280G+ Starphire In-Wall Build by ReefArtist

I took a look at the total volume again and I came up with 519g. I then rounded the number up for the media containers, pipes etc for a 550 total. This of course this doesn't include the QT, ATO tank, or the freshwater guys :D. The file is a little hard to read, so some of the numbers might not show properly.

Main tank â€"œ 280
Sea Horse tank â€"œ 30
Infinity Tank â€"œ 30
Frag â€"œ 20
Sump â€"œ 90
Refuge â€"œ 40
Grasses â€"œ 29
============
Total volume - 519 rounded up to 550+ for media selections.
 
The calcium reactor feed was one of my first questions as I wanted it to be gravity. I was told that for the stability of the unit it would be best for it to have a pump. If I added the wavemaker this really messes up the flow to the Ca Reactor if your are trying to rely on gravity alone.

Closed loop - I really like the freedom to move the pumps where needed. I'm going with a variety of corals and with that flow requirements - lots of low flow LPS and high flow SPS. If I don't like the look of the pumps I can just cover them with rocks (I make my own using clay). I can form the clay to any shape I like and have different rock shapes for different pumps. Bottom line - do I need more plumbing that a closed loop would require :)?
 
One of my favorite builds is by Sparkss. His tank is very similar to yours in size. He utilized a closed loop. His method is to move the water from one side of the tank to the other for six hours, then a period of mixed flow and then from the other side to the first side for six hours, finishing with a period of "calm" when neither side is operating, resulting in a tidal approximation that his corals relish, judged by growth. His lighting aids in that plan, with dawn to dusk effects and moonlighting on a natural cycle controlled by an ACIII, iirc. Randomness is controlled by a very nice DIY sinusoidal valve on a closed loop.

A couple of other tanks that mix SPS with LPS are Naka's and invicible589's (iirc). Both use closed loops to great effect.

I don't know if you have already acquired the Tunze's, or if you are absolutely set on them. As I plan my build, I have opted to minimize the in-tank presence of any power sources, due to the need to ground wherever they are present. This just seems to detract from the presentation that a large tank achieves.

I guess my point is that CL's can accomplish a lot very efficiently, electrically and in terms of maintenance. It's truly up to the reefkeeper to decide, from the get go, what is desirable and follow that path.

Just food for thought... :D

On another note, I see the calculation differences now; in your calc's, the sump and fuges are predicted to be full, I think. I took the volume numbers to indicate size, and then guesstimated the actual volume they would hold. For instance, I have a 100g sump but I plan to only fill it 40-50% to accomodate a power outage drain. Since mine is a two-story install, the pipes actually hold a good bit of water that needs to go somewhere....
 
Yes - I've had closed loops on other systems of mine. The last one I had plumbed into the back and it worked great. Well I ran into the pipe (Not hard just nicked it) it cracked my glass from top to bottom! That is a concern also for me - more plumbing more possible leaks. I'm so tired of having water on the floor and that played into my selection also. At some time if I decided I can always change it and have a closed loop - At this time I have most of the parts and I might go with small closed loops on the Sea Horse tank. The infinity only uses it's own system - and you don't want any wires, pumps, connectors etc hanging anywhere in that tank.

All my tanks will have check valves added with unions built in. They will be changed out every year as part of my maintaince plan. This way I don't have to worry about flooding everything. My equipment will handle everything and no they will not be full but this will allow me to have them a little deeper than normal. We'll see how they work out but I know others that use them and they have worked great for them - but yes you do have to do the maintaince. One thing to note is that if they do stop working it will be in the open state and not closed - so this should not be a problem.

These are the ones I'm talking about:
http://www.customaquatic.com/custom...ndexid=pf-cv-tu
 
Thanks Token for all the information and yes you do have me again looking at the closed loop. Tonight I'll check out the builds of the people you've mentioned - I'm always open as long as I haven't purchased parts :).
 
I totally hear you on the water on the floor!

That is one reason I am so excited to be moving; this allows me to do/have as I have wanted for a good while.

I am an over-the-back kinda guy. I just drilled my first tank, a 15g that is upgrading my 11g and moving to the office. I put two holes in the back and I am terribly paranoid. I had planned a third for the return but I didn't have the will so it's over the top for the return...

The two larger tanks may have holes and I am a bit paranoid about it. Thankfully, I can secure/support the upstairs plumbing and I hope that proves adequate if I decide to drill the tanks for the returns/CL.

As to the check valves: they do restrict flow. Is it possible to put a double bend in your plumbing (think: reverse drip-loop) to accomplish the same thing? This, too, will restrict your flow but it would not be prone to failure (in the middle of the night while you are away on your dream vacation...). ;)

Lastly, I have to confess that Naka's and invicible's tanks are rimless, with PVC bottoms and both are multi-sided displays. Sparkss is a more standard tank, inwall like yours. Nonetheless, all three are demonstrations of planning, flow, lights and excellence. Sparkss's tank most closely approximates what I am attempting and I am willingly following the path he has so carefully trod.

