210 g peninsula in restaurant lobby

[Opah]

I have always found RC to be an invaluable resource in maintaining saltwater tanks (been a member for 7 years or so). Just want to thank everyone in advance.

General Setup:
I am planning a 210 g setup in the lobby of my family owned restaurant to serve as a room divider and separate out inn from the restaurant. This is the largest project I’ve put together and I need to make sure everything works perfectly with very little setup time. I am going to plan in detail every aspect of the tank to get a clean professional-looking setup. Most major plumbing and equipment will be located in the basement below the tank. Total tank volume will be 500 g or so.

Tank:
210 Gallon glass peninsula aquarium with custom drilled holes and overflow installed. I have not decided on a manufacturer but I’m leaning towards oceanic.

Filtration:
The main filtration for this system will be a large gravity fed unit. I have not decided on a make and model. I will also use a combination of filtering materials (carbon etc...), fuge with algae, etc....

Lighting:
Still working that out. Probably some 250 or 400 MH's with some supplemental.

Detailed plans and drawings to follow.

 

[Opah]

Tank dimensions and drilled holes

Tank dimensions and drilled holes

This shows the tank from top and side views.

Top View:
The overflow box is located on the right. The overflow drain will be two 1.5" drain pipes. Holes are drilled 2.4" and 1.5" standard double threaded bulkheads will be used.

Right Side View:
Two, 1" closed loop drains will be drill in to the side of the glass using ~2" holes for 1" bulkheads. Planning to use Hayward bulkheads.

 

[Opah]

Tank flow diagram

Tank flow diagram

 

[Opah]

Does this flow look right? Any thoughts on size and locations?

 

[Reefdiver72]

Sounds fun where are you located I am in Lancaster.

 

[Kshack]

I have a tank like you are planning and have something for you to consider. Your goal is to get the water moving with little energy used. Put you hand into a tub of water and start swirling. Once the water is moving it does not take much effort to keep the water moving. To use this example in your tank look at where the overflow is and where your returns are. They are working against each other and you will get a dead spots. Try this...point your returns down at the back corners. Add one more return and place it at the top on the opposite end (wavy sea) pointing at the return. Put 90 or 45 degree ends on the closed loop pointing to the opposite (on ocean motion 4 way?). Now your flow will be a circular pattern going down the return wall, across the bottom, and back across the top.

 

[Opah]

The restaurant is called the Logan Inn, located on main street in New Hope Pa. It's actually the 5th oldest consecutively run inn in the United States, Circa 1722.

 

[Opah]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11596486#post11596486 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kshack
I have a tank like you are planning and have something for you to consider. Your goal is to get the water moving with little energy used. Put you hand into a tub of water and start swirling. Once the water is moving it does not take much effort to keep the water moving. To use this example in your tank look at where the overflow is and where your returns are. They are working against each other and you will get a dead spots. Try this...point your returns down at the back corners. Add one more return and place it at the top on the opposite end (wavy sea) pointing at the return. Put 90 or 45 degree ends on the closed loop pointing to the opposite (on ocean motion 4 way?). Now your flow will be a circular pattern going down the return wall, across the bottom, and back across the top.

Good thought. I have actually used this concept on another tank, but I didn't think about it here. My thought with the plumbing layout was to conceal the plumbing as much as possible since the tank will be viewable from 3 sides. Now that I think about this in more detail though, I think it's a great idea to use the closed loops with the returns. What do you think about the pic below? I think it's similar to what your saying but without the far end (end opposite the overflow box) having a return of any kind. Also, I do plan to install an ocean motion 4-way but I think it will be some time down the road.

Question:
How important is it to have "random" flow in the tank. Basically, when you have a "whirlpool" affect (shown in green in the diagram), is it important to have flow perpendicular to or against this pattern?

 

[Opah]

My intention with this thread is to clearly outline the entire tank design process. Therefore, someone who reads this entire thread will have all the information necessary to recreate this tank design and also learn the process of tank design.

 

[enemec1]

I live in abington if you need some help. good luck with this project. Is your food better than Mothers Resturant? Cool I will be in next time I am up that way.
I would avoid the whirlpool effect the fish will be swimming laps and the corals will have right. I would use loc-line fitting on the end of the CL returns and have some flexiblty to aim in all directions. you would only need 2 or 3 pices plus the nozzel.

