Yet Another Doc-u-build

[Matthew5664]

Right to start, heres the Alcove on the right side of my fire place the wall with the sockets on is an outside wall and the back wall is plasterboard.

Here is one of the side supports. They are 2*4 treated softwood held on the wall with 100x10mm anchor bolts. I had troble with drilling the holes and had to buy a new precussion hammer drill for the job, then when screwing the bolts in I used a ratchet set.

Like this

When they are both on the wall the moment of truth comes when you hope they are level and that the laser level you hired from HSS has done its job!

I then 'notched' out some 2*4 two inches in and 2 up

and Hammered them into place

The ends where screwed in flush with countersinks

Next was the Sump area using 2*2 made some supports

then hammered them into place for a tight fit

With some other cross supports out of 1/2*1 it looked like this

At this point I'd worked out the wait of the tank and had made sure that the supports could take twice the wait ( Just to put my Girlfriend at ease) However I'd been advised to put some supports in the middle and so my grilfriend went on at me to do it.

Then the fun realy started Marine Ply ££££££££ my word!!!!!

Cut it out on the kitchen table (ooops!) And with the top and bottom in I had somthing that looked like this.

Next well had to wait a cople of days for the pluming to come so in the meen time

Take one can of bitter and one glass pour and you sould have somethink like this

Enjoy!!


So the part arrived

I had over ordered 1 of each elbow and a stright connector. I'll explane why later. In the meadwhile got the tank drilled in the back right corner for the tank connector.
Place the tank on the stand and mesure for where the overflow and return is going to be.

Then the plummbing started. When coneccting the ball valve I forgot to put the union conection on and had to cut out one 32mm elbow hence over ordering!
Got it all done and let it dry overnight.

Then the water test

Found that I had foggoten to glue one of the return elbow and had a living room full of water! oops.
With that sealed all was fine the 1600LPH pump in a little to fast for the sump so the ball valve supplyed had to be tured down a bit.

Then the work on the sump began, went to a local plastic company ( Aquatic plastics Guilford ) and got some 6mm Acylic for £2!!!! This was used with some silicon from LFS to make the baffles

This is drying at the moment! 48 hours??? I cant wait that long!
Also made up the salty water and filled the tank with the sand.

Witch is setteling.

Just a note: After doing the water test I pumed all the water to the main tank then marked the level, replaced with RO and the salt then took water out as the sand went it. keeping to the level I had marked.

 

[andyj]

Looking good so far mate

1 thing I would say is that I'd be a bit cautious about just having the sump shelf resting on the skirting board. (or is it screwed to the wall like the top shelf?)

Keep us posted with more piccies


Also, can you shrink the piccies a little ?!? They're a bit big !!!

Andy

 

[simonbrown403]

I love these step by step builds.

I agree with andyj about the skirting board thing, i would be tempted to cut 5 noggins to fit under the ends of 2" * 2" rails and the back center upright just for extra support, better to be safe than sorry.

Also is the tank sitting on bare wood or have you put a pad (ie polystyrene or fiber board) to stop pressure cracks under the tank.

What you doing to face the front, a frame with doors.

Looking good sa far mate keep up the good work.

regard

simon

 

[Matthew5664]

andyj : The sump shelf is screwed into the wall at each end diagonaly and at the front to the support

How do I make them smaller? ( new camra don't know how to use it or the program)

simonbrown403 : The fron face is going to be made of Pine stained to look like the floor (oak) could even use some of the leftover flooring itself!
Then some sort of kitchen doors from IKEA or B&Q

 

[simonbrown403]

Something like this

 

[Matthew5664]

Yep! that's the ticket, Gona get it all set-up and running first to save hassle incase something goes wrong ( touch wood) Got my Planted comm tank the other side of the firwe place but thats on a stand.

Got the plans for the front in a folder somwhere and for the lights I'm not to sure yet PC's MH???

Them how to hange them is another thing. The tank is the same hight as the other one whitch leaves enought room uptop to have a shelf and RO resivior there

 

[*Lucifer*]

wow that looks great? any idea what ya gone put in it?

keep us posted cant wait to see it finished!!

Lucifer

 

[Matthew5664]

*Lucifer* : The girl friend wants nemo so as a resolution for having the tank in the first place shes getting
them. Hoping to perswade her toward the Maroon with gold stripes. Then from there who
Knows?

 

[*Lucifer*]

ahhh a nemo, and maybe a dori too then? id love to have a marine tank, but having six red bellied pirahnas that i would do anything for i could never give them up!!!!!

good luck

Lou

 

[Matthew5664]

Thanks Mate I'll keep you up to date on my progress

 

[Matthew5664]

My girlfriend asked me to put this picture in to show how your kitchen looks when you use it as a workshop!

 

[Matty]

i love the step by step builds. KEEP THEM COMING!!!

Looks very good mate, especially the sump and connecting tubes. Very professional!

 

[Matthew5664]

Update as of now the sand is settling just so work on the sump started and found a leek between one of the baffles!!!!! so had to re-silicon it

got it proped up to dry at the mo ( sand was wet from washing )

And thats it at the mo

 

[Matthew5664]

This is the tank now its all set-up and running just need lights and we're off
( Had a little argument with the girldfriend about how much time and mony is being spent on this thing so have to wait a while for now (only a week or so))

And a close up of the sump.

Though the sump was going to be louder than it is!

 

[shuhu]

how many Gallons does the tank and the sump hold ???