Feedback on my 350gal reef

[11FootReefer]

So I got my 350 gallon tank home last week...130x25x25. I thought this would be the tank to end all tanks (at least in MY world). I was so sick of the 6 foot tanks, I currently have a 180 and previous to that it was a 220. Now that I see some of the tanks in this section, with the 3 and 4 foot depths...I need to upgrade already, AND THERE ISN'T EVEN WATER IN IT YET! Sometimes I hate this hobby...

I bought the tank from GlassCages (BEFORE I read some of their feedback here) and definitely got what I paid for. When you get a tank nearly 11 feet long for under 2k...you can't expect the world. It will definitely do it's job though, which is hold my reef inhabitants. The stand/canopy will hide their sloppy (and I mean SLOPPY) trim work and the shoddy eurobracing. And when you see the pic of the tank, I'm sure you will notice the overflows. Why on an 11 foot tank would you have only 2 overflows and why would they be so close to the ends? Is this going to hurt the system? The drains are 2 inches each...if this matters. Returns are 1 1/2 inch.

I did NOT get a custom tank, thank god. I went with a standard size...they were asking an arm and a leg to go to the 36 or 48 inch depth I wanted. Now I have to live with it... =(

Anyways, I hope my pics work for this thread...they didn't work for me in another thread but I'm still trying to figure it out.

Equipment:

350 gallon glass tank 130"x25"x25"
100 gallon long for a sump 72"x18"x18"
40 gallon refugium x 2 36"x18"x16"
150 gallon rubbermaid for skimmer/extra water volume

For the skimmer...I went with an ASM G6 (good enough for a big bio load?) Any feedback GOOD or BAD on this skimmer?

Calcium Reactor...My Reef Creations CR2

Lighting...Current USA 5 x 250HQI with T5 actinics

2 external return pumps...Blue Line 70 (1750 GPH) and a Dart (3600GPH)

Water movement...I went with 5 Tunze 6100's with controller and 2 modded 6025's.


This tank will be quite a mix of corals, sps, lps, softies, clams etc etc. Any ideas/hints/tips on how to place them would be great! The obvious answer is sps up high, softies/zoanthids/mushrooms down low...but I want to know what you big reef keepers have done differently than the 'norm'. And why do I see so many tanks with clams IN the rockwork? I've heard of people glueing the clams in place...is this good or not? I would'nt think so...I think I'll leave mine in the sand.

Fish Stocklist:

Here goes a war...

I love tangs. I would love to keep a few in this long tank, as they swim left and right and not up and down and will have a TON of swimming room. I just hope the skimmer is big enough to help with the constant feeding yet keeping water quality good for sps...

In my mind the end result will be:

Mata Tang (already have it)
Chocolate Tang (already have it)
Vlamingii Tang (already have it)
Orange Shoulder Tang (already have it)
Desjardini Sailfin (want)
Atlantic Blue (want, and might do a few)
Yellow Eye Kole Tang (girlfriend wants it lol)

Dussumieri Tang (want but won't ever find)
Black Tang (want but won't ever get)

I was contemplating adding an Achilles and Powder Blue LAST down the road but have decided against it. So...will the system, size wise and skimmer wise handle 7 tangs?

Other Fish:

Cleaner Wrasse (already have it)
Purple Firefish (already have it)
Yellowhead Jawfish (already have 1 but want a few more)
Neon Gobies (have a few)

Anthias: I want to school/shoal Anthias...and tips adivce here? Keep in mind that the Tangs are the focal point...although Anthias in such a long tank may be nice...

To finish it off I would like a few blennies and gobies here or there. Maybe a lawnmower and a scooter...something like that.

Please feel free to help out if you see any problems/issues with the plans. I'm up for FRIENDLY criticism!

P.S. The display will have a deep sand bed. (unless the Tunze's say otherwise) I will also be employing a dsb in the 150 rubbermaid after I section off from the ASM G6...I have 6 red mangrove seedlings that I would like to grow in there. The first 40 gallon breeder has been a refugium for about 2 years now...without disturbing the substrate (sugar sized araganite), I am transferring the tank to the new system. (or should I get rid of it? - How long does the dsb continue to be useful?) The second refugium is from FishTanksDirect.com and will be used to house extra live rock, more dsb and macro algae. Is there such a thing as too much sand/live rock for a system? I was thinking about a dsb in the 100L sump as well, with lighting and more macro algae.

Fuge from FishTanksDirect:
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t248/CoronaLuver79/DigitalCamera398.jpg

Tank:
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t248/CoronaLuver79/DigitalCamera397.jpg

Sump:
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t248/CoronaLuver79/DigitalCamera400.jpg

Skimmer: http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t248/CoronaLuver79/DigitalCamera396.jpg

Rubbermaid:
http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t248/CoronaLuver79/DigitalCamera399.jpg

Please don't mind the mess in the pics, I promise everything will be neat and orderly when the project is done. And I told you I suck at posting the pics! I can't seem to get them IN the thread.

Thanks for reading and thanks in advance for all of your help!!!

 

[cbonito]

Looks Good.

Don't worry about the tank seams. As long as they hold it's a tank man. I have an acrylic cube from them and while the quality is on par with price, I actually like it. Heck for what some spend on tