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Re:Kathy's new growout system build.
Sunday, January 22, 2012 3:44 AM
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How thick of a Styrofoam do you use?
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Re:Kathy's new growout system build.
Sunday, January 22, 2012 7:19 AM
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 Originally Posted by KathyL Is it really true that only the corners of glass tanks need to be supported? I can't find confirmation of this on the web. I would definitely be nervous about 30" of unsupported length. It is my understanding that a tank only needs to be supported along the two long edges (I haven't tried looking for any confirmation of this). I've never heard of "just the corners" before. I've had plenty of small tanks (20s, 15s, 10s) positioned over the years that are supported only along the two long panes, and even have the short ends hanging off of whatever they are set on which then none of the corners are supported. My LFS recently renovated and has his tank racks are built very much like yours, except the tanks have the long pane forward of course, and are only supported along the two long panes. His tanks are mainly 40 gallon breeders, but he has also has several 125(ish?) gallon tanks supported this way as well. I don't use styrofoam under small tanks, but I do have 1/2" rigid styrofoam under my 40 gallon breeder tanks and my reef tanks. This is used for insulating the exterior of basement walls for those of you trying to find it. I am interested to see how the return plumbing works for you as I was considering the exact same design for my own growout whenever I build it (need some babies first lol).
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Re:Kathy's new growout system build.
Sunday, January 22, 2012 7:36 AM
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I always read that the Styrofoam was mainly to help get rid of any inconsistencies in the level of the plywood. I can see it would be a good insulator too. I wish I had put some under my tanks.
RLTW 180 Gallon Mixed Reef Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" And I said, "Here am I. Send me!" Isaiah 6:8
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Re:Kathy's new growout system build.
Sunday, January 22, 2012 8:10 AM
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I am building a return line for my Broodstock tanks also. I am going to make the return line a loop to try and equalize water to both the upper and lower shelf.
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Re:Kathy's new growout system build.
Monday, January 23, 2012 8:30 AM
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Originally Posted by rgrking I always read that the Styrofoam was mainly to help get rid of any inconsistencies in the level of the plywood. I can see it would be a good insulator too. I wish I had put some under my tanks.
Yeah, I forgot to mention all my sumps have 1" rigid styrofoam under them for insulation mainly because they are on a concrete floor. Helps quite a bit. All my broodstock tanks have silver bubble wrap insulation under them in the trim filling the space between the bottom pane and the plywood. One day I will manage to get my butt in gear and wrap a layer around the back of the tanks too. Insulation sure makes a big difference in heater work.
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Re:Kathy's new growout system build.
Monday, January 23, 2012 7:38 PM
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That was my plan as well, to stick silver bubble wrap on the bottoms of the tanks. I've decided, and started work, to just supplement the frame with 2x4s to support all the sides of each aquarium. I'll also put some more dense insulation between the frame and the aquarium edge to even out the surface.
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Re:Kathy's new growout system build.
Monday, January 30, 2012 9:36 PM
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Well, I didn't do any of that. Just putting the tanks on the 2x4s left lots of gaps under the plastic frame. If i had started with the plan to frame each tank, I could have constructed it level. I ended up using plywood, painted of course. Finally the stand is completed, and I'm doing the plumbing now. I built the drains today. 2 inch PVC pipe with a T for three tanks, and elbows on the ends, and one T to direct the water to the end of the sump where the Kaldnes media will be. Tomorrow I'll install the drains and build the plumbing for the return. I can use some of the plumbing from the old return. I've decided on a closed loop to equalize the pressure for all the tanks. I'll also have valves and unions to allow me to change the angle of the valves that run to the tanks, and also to clean/change things should I want to. I'll put extra valves in so I can shut off flow to each level should I want to, and I'll have a pressure releif return to the sump. This will be handy if I want to shut off a level, while still not overfiling the tanks still on the system. Valves going to the tanks will be screw on, so I can replace them should they wear out or break. I've not had that happen, yet, but I've only been doing this a few years. Pictures later. i was just re-reading this and it isn't clear what I did. I did frame each tank with 2x4s by inserting boards between the beams. Then I covered that with the painted plywood. I've been looking at Fishboy 42's (Matt Carberry) thread on Rareclownfishes dot com and he doesn't put styrofoam or anything on the bottom, except for the 2x4 support for each tank, as a frame.
<message edited by KathyL on Saturday, February 4, 2012 9:27 PM>
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Re:Kathy's new growout system build.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 7:06 PM
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My tanks have some gaps under them...I really should pull them all and put styrofoam under them. Argh. Did you use styrofoam?
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Re:Kathy's new growout system build.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 7:13 PM
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I didn't use styrofoam. I am concerned that the bottom rims of the tanks will cut into the styrofoam, compress it, and the uncompressed part of the sheet will press up on the glass bottom. That could be disastrous. Since I used plywood, I feel that the air gap between and glass and the board, and the board itself, will insulate well enough. Since heat rises, the tank is unlikely to lose heat through the bottom anyway. I could be wrong about all this, but this is what I did. For what it's worth.
