Brian, just skimmed through your thread, that's a whole lot of work you did buddy. One thing I want to mention is that overflow, I have had nothing but bad experience with them...I think you should drill...

I see you painted the back of a tank and swapped to a different size? If you wanna black out the back of the new tank you can Pm me I have some black vinyl you can have for free, save your floor from overspray again. And if you want to drill the tank as Rich suggested I have a mastercraft maximum kit you can borrow, never tried it but looks like it would do the trick

Ugh ya, another member spit.fire actually offered to drill for me too but at this point the plumbing is complete and I don't want to have to alter it again especially with the added costs of replumbing. I will be adding float switches inside the overflow and the main tank to my RKE for another level of redundancy. Could I ask you what bad experience you had with one. Whenever someone tells me they had a bad experience with HOB I have been asking about the experience to see if I can failsafe it further. This is just a starter tank for me and I'm sure within couple of years I'll be upgrading again and I'll make sure to have it drilled next time before I get building.

Thanks for the offer! I should really post my plans for the tank and see if anyone can help before jumping into it. This hasn't been the first time someone offered to help but I got it done already :cry: I actually just painted the back black last night but used a roller instead of spray paint to avoid over spray this time.

As I mentioned I managed to paint the back before falling asleep again.

http://imgur.com/OCUhrAw.jpg

No mess this time

http://imgur.com/nEHRkp3.jpg

Also went and picked up this RO/DI unit from a member here
It was $50 and just thought I'd give it a try. Was expecting a simple 3 stage unit but I think this is 5 stage?

http://imgur.com/3ublYaI.jpg

Was told that the DI filter and the RO membrane were almost new when it was taken down.
The unit hasn't been in use for over a year though. Are there any precautions I should take to flush out the system before using?
I'll have to add a TDS meter, pressure gauge, and possibly a flush kit in the future.

Wow, you've been busy! Do you want the thread title changed? It's no longer a 29-gallon! :lol:

I don't think you'd have to redo the plumbing. Some minor modifications and you'd be on your way. Although not ideal, you could make an internal overflow box in the middle of the back of the tank and have the drains use the same holes you already made in the stand. Ideally, you'd make an overflow in a corner. I'll hop on the "you should drill" boat too.

Yes, that's a 5-stage. I'd suggest you run it just with the sediment and carbon filters first for 5 gallons or so, then add the RO to it for another 2 gallons (test TDS after the RO while you're at it), then put the DI on and run it for 2 gallons, then test the TDS of the RO/DI water. Just get a handheld TDS meter - they're like $15 or less. Just make sure you buy one that comes with a little screwdriver so you can calibrate it. Some cannot be calibrated.

Ok I think at this point it'd just be stubborn of me to not take this advice after so many people have tried to tell me to. I came home last night and just tried to visualize how to redo parts of the plumbing.
I'll be asking around and try to get the tank drilled in the next week.

One of the reasons I didn't want to drill/overflow was that because my tank is not very deep, only 12.5 inches so an overflow inside the tank would take up a lot of room.

I'll be trying to fabricate something like this so that it's less intrusive

I even had thoughts of being super ambitious and try to do the Bean Animal method but I don't think my cabinet has room for another plumbing line to run through it haha

https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5599/...cab62e6c_c.jpg

I did not know this, thought the overflow could just be anywhere. Could you explain to me why this is the case?
My reasoning for putting in the middle was that it'd be less likely that snails and whatnot would end up there rather than in a corner.

Alright I'll do this once it's hooked up. I think I will just get an inline one since they're not that expensive and the ease of use is a big appeal to me

Budget doesn't exist in this hobby: Brian's 45g build

Thanks!

Hey Brian great looking build so far, I think building and putting it all together is the best part of reefing and of course the finished product makes it all worth the work.
See you Saturday

PS: budget what's that?

Brian, looking at the overflow you currently have, you could drill the back of your tank to line up with the bulkheads in the front of that overflow. You'd have to use some silicone on the bulkhead threads (inside the overflow) to get a good seal. Drilling through the bottom of an unknown tank can be risky since you don't know if it's tempered or not.

Just visually. Since your tank is only 12" wide, an internal overflow will protrude a lot. I'd put it in a back corner. It won't make much, if any difference with the critters. I've never noticed that issue, nor actually thought about that before. :)



The thing about an inline TDS meter is that it only tests that one line. If you have a handheld one then you can test the tap water, you can disconnect the hose between the RO and the DI and check the RO performance and when it needs to be replaced, and you can check the product water after the DI as well. Also, the inline TDS meters can be tricky to get an accurate calibration on them since they need flowing calibration fluid. I find handheld TDS meters easier to use long-term. That's just my preferred method though.

Couldn't agree with you more, see you tomorrow!

