300 gallon shipwreck

[HarrsCars]

Hello Everyone.

Let me first state I think the knowledge here causes me a lack of sleep. (due to the heavy reading)

With the wealth of info here (and my desire to get it right)??
I need to ask questions about my system.

I have a 300 (7ft x 3ftwide x 24tall) acyrlic tank.

I have dug my equipment room under my house and will begin the construction of the walls shortly.

It is viewable on both sides so it only leaves me the top and two sides for flow. It has one 3 sided overflow 1inch on one end and I will be constructing a 24 inch overflow though 3 to 4 bulkheads 1 1/2 on the other side. I have one dart pump and one 3000??? series pump. Of the last pump I am not positive and could use help identifing. 1/4 horse 1 1/2 intake and 3/4 output. I have 5 sea swirls 3, 3/4 and 2, 1/2 models. There is also 3 penductors 3/4 inch models. And skimmer is a MRC-3 model with one beckett. Whew thats a typeful. heh heh

My questions are as follows.

1. Can I run the skimmer (MRC-3) with overflow coming from the tank above?
2. Identity on pump above (will it flow my three penductors) head pressure approx. 11 ft?
3. I want to use the dart to closed loop the 5 sea swirls can I use one of my bulkheads from the overflow to loop this or should I look at other means??
4. How far do the penductors have to be under water to be effective? 1inch? 2inches?

The tank will be a sps tank but only approx. 1/2 of it the other side will be unlit and have a shipwreck I built in it. I have two 400 halides and two 36 inch vho actinics.

Ok that's a good start for me. I am really not a good typer but a good reader. I look forward to all replies critical or not.

Thanks
Mike

 

[HarrsCars]

Ok I know you are all picture heavy people. I don't want to dissapoint anyone. ssoooo I'll load some of my pictures and we'll see if it sparks the conversation gods of the large tanks.

This is my space where the tank is go

ing.

This is with all the ugly (dark) wood out. Notice there is a vent that leads to the basement in the studs. Explanation later in discussion.

Steel for stand. 1 1/2 for uprights and 2 for top and bottom.

Completed stand with a por-15 coating. Not overbuilt. IT"S OVERKILL. Yes I know. But I've never had anything fail on me once it's done.

Stand in the hole for a test fit. Stand actually has a 5 inch overhang on it so its flush with the bedroom wall.

The air intake is now boxed in under stand and will pull air from around the tank and down to the heater and recirculate it in the house.

Linear actuator on bedroom side of tank will control door that will slide up to view tank and close it at night when we go to bed. Door will have the bedrooms 32 flat screen tv on it and it will move with the door. Actuator travel is 24 inches and tank is 24 tall. It will lift 770 pounds so it should be no problem.

Ok Thats enough teasing for you guys. I really need some responses to questions before I put holes in tank I will regret. Post some more pictures tomorrow evening of remaining progress so far.

Thanks in advance for youveiwing my thread.
Mike

 

[NICERICAN4YOU25]

HI
PUMP, I WOULD RECOMEND UPGRADING THE PUMP TO ONE WITH A HIGHER HEAD PRESSURE SOMETHING SOMEWHERE IN THE 20'S.
JUST MY 2 CENTS

 

[NICERICAN4YOU25]

OH BY THR WAY IT SOUND LIKE ITS GONNA LOOK VERY NICE THAT 1/2 AND 1/2. CANT WAIT TO SEE IT

 

[HarrsCars]

Thanks Carlos,

I am waiting for a call back on my pump from MDM now. It seems to be a older model but, I bought it as unused and with the three penductors with it. It was stated that they would work with this pump. It is a older 6 bolt front flange so we will see what they tell me.

I think I will get a lot of bleed over on the lights and maybe once they are hung up they will cover the tank fully enough. But that was/is not my first intention. I wanted a place fish could go in the tank and take a time out (so to speak) not that I could get them to go there on my own will. ha ha I have seen similar size tanks with the same wattage as mine and sps throughout the tank. We will see?!

I will put up more pictures this evening.
Thanks Mike

 

[mflamb]

Mike, Your single beckett skimmer will require a pressure rated pump delivering 1100 gph. Try a pan world 50. I do not recommend trying to supply a closed loop from an overflow. The overflow will provide your closed loop with tons of air which will become tons of micro bubbles in your tank. Drill the tank halfway down for a 2 inch schedule 80 bulkhead to supply your Dart pump for the closed loop.

 

[HarrsCars]

mflamb, thanks you know if I would have thought about that for awhile my 25 watt in the head light bulb might have went off. That should be a no brainer. I just want to be sure I dont have a strong suction pull to harm anything in the tank. Maybe a tee off the bulkhead to 1/2 the suction if someone or something crawls across???

I got my e-mail from my pump it is a marlin pump, head pressure to 37' ft so it should work fine for my three penductors. About 13ft to top of tank so I am thinking about 500 to 550 gallons through each which will flow 2100 gallons per hour through each. I just am not sure how far they need to be in the water now..

Thanks
Mike

 

[HarrsCars]

Okay, this is looking more like my build thread instead of a Q and A thread. Maybe I can get a mod. to retitle this thread. Promised some more pics today so let's go.

