The Prismatic Lagoon

[big ole blue]

This tank is a 54 Gallon Corner. I look forward to stocking this tank but unfortunately it's going to be a long process. I plan on a setting up a Berlin style sump under a cabinet I'm personally building. I've built the sump tank already but still have equipment to order.

Basically the plan has been concocted I just need to execute it. I can't wait step back when I'm through... With the first stage.


Proposed Equipment List (either to be ordered or already purchased)

54 Gallon Corner Glass Aqueon (Reef ready)
Custom built Corner hardwood Cabinet/Stand
Aqueon Glass top
20 Gallon DIY Berlin style sump
Dual Maxi-Jet 600's that intersect in the middle of the tank
(2) 100 watt heaters
Digital thermometer
Coralife 125G Protein Skimmer
Marineland 3000 water pump
300 micron filter sock
EVO 150 Dimmable LED Touchscreen
Approximately 60 lbs or reef safe live rock


I can't decide between crushed coral and sand

 

[dorky]

can't wait to see it take off

 

[big ole blue]

Tank # 1 ( The Prismatic Lagoon )

(2) Ocellaris Clownfish
(3-5) Banghai Cardinals
(1) Banded Coral Shrimp
(1) Emerald Crab
(1) Blue Legged Hermit
And in 6 months to a year... Mandarin Goby


If you have any suggestions for my stocking list please let me know. This list is still a work in progress

 

[Flameback Pair]

I would boost your in-tank circulation.

 

[big ole blue]

PRISMATIC LAGOON

Candy Apple Zoanthids

Striped Green Mushroom

Blue Mushroom

Red Mushroom

Green bubble tip anemone

Fish List
(2) Ocellaris Clownfish
(3) Banghai Cardinals
(2) Emerald crabs (1 will go in the QT)
(1) Mandarin Dragonet (After 6 to 12 months)
(1) Banded Coral Shrimp
(1) Blue leg Hermit Crab

 

[big ole blue]

I would boost your in-tank circulation.

The MJ 600's are at 750gph on circulation mode each. Plus the return at the head height I have is approximately 500gph. This is about 2000 gph.
2000 / 54 = 37 roughly... Isn't 37x the tank volume sufficient for in tank circulation?

 

[big ole blue]

LIONS DEN

(2) Purple tube anemone

Irish Girl Zoanthids

Purple Condy Anemone

And maybe Artificial Corals As well... But probably something I'm not experienced enough to raise...

Fish List
(1) Dwarf Zebra lion fish
(1) Long-Nose Hawkfish
(1) Lantern Bass
(1) Golden Domino Damsel OR (1) Azure Damsel
(3) Banded Trochus Snail
(3) Bumble Bee Snail
(1) Blue-leg Hermit Crab

And if the lion eats the bottom feeders...

 

[big ole blue]

The Lions Den

There will eventually be two 54 gallon corner reef tanks by the way... The prismatic lagoon and the lions den.

Yes I've given them names :bigsmile:

 

[Eienna]

I want pictures XD

 

[big ole blue]

20 gallon sump DIY

Here is my 20 gallon DIY sump finished. I will post the entire build of the sump step by step when I get back to the mac. The tablet is a little more time consuming and there are quite a few steps

 

[big ole blue]

If you notice, I attached a piece of 30lbs test fishing line so I could easily remove the sponge filter

 

[big ole blue]

20 Gallon sump build

20 Gallon Sump Build
After endless late nights searching the Internet for Pre-made Sumps, I decided to build my own. The cheapest I could find for a decent Sump was $200. I need two of them (Twin 54 Gallon Reef Tanks) so this was a minimum of $400 buck and that's with out Skimmers , Socks , return pump , heaters , etc... Some of the Items I will be purchasing and not skimping on but the Sump seems like an easy way to "Save" several hundred bucks. On that note, I started combing the internet for DIY videos , articles , threads and anything that would help me understand the layout of and exactly how a Sump tank works. A nice hidden gem I discovered was on the Aqueon website. When you look at the pictures of there pre-made sump tanks you get a nice 3-D image of what a typical sump looks like. I personally am going with the Berlin Style setup but I'm sure the General Idea of the following steps would apply to any setup.