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Re:Kathy's new growout system build.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 7:15 PM
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Today I hung the drains, and assembled, glued and screwed the return closed loop. My hands hurt. All the return valves are screw in, as well as the insert fitting between the valve and the water. There is no tool that works better than ones hands, and its not exactly easy.
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Re:Kathy's new growout system build.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 7:18 PM
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Next: - clean pump
- make supports for returns
- support returns
- attach to pump assembly
- water test
- complete lighting
- complete airline setup
- install electrical outlets
- build kalends reactor
- attach top off
- build water change system
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Re:Kathy's new growout system build.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 7:23 PM
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Complicating all this are the tanks in use on the stand, even now. I have a pair in QT, two pots of eggs waiting to hatch, and one tank of larvae. I need to transfer some very young juveniles out of a BRT to a tank tomorrow or the next day. I may have 4 or 5 tanks in use before I finish the build….That's 50% occupied. When I'm done, I can start on the rebuild for the smaller system. Eight 10 gallon tanks are planned...
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Re:Kathy's new growout system build.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 9:08 PM
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Originally Posted by KathyL
I didn't use styrofoam. I am concerned that the bottom rims of the tanks will cut into the styrofoam, compress it, and the uncompressed part of the sheet will press up on the glass bottom. That could be disastrous. Since I used plywood, I feel that the air gap between and glass and the board, and the board itself, will insulate well enough. Since heat rises, the tank is unlikely to lose heat through the bottom anyway The styrofoam is just as much to absorb inconsistencies in the contact between the frame and the plywood. For a bank of tanks I use one big piece under all the tanks that hangs out at least 1/2" on all sides from the tanks. I have a 90 gallon reef tank that is sitting on 1/2" styrofoam which is only 1/8" bigger than the frame on the tank and it has not noticeably compressed anywhere. The styrofoam you should use is very dense, it is usually used to insulate the outside of a concrete foundation on a house or sometimes people use it in the walls (it's rather expensive for that though). It is stiff and is either light pink, light blue, or purple (sometimes white). It should have a uniform consistency, not like tiny foam balls half melted into eachother like the stuff they use for packing TVs. Owen Corning is the usual brand around here with the product called Foamular or Celfort. It comes in 8x2' sheets that will be 1/2" to 2" thick, some have rabbeted edges, but look for the square edges. The sheets will be $12-18 for the 1/2" (up here anyway). Google "Owen Corning rigid insulation" and you can see lots of pics.
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Re:Kathy's new growout system build.
Tuesday, January 31, 2012 9:31 PM
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Re:Kathy's new growout system build.
Saturday, February 4, 2012 9:34 PM
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I got most of the things on that list done except for the water change tub, and the Kaldnes build. I started filling with water today. I am using my filtered water for the water test, and although there is seepage water on the floor from the rain we've been having lately, the plumbing is dry on the outside. Seven tanks filling makes a scary splashing noise, though. I checked all the joints multiple times, and not a leak could be found. I am wondering if my Quiet One 3000 is up to the task of keeping flow in 10 tanks. I am only filling 7 at the moment, and its pretty thin, what's coming out of the return valves. I'll have to see what happens when I can really run it. If the pump is inadequate, though, it should be fairly simple to change it out with a 4000. I like the Quiet One pumps, and have used them on all my systems with success, but I've never built such a large system, 200+ gallons.
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Re:Kathy's new growout system build.
Sunday, February 5, 2012 3:55 PM
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Ah, but give a little water pressure, as I finally had the 235 gallons collected, and every screw-in connection leaked. Only one glue-in connection leaked, but I needed to replace that section anyway. I had used a section of PVC scavenged from another project, and perhaps it was bound to fail. Two more trips to Home Depot, and I should have it… heh.
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Re:Kathy's new growout system build.
Sunday, February 5, 2012 4:46 PM
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I have a Quiet One 4000 on my broodstock system. The tanks are all eye level though so the highest point of the plumbing is about 7 feet. My system is about 100 gallons with 6 tanks online right now. I wouldn't want any less flow, but I'm a reefer, so I like flow. LOL I hear you on the threaded connections...I have no luck with those.
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Re:Kathy's new growout system build.
Sunday, February 5, 2012 6:28 PM
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Kathy- Hey!  Ok #1...pictures of it all ? And #2 - Cool ... can't wait to hear you on Under the Sea Radio Show Should be great! Looking forward to it
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Re:Kathy's new growout system build.
Sunday, February 5, 2012 10:25 PM
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Oh, I hope you aren't expecting too much on # 2, LOL. I have pix, but not right now.
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Re:Kathy's new growout system build.
Sunday, February 5, 2012 10:28 PM
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What is the show and when? Please share a link.
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