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Feedback Appreciated: DIY 125G Tank and LED Lighting

magnetar68

magnetar68

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Hi All,

I got into this hobby last year with a 34G Red Sea MAX. I found the size, lighting, and all-in-one design too constraining, so this year's bonus is going into a new tank. The space will hold a 48"x24"x24" well, so that is my plan. I also am interested in LED lighting, but I think I can save some money doing a DIY build.

I have some basic goals:

  • Quiet(er)
  • Low(er) Maintenance
    SPS capable
    A mainly aquacultured, eco-friendly(er) approach

My overall plan for the tank is a ~125G 48"x24"x24" with a coast-to-coast external overflow and a BeanAnimal drain design. I realize this is probably overkill, but I consider an experiment in going for a very quiet tank. I am hoping to eventually plump through a closet out to a small fish room in my garage. This would mean the only things that would make noise other than the overflow are the power heads for flow (Vortech Mp60?).

Anyway, I am looking at two options and wanted to get some feedback from the folks here. To be honest, I have posted this on a few other of the more active public forums and have received some feedback, but not a lot. I don't think a lot of people have experience with this type of design, so I understand the lack of response.

The primary design uses a coast-to-coast external overflow. I am planning on 1.5" drains and 1" returns. The BeanAnimal design uses three drains. A fully submerged drain, a durso, and an emergency drain that is normally above the water line. The durso only carries about 5% of the total drain volume and a gate value is used to adjust the flow so that is remains laminar down the walls of the pipe. I have also design these two primary drain to drain straight down into the sump, so there are no bends to create turbulence (this is likely overkill). I am using an egg crate above the overflow instead of teeth to protect the overflow box from fish and snail etc. This is a quieter approach that I have used on a custom sump. Here is the design:
GlassTankv2back.png
GlassTankv2front.png


I have two options, one is a 1/2" GLASS "trimless" starphire glass with eurobraces. The other is a rimless ACRYLIC tank from Zero Edge. Here's a sketchup version I did and a picture of a smaller version (90G) with an internal center overflow instead of my external coast-to-coast design:
Custom120GwLEDsandSUMPfront.png
90rim.jpg


I am pretty set on the design, although feedback is welcome, but the main thing I need to chose is between the glass or acrylic version. The price is essentially the same since the acrylic tank includes a sump and the glass does not, so it's really about three things:

PHP: 
	Factor                    Glass                                  Acrylic                    Pro/Con
	Durability              High                                     Low                       Glass is (much?) better
	Thickness               1/2"                                     1"                        Glass is thiner so powerhead options are more and cheaper (e.g., MP40)
	Clearness               High                                     High                      Is 1" acrylic as clear (or clearer) as 1/2" starphire?
	Vendor                  Aquarium Showroom                        ZeroEdge                  I think ZeroEdge is better, but they are both well above the bar?
	Rimless                 Eurobrace                                Rimless                   The acrylic tank is better molded to have a more rimless look
	Weight                  Heavy                                    Lighter                   Not sure how much this really matters

While this is mainly the age old acrylic versus glass question, there are some other factor to consider. Any input?

Later I will lay out my plans for the lighting.
 
I've done many, a "coast to coast" overflow, although not true coast to coast because my tanks have had bracing along the back which instantly becomes a useless piece if you chop the entire length. Any reason you want the acrylic to be rimless? You can get away with a much thinner thickness on that acrylic (and also cost) if you put a eurobrace on 3 of the sides (the external overflow as pictured becomes the brace for the back pane).

If you're worried about weight, that's only weight for moving the tank into final position, the weight of water/rocks will outweigh the tanks weight by so much that it really shouldn't be an option. Plus at the size you mentioned, its not like you're going to need an army of helpers to move the tank if you go with glass.

Can't comment on the beananimal overflow, seems like a flooded overflow with one extra pipe, not sure the reason for that.

Depending upon location, flow could probably be better had by a vortech mp40w at both ends, as opposed to a single mp60w, but that also depends upon how your rock structure is setup.
 
Both options seem to be attractive, I side with Mike & Mike
First one I like glass a ton better than acrylic, maybe two drains, main and back up?
Second Mike 1" acrylic bit overkill IMO; full open top with thick flange/euro-brace all around; the beauty of rimless leave it for glass, again IMO.

Lighting wise, wait for BayMAC few vendors will show with nice toys and can give you an idea on the way to go being either DIY or buying a fixture that might rock your world.

A guy close to my place has a 180 with four AI modules and the controller for them, saw them lit up and were brighter than any MH I've seen but the tank was cycling and rock was white so might have a lot to do with the brightness. I'll meet with him soon, since my visit, he got the controller for the lights (Profilux) and can replicate cloudy days, even a lightning storm :O !!

