lobsterotomy
I'd frag it.
Now that things are finally coming together for my new build, I'll start up a build thread.
This will be my third tank, and my first tank in a long time FW or SW over 20 gallons. It replaces my currently 2 year old 20g nano tank which is overcrowded (too many corals).
Here's the tank it's replacing, and the space it has to go in:
System is to be a mixed, mainly SPS system, with enough live rock to make up an aesthetically pleasing reef structure inspired by reef bommies. Balling light is used as the dosing method.
Final system specs are as follows:
Display tank: 42" x 24" x 24" (100g) Miracles in Glass (Orangeville, Canada) tank, (t)rimless, 3 viewing panes Starphire glass (1/2"), tempered bottom (5/8") with black vinyl on back of tank. Overflow is internal (due to space limitations), and has two 1" drains, and one ¾" return with an angled corner (not the conventional 90 degree corner) to facilitate flow around the overflow.
Lighting: Sfiligoi Stealth 8 x 39w T5HO
Flow: two EcoTech Vortech MP-40wES, one of them on an EcoTech Battery Backup
Skimmer: Royal Exclusiv Bubble King Mini 180 (Gen 1)
Return: ATB Flowstar 1500
Reactors: two Two Little Fishies Phosban 150 reactors running GFO and GAC.
Supplementation: Balling light (with Fauna Marin trace elements) dosed via a GHL Profilux Stand Alone 4-channel doser. Dosing Ca, Alk, Mg (in ~2 gallon containers) and vodka.
Controller: GHL Profilux II plus.
ATO: Tunze Osmolator (in a 10g reservoir).
I've been planning this system for over a year now, and finally I have gathered most of the parts, and have a tank on the way, so I feel now is the right time to start a build thread. I've asked a bunch of questions (mostly in the DIY forum), and it's helped me tremendously with all the planning.
Here's the system (rendered in Sketch-Up):
I will be using a modified Herbie for the overflow (1" main drain on full siphon, 1" emergency drain permanently open), and a ¾" return line split into two locline returns. Here's the plumbing planning:
I've added a skimmer section bypass to the main drain so I can use the skimmer section for water changes without taking the whole system offline. The return also runs a manifold with runs the reactors, and maybe a frag tank in the future. The manifold end has a threaded cap on it incase I want to expand it in the future.
Here are my plans for the stand. I'm using 2 x 4's because I don't feel confident in my building abilities to only use ¾" ply for the job. Stand design is based on d2mini's stand.
Base frame:
First Skin (changed to ½" from ¾"):
Finishing (3/4")
Since this tank is going in a small condo, I have to contain everything in the stand. This meant making sure everything fit, and could be easily accessible. To make sure everything fit, I planned out the sump first:
Sump was designed to be able to handle the overflow from the display in case of a power failure.
After I had figured out the size of the sump, it was on to laying out the rest of the innards of the stand:
Right now the stand has just been cut out and is laying in pieces in our living room "“ hopefully I can assemble it this week, cut out the overflow plumbing area and electrical outlet area (forgot to this weekend), paint it (inside with white klitz, outside black) and have it ready for next week. I also need to get an electrician in to either change the existing outlet to a 4-outlet box from the current 2 outlet box, or install an entirely new 15A circuit. Also, just waiting on 2 plumbing fittings to arrive (two ¾" ball valves), and I still need to buy 3 bags of reef floor grade sand. Other than that I have everything sitting in a box or in my closet (which is another reason I can't wait to get this up and running!).
And finally, here's a picture from Miracles of the tank (already ready and waiting to be delivered):
This will be my third tank, and my first tank in a long time FW or SW over 20 gallons. It replaces my currently 2 year old 20g nano tank which is overcrowded (too many corals).
Here's the tank it's replacing, and the space it has to go in:
System is to be a mixed, mainly SPS system, with enough live rock to make up an aesthetically pleasing reef structure inspired by reef bommies. Balling light is used as the dosing method.
Final system specs are as follows:
Display tank: 42" x 24" x 24" (100g) Miracles in Glass (Orangeville, Canada) tank, (t)rimless, 3 viewing panes Starphire glass (1/2"), tempered bottom (5/8") with black vinyl on back of tank. Overflow is internal (due to space limitations), and has two 1" drains, and one ¾" return with an angled corner (not the conventional 90 degree corner) to facilitate flow around the overflow.
Lighting: Sfiligoi Stealth 8 x 39w T5HO
Flow: two EcoTech Vortech MP-40wES, one of them on an EcoTech Battery Backup
Skimmer: Royal Exclusiv Bubble King Mini 180 (Gen 1)
Return: ATB Flowstar 1500
Reactors: two Two Little Fishies Phosban 150 reactors running GFO and GAC.
Supplementation: Balling light (with Fauna Marin trace elements) dosed via a GHL Profilux Stand Alone 4-channel doser. Dosing Ca, Alk, Mg (in ~2 gallon containers) and vodka.
Controller: GHL Profilux II plus.
ATO: Tunze Osmolator (in a 10g reservoir).
I've been planning this system for over a year now, and finally I have gathered most of the parts, and have a tank on the way, so I feel now is the right time to start a build thread. I've asked a bunch of questions (mostly in the DIY forum), and it's helped me tremendously with all the planning.
Here's the system (rendered in Sketch-Up):
I will be using a modified Herbie for the overflow (1" main drain on full siphon, 1" emergency drain permanently open), and a ¾" return line split into two locline returns. Here's the plumbing planning:
I've added a skimmer section bypass to the main drain so I can use the skimmer section for water changes without taking the whole system offline. The return also runs a manifold with runs the reactors, and maybe a frag tank in the future. The manifold end has a threaded cap on it incase I want to expand it in the future.
Here are my plans for the stand. I'm using 2 x 4's because I don't feel confident in my building abilities to only use ¾" ply for the job. Stand design is based on d2mini's stand.
Base frame:
First Skin (changed to ½" from ¾"):
Finishing (3/4")
Since this tank is going in a small condo, I have to contain everything in the stand. This meant making sure everything fit, and could be easily accessible. To make sure everything fit, I planned out the sump first:
Sump was designed to be able to handle the overflow from the display in case of a power failure.
After I had figured out the size of the sump, it was on to laying out the rest of the innards of the stand:
Right now the stand has just been cut out and is laying in pieces in our living room "“ hopefully I can assemble it this week, cut out the overflow plumbing area and electrical outlet area (forgot to this weekend), paint it (inside with white klitz, outside black) and have it ready for next week. I also need to get an electrician in to either change the existing outlet to a 4-outlet box from the current 2 outlet box, or install an entirely new 15A circuit. Also, just waiting on 2 plumbing fittings to arrive (two ¾" ball valves), and I still need to buy 3 bags of reef floor grade sand. Other than that I have everything sitting in a box or in my closet (which is another reason I can't wait to get this up and running!).
And finally, here's a picture from Miracles of the tank (already ready and waiting to be delivered):
), but it looks great from inspections from the inside. Everything looks to be in order.
