Dudester
Premium Member
In less than a year I’ll be moving into a new home that is currently under construction. I currently have a 203g rimless but when I move I’ll be upgrading to a larger tank, with a dedicated equipment room. I wanted an 8’ tank but due to design constraints I have settled on 72 x 48 x 30 for the tank’s dimensions. The tank will occupy the corner of two walls, beneath an arch, with access on all four sides via doors above both viewing panels, and rear/side access via the equipment room. It will be a mixed reef but will certainly be SPS-dominant.
A lot of decisions have been finalized, but I still have a long way to go with respect to circulation, lighting, tank room layout, and many more decisions, so I could really use everyone’s help. With that in mind, let me share with you what I’ve got so far.
Tank:
built by A.G.E.
72 x 48 x 30
starphire glass on front and side viewing panes, probably ½†glass but will be determined by A.G.E.
acrylic eurobracing
side external overflow with two 2†drains and one or two 1 1/2" returns
Stand:
built by A.G.E.
steel with leveling feet
starboard platform on bottom shelf for sump
extension beneath external overflow for sump’s bubble tower
Sump:
built by A.G.E.
acrylic, rimless, braceless
The size and dimensions are not yet determined, but I want a bubble tower beneath the tank’s overflow box. I'm hoping to keep as few pumps as possible in the sump for ease of servicing, so I'll place bulkheads in the sump's walls.
Filtration:
live rock, 1-2†sand bed
ZEOvit
dual skimmers, Deltec AP851 and Bubble King 300 External
Circulation:
Here’s an area where I can use some suggestions. Due to the predominance of SPS corals I will want a tremendous amount of flow in this tank. For starters I’ll need about 5x tank volume through the sump, so that equals 2250 gallons. Sounds like a Sequence Dart Gold Series to me. I plan to return the water via 3 outlets from a manifold that will direct the flow across the length of the tank toward the overflow, and perhaps also with a return nozzle up through the overflow box that points straight down the right side of the tank. My reasoning for this follows.
For the main circulation I’m going to create a clockwise circular flow pattern to promote clearance of detritus into the overflow. I plan to achieve this with one or two closed loops on OceansMotions 4-way(s). I prefer to use one, since that will decrease the complexity of the plumbing and will allow for more flexibility with the aquascape. This should be fine for a 6’ long tank, but I’m concerned that with 4’ of depth, there may be relatively bare areas with only 4 returns into the bottom of the tank. I have no worries about having multiple holes in the tank’s bottom. None whatsoever. AGE uses PVC for the bottom of their tanks, and with Hayward schedule 80 bulkheads in place there is almost no chance of a leak. If I use two closed loops with 4-ways, I’ll probably use a Dart for each one, but if I use only one CL, then I’ll probably use a Hammerhead. I have mocked up both options, I’m just not sure what I’ll go with.
Diagramed is a single 2†drain, but I may instead go with two 2†drains to decrease the suction pressure on the drain and diminish the chance of capturing any livestock against the strainer. The Aquatic-Eco strainer I’ll use diffuses the pressure quite well, so I doubt that 2 will be necessary.
Here’s how it might look with two closed loops.
I may end up substituting Red Dragon pumps wherever I can in this build. They are incredibly energy-efficient, quiet, reliable, and they almost never require cleaning.
In addition to the closed loop(s), there will be 2 waveboxes flanking the overflow box. If you recall from the diagram, this doesn’t seem possible, since there is a column covering the near side of the overflow. To get around this, I’m going to have the builder install a sheet of steel in the column, and the wavebox magnet should adhere to that. I really believe that waveboxes provide an excellent means for suspending detritus, and they provide a to-and-fro movement that assures the corals receive flow from all sides. I considered external waveboxes but decided against that.
Although I would like to avoid powerheads, I don’t believe this will be possible, especially once the corals grow out. I will probably incorporate one or two Wavy Seas with Tunze mods, and these can be mounted onto the tank’s acrylic eurobrace. Even though I’ve never used one of these, I like the fact that they rotate which will provide more variation in the tank’s flow pattern. Alternatively, I could just add Tunze powerheads in their standard fashion, and to provide for this possibility I’m going to have keyholes cut into the eurobracing to allow for exiting power cords. Any suggestions as to where these should go?
Calcium/Alkalinity addition:
Deltec PF601S, 10 lb. CO2 cylinder
Lighting:
Due to the 30†depth I’m going with 400W MH bulbs under Lumenarc reflectors for my primary lighting. The plan thus far is to use Lumenarc mini’s, and these will be supplemented by banks of 2 x 54W T5’s flanking each reflector and running front to back (4’). There will also be 6’ VHO actinics, two in front and two behind the Lumenarcs.
Looking at this now, it seems a little crazy. Let me know what you think.
The light rack will need to be raised and lowered easily for tank maintenance, and I may use a linear actuator with a wall switch for this purpose, or alternatively I may go with a chandelier-lowering motor. I will also want to be able to slide the light rack behind the tank to facilitate changing bulbs and lamps easily, so the ceiling-mounted portion of the light rack will be attached to rails so that the entire rack can be slid into the center of the tank room.
Temperature Control:
I’ll definitely need a chiller, and I can use some help here. I really like the Geotronic, but there’s not a unit large enough for this system and I would have to get 2 or 3 of them. I’m hoping they’ll come out with a model rated for larger systems. I’m also considering the Deltec Eco-cooler, but I don’t want to add so much moisture to the air even though there will be a dedicated dehumidifier in the equipment room. As far as I know, the Teco unit is quite nice, but nobody I know has any experience with them. I’m open to suggestions here.
Aquarium Controller:
Aquatronica. I’m using it on my current tank and I’m quite happy with it.
Auto Topoff:
I already have a Tunze Osmolator and I’ll probably use this on the new tank as well. In the tank room I will keep a 100 gallon salt water mixing container, a 100 gallon RO/DI reservoir, and a smaller ATO reservoir (maybe 40 gallons or so). I like having a smaller ATO reservoir so that, if the pump fails for any reason, I won’t be able to dump 100 gallons of water into the system. I’ll need to come up with a plan for automating the RO/DI maker so that it doesn’t turn on and off repeatedly, and I know others have done this. I’m open to input here. Of course water changes will be simplified as well, requiring only the twist of a few ball valves and a flick of a switch. Again, I’m open to ideas here too.
Frag tank:
built by A.G.E.
48 x 18 x 24, rimless, starphire glass on all 3 viewing sides
water level at 21â€Â, equaling 78.5 gallons
internal center overflow with two 1†drains and one 1†return
steel stand with lower shelf to accomodate quarantine tank
illuminated with a 6 x 54W T5 ATI Powermodule
plumbed in-line with overall system
I’ll probably feed the frag tank, both skimmers and also possibly the calcium reactor with a single pump, likely a Red Dragon.
Tank Equipment Room:
The tank is represented in this image by the large rectangle located in the top right of the room.
The floor of this room is recessed 1 and ½†below the slab of the rest of the first floor of the house, and there is a central floor drain. Here's what the slab looks like.
And here's the beginning of the framing of that room, from the opposite angle.
The walls will probably be lined with ¾†ply wood around the entire circumference, that way I can hang things wherever I want without having to search for wall studs. The room will be lined with green board to counter humidity, there will be a source of fresh air as well as a ceiling vent. There are two water supply sources, including a faucet on a utility sink, and a hose bib coming out of a wall for the RO/DI. Waste water from the RO/DI will be drained automatically to the swimming pool in the back, as I can’t stand wasting 2/3 of the water in the process of RO/DI production. The room will have four dedicated 20 amp circuits, with outlets located on the ceiling for the tank lights. I’m still trying to decide if I should leave the floor as raw concrete or cover it with a garage-type surface, and I am favoring the latter. Any advice here? Last, but not least, there will be ceiling speakers and a wall-mounted keypad so I can access tunes from the home’s integrated audio system.
