Alan's 300g Marineland DD Reef
- Thread starter alanmorehead
- Start date
lvpd186
Reefing in NE
I didn't really think about it before but do you feel like the two overflows are enough for a tank that size? I was just thinking that my 120g tank has just the two 1" overflows and that works fine but you have 180 more gallons of water. Probably just over thinking things on my part.
alanmorehead
Member
Not sure what I'm doing for the background. I spray painted the last one with Krylon Fusion, but it was kind of a mess. I liked the way it looked though. I would only do that again if it could be done in the garage or outside, but that wasn't really an option with this tank. I may consider tinting, but I was thinking it would always be nice to have a removable panel so I could pull it off and see behind the rock structure.
Yeah, I was expecting them to be a little bigger and 1200gph is only 4x turnover. However, I am planning to do over-the-top returns and use the two extra 1" holes for drains. That should put me around 2400gph, which is close to where the Dart is rated. I'm thinking with the reactor split-offs and additional plumbing loss that I'll be under that even before valving it down.
alanmorehead
Member
Thanks, and here's a little more progress...
Just couldn't wait to get something in there
You wanted some information on the Bubble Blaster skimmer. Alot of people in South Africa using them and all they say its a beast of a skimmer. They all on 1000L to 1500L tanks. Im sure you will never look at getting another skimmer ever again. One tank Builder even does a small modification on the internal skimmer to be used externaly.
alanmorehead
Member
200 lbs. - 120 of new sand, plus a 5g bucket full of old rinsed sand
I started making RODI water in a separate container today to fill the tank with. As soon as I get the silicone I will seal up the rest of the overflows. I just need to get the standpipes locked in and let the silicone cure, then it should be ready for water. I plan on using it to cycle the bleached rock and sand, then tie both systems together once it's done cycling.so when is the projected fill date? i cant wait! i can only imagine what your going thru. i need to buy a house so i can start busting holes in walls
I was originally considering using the skimmer in-sump temporarily, but have decided to just keep it out of water until I can set it up right. Still excited to get it going, but lots of other things going on to keep me busy
That should save me from needing to figure out the water level for in-sump. I would be interested in an estimated flow rate on the intake though, since I'm not sure where to even start. What's next...
I have two trash cans full of rock that were sitting in bleach throughout the week. I dumped out the bleach water, refilled with tap water, and put a strong dose of dechlorinator in there last night. I tested this morning and it showed zero chlorine. I'll do another rinse and need to scrub off all the worm tubes and epoxy pieces. I'll let it sit for a few more days, do another rinse, and then begin the cycle in the trash cans. After a few more days, I'll shake it off and move it to the display to finish cycling. Hopefully this will coincide with the display tank's fill rate from the RODI unit.
It looks like the standpipes are sealed onto the bulkheads from the factory. I pulled the 90 elbows off the top of the return pipes and the height should line up pretty well. If not, a quick trim should fix it. I don't plan on changing anything with the existing durso drain pipes. Also, I'm not planning on using silicone to seal the bulkheads this time around.
Excuse me for replying for Alan, but it took 6 guys.
alanmorehead
Member
Coming along very nicely Alan...how many guys did it take to lug that thing up into its final resting place?
Yep, we moved it with 6 guys. There was enough room at the ends to squeeze three people in, which made it easier to get on the stand initially. It didn't take much to move it on the stand though. After everyone else left, Jon and I were able to make a few minor adjustments to get it perfectly centered and flush. We put the level on it one last time and everything was right on. I couldn't be happier with how level it turned out. Made all that time spent shimming the front and trimming the back legs worth while.
I know the empty 180g was 291 lbs., so this one is probably about 400 lbs.
I've been sick for the last few days, so have messed with it much. I got the large zoanthid rock cleaned off the other day and moved those frags and the acan lord frags into the 300g stock tank. Only a few small rocks left and then the old system will be completely gone. Also, I pulled the bleached rock out and scrubbed it down. Right now I'm just making RO/DI water and filling trash cans.
Reef Happy
New member
I have ordered my 300DD and was told by Marineland the weight was around 600lbs. Maybe heavier since the bottom is 3/4".
alanmorehead
Member
Whatever flu or cold I had this week pretty much wiped me out and I haven't had much energy to do anything
I did get the rock scrubbed off, let it dry out for a few days, soaked in fresh RODI water for another 1-2 days, and then retested for chlorine. Still shows zero, so I think I'm ready put it in when the tank is full. I also got the silicone earlier in the week, so I was able to put a little to cover the seam next to the overflow. They sent a tube of Dow Corning 732 Black, so I guess that's what they use for siliconing the tanks.
I've been running my RODI unit non-stop for almost a week now
I usually only get about 30-40g per day when it's cold. The display tank is about 75% full now. I added a large felt sock in the DT to clear up the cloud from the sand blowing around. I'm still pretty impressed with the flow that the pair of Magnum 8s provide.alanmorehead
Member
The tank is finally filled!
I mixed 6 bags of IO salt in last night and I'm going to add heaters to it today, so the cycle begins.
I also broke down the rest of the old system that was in the 100g stock tank. There were a few pieces of rock that were too nice to bleach, but I didn't really want to mess with. I took those in to The Fish Store for credit; along with the kole tang, maroon clown, and two sailfin tangs. I'm going to rinse out the stock tank tonight and it will be used to start the cycle on the bleached rock. I actually need to bleach one more large rock and will probably clean some powerheads and other equipment at the same time.
Not really anything worth posting pics for. I've been running a large felt sock in the display with the powerheads keeping the sand stirred, so its still a little cloudy. I picked up a few fish in the last week or so, but they're in rubbermaid stock tanks with a lot of PVC and eggcrate for hiding spots.
I have a few ideas and some decisions to make on livestock and lighting. I'll post later tonight with that stuff
I mixed 6 bags of IO salt in last night and I'm going to add heaters to it today, so the cycle begins.
I also broke down the rest of the old system that was in the 100g stock tank. There were a few pieces of rock that were too nice to bleach, but I didn't really want to mess with. I took those in to The Fish Store for credit; along with the kole tang, maroon clown, and two sailfin tangs. I'm going to rinse out the stock tank tonight and it will be used to start the cycle on the bleached rock. I actually need to bleach one more large rock and will probably clean some powerheads and other equipment at the same time.
Not really anything worth posting pics for. I've been running a large felt sock in the display with the powerheads keeping the sand stirred, so its still a little cloudy. I picked up a few fish in the last week or so, but they're in rubbermaid stock tanks with a lot of PVC and eggcrate for hiding spots.
I have a few ideas and some decisions to make on livestock and lighting. I'll post later tonight with that stuff
