210 in wall starting to take shape

[jtemple42000]

I had another thread on here, but I'm going to start a new one.

I have started to accumulate all the items I need for my 210 in all that will start tomorrow. I have a lot of work to do, but I think I can have it in the wall and start filling it next weekend.

Heres where the tank is going:

Heres what I got so far:

3-250 watt pendants w/14000k Ushio with IceCap ballast
I alreay have 2 retros for actinic
Sequence Reeflo Dart (closed loop)
Precision Marine Bullet 3 skimmer w/ Gen-x pcx 40 pump
Little Giant 4MDQX-SC (sump)
Loc-line (closed loop return)

If I have extra money...
Profilux II Plus controller
calcium reactor

I picked up my AGA 210 with overflows from my lfs yesterday. I can't believe how big that thing is. It was all my father-in-law and I could do to get it in the house and on the bed in the spare bedroom, its okay, its one one of those tempurpedic beds, hard as a frickin' rock.....
I originally planned on using 3 pumps. One for the sump, one or the skimmer, and one for the closed loop. While I was in the fish shop they had a 210 setup and they were using a sequence dart on the overflows.....pushing about 2400 gph. I was under the impression that the overflows would only handle 1200gph....so now I'm not entirely sure I should have a closed loop...just put my dart on the sump. I think for what I will be keeping, 2400gph is enough, maybe.

I'll post some pictures tomorrow of the other side of that wall, its the gargage, and well its winter here and cold, so it has collected a lot of junk since fall. I will have to clean it so that I can put up a couple of walls to isolate it from the rest of the garage. It will be heated and cooled independently from the house. It will also be on a dedicated 30amp breaker from the main in the house, protected with GFIC breakers.

 

[Steven M]

I would run two 20amp breaker. Look at how the LFS plumbed the 210 they have, probably all four holes as returns.

 

[jtemple42000]

I am running a 30 amp breaker from the main box via 10/2. It will feed a seperate box in the fish room that will have 2-20 amp GFCI breakers in it.
My lfs is using it as it is designed. Two overflows to feed the pump and then the returns that are already drilled. They have no external plumbing and it works great.

 

[jtemple42000]

Alright, I got the garage cleaned up. Heres the two existing walls. The tank will be going ot the wall to the left. I will be adding two additional walls to complete the room.

I do have a question. I have been thinking about what to build the stand out of and I am at a loss. I was thinking 2x6's, but maybe it should be 2x8's. I am really unsure how I should approach this. The wall is five inches thick and will support the fron edge of the tank. The remaining 19 inches of the tank will be sticking into this new room. The stand will have 4x4 posts at all four corners, but I am thinking that a addional post in the middle of the span would be a good idea. I also want to be able to use the space under the tank for my 100 gallon sump, which will be a Rubbermaid stock tank.

Any suggestions???

Thanks

 

[Mahlhavoc]

I am tagging along, I really like in wall builds as it isa nice clean look.

You may want to reconsider the dart and pushing 2k gallons through your sump for the size you have. Some, with me included, like slower flows through their sumps for several reasons, the main for me is noise and possible misshaps. I am partial to closed loops because there is so much variety you can do with them. I am not saying your wrong, just that you may want to look at the pros and cons is all.

I will be watching you! *stalks*

 

[jtemple42000]

I was wondering about that myself. I think that I am just going to stick with the original plan and use the dart for the cl. I can always valve it back if the flow is to much.

 

[gabe3d]

Jim

Good luck on your biuld. Your plans looks pretty good so far. Can't wait to see how your 210 turns out.

Steven

You'll be surprise as to how much flowcan be drained with the AGA holes, but first you'll need to remove some teeth off the overflow. My testing is 2 3/4 is enough for a Dart and 2 1'' is enough for Hammerhead.

Gabe

 

[coralfever]

As for as the stand goes, you could skip the post in the middle if you used some LVL(Laminated Veneer Lumber) as a header. I think a double 9" would be good, if you wanted you could triple it.

 

[BadOleRoss]

I had a 360 sitting on 2x6s. I build the stand just like you would build a wall in a house. It worked great but there was no way to get anything under it.

 

[jtemple42000]

I think that I am going to use some 2x10's. I am going to double them up on the edges, but that should be more than enough.

