340 Gallon Mixed Reef

[Sagz70]

Maybe something like you said on one of the sides of the tank and then another island on the opposite side? Will leave you with a lot of swimming space as well as corals that need less light along the bottom.

I really wish I had the dimensions like yours.. So many ideas come to my mind!

 

[worm5406]

Have you checked below where you are putting the tank to make sure the floor can support it?

 

[ericdm]

this tank is in my basement on a level concrete slab so we should be good there

 

[worm5406]

Very nice... Just wanted to check.

Hard to tell from the pictures.

OK... Lets go... What are you waiting on? It is not going to fill it's self.

LOL

 

[ericdm]

lol i know plumbing sand and aquascape are up this weekend then fill with rodi get up to temp and mix salt

 

[Mark...]

Those are the tank dimensions I'm looking to get...nice build...

 

[ericdm]

Thank you this is my first true big build I had a 220 for 7 Months then stepped up to this bad boy I love the dimensions tons of room

 

[worm5406]

lol i know plumbing sand and aquascape are up this weekend then fill with rodi get up to temp and mix salt

Mix salt cold.

If you are cycling it the the temp should be ok to add after mixing salt.

Just add a heater to the mix and let those rocks start cycling.

 

[ericdm]

Thanks for the advice I will mix salt while still cold I only have a 50 GDP Rodi so it will take a while to fill ill have to swing by my parents and steal some of my dads Rodi water to speed things up a bit also once up to temp and cycling I plan on adding 1 nice purple piece of live rock from Lfs to seed the dry rock with coralline

 

[ericdm]

Also should I be running carbon and gfo during my cycle or wait til cycle is over also lights mostly off during cycle maybe an hour for occasional viewing??

 

[worm5406]

Let the water go au-natural for a bit with out the carbon and gfo. Set the canister and pumps up though. Get used to it running and what it looks like, just DO NOT fill it with ANYTHING... no filtermesh or agent. Just let it flow water in and out.

Set your lights up to NORMAL what you would want them to be. YOU have to get used to what it looks like and the light into the house/area too.

Not only are you aclimating the tank. you are aclimating YOU to know what it looks like and know the cycle.

 

[ericdm]

If I have my lights on the full schedule during the cycle will I get more algae this way also need advice on best magnetic acrylic algae scraper also tank is 1in thick thanks for all the advice

 

[Meanmike]

Glad to see you chose the pukani but it seems you might be unaware that it is known to leach phosphates. With that in mind your algae might do more than just bloom.

 

[worm5406]

Yes very true on the pukani.


Lights on now or later will produce the same effects. If there are algae strands in there they will still be there.

If you can tackle it now it will help you. You need to keep an eye on that rock.

 

[ericdm]

what are some things to watch out for what steps should i do to help reduce the algea bloom multiple water changes for the first few months on top of biweekly gfo changes? any and all advice would be appreciated thank you.

 

[worm5406]

Until everything gets cycled, IMO, no water changes. No gfo/carbon.

Run it like a tank should be run.

Feed it daily. A pinch of flake food.

The algae bloom is normal with a cycling tank.

 

[ericdm]

Some updates plumbing done next check for leaks and start sand and aquascape

Sump containers Soo 5000int skimmer with 3 in neck extension raised up 2.5 in should sit about 7 in deep next reef mr1 gro reactor 2 Rhein jäger 300w heaters and water blaster 10000 return pump

The closer pipes are 1in into a 1.5 in t they are the emergency drains behind that is the 1.5 inch pipes into a 2 in t for the main drain with a gate valve

Here is the 1 in return over the back of the tank to 4 3/4 in flares

 

[azjohnny]

Nice setup, I am planning on a tank upgrade for my 180 gal FOWLR and thinking of the same dimensions.

I have the same skimmer and able to run the skimmer in 9" of water depth with a few mods....I have 2 neck extensions and a vented and raised PVC "T" section at the end of the return

 

[ericdm]

Thanks and I love these dimensions I was also going to add a vented t off of the skimmer outlet

 

[azjohnny]

heres a few pic in my DIY sump, I had a lot of frustration with the skimmer when I first got it a year ago, caused 2 overflows where I had lost 40 gals of water each time during the night

<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/w9JYrg8DrDi4iq_FC-LKo9MTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-PlXycLBRIUs/UZ029nUqzII/AAAAAAAAA8A/FV5YxyPcNs4/s144/neck%2520extension.JPG" height="144" width="108" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/102378534454709043470/Sump?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite">Sump</a></td></tr></table>


<table style="width:auto;"><tr><td><a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/VWTIwyocpgJKXpEIK8D8GNMTjNZETYmyPJy0liipFm0?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-kZLj_h6Z5-k/UZ03ca0OrNI/AAAAAAAAA8g/REvV-KaDbiA/s144/neck%2520extension%25202.JPG" height="144" width="108" /></a></td></tr><tr><td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right">From <a href="https://picasaweb.google.com/102378534454709043470/Sump?authuser=0&feat=embedwebsite">Sump</a></td></tr></table>

I am no longer running the bio pellet reactor, I lost the water due to running a drain line from the collection cup to a 5 gal bucket...I will never do that again