer]

Sump assembly

 

[Buzzer]

Sump completed. I had to make a bit more space next to the sump for calcium reactor ect. So the sump is a bit smaller than the original plan. Glass for baffles was also sent away to trip excess.

 

[Buzzer]

Next thing i did was to drill the holes for the overflows. I decided to go with a herbie setup using 50mm pvc. the only unions I could find had a 40mm thread so 2 x 40mm holes were drilled.

 

[Buzzer]

I must admit, the first hole took almost an hour 2nd one probably not even 10 minutes.

 

[r0ckf1re]

Pics of current set up

 

[Buzzer]

Not the best pics but this was what the tank looked like the day before the transfer.

 

[r0ckf1re]

Very nice

 

[Daryl Norton]

Awesome build

 

[Buzzer]

Thanks guys.

 

[Buzzer]

The display tank being assembled.

 

[RiaanP]

Between the light stand and the tank, put a spacer. To enable you to fit in the backing later. Also that the weight of the light do not pull the light stand that bit forward so that it presses against the top of the tank.

Unless you are lucky and it does not move at all.

 

[Buzzer]

Between the light stand and the tank, put a spacer. To enable you to fit in the backing later. Also that the weight of the light do not pull the light stand that bit forward so that it presses against the top of the tank.

Unless you are lucky and it does not move at all.

Thanks Riaan, the light stand is bolted onto the back of the stand and I used thick washers to leave about a 10mm clearance between it and the tank.

 

[Buzzer]

 

[Buzzer]

After placing the tank on the stand I noticed a few seams on the front panel the did not look too kosher so I removed it, cleaned it up and reinstalled it.