270 tall reef build

[panic]

I found a 72 x 25 x 36 tall tank for $150! It is a 20 year old Oceanic custom tank with 3/4" glass with edge-only bracing at the top, beveled edges, and a 1" bottom with 1/4" PVC underneath. Not a scrach on it - but it had a pinhole leak on the bottom seal that has been resealed by the previous owner and sealed again with 1" fiberglass angle all the way around.

It has 4x 1 1/2" drains in the top with internal overflow boxes in black 1/4" acrylic and no other holes. Here a a couple of pics the previous owner took during teardown.

The cinder blocks are holding down the fiberglass angle pieces while the silicon cured

 

[panic]

I am still deciding what to do with the tank - I am thinking mostly LPS, leathers, nems, and zoos - things I can't keep in my sps 180g reef. Here's some pics of the 180:

 

[panic]

The wife demands I tile the basement first so, I will log my thoughts here and look forward to ideas from people who have experience with especially tall tanks.

I'm thinking a couple of Tunze 6100s on each side with a strong return pump out of 2 of the 4 holes already cut. 400se XM 20ks out of my sps tank as I change them after 8mo, I think they will do fine for soft corals. I'll put them in LAIIIs with a 10k Ushio 250hqi in the middle. That is all I have an the works, any ideas?

 

[Jasontkd]

Hey there Panic, fancy seeing you here. Where in the world did you find that big of a tank that cheap?

Can't wait to see the progress. Let me know if you need anything. I have a bunch of zoos that I can frag for you once you are set up and rolling.

 

[panic]

Wassup Jason - I'll throw you some stonies for some zoos for sure. I went to go help BigGene move it thinking he bought it and it was going to his house. He bought the whole gigantic system and didn't want the tank - we got the 700lb goliath moved out to the truck and he says "who wants it?" Now it's at my house.

 

[strayvoltage]

panic, your 180 is awesome. I am sure with a tank that nice you will for sure figure out what to do with that monster of a tank.

 

[Saldarya]

How in the hell do you keep the back of that 180 so clean!! I just figured all aquariums turned purple after a while!!

Nice job, and great find.

 

[panic]

Thanks strayvoltage - Saldarya, lots of scraping before it gets out of hand with coraline.

I think I have decided to drill a CL for some flow on the bottom half of the tank and within the rockwork.

 

[Jasontkd]

Sounds like a plan. Hopefully by the time your new tank is set up, I will have a few more heads on my dendrophylia if you are interested in that as well. Just holler if you need some help

 

[SaraB]

panic - Your 180 is beautiful and so clean looking!

 

[serpentman]

Very nice 180. What lighting are you using?

 

[khoivo1]

do you have a barebottom in that 180?? very beautiful,,,i wish my tank will be like that one day,,,how old is that 180 you got there?? thanks

 

[panic]

Sara B -thanks

serpentman - thank you - my 180 has 3x 400se XM 20k in LAIII

khoivo1 - the 180 is BB with a DSB in the refugium. The current setup is 5mo old following a move. I had it set up for 1.5 years before that BB only and it wasn't coming along as nicely.


FLOW---

I think for the closed loop I will have 2, both with 1 1/2 intakes in the bottom half in the middle.

1) Sequence Dart - returning out of 1 1.5" holes already drilled in the top center used previously as drains

2) Dart - 4x 1" holes evenly spaced 6" from the bottom. the middle ones will provide laminar flow to keep water moving behind the rockwork. The outer returns will push water toward the middle and up.

 

[tbittner]

Sorry, I just HAD to laugh about your wife making you retile the basement. That's what I had to do after I found a 450g which is 120x24x36. I'll be following along to see how you deal with a tank this tall because I'm struggling with it a bit.

 

[panic]

I made some progress. I decided on a CL using a Hammerhead. 2 1.5" intakes in the middle, and 4x 1" along the bottom, and a 3/4" over the top in an OM Squirt. I will use a WavySea in the top middle for the return. The Hammerhead will use only one of the Intakes, I will plumb the other one with a ball valve in case I want to add another pump later. Still trying to figure out what to use the other 2 1.5" returns already drilled in the top middle that used to be drains. I think 2 drains are plenty.

I have cut over 60 holes with this one. Here's my jig.

Some thick glass, eh?

 

[panic]

The reason the tank was so cheap is that it leaks. A tube worm burrowed it's way through the bottom front seam. 1" fiberglass angle was siliconed in all the way around. Here is the only piece that was left. It will be covered in trim, so it won't be visible.

 

[panic]

I used 2x4s and shims to keep the angle tight against the sides and salt and sandbags to keep weight on it. I'll razor a clean edge after it cures for a week and then leak test it.

 

[panic]

I have the black overflows on the inside, but want a blue back wall, so I'm trying this fade to black so that the overflows disappear. I rattle canned the top and went over it with the blue with a roller. Krylon on both.

the blue