Please Refrain from commenting or interjecting any posts until the DIY steps are all posted. Thanks , Big Ole Blue

 

[big ole blue]

Step 1
Obviously you'll need to acquire a tank from somewhere. Choose a tank size that's appropriate for the size of your DT (Display Tank). I'm not sure which sizes are adequate but I am going with a 20 Gallon for my 54 Corner. When these are full they should be at or slightly less than Half the capacity of the Sump tank. Meaning, If you have a 20 Gallon sump, you should have approximately 10 gallons in the sump or less. This is so if there is a power or equipment failure the overflow shouldn't cause the Sump to over fill before you can get to it and hopefully prevent a flood...

As far as acquiring the tanks there are several options :

(A) One could spend a weekend visiting Garage Sales within a 50 mile radius and maybe come across a tank setup for very cheap... Good Luck

(B) Build a tank. I personally don't have much experience with this but I'm sure there are numerous articles and videos on it. This also seems like an inexpensive way to do it if you have the ability to do so. It would add the additional time and effort to the build though.

(C) Wait for a Sale at a local fish store. Several of my local fish stores frequently have tanks on sale but they're usually the odd ones that don't sell well. They also randomly have a $1 per Gallon sale , which I believe is an effort to keep up with the cheaper PETCO/PETSMART places. Petco and Petsmart frequently have a $1 per Gallon sale on tanks and it always seems to be around some holiday... Labor Day , Thanksgiving , etc... The tanks at Petco/Petsmart are usually the generic 10G , 20G , 30G , 55G and so on... This is the option I selected. (I bought two 20 Gallon tanks, one for each of my 54G Reef tanks).

Tip: Verify that the sump will fit in the space desired. Under the cabinet , closet , etc...

 

[big ole blue]

Step 2

The next step is to acquire all the tools necessary and setup an area to work.

Items I will be using:

(A) Several Dry Clean Hand Towels (I suggest washing these without using laundry detergent and fabric softener sheets)

(B) Coarse Grit Sandpaper (Sponges are Nice)

(C) Quick Grip Clamps (I prefer Irwin soft grip style)

(D) Straight Edge Ruler and Sharpie (Remove all ink prior to tank setup)

(E) Acrylic Sheets (I purchase 1' square pieces from Home Depot $5 each)

(F) Small Piece of plywood or OSB (A little bigger than 1' square)

(G) Hand-held Plunge Router (A sawhorse table will help also)

(H) Easy Peel Blue Painters masking tape (Width of tape at your discretion)

(I) Seamstress Tape and/or Tape Measure (Measure and plan everything)

(J) Nitrile Gloves (Keeps the silicone off of your fingers)

(K) Razor Blade and Alcohol lens cleaning wipes (Use caution with Razors)

(L) Aquarium Sealant (I purchased the aquarium specific stuff from Petco $8)

Note: I've heard that one could also purchase Clear silicone from a Hardware store for much less as long as it's the kind that doesn't have Mildew preventers in it. However, most of these state they aren't designed for below water levels and some even specifically state that they aren't for Aquarium Use. I'm not sure about that but I personally like the piece of mind that the stuff I'm using won't wipe out my livestock down the road. Something about losing 150$ in fish and inverts to save $5 doesn't seem like a wise decision... Which is why I went with Aquarium sealant.

 

[big ole blue]

The continuation of these steps will need to wait until I get to my Mac... To much of a hassle with the IPad

 

[big ole blue]

Step 3 Baffle Walls

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The next step would be to create the Baffle Walls.
In a Berlin Style sump, this consists of 3 walls. Two of which are identical.

