Cole's 650 Gallon Multi Reef System

CMReefs

New member
Hello Reef Central Community!

This is my first thread here on Reef Central. I would like to share my system that I have just fully completed last week. I have already posted a thread on Reef2R but thought I would like to share with another audience that might not have a Reef2R account. I have been a hobbyist for the past 10 years. It all started with a little guppy bowl and that escaladed into my saltwater system to date. I recently bought my first home and decided to take the plunge right away and build a system that would have multiple main displays inside that would all connect to the main control system in the garage.

My Saltwater system contains a net of around 650 gallons. It features a 90 Gallon "œ48X18X24" SPS dominated tank with fish that can be found in the Hawaiian Islands. A 115 Gallon "œ49X19X28" mixed reef with mostly deep-water fish. A 50 Gallon "œ36X15X22" NPS/Softie tank with some coral eating fish and deep-water species and finally two 60 Gallon frag tanks.

My 90 gallon SPS reef.
I have had this tank since 2004 It used to be my pride and joy and I am really looking forward to getting it back to what it used to be. It will be a SPS dominated tank with only fish that can be seen in the Hawaiian Islands. The Hawaiian Islands hold very special place in my heart. With over 1000 dives of the coast of Oahu, Kauai, Niihau, and Kaula, I have had the pleasure of viewing most of the islands rarest species and thought that dedicating a tank to my favorite fish was fitting. The tank is running a 1 ½" inlet 1" outlet Ocean Motion pushing approximately 3500- 4000 GPH. Lighting contains two 250 watt metal halides, two 110 watt VHO's and two 3 watt moonlights.

90 Gallon Livestock 1.24.14
Flame Wrasse X3
Bicolor Anthias X4
Long nose Hawkfish X2
12 Different Acros
Cleaner Shrimp
Scarlet Hermits X12
Banded Trocus Snails X10

My 115 Gallon LPS dominated tank.
I purchased this tank off a family who wanted out of the hobby. It was a good size and I thought it would look great in my office. One day one of my best friends wife had the great idea of installing it in the wall between the entry and office. After the mention and idea of this it had to be done. It was the last piece to the puzzle and very happy it is finally installed. The tank will house a variety of deeper water fish, LPS corals and some deep-water acros. Flow consists of 2 Returns from the main pump pushing approximately 1500-2000 GPH and will have a MP40 added eventually. Lighting consists of three Kessil A350's set to ¼ power and three 3-watt moonlights.

115 Gallon Livestock 1.24.14
Pintail Fairy Wrasse
Lineatus Fairy Wrasse
Borbonius Anthias X2
30 LPS Corals
15 Soft Corals
2 SPS Corals

My 50-Gallon NPS/Softie Tank.
Another one of my old aquariums that I added to the system. It was at first going to be a quarantine tank but one day got the idea to see if it would fit on the main control system in the garage. It just so happened to be a perfect fit. It will house Zoas, Mushrooms, NPS corals and any other corals that the fish don't pick on. Flow consists of 2 returns towards the top of the tank pushing approximately 1000 GPH and one tunze nano pump. Light consists of two AI SOL Blues set to a mostly dim setting never reaching more the 25% power.

50 Gallon Livestock 1.24.14
Flavocornautus/Burgessi Hybrid Butterfly
Blue Line Angelfish
High Fin Perchlet
Prawn Goby
1 NPS Coral
3 LPS corals
15 Soft Corals
3 Tube Anemones
Blue Sponge
2 Fire Shrimp

My Frag Tanks
There are two 60-gallon "œ48X24X12" frag tanks hooked up to the system. One will be for SPS and LPS corals and the other for LPS and soft corals. One is running two 400 watt 20K metal halides and the other is running two 250 watt 20K metal halides. Both tanks have two returns pushing 1000 GPH and a MP10 set to 100% long pulse mode.

Filtration System
The filtration system is located in the garage and measures 11'X4'. It has a 150 gallon sump containing nine 200 micron filter socks, phosphate reactor, carbon reactor, three G-2 Skimmers and phosban reactor. Two 60-gallon mixing bins are linked to the system to increase water volume. They have their own dedicated mixing pump which can drain either one right to the main drain line. The system is being run by two reeflo hammerheads pushing 5500 gallons each. One runs to the main displays inside and the other runs the reactors, 1 HP aqua logic chiller, 4000 watt aqua logic heater, 120 watt UVS, frag tanks and 50 gallon tank.

I would personally like to thank my friends Shaun and Alex for the work they put into the system and the supplies they handed down to make this system possible. Everything on this system besides the plumbing was either previously used in another one of my previous setups, refurbished or a hand me down. If it weren't for this it wouldn't have been possible.

I hope you all enjoyed the summery of my system. It has only been fully running for 8 days now. I look forward to your comments, suggestions, knowledge and questions. Below are pictures of the progression of the build over the past 6 months I will upload as may as I can due to the limit of 10 pictures per upload. Happy Reef Keeping!!

