Big tank experts

[wegotcrabs]

Hey fellow reefers, I've been away for awhile due to my business and having a baby. I even thought about leaving the hobby for a while but since my 7 month old daughter loves the tank my wife gave the green light for an in the wall tank in the basement. I'm looking at Marineland deep dimension tank. 5' x 3'. 250 gallons. I would really like the big tanks experts to chime in with equipment selections, and if i should put an access panel in the front for maintenance or keep it closed up which I feel looks better. Does anyone have experience with BRS dry rock? Should I make a sump/ fug combo or two separate tanks. I have a large fish room with sink, so space isn't a problem.

 

[jpitch]

Can't help you with the tank but I just ordered some BRS Pukani dry rock. At first I ordered the 20+" and didn't specify what I wanted. I got 1 huge ball of a dead coral skeleton and 2 very ordinary shape pieces with it. I was not happy at all. After a few back and forths BRS refunded my order, including return shipping. I reordered and was very specific on what I wanted regarding shapes. That is key. You WILL regret not writing in the notes what you want. I'm very happy with my 2nd order. Pukani is very light compared to fiji so you get more mass per lb. HTH

 

[Lsufiregal]

Yes front access. Hard to get leverage and the right angle to scrape the front glass. Makes placing coral and adjustong the scape easier too. Hard to tell from behind the tank where you are placing things.

Also to make it look more built in you can put cabinet doors on the lower part bc having access to the sump from both sides is nice. I don't have an in wall at home but the school does and not having access in the front is a pain. And the best thing I did was open up the wall behind my sump at home so I have access on both sides.

 

[smb2415]

I recommend the pukani however as JPITCH says be sure to specify what you want. I would suggest a limited amount of pukani and use a larger amount of the BRS base rock - still specify what you want. Both types are good its just that pukani is very light, fragile and mostly coral skeletons and difficult to use in making aqua-scales.

I would suggest having a steel stand built and powder coated leaving the denture sides, back, and front open. Then have a facade built (cabinetry) as you wish.

Pay attention to new technologies as it can save you a TON of money. DC pumps, led lighting, controllers. I utilized a custom heater for my 550g/800g system which heats with only 33watts. One of my design goals was to lower operating costs as much as possible. I hope to operate all 800g on less than 2000w.

Equipment is highly subject to your budget. Best of product will cost more or good product and save $.

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

I went with Marco rocks for 1 reason, I know Mark & he supports the club @ every NERAC. He also has rock cut flat for corners & table top configuration.
Pukani is well known to have Phosphate problems so take that into consideration.
There have been some failures with these tanks & after the furniture was in the room I decided against it. DEFINATELY front access on any built in, ESPECIALLY with a 3' width.
As far as behind the scenes build it ALL on a table, making it easy to work on.
Use a large sump, & separate fuge if you have the room.
If you have to go underneath the YES to front access here too.
The new DC pumps run cool & low wattage. LED lighting eliminated my need for a chiller. Look @ Build My Led.com.
You are welcome to look @ my custom 250 6 footer.

 

[Paul B]

Mine is 6' wide and in the wall in the basement and has been for 37 years. The front top panel opens almost up to the ceiling and you need that to clean the glass and do almost anything.
Here it is under construction before mouldings or anything else. You can seill see the white bleached corals we all had in the 70s.


The lights also rise up on counterweights to get out of the way.

 

[wegotcrabs]

Awesome thanks guys. My buddy owns a steel company and he's building me a stand. I'm putting removable crown on top and adding a 12" piece of granite creating a bar with stools. What size sump and what size fug do u guys recommend. Also how many gal/ per hour should be passing through the fug. I was told you want it slow moving. What skimmer do you guys suggest? Also I was going to put a piece of removable black plastic on the back and sides so I will have a back ground but also remove it during maintenance. Is that a good idea?

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

Just so you know-
Any stand other than a factory built voids the warranty.
These tanks are known for somewhat limited flow, meaning they don't handle big flow amounts well. If you do a separate fuge you can dial it in wherever you want but not real fast. I made my sump from an 80 gallon Deep Blue frag tank.
Look @ Aquamaxx skimmers, plenty of good reviews.

 

[wegotcrabs]

If I build my own stand does that void the warranty on all tank manufactures or just marineland?

