Benrys 90 gal build.

Hey fellow reef geeks

Its been a while since i have been on here, sorry. I moved a few months ago and the result was no good for my tank... But thats always an excuse to start over bigger, and better.

I finally bought my own camera so no more crappy pictures... or waiting for someone to bring me a camera.. I went to home depot and broke out the power tools and built a stand im sure i could park a car on.



And thats the last picture thats from a cell phone, i promise..

Wow, nice job on the stand! How many gallons?

great stand design - you even have a ledge there to leave your beer on while you drool!!! perfect

Looks real nice!!

Nice work on the stand! What size tank is that? Are you using a HOB overflow? Give us more details on the equipment ect... you are going to use.

welcome back chef!!! GREAT to see 'ya again! (sorry 'bout the tank move though...but happy about the new tank!!!)

AWESOME stand you built there - and it does look solid enough to hold a car!
so is this gonna be a full reef tank? lps, sps and softies? gonna add some clammies too?

Thank you all. its a 90g DT, and 55g sump. I'm using a Lifereef double prefilter box and this is the return pump i got from a friend. Hopefully a vortect, and to be pefectly honest lighting is just confusing.. we can cross that bridge when i win the lottery... Aquarium Water Pumps: Supreme Classic Mag Drive Pump

The beer ledge is my favorite, its the only thing that ledge is good for!! Blood sweat and tears went into that stand, mostly at the same time... notice the sump in the first picture, not the second and I still didn't learn to ask for help moving it.

thank you, Its good to be back Hopefully i will have a good variety of everything, over time... i will start will some mushrooms and zoas well see how they do, then maybe a pulsing xenia, i would like to get something growing across the back wall like 5 star polyps or something. eventually a hammer and some type of sps. fishes... I know i want a mandarin, a dwarf flame angel or a coral beauty, a yasha goby and pistol shrimp, possibly a gold striped maroon clownfish and an anemone friend... and ive always wanted 5 tangs... haha But maybe 1???? please???
and i really miss my sexy shrimps!!!!

Would you even see your sexy shrimp in a tank that size? This should be a cool tank, looking forward to seeing it water!

well your plan sounds like a good one.........starting with easy and safer corals at first is key....also, you do know to wait a while before adding the mandarin (and make sure there's enough liverock)...and YES.......you can certainly have a tang or two in there especially since the angel will be a pigmy .......I'll keep my fingers crossed for the lottery too!

do you know of any local reefers getting rid of lighting? any kind of trades you can maker? so what's next on this?

Chef where ya from? I might be able to help come across some lighting for you.

I love the stand. You did a great job. You may want to double up the 2x4's in the middle. I can't tell if you did or not. Another thing that's recommended is to use a piece of foam under your tank between it and the stand. It will help keep it stable and even.

If you need any starts on softies I'm sure there's plenty here that can help too. I have xenia growing like crazy now! I just kept cutting and cutting and using my scalpel on it lol.

Are you going to have an overflow or drill that tank?

btw it looks great!

Originally Posted by spinycheek

Would you even see your sexy shrimp in a tank that size? This should be a cool tank, looking forward to seeing it water!

I think i would see them from time to time, i want like 5 because the seem to hang out together and I like knowing there are things in there you dont see everytime you look at the tank.

Its a work in progress and im trying to take my time and make sure every move works exactly the way it should, just unsure of how its supposed to be..

Originally Posted by Barbara

well your plan sounds like a good one.........starting with easy and safer corals at first is key....also, you do know to wait a while before adding the mandarin (and make sure there's enough liverock)...and YES.......you can certainly have a tang or two in there especially since the angel will be a pigmy .......I'll keep my fingers crossed for the lottery too!

do you know of any local reefers getting rid of lighting? any kind of trades you can maker? so what's next on this?

Definatly start with the safe corals, i already made that mistake among others.. yes mandarin dragonette it the first SW fish i knew i wanted, i know about there eating habits and have a sump for pod production. I also have about 60# of dead rock now, just been sitting in a bucket and i will probably get 40# of live rock

YAY!!!!! Tangs!!!! you just made my day.