I was going to order some sand from Premium Aquatics, but the stuff that I wanted is out of stock. I was looking at getting the Arag-Alive Oolite sand, but now I'm not sure. I was hoping to be able to put it in the tank this weekend. I may have to just go with the plain old sand they make and then just seed it. (My parents are coming back from Florida, and I was going to have them pick it up for me. $$$No Shipping$$$

I haven't done anything the last two days with the room. The weather has really sucked, snowing like crazy. Maybe a little tonight. Oh yeah, then theres my 2 year old twins......Like I don't have enough things to do....Then I start this project.

 

[jtemple42000]

Finally got something done tonight, one wall up.

One more wall to go, then I think that biggest job will be pulling the wire from the main breaker box, oh yeah and that header.....

The rest of the stuff for the tank should be here tomorrow. I hope to have my new ro membrane and di resin by weekend so that I can start filling the tank. I took Friday, Saturday off and the post office observes Washington's birthday on monday, so I will have four solid days to work on everything. I hope to have it in the wall sometime Saturday so I can start filling it. I will worry about the plumbing for the tank then.

 

[jtemple42000]

Here we go.... Got the room almost done. Need to drywall one more wall, but I had help to put the tank in the wall tonight so I had to get that done. The drywall will have to be finished tomorrow. I still have a lot of work to do, but the end is in sight, hope to start filling it tomorrow. Heres some updated pics....getting late, 2:20am, time to get some sleep.

I'm finishing up the stand. 2"x2"x.125" tube steel.

Looking through the door into the new tank room. Its not huge, but it will get the job done.

Heres a look from the livingroom. I have to trim out the edge of the tank.

 

[jtemple42000]

Not sure if anybody is following this anymore, but here are some more pics. I started plumbing up the tank today. I still have to build something to set the pumps on. I used boxes that I had laying around to set the pumps on so that I could get the plumbing done. I put a new membrane in my ro unit and it pumping water out faster than I had expected. I still need to do wiring (outlets), hang the lights, and trim out the wall around the tank.

Precision Maine Bullet 3 with Gen-x PCX40

Return pump Little Giant 4-MDQX-SC

Is it necessary to rinse all of my sand?

I bought Aragamax Sugar Sized Sand, 30 pound bags. I could see rinsing it if I was putting it into a establish aquarium, but a new one that needs to cycle???? I was told to rinse a few pounds at a time until the water is no longer milky....this will take forever, not to mention a ton of water. Is it necessary to rinse all of my sand?

 

[hobogato]

looking great so far!

 

[mmoore0803]

When I added my sand to my 180g I didn't rinse and it was fine

 

[jtemple42000]

Alright....tank is finally up and running. I added my live rock, 75lbs, and about 180lbs of sand, I have about 120lbs of live rock in my 75 that will be moved over. I'm not 100% sure its necessary, but it is in the process of cycling, still need to seed the sand bed. I also ordered a Lifegard Triple mechanical filter and a lifegard 40watt uv sterilizer. I plan on using them inconjunction with ozone that will be injected into the skimmer. Heres more pics....

 

[jtemple42000]

I never did add the closed loop. I'm just not 100% in love with them or the idea of drilling the tank. I'll run it as is and see what happens, may have to add it later. I still have the dart pump though. I was considering taking out the Gen-x pump on the skimmer and putting the dart on it, throttled down a bit of course. I am going to run the skimmer and the uv off of a manifold from the dart. I will drain the skimmer as usual, but return the lifegard filter and uv directly to the tank.

 

[drummereef]

Looks great so far! What pendants are you running? How do you like the coverage of them?

 

[jtemple42000]

They are Reef Optics 3 HQI PFO pendants with DE 14000k 250 watt Ushios driven by IceCap ballasts. So far I really like them. Light penetration appears to be really good, but there are no corals/fish yet, so I'm not sure how that will look....I think it will look good..

 

[jtemple42000]

Been a while since I updated. Figured its time.....

Everything is plumbed up except for the closed loop. I have had live rock in it cycling for three weeks this coming Sunday. I added 60lbs of arag-alive sand to seed the dsb, I'm not impressed. Its been in there for a week today, and I have only seen one spot in the sand where anything is moving/tunneling around. I've been testing the last weeek as well. Nitrates are still at 20ppm, but everything else is down to zero, salinity a little low at 1.022sg, temp has been right around 79-80.

Heres some pics of the trim around the tank....

Once I get the other tank tore down, we are painting the walls tan/brown, and the trim will be white.

Thanks for looking...