That's mostly it for now. I hope to get a lot of input on this project from others who have large tanks and tank rooms. I haven't decided on an exact layout of the tank room as of yet, so that's something I will eventually diagram and share. Thanks for everyone's interest!
A lot of decisions have been finalized, but I still have a long way to go with respect to circulation, lighting, tank room layout, and many more decisions, so I could really use everyone’s help. With that in mind, let me share with you what I’ve got so far.
Tank:
built by A.G.E.
72 x 48 x 30
starphire glass on front and side viewing panes, probably ½†glass but will be determined by A.G.E.
acrylic eurobracing
side external overflow with two 2†drains and one or two 1 1/2" returns
Stand:
built by A.G.E.
steel with leveling feet
starboard platform on bottom shelf for sump
extension beneath external overflow for sump’s bubble tower
Sump:
built by A.G.E.
acrylic, rimless, braceless
The size and dimensions are not yet determined, but I want a bubble tower beneath the tank’s overflow box. I'm hoping to keep as few pumps as possible in the sump for ease of servicing, so I'll place bulkheads in the sump's walls.
Filtration:
live rock, 1-2†sand bed
ZEOvit
dual skimmers, Deltec AP851 and Bubble King 300 External
Circulation:
Here’s an area where I can use some suggestions. Due to the predominance of SPS corals I will want a tremendous amount of flow in this tank. For starters I’ll need about 5x tank volume through the sump, so that equals 2250 gallons. Sounds like a Sequence Dart Gold Series to me. I plan to return the water via 3 outlets from a manifold that will direct the flow across the length of the tank toward the overflow, and perhaps also with a return nozzle up through the overflow box that points straight down the right side of the tank. My reasoning for this follows.
For the main circulation I’m going to create a clockwise circular flow pattern to promote clearance of detritus into the overflow. I plan to achieve this with one or two closed loops on OceansMotions 4-way(s). I prefer to use one, since that will decrease the complexity of the plumbing and will allow for more flexibility with the aquascape. This should be fine for a 6’ long tank, but I’m concerned that with 4’ of depth, there may be relatively bare areas with only 4 returns into the bottom of the tank. I have no worries about having multiple holes in the tank’s bottom. None whatsoever. AGE uses PVC for the bottom of their tanks, and with Hayward schedule 80 bulkheads in place there is almost no chance of a leak. If I use two closed loops with 4-ways, I’ll probably use a Dart for each one, but if I use only one CL, then I’ll probably use a Hammerhead. I have mocked up both options, I’m just not sure what I’ll go with.
Diagramed is a single 2†drain, but I may instead go with two 2†drains to decrease the suction pressure on the drain and diminish the chance of capturing any livestock against the strainer. The Aquatic-Eco strainer I’ll use diffuses the pressure quite well, so I doubt that 2 will be necessary.
Here’s how it might look with two closed loops.
I may end up substituting Red Dragon pumps wherever I can in this build. They are incredibly energy-efficient, quiet, reliable, and they almost never require cleaning.
In addition to the closed loop(s), there will be 2 waveboxes flanking the overflow box. If you recall from the diagram, this doesn’t seem possible, since there is a column covering the near side of the overflow. To get around this, I’m going to have the builder install a sheet of steel in the column, and the wavebox magnet should adhere to that. I really believe that waveboxes provide an excellent means for suspending detritus, and they provide a to-and-fro movement that assures the corals receive flow from all sides. I considered external waveboxes but decided against that.
Although I would like to avoid powerheads, I don’t believe this will be possible, especially once the corals grow out. I will probably incorporate one or two Wavy Seas with Tunze mods, and these can be mounted onto the tank’s acrylic eurobrace. Even though I’ve never used one of these, I like the fact that they rotate which will provide more variation in the tank’s flow pattern. Alternatively, I could just add Tunze powerheads in their standard fashion, and to provide for this possibility I’m going to have keyholes cut into the eurobracing to allow for exiting power cords. Any suggestions as to where these should go?
