melev

The rock was kept separate in case it tried to cycle (dying sponge from being exposed to air), but the livestock has been okay in the vats tied into the sump. The new sand bed won't cycle just because it is clean. It will need some critters though, but my LR will have that as will the sand from the refugium. I'm not worried about that at all. You should see the cucumbers and snails working these vats. I don't know what they are eating, but I guess film algae is forming as we speak.

I found a viable peanut worm in the sand tonight, so I tossed him in the refugium.

The 7 buckets of sand probably add up to 350 lbs worth, if they are 50 lbs each. It may be more or less - my scale is dead thanks to Wes and the Toadstool. hehe Once I rinse it out, I'll lose some of it. It was a 4" DSB in the tank, after all.

Very cool, learn something new every day. . . and since I read this after midnight I can let my brain go for about 23 hours, LOL.

I can bet a lot of algae started to grow as soon as light was available. And glad to hear that everything is looking good. When I started my tank and got a cup of live sand from the now defunct LFS, I don't think that I got much of anything really live other than bacteria but the rock I have now probably has a few things growing along. Had to kill a little aiptasia though but just pulled the piece of rock out and killed the little bugger.

But at least the snails and cucumbers sound like they are happy.

marc, if i can throw in my 2 cents worth. i'm not an engineer but i think in the long run you would be happier if you removed the old concrete and poured a new slab, making sure it was nice and level. yes it would cost more and take more time but like i said in the long run, i think you could gain a few advantages. putting that much weight of a large glass tank on a metal stand with adjusting bolts scares me in the fact that they all have to be adjusted at the same time, to keep from torquing the tank, hence more stress to the new tank. adjusting a piece of machinery that way is great, but it's a big chunk of metal, not so delicate. while you had the stab out, you could put in your french drain, move your water heater lines, and if you wanted to tap into your sewer line to put a wash sink in as well. just more things to think about. so when is the demolition party start. keep us up to date, you've been a great resource for me in the past.

I was thinking about moving the plumbing lines since I'd be drilling / hammering away concrete right in that corner. Wow, if I could get access to that sewer line, not only could a rinse sink fit in the (soon to be enlarged apparently) fishroom, but I could have the french drain pour into it as well!

The only drawback is needing more and more money. I need everyone to tell everyone to buy sumps and RO units from me ASAP.

You know Marc, the more I follow this thread, the more I like the idea of several nano's linked to a common sump, instead of one big tank.
Lets see, I've got two 29's, a 20 long a 10 and I can get a 55 cheap. Hmmmm.

I don't know about a sump marc, but I am looking at an RO/DI but have to wait until I am moved and settled a bit for that.

I can donate some brown turf algae for your refugium, or algae scrubber if you want to go that route.

Phil

Glad to see you upgrading. It will be a long and very costly process (ask me about it) but it's always good to upgrade when yo'r already fixing or moving the tank...
Felt more confident with the dimensions I chose for my new tank when you chose soemthing very similar( 2 inches deeper and 4 inches longer than my tank...)
Do you think you'll have to add 1 more LB to cover that length? Is it Taler than the old tank? do you think it'll be easy to work with the new tank at 30 inches tall? would you think you'll have to go inside the tank at least for scaping it?
How about sad will you add some to it to have a DSB or will you use a shallow Sand bed?
Looking forward to see the build progress

No, I won't have to add a lumenbright. The ones I have were butted against each other. This time I can space them out 4" to 6" apart and still get good coverage.

My last tank was 30" tall, so this is the same. A pain to work in, but if I had gone shallower, it would have looked squished between the upper and lower woodwork (or walls). There's an aesthetic look that has to be kept in mind.

No, I won't have to climb in to clean it, I'll have full access from all angles.

I'll use all the sand I have, and probably more.

Wow Marc, you have been a busy guy since I came by. Probably one of your last reeferaddicts to see your old tank in all its glory. I'm sure all this hard work will pay off in the end, you were in need of more space anyway. Just sorry to see you have to tear the old one down. I'm glad to hear that everything is still doing well. If I can help in any way let me know.

What are your thoughts behind starfire glass on the sump room side?.

I'd like the option to take pictures from the backside of the tank and Starphire has great clarity.

So have you gotten an ETA on the tank...Cant wait to see what it looks like with the extra depth your getting

OK, I am in the process of moving myself but have a couple hours downtime and expected to see pictures of new tank starting to come together. Anyway do we have an updated on this new masterpiece Marc??

No, I've not heard anything yet. That's why nothing has been reported.

I've been thinking about the upcoming tank. Here are the things I know I'll be doing:

• Concrete - I want to make the fishroom floor even with the floor the tank is on. Perhaps I'll run some PVC through the concrete to run wires or push water through it and not have to step over any ever in the future.
• French drain - Just because it feels european. LOL - No, I love the idea of a way to control any drainage, and I'll very likely use it for water changes.
• Steel powder coated stand - I need to get the final tank dimensions locked in, and the stand will be ordered.
• Electrical subpanel - To get the circuits isolated, primarily. The panel will be on the backside of the wall to avoid humidity issues.
• New sump - the new sump simply because the older one was made in 2005, but also because I'd like to make the new one longer and a few inches less wide so it will fit under the tank fully.
• Enlarge the room - I'd like to make a little more room for the water change barrels to fit.

The old walls above and below the tank will be pulled out. I'll build some temporary ones 1' away from the existing one, and secure the 1" foam 4' x 8' sheets to keep the temperature in the house and the dust out. I'll be using a new smaller door to enter the fishroom, and will probably install that door into the faux wall to get easy access during the rebuild.

With the walls out, some rewiring will be necessary to put power where I need it and get power out of the way.

I'm toying with the idea of staining the concrete or possibly putting down floor tile where I walk.

I see you been real busy "thinking". All great ideas Marc! They have some kind of commercial paint that once its down its down, they use it in big warehouses and such that want strong and reliable floors that will take a beating. When I was a engineer, when I could see, I use to put it down in the plant area. Would be perfect for a fish room. They may sell some at home building supply stores. Look into it, will last a long time. ;-)

Marc, good idea on a subpanel dedicated to aquarium equipment, that way you can easily install a transfer switch for your generator.

Yeah, no way on the adjustable feet. That kind of crap is fine for small tanks. I had no idea Marineland did custom work. Is that part of their business or just a one-off for you? How is it going with humidity in the living room?

Sucks your other tank started leaking, but I am excited to see how this one turns out. I myself am planning stages of a 40 breeder for my small living room. I have contructed a steel stand made from 1.5 stainless boxed tubing. I have also welded a nut on the bottoms for leveling feet. My tank will have no where near the amount of weight yours will be, but at my work we have tons of machinery that uses leveling feet. Cant wait for updates.