My 55 Gallon Thread

jaxfishgirl

jaxfishgirl

Active Member
well, after browsing the internet for a stand, i have decided....i am just going to use one ten gallon tank and make it into a refugium and use my protein skimmer as a HOB. I can always upgrade later. I dont really have the funds to be buying a new stand. i am picky and would want one that was over $400.
 
mie

mie

Active Member
Can I suggest that you lose the overflow box and build a u-tube overflow? Way more reliable, and very cheap, like 3 or 4 dollars cheap. Here is the link.
I have built one for my system and my friend's. Very nice setup.
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/347220/i-would-like-some-overflow-box-help
 
jaxfishgirl

jaxfishgirl

Active Member
Originally Posted by Posiden
http:///forum/post/3168893
Jax, what happened to the sump that you pictured?
well, i still have the 30 gal but i can't fit it under the stand i currently have. i was planning on buying a new stand but d/t a recent emergency i am going to stick with the stand i have. I can only fit a 10 gal underneath this stand. So i was talking with a buddy of mine who has been in this hobby for a long time and he said i would be ok just having a refugium underneath and a HOB protein skimmer. And when I upgrade i will make sure I get a stand with enough room underneath
 
jaxfishgirl

jaxfishgirl

Active Member
Originally Posted by mie http:///forum/post/3168943
Can I suggest that you lose the overflow box and build a u-tube overflow? Way more reliable, and very cheap, like 3 or 4 dollars cheap. Here is the link.
I have built one for my system and my friend's. Very nice setup.
https://forums.saltwaterfish.com/t/347220/i-would-like-some-overflow-box-help
i will def. check that out.
 
jaxfishgirl

jaxfishgirl

Active Member
Ordered 50lbs of dry rock from Mrocks. will be getting LR from LFS to seed the dry rock. probably 20-30lbs of LR.
 
jaxfishgirl

jaxfishgirl

Active Member
Originally Posted by crazydave
http:///forum/post/3172231
Progress?

sorry i have been MIA, i feel like i cheated on swf.com. LOL. anyway. i have gotten my lights.
Wavepoint HO T5 - sorry for the fingerprints


and with the lights on - the salt marks don't show up with water in it. i know it looks like crap without water in it.

i have ordered 50lbs of base rock from Marco Rocks. And I have ordered an Aqua C Remora protein skimmer. As soon as i get all this in, its time to begin.
 
jaxfishgirl

jaxfishgirl

Active Member
the lights again, the only thing i am not liking..is you have to run all bulbs at the same time. but i still love the lights.
 
C

crazydave

Guest
There is only one cord comming out of the lights to plug in? I assumed most had multiple plugs to allow you to isolate your atinics. I wonder if the fixture has seperate transformermers so that you could open it up and tap into it to give yourself a seperate plug?
 
kraylen

kraylen

Member
Looks like a good tank thread so far.
My only concern is the sump area.... I think you should build a new stand and put a real sump under your tank. My motto is do it right the first time or spend 3 times as much fixing it. What is stopping you from drilling the tank? A drilled system provides endless combos and tips with a sumped tank, plus you don't have to worry about a HOB overflow. Once the tank is wet, it becomes impossible or improbable to redesign previous flaws without starting over.
I also run a SPS dominated 55G AGA, no sump.. all HOB stuff(remora/mj1200, AC110 + cheato) with no problems at all. Yet, I look at my tank and kick my self in the ass everytime for not drilling it and doing stuff that just gets by.
http://www.photobucket.com/people/krayn9ne
Hope that helps :)
 
jaxfishgirl

jaxfishgirl

Active Member
Originally Posted by Kraylen
http:///forum/post/3184690
Looks like a good tank thread so far.
My only concern is the sump area.... I think you should build a new stand and put a real sump under your tank. My motto is do it right the first time or spend 3 times as much fixing it. What is stopping you from drilling the tank? A drilled system provides endless combos and tips with a sumped tank, plus you don't have to worry about a HOB overflow. Once the tank is wet, it becomes impossible or improbable to redesign previous flaws without starting over.
I also run a SPS dominated 55G AGA, no sump.. all HOB stuff(remora/mj1200, AC110 + cheato) with no problems at all. Yet, I look at my tank and kick my self in the ass everytime for not drilling it and doing stuff that just gets by.
http://www.photobucket.com/people/krayn9ne
Hope that helps :)
well i don't know if it is tempered or not. So i don't want to risk breaking the tank and have all this stuff with no tank. that would really suck. I do want a new stand, I am just trying to find a decent one since i am not talented in the carpentry department and neither is my hubby. and i am on a budget. trust me, i would LOVE a new stand, drilled tank, and sump.
 
