265 in wall build - Brubakron's Reef

[brubakron]

About a year and a half ago I got a good deal on a new Marineland 265 gallon tank. It had sat in my basement all this time, and now a complete basement remodel will be completed by the end of May. I thought that I would start a build thread to show the progress, and seek advice for when needed. I am waiting to purchase most of my equipment for when the basement is remodeled, however if a good deal presented itself I made the purchase. Below will be a few pictures of the current progress along with the plan so far. This will be a slow build process, but I am hoping that I will get it the way I want it the first time.

Full reef tank with one side exposed - hoping to do a cove of some type at this end with the rock

Total system - 265 in wall display, 75 gallon refugium, 100 gallon Rubbermaid tub for the sump (I already have all of these)

Fish room - Once dry walled about 11 by 9 feet. In floor drain, utility sink, ventilation for moisture, mold resistant dry wall, standard outlets, along with a few 220 volts in case I have equipment that runs at that voltage

Other - Current 40 breeder will be a QT tank, Current Biocube 29 HQI will be a frag tank (Possibly a frag area though in the 75 fuge). Auto top off of some type - possibly a Tunze. At some point a controller- but probably not at first. Currently have a 300w Jager heater and a new 800w Finnex Titatnium heater - I probably will purchase a Ranco controller for the heaters though just to be safe.

Lighting - Not sure yet - was going to do 3 400w Mhs, but I am not sure that I will have the clearance with a soffit that is above the tank. Leaning towards t5, but because of the length would need two fixtures, so that means double the bulb replacement cost. Probably going to stay away from LEDs. Not enough consistent reviews for ready to go fixtures, and I do not want to do a LED build at this point.

Bottom: Substrate of some type - Jawfish and sand sifting/burrowing fish are on the top of my list for livestock so I will need to have a substrate for them to thrive

Rock - 200 + pounds of Pukani Dry Live Rock - currently cooking/curing the live rock in the Rubbermaid tub. (Pictures below)

Pump - Not sure - Possibly the Reeflo Hammerhead/Barracuda - want external to keep down heat. Since this will be in the basement I am hoping to get away without a chiller, but we will see if that is possible. I am also looking into a Sicce pump.

RO/DI - 6 Stage Chloramine System from BRS (already have this)

Skimmer - Don't know yet - possible a Reef Octopus

Powerheads - Don't know yet - Jeboa (Jebo) powerheads though are peaking my interest

Well that is the basic plan for now. I will have to discuss the livestock plan soon, and any input is welcome. I will include pictures in a post following this one.

 

[brubakron]

Pukani Rock Arrived



200 + pounds - I asked for 125 pounds of their large rock and 75 pound of the smaller pieces







Pulling out phosphates - Using new saltwater, lanthanum chloride (Phos Free phosphate remover), and ZEObak to begin making it live again. After a week I did a 100% water change - Phosphates read at 1.47 on a Hanna Checker-



After the water change they read at 0.49



I continue to use the Phos free and had the phosphates read at 0.19 today. I have also added a skimmer to help pull out anything. The rock will be ready to go when the basement is finished in just over a month.

The pictures of the current progress in the basement were too dark. I will get new pictures taken, and put them up soon.

 

[jacopasqui]

Why you will not start whith live rocks? I suggest you to insert at least 1/3 of live rocks to speed up the tank maturation

 

[brubakron]

Why you will not start whith live rocks? I suggest you to insert at least 1/3 of live rocks to speed up the tank maturation

There are a few reasons that I went with the Pukani dry live rock

1.) I like the look of the rock and how porous it is
2.) I won't get any unwanted hitchhikers
3.) It will all be live rock when I put into the tank in a month and a half through the cooking/curing process I am in the middle of
4.) This is the one of least concern, but it is still a plus - this way is less than half the cost that buying live rock would be

 

[djmx2002]

I think it's a good choice, I am in the planning stages of my inwall tank. Will probably use the same dry rock

 

[brubakron]

Here are a few pictures of the framing - you will have to use your imagination to picture the finished product.

