MRC's Frag Tank Build

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Well the answer for my sump has been sitting in front of me all along literally lol. The totes I use for mix water work pretty well for that and I have another that I use for a cleaning tub for rock which I've had upwards of 100lbs in all the way filled with water with no issue. I'm using the semi-clear 106 quart sterelite totes. I'll just double em up for each sump for added security. My only worry is leakage from the bulkheads in the sides if I do double these up....any thoughts on that?
 
Suppose it should work. Any thoughts on a Rubbermaid pond? They seem fairly cheap for large sized. 100 gal about $100.
 
Won't fit... Trust me I really wanted the 75 gallon.. I used the 100 gallon tubs at my old job. I only have 37"x24"x16" to work with ( I could go a few inches taller but I wanna be able to work under the stand easier.).. now if I could find a trough that would fit I could use an 8'x17"x16" because the center support legs only leaves me a 17" gap instead of having the full 24" front to back.
 
Gonna go ahead and get 2 of the brute trash cans aswell, a white one for my top off container and a grey one for new mix water as I'm gonna need to up the size of my water changes obviously. I'm also getting VERY impatient on this group buy too lol I wanna order a few extra Ro/Di filter replacements, some filter socks, return nozzles, and an ATO system. Oh yeah and a few extra bulbs too but ill probably order those on eBay.
 
Well the answer for my sump has been sitting in front of me all along literally lol. The totes I use for mix water work pretty well for that and I have another that I use for a cleaning tub for rock which I've had upwards of 100lbs in all the way filled with water with no issue. I'm using the semi-clear 106 quart sterelite totes. I'll just double em up for each sump for added security. My only worry is leakage from the bulkheads in the sides if I do double these up....any thoughts on that?

Sounds like a plan! As far as leakage... Lots of silicone. If you silicone the inside of the inside bin real good and the outside of the outside bin where the bulkheads go through the tubs, it should do the trick. Right? Also, and this is just another one of my ideas, would you be able to fill the outside tub with some pool filter sand, enough to raise the inside tub to a level that you would only have to drill through one tub? Then, after you place the inside tub into the outside tub, you could fill the space in between the tubs with sand so it's a nice snug fit and the tubs won't wiggle around. Does that make sense?
 
Ya I hear what your saying but if you elevate it like your saying the plastic will then have a gap since they taper down slightly to the base. I imagine it would probably work exactly the same but a whole lot more work lol. I think the plan is to just drench the inside tub side panels with silicone as you were saying and then fill the tubs with water to be sure of a snug fit. Then ill drain and drill, add bulkheads, and then permanently seal the bulkheads. I'll have to ball valves between the two tubs with a union in the middle to make it possible to plug and remove if need be for replacement or anything else.
 
I doubled up brute trash cans and used expandable foam in between the two to make the inner one more insulated as my mixing station is on the garage. All I did was cut a hole in the outside one and then drilled the inner one, added the bulkhead, and then replaced the cut out piece and insulated underneath with more expandable foam. Long story short (too late) you could use the same method so as to not have to worry about leaks so much. See in my pic you can't see the bulkhead, only the pipe leading out.
 

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That looks like it would work out pretty well but I honestly think it would be a bit overkill in my situation, plus it would probably look terrible since the totes are semi-clear lol.
 
That looks like it would work out pretty well but I honestly think it would be a bit overkill in my situation, plus it would probably look terrible since the totes are semi-clear lol.
Yeah it's in a cabinet so I don't care how it looks but I was more suggesting the method of only installing the bulkhead on the inner tub and leaving just a hole through the outer tub. You could even seal it with clear plastic if you wanted the outer tub to be watertight if the inner one leaked.
 
Yeah it's in a cabinet so I don't care how it looks but I was more suggesting the method of only installing the bulkhead on the inner tub and leaving just a hole through the outer tub. You could even seal it with clear plastic if you wanted the outer tub to be watertight if the inner one leaked.

Ya I get what your saying. That probably wouldnt be a bad idea to drill a hole about a inch bigger then the inside tub for a better seal
 
Ok so I might run up to Walmart tonight and get the 4 more totes since I'm probably not going to sleep any time soon lol. After that ill need 6 large bulkheads with the plumbing and valves for them, the hoses for my soft plumbing, and the few items I'm waiting to place my order from BRS and ill be ready to start officially setting this up and getting water in it. I'm thinking this time next month and I should have the first frag tank fully operational :D
 
Great for you! Hope it goes smooth. I'm in the process if getting my frag tanks. Haven't decided if I'm gonna get used, new, or build myself.
 
I wouldnt waste the money on new to be honest when really just a lil hard work you can make a used one look brand new. Plus if your getting it solely for frag propagation then looks don't really matter.
 
Yeah I don't mind used at all, it's more of an availability issue. Been cruising Craigslist for few weeks and & haven't found any yet lol. Brand new in eBay range $100-$300. Quote from Tap Plastics for the size I want was over $600 in acrylic & that wasn't even all the acrylic needed, the glue, or any other miscellaneous items needed.
 
Even with the work I put in I'm VERY happy with the $140 that mine cost me :)
 
So I picked up 4 more 106 quart sterelite tubs and 4 durabilt tubs to experiment with. The 106 quart tubs have about a 1" gap between the bottoms when stacked so what I will do is kinda take one of the suggestions earlier and fill the bottom of the outside tub with some cheap sand that way the weight is transferred into the bottom tub and then the floor.
 

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2- 4'x2'x8" with .5" acrylic (LxWxH)

Two huh? That is a good deal. I found a guy here that has used frag tanks today and he is emailing me a list tonight of what size and how many he has. Don't think I will get any that size that cheap though. A friend who got me the contact said probably about $300 for one the size he had. I didn't measure his but it appeared about 5' x 3' x 12" or so.
 
So I picked up 4 more 106 quart sterelite tubs and 4 durabilt tubs to experiment with. The 106 quart tubs have about a 1" gap between the bottoms when stacked so what I will do is kinda take one of the suggestions earlier and fill the bottom of the outside tub with some cheap sand that way the weight is transferred into the bottom tub and then the floor.

Very awesome!! And I'm happy I had a good idea for you. :) :)
 
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