jaxfishgirl

jaxfishgirl

Active Member
Originally Posted by crazydave
http:///forum/post/3184656
There is only one cord comming out of the lights to plug in? I assumed most had multiple plugs to allow you to isolate your atinics. I wonder if the fixture has seperate transformermers so that you could open it up and tap into it to give yourself a seperate plug?
I would not even know where to start trying to get a second plug. i would break the damn thing.
 
jaxfishgirl

jaxfishgirl

Active Member
So, i talked my dad into building me a stand

I only have to buy the wood and come over to his house and help him out. I am excited. I found some plans online, i dont understand them. any adivse would be great. Here are the ones I found...any advise from all you talented carpenters would be GREAT!! thanks
Stand Dimensions
Stand Height = 28 1/4"
Stand Width = 13 1/8"
Stand Length = 49 1/8"
Materials List
PartThicknessWidthLengthMaterialQty
A. Front & Back Rails3/4"4 1/2"17"Lumber8
B. Front & Back Stiles3/4"4 1/2"27 1/2"Lumber6
C. Side Panels3/4"11"27 1/2"Plywood2
D. Floor Frame Rail3/4"3 3/4"47"Plywood2
E. Floor Frame Cross Braces3/4"3 3/4"10 1/8"Plywood3
F. Tank Top Center Brace(s)3/4"4"11"Plywood1
G. Center Brace Supports3/4"4 1/2"4"Plywood1
H. Stand Top3/4"13 1/8"49 1/8"Plywood1
I. Stand Floor3/4"11"47"Plywood1
J. Door(s)***3/4"19 1/8"20"Plywood2
***Raised Panel Calculator
Stand Construction Procedure
A. Inspect all pieces for rough or flawed edges. Sand as needed.
B. Lay out boards for the floor frame.
C. Using wood glue and nails, assemble the frame as in figure 1.

Figure 1.
Floor Frame
D. Place the floor on top of the floor frame and fasten as shown in Figure 2..

Figure 2.
Floor
E. Lay out boards for the front and back frames as shown in Figure 3. The figures below show a stand that is built with 2 doors therefore it has an extra stile in the center of the front and back. The Single door will have no stiles and the 3 door will have 4 stiles on the front and back.
F. Using bar or pipe clamps, glue the frames together and let dry 24 hours. I like the extra strength I get from using pocket holes and screws, biskets, or dowells.

Figure 3.
Front & Back Frame
G. Refer to figure 4. Using wood glue and 1 1/4" nails, mount the center brace supports.

Figure 4.
Center Brace Supports
H. Refer to figure 5. Assemble the front, back and side panels using wood glue and finishing nails or pocket hole screws. also

Figure 5.
Front, Back and Sides
I. Refer to figure 6. Install the center braces using wood glue and finishing nails.
/Fig6.jpg" border="0" alt="" />
Figure 6.
Front, Back and Sides
J. Fasten the 3/4" plywood top on the stand. It should lay on top and be the same size as the top of the stand as shown in Figure 7

Figure 7.
Stand Top
K. At this time you may want to add additional trim like crown molding if desired. The plywood top of the stand will be exposed and will not be too pretty
L. Stain if desired then seal the stand with a marine finish. I prefer to seal the inside of the tank with an epoxy paint for extra protection
M. I like to finish and install the doors seperately. The doors are designed to overlap each opening by 3/4" on all sides. I personally like to use stainless steel European style cup hinges to mount the doors. The stainless steel hinges resist corrosion and will not rust. Figure 8 will give you a rough idea of what the stand will look like.

Figure 8.
Completed Stand
i am not sure where i got these from...
 
gill again68

gill again68

Active Member
Hmmmm how to explain. This diagram while very detailed and not lacking in its ability to be a nice stand, I think needs some improvement. In other words I think you can build it in a more simple fashion and get better design. At least this is the way I built my stand. In the diagram it is showing a design to build a box without a frame. This can work but I feel its weak and if you were to shift the stand with any weight it could make the stand weak. I would with out a doubt make a frame for my stand then wrap it in plywood. This will be a tad bit more costly but will be a stand that will last. Here are a couple of pictures of the frame I built before I put the plywood on the outside.


