600gal . the plaining process .

[gig]

ifound a local guy that took down his tank . he has about 350lbs he wants to sell for 2.50 a lb . he had it out of water for about 3 weeks now im going saturday to take a look at it . i know im a long way off on getting this tank running but im thinking of getting it and getting a big tub and running the pumps in it to cure it so when the big tank is all up and running im sorta ready to go . i know 350lbs is only a dent on what i need so im plaining on buying some big peices . my current 70 gal tank has around 110lb in it so that will also go in the new tank . so with the 350 and 110lbs im already on a good start . im guessing ill only need about 300lbs more to get a good amount .


im also plaining on doing a shallow sand bed about 1" deep . i like the look of them and how everyone says they are the way to go .

that's cool, look out for the free shipping sale when they have it again (I hope again), it's a great way to fill out your take cheaply.

 

[camaroboy8691]

that's cool, look out for the free shipping sale when they have it again (I hope again), it's a great way to fill out your take cheaply.

i always got my eyes open for good deals . the local fish store has tubs of rock but its pricy . about 6.00 a lb and up . or i can order it online a bit cheaper and save the tax but pay the shipping .


roman . i forgot about pumping water up . so a bigger pump it is then . then i can just throttle it down to reduce the hits of the surges . what is a good pump to use that you can reduce the flow without it hurting the motor ? seems like the darts are a good pump ?

on the surges how was the air bubbles ? i have been doing some reading and i kinda like the idea of a butterfly valve . what im thinking is i can take the siphons on the surges and move them down low to the bottom of the surge tank so they are essentially drains . then have the valve right near the big tank this way those pipes are always filled with water and no air . then have the valves on a timer of some sort . any thoughts on this ? it seems like its alittle more work and involved but it would reduce the air bubbles guys talk about . but how was it for you ?


lets talk about lights next . thoughts on this ? i have t-5's on my 70 gal and they do ok . but what should i do for the big tank ?

 

[Roman Ogee]

roman . i forgot about pumping water up . so a bigger pump it is then . then i can just throttle it down to reduce the hits of the surges . what is a good pump to use that you can reduce the flow without it hurting the motor ? seems like the darts are a good pump ?

on the surges how was the air bubbles ? i have been doing some reading and i kinda like the idea of a butterfly valve . what im thinking is i can take the siphons on the surges and move them down low to the bottom of the surge tank so they are essentially drains . then have the valve right near the big tank this way those pipes are always filled with water and no air . then have the valves on a timer of some sort . any thoughts on this ? it seems like its alittle more work and involved but it would reduce the air bubbles guys talk about . but how was it for you ?


lets talk about lights next . thoughts on this ? i have t-5's on my 70 gal and they do ok . but what should i do for the big tank ?

I like the Reeflo line up of pumps. Dart, Barracuda and the Hammerhead. All great pumps imho and can all be valved back with no issues. I ran the Hammerheads, but it all depends on head pressure and how much flow you want where.

The air bubbles weren't that bad for a 3" surge. If I could have lowered the surge tanks to a foot or so.. I think it would have surprised a lot of people with how few of air bubbles there would be. The butterfly valve is an interesting idea and worth looking into. I kind of don't like a moving part in the mix because something could get stuck in there or the valve could fail, but if something actually did go wrong, there's 2 - 2" emergency drains in each of the 75s.

Lights. Sooooooo many options there. I wanted an sps dominated tank, so I went with 8 - 400 watt PFO HQI's with big lumenarc reflectors and Radium 20K bulbs. Talking with you it sounds like you'd like more of a mixed reef. If you do decide to go with some sps, halides would be a great way to with a tank this size. Trying to be conservative, you could maybe do 2 400 watt halides, one over each opening, and supplement with VHO's or t5s. Lumenarc reflectors would be a good idea to try and maximize spread from the 2 halides. Since the tank is 4' x 8'.. It makes it very universal if you run 4' VHOs/t5s. You could put run them in either direction around the halides. Please excuse my terrible paint pics.. but here's what I mean:

And that's just 2 of the 10,000,000 possibilities! :wildone:

