Design for 150G Acrylic

[giulianom]

Hey, look at what I mocked up in Sketchup... an equivalent to the MRC 36 Sump/Fuge.

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I figured it would be about the right size to go under a 60" x 24" x 36" stand mockup... although I may make the stand higher by a few inches.

And look, it fits!

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[gmpolan]

MRC is def a great product all around, but i paid sig less for a brand new for a starfire tank, same dimensions, just no external overflow.

And i ended up going with a 55 gallon sump as i added a frag tank so it might good to consider if you ever plan on going up or want more room for equipment.

 

[giulianom]

They say this 36x18x18 holds 50 gallons.. And yeah, it's on the high end - $460 for the Reef version, spot-checked on various sites..

 

[gmpolan]

There was my build thread, it will prob look real similar ( besides stand, edges, etc)

 

[giulianom]

gmpolan;651352 wrote: There was my build thread, it will prob look real similar ( besides stand, edges, etc)
http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=45730">http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=45730</a>[/QUOTE]

Nice... I hope you have had better luck since back then... :)

 

[giulianom]

Went and saw Bad76Boy's MRC-made tank this morning.. 1/2" acrylic instead of 3/4" but still very nice.

HUGE "doughnut" of live rock in the center of the tank. Very nice...


On the way home, I stopped by Lowe's to pick up some PVC schedule 40 pipe parts to see what one of the drains would look like assembled.

Left: 1.5" 90 Street Elbow - plugs right in to the T.
Center: 1.5" Sanitary T
Top: Cleanout Adapter and screw-in cap. I'll seal the threads with Teflon tape or Teflon paste so that it's airtight.
Bottom: 2' of 1.5" SCH40 PVC pipe for testing.

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[giulianom]

Started actually designing a real stand frame and canopy...


Frame itself is 60 x 24 x 36, but I have added 6" rear panels that go up the back to hide the plumbing and overflow. They'll be hinged so I can open them up like doors.

Makes the total depth 30", which isn't bad.

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[rededge2k1]

A quick SketchUp tip for you, that might make your drawings "prettier."

From the SketchUp menu bar, click "Window" then click "Styles." In the new Styles window that pops open, click the tab called "Edit." Under this tab, click the first icon on the left, for "Edge Settings." Then, un-check all of the boxes except for "Edges."

Doing this will get rid of the goofy "tick marks" and line extensions that SketchUp adds to your drawings by default. This stuff may look cool at first, but it gets pretty annoying (at least for me, when I draw).

Take care,
Dustin

 

[giulianom]

Thanks!

It does make everything look a bit smoother...


Sketchup is pretty good for "free", it certainly helps me to visualize things.

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Plenty of room for a Reeflo Dart... or maybe a Snapper.

The new Hybrid pumps look cool.

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[hawk]

I wonder how big of a tank I could get tht would make since with the space I have.......... 48x16x48 thats the room I have

 

[giulianom]

Hawk;652390 wrote: I wonder how big of a tank I could get tht would make since with the space I have.......... 48x16x48 thats the room I have

Well, the standard 55 Gallon tank measures 48 x 13 x 20.

Are you talking about the tank only, or the tank + stand?


If you do 48 x 18, then you have the options for a 75 Gallon (48 x 18 x 20) or 90 Gallon (48 x 18 x 24).

 

[hawk]

I have the standard 55g right now. I dont need a stand</em>, just wondering with the extra 2-3 in on depth and could go up to 48in on height how functional would that be? Bascalliy I only have room to add height

 

[giulianom]

I think the tallest "standard" tank would be a 110g "Extra High": 48 x 18 x 30.

Anything much taller than that, and you'll have difficulty getting strong light to the bottom of the tank...

Even a huge 265 gallon tank is still only 84 x 24 x 30.

 

[hawk]

Makes sense

 

[giulianom]

GiulianoM;650793 wrote: Got my quote from MRC:

Tank ¾ Cell Cast Acrylic $1200.00
Overflow $150.00
Polycarbonate lids $90.00
Bulk heads w/ holes $15.00ea. (5 total)
Museum quality seams $180.00


So in total, $1695 for the above options.

I'm still inquiring about the black acrylic rear panel.


But otherwise, not bad considering glasscages lists the same base tank for $1495, without the options.

I'm probably going to pull the trigger on the order soonish, once a sort out a few things...

UPDATE:

Tim @ MRC provided me with an update on the cost of having the rear panel made out of black acrylic.

Adds $300 to the cost, or about $1995 in total.


Worth the cost?

I would either have to apply a bunch of black vinyl, or paint it (messy!) as an alternative.

 

[giulianom]

Getting closer to completing the design for the stand I'm going to have built.

Tweaked / added features.

Front:

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Isometric front:

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Right:

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Isometric front, with canopy open:

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Rear:

You can see the plumbing cover panels on the sides, attached to the hinges. The panels attached to the canopy open out seperately from the longer panels attached to the base.

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So far I've designed it so that the stand, tank, and canopy are 6' tall - 7' tall with the canopy open. Plenty of room with an 8' ceiling.

 

[giulianom]

Amberjack;653369 wrote: Nice plans.</em>

First choice is probably My Reef Creations, who reportedly make very nice tanks.

I've heard this also.</em> :confused2:

Thanks.

I've made some substantial modifications in the last few days to the design, in order to incorporate a MRC 48" x 20" x 20" Hi-Flow/Reef sump and a Reeflo Dart/Snapper pump.

Base cabinet has been made longer, from 5' to 6'.

Front panel openings have been widened to 12" (left) and 48.5" (right) in order to fit the sump in the front.

Making the stand side-entry was becoming too problematic due to the depth of the stand.


Due to the large opening, the front panel is reinforced with 3 x 3/4" plywood panels instead of just one. The large opening requires it...


On the rear, the plumbing access panels are attached by magnetic cabinet latches, which should hold them in place but still make them easy to remove.

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I have a structural engineer coming to visit my home on Thursday, to inspect the framing for supporting the tank.

I will probably pull the trigger on ordering the tank and stand by the end of this week...


Going to have to move this thread to the "build" section of the forum soon. ;-)

 

[giulianom]

For anybody that's interested, I've put together a design document for the aquarium that I've been designing.


The PDF's are sized for a page size of 22" x 36", but you can view them online pretty easily.


I will most likely be sending this design to MRC in a few days for them to start building.

 

[smote]

Just wondering what you are planning for return plumbing?

 

[giulianom]

Drains are going to be 1.5", with one primary, one secondary, and one emergency drain...

Returns will probably be 1.25" at the two bulkheads.

Plumbing to/from the pump will probably be 1.5" or 2".