After 15 years I'm doing it..Dream reef

[X-FACTOR]

Ok guys this is the deal, I signed on the new place and I have the space for a bigger reef tank, and I want everyones input and ideas to make it incredible. These are the basics:

(1) Tank size 96x48x32 or 120x48x32 360 degree viewable area.
(2) Center overflow? made out of live rock? (seriously)
(3) 1 open and 2 closed loops....HUGE FLOW
(4) Insane looking rock work...unique...how did you do that?
(5) No visible plumbing (within reason) I can drill holes anywhere.
(6) Surge device, wavemaker, dump system?
(7) Fuge in the top to keep pods etc from being "pumped" back up
(8) Mobile (light rail) as well as stationary lighting.

I have a million ideas, I have been thinking about this for 15 years, I have tryed many ideas for surge etc and have some good idea's about how to do some very unique return plumbing into the tank.
I am the guy who got the very first Oceanmotions 8 way, I talked with Paul yesterday and he is on board to help with plumbing, I have seen some of the most inspiring tanks on this board so I figured who better to help with my project then you guys.
I will have some cad drawings soon of proposed rock work and some of my plumbing ideas for you to look over.
I am very serious about this and I need a new tank, mine (the 300 in my gallery) is growing out of the water. So it is about time.
I am looking forward to your comments, good, bad or other.

 

[X-FACTOR]

Ok here are a couple VERY POOR computer assisted drawings...I can hardly type let alone draw on this thing.

The outer box is the tank
The center box is the overflow
The blackened area inside is the basic rockwork
The red is caves/swim throughs
The blue is inlets from the bottom of the tank on a closed loop 8 way
The orange is another closed loop on constant
The yellow is the open loop on 2 surge devices coming in from the top above the trim feeding down into the tank.

The open loop is going to be the problematic one to create, I picture having everything on the open loop run down the overflow into the sump, then being pumped up above the tank into the rafters and into the fuge. Then the water flows out 2 different outlets into 2 seperate containers that will surge at random times depending on how fast they fill, when the water leaves the surge device they will be channeled into a "trough" that is above the trim line of the tank and be spread out all along the top of the tank into different outlets, some outlets point at 45 degrees some point straight down etc.

Now comes the problem of handling the "surge" Around 15 gallons each, I will make a huge sump and the overflow box will be loaded with several 2 inch outlets at different heights to keep up with the ever changing load of water.

I Used a similar system in my 500 gallon frag farm and it worked very well after a couple adjustments....thoughts?

Now, you have to use your imagination to even get close to what I am thinking because my computer skills are terrible.

 

[finding nemo]

Sounds wonderful, will be watching for pictures as you get started.
Good luck on your new project

 

[alphaferret]

sounds awsome to me! keep us informed

 

[2004jeepoutlander]

Awesome rocklayout

 

[Energy]

If I can be of any assistant feel free to ask. I took about a year and half to plan out my 1700 gallon stingray reef. Lately I've been reviewing the things I would do differently if I could. Hindsight is 20/20.

 

[NexDog]

Energy - ain't hindsight a bihatch.

My setup isn't even finished and there is so much more that I'd do differently. Maybe my next one will be 1000g+ but I'll have to build an extension to house it.

X-FACTOR - dream tank has to 120x48x30. Ten foot long, four foot wide and 2 and a half foot high. That would be 750 gallons of awesome reef.

 

[X-FACTOR]

Energy, Thanks I have been reading your thread, I will have questions for sure.

Nexdog, Ya I have decide it will be the 10 foot version for sure.

 

[TacoKing]

My worries would be the surge device. I think that's going to cause more problems than it's worth. I think you're going to get some micro bubble issues as well as salt creep. And really, a 15 gallon surge in a tank of that size really isn't that much of a surge.


Two closed loops are a good idea. What kind of return pump are you going to use? Any chance of using penductors or something like that on it?

What type of bottom? BB, SSB, DSB?

Now, lighting, you said you were thinking of doing a light rail. I thought about doing something like that, but I just don't think it will be visually appealing.

Good luck! keep us updated.

 

[zemuron114]

i think a surge would be a good idea, however in a 360 degree viewing tank it will be hard to pick a corner and get the right amount of flow... you would need 2 probably. I would do closed loops. You could also strategically place Tunzes on the overflow center pointing out.

another option is to have the CL suck water from the the outside of the bottom of the overflow, then run the PVC for the CL thought the overflow box. This would hide all PVC piping!! AND it wont require you to drill on the bottom of the tank (which alays scares me)


Goodluck

 

["Umm fish?"]

Hey, my LFS is just setting up a tank with a center overflow and closed loop. I think they were having A LOT of dead spots to their flow. Here's their info if you want to give them a call.

Aqua Imports
(303) 444-6971 2690 28th St, Boulder, CO

 

[fishgeeksrus]

Question....
How would you make an overflow out of Live rock? I understand covering/placeing lr around it, but not making one completly out of it.

 

[X-FACTOR]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6723262#post6723262 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TacoKing
My worries would be the surge device. I think that's going to cause more problems than it's worth. I think you're going to get some micro bubble issues as well as salt creep. And really, a 15 gallon surge in a tank of that size really isn't that much of a surge.
I did this once before in my frag farm and it worked quite well, Now bear with me but this is not going to be a "basic" surge this is going to go through a couple "bubble seperators" before it hits the tank, the idea behind it is that the "trough" will be full of water...hard to explain...Basicly the "new" surge will force out the "old" surge with out making bubbles. I know it sounds crazy but it works and I am "test driving" a small version now. I will try to get a diagram up. 15 gallons is alot of surge when it hits the tank in 15 seconds.