 

[camaroboy8691]

nice drawing david . you should see mine . lol but ill think about pumps . thats a pretty easy one to think about and pick out . but the lighting thats awhole new monster to get into . so here is what im reaserching . im plaining on doing a mixed reef . but hey you never know what may catch my eye at the lfs or elsewhere so its always best to kinda plain for that now than later

3 of these pendants for the metal halide

http://www.aquacave.com/detail.aspx?ID=2026

with these bulbs 400 watt with 14k

http://www.aquacave.com/400w-hqi-double-ended-brmetal-halide-lampbr-by-hamilton-technology-2224.html

with these ballasts

http://www.aquacave.com/icecap-400w-metal-halidebr-electronic-ballast-871.html

im thinking i can space the mh evenly across the middle of the tank . then get 4 t-5's for between them . kinda like the 2nd pic where the t-5's are between the mh's but 1 extra mh in there .

so for t5's how about these ?

http://www.aquacave.com/48-two-lamp-t5-retro-kitbr-by-coralvue-1146.html#

obviously running 4 of them 1 bulb being a 10k and the other being a actinic it looks like the ballast is included so i dont need anything else with those lights .


thoughts on the lighting ? that should be enough .... im thinking ?

for the lighting . what kind of controller should i use ? just a normal plug in timmer like this ?

http://www.aquacave.com/digital-power-centertimerbr-by-coralife-2018.html


ok . thats enough for this post .... let me know your thoughts everyone . im trying to get my wish list together !


thanks

 

[Nanook]

Don't forget HVAC. Reliable air conditioning/heating/ventilation are a must. Constant temperature control is a biggie that many leave out. Six months from setup we hear folks saying, what do I do about this mold:lol:

I would push your go-live date back to give yourself a good 6-8 months just for planning. All or nothing can be a bad trait with this hobby, unless you don't mind buying everything two or three times, or wishing you had done things completely different because you didn't know better at the time because you rushed into it blind.

Just a few words of wisdom. It sounds like you have a fun project in front of you, just don't screw it up:lol:

 

[camaroboy8691]

Don't forget HVAC. Reliable air conditioning/heating/ventilation are a must. Constant temperature control is a biggie that many leave out. Six months from setup we hear folks saying, what do I do about this mold:lol:

I would push your go-live date back to give yourself a good 6-8 months just for planning. All or nothing can be a bad trait with this hobby, unless you don't mind buying everything two or three times, or wishing you had done things completely different because you didn't know better at the time because you rushed into it blind.

Just a few words of wisdom. It sounds like you have a fun project in front of you, just don't screw it up:lol:

dave , thanks for that suggestion i do know i should plain plain and do some more plaining . but ill tell ya the day i got my 70gal tank i was already plaining and reading . while i know the importance of not rushing this hobby im also excited to get going on it . like everything i have a goal . id like to have it up and running by the end of the year . if it happens great if not . thats fine also . but the main thing to have done by the end of the year is the office and that part . not really worrying if i have live stock in the tank or not


but i was thinking about the ventalation but really worrying about it right now . but i did think about it a bit . but here is what i plain on doing with the venting . since this is a peninsela style tank it will be seen on 3 sides . then the top and bottoms will be sealed off {access doors obviously everywhere} but im plaing on one side of the setup to have an intake air plenum with hepa filters or other really good filter . then on the opposite side the exhuast duct to vent it directly outside . im thinking about maybe putting a heat sensor inside somehow to monitor the temp of it to automatically turn the fan on during various times of the day . since this office will be in a big metal building getting the heat out of the fish area is going to be important . especially with those lights .

im gonna try to do a sketch of how im laying it all out . if i succed in that ill post it up

thanks
ted

 

[Nanook]

Are you planning on running a chiller?

