Looking good! I have always wanted an ornate stand like that, and being a carpenter by trade I have the capabilities, but not the will power!!
I think painting the stand white was a better idea than black. I painted my stand black, and I don't like it. It's too bulky looking that way. I'm going to re-paint mine to match the walls (they are a neutral tan color), and I think that will make the stand look less obtrusive.
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Originally Posted by Fragzilla
All internal joints were sealed with silicone.
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If you indeed used silicone, and not a caulk you will find your paint will flake off. Paint won't stick to silicone. If that's the case, you may need to use an Exacto knife to remove the silicone and replace with a paintable caulk. I would suggest DAP brand Alex Plus.
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Originally Posted by Fragzilla
1) my current tank is 75 gallonish. the one i am thinking about building is 48 x 24 x24. Being that i am building it I could very the size. Should I look at building a different size? and if so why?
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What are your plans for the tank? If you are planning to keep the Sailfin Tang you probably should have considered a bigger tank with a 6' length. It also depends on what type of rockscape you like, some people like to use tanks that are square (like your 24x24), some like taller than wide, some like wider and shallower.
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Originally Posted by Fragzilla
2) Going to have an external overflow mounted on one end as three side will be visable. How many holes should I put in the bottom of it and what size?
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I would also suggest a Herbie drain. Be sure to use a gate valve, and not a ball valve. Your tank being 120 gallons, I would think you would be looking for about 700-750 gph through the sump. If that's the case, then with that amount of flow you would be able to get away with 1" drains if you're doing a Herbie (which it sounds like you are). If you're wanting more than 900 gph through the sump you will need to use 1 1/2" drains. The return size will be determined by the pump you choose. Most pump manufacturers suggest the return piping to be double the size of the in/outlets on the pump. So if the in/outlets are 3/4" you should use 1 1/2". Having said that, my pump has 5/8" outlets, and I use a 1" return.
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Originally Posted by Fragzilla
3) what size of sump/ref should I build? how many sections? and what goes where ( I am a total NOOB when it comes to sumps)
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It sounds like you have some ideas on sumps. Do a Google search for "Melev reef", and check out all his different sump designs. Sometimes it's handy to have some media racks in the sump too, so you can take a peek at that. I have a media rack in mine that only takes 1/3 of the sump's flow. I put a filter floss media on there instead of using a filter sock on the drain, so I can reap the benefits of both worlds (having a sock versus not).
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Originally Posted by Fragzilla
4) plumbing? out of the overflow what goes where?
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The drains in the overflow go into the first compartment of the sump. The return line goes from the pump in the pump chamber of the sump through the bottom of the overflow (in your case) and out into the tank. Since your flow will all be at one end of the tank with the return line, I would suggest you take a look at adding a closed loop pump through the bottom of the tank with (or without) an Oceans Motions wave device. If done thoughtfully you can often eliminate powerheads in the tank for a nice clean look.