Blog Comments

Yes. I will access(as best I can) the sump and other equipment from the side and front.

How do you plan to see and access that stuff? From the ends?

I live in fl so I def don't have a basement. That would be awesome though. The sump/fuge, skimmer, reactor, auto top off, and whatever else I can't remember right now will be going under the stand. I will put baffles in a 75g for the sump/fuge. Still trying to decide on a skimmer though.

Do you plan to put a sump underneath, or in the basement?

Thanks! I am still debating whether to buy pre made doors or build some of my own. @Hat, yes I am making the doors as big as possible for ease of access to the sump/skimmer. I can't wait.

Awesome job! Nice carpentry work. It does look real strong, that's a good thing. Are you going to put doors on what looks like the front, or are there an opening already there that I don't see. Because, more access to the sump is nice.

Looks great, what are your plans for doors? Are you going to make them or buy them premade?

Again sorry for the low quality pics. I cut out a door on the right side so I can access the sump/skimmer. I am toying with the idea of making the door plexiglass or something like that so visitors can see the skimmer. Like I said, this is just a thought, it still has to pass the wife test.

Looks stronger than my floor! Nice job.

Looks incredibly strong.

No couch. I kinda had a problem finding a place for this DD in my new house. The dimensions make it rather difficult to place.

Depends, are you planning to put a couch in front of it?
the lower stock stands are nice if the tank will be viewed sitting most of the time.

I had my 29g on a 42" stand and loved it. I hated the stock stand that came with my 55g that required me to bend down anytime I wanted to look in it. My current reef is on a 36" stand, but my tank is 30" tall. The angled tank is on a shorter stand, but the front panel is angled to allow me to gaze down and view it.

Grabbing a chair or bench to work on the tank is what you'll want to do, but since you don't work on the tank all the time, I don't see the issue. Even if you had to tinker for 10 minutes daily, that leaves you with 23 hours and 50 minutes of just viewing it at a higher height. Go with your taller stand.

It's great to get some feedback from someone that has a tall stand. I have read that maintenance is tough on DD tanks. As far as the aesthetics of a tall stand/canopy, I live near a LFS here in fl called "world wide corals", they have some pretty tall stands and canopy's and they are awesome. BTW, if you're ever in orlando, stop by that place. Probably one of the nicest stores I have ever been to. Anyway, I plan on eventually building a canopy as well, but for now I will use a light fixture. My main concern was the stand/tank being too top heavy. It is braced well and I used 2x6's to help me sleep better at night. Thanks again for the feed back! Like I said, pics will come asap.
Austin: BTW, were you ever in the Marines?

I have a 40" stand and it is great, the only issue I can see is that doing maintenance is a real bit(h. If I remember, your tank is 27" so it would be even harder. Now imagine having to reach all the way to the back of that 36" deep monster. There is also a brace along the bottom, so you will be even higher than the 43" you are talking about. Are you going to use a canopy? If so, will the tank (60"+ at the top) look funny with a big tall canopy on top? Can you even get the top open to do any maintenance. Not trying to be a debbie downer, but these are all issues I am having with mine. Don't get me wrong, I would never do a stand shorter than 40" again, just know that there are a lot of other considerations. I was at the LFS this weekend and it made my back hurt to have to hunch down to look at the frags in a standard height tank. I will be following your build, gotta love those deep tanks.

Well, I am not 100% set on an internal. That is just the one that caught my eye as I was looking through my options. I have read some good stuff about the SRO xp's.

I'm sure there are better people around for skimmer recommendations. I'd say that would be a great choice of skimmer. Much better than what I am running (Octopus NW200). I would rather overskim than underskim. You can always add more fish or supplement some AA or increase feeding or something. Just a question, why do you want an external skimmer instead of one to put in your sump? From what I know, about a 300$ savings.

Thanks for the info. @austin: I will do all the cutting outside and actually assemble to stand in my den. haha, the wife is gonna love that. Also, I would like to get your opinion about the skimmer choice. Do you think a super reef octopus xp 3000 external will be too much for this set up?

I have a 150 that is 6" shorter than the DD tank you are setting up and I built my stand myself using 2x6 lumber. As is the way, I overbuilt by using 2X6 uprights instead of 2x4 which is more than adequate. I used the stand builder that I found on that other site. I think the key is to have the stand supported by the wood and not the connectors such as screws or bolts. Good luck, building the stand is one of my favorite parts. Be sure to plan ahead, most doorways aren't going to be 36" wide. Your tank will be fine due to the 27" height so its just turned on its side to get into your home. One thing I did that I have been very happy about was make the stand taller than normal, 40" to be exact. No more stooping for me, but I do need a chair to do maintenance now.

Originally Posted by cdmorrison01

Oh, ok. Also, it looks like 1x6's you used. Am I correct? How long are the screws?

No, I used 2"X6" framing boards with 2.5" corrosion resistant screws... Everything was pre-drilled and countersunk....