125 reef build...NOT The New Yankee Workshop

[ccCapt]

I started my project about a month ago and am finally getting towards the end. The reason for the "NOT The New Yankee Workshop" title is I've seen threads of builds with all kinds of fancy tools in woodworking shops and my project is being done with a circular saw, compound mitre saw, hand saw and drill in my basement.

I bought a new Perfecto 125 CornerFlo at an unreal price at That Fish Place before Christmas. I currently have a 75 reef setup and that has to be moved to the other side of the room so I can set up the new tank in the same location.
Here's the current tank.

Stand construction is just 2x4's wrapped with plywood.

Finished stand. Stained with Colonial Maple and a few coats of polyurethane.

 

[Oscarsdad608]

Re: 125 reef build...NOT The New Yankee Worksop

Looks like a great start. Where are the close up shots of the 75 looks like a nice setup?

 

[ccCapt]

Re: 125 reef build...NOT The New Yankee Worksop

The canopy is a pretty simple design. Lighting will be 3 175 MH and 2 6' VHO's.
All open in the back and the front hinges up to open. I picked up a sheet of 3/4 cabinet grade plywood for this.

This is as far as I got for now on the canopy. I just need to stain the outside, paint the inside white and poly the whole thing.

 

[ccCapt]

Re: 125 reef build...NOT The New Yankee Worksop

The sump is going in the basement directly under the tank. I'm using a 55g for the sump, so I had to drill it. This turned out to be way easier than I thought.

Diamond bit from Ebay ($6), Plumbers Putty ($1.99), bulkhead from LFS ($10). I just outlined the flange so I knew where to start the hole.

I made a damn around the hole with the putty and put some water in it to keep the glass and bit cool.

At first I tried drilling slow, but the bit just slid around. I used a Craftsman cordless drill and pulled the trigger full speed and the bit caught and away it went.

About 1/2 way thru.

Success!

And finally the finished hole with the bulhead in place.

Total time to drill...about 5 mins. The worse part is getting over the fear of the glass breaking. It is a pretty loud and scarey grinding noise. I would suggest once you start the hole to keep drilling until it's done. I stopped about 1/2 way for the pic and it was scarey starting it back up.

 

[ccCapt]

Re: 125 reef build...NOT The New Yankee Worksop

Yesterday I moved the 75 to the other side of the room so I can put the new 125 in place. It took me about 11 hrs to break down the 75, move the tank to the other side of the room, set the 75 back up and bring the new stand up from the basement and put the tank on it. I think I'll need a week to recuperate...lol.

Here's the new tank in it's final resting spot.

 

[ccCapt]

Re: 125 reef build...NOT The New Yankee Worksop

Looks like a great start. Where are the close up shots of the 75 looks like a nice setup?

I posted an older fts here. I don't really have any current close up shots, but here's a pic of the tank after the move yesterday.

When I hooked everything back up, my modded CSS 125 was making foam nicer than on a draft beer.

 

[yote]

Re: 125 reef build...NOT The New Yankee Worksop

Your a pretty dang good cabinet maker.That stand and canopy looks great.
I'd like to see a FTS of that 75 too.

 

[yote]

Re: 125 reef build...NOT The New Yankee Worksop

You posted as I was typing.
Looks great.Are you planing on running both tanks or moving every thing over to the 125?

 

[ccCapt]

Re: 125 reef build...NOT The New Yankee Worksop

Everything will be transferred from the 75 to the 125. I am just trading a few frags I have for a little more live rock. I have about 125lbs or so now so I only want a few more lbs.

I don't have any recent fts, but I do have a pic of some frags I just picked up. Sanjay Joshi was looking for some pink zoa's and I just happened to have what he was looking for, so we made a trade. I gave him a piece of rubble with about 30 pink zoa's for these.
no flash

w/flash

My camera doesn't do these justice color-wise. You can see the pink zoa's in the background that I traded for these frags.

 

[Oscarsdad608]

Re: 125 reef build...NOT The New Yankee Worksop

Looks like you made one hell of a trade man.

 

[Piggy]

Re: 125 reef build...NOT The New Yankee Worksop

I bought my tank at the same place. Love the stand. Can't wait to see the 125 up and running. Liked the pics of the drilling. You made it sound so easy. Also great trade.

 

[ccCapt]

Re: 125 reef build...NOT The New Yankee Worksop

I guess not much interest in this thread, but here's where I stand.

Plumbing under the tank goes down to the basement where the sump is.

And the basement with the sump.

 

[fishbait]

Re: 125 reef build...NOT The New Yankee Worksop

great job on the stand and canopy! what mod did you do to the CSS?

 

[daugherty]

Re: 125 reef build...NOT The New Yankee Worksop

i like how you have that set up going through the floor.

 

[Bifferwine]

Re: 125 reef build...NOT The New Yankee Worksop

Wow, you have it going through the floor to the basement? That is AWESOME! Must keep your tank super quiet. My sump is noisy. Great work.

 

[daugherty]

Re: 125 reef build...NOT The New Yankee Worksop

that is something that i have always wanted to do but no money for a big pump to do it since i would have to run the pipe for at least 20 feet.

 

[Altohombre]

Re: 125 reef build...NOT The New Yankee Worksop

you did an incredible job. I would always be afraid that the stand I made wouldn't hold the weight and would crash to bits.

 

[reeffreak]

Re: 125 reef build...NOT The New Yankee Worksop

Very nice and clean.You're going to have an awesome system.

 

[ccCapt]

Re: 125 reef build...NOT The New Yankee Worksop

Thanks all.

great job on the stand and canopy! what mod did you do to the CSS?

I didn't actually do anythingto the skimmer body, but I replaced the pump with a Gen-X 2400 needlewheel pump. Then I bored out the air intake nipple to get more air into the skimmer and slightly restricted the water intake. It was pumping a little to much water for the skimmer to handle and restricting the input did the trick. It now produces way more bubbles and the bubbles are extremely small. I think it improved the skimmer 100%.

 

[Alexander]

Re: 125 reef build...NOT The New Yankee Worksop

you didnt by chance take pics that you could make a diy thread for that did you? i am about to ditch my css i have also had about 4 floods with it. if i can get it working better i will keep it if not i will have to buy a new skimmer. im fed up.



very nice looking setup btw. i really like the stand and canopy