Plumbing

[TopCat]

So...5-6 weeks after starting in the saltwater aquarium hobby with the 55g tank, i decided to upgrade to 75g.

- an empty 29 gallon tank for sump
- a pine stand and re-stained it
- a 75g tank with 2 holes drilled, stripped the black spray paint, and in the process of repainting it sky blue.

What i need to do now is plumbing. I have an Eheim 2217 and 2 MaxiJet 1200 for circulation, before I can use the Eheim 1262 pump for sump, which isnt set up yet cuz i'm still reading of how to set one up, out of the 29 gallon. Should I put the tank up first so I can start mixing the salt, and put live rocks (sitting in the 29 gallon now), even though no plumbing is done yet? I have an idea of it but no clue of where to start.

Any help is appreciated. Thanks.

 

[JimmyR1rider]

Get all of the plumbing done so you're ready to go. Then mix your water in a few rubbermaid brutes. You want to have everything good to go before hand. If you want to do a fuge in the sump, do it now its a pain to add it later because at that point since the sump would be up and running you wouldnt be able to add one to it. A seperate fuge is the BEST way to go but most put one in their sump.

Rock first, then sandbed so that you won't have to worry about any sandsifters you get or burrowers that dig tunnels under your sandbed making your rock fall and potentially cracking your glass.

Also plan EVERYTHING out exactly how you want it. Decide on your skimmer as well before setting up the sump. Once you silicon in your baffles that's it- there's no goin back without it being another major pain to strip out all the silicon. With your skimmer either get it before doing the sump, OR get the exact footprint that it will have WITH the pump on it and then size your chambers to fit everything how you want it.

 

[Imbarrie]

Make sure to seal that stand after you stain it. Most of those stands have a short life with the amount of water they absorb.

Also, if you feel confident, you could brace the top horizontal wood pieces of the stand with some 3/4 Plywood. This way you will be able to remove the vertical middle piece temporarily to slide the sump in or out. A 29 gallon would only be able to fit in that stand through the top and when you fill that tank you will lose that access. It makes a huge difference.

 

[JimmyR1rider]

make sure to seal that stand after you stain it. Most of those stands have a short life with the amount of water they absorb.

Also, if you feel confident, you could brace the top horizontal wood pieces of the stand with some 3/4 plywood. This way you will be able to remove the vertical middle piece temporarily to slide the sump in or out. A 29 gallon would only be able to fit in that stand through the top and when you fill that tank you will lose that access. It makes a huge difference.

+1

Forgot to mention that thanks imbarrie. I hated that. I had to put my sump in before the display was on, then I was never able to remove it. The whole reason when my sump failed(developed a leak in the corner seem) I had to drain the tank, take all my rock out transfer fish, put the new sump in anf then put the display back up. Because of how much of a pain what imbarrie stated I wound up going with an open steel stand and hated it.

 

[Imbarrie]

I reinforced mine with a tank running. It was a nervous 30 mins of sawing the crossmember so I could laminate a large enough piece of ply.

Everyone should definitely consider doing this before you put your stand together.

 

[TopCat]

I only have one door. I was thinking about setting up sump and putting it through the back before I set up, which mean that the sump will not be able to come out...EVER! I will take pictures of my stand and the door tomorrow.

 

[skene]

If you need help with the plumbing let me know.
I have cutters, and cement.

 

[TopCat]

I uploaded some pictures. The stand is 36" tall, so it is higher than the norm. The tank have 2 holes, so I'm thinking about using both as drains, one into the fuge and one on the other side, with the middle part for return pump. I'm planning to have 3 partitions in the sump. I'm not sure if i should just go to the Home Depot to get all plumbing parts and go with trial and error.

 

[Imbarrie]

That stand looks very dodgy.
There are no shouldered vertical supports that I can see. It appears the whole thing rests on the vertical 1X4 perimeter pieces yet the corners are weak. It looks like it is vertically sound but laterally it looks like a house of cards.
I would not trust that stand at all in the current configuration.
How handy are you?

 

[TopCat]

Not the most handy man in the world but what do you suggest?

 

[JimmyR1rider]

I would build a frame out of 2X4's, then you can panel it with oak, pine or whatever wood you would like. Like Imbarrie was mentioning you can build it strong enough to not need the bracing and would have better access to the sump and be able to remove it if need be.
Also like Imbarrie pointed out i would want my tank to rest on 2X4's that are SOLIDLY tied together just so you know it won't give you any issues down the line.

You can get a Kreg jig- i have one but haven't used it in ages but I'll see if I can find it and let you borrow it. It makes pocket holes which give you EXTREMELY strong joints and would add a dab of wood glue to each for added strength.

Stain the outside just like you did with this one and it'll look the same. You could also make it to where you have 2 doors in the front- trust me one door is a pain in the neck to deal with.

Make sure you seal it on the inside so water won't ever penetrate the wood and cause rot or weakening of the wood.

If you want a hand I'd be willing to help.

 

[TopCat]

Thanks Jimmy. I would love to receive all the help I can get. You live in Hicksville, about 17-20 miles from me. I would feel really bad to ask for this favor, for you to come all the way out here.

Oi...I will not be able to fit my 29 gallon sump into the stand from the front nor the side. My only option is over the top, before I put my display tank in. I only have one door in the middle and it will be almost completely blocked by the sump. I will only have 4 inch clearance on top, at the only door opening. Should I just opt for a small sump? Oy Vey!

 

[JimmyR1rider]

Thanks Jimmy. I would love to receive all the help I can get. You live in Hicksville, about 17-20 miles from me. I would feel really bad to ask for this favor, for you to come all the way out here.

Oi...I will not be able to fit my 29 gallon sump into the stand from the front nor the side. My only option is over the top, before I put my display tank in. I only have one door in the middle and it will be almost completely blocked by the sump. I will only have 4 inch clearance on top, at the only door opening. Should I just opt for a small sump? Oy Vey!

distance is no biggie man. If you need a hand I'm more than willing to come over. I'm newly retired so time is open for me.

It's better building your own stand anyway. You can plan it out, draw up what you want to do, I looked for my kreg jig and couldn't find it then remembered my cousin in PA borrowed it. You can get them at HD or Lowes though relatively cheap.

If you don't have one I have a mitre saw I could bring over for cutting the wood

 

[Imbarrie]

+1 on what Jimmy said.
You could throw one together in an afternoon that would be a better fit than that one.

 

[TopCat]

Someone from MR swung by yesterday to take a look while I was painting the back of the tank, cuz he lives close by. He said my stand looks plenty strong enough, the pictures are bad. If anyone is free today, I can use some help with sump and plumbing. Or even just to give me some advice, please let me know. Thanks.

 

[JT101]

I took WEEKS planning out everything before the first drop of RO/DI dribbled onto my sandbed. By the time that happened I had all my power strips in place, every linecord labelled and every sump component in "its place". It has made the cycling, stocking and maintenance that much less stressful. Yes, I just wanted to fill up this glass box with water and dump corals & fish into it, but I knew that would have bit me in the arse later.