alphasierra
Member
Hello RSM owners and enthusiasts... Since this is the forum where my passion for this hobby really 'took off' (no pun intended) and many of you here often PM me asking how the new tank is going... I will share the tank and process I went through with you. Many of the posts will be in past tense since a lot has already happened.
Here is the link to my old RSM130 The RSM Adventure
Let the show begin....
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"Moderators, members and guests...
Welcome aboard. Please Fasten your seat-belt and make sure your seat is in the upright position and tray table stowed. The flight ahead should be smooth and I look forward to making your reading enjoyable"
Is it possible to create a beautiful reef in the sky similar to this beautiful sunrise??
Not sure... but I will try.
My Experience
Hello all!
Just a quick intro for those who don't know me. My name is Andrew and I have been fascinated by aquatic life for many years but have never had the chance to own a reef tank up until 2 years ago. I have only been in the hobby just over 2 years so there is still a lot to learn but I am looking forward to the challenge(s). My first tank was the Red Sea Max (RSM) 34 Gallon. It was a great tank for a beginner but as predicted... I caught the bug and decided to upgrade.
My Goals
I came across Zeovit and the concept around 20 months ago and would like to try it. My goals are to mainly have a dominated SPS reef with some marine fish. Besides the contents inside the aquarium I am trying to design a stylish & modern setup which compliments my apartment. Can all this be done in up in the sky? Stay on board and time will tell
Current Tank
This was my old tank and the space that I had to work with
Display Tank
Rimless Design
3/4" Low-Iron Glass (sides and front)
66"L x 26"W x 22"H
Clear Silicon
Since I'm limited for space and the tank can not be wider than 26" I've elected for an internal overflow and not an external overflow. I would like the tank to be viewable when I walk through the front door so having an overflow at one end isn't really an option.
A sample of the 3/4" low-iron glass. This tank will be heavy :hmm2:
What it should look like
Sump
Located under the display tank inside the cabinet.
3/8" Normal Glass
42"L x 20.5"W x 16"H
Clear Silicon
Stand
I wanted to create a stand that was unique, user friendly and allowed me to fit everything I needed inside so I decided to design one which would allow this. I also wanted the ability to roll the sump in and out when required for cleaning and to incorporate a sliding table to ease maintenance chores.
Stand will be made of 1.5"x1.5" Steel painted white.
66"L x 26"W x 32.5"H
An end view showing where the sump tray will slide in and out.
Sump Tray, Sliding Table... etc
Underneath the sliding tray table will be the electrical area and ATO container. This section will be separated from the sump by a piece of acrylic to minimize salt creep/rust.
Cabinet & Features
After much thinking I have decided to go with a light blue colour similar to the picture.
I needed to design the cabinet doors to allow the sump tray and sliding table to be utilized. To achieve this the end doors needed to be removable. Decided to use a 'French Cleat'
How it will look
The front cabinet doors will be rather large and heavy so I needed find good quality stainless steel sliders that can carry the weight of each door. Also needed some that would extend 100% to allow me to access the front adequately. After a search I decided to go with this Japanese brand. Same brand but smaller size will be used on the sliding table.
They will be attached to wood which will be attached to the steel frame.
Finally, the sump will roll out on caster wheels which are rated at 50kg Static and 25kg Dynamic each.
Room Layout & Background
Checking the tank measurements will fit the room
The next challenge was to decide what background colour to have?
Black, Blue or nothing? Much thought went into this as the tank will only be 26" deep and I wanted to achieve a perception of "depth" and it must not clash with the cabinet colour. I therefore elected to go with blue, but with a 'twist'.
This is what I came up with.
Next was to see how it looked on the tank whether it would look acceptable with the blue cabinet.
The end result.
The background will be custom built but I have recently been having some trouble finding someone who can make it. It will be a lot harder than I thought.
Electric Light Lifter
To make maintenance easier I have designed an electric light lifter. This will be the first item installed before the tank and stand arrive.
An older drawing showing how it will hopefully look above the tank
Top view
A video I took showing the lifter unit in operation. I was amazed how smoothly and quiet it operates. You can program the heights/distances you want it to stop as to avoid accidentally pulling the plugs out, etc...