Calcium/Alkalinity addition:
Deltec PF601S, 10 lb. CO2 cylinder
Lighting:
Due to the 30†depth I’m going with 400W MH bulbs under Lumenarc reflectors for my primary lighting. The plan thus far is to use Lumenarc mini’s, and these will be supplemented by banks of 2 x 54W T5’s flanking each reflector and running front to back (4’). There will also be 6’ VHO actinics, two in front and two behind the Lumenarcs.
Looking at this now, it seems a little crazy. Let me know what you think.
The light rack will need to be raised and lowered easily for tank maintenance, and I may use a linear actuator with a wall switch for this purpose, or alternatively I may go with a chandelier-lowering motor. I will also want to be able to slide the light rack behind the tank to facilitate changing bulbs and lamps easily, so the ceiling-mounted portion of the light rack will be attached to rails so that the entire rack can be slid into the center of the tank room.
Temperature Control:
I’ll definitely need a chiller, and I can use some help here. I really like the Geotronic, but there’s not a unit large enough for this system and I would have to get 2 or 3 of them. I’m hoping they’ll come out with a model rated for larger systems. I’m also considering the Deltec Eco-cooler, but I don’t want to add so much moisture to the air even though there will be a dedicated dehumidifier in the equipment room. As far as I know, the Teco unit is quite nice, but nobody I know has any experience with them. I’m open to suggestions here.
Aquarium Controller:
Aquatronica. I’m using it on my current tank and I’m quite happy with it.
Auto Topoff:
I already have a Tunze Osmolator and I’ll probably use this on the new tank as well. In the tank room I will keep a 100 gallon salt water mixing container, a 100 gallon RO/DI reservoir, and a smaller ATO reservoir (maybe 40 gallons or so). I like having a smaller ATO reservoir so that, if the pump fails for any reason, I won’t be able to dump 100 gallons of water into the system. I’ll need to come up with a plan for automating the RO/DI maker so that it doesn’t turn on and off repeatedly, and I know others have done this. I’m open to input here. Of course water changes will be simplified as well, requiring only the twist of a few ball valves and a flick of a switch. Again, I’m open to ideas here too.
Frag tank:
built by A.G.E.
48 x 18 x 24, rimless, starphire glass on all 3 viewing sides
water level at 21â€Â, equaling 78.5 gallons
internal center overflow with two 1†drains and one 1†return
steel stand with lower shelf to accomodate quarantine tank
illuminated with a 6 x 54W T5 ATI Powermodule
plumbed in-line with overall system
I’ll probably feed the frag tank, both skimmers and also possibly the calcium reactor with a single pump, likely a Red Dragon.
Tank Equipment Room:
The tank is represented in this image by the large rectangle located in the top right of the room.
The floor of this room is recessed 1 and ½†below the slab of the rest of the first floor of the house, and there is a central floor drain. Here's what the slab looks like.
And here's the beginning of the framing of that room, from the opposite angle.
The walls will probably be lined with ¾†ply wood around the entire circumference, that way I can hang things wherever I want without having to search for wall studs. The room will be lined with green board to counter humidity, there will be a source of fresh air as well as a ceiling vent. There are two water supply sources, including a faucet on a utility sink, and a hose bib coming out of a wall for the RO/DI. Waste water from the RO/DI will be drained automatically to the swimming pool in the back, as I can’t stand wasting 2/3 of the water in the process of RO/DI production. The room will have four dedicated 20 amp circuits, with outlets located on the ceiling for the tank lights. I’m still trying to decide if I should leave the floor as raw concrete or cover it with a garage-type surface, and I am favoring the latter. Any advice here? Last, but not least, there will be ceiling speakers and a wall-mounted keypad so I can access tunes from the home’s integrated audio system.
That's mostly it for now. I hope to get a lot of input on this project from others who have large tanks and tank rooms. I haven't decided on an exact layout of the tank room as of yet, so that's something I will eventually diagram and share. Thanks for everyone's interest!