I was actually thinking this exact same thing but I ended up picking up a nice unused glass hole overflow from a member here and he gave me a amazingly reasonable price too.
Unfortunately the bulkheads don't quite match up so I'll have to make my own external overflow box since these overflows can't really be set to run herbie or anything.
Anthony offered to help tomorrow at the BBQ to drill the holes for a small fee but since the kit came with a drill bit I might attempt to tackle this myself and save a couple bucks too.
So I've been told that it's ideal to drill holes with a drill that has a clutch but I only have a drill connecting straight to the wall with no clutch that I'm aware of. Is there high risk to use what I have or should I borrow tools that are better?
Also, do the diamond coated drill bits work well on acrylic/polycarbonate? I have a 1" hole saw but these bulkheads on the overflow are 1.5" so I was thinking of just using the drill bits after I cut glass to cut the holes in the external box too.

http://imgur.com/BQRAeRt.jpg

http://imgur.com/GDRg3nC.jpg

My inline TDS meter actually arrived today (amazon prime is simply the best), but I might actually just grab a handheld one down the line as they cost almost nothing and you're right, it does sound convenient to have one you can test any water with.

Get Anthony to do it. If you had an old tank sitting around you could practise, but if he's willing to do it, then I'd take him up on it. He's also knowledgeable enough that he should he able to spot if it's tempered.

You can't use diamond bits on any plastics - they will heat up and melt the plastic which then sticks on the bit.

OK I'll take it to Anthony's tomorrow.
Ah dang now I need to find a 1.5" hole saw Haha

Anthony doesn't have one? Is there a Princess Auto where you live? I get them there...they're only $15.

Cool build so far! I love how you keep changing your mind, to try and get the best possible end result. I am notorious for this, it drives my wife nuts. I call it being adaptative and dynamic :wink: Tagging along.

I'll ask him today when I'm over at his place.

I know exactly what you mean! I'll tackle a project with the mindset of keeping it simple and low budget, but as I start to get going and do more research I'll be like "well I mean I already started so I might as well make it the best I can" and before I know it I'll have gone through like 5 revisions. I like how you call it, I'll use that term in my future resumes haha

Had a really fun time at Anthony's BBQ this weekend and finally got my tank drilled thanks to Anthony.

His tanks were beautiful!

http://imgur.com/MZHkGtb.jpg

Finally drilled the tank! Anthony got both holes done in less than 5 minutes I think, it was quite impressive.

http://imgur.com/NWIXlGj.jpg

Now I just need to find some help to get an external box built for the overflow. Anyone good with working with acrylic/polycarbonate that can help out?

http://imgur.com/FHArR8F.jpg

Nice. That Anthony is good people!

Why aren't you doing it in glass? You're practically an expert now!

I might actually have just enough scrap glass left over to do this. I'd have to take it back to Anthony to get some 1" holes drilled
I would have to strip the paint off the section of the back too in order to silicone the box on and because I don't know how the paint would affect the livestock

Looks good! Make the outside box the same size as the inside box so you can't see into it from inside the tank. :)

Got around to making a mockup of the external box.
Anthony warned me that with such thin glass there was a chance of breaking it so I decided to go for a design that only requires 1 hole per pane.

http://imgur.com/aCPSWyO.jpg

I did make 2 bottom pieces in case something goes wrong but hope this will work. Decided to try a BeanAnimal's overflow cause at this point why not...

It's not that thin. Anthony will be fine. :) I'd drill all three in the bottom. Well technically, I'd just do two and go for Herbie because, why not? :p

If you put a 45 degree elbow at the top of the first emergency drain, and use 45s on the rest of that line instead of 90s, the drain will be quieter. There will probably always be a trickle going down the emergency line.

I've heard mixed opinions about having a wet emergency line.
People who are running the bean animal all told me they are happy with it and wouldn't ever go back haha I just thought after all this work why not implement the best method possible.
I think I will try to tinker with the design a bit more and see what's possible.

Another big shoutout to Anthony for helping me out big time!

http://imgur.com/kKZbqKl.jpg

Anthony's "They don't teach you this in school" technique for keeping the drill in the right place using a cloth hanger.

http://imgur.com/b9AGp2h.jpg

This is the final product of the external box and my take at the BeanAnimal's overflow.
Hacked together fittings and strainers I had around and I think it will work, I hope... Cutting tiny parts in a straight line is hard... :redface:
We were working with a bit that was starting to get dull and the first hole took much longer than when we drilled the tank so I decided to go with my original design so that not all 3 holes would be on the same panel.

http://imgur.com/fdFPclZ.jpg

Tank prepared to have the external box siliconed on.

http://imgur.com/kDPcBJb.jpg

Now I just need to clean everything and plumb the tank once more and I'll be done with the build! I hope... haha

Good luck. Looking forward to seeing this tank when it's finally completed.

That's an interesting overflow setup. I can't say I've seen one quite like it. It should work well.

I bet it really helped to keep a steady hand resting your wrists the box of frozen chicken strips, :sorry: bud couldn't resist :lol:

I don't think I have either, it was just something I came up with as I went.
Deciding to drill the tank after completing everything wasn't the most ideal thing and a lot of my plumbing just had to be modified and improvised to fit what I already had haha
Tomorrow will be the final leak test so hope everything works *cross fingers*

I think Anthony was using it as a knee rest. Can't resist them chicken strips :razz:

Thank god it's the weekend! I think I'm finally nearing completion of the tank portion of the build.

