Acropora12's 36 Gallon Bow Front

[acropora12]

">http://i327.photobucket.com/albums/k443/bimmerboy12/CIMG0049.jpg[/IMG] does this look better and more able to fit everything?

 

[acropora12]

So, since I have decided to hold off on getting the lights just yet, I have decided to use the money I was going to use for the lights to get it up and cycling instead! Here is what I will be ordering next Thursday.
API Saltwater Master Test Kit $21.99
10ft. 3/4" Clear Vinyl Tubing $ 9.69
Directionaly Flow U-Tube $ 7.99
ViaAqua 2600 Return Pump $29.99
50 Gallon Reef Crystals Salt Mix $19.99
Koralia Nano 425 Powerhead $31.99
Ocean Direct Carribean Live Sand (40#) $34.99
150w Jager Thermostat Heater $23.99

[hr]
Total: $180.42
Shipping: $8.00
Grand Total: $188.42
Then I will be getting a piece of live rock from my LFS for $9.99 for a nice big piece.
How does this look everyone?

 

[scott t]

Looks good to me.. More that I have right now to get my tank running lol.. Im not sure but you might want to get more power heads after you get it cycled, if you are going to have SPS corals later on you should have a mim of 50X turn over rate with the power heads... Do not include in that the turnover of your sump. You would take the tank size 36X50 so you would want a turn over of about 1800 gph. So you could get 3 more Koraila 425's or get 3 Koraila 750's and add that to the one that you will be getting.
With Live Rock you want to have about 1.5 lbs per gal in the tank also. I know you will have the sump, but you should have at least that in your tank. You could do 50% live and 50% dead and over time the dead will become live. Just somethings to think about!!

 

[acropora12]

Thanks Scott, I did plan on getting more equipment. Those are just the essencials that I need to get it running. I will have 350-400gph coming from the return so I figure another two 425's and a 750 should about do it for flow. I will also be adding more live rock I just need to wit a couple weeks to be able to afford more. I will be buying 45 pounds on top of the 20 pounds of dead. I will be cycling the new live rock by itself in a 35 gallon tub. Then adding it later when it is cured. I would love to hear more input about my plan, and I will put up some pictures of the new plumbing that I did today, added 90's instead of 45's so I could fit everything in the sump and have a decent sized fuge.

 

[acropora12]

 

[scott t]

that looks a lot better and looks like you will have more room also..

 

[acropora12]

yeah I just need to see how big my skimmer is so I know how big to make the compartments for the sump!

 

[scott t]

Yeah I need to call the glass shop that is local here and see how much i will cost me to have the glass cut for the baffles for my sump..

 

[2quills]

If you look here there's a few pictures of U-Mike's octupuss xp1000 sss. You can pm him for the actual footprint but as long as you have a 10"x10" area then I think you're good to go.
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/forum/thread/380517/flower-s-sump-fuge-build/420

 

[geoj]

My octopus xp1000 sss is about 10" x 7" x 20" tall, and is in a 12" x 10" skimmer chamber, So if you put the baffle at 10" inside-inside of your sump you will have room for the 2" of overflow pipes and the 7" of the skimmer that's 9" gives you one inch of play. With the adjustment knob in front the skimmer is 10" plus the 2" of horizontal pipe that runs behind it that's 12" front to back of the tank. So that's the minimum I would go.
Just looking at the pic of your stand it looks to be 28" inside hight is it?

 

[acropora12]

It's creepy how you know that GeoJ...28" on the dot.

 

[scott t]

Yeah that is creepy how they knew that.. are they peeking in your window or something lol JK.. but just from a picture you could tell that... wow

 

[geoj]

Mythbusters showed me how, I know Your tank was 12" tall so I zoomed in till it was 1" on my monitor and then measure the tank stand 1"=1'

 

[scott t]

Wow thats cool how you did that GeoJ.. Lol but its still Creepy that you could do that from a Pic..

 

[geoj]

It is october Halloween

 

[acropora12]

I agree very cool, and very creepy at the same time, but hey! As my girlfriend says "whatevs!" lol.
New question, do you think it's possible to use 1/16" Lexan for my baffles, or should it be acrylic beacause of the heat the water will be at?

 

[geoj]

1/16" acrylic Lexan baffles will bow alot, if you are going acrylic I would get Acrylic51 to help...

 

[acropora12]

that's what I figured....i will be getting two sheets of 1/4" acrylic then!

 

[2quills]

1/16" = way to thin.
1/4" = much better choice.
Make sure you cut the baffles 1/4" short of the total length across the tank...meaning you'll wan't a 1/8" gap between the ends of the baffle and the glass to allow for expansion. Acrylic/plexi will swell in time from absorbtion...so you'll want to do this to help prevent against bowing of the baffles...I've also heard of glass sumps breaking from the pressure of an expanding plexi baffle. Also, make sure that you rough up the edges of the acrylic really well before you silicone. Silicone does not actually bond to acrylic/plexi so this is an important step to help ensure that you're baffles don't come tumbling down.
A safer bet would be to actually use glass baffles in a glass sump.

 

[acropora12]

Alright I will go glass then, if that's the safest bet. How should I have them atached though? Like one touching the bottom the middle one touching the top and the last touching the bottom too, or top>bottom>top? Do you get what I am saying, I can't make a diagram really on the comp so I hope I can explain well enough.