The first thing you'll need to do is to measure the width of the tank in the ID (Inside Dimension). This needs to be as precise as possible. Scribe this number down because it will be the width of your baffle wall. I actually decreased the number by a 1/16th of an inch for ease of placement but the closer you can get to the actual dimensions the easier it will be to secure them with sealant. These aren't a structural joint. You're just trying to seal the edges so the water has to go through the ports you will cut.

The second step on the baffle walls will be to measure the dimensions and mark them on the acrylic sheets with a Sharpie. Accomplish this by measuring with a tape measure on both ends and then use the ruler or straight edge to scribe the line. This is easier by clamping the ruler to the acrylic sheet and your piece of plywood.

The next step is the water ports. The two identical walls are the ones closer to the ends. These walls will help establish the height of water levels and there lack of turbulence. The middle wall is between the skimmer chamber and the return utility pump. See Images below for what they should look like. The quantities I have below are for (2) Sump tanks. If you are creating just one Sump the quantity will be half of what I have below.

Once all the cut lines have been marked you can proceed to the next step.

Note: The width of your Baffle Walls is depicted by the ID of your Sump Tank
Attached Images

 

[big ole blue]

Step 3 Continued...

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Once all of your lines have been scribed you can cut the perimeter dimensions with an Acrylic Knife. Clamp the Acrylic sheet to a Work table with a sharp edge. Rounded edges could cause the sheet to break at the wrong place or irregularly. I found this is easier by sandwiching the sheet between a 1" x 4' and the work table. By using the acrylic knife, score the line where your cut will be. Don't apply too much pressure. You're just trying to score the line as accurate as possible. Repeat the score line over and over. This might seem redundant but if you want a clean line this will take about 50 drags across the line. Don't Rush! You can break the scrap piece off when you're more than 3/4's of the way through the acrylic sheet thickness. I however, went almost completely through the sheet before i applied even pressure along the scrap piece to break it off. It practically fell off for me. Test the fit in your sump tank. It should almost be a snug fit. You'll have a total of 3 Baffle walls

Next you'll cut the ports. This is accomplished by clamping the sheet very securely to your small piece of plywood and the work table. Be sure to allow room for the "footprint" of you handheld Router. First drill a Pilot hole (very slowly so you don't crack the acrylic) and then by using the router travel along the edges of your sharpie mark. Be sure to remove all the ink with the router (Not sure if the ink is toxic to fish).

Image 1: Clamp location
Image 2 : Skimmer to Sponge Filter Wall (Chamber 2 to Chamber 3)
Image 3: Sock Filter to Skimmer Wall (Chamber 1 to Chamber 2)
Image 4 : DONT USE A JIGSAW TO CUT ANY EDGES! THEY WILL CRACK!
Attached Images

Read more: My first 54 gallon corner saltwater tank - Page 4

 

[big ole blue]

Step 4

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Once you have the 3 Baffle Walls cut you'll need to clean the edges. I suggest doing this by using a coarse Sanding Sponge. This will also knock down any sharp edges and prep the perimeter for secure bonding of the Silicone sealant. Don't forget to clean the edges of the Ports.

Scuff the perimeter of the Baffle walls approximately 1/4" to 1/2"
Attached Images

Read more: My first 54 gallon corner saltwater tank - Page 4

 

[big ole blue]

Step 4 continued

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Clean all surfaces thoroughly.

The acrylic sheets can be cleaned by scrubbing them under running tap water with a wash cloth.

The Tank can be cleaned by scraping the glue off with a Razor blade and scrubbing any left over residue off with a lens cleaning wipe or Rubbing alcohol. Once you've got the display sign glue off rinse the entire tank (Inside and Out) with a Garden hose.

Once these items are clean, dry them off with clean dry towels. Making sure to thoroughly dry all areas. Water could prevent adhesion of the silicone.


NEVER USE DISH SOAP OR AMMONIA BASED PRODUCTS SUCH AS WINDEX!
Attached Images

 

[big ole blue]

ip

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Always carry the tanks by the base. Firmly gripping the trim. If the tanks are too large then ask for help. I'd rather ask for help then ask for a broom to sweep up a bunch of glass...
Attached Images