150G Build So Far!

Here is the progress so far. Not a ton but a good start! Dont mind the dates on the pics. I never reset the date when the battery goes dead.
This is the room the tank is going in. The hex was done away with and converted to a little 16 bow on the other side of the room.

The bare bones!

Framework done.

This is the cabinet almost finished and installed into the room. Still need to trim the edges and bottom and add pull handles. We added a desk on each side so the wife and I can watch the fish while we are surfing! The desk tops are temporary till we go pick out the counter material we like. Does the job for now though and I made them to match the wood work I installed throughout the house.
Your probably all thinking: Wow, infront of the window? I know, I know. Well, I wanted a big tank on the main floor and options were limited. We never open those shades anyway so loosing the use of the window wasn't a big deal and I plan on faoming the rear glass of the tank for insulation. I have had tanks for years in the basement and they just never got enjoyed as much as they should have so her we go. 
 

All the filtration will be in the basement. I am just waiting for the tank to come in at AC&C and then I can start plumbing! I will add more pics and updates as I start building the sumps and getting everything hooked up. Most of that is still in the planning stages. I am still deciding how I want to build the filtration system. I have been thinking of trying my hand at acrylic but also entertaining the idea of large totes or stock tanks. Either way, its fun doing all the planning, researching and reading on here!

 

Is that how the frame is under the skin on the stand?? With it that way all the weight is riding on your screws holding it together which is not a good way to build. The vertical supports need to be under the top frame and on top of the bottom frame so that the screws only hold it together and not support the entire load. The final stand does look nice though!!

 

Na looks good. Deck screws are made for building decks. shear strength of around 500lbs or more for a screw. Adding the Plywood or hard wood on top for the skin helped the vertical supports also with bearing the load.  I would have used 3 screws for good measure, but 2 should do fine.
I have made so many stands like this one is crazy how strong they are.  Biggest was a 125gl. Using lag bolts works well too. Turning 2x4's on side or notching as I have seen is just going to weaken the wood. I have seen this done before too and they hold fine too. Not sure there is a correct way other then don't use 2x2. lol
Looks great.

 

Looks good keep the pics coming.

 

Yea, I can see where one would think the stand isn't very solid. There is more bracing in the stand that is not shown in the pics. Each vertical leg is furred out with another 2x4 so I could screw the plywood. I have built a ton of these stands and its just easier building them this way. Use more 2x4's but its easier to make it level this way.

 

Hey John! I think your tank will be in TODAY!!! We got one truck yesterday and the driver said we will get one again today (Thursday)---Your tank was on the list!!
Have fun! John

 

Sweet! Thanks John! Let me know for sure if it comes in and I will pick it up this weekend! Lots more fun to be had after that! Heck, I think some of the best parts of fish keeping is setting up a new system!!

 

Here is an update to my 150G tank build! Again, don't mind the dates on the pics. One of these days I will disable that function.
Tank arrived in great shape and I first painted the back.



Next are pics of the filtration system I designed that's housed in the basement. I had just finished plumbing them all together in these pics besides the return pump and a few odds and ends. Each drain from the tank has a three step system. First containers are just for protein skimmer in one and fluidized bed filter in the other along with a bio pellet reactor at some point. They then overflow into large trickle filters with bio balls on top of a thin layer of seachem matrix. I didn't order near enough bio balls or matrix to fill them. More on the way! The final stage is just an identical set of trickle filters as before. Same exact setup. From there, they are all returned by a single Reeflo Bh1450. I got in on the testing of these pumps and let me tell ya...they are awesome! Super quiet and very powerful. I was planning on 2 of these but after seeing what one can do, I may just run with a single.


These are pics of the plumbing all hooked up with the pump and socks in. I used all 1 1/2" flex pvc from the tank to the filtration and what a mistake that was! Basically the opposite of flexible!! Horrible product and would not recommend it to anyone unless it was the last thing on the planet. I almost would have rather done the whole thing in clay tile as opposed to this stuff!! Lol!!
 


Here are some detailed photos of the trickle filters as seen above. I come up with this idea by first spotting these containers at walmart and decided that I could build a large filtration system at a fraction of the cost of an acrylic project of the same capacity. It was super easy and all materials are dime a dozen. 
Small bin with holes drilled all along the bottom and filled with bio balls and matrix
Drip tray using another small container and holes drilled that fit perfectly by resting the lips on top of one another

Adding filter cloth
I used vinyl j-wrap molding to cup over both lips and secure it in place
This is a shot of it sitting in the larger container that completes the filter. I used 1 1/2" pvc couplings sitting on the bottom and egg crate over those to lift it up a little for drainage. I cut the bulkheads in on the large container at a 6" so that only a small part of the bio is submerged.


Shots of it running. Duplicates from above.

I realize most on here are probably against the use of wet/dry and bio balls on a saltwater system but this is going to be a fish only setup and I want huge filtering capacity cuz I tend to overstock my tanks...heavily! I am also hoping that with the use of a pellet reactor I can knock down the nitrates these monsters will produce with no problem at all. I have been doing a lot of reading on them and they sound like the greatest thing since sliced bread! 
As for the tank, it's just running with fresh water in it now. I am going to do that for a week I think to make sure the system doesn't spring up any leaks. Hate to waste salt if I don't have to. I will spend this week doing the electrical and hooking up the ATO. 
I will post more pics as I progress further. Thanks for looking!

 

Wow, I love the idea of housing all the mechanicals in the basement. Looking good!

 

Yea, it sure is nice working on things when everything is all right in front of you around waist height. No squeezing your body in underneath your aquarium stand! One down side though, the basement is much cooler than the upstairs so the heaters have to run much harder to keep up with temp.

 

Yeah, bio-balls are not a popular option because they increase nitrates over time..even with correct usage. If you're determined to use them, make sure that you use them correctly and keep them out of the water. They are meant to have water trickled over them, not to be submersed. If I were you, I would lift up the container that you have the bio-balls in so that they are not submersed. Just my two cents.

That's quite the filtration system you have on that tank!

--AJ

 

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bioballfaqs.htm

Just some food for thought.

--AJ