A thing I notice on the stand illustration is that the weight being supported by four legs means you need the spot for the tank and pressure points, to handle the weight of it fully set up; the last thing you want is the legs piercing trough any floor sooner nor later.
 
Looks like a great setup!

While it seems like the full length overflow is a bit overkill if just for noise,
it really looks nice and clean.

Not really sure the durso/overflow is quite right, at least as I understand the 3 pipe system.
What you really need to adjust is the fully submerged pipe, so that it takes 95% of the flow.
It is hard to get that correct with just a plain pipe.
Oversize it, and put a valve below, where it enters sump.
And if done right, you don't actually want a durso. The bends mess up your laminar flow
from the surface pipe.
Also, if no durso and an oversized second pipe, no real need for the emergency third pipe.

There is a debate about the submerged pipe as well. Should the entry be at the very bottom,
so that overflow drains when pump is off, or near the top, as you have it? Not sure.

Even though I have acrylic, for true rimless, you probably want glass, because
acrylic gets pretty thing.

I would say acrylic is easier to DIY, but that is me.

Note: If glass, consider Starphire or other low iron glass for the front.
With rimless, that glass is getting thick, and it starts to make a noticeable difference.
 
Thanks for the great feedback and encouragement!

I think I am leaning towards the glass tank primarily for the durability, but I also like the flexibility of the 1/2" thickness. Some things to note:

  • Starphire: the glass tank is Starphire on the front. I may do all three sides, but definitely the front.
    [*]Euro bracing: I could not find one builder who would build a rimless glass tank with an external coast-to-coast overflow. I asked 4. So the glass tank will not be rimless.
    Gate Valves    : I did not draw the valves, but mentioned them in the text. I have designed the tank so I can run it as either a BeanAnimal or a Herbie Overflow. The third pipe is always the emergency. In either case, the full flow drain is the one with the gate valve (gate valve give better control than ball valves). This is a good explanation of how they both work. As long as there is enough room between the other two drains to have two compact durso's, I can get either to work. The digram above shows the Herbie Overflow.
    Overflow    : Yes, its not necessary, but I really like the way it looks, especially since the back is black and the egg crate above the overflow is also black.
 
You know I did try miracles, and they did say they could do it's but I needed to go to OAK to pick it up, so I did not know how I was going to get it. I think it was very expensive too, but I should probably try them again.
 
If you need help picking up a new tank... you better speak up!

If you had to go to Oakland to pick it up..Where you are would make all the difference in the world to your volonteer reefers. We dont need gps coordinates.. but a general locatiuon is nice.

When I read, "I dont know how I was going to get it".

First thing that popped into my dumbass head was I got a pickup..
 
If you are considering Euro-brace, instead of rimless, and considering LED, you might want to consider
going really low profile, with LEDs right off the water, instead of on hooks above the tank.
It is a good alternative clean look.
 
magnetar68 said:
You know I did try miracles, and they did say they could do it's but I needed to go to OAK to pick it up, so I did not know how I was going to get it. I think it was very expensive too, but I should probably try them again.
Click to expand...


How about AGE? I am sure they could do it as well.
 
iani said:
Have you tried AGE or miracles in glass?
Click to expand...

I am not familiar with AGE. I found an A.G.E on the web that does custom tanks, but they said they don't take order direct from consumers. Do you have contact info?
 
rygh said:
If you are considering Euro-brace, instead of rimless, and considering LED, you might want to consider
going really low profile, with LEDs right off the water, instead of on hooks above the tank.
It is a good alternative clean look.
Click to expand...

This one is obviously subjective in terms of the appeal. I think the low profile design has a couple of advantages: less wattage required, no hanging apparatus. But I think I prefer the hanging light from a pure aesthetics standpoint.
 
BigMac said:
If you need help picking up a new tank... you better speak up!

If you had to go to Oakland to pick it up..Where you are would make all the difference in the world to your volonteer reefers. We dont need gps coordinates.. but a general locatiuon is nice.

When I read, "I dont know how I was going to get it".

First thing that popped into my dumbass head was I got a pickup..
Click to expand...

OK, I need help picking up a new tank :) Thanks for the offer! I live in Orinda, though, which is inconvenient (but only about 30 mins from OAK).
 
Im in Fremont..

I would still help..
If you get it setup and nobody closer is available, I'd meet you there to pick it up.

I dont even require beer ;)
 
Thanks for all of the very generous offers! If I end up going that route, I may take all of you up on the offer. I have sent off an email to Miracles and the AGE that I think everyone was referring to, so I will see what happens.
 
Little late but .02
In the Sacramento area, Keith Grant makes custom glass tanks and his work is pretty impressive for what MARS members speak.
 
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