First - a completely overbuilt tank stand (you can tell a contractor built it) - This will be the front view of the tank.



Same view - closer up



This is the end that will be exposed - hopefully something unique with the rockwork to make a cove like area



In the fish room now - there will be outlets in the soffit so that I can plug the lights in up top (no cords dangling down) for hopefully a clean look



Finally a shot with the floor drain, and there will be outlets built into the stand for equipment.

 

[maddmaxx]

What kind of overflow system are you going with on this?

 

[brubakron]

What kind of overflow system are you going with on this?

It has been drilled with two 2 inch holes in the back panel - each end towards the top. I have been thinking about the plumbing for this tank, and how this will work. As of right now I want to keep it as simple as possible. Let me know if this won't work, or possibly a better way to do plumbing. One of the two inch drain will feed into the refurgium, and the other into the sump. From the fuge a gravity feed into the sump. From there the return will be in the form of a spray bar that comes over the top of the tank. Would it be better to drill the returns too? I figure with the spray bar it will get even flow across the back of the tank, and I can modify for any rockwork. In addition, I am now thinking that I will paint the back of tank (probably black). I had wanted to keep it clear to see into the fish room, but I don't think that I would like the look plumbing on the back of the tank.

 

[Noamurmac]

Is it goign to be dividing two rooms? viewable from 2 sides?

 

[brubakron]

Is it goign to be dividing two rooms? viewable from 2 sides?

It will be between the living space in the basement and the fish room. So it will be dividing two rooms, but won't be used as a room divider( if that makes sense). Two sides will be viewable - hoping to do something unique with the rock on the end that is open.

 

[FoxDaddy]

Tagging along, lookin like fun so far.

Question: Was the drain already there or did you have it installed? I ask because when we were having our house built my builder said he couldn't do it because it was "not to code"

 

[brubakron]

Tagging along, lookin like fun so far.

Question: Was the drain already there or did you have it installed? I ask because when we were having our house built my builder said he couldn't do it because it was "not to code"

We had the drain installed. Originally we were going to keep the old concrete floor, and they dug the channel for the drain. However, after moving the furnace, and looking at all of the concrete that was dug out we noticed that the concrete was in terrible shape(house was built in 1926). We wanted to stain the concrete, but that wasn't possible with the old concrete. So we tore out the old concrete floor(good thing too it was only about 2 inches thick in most spots, but in one corner it was half an inch thick). Then dug the floor level so that we have a 4 inch thick new colored floor. So to answer your question, we installed it and it has passed the inspection requirements.

 

[maddmaxx]

It has been drilled with two 2 inch holes in the back panel - each end towards the top. I have been thinking about the plumbing for this tank, and how this will work. As of right now I want to keep it as simple as possible. Let me know if this won't work, or possibly a better way to do plumbing. One of the two inch drain will feed into the refurgium, and the other into the sump. From the fuge a gravity feed into the sump. From there the return will be in the form of a spray bar that comes over the top of the tank. Would it be better to drill the returns too? I figure with the spray bar it will get even flow across the back of the tank, and I can modify for any rockwork. In addition, I am now thinking that I will paint the back of tank (probably black). I had wanted to keep it clear to see into the fish room, but I don't think that I would like the look plumbing on the back of the tank.

all seems well with the plumbing... only thing that you mite not like in the future is a spray bar, no disrespect, but kinda out dated now in the hobby. you could you returns and point them straight against the back glass. that would give you a cleaner look. but its your system sir, so choice is yours obviously...

 

[brubakron]

all seems well with the plumbing... only thing that you mite not like in the future is a spray bar, no disrespect, but kinda out dated now in the hobby. you could you returns and point them straight against the back glass. that would give you a cleaner look. but its your system sir, so choice is yours obviously...

Yeah, the more I think about the spray bar the less I like it, it just seems simple. However, if I want to do this as right as I possibly can, I should drill it. Would it work to drill 4 - 1 inch returns in the back panel, perhaps two higher up and two lower? Then have each return split into two, so I have 8 points of water returning in the tank? I hope that makes sense.