Here are some images of the ship wreck I built it is made out of colored concrete. I will fill the tank with freshwater and cycle the concrete before converting it over to salt. I really don't think the ship will have a big effect considering total volume of system is about 500 gallons.


Standing up ready to do beam in the pvc pipe.

Beam all done. Mixed this batch a little hot and about 2 hours later there was a huge snap sound in the house. Woke me up and discovered the concrete cracked while curing. That was different???!!!!

Ship wreck completed took about two weeks total time. Still have to make the main mast laying over in the tank.

I will post a picture tommorrow with ship in tank.

I built my light rail in the top area that used to be empty space above the cupboard unit that was there. Since I want to light only half the tank I built a sliding (inexpensive) unit that I can move to work on the tank as need be.


Rail units screwed into sides and top.

Light sled for attaching the halides to.

Completed and hung on rollers ready for lights to go on it.

Whatdua think so far. I feel its coming along upstairs pretty good. But wait till you see what we had to do to dig under the house with a crawl space and a lot or rocks. My kid and nephew still are not speaking to me. LOL

Thanks for the advice so far. Keep it coming.

Mike

 

[lastlight]

Wow some really creative work here! The shipwreck is just foam in the pics right? Yuo haven't shown the concrete yet? Tagging along...

 

[Untamed12]

....It is viewable on both sides so it only leaves me the top and two sides for flow....

Don't forget about the bottom. You could easily bring some of your closed loop outputs through the bottom of the tank.

 

[HarrsCars]

lastlight.... no that is all concrete. Its got a coloring additive in it and it weighs about 60 pounds. I let it set up a little and used the edge of the trowel to run though and give it a plank look.

untamed.... call me hyper something but I did not ever want to have a seal issue or leak possibility on the bottom. I cant think about a 300 gallon flood in my house. I know it shouldn't happen but I am not that confident. I have had a 180 crack and a 240 blow out and thats been enough in my experience.

 

[nrehman]

Very creative....Like the MH roller. Funky ship.

 

[Bax]

Very cool build ... original to say the least!

If you dont want to go through the bottom (can't say I blame you) how about the end that has the exisint overflow on it? You could feed a CL there a well, maybe.

 

[HarrsCars]

Thanks for the compliment nrehman.... You know reading about all the way we reefers hang lights and make them move started to look like a one-up man show. I figured as long as it works and it's what I need I dont care if its got any bling. I think I got a total amount in the roller of 24bucks. If you notice the wood its the same stuff I tore out to put the tank in.

Thanks Bax...I thought about that a lot today on the flow and where its going. I am constructing 24 inch flow box on the opposite end of the other overflow. My dart will feed the 5 sea swirls I have in the closed loop and I think I will actually pull from under the overflow box I am building. My return pump is going to operate 3 penductors and they will be placed on the live rock side shooting toward the large overflow box and the closed loop inlet. I will do the inlet's like Mflamb did his in his thread (thanks Mflamb). I think then I will have a large flow from the coral side of tank to the ship side where there is more open space and more likely to get picked up in the overflow. Does that sound good? No holes drilled yet but bulkheads are on there way!!!


I really have a goal to have a nice tank, be a good citizen to protect our oceans (hence choosing livestock well, having fewer die off) and be financial responsible to the family. Dont spend the last dollar cause its a cool fish when you family has needs.

I having no problem sharing what I have spent on my project so far and I am hoping that with my diy skills I can suprise some of us including me. (hopefully).

Thanks for the participation on my thread.

Anymore???

Thanks
Mike

 

[pperez]

Why not drill a few holes in the shipwreck now so you can attach some reef plugs for the sps. After they encrust you won't see them. I have a vision in my mind of something i would see in an aquarium and i think it's going to come out looking very nice.

 

[invincible569]

This will be a nice thread to follow... keep posting those pics.

 

[HarrsCars]

pperez...I am really trying not to fully light the shipwreck.. But if the bleed over light is enough I thought it would be cool to have pulsing xenia on the rails. Realize the shipwreck is 32inches wide and about the 36 inches long. Was kinda hoping for the Davy Jones ship look with a big clam setting in front of the bow.

invincible569...I can only hope for a tank as half as good as your rimless. You have awesome taste in your tank and design. You are one of the people that inspire me to keep plugging away. Thanks.

mod nanook... thanks for the quick name change on the thread much appreciated.

I only wish some of you great reefers were closer to me. Ephrata the high desert of Washington. Most large tanks are 2 to 3 hours away. Same with a good LFS. So ya its a little community, ya the schools are great,ya the weathers ALWAYS sunny, but people that come to my house think I am crazy. Funny they all want to see it when its done to.

Thanks for reading.
Quality entertainment without a remote.
Cant get better than that.

Mike

 

[blissbsm]

I'm interested!

 

[TandN]

Cantwait to see how that shipwreck looks in the tank

 

[boozeman]

after you're done with the ship, you may want to soak it a few times b4 placing it in the tank so that the concrete leaches out its phosphates....it will prevent a major algae bloom!