If you notice the upright 2x4s are under the top rail. This allows for maximum support for the top rail or (rectangle).
Now for my stand all I had to do was wrap 3 sides of this frame. The back stayed open. On the front of my stand I used a full sheet to cover the front then later cut the hole that would be the opening for the doors. This also allowed for more strength and a cleaner looking finish to the front. The other reason I dont like the diagram you have is that the center brace is fixed on that diagram. You would very much enjoy the ability to take that brace in and out as you wish. This will allow for you to place a sump down in the bottom with less effort. All you have to do is use pocket screws behind the support and it will allow you to take it in and out when you want. With my frame design and the fact that my tank is 4 foot in length I was able to not have a center brace (verticle brace) in the front of my stand. Here are a couple more pictures

The last pic is with stain and trim on the base cabinet. I have a little more detailed documentary of the build on another site. Hope this gives you ideas. Its very simple when you step back and think about it. Your building boxes and rectangles and just covering it with flat squares or rectangles (plywood). Let us know how its going and if we can help.
Have you ever seen the commercial for the "jig" that allows you to make pocket screws? Its a craig jig. Not muct for gimmicks on TV but this is a real tool that I used and I would buy another one today. I built cabinets for a couple of years and I can tell you for the do it yourself person this is a must have.
 
jaxfishgirl

jaxfishgirl

Active Member
Originally Posted by Gill again68
http:///forum/post/3186221
Hmmmm how to explain. This diagram while very detailed and not lacking in its ability to be a nice stand, I think needs some improvement. In other words I think you can build it in a more simple fashion and get better design. At least this is the way I built my stand. In the diagram it is showing a design to build a box without a frame. This can work but I feel its weak and if you were to shift the stand with any weight it could make the stand weak. I would with out a doubt make a frame for my stand then wrap it in plywood. This will be a tad bit more costly but will be a stand that will last. Here are a couple of pictures of the frame I built before I put the plywood on the outside.


If you notice the upright 2x4s are under the top rail. This allows for maximum support for the top rail or (rectangle).
Now for my stand all I had to do was wrap 3 sides of this frame. The back stayed open. On the front of my stand I used a full sheet to cover the front then later cut the hole that would be the opening for the doors. This also allowed for more strength and a cleaner looking finish to the front. The other reason I dont like the diagram you have is that the center brace is fixed on that diagram. You would very much enjoy the ability to take that brace in and out as you wish. This will allow for you to place a sump down in the bottom with less effort. All you have to do is use pocket screws behind the support and it will allow you to take it in and out when you want. With my frame design and the fact that my tank is 4 foot in length I was able to not have a center brace (verticle brace) in the front of my stand. Here are a couple more pictures

The last pic is with stain and trim on the base cabinet. I have a little more detailed documentary of the build on another site. Hope this gives you ideas. Its very simple when you step back and think about it. Your building boxes and rectangles and just covering it with flat squares or rectangles (plywood). Let us know how its going and if we can help.
Have you ever seen the commercial for the "jig" that allows you to make pocket screws? Its a craig jig. Not muct for gimmicks on TV but this is a real tool that I used and I would buy another one today. I built cabinets for a couple of years and I can tell you for the do it yourself person this is a must have.
that makes sense. I am going to print out your reply and pictures and give them to my Dad. He will know what pocket screws and all that is. I really appreciate it. Your pictures make it easy to understand. Thank you so much :)
 
asharp13

asharp13

Member
im sure you have thought about all this but when will you add the water? is it possible to add the water without the sand or rock and get your cycle started? oh and $100 is a STEAL!!!!!!!!!!! cant waith to see what you do with it!!
 
jaxfishgirl

jaxfishgirl

Active Member
Originally Posted by asharp13
http:///forum/post/3186704
im sure you have thought about all this but when will you add the water? is it possible to add the water without the sand or rock and get your cycle started? oh and $100 is a STEAL!!!!!!!!!!! cant waith to see what you do with it!!
thanks! i couldn't pass it up. well, the rock and sand will start my cycle so i dont want to put water into it until then. and hopefully this weekend i will get my dad to start my stand. and i most def. don't want to add water until the stand is done.
so....i am planning on actually putting the water/sand/rock into the tank beginning of the new year. I am taking it super slow just to make sure i get everything i need. nothing like being prepared
 
asharp13

asharp13

Member
AGREED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! preperation is absolutely everything. take your time and do it right the first time...save yourself some hedaches down the road! cant wait to see what you do!!!
 
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