Completed.
Here is the link to my old RSM130 The RSM Adventure
Let the show begin....
∇
∇
∇
∇
∇
"Moderators, members and guests...
Welcome aboard. Please Fasten your seat-belt and make sure your seat is in the upright position and tray table stowed. The flight ahead should be smooth and I look forward to making your reading enjoyable"
Is it possible to create a beautiful reef in the sky similar to this beautiful sunrise??
Not sure... but I will try.
My Experience
Hello all!
Just a quick intro for those who don't know me. My name is Andrew and I have been fascinated by aquatic life for many years but have never had the chance to own a reef tank up until 2 years ago. I have only been in the hobby just over 2 years so there is still a lot to learn but I am looking forward to the challenge(s). My first tank was the Red Sea Max (RSM) 34 Gallon. It was a great tank for a beginner but as predicted... I caught the bug and decided to upgrade.
My Goals
I came across Zeovit and the concept around 20 months ago and would like to try it. My goals are to mainly have a dominated SPS reef with some marine fish. Besides the contents inside the aquarium I am trying to design a stylish & modern setup which compliments my apartment. Can all this be done in up in the sky? Stay on board and time will tell
Current Tank
This was my old tank and the space that I had to work with
Display Tank
Rimless Design
3/4" Low-Iron Glass (sides and front)
66"L x 26"W x 22"H
Clear Silicon
Since I'm limited for space and the tank can not be wider than 26" I've elected for an internal overflow and not an external overflow. I would like the tank to be viewable when I walk through the front door so having an overflow at one end isn't really an option.
A sample of the 3/4" low-iron glass. This tank will be heavy :hmm2:
What it should look like
Sump
Located under the display tank inside the cabinet.
3/8" Normal Glass
42"L x 20.5"W x 16"H
Clear Silicon
Stand
I wanted to create a stand that was unique, user friendly and allowed me to fit everything I needed inside so I decided to design one which would allow this. I also wanted the ability to roll the sump in and out when required for cleaning and to incorporate a sliding table to ease maintenance chores.
Stand will be made of 1.5"x1.5" Steel painted white.
66"L x 26"W x 32.5"H
An end view showing where the sump tray will slide in and out.
Sump Tray, Sliding Table... etc
Underneath the sliding tray table will be the electrical area and ATO container. This section will be separated from the sump by a piece of acrylic to minimize salt creep/rust.
Cabinet & Features
After much thinking I have decided to go with a light blue colour similar to the picture.
I needed to design the cabinet doors to allow the sump tray and sliding table to be utilized. To achieve this the end doors needed to be removable. Decided to use a 'French Cleat'
How it will look
The front cabinet doors will be rather large and heavy so I needed find good quality stainless steel sliders that can carry the weight of each door. Also needed some that would extend 100% to allow me to access the front adequately. After a search I decided to go with this Japanese brand. Same brand but smaller size will be used on the sliding table.
They will be attached to wood which will be attached to the steel frame.
Finally, the sump will roll out on caster wheels which are rated at 50kg Static and 25kg Dynamic each.
Room Layout & Background
Checking the tank measurements will fit the room
The next challenge was to decide what background colour to have?
Black, Blue or nothing? Much thought went into this as the tank will only be 26" deep and I wanted to achieve a perception of "depth" and it must not clash with the cabinet colour. I therefore elected to go with blue, but with a 'twist'.
This is what I came up with.
Next was to see how it looked on the tank whether it would look acceptable with the blue cabinet.
The end result.
The background will be custom built but I have recently been having some trouble finding someone who can make it. It will be a lot harder than I thought.
Electric Light Lifter
To make maintenance easier I have designed an electric light lifter. This will be the first item installed before the tank and stand arrive.
An older drawing showing how it will hopefully look above the tank
Top view
A video I took showing the lifter unit in operation. I was amazed how smoothly and quiet it operates. You can program the heights/distances you want it to stop as to avoid accidentally pulling the plugs out, etc...
Completed.