Lots of work in the last couple days.
Overflow and external box put into place with silicone on all the bulk heads and in every nook and cranny to avoid any leaks.
Waiting for more things to dry, my favorite... :turn-l:

http://imgur.com/bcGsVVI.jpg

With the use of many couplings, I was actually able to reuse all of the previous plumbing I had and minimize cost which was nice.
One new line put in for the emergency line.

http://imgur.com/0SoBCG0.jpg

Inside plumbing, really starting to get crowded down here.
Can't imagine how crammed it's going to be after all the electrical components are installed too.

http://imgur.com/wvmxsbp.jpg

Tomorrow will be leak testing and I'll be able to call the build done if nothing goes wrong!! :mrgreen:

Looks good!

I managed to make the brace last night before sleeping so that I can have a peace of mind when the tank is filled.

http://imgur.com/ggTd5OW.jpg

As you can see even after couple practice pieces my plastic bonding technique is still quite lacking... :redface:
Never done a piece with a big area to bond and didn't realize the cement wouldn't seep all the way to the middle.

http://imgur.com/qN1oz2X.jpg

Second try went better but still getting lots of bubbles

http://i.imgur.com/tnyyyrh.jpg

After all that, the long piece was scary to tackle but it actually ended up being my neatest bond yet.

http://imgur.com/xSdI9jZ.jpg

Here's how it looks like on the tank. Luckily the imperfections on the bonds aren't really visible when looking at the tank so it won't bother me and keep me up at night haha :lol:

http://i.imgur.com/sUhcNEz.jpg

Leak testing!

http://i.imgur.com/FYJveWu.jpg

Everything looks good, overflow working as it should.
I found that the airline tubing was not needed to allow the open channel to achieve a full siphon once the water level gets high enough.

http://i.imgur.com/u4XyJ9q.jpg

All good in the sump too.

http://i.imgur.com/pGyr1NE.jpg

Uhhhh... so I think I'm ready to get some saltwater into this tank now!? :mrgreen:

Looks good Brian, your workmanship is very tidy and well thought out.

Is there enough volume in your sump if return pump is turned off ? Watch out for back flow from returns !

A small hole drilled at the water line on the back side of the return pipe also works well to break the syphon in the event of the return pump going off or a power loss, on page seven I think I see a check valve in the return piping which is a good idea too, make sure to keep it clean as those pesky little snails can cause it to stay open sometimes. :biggrin:

Did a quick test
In my leak test the pump chamber was way overfilled so it won't normally be that full
Here's how high the water gets when the pump is off. It doesn't even fill up to my 1st chamber even when overfilled so I think I'm in the clear

http://imgur.com/9nGm52B.jpg

Ya I don't trust these things completely. I've been trying to find the check valve for the loc lines as a second measure but it's either not available or ridiculous to ship.

Make sure you have enough volume in the sump without the check valve. It will fail at some point - usually when you're not home. Murphy's Law. :D

You mention the return chamber was overfilled in your leak test photo, but it's actually at the level where it should be - it should be about 1/4 - 1/2" higher than the last baffle so that there isn't a waterfall into the return chamber. If you have a waterfall that makes the baffles a moot point.

Looks like it's time to get salty! :D

When I ran the test in the previous picture the return nozzles were placed high enough and when the pump was turned off they weren't submerged so didn't even use the check valve.

I never thought of that in terms of the water level in the last chamber. Totally makes sense though.

I think it's safe to say at this point that this build is proudly sponsored by Anthony

Had a post up looking for some rock and he was quick to contact me and give me a deal I couldn't refuse
Got them sitting in some water for now to get some of the debris loose

http://imgur.com/PQludDQ.jpg

Got a refractometer in the mail but it's taking longer than I had hoped, luckily I was able to borrow one from him

http://imgur.com/vKkDIBX.jpg

Also a 50g bucket for the initial mixing and filling

http://imgur.com/7XM76kY.jpg

Without the help from Anthony this build would've been much more difficult and time consuming. Can't thank him enough! :angel:

Can't believe my tank is finally up and running!
5 years of wanting to get into this hobby and well worth the wait so far!

Here's a light fixture I whipped up from 3/4" polycarbonate

http://imgur.com/QRR92Si.jpg

Figuring out the aquascape. Anthony told me that he never epoxied any of his rocks together so I did the same and simply piled up the rocks where they were structurally sound

http://imgur.com/cNnAd2p.jpg

I shipped one of the PC4 modules that wasn't working in for repairs so I couldn't finalize the wiring so it's a little messy but this is what it looks like

http://imgur.com/IqiJ5kC.jpg

Tank finally filled with water!!

http://imgur.com/7u6c6Hs.jpg

After the water has settled a bit and cleared

http://imgur.com/aJcCakP.jpg

Sitting at 78 degrees F and pH of 7.80 for now

http://imgur.com/V4x5Ypq.jpg

Day 1 of reef keeping and I couldn't be more excited!
I want to thank everyone that gave me great advice and help. Couldn't have done it without the help of this great community :mrgreen:

:thumb:Wow looking awesome Brian.