 

[brubakron]

Just a quick update: I tested the rock yesterday and the phosphates read at .08. So the process of using lanthanum chloride is working well. I decided to go ahead and do about a 90% water change anyway, and will dose again today with the lanthanum chloride. Other than that I am going to continue to add ZEObak couple of a times of a week, and add my old saltwater from water changes on the other tanks. I probably wont do a large water change for a month or so unless the phosphates go back up.

I also got my first "big" fish for the large tank. A Tomini Tang (I know that it is a smaller tang.) He is pretty small now, and is helping to clean up nuisance algae in an existing tank. Right away he began grazing off the rocks, ate from a sheet of seaweed, and today ate Mysis shrimp. I am happy that he is eating right away, and is out all the time.

 

[brubakron]

Just a quick update on the progress. Drywall has been completed, and the entire basement should be completed by the end of the month (about 3 and a half weeks).



Here is the additional circuit box that was added to support the fish room, and the switch outside to hook up a portable generator in the case of power failure. In addition it will run a fridge and a few lights in the basement.






I tested for phosphates in the Pukani rock I am curing and got the INV error code using a Hanna Checker. After reading up on this I understand that it means the same as 0. It has been reading 0 for a few weeks now, so Lanthanum Chloride worked. In addition it is clear that the rock is becoming live, and we still have at least month to go in the curing process.

I am planning on using an external pump, and leaning towards a Reeflo Barracuda/Hammerhead Gold. If possible I would like to buy used, but I am not sure that the right pump will come along.

I also think that I am going to try out the Jebao wp40 for powerheads. They have pretty good reviews, and I can get 3 of them for less than an mp40. They are supposed to have amazing flow, and the flow can now be controlled more with a voltage selector. I don't know anyone local that uses these, but I figure it is worth a shot. Worse case scenario I decided to get higher end powerheads in a year or two. Below is a link for the powerheads.

http://www.fish-street.com/jebao_wp..._id=0&search_string=wp40&search_category_id=0

 

[maddmaxx]

Yeah, the more I think about the spray bar the less I like it, it just seems simple. However, if I want to do this as right as I possibly can, I should drill it. Would it work to drill 4 - 1 inch returns in the back panel, perhaps two higher up and two lower? Then have each return split into two, so I have 8 points of water returning in the tank? I hope that makes sense.

if you were to put to of the returns lower then the other two. I would highly suggest putting check valves on both the lower one. but to be honest. I would only put to lower ones if it was a closed loop system. id be to worried about the lower ones. understand im speaking of my personal feeling with this. it could work just fine with check valves on the lower lines. but your remodeling and spending money, think now how you would react if one of those lower lines failed and back siphoned your display all the way till those lower lines?

 

[brubakron]

if you were to put to of the returns lower then the other two. I would highly suggest putting check valves on both the lower one. but to be honest. I would only put to lower ones if it was a closed loop system. id be to worried about the lower ones. understand im speaking of my personal feeling with this. it could work just fine with check valves on the lower lines. but your remodeling and spending money, think now how you would react if one of those lower lines failed and back siphoned your display all the way till those lower lines?

After thinking about it more I am going to have the returns come over the top of the tank. This way I can have more control over where the water enters and provides flow. Along with the Jebao power heads I should have plenty of flow in the tank. This way the worry of back siphoning won't be an issue.

 

[brubakron]

I have ordered three of the Jebao wp 40s for the tank, along with three power supplies to help control the flow. I am excited to see amount of flow that they will produce in person, and will see if three will be too much flow.

I believe that I am going to go with the Reeflo Barracuda/Hammerhead external pump for the return. Looking though I see that they have a gold version that is supposed to be more efficient. Its about $50 more, so I am thinking that more efficient would be better, but am looking for any input on this. Anyone have experience or knowledge about a "gold" version on a Reeflo pump?

 

[Newbie Aquarist]

They pretty much save you on wattage and a better warranty. Pretty much what Reeflo told me.