DIY Custom All In One Tank Build Project 001

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Sweet thanks for the link! So im pretty sure closing the valve on the feeds will not change the sump level. Since air cannot fill the space the water will be stuck in the feed along with gravitys help since the feed is going upwards.
 
Sweet thanks for the link! So im pretty sure closing the valve on the feeds will not change the sump level. Since air cannot fill the space the water will be stuck in the feed along with gravitys help since the feed is going upwards.

I'm not talking bout the water in the feed line. It's like this when I do a water change I turn off the feed now the water in the tank will still overflow into the sump for a few. So i'm saying make sure your sump can handle the left over water from the tanks.
 
Ah I see your point now. The difference between our 2 setups is that your feed pipe that is 100% full and your overflow pipe with a bit of falling water all drops into the sump when you shut your system off.

My design will not allow the water in the feed pipe to drain back down so the only extra water is the small amount from the overflow pipe that is still falling. Even though its a lot less than yours you are still 100% right. When I design the sump I am going to have to leave some room for extra water in case of anything like that. Probably will only operate at 80 to 90% of its full holding ability giving me an extra 3 to 6 gallons of safe messure.
 
Well everyone we have another set back... I cant find a way to place out the frame without the display tank going up to the 7 foot range... and no one wants to look up at a tank or use a step stool to clean it.

My next design took the 2 10g in the middle and moved them to the outside so I can remove the space I gave to get into the tanks. This brings the top of the display tank to to 5 feet high and that works for me. only problem is now the design is almost 5 feet wide as well.

I guess 5 feet isnt that bad considering everything we will have in this 5 foot unit but im looking for any other ideas or suggestions.

Just to recap we are building an all one unit with 2 29g and 2 10g tanks. The 2 29s will act as the display and sump tanks and the 2 10s are for quarantine, hospital, breeding or whatever. All built in the same unit and sharing the same water with an option to isolate any of the 3 tanks from the sump and rest of the system for if your doing medications or separating sick fish from the system.
 

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I cant draw something, take a picture and post it on here so I will attempt to describe my idea.

By using these

6PK 2X4 BASICS SHELF KIT by Hopkins Mfg Corp - 90128MI - More Shelving at doitbest.com

You are able to use four 2x4's for legs, and than several more for the shelving. I came to a total of 43 inches each, for the legs. Which totals with roughly 62" from the floor to the top of the display tank.

-6 inches to account for 2 inches for each of the 3 shelves.
-2 inches for feet on the bottom.
-20 inches for the 29 gallon tank
-15 inches for the 10 gallon tanks

This shelf system allows for at least an inch of access between the top of the tank and the shelf above it. There is extra room above the 10 gallon tanks to allow for a piece of plywood to sit under the tanks for support for the overhang (the brackets only allow for a shelf 15inches deep.

It will also allow you to make the 2x4s for the shelves longer then the framework to allow for side shelves for your supplies; test kits, nets, water chemicals etc.

I will try to get a picture up asap
 
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I hope this works. The black boxes are the shelf brackets.

This was my original idea for the layout however that leaves no access to the 10g tanks to put fish or decor in or out and only room to mess with the center of the sump.

Even if I only added 8 inches of access to the bottom tanks that still takes it almost a foot and a half up.
 
What about a heavy duty drawer slide? 1 on each side and 1 or 2 underneath. The total weight would hold the unit in place as long as you dont pull more than 1 tank out at a time.

You wouldnt need to access the sump all that often right? So a drawer system would be fine, same with the 2 10g tanks. Plus the shelf brackets only allow for a 15 inch deep shelf and the 10 gallon tanks are 20 inches deep giving you 5 inches exposed already
 
Ok so my research for sliding tanks provides allot of issues with the plumbing. Flexible pipe could be used to work normally when extended then coil up when closed and still function it seems.

Honestly I would prefer a strait pipe down for the overflow with no coils to overcome. It also poses an issue for debris building up in the bottom of the coil cousing the above tanks to overflow.

This could be overcome with a float shut off switch however the cost will go way up and we are doing a DIY project to save cost.

I need objections to widen the tank or better ideas to use the sliding tank idea. As it stands im going to widen it however if we do we will now have more room to add 2 or 4 more 10g tanks. This would provide a total of 4 to 6 10g tanks to work as species tanks, quarantine tanks, hospital tanks, planted tanks or whatever.

What do you guys think? I would like to start building this frame next weekend once we choose the right design and draw it out over this week.
 
What about something like this? Pretty much same amount of wood, without the need of sliders. Just make "3" individual shelves. All 3 have casters on the bottom which would make movement simple, and because they are separate the bottom 2 will easily slide out for cleaning, adding removing fish etc.

A bolt through each of the 4 legs with a nut will hold the 3 units together, for display and for movement.
 

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What about something like this? Pretty much same amount of wood, without the need of sliders. Just make "3" individual shelves. All 3 have casters on the bottom which would make movement simple, and because they are separate the bottom 2 will easily slide out for cleaning, adding removing fish etc.

A bolt through each of the 4 legs with a nut will hold the 3 units together, for display and for movement.

Interesting. I like this idea. The whole unit will be incased with the whole front acting as a door for looks and all. This idea is definitely feasible only problem is the plumbing for the 3 tanks draining into the sump at the bottom.
 
This may get a little confusing so if you have a question I will try and draw something.

For purposes, the 'front' will be the display side the 'back' will be the other.

Attach the plumbing onto the back legs, to run to your 3 way connection on the back of the sump tank to connect to the sump there. Allow a little slack to be able to pull the sump tank out.
Make sure when the tubing is run it goes in front of all 3 of the back legs so when you slide the shelves out it wont be in the way.

If all 3 will be connected to the 1 sump You could connect the two 10 gallon tanks with a T connector, and run the single line down to another T connecting these and the display to the sump.
 
Still not sure how the plumbing would work without a flexible hose that can stretch out when a tank is rolled out then coils back when pushed in. The coil is what concerns me that debris could settle in the bottom cousing a clog then the above tanks might overflow.
 
Are you using primarily pvc pipe or pvc tubing? if its the pipe, I honestly cant think of a way other than the flex line like you said.

If the tubing, if there was about a foot-a foot-and-a-half of slack, it would been enough to slide the sump out with no stress on connections. Maybe a tension clip (like those things used in garages to hold brooms/shovels) at the top to hold the slack up so there is no where for debris to build up
 
So I decided since we want to keep cost down im going to widen the stand. So now I can fit 2 more 10g tanks. Here is my frame sketch. It leaves 12 inches above each tank to work with. I plan on putting the top on a hinge so the display tank can be fully open for large docor. We have 2 by 4 supports for the outsides and 4 by 4 support for the inside since it holds both tanks on either side. I know it looks like the frame is against the tank but it will be built 1 inch to big allowing half an inch of room on either side.

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