Two closed loops are a good idea. What kind of return pump are you going to use? Any chance of using penductors or something like that on it?
I am using sequence cudda's wide open, I have a couple penductors and am currently working them. I have not ruled them out....yet.

What type of bottom? BB, SSB, DSB?
Ah yes, the ever growing controversy...OK this is what I am doing....I am doing a bare bottom shallow sand bed...I know what and the hell am I talking about right? Well my sand bed is going to be 100 percent white portland cement mixed in with my sand to create a solid sandbed. I love the look of a sand bed and hate the look of a BB tank but love the benefit's. So I will have the "look" of a SSB with all the benefits of a BB not to mention the flow can be insane without stirring up the sand.

Now, lighting, you said you were thinking of doing a light rail. I thought about doing something like that, but I just don't think it will be visually appealing.
Lighting..I will basicly have 2 halides in the center of the tank on a light rail as well as solid mounted lights on the outside edges....10 halides total 2 on a rail...
Good luck! keep us updated.

 

[X-FACTOR]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6728450#post6728450 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by zemuron114
i think a surge would be a good idea, however in a 360 degree viewing tank it will be hard to pick a corner and get the right amount of flow... you would need 2 probably. I would do closed loops. You could also strategically place Tunzes on the overflow center pointing out.
I will have 2 one on each side of the tank they are marked by the yellow in my "diagram" but they will be surge troughs not surge "nozzles" I think tunze are a good idea but..$$$$.

Another option is to have the CL suck water from the the outside of the bottom of the overflow, then run the PVC for the CL thought the overflow box. This would hide all PVC piping!! AND it wont require you to drill on the bottom of the tank (which alays scares me)
But I am running an 8 way that I would like to put under the tank. All the PVC inlets for closed loops will be hidden inside of live rock towers with "grills" to alow water in, they will be quite large so there should not be any chance of things getting sucked in. There will also be strainers over the inlets themselfs. I have alot of 2 inch lines drianing the "surge" as well in the box. I will look into that but I think it will get messy with all the plumbing in the box...I am considering making it out of rock...to make matters worse..


Goodluck

 

[X-FACTOR]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6728484#post6728484 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by "Umm, fish?"
Hey, my LFS is just setting up a tank with a center overflow and closed loop. I think they were having A LOT of dead spots to their flow. Here's their info if you want to give them a call.

Aqua Imports
(303) 444-6971 2690 28th St, Boulder, CO

Cool thanks..I will keep them in mind.

 

[X-FACTOR]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6729560#post6729560 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fishgeeksrus
Question....
How would you make an overflow out of Live rock? I understand covering/placeing lr around it, but not making one completly out of it.

Like you said by stacking it around it, but more than likely by joining the peices of LR with cement to create a solid mass with some diamond cut slots in the top. I am not sure, I have a small cube nano that I made the overflow and the return out of live rock and it turned out pretty cool...no visible plumbing anywhere in the tank (everything runs out the bottom)

 

[X-FACTOR]

Ok, the plumbing is run under the concrete slab (they are pouring it tomorrow) I ran a single 2 inch drain line (2) 1 inch schedule 40 pvc lines for auto top off and the dedicated water change line (will bring ready made salt water to the tank) as well as the 1 inch electrical conduit for the electric inside the stand.
I took some pictures of the rough plumbing that I will post when I can get them off of my camara.

I have a local truss company engineering/building the stand and canopy. My real issue with this setup is that it is going to be a "pillar" so you can view all 4 sides of it, there is no filter and equipment room that backs up to it so it all needs to be placed in the stand and canopy.
The stand cannot have any center legs in it just the outside edge's, and the canopy needs to hold the refugium (150 gallons), (2) 15 gallon surge tanks as well as all the lighting and chiller. I am having the canopy built so it can be suspended from the celing rafters (they are steel right above the tank) so there wont be any weight on the tank. It will have a 18 inch tall space for the lights and movers and then above it will be a floor that I can get into and work on the equipment, Basicly you will be able to open the doors and climb into there with a ladder.

 

[reefarchitect]

Just curious, Could you just make a solid piece of aragacrete type rock for your setup? This would allow for all of the plumbing to be set in place and a custom reef base to be built around it. I know that several people on RC are opposed to home-made rock, but it could offer some great flexibility in setting up the reef, not to mention ensuring that no plumbing would be visible.

Good luck, this already sounds to be an amazing setup.

 

[X-FACTOR]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6852351#post6852351 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefarchitect
Just curious, Could you just make a solid piece of aragacrete type rock for your setup? This would allow for all of the plumbing to be set in place and a custom reef base to be built around it. I know that several people on RC are opposed to home-made rock, but it could offer some great flexibility in setting up the reef, not to mention ensuring that no plumbing would be visible.

Good luck, this already sounds to be an amazing setup.

That is basicly what I am thinking, I picture getting alot of show size live rock, drilling and doweling it together with some clear acrylic rod (like maybe 1/2 inch) then joining all of that together with aragonite and white portland cement, to create a large solid structure that can have large overhangs and caves etc. I want to build it all in place so I can start building up from the plumbing to hide it all as well as alow the flow to be pointed the directions it will need to go. I think it will take a few days to build what I picture in my head so at night I will just cover the tank with plastic and have a small misting system that will run to keep the live rock wet without "washing down" the new cement.

 

[fishgeeksrus]

is there a way to completly seal the rock? The only problem I see is that it (the rock) is pouris. It might hold back enough water while it's running, but if you loose power, it'll overflow your sump.