 

[Opah]

Hey Enemec1,

Nice to hear from you! I may take you up on that help one day, thanks We just took over the Logan in April this year. I honestly think our food is the best around by far (although I'm admittedly bias lol). Definitely stop by some time. I'm at the Logan Inn every day. I do think using the loc-lines will be nice. They add some flexibility with directing flow.

Your tank looks great btw. Do you use a CL? If so, any pointers? It will be my first one.

I've attached the picture of the lobby where I plan to put the tank. It will be used as a room divider between the entrance (right) and the inn lobby(left). Notice the painting on the left. It's previous owners of the inn (around the turn of the century) on their wedding day. This is one of numerous "haunted" attractions of the Logan Inn. Their spirits are said to possess the picture. I hope they like fish tanks lol.

 

[enemec1]

I use a dart on my closed loop as of now I have 2 drains and 3 returns that are split in to two behind the rock so there are 6 nozzels in the tank. I am in the process of doing a scond Closed loop on the same tank but I am not drilling this one (over the top ede of the tank) the returns will be located at the front of the tank along the brace of an AGA tank pointing at the back wall.
thanks for the complement, you are more than welcome to swing by and take a look.

 

[Opah]

The phase one plumbing will be only what's necessary to get the tank up and running. I do plan to get a calcium reactor, a fuge and frag tank eventually, but that will come in time. Here is a list of my current choices on equipment. These are subject to change based on my reevaluation and comments here.

Piping:
Standard PVC, Black PVC, Flexible PVC

Fitting:
Standard PVC elbows etc..., gate valves for all throttle applications and ball valves for on/off applications. I plan to get my fitting from Savko. Any comments on that company?

RO-DI:
Spectrapure 90 GPD

Auto Top-off:
Spectrapure automatic liquid level controller.

Skimmer:
Reeflo Orca 250 "Gravity Fed"

Return Pump:
Iwaki 70 (Japanese Motor) (~15' head height)
I'm figuring about 4x turnover rate.

Sump:
Rubbermaid 100 G stock tank

Water / Salt mix:
tank:
Rubbermaid 70 G stock tank
pump:
Mag 3

Top-off Water / Kalwasser mix tank mixer:
tank:
small rummbermaid
pump:
small powerhead

Closed Loop (plumbing not shown):
Sequence Dart

 

[enemec1]

how many foot of head will you have? you may want bigger than a dart pump on the closed loop.

 

[Opah]

I am thinking to keep the Dart in the stand underneath the tank. It would be the only plumbing equipment that is not located in the basement. Alternatively, If I do put it in the basement I think I'll keep it near the floor level, around 6' head.

 

[new_world_disor]

looking good. didnt know there was a lancaster in the US as well as here in the UK ( ours was 1st ) i got confused. should be a nice project

 

[enemec1]

my dart runs at about 6' of head and runs great.

 

[Putawaywet]

I totally agree the rolling water technique is the best way to go in these kind of tanks. Mine is (84"x36"x28') and I am having great luck shooting water down both sides where it bounces off the one end before flowing back down the center and into the overflow.

The flow dynamics work so well that when I added 2 Vortec's into the mix (same direction) the return flow down the centerline was strong enough to suck detritus off the rocks directly below the overflow.

I think you are going to find it will take less water movement than you are anticipating.

Brett

 

[Opah]

Yeah, I like the idea of the "rolling water".

I'm looking in to tank and stand manufacturers. Any experience with having standard tanks (oceanic, AGA, etc...) custom drilled with custom overflow locations?

 

[EnderG60]

oceanic is gonna be SUPER pricey to get custom drilled. Believe it or not perfecto is making some pretty nice larger tanks now and they will do custom drilling for a decent price. Actually just delivered a 210 peninsula(220 by thier rating), check with your LFS about it.

Also if you have the room I would HIGHLY recommend adding a RO tank to your setup just for freash water(preferably located right above the mixing tank. That way you can have a water change ready to go as well as enough water made up to do another one should you need to, which is a HUGE advantage should the day come you need to do some big fast water changes. Plus that way you can refill the top off tank at will.

Also for the mixing pump, get yourself a quiet one 4000 high head with a eductor on it. It will mix your water in minutes, and they arent expensive.

and when running a dart on a CL there is no head pressure, so your fine.

Your doing a very similar setup to what im planning(180 peninsula), only big difference is I plan to use a larger pressure pump for the return, and have it on a OM along with some eductors. Im trying to reduce the running power as much as I can.

Oh one more thing, I would suggest adding a third small emergency drain(3/4 or 1") That way you can tune your overflows to be as quiet as possible without worrying about a clog or overflow.