 

[camaroboy8691]

Are you planning on running a chiller?

yes something . right now i have a 1/3hp on my 70 it does a very good job . but i know thats going to be to small for this big tank . im sure it would help alittle but not enough . so yes a chiller will be in the works since sometimes over the weekend the shop is not open and it gets toasty in there in the summer . im usually there every day but not for long over the weekends .


i know all chillers are titanium . but i may look into a stainless heat sink and fabricate something since the big chillers are $$$$$$ might tey to save a few dollers . but then again . you cant beat reliability of a well known chiller maker


also for those that dont know i run a metal fab shop . i have alot of machining equipment here and tig welders and all that cool stuff . so some stuff may be fabricated in house .

 

[camaroboy8691]

hey everyone .... looking for recommendations on the lighting i posted on page 1 at the bottom just to see if everyone thinks it will be ok



also for pumps . im thinking 2 hammer heads .... 1 for the surge tanks and 1 for the sump and skimmer would this be enough ?



thanks .

 

[Roman Ogee]

Hey Ted. My you've been busy planning! As far as the lighting goes... with the top being the way it is, you would have to put the center halide directly over the center brace. Probably not a big deal in a mixed reef, but I tried to keep my reflectors over the openings to maximize the light. Also, with smaller double ended reflectors, they may not light up as much as that tank as you'd like. A reflector like the lumenarc would be more ideal. I always ran single ended bulbs, but I think they make something for DE's as well.

The bulbs should be fine. Hamiltons are alright bulbs and 14K is a great looking spectrum. Is that amp rating correct for that ballast? 5.4 amps? Ouch! If you're looking to get the lights soon, I have some PFO HQI ballasts that run at 4.55 amps each. Great ballasts.

I'm not much of a t5 guy, so I don't know whats good and whats not. Something like that is what I was thinking, but maybe someone with some t5 experience could step in and give the thumbs up or thumbs down.

I think 2 hammerheads would do it. I've had a Gen-X pcx70hp, a barracuda and a hammerhead on that skimmer. The Barracuda embarrassed the Gen-X, but I don't think the hammerhead really did much more. So some flow stolen from 1 hammerhead to feed the tank and the rest for the skimmer I think would work. Valves on both ends will let you tweak it how you need it.

Have a good night.

 

[Roman Ogee]

Oh.. Those power strips are terrible. I don't think I've had one last longer than a few months without problems. An Aquacontroller is more money, but I think would suit your needs much better. Not only do you get to control your lights, you'd get to turn fans on/off according to temp. and/or time. As well as all sorts of other fun things. Here:

http://www.aquacave.com/aqua-contro...irect-connect-8brby-neptune-systems-1234.html

They get much fancier than that, but that and this:

http://www.aquacave.com/direct-connect-4-heavy-dutybr-by-neptune-systems-1239.html

should take care of your needs. That way you'd have 12 outlets you could control with the jr.

 

[camaroboy8691]

Hey Ted. My you've been busy planning! As far as the lighting goes... with the top being the way it is, you would have to put the center halide directly over the center brace. Probably not a big deal in a mixed reef, but I tried to keep my reflectors over the openings to maximize the light. Also, with smaller double ended reflectors, they may not light up as much as that tank as you'd like. A reflector like the lumenarc would be more ideal. I always ran single ended bulbs, but I think they make something for DE's as well.

after i posted about the lights i did some thinking . i may go with 4 MH's 2 over each opening . and then 3 or 4 t-5's only real reason i want the t-5's is becuase im thinking with the big lights off and the t'5s on it would be more appealing to look at the tank for a few hours at night time . just my thoughts at this momment but open to suggestions i will look into the lumenarc's and also single ended . when i was picking out lights i kinda just went on what others where saying and basically what i thought would work .

The bulbs should be fine. Hamiltons are alright bulbs and 14K is a great looking spectrum. Is that amp rating correct for that ballast? 5.4 amps? Ouch! If you're looking to get the lights soon, I have some PFO HQI ballasts that run at 4.55 amps each. Great ballasts.

the ballasts does it matter what amp they are ? im pretty good with electrical work but ballasts always stumped me . and the bulbs i read a fw things about radiums ... thoughts ?

I'm not much of a t5 guy, so I don't know whats good and whats not. Something like that is what I was thinking, but maybe someone with some t5 experience could step in and give the thumbs up or thumbs down.

