Brew's 187g slice of the ocean

[jsker]

Thank you for you service and looks as though you had a great weekend.

 

[Brew12]

Ok.. back to build stuff.

I was just about to score two of their 45 cubes (tanks only) but this has me rethinking that. Why would they ship it like that? However, you could just cut it out and re silicone it! Great looking tank. Don't want that bugging you for the next 5 years.

I may do that. I have plenty of time to think about it. I'm thinking it may not be as easy to fix as it would appear since he did attempt to fix it in the shop. Not sure where it started at but I'm guessing it was an improvement. If a guy who does this for a living struggled I have a feeling I may only make it worse.

Always awesome to see a new build! Are you building your own stand or having one made? Wood or Steel or Aluminum?

I will be making my own stand out of wood. It will be a 2x4 frame skinned in oak. Once I get it going (hopefully this week) I'll make sure I include plenty of progress pictures.

Yes @Brew12 what is your plan for a stand and what dimensions are u going to go with?

I'm going to start with a 60"x30"x30" stand with a removable center brace. I'm also going to build a separate electrical control cabinet to put next to it that will also hold my testing equipment. I have a lot of electrical design improvements I want to implement in a better manner than my current tank.

 

[Brew12]

The deals have just started on BRS and I'm picking stuff up. I was wavering on the cost of a Seneye but it just went $60 off. It's in the cart. Going to see what else goes on sale before I complete this order.

I had just ordered my Synergy overflow and the Trigger 10g ATO reservoir that matches my sump. I love the sales this time of year!

 

[madweazl]

I have their 150g and the euro-bracing on it suffers the same issue as yours. Like you, I accepted the flaw given the overall value of the tank all things considered.

 

[Brew12]

I have their 150g and the euro-bracing on it suffers the same issue as yours. Like you, I accepted the flaw given the overall value of the tank all things considered.

Thanks, I feel a little better now! If I had to guess they take the clamps off too early which allows the brace to droop. Any regrets not fixing it yourself?

 

[madweazl]

I'd never bother trying; I've read that euro-bracing cant be done properly without removing an exterior pane but I don't know if that is true or not. In my case, it will be covered with a canopy.

 

[Teddyboy16]

That’s the exact same size that I want to get only I’m going to buy the stand as well. How long did it take from the time you ordered the tank to the time you received it? He already quaoted both the tank and stand which included shipping. It was pretty reasonable. The only thing I would change is to have the euro bracing flush with the top of the tank instead of recessed.

 

[Brew12]

That’s the exact same size that I want to get only I’m going to buy the stand as well. How long did it take from the time you ordered the tank to the time you received it? He already quaoted both the tank and stand which included shipping. It was pretty reasonable. The only thing I would change is to have the euro bracing flush with the top of the tank instead of recessed.

It was 7 weeks from when I approved the drawings until the tank shipped. He quoted it at 8 to 12 weeks.

 

[Teddyboy16]

I think you made a good choice. The droopy eurobrace is disappointing, but aside from that the tank looks terrific. I think you won’t even notice it once the tank is established and thriving. Looking forward to seeing your progress.

 

[Brew12]

I've finally taken some time to do some wood working this weekend. Made some progress on the wifes armoire but hit a snag. I really didn't like the way it looked with 2 drawers so I'll change my plan and make it with 3 drawers instead. Unfortunately, I didn't have the right wood I needed to change the framing so that got delayed.

On the positive side, it gave me some time to start working on my stand. Decided to go with a little extra height so the stand will be 60"x30"x36".

I know.. not much, but it is a start!

 

[jsker]

2 x 4's and your building a amore??

 

[Brew12]

2 x 4's and your building a amore??

Yup, you got me. I was actually going to do it out of 3/4" furniture grade oak plywood. But, I plan on screwing a lot of stuff into the wood studs so the 2x4's will make mounting things easier. If I had gone with just plywood I would have worried about putting screws through the nice finish.

Besides, this way I'll be in great shape if I ever want to park a car on top of my aquarium.

 

[madweazl]

I was planning on going with a 36" tall stand as well until the person that is building it mentioned that working on the tank while standing on a step stool sucked. I decided to go with 31" after reading that as it was what I could reach into without being on a step stool. Just some food for thought.

 

[Brew12]

I was planning on going with a 36" tall stand as well until the person that is building it mentioned that working on the tank while standing on a step stool sucked. I decided to go with 31" after reading that as it was what I could reach into without being on a step stool. Just some food for thought.

That is a great point. I haven't started putting it together yet so reducing the height wouldn't be an issue. I just need to be careful to make sure I have room underneath to be able to work on the sump/skimmer. I may take a look at this later and see if I'm comfortable dropping it. I'm sure I could drop it a few inches but it may not be enough. My current stand is 36" with a 20" tall tank and I need a step stool to work in it. With the new tank being 24" I would need to get the stand down to 32" to get the top of the tank in the same spot... hmm.....

 

[jsker]

Yup, you got me. I was actually going to do it out of 3/4" furniture grade oak plywood. But, I plan on screwing a lot of stuff into the wood studs so the 2x4's will make mounting things easier. If I had gone with just plywood I would have worried about putting screws through the nice finish.

Besides, this way I'll be in great shape if I ever want to park a car on top of my aquarium.

Nice and strong

 

[madweazl]

Having more room to work on the sump was one of the reasons why I wanted a taller stand as well. To compensate for the shorter stand, I opted to use a 50g long (48x18x13) aquarium as the sump; the 13" height leaves plenty of room to access everything. Orchestrating everything can be a pain; every change you make has a consequence down the line somewhere.

 

[Brew12]

Having more room to work on the sump was one of the reasons why I wanted a taller stand as well. To compensate for the shorter stand, I opted to use a 50g long (48x18x13) aquarium as the sump; the 13" height leaves plenty of room to access everything. Orchestrating everything can be a pain; every change you make has a consequence down the line somewhere.

It would be so much easier if I could just grow another foot. Unfortunately, I'm at the age where shrinking is the more likely option! ;Blackeye

 

[Clayton Jessup]

Nice build I am excited to see this build .

 

[Aaron-A2]

That black friday sale was great! You and I picked up the same ATO

 

[Brew12]

I made a big switch in plans. I love much about my Apex controller but its gotten to the point where I need to reboot it every few weeks for one reason or another. So instead of staying with the Apex, I ordered a GHL ProfiLux 4 controller.

I also made a decision on lighting. Since I decided to go with the GHL controller I am also going to be adding 2 of the Mitras LX7's to my T5 fixture.

I also ordered all of the additional rock, sand, and plumbing parts I will need to get the new system up and running. So many challenges ahead with this build and my wife asked me to have the new system up and running in just 2 weeks. I need to get busy!