CT 265 Build

[ca1ore]

Well, this is going to be a slow gestation, but I have officially stopped waffling and ordered a Marineland 265. I have been 'collecting' the equipment that I will need incremental to my current 90 gal mixed reef.

The first step has been to build the stand.



Fortunately my woodworking skills far exceed my photographic skills



I had been thinking about using DIY plywood 'micro-lams' instead of regular 2x8s for the long dimension runs. Basically, I glued and screwed two 3/4 thick sheets of plywood together and then ripped 8" wide strips on my table saw. Before I installed the interior vertical legs, I sat my 270 lbs. on these 1 1/2" x 8" beams and could detect no deflection at all. Given I'm a charter member of 'overbuilders anonymous', I had to then install the interior legs, but I suspect they are not necessary.

The developing plan is to light this tank with a pair of ReefBreeders Photon32 LED lights (with supplemental MH - just in case), use a PanWorld 150 pressure pump up from the 75 gallon basement sump, run dual Vortech MP40s and possibly a closed loop for circulation behind the rockwork.

My current 90 is overstocked, so initially no additional rock, inverts, or fish will be necessary - just more sand .... a lot more sand.

This is the current tank, with a ritteri anemone and hippo tang desperately needing more space.



I hope to have the tank within two weeks, and then complete the installation by thanksgiving - but we'll see.

 

[worm5406]

OK.. Nice...

Where are you going to put it?

I know it is not going where you showed it. LOL

I like the CL idea. It will definitely bump the flow.

 

[ca1ore]

Probably it will go in the same spot as the current 90 - not ideal from a tank transfer perspective, but really the only logical place. Still have the carpet 'patch' from when my prior 180 sat in that spot. Will make the 'but hon, it's the same size as the old tank' argument a bit more difficult to sell though.

 

[worm5406]

HAHAHA... I get ya.

Ohh btw.. that last pic did not show up until today... Strange.

 

[ca1ore]

One LFS told me that the ML265 had been discontinued; the LFS that I ordered it from now says it is backordered. Best case is 4-6 weeks; worst case, going down to the 220 that will require me to saw a foot off the stand. Grrrrrr!

 

[worm5406]

Is going up an option?

 

[ca1ore]

I'm in no rush, so will bide my time and see what transpires with the 265. Seems like s fairly popular model, so I'm thinking it is probably not discontinued. Going up in size isn't really practical - I cannot fit the 300DD, and a 96" will definately not pass WAF.

 

[worm5406]

Ahhh yeah... you would have to get the new car she wants if you did that.

 

[sandyland]

I'm in no rush, so will bide my time and see what transpires with the 265.

Great attitude
Something positive is sure to come out of the delay.
What is the spiny thing to the right of the yellow tang in your 90?

 

[ca1ore]

Ahhh yeah... you would have to get the new car she wants if you did that.

Hah, were it only that simple! After many years of marriage it is a new husband that I think she really wants

 

[ca1ore]

Great attitude
Something positive is sure to come out of the delay.
What is the spiny thing to the right of the yellow tang in your 90?

It's a Purple Gorgonian - forget what kind exactly, but all branches grow out of the central 'trunk'.

 

[worm5406]

Hah, were it only that simple! After many years of marriage it is a new husband that I think she really wants

Yeah Mine did too... SO I let her... After she got one I got a 180.... HAHAHAHA

Now I do not have WAF to worry about. I just have KAF (kid) to look out for.

 

[ca1ore]

Noticed today that there is some salt/water 'slurry' oozing out from under the plastic frame on the bottom of my 90. Excellent! Didn't splash any water, so starting to ooze. That's what you get for going craigslist I suppose. Anyhow, may have to try to accelerate the new tank after all.

 

[worm5406]

That is horrible... Get it checked and fix soon... Might be a seam giving way, don't want to empty that in the middle of the night, while you sleep.

 

[ca1ore]

It's a pretty new tank (2011) and is dead level and flat; and just a 90. Checked it over when I picked it up and it looked sound, so something is not adding up. Good reason to get a new tank tho

 

[ca1ore]

Stand build continues. Will share a picture when I return from a business trip, but essentially the stand has been skinned, just requires sanding and staining. No official sighting of the tank, though rumors of discontinuation appear exaggerated.

The total system volume will be approximately 375 gallons - 265 main display, 40 in upper sump, 30 in DSB/Fuge and about 40 in the lower sump (slightly more than half full 75 gallon tank). The upper sump actually comprises dual 40 breeder tanks which will be switched in/out every two weeks effecting a 40 gallon water change (maybe 38 gallons). I have these already and have designed, drilled and plumbed them to also function as a settling chamber, so each time one tank is emptied it will be removing nutrients from the system in the form of detritus. I am not a fan of, nor do I plan on using, mechanical filtration. The drains from the dual 40B tanks will be routed through my quarantine tank as a way to do acceptable water replacements for fish in quarantine (no direct physical connection though).

I have all the equipment that I need already:

1. Lighting will be a pair of Reefbreeders Photon32 units (DIY direct wired to a single controller, I hope) running 10-12 hours per day, supplemented 4 hours a day by three 150 watt 14K HQIs.

2. Main pump is a PanWorld 150PS, with a pair of Vortech MP40's for in-tank flow. I am having three holes drilled in the top of the back of the tank to take a pair of closed-loop pumps. The center hole will take a 1" bulkhead and will be the suction side for both pumps; the right and left holes will take 3/4" bulkheads and use a pair of penductors for enhanced flow. I am contemplating cycling these two pumps (PanWorld 40s) in 10 minute intervals, but am unsure how bad this will be for the pumps, both of which are almost 5 years old. We will see!

3. Tank has dual corner overflows, and I have waffled over how to best configure them. I think what I will probably do is configure one of the corner overflows as a Herbie; with the second one as a durso/return. Output from the return will be directed down behind the rockwork.

 

[ca1ore]

4. All of the other equipment on my current 90 was purchased either for my prior 180,or with this tank in mind including an ASM g4+ skimmer, 36 watt UV, DIY algae scrubber and a MTC Pro-Cal calcium reactor. I had thought the skimmer might be a little small, but the acquisition of a swabbie neck cleaner has improved the efficiency of the unit 3-fold.

All existing rock, and most of the sand will be moved from the 90 to the 265, with the exception of a few fish that will be enticements for a few local reefers to come and help me move in the tank . I have an additional 200 or so pounds of sand, and am looking for a far less cluttered look than in my current tank (see first post) so no more rock should be necessary. Plus, Hippo Tang and Ritteri Anemone desperately need more space - nem is already half as big again as in that photo.

 

[ca1ore]

Most of my current fish will stay, including a large Hippo (currently have two in the 90, one of which will be re-homed), medium Yellow Tang, three Pajama Cardinals, a Flame Angel, two Green Chromis, two Ocellaris Clowns, a large Dusky Wrasse, a Leopard Wrasse, a Watchman Goby, a Mandarin and a Yellow-Tail Damsel. I will also use the tank change to introduce 5 fish that are languishing in QT - a Purple Tang, Potters Angel and a Trio of Bartletts Anthias. So, 20 fish total.

I do intend to eventually add an Achilles Tang, a school of Chalk Basslets, and a Swalsi Basslet. Perhaps also a few more Bartletts.

So, that's the plan!

 

[worm5406]

Very good to hear.

Have fun on your trip.

 

[ca1ore]

So the stand is essentially complete. As usual, my building skills far outclass my finishing (staining, sanding, etc.) skills - must be a patience thing? Anyhow, stand is done, just needs to dry and then a coat of wax. The center section has a pair of doors that will be attached; each end section will remain open with a false back (in order to get access to the underneath of the overflows) and a single shelf. Sump is, and will remain, in the basement so the only things that will need to be inside the middle section are my closed loop pump/ocean motions device, the power supplies for the two vortech pumps, and a EB4 power strip - plus food, mag float, etc.



Parts of the stand are removable, partly to make it lighter to move and partly to make it easier to slide the tank onto the stand. The front and sides extend up to hide the black trim on the bottom of the tank.



I have built the light canopy, which will hang down from the ceiling on four chains, but it is not yet stained. I will also build a wood 'cap' to sit on top of the tank and hide the top black trim, and as a way to make the vortech cords less noticeable.

The tank itself was due into my LFS yesterday, so I need to check with them to see if it really did arrive. LFS will drill three holes for me along the top of the back of the tank for my closed loop pump. In the absence of any hiccups, the plan is to pick it up on Sat. Oct 12th and make the change over.

As I said in a prior post, I have all the equipment required and a large pile of plumbing parts, so cannot think off-hand of anything that I am missing. Invariably I WILL be missing something, but I guess that's all part of the adventure. As is often the case, my schedule and my friend's schedules don't seem to be in alignment, so I think I will have to hire a couple of chaps off craigslist to help lug the tank into the house and onto the stand. At 400 pounds empty, this tank is not a two man job for me anymore (lugged a 400 pound tank just me and a husky friend 20 years ago - but that was 20 years, 50 pounds, and a herniated disk in the back ago - sucks getting old!)