Hello everyone!
I'm moving this post over from the old RC forum back in 2021 along with the photos I posted throughout the thread.
Let's start with the specs..
Tank:
Crystal Dynamics
96" x 32" x 24" 3 sided Starphire (1/2" glass)
36" Modular Marine external overflow
Double eurobrace on top
Glass bracing on bottom
Stainless steel bracing on top and bottom
Reinforced corner seams
Full length Starboard bottom
Stand and Canopy:
Crystal Dynamics
96" x 32" x 36"
Custom steel stand with epoxy coating
Wood wrapped ("Shaker" style) in white
Electronic panel built in
Acrylic drip tray
Sump:
Advanced Acrylics
60x26x16 Sump and 14x26x16 ATO
1/2" acrylic
Interchangeable plate for filter pad or filter socks
Probe holders, dosing lines, and heater racks
Some of you may know me, some maybe not.
I'm not super vocal on here but I've posted from time to time.
I wanted to start a build thread for my new tank.
Mainly I just want to be able to look back on the tank's progress because this will be my biggest and craziest build and possibly my last!
Follow along if you can keep up! It'll be lengthy because I want to document my thoughts and why I chose certain companies/products.
I just recently put in my order with Crystal Dynamics and they gave me a lead time of approximately 3-4 months.
It took me a few months of talking to different tank makers to make my decision. Originally I was pretty set with Reef Savvy because I wanted the best of the best. In the end, I didn't go with them because I felt Crystal Dynamics' customer service was just on a completely different level.
Before I get into it, I want to make it clear that I have zero affiliation with any of these companies. This is just my personal experience.
Zoya from Crystal Dynamics was extremely helpful and always responds in a timely manner. 90% of the time I would get a response in a few hours. The thing that stood out to me most was that not only do you get a response, you get a thorough response! She answered all my questions and provided even more information that I didn't ask for which made me very confident with my decision to choose Crystal Dynamics as my tank maker. It was very easy to bounce ideas back and forth and not have to wait a week for a reply!
Okay so let's talk about the tank!
I decided to go with a 96 x 32 x 24 which is about 320 gallons.
This is honestly way bigger than I originally imagined.
When I first started planning out the tank I was thinking 72 x 30 x 24 which is approx. 225 gallons.
Once I marked the space where the tank would go in my house, I quickly realized that the 6 ft tank would look way too small.
To give some perspective, the wall I wanted to place the tank on is about 16 feet in length. It's a pretty big wall. The 6 ft against that looked out of place.
So I marked out an 8 ft space which looked much better! 8 ft it is!
I wanted a tank that would last me forever or at least as long as I'm living in this house. I mentioned to CD that I wanted the tank to be extra sturdy. The last thing I want is to come home to 320 gallons on my floor.
They gave me a few options: upgrade glass thickness to 5/8" on the two sides, upgrade glass thickness to 5/8" all around, use stainless steel bracing, or a combination of the above.
Zoya and Trent both assured me that they wouldn't build anything that they weren't comfortable with. They were perfectly confident in building the tank with 1/2" glass but I wanted to go a little further and add the stainless steel bracing for that extra rigidity and piece of mind. I was worried that the SS bracing would take away from the look of the tank but Trent said it would be hidden in the stand and canopy. Perfect!
I'm moving this post over from the old RC forum back in 2021 along with the photos I posted throughout the thread.
Let's start with the specs..
Tank:
Crystal Dynamics
96" x 32" x 24" 3 sided Starphire (1/2" glass)
36" Modular Marine external overflow
Double eurobrace on top
Glass bracing on bottom
Stainless steel bracing on top and bottom
Reinforced corner seams
Full length Starboard bottom
Stand and Canopy:
Crystal Dynamics
96" x 32" x 36"
Custom steel stand with epoxy coating
Wood wrapped ("Shaker" style) in white
Electronic panel built in
Acrylic drip tray
Sump:
Advanced Acrylics
60x26x16 Sump and 14x26x16 ATO
1/2" acrylic
Interchangeable plate for filter pad or filter socks
Probe holders, dosing lines, and heater racks
Some of you may know me, some maybe not.
I'm not super vocal on here but I've posted from time to time.
I wanted to start a build thread for my new tank.
Mainly I just want to be able to look back on the tank's progress because this will be my biggest and craziest build and possibly my last!
Follow along if you can keep up! It'll be lengthy because I want to document my thoughts and why I chose certain companies/products.
I just recently put in my order with Crystal Dynamics and they gave me a lead time of approximately 3-4 months.
It took me a few months of talking to different tank makers to make my decision. Originally I was pretty set with Reef Savvy because I wanted the best of the best. In the end, I didn't go with them because I felt Crystal Dynamics' customer service was just on a completely different level.
Before I get into it, I want to make it clear that I have zero affiliation with any of these companies. This is just my personal experience.
Zoya from Crystal Dynamics was extremely helpful and always responds in a timely manner. 90% of the time I would get a response in a few hours. The thing that stood out to me most was that not only do you get a response, you get a thorough response! She answered all my questions and provided even more information that I didn't ask for which made me very confident with my decision to choose Crystal Dynamics as my tank maker. It was very easy to bounce ideas back and forth and not have to wait a week for a reply!
Okay so let's talk about the tank!
I decided to go with a 96 x 32 x 24 which is about 320 gallons.
This is honestly way bigger than I originally imagined.
When I first started planning out the tank I was thinking 72 x 30 x 24 which is approx. 225 gallons.
Once I marked the space where the tank would go in my house, I quickly realized that the 6 ft tank would look way too small.
To give some perspective, the wall I wanted to place the tank on is about 16 feet in length. It's a pretty big wall. The 6 ft against that looked out of place.
So I marked out an 8 ft space which looked much better! 8 ft it is!
I wanted a tank that would last me forever or at least as long as I'm living in this house. I mentioned to CD that I wanted the tank to be extra sturdy. The last thing I want is to come home to 320 gallons on my floor.
They gave me a few options: upgrade glass thickness to 5/8" on the two sides, upgrade glass thickness to 5/8" all around, use stainless steel bracing, or a combination of the above.
Zoya and Trent both assured me that they wouldn't build anything that they weren't comfortable with. They were perfectly confident in building the tank with 1/2" glass but I wanted to go a little further and add the stainless steel bracing for that extra rigidity and piece of mind. I was worried that the SS bracing would take away from the look of the tank but Trent said it would be hidden in the stand and canopy. Perfect!
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