Frag Tanks and 90 Gallon SPS Tank
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Plumbing From Garage To Display Tanks
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90 Gallon SPS Plumbing
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90 Gallon Dry-Waiting for Sump To Be Built
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Garage- Sump Area
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Main Structure Built
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The Start of Plumbing
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Filling The 90
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Bicolor Anthias and Hawkfish
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Flavocornatus/Burgess Hybrid Butterfly
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Burgess/ Tinker Hybrid Butterfly
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Frag Tanks
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90 Gallon SPS Reef
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50 Gallon Install
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50 Gallon Install Complete
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Garage System Complete!
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Second Batch of Corals and Fish- Borbonius Anthias Not Pictured
Strawberry Shortcake A
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Strawberry Shortcake B
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115 Gallon In Wall Tank Install
The Idea- Entry
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The Idea- Office
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Construction
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Rock Install
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Filling
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Lighting
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Office Viewing Side
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Entry Viewing Side
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First Fish and Corals
Borbonius Anthias
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Acans and Blasto
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Pintail Wrasse
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Tagging along, looks like a cool build. Question, how are you accessing the frag tanks? They look a bit hard to get into?
 
Really nice set up and killer rock structures! If my sump were in my garage it would be frozen solid! Looking forward to watching it grow out. Is the green tint on the branching rock some kind of growth or just looks odd in the picture? Was the system started with all dry rock?
 
Tagging along, looks like a cool build. Question, how are you accessing the frag tanks? They look a bit hard to get into?

Thanks, Im a pretty tall guy with a long reach. Need a small ladder and having the garage door shut makes it easier. My plan is to frag, set and forget.
 
This is a sweet setup. Love the aquascape of the 90 and 115. Your tanks are going to grow out well.

Thanks!

Really nice set up and killer rock structures! If my sump were in my garage it would be frozen solid! Looking forward to watching it grow out. Is the green tint on the branching rock some kind of growth or just looks odd in the picture? Was the system started with all dry rock?

Thanks! haha here in LA I'm more concerned about summer time. We have been having 85 degree weather for the past month and the heater is still doing all the work. My chiller has yet to turn on since I added it the system. The green tint is some type of algae. In the 90 Gallon I have a lot of green and brown algae but the coraline is starting to grow in. The only thing that seems to eat it are tuxedo urchins. I plan on getting more soon. Yes, all the rock used in the system was dried. I made the mistake of adding the Tonga branch without curing it of phosphates and that has become my biggest battle. Im going through GFO by the bucket trying to get rid of it but can't seem to get it lower then .13 :(
 
Hey everyone,
It has been a few weeks since my last update so here's what's new. I had a major Cyano outbreak in my 90 Gallon SPS reef and a green lettuce algae outbreak in my 115 gallon LPS tank. Truth be told, I was a little embarrassed to show what the tanks were looking like. I did a Bluevet Cyano treatment yesterday and a major scrub down of the lettuce looking algae on Saturday. I hope this takes care of these two annoying problems. I am still battling the Phosphate issue. I tried three different test kits yesterday. API 0, Salifert .03, and Hanna .26"¦ I don't really know which one to believe. I would usually trust the Hanna but ever since I dropped it, it hasn't really been consistent with its readings. I have attached a picture below of what the lettuce looking algae looks like. If anyone has a good quick cure I would love to talk. Tangs seem to like it but will only eat it if it is trimmed or new growth. I did a complete rearrange of the corals in the 115 Gallon and I am starting to like where it is headed. A few more tweaks and I will be completely satisfied with the core batch of corals and their placement. I have also added a bunch of new livestock to the 115 Gallon and 50 Gallon aquariums. Some brighter news, my Red Banded Trochus snails have been breeding like rabbits. I have hundreds of little snails in all the tanks. I am so happy cause they are my favorite snail and are impossible for me to find these days. Here are the lists of the new livestock and pictures of the display tanks. Enjoy

115 Gallon New Additions
2 Yellow Tangs
Lineatus wrasse
3 Helifrichi Firefish
Rhomboid Fairy Wrasse Pair
2 Gold Torch Corals
Purple & Green Torch
Green & Yellow Hammer Coral
War Coral
Dendros "œFrom 90 Gallon"
5 Acan Colonies
Green & Purple Blastomussa
Pompom Crabs
Fire shrimp
Electric blue hermits

50 Gallon New Additions
Hooded Fairy Wrasse Pair
Purple Tang

Lettuce Type Algae
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New Addition Pictures
Female Hooded Fairy Wrasse
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Male Hooded Fairy Wrasse
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Female Rhomboid Fairy Wrasse
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Male Rhomboid Fairy Wrasse
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Purple Tang
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Yellow Tang
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90 Gallon SPS Reef 2/18/14
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Long nose Hawkfish Pair
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115 Gallon LPS Reef
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Lineatus Fairy Wrasse
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Helfrichi Firefish Trio
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Acan Cluster
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Borbonius Anthias
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Gold Torch Coral
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My Favorite Pallys
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Morphing Mummy Eye Echinophyllia
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Orange & Red Acan
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im a huge fan of the acans and the gold torch.... system looks good. poss got any shots of those frag tanks?
 
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