75 Gal. upgrade

Here are some pictures of the work so far, hope this works. First one is some of the equipment and area where the sump will be. Tank on the left is a new 20 gal long which will be the qt. and the one on the right is an old 29 gal I had and will be the sump.


These two are of the rig I used to cut the glass. I used a 2.5" wood hole saw to cut the top piece of wood which I used for a guide. The hole saw for the glass is a little smaller so it worked out pretty good. there are a few paint sticks on top of the glass to create some space for the water to flow while cutting.




This one is the external overflow box assembled

 

Looks like you have a good start. I'm looking forward to seeing your progress.

 

more pictures

Here is the external overflow box installed on the tank with a couple extra supports on the bottom


The new RODI system from Bulk Reef Supply. The pvc above the sump is to show how I will be supporting the weight of the pipes. There is a clamp just below the union that has a threaded rod screwed into it. The rod can slide up and down in the slots of the plywood and can be secured with nuts and big washers on either side of plywood. The drains will be coming through the floor between the joists above the slots.

 

you look like you know what you're doing. thx for sharing and looking forward to your progress!

 

thank you luckily for me there is a ton of knowledge and pictures on this site.

 

Some new pics

Tank and stand in place!


These next ones are a little difficult to see but it is the back wall which is a piece of dark acrylic, to hide the plumbing. There is also an overflow, made of the same acrylic, built into the wall. Its not quite a coast to coast because I am going to put my power head on the back wall on one side and the return from the sump on the other side.

 

looks great..

Couple things.

1) if you can give yourself a little more room behind tank I would
2) if you are planning on having an open top those pictures above it may get slightly warped from evaporation. My daughter has a tank in her room and the pictures definitely have a little wave action going on. Not to bad but if they are important pics something to consider.

 

Thanks for the pointers Chris, the tank was in this spot for a few years and luckily for me there have been no issues with the pictures, definitely going to look and make sure I have duplicates though before I push my luck any further. As for the extra room behind the tank there is a little more than 5" to the wall. Were you thinking that there might not be enough room for repairs/maintenance?

 

5" isn't bad. If it looks ok I would give yourself a couple more if possible. As mentioned by you it is useful if need any repair and for ease of maintenance. Also useful for space if you hang any of your power strips etc on that back wall instead of in the cabinet. We all know it can get a little cramped inside.

 

Fortunately for me all the electrical will be in the cellar with the sump, the exception is the light and a 1 power head which have their own dedicated outlet in the wall. I also put a pretty good sized hole in the back of the tank stand

The small rectangle portion of the cut out was the old access for the power strip mess I had inside the stand before this project started. The pvc in the picture is 1.5" and there will be 2 more for the bean animal coming down next to it with unions on all 3. The hole should be big enough for me to gain access if/when needed, assuming my measuring is accurate 8)