Project 70

wax32

wax32

Active Member
After keeping my 29 gallon for 6 months I am now moving everything to a brand new 70 gallon Oceanic Reef Ready. Here are a couple of pictures.

The Tank: 70 gallon approx. 18"Dx36Lx25H

Compared to my current 29 gallon.
Besides the standard overflow which will go to a sump/refugium I have being built, the tank is drilled for a closed loop through the bottom glass, which will pass through my chiller on the way back to the tank.
More to come!
 
wax32

wax32

Active Member
Yeah me too! I am waiting for a guy to install a couple of dedicated circuits with GFI outlets. My sump is being built. And I have to get to home depot to buy some wood to make a shelf that will go above the tank so I can hang my new MH pendant from it. BUT, with Hurricane Dennis bearing down on New Orleans, Home Depot is in full-on storm mode... hundreds of ppl buying batteries and plywood to board up their windows. Will wait till next week to buy wood, providing my house is still here!
 
wax32

wax32

Active Member
Meanwhile, here is the new light:

Giesemann Nova II

250w Metal Halide Pendant with 20k bulb
I can't wait to get this bad boy up and running. :D
Any suggestions or questions are welcome!
 
wax32

wax32

Active Member
Hopefully today is the day for the outlets to be installed. The guy came and took a look last night. He is going to replace the old fuse box with a new breaker box and then run two circuits to the fish room and install the GFI's.
On a different subject... Should I paint the back of this tank black? I think I would like to. Anyone know of a reason NOT to paint it black? :D
 
hopkins6

hopkins6

Member
Stay with the black but maybe you could get one of those laminated black sheets that you can get at the pet store in case you want to change your mind. But maybe you know you want black so just paint it.
 
S

sonicboom1

Guest
im painting my 29gallon today
yeah use a roller, my friend used brush and it was streaky so we had to peel it off..
 
robchuck

robchuck

Active Member
That's a nice tank! You'll love those dimensions for a reef; they're the same as the AGA 65g reef I used to have.
And you can't go wrong with Giesmann lighting.
Looking forward to updates. :joy:
 
druluv

druluv

Member
Originally Posted by wax32
Hopefully today is the day for the outlets to be installed. The guy came and took a look last night. He is going to replace the old fuse box with a new breaker box and then run two circuits to the fish room and install the GFI's.
On a different subject... Should I paint the back of this tank black? I think I would like to. Anyone know of a reason NOT to paint it black? :D
We have a real reefneck here! :joy:
 
wax32

wax32

Active Member
The closed loop will pass through the bottom of the tank... head to my Blueline 30 pump, then through my chiller, then back to the tank, through the bottom also: split into two returns by a SCWD.
Here is one new pic...

Shelf I built to hang the pendant.
The studs in my wall are an odd distance apart, not the standard 16" so I had a hell of a time finding them! Of course they didn't happen to be centered over my current 29, so I can't hang the light yet to try it out. Where the shelf ended up will work perfectly for the 70 though. It will allow me to put the chiller on the right side of the tank instead of the left. This will have the side-effect of letting me look through the left side of my tank. As the 29 stands now the left side is against a wall. :D
One minor problem I discovered today...
The LFS gave me bulkheads that are too large for the holes that he drilled for the returns on my closed loop. Going to have to stop by tomorrow and give him a hard time. :D
Now it's time to start thinking: sand or bare-bottomed!?! :D
Man, I've got a headache!
 
wax32

wax32

Active Member
Here is a picture of the too-big bulkhead:

Too BIG Poppa Bear!
This one is an extra that came with the Oceanic kit:

Just right?
See how the smaller one has a hose barb though? I'm not sure what my LFS has in mind for connections in the closed loop returns. The big bulkhead is threaded on the inside end. The smaller one isn't. I'm not sure if the return nozzles (those bendable, muli-part ones) are threaded or slip-fit. I guess I'll find out! :D
 
wax32

wax32

Active Member
Originally Posted by sailfin
Spray it black with the Krylon Fusion paint. Much easier and nicer looking IMO.
What's the fusion mean? My main problem with spray paint would be that I'd need someone to come over and help me carry the tank back outside. With half-inch glass this sucker is heavy! Roll-on I can do inside. :D
 
wax32

wax32

Active Member
On that note... I don't think I mentioned: Oceanic assumed they were building this tank for my LFS as a display so they built it with half-inch glass like he gets all his displays. It's pretty impressive with the thick glass, I only wish it had the black silicone! :D
 
wax32

wax32

Active Member
OK. Still don't have the electricity done yet. Can't really complain though, he isn't charging me labor... I only have to pay for the GFI outlets and the landlord is paying for the new circuit breaker box.
Today's progress:

Coat one!
Hopefully it will only take one coat. I am scared about what will happen when I peel the tape off. I've got a feeling it will pull off the paint, the glass isn't porous enough to make the paint stick well, I think.
And:

The right one!
At least I hope anyway. :D Stopped in at the LFS and told him he gave me the wrong bulkheads to fit the holes he drilled. Doh! Swapped 'em out, back in business.
Here is a pic of the cool DURSO type overflow that comes in the kit.

DURSO
And here is a pic showing Closed-Loop bulkhead locations:

Holes!
Tomorrow's project: cut the hole in the stand larger to allow for the extra plumbing. I plan to make the standard rectangular hole slightly bigger to let the closed-loop out, then make a small hole for the right side closed-loop in.
 
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