Best of luck! I am finding this to be a wonderful thread, forcing me to look so carefully at what I intend. Thank you!
 
I gave Sparkss (not that Sparkss's system is not worthy of careful inspection, by the way) credit for Weatherson's design; the sinusoidal valve, etc. I apologize to all parties for that error.

JB NY's tank is yet another!

www.weatherson.com is the resource for the tank I meant to encourage you to see. It is similar in many ways to yours.
 
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Not a problem Token - weatherson's thread I've read and have included my build on it. Also Melev's has been a great resource as is my friends MFLamb's 390 build. MFLamb and I started the DIY reflector build for the TBRC - I think I've now built about 50 or so MH reflectors. The first build at my house we built 50 and I've had two other builds after that.

I've done lots of research and I know what I want. I did R&D for a long time and I would have not developed nor designed the software and hardware (with patents) without having a open mind. I'm always open to other ideas - but that doesn't mean I haven't done my research :reading:. Might be something new that I haven't seen - but I've seen a lot. Remember there's a reason Tunze can sell their products for so much - supply and demand and lots of reefers love them.

As far as efficiency - The Tunze's are far more efficient than having a closed loop pump - as far as I've seen. The 6101 gives out 3175gph using only 45W. With two pumps - I'm done. With the closed loop, using the Dart pump giving me 3600gph but they use 1.4A/160W. I would need two of these systems and the OM4 times 2. I feel the Tunzes are much more efficient and less plumbing to deal with. I'm willing to look at anything and reread but I haven't seen a pump that is better than the Tunze's.
 
I am wanting to go the same route myself for my flow.

I missed out on your last build of reflectors. I was considering posting but had to go to Germany for a few weeks. I got your plans from your site and was wondering where you got your aluminum? I wanted to make a few for my new tank.

Any other new updates?
 
Hello Eric, you are definitely asking the right person about reflectors. I was able to get a very good price for the aluminum (Online 7$/FT - mine less than half). I'm very low on the roll I purchased but I can hook you up with a friend of mine that also purchased a roll. His online name is "The Hawk'ster" and he also has it for a very good price and is willing to ship it to you if needed. If you have any problems getting it - just give me a PM and I'll make sure you're set. They were great fun to build and my lighting will be fantastic - at a fraction of the cost. I can't way to get to that part of my build.

For those that are wondering which reflectors - here is a link to my old thread - after all this I still haven't made my reflectors!!!!

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1115216&perpage=20&pagenumber=1

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1120189&perpage=20&pagenumber=1
 
Carol,
Token has a good point about your calcium reactor and media reactors. I'm building a manifold that is plumbed off of the sump return pump. The manifold will feed all the reactors, post skimmer, and the reactors will return to the fuge. The plant life will benefit from the extra CO2 deposited by the CA reactor.
Just a thought.
 
I see what you're talking about Mike. I had been basing a lot of my plumbing off sidewinder770's layout and he had his all together (pump feeding all media). With our DIY Calcium reactor I didn't want to change the pump (feed to it) so I just dropped it into the sump input area. Having it feed of my return pump would fix my "what kind of pump" do I need to get for the media. I can still keep the pump for the Calcium reactor if I wanted. I'll draw up what I think you're saying and a few other changes I've been thinking about today and post later.

Thanks everyone for the comments.

Here are the threads and sites I've really have looked at for my build (or worked directly with - thanks Mike and Melev) - just to give others different ideas:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=8446891#post8446891

http://www.melevsreef.com/280g.html

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=522988&perpage=25&pagenumber=1

http://www.azreef.com/

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=908114
 
OK - here is a new drawing of my media plumbing. I broke it out of the complete plumbing to move a few things and fix a few others. Here is an update:

132223280gPlumbing_Media.jpg
 
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Ok, that makes things much easier to understand. The only potential issue i can see is that if you close off one of the returns from pump 5, the remaining systems would not equally get the resultant flow. But at the same time, since the water is coming from the sump and then back to the sump, there is a reduced risk of flooding any one system. Just make sure the drains from the three tanks can handle the flow from the pump and you should be just fine.

Nice diagram btw.
 
Hello Rocket - I figured with ball valves at each media unit and each tank if I needed to removed something I can adjust the flow. This way I feel all water should be under control - in theory anyway. My main concern is the tanks handling the flow but - I'll fall back to the ball valves.

Please if anyone see something wrong with my "Theory" please let me know. We don't want water on the floor with this one!

Well, I got my skimmer today from John (FAOIS - LFS) - it's nice. It runs off a Dart with a ReefFlo Needle Wheel Impeller - this thing can pull some crap! I wanted to get it so I can start laying out the fish room. I'm hoping to get the walls up this week.

132223Reeflo_ORCA_Skimmer.JPG
 
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