I think 2 hammerheads would do it. I've had a Gen-X pcx70hp, a barracuda and a hammerhead on that skimmer. The Barracuda embarrassed the Gen-X, but I don't think the hammerhead really did much more. So some flow stolen from 1 hammerhead to feed the tank and the rest for the skimmer I think would work. Valves on both ends will let you tweak it how you need it.

thats kinda what i was thinking 1 pump for the surges . 1 pump for skimmer and tank . i might even put a y into the one hammerhead that feeds the surges to help move the water back into the tank . or my other options would be get 3 pumps . 1 dedicated to the surges , 1 for the skimmer . 1 for the return . im not exactly sure yet . but if i can "y" off the pumps that may be better . 1 less pump to worry about or have to have a plug for

Have a good night.

 

[camaroboy8691]

Oh.. Those power strips are terrible. I don't think I've had one last longer than a few months without problems. An Aquacontroller is more money, but I think would suit your needs much better. Not only do you get to control your lights, you'd get to turn fans on/off according to temp. and/or time. As well as all sorts of other fun things. Here:

http://www.aquacave.com/aqua-contro...irect-connect-8brby-neptune-systems-1234.html

They get much fancier than that, but that and this:

http://www.aquacave.com/direct-connect-4-heavy-dutybr-by-neptune-systems-1239.html

should take care of your needs. That way you'd have 12 outlets you could control with the jr.

ooooo i like ... deffenitly going on the wish list . that might even be good for the vetn system i am thinking of doing to get rid of heat and moisture .

 

[Roman Ogee]

Yeah.. 2 or 4 bulbs would probably work best. Doesn't matter what amp the ballasts are, except on the electric bill. Radiums are the only bulbs I run now. Great look and packs a punch. Yeah.. I'd wanna keep it down to two pumps as well. Maybe just steal a little from each pump to feed the tank. Or 1 pump is for skimmer and 1 surge and the other is for tank and 1 surge. I don't know.. There's a million options.

I got the tank off the stand tonight and a crew set up for tomorrow. If everyone is able to show and we get it out of my basement, Tuesday pick up is looking very realistic.

Talk to ya soon.

 

[Metal Man 1221]

awsome cant wait to see it, im stickin around for this one

 

[camaroboy8691]

awsome cant wait to see it, im stickin around for this one

another month or so till i start . im already hording equipment and other items this way when i get the time to do it its none stop till its done .which should be around the end of december ... what a way to spend my x-mas break settin up a tank and playing carpenter . lol im just as excited .

 

[porthios]

yeah, nanook's right. spend all the time you need now to plan for things like ventilation, power, flow, water changes, supplementation, nutrient export, etc.. those become a MUCH bigger deal when you get into bigger tanks and you don't want to tackle them 'on the fly' when you've already got several hundred gallons of water to take care of.

if you take your time now you'll save a disproportionate amount of time and effort later. it takes me less than 30mins a week to maintain my system but it took a lot of sweat to get there .

 

[camaroboy8691]

yeah, nanook's right. spend all the time you need now to plan for things like ventilation, power, flow, water changes, supplementation, nutrient export, etc.. those become a MUCH bigger deal when you get into bigger tanks and you don't want to tackle them 'on the fly' when you've already got several hundred gallons of water to take care of.

if you take your time now you'll save a disproportionate amount of time and effort later. it takes me less than 30mins a week to maintain my system but it took a lot of sweat to get there .

agreed ..... do you have a link to your build ? the hyper link doesnt work in your sig

 

[porthios]

i think if you click on my name, then 'visit porthios' homepage' it'll get you there. haven't been on rc much since the upgrade but i think that's the new version of the old red houses..

 

[jbrown11352]

Tagging along...this is my dream tank, congrats!!!

Please take as much time as possible asking questions and planning, it will save you SO MUCH $$$, time, heartache and frustration. They're are so many people on here with a tremendous amount of knowledge in this hobby(take advantage of previous mistakes that others have learned from), make sure to utilize the specific forums for your questions and when looking for advice. Don't get me wrong, this forum is great but the others get very detailed and have a tremendous amount of expertise.