375 g Reef/ 600 g System stuffed in my office

[Bax]

Well, after making many plans to have reef at home, an opportunity came up to acquire an 8' x 30" x 30" tank. No way would this fit in my home .... and marriage, but it'll fit in my office!

So, that's where it'll go!

I've been collecting gear for some time now, always planning a fairly large tank of 200+ gallons, but never anything this big! I have, over time, collected a mountain of equipment, some of which is already in use on my 120.

I will be keeping mainly SPS with a few LPS, I'll try some zoas too, but i wnat a couple of angels, so that is up to them!

The tank is not fancy, it is standard 3/4" glass with a 24" center overflow. It's built like a tank! 96" x 30" x 30". It came with a stand and canopy that has recently be refinished in a flat white and looks very good. Both the tank and stand will need a little buffing up for use but are in generally great shape.

For filtration:

About 600 pounds of live rock with an SSB in the display
I'll be using my established 75 g fuge
My current MRC MR4R Dual Beckett skimmer (Fed by a PW-55X Driven by a PW-200)
A new 20 g RSDB
Existing UV, ozone, and twin TLF GFO reactors
A 100 g sump
An integrated 100 g frag tank
Return pump - Barracuda (Manifold to feed everything but the skimmer)

For water movement:

Returning about 1,500 gph
One VorTech MP40 (for now)
4x Tunze 6100 on a multi controller
And, I am going to experiment with a CL run by a Dart ( It'll use two actuated BVs to switch flow direction ever six hours to simulate tides)

Lighting:

I'll start with:
3 x 400 watt SE MH in 2 x LAIIIs and 1 x LA mini run on PFO ballasts ( I may upgrade ballasts soon)
2 x 12 K Reeflux & one 20 k Reeflux
4 x 54 watt T-5 tubes for actinic supplement

Other stuff:

MTC ProCal Ca Reactor
GEO Kalk mixer with peristaltic dosing pump for ATO
40 g B for a QT
135 g of RODI make up and SW mix system
1/2 hp Chiller ( I know it's small so I'll have to look at an upgrade)
Venting (I'll be installing a FanTech fan to exhaust heat from the light hoods and equipment closet)

Still working on cleaning up the tank and stand. There are a few modifications I need to make to the stand and hood, but they're pretty minor.

.... Then, we'll get going!

 

[Americanreef]

Thats sounds like a nice tank

 

[FOSELONE]

sweet...im aiming for a 375 too...same dimensions...cant wait to see the pics

 

[SMOOTHIE]

You'll love it. I put a 180 reef in the restaurant for "the kids" and get to enjoy my hobby around the clock. Parents also dig being on a wait without jr pulling at their pants legs because they get to enjoy a drink and each other while the kids scream out "Nemo" and "Dori" around the corner out of their way.

 

[Bax]

Thanks all!

This will be my third office reef. I ran a 75 and a 26 bow in my previous office space for a little over a year. Then, when I moved to this building I set up the current 120 with a total system volume of about 250 gallons and that has been up just over 2 1/2 years.

I really enjoy having a reef at work. It presents some challenges in that, I am AT WORK, so some times the reef has to wait even when an issue is staring me right in the face. I run my own small buisness and spend a lot of time here so it is very nice to be able to glance at the tank throughout the day on days when my work ties me to the office.

I do pine for a tank at home from time to time..... One day, one day, for now, this is plenty of tank to keep me occupied.

I got a long way on the preliminary cleaning of the tank yesterday scraping off almost all the coraline. It still needs a real good vinigar soaking & a preasure washing. I also want to seal the inside of the stand & hood and the rear brace of the hood is all warped as it wasn't sealed by the PO so that has to be changed, then I'll start posting some progress pics.

I'll put up a couple of pics from the pick up a little later. I don't have much because I was hanging on to the tank for dear life! At 3/4" this beast weighs a 1/2 ton easy! Probably more!

 

[Cougarman]

Nice dimensions on the tank! I'll Look forward to some pics.

 

[Bax]

Cougarman!

TFCB!
I just love your collection of Tangs, I can spend hours staring at pics you and Chuck post of your beautiful fish. I hope to keep an Atlantic Blue and an Orange Shoulder, Tenneti, & Tomini along with my current YT. At least that's my thoughts for now. I don't want to keep too many as to over crowd what could be a very open tank. I'd love a dusimeri or vlamingi but they get soooo big long term. (With the exception of "blue" and "orange", I probably spelled all those tang names wrong! )

Here's a pic from the move. This is a 16' trailer the tank is set on!

 

[Bax]

Here's the tank with the canopy off preping to move it. Seven guys could only lower this beast to dollies and down steps. We rolled it on plywood and 2" CPV pipes around from the back of the house to the trailer and up a ramp into the position in the first pic.

No easy feat! It was quite an effort!

 

[Bax]

And here's an opinon question.

It currently has a blue vinyl background with matching acrylic overflow cover. I was leaning toward black. Is it worth the effort to change it? Now is the time if it is! The blue is in great shape, and as I clean it I am becoming inclined to leave it.

One common negative comment on my 120 was that I did not paint the back black as I had in my 75 ... Everybody's a critic

 

[Cougarman]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14331444#post14331444 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Bax
Cougarman!