 

[Spracklcat]

+1 for Marco rock. Super easy to work with, to bind together, and reasonably priced. Also glad you decided to add front access, you won't regret it.

For the black plastic- it is a nice idea but probably not necessary if you have decent access above. Just try putting it against glass with water first. Sometimes when you don't adhere it it ends up looking like there are big bubbles and it ruins the "invisible" look. The normal fish tank plastic backgrounds they make are put on with a little dish soap-maybe just do that so you can take it off if you absolutely have to, but otherwise leave it.

Christine

 

[chuckbuc]

I have a marineland 300 dd gallon tank .I set up last feb .I used a combo of marco rock and ultra rock .I let it soak in garbage pails with ro water for a few months added it to the tank and now its covered in purple coraline algea ..I would never use live rock its a waste of money .triple the price .half the stuff is gonna die off when ur cylcing and you never know whats on the rock .as for sand I used reef flakes which is hands down the cleanest sand you can buy doesnt need much rinsing .I actually have a sample pack of all the grains they make I can bring it to the nezt meeting if you wanna check it out

 

[chuckbuc]

Pretty much will void all warrantys but honestly I dont trust there stands there mostly made of pressed board which does not like water .they just want you to spend more money on there stuff .if you know how to make things level than I would def make a beefy stand

 

[Editour2]

I have a 215 gal DT in wall with a fish room directly behind it. I have a separate 120 gal sump, 40 gal refugium and 20 gal frag tank on the same system. I agree....you definitely want a front access panel...especially with a deeper tank. I have a false panel behind the tank that I painted black because I didn't want to see anything behind the tank (in the fishroom). You are welcome to come over and see my setup if you like...it may help you with ideas, (just PM me).
Frank

 

[wegotcrabs]

Ok guys I started the build today. I framed the fish room, and installed two 12/2 circuits. I'm going I use my existing 90 gal bow front for fug. 75 gal sump, and an aquamaxx skimmer. My laundry room backs the fishroom so I'm installing sink and I think I'm going to install an exhaust fan. What would you suggest for a return pump? Im painting plywood black, that will sit in a grove that is incorporated into the stand. This way I can slide them in and out and not have something as permanent as paint and not a shitty looking like fish store backgrounds.

I want to post pics. Do you guys know to post directly from an iPhone

 

[smb2415]

my 1st choice would be to use multiple waveline DC pumps. If you need high head pumps I would look at reeflo.

Multiple DC pumps may cost more upfront but will save you money in the long term and you can set the flow according to your use. Using multiple pumps also eliminates a total loss if one pump goes offline.

 

[wegotcrabs]

In the sump or external?

 

[Vinny Kreyling]

How many outlets?? I have a 250 and use 13 receptacles, 1 is a 9 outlet DJ strip, + a few more for extra stuff.
I have a Waveline 10,000 DC pump running less then full speed.
Not made any more but Speedwave still does.
NO heat transfer & 190 watts less than my old Iwaki 70.
I have another DC pump as a backup.
As I said earlier, build everything on a table for easier maintenance & accessibility,
You will not be sorry.
I am not that far away if you want to stop by.

 

[smb2415]

I would opt for internal sump if you are concerned with noise. Personally I prefer external as I prefer to keep all electrical connections away from the water. Not because I am worried about risks of me getting shocked but rather the life inside the tank. Electrical connections will fail at some point including seals. That said, I do have a DC10000 I use as an internal manifold/skimmer/fuge pump.

 

[wegotcrabs]

I put (2) 2 gang boxes (3) single boxes. There is an outlet on every wall of the fish room. I like the macro rock. I'm going to order it. Is 150 lbs of that stuff enough? Do you need to cure it or just put it right in the tank and let it cycle? The fish room is sound proof so noise isn't and issue.

Today I roughed in the sink and hose bib for the r/o unit hook up. Next step install insulation and green board.

 

[smb2415]

figure 1.5lbs per total system gallons. Place as much as your aqua-scaping desires in your DT and put the rest in the sump.

No need to cure it, although some do rinse it and bath it to test phosphate. So your choice.

Before you place your tank on the stand I recommend a sheet of FRP (like in commercial bathroom walls) under the plywood and insulation. This will help prevent moisture from any tanks below the stand creeping up into the plywood.

I've actually lined my entire fish closet with the stuff to prevent mold, allow easy cleanings, and its waterproof - not just resistant