A Miracles in Roanoke - My New Tank Build

E

eengmd

New member
I have been planning now for several months a new tank build which will serve as great practice for my final design in a new home build. I ordered a 3 sided starphire tank 72x30x24 with a built in overflow in the back so the entire display can be used for aquascaping without any bulkheads. It is eurobraced, not rimless. The stand is also from Miracles, a metallic stand which I will skin with magnetic and hinged doors. It has two 1 inch bulkhead returns with 3 1.5 inch drains for a beananimal style drain. The back is black vinyl covered. The teeth are set at 2 inches so I can run a wave. It should arrive in the next month.

wscullyback.jpg


I have made decisions on these major items
Lighting - 4 ecotech radions
Skimming - Bubble King Mini
Pumps - 3 mp40wes mainly in Nutrient Transport Mode
Drains - beananimal style - full drain into a sock, emergency drain will be rightbeside it, the partial drain will be into a refugium
Sump - Trigger system elite 36E
Rock - existing rock + some other pieces currently cycling
Sand - Tropic Eden Miniflakes
Fish - existing fish

Still deciding and I would appreciate the club's input
1. Circulating pump Blueline HD 100 vs reeflo super dart
2. How to design the manifold
3. How to mount the radions

I will post a for sale post soon, as I will be getting rid of almost everything in my current 150 build from the sump to the lights.
 
Look forward to seeing this come together. I like those dimensions. My personal opinion, take it for what you pay for it, I would get the Blueline over the Reeflo if the GPH is comparable. Changing seals in a pump is for the birds. I have a Pan World that I have used for over 5 years and an Iwaki that is around 8 years old and all parts are original and neither have given a moments trouble. The Blueline, Pan World and Iwaki are all virtually the same pump.
 
Thanks Adam. The panworld/blueline is 1900 gph. The reeflo super dart is 4300. The reeflo is about 100$ more. I have read about the seal problem in them. Do you think the blueline could handle two 1 inch returns, a diverter to a fuge/frag tank and a manifold to run carbon, gfo, UV and other things. My goal is to not crowd the sump with multiple maxijets running different reactors.
 
So this tank I am looking to fix several mistakes I made when I set up the 150. Hopefully I will improve the following:
1. Wire management - too many wires all mixed up
2. Plumbing - I will invest in a lot more unions, ball vales. I also plan to create a 6 part manifold hopefully reducing my dependence on a ton of maxi jets supplying things like UV, carbon, GFO, BP or a fuge
3. Aquascaping - no rocks against the back wall, the scape will following Whitby's 5/3 rule, take account for index of refraction, and create a great flow to minimize dead spots that allow for detritus build up
4. Coral placement - in my 150, my corals started waring with each other and it was not easy to cut frags, all frags will be placed on homemade plugs into holes that are predrilled so I can maintain certain colony sizes. My old tank the corals got so dense I could not find good places to frag
5. No more DSB - enough said

Hopefully I will get an ETA soon from Miracles

I will post questions on the following "mistakes" I made to garner advice from my fellow Roanoke reefers.
 
Patricklong said:
How big is the overflow on the back? Just curious as to dimensions.
Click to expand...

5.5 inches deep, 10 inches high, 32 inches length. The teeth are 24 inches long, 12 inches of teeth followed by a 8 inch gap followed by the next 12 inches. The gap is for the eurobracing point of contact.
 
this will no doubt be THE REEF in the are, I can hardly wait to see it after about a year. when you are ready for some frags give me a shout.
 
I have been doing a bunch of plumbing research. Anyone here have any experience with flex pvc or manifold design? I want to branch the return to left and right output plus a manifold line with 6 ball valves for reactors and so forth. Any input as to if this should be plumbed in a long series or 3 separate lines of flow?
 
eengmd said:
I have been doing a bunch of plumbing research. Anyone here have any experience with flex pvc or manifold design? I want to branch the return to left and right output plus a manifold line with 6 ball valves for reactors and so forth. Any input as to if this should be plumbed in a long series or 3 separate lines of flow?
Click to expand...

I've been using flex pvc for the past couple of years, no problem so far and much easier to work with. a bit pricey but worth it, i got mine from aquacave
 
Just got news from Miracles the tank won't be fully ready until the middle of August. They take a two week holiday from the end of July to August and it will not be fully cured until after they return.

Well more planning, I'm going back and forth between reeflo pump (either hammerhead gold or super dart) and the blueline. I am not an expert in head loss, friction loss and so forth.

I have ordered a custom trigger sump 45x18x18.
 
eengmd said:
Alright, decided to go with the blueline pump. After calculation friction and head loss, I should still have plenty of flow. Thanks Spotter for his advice. Check out his awesome build here.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2089673
Click to expand...


Did you actually calculate friction and head loss or did you estimate based on the pump charts/etc? If you calculated it, what numbers did you use for the different piping sections/bends.
 
koddyVT said:
Did you actually calculate friction and head loss or did you estimate based on the pump charts/etc? If you calculated it, what numbers did you use for the different piping sections/bends.
Click to expand...

RC has a calculator that accounts for 90 bends, 45 bends, ball valves, exits and length and height of pipes. I will still have plenty of flow after a 6 exit manifold.
 
Another big decision made since I have longer time before real work begins. I have decided to try an ATS in my filtration system. ATS = Algae Turf Scrubber. While it may require an additional 200-250 gph, this may actually be helpful as I may have still too much flow for my current pump.

Anyone here use an ATS?
 
What size was you thinking on your ATS. I have seen a few and they take up some room and like most things live take more maintenance than I would like to deal with and they also gave off an odor. I guess if you are doing a fish room and have the time it might not be too bad.
 
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