Personally i dont know anyone that even thinks im sain for having a fishtank.. but i just met a guy from the LFS that has a little side business setting up saltwater tanks and hoping he will come help me out. i do have a 40? gal tank full of filter media, a filter and some other stuff, i just dont know how valuable it may be to a reefer, yet. there may be something worth trading in there just dont know

I spent some time doing the plumping the other day and tested for leaks. so far so good, ill post pictures in a minute or two. I dont know if what i did will work or not and im willing to make any adjustments...

Originally Posted by rgrking

Chef where ya from? I might be able to help come across some lighting for you.

I love the stand. You did a great job. You may want to double up the 2x4's in the middle. I can't tell if you did or not. Another thing that's recommended is to use a piece of foam under your tank between it and the stand. It will help keep it stable and even.

If you need any starts on softies I'm sure there's plenty here that can help too. I have xenia growing like crazy now! I just kept cutting and cutting and using my scalpel on it lol.

Are you going to have an overflow or drill that tank?

btw it looks great!

Im from central PA. I would do anything for help with lighting and some starter corals, and that would be i huge step towards getting this tank started, Then probably all I need to do is decide if im moving this year again or not.. if not i will get started ASAP!!!
There is no foam under my tank now and it didn't crack or anything but i think im going to get something down before i fill it with salt water. Start letting that xenia grow onto a little rock or something

I am using an oversized overflow box.

and thank you all for your input and feedback.

This is what ive got done so far. I want to get a quieter pump, But i just found the info on the pump, it says i should use 1 1/2 in tube for maximum flow. Any thoughts on if that would help shh it?

So problem number 1- The watering coming down the tubes makes hellatios noise.

2-the first and second baffles kinda leak just a little, but the last one is sealed perfect.. i dont imagine this will cause any issues.. i hope

3-The 1st baffle may be cut too short,the water is a little over an inch deeper than the baffle.

4-The 1st section is just big enough for the skimmer, i have about three or four inches on one side... and ideas on how to hang a filter sock?

Originally Posted by Chefbenry89

So problem number 1- The watering coming down the tubes makes hellatios noise.

like the evil toilet bowl sound???? Probably the best way to fix that is by making a durso on each of those inputs - looks like according my google searching using a stockman standpipe modification is the most popular as it takes up the least amount of room in the overflow box.

stockman DIY - R. Durso's 180g - Ken Stockman Standpipe

Originally Posted by Chefbenry89

2-the first and second baffles kinda leak just a little, but the last one is sealed perfect.. i dont imagine this will cause any issues.. i hope

i'd agree - doubt there will be any major issues, unless of course the seal fails completely, and then you may need to reset the baffle.. its only a baffle tho, so not much of a big deal if it does fail

Originally Posted by Chefbenry89

3-The 1st baffle may be cut too short,the water is a little over an inch deeper than the baffle.

gah!! I did that too with mine

my baffles only really work when my water level is low, which never happens cuz I have an auto top off!!

Originally Posted by Chefbenry89

4-The 1st section is just big enough for the skimmer, i have about three or four inches on one side... and ideas on how to hang a filter sock?

dunno on this one.... maybe get one of those filter socks that tie on instead of the kinds with the hard plastic rings on top??

That pcv thing looks easy enough but im sure thats similar to what lifereef has in the mail... I had and extra ball valve and stuck it on the end of one of those tubes and im pretty sure that wil make it quite. Do you think it would still work if i put it in the middle of the tube? see any problems with using a ball valve there?

Did any problems arise from you 1st baffle being to short?

Im going to try a toilet flange and hack up a piece of four inch pvc untill it fits, maybe it will work, maybe not..

lol - no, no problems, except my baffle doesn't catch any bubbles!! hehe

and I'd think you could put your ball valve where ever - just make sure its somewhere you can reach so you can actually use it!!

Im going to cut the tubes not and intall the ball valve a little under halfway and post picture ofcourse :-) Maybe i will have time to hack at the pvc before i go to the casino

Any ideas on the pump?? does anyone think using a bigger output will make it quiter? any creative ideas on how to silence a pump? or should i just get a new pump?