TFCB!
I just love your collection of Tangs, I can spend hours staring at pics you and Chuck post of your beautiful fish. I hope to keep an Atlantic Blue and an Orange Shoulder, Tenneti, & Tomini along with my current YT. At least that's my thoughts for now. I don't want to keep too many as to over crowd what could be a very open tank. I'd love a dusimeri or vlamingi but they get soooo big long term. (With the exception of "blue" and "orange", I probably spelled all those tang names wrong! )

Thanks man. I'm looking forward to following your thread and watching your tang collection grow.

I vote for a Black background!

 

[Bax]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14331602#post14331602 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Cougarman


I vote for a Black background!

How'd I know that's what folks would think :lol:

It's not such a big job, I guess, in the grand scheme!

 

[Bax]

I had one of those non-reefing days at work today. So, not much got done. I did spend a little time measuring and remeasuring the fuge, sump and other equipment that will go in the under the stairs closet that is adjacent to the tank location. The frag tank will go in an office on the other side of those stairs.

I want to make sure all the holes & shelving are aligned properly before I start drilling thru walls!

Pesky details!

 

[Bax]

Some progress

Some progress

Here are a few pics of the limited peogress I've made since getting the tank to my shop last week.

I got all the rock back in water ASAP and puy my extra skimmer to work right away. As you can see by the foam, it was busy, but only for the first two days by Monday the skim had settled down and it's now skimming normally. I think the rock will be ready for use in a couple of weeks. That's IF I am ready to use it!

Here's the tank still wrapped in pink insulation for protection getting the inside glass cleaned up. The blue looks good. I am still debating black though

The stand and canopy waiting to be cleaned and get a touch up on paint fir the exterior.

The interior need some repair and a good seal coat of some kind.

The sump looks good after an initial cleaning.

These are some things I already had and was going to use on the 120 system. The bottom tank is a 100 g acrylic that will be the frag tank. The top tank is a PM sump that I think will be my RSDB. On top of that is a manifold I just made for the 120 that I'll need to modify for this set up once I get the layout finalized.

:smokin:

 

[TandN]

lookin goog

 

[Bax]

Thanks T&N!

.... I'll assume goog = good!

Not much if anything will happen this weekend on the tank, as I have to work on the family room at the house. I was remodeling that room before this tank became available and really need to keep it top on my list or face grave consequences from the family. There was to be a 36" deep 200 in that rebuild, but in the long run, I'll be happier with the 8' tank in my office. My wife and I were just talking about fitting something between 30 & 75 gallons into the family room now that all my big equipment will be devoted to the 375.

... It's all good!

 

[mcliffy2]

Looks like you've got the makings of a great setup, and will soon have a lot of trouble focusing at work

A couple thoughts/suggestions:

(1) 600 lbs of rock in the display is IMO, way too much visually. With 30" of width you've got the opportunity to do a nice open scape with open channels, peaks and valleys, etc. Plus you'll want some room for the fish. I would use about half of it in the display, then dump the rest in the sump so you'll get the filtration benefits.

(2) not sure if the MRC is external? (is that it in the pics? couldn't tell...) If it is, you might consider a different skimmer for peace of mind. Its been my experience that even the best externals will occasionally overflow, so maybe its just me, but I like the peace of mind of an internal in a scenario where you'll often be gone 2 days at a time.

Minor point tho, all in all it looks like a fantastic setup!

 

[Bax]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14340044#post14340044 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mcliffy2
Looks like you've got the makings of a great setup, and will soon have a lot of trouble focusing at work

A couple thoughts/suggestions:

(1) 600 lbs of rock in the display is IMO, way too much visually. With 30" of width you've got the opportunity to do a nice open scape with open channels, peaks and valleys, etc. Plus you'll want some room for the fish. I would use about half of it in the display, then dump the rest in the sump so you'll get the filtration benefits.

(2) not sure if the MRC is external? (is that it in the pics? couldn't tell...) If it is, you might consider a different skimmer for peace of mind. Its been my experience that even the best externals will occasionally overflow, so maybe its just me, but I like the peace of mind of an internal in a scenario where you'll often be gone 2 days at a time.

Minor point tho, all in all it looks like a fantastic setup!

I've had lots of practice maintaing focus with the 120, this, will still be a challenge to sit next to

Yes, 600 pounds in the diplay is too much. I actually have over 1,000 pounds between what I've been collecting for the new tank (the 200 g that now won't happen) and what came with this system. I'll probablt use about 450, or less, in the DT and another 100-150 in the fuge, sump and frag tanks. I'll need a little for my at home nano that will follow this build. And, I'll be selling off the excess. I want a very open scape in general, and the entire left end will be very open. The tangs and angels will want it.

The MRC is external, I've run it that way now for about a year. I have a getto collection bucket that seems to be very effective at shutting down the foam head, a trick learned after , a few spills. Not to good at controlling the FOUL odors the skimmer produces, but we'll work on that with the new set up!

Love your build BTW!

 

[Bax]

This is my MRC MR4R skimmer. I no longer use the pitifully undersized waste collector. It's a great skimmer, but a bit of an energy hog.

This aslo gives you an idea of the tight space I have to work with in a closet beneath the stairs. Maximizing the use of space will be a theme throughout this set up. I salpped the 120 together so fast during my move into this office that there are many things I will do differently this time.

 

[TandN]

lol yeah goog meant good. Was using my blackberry and its new and I never had one before so im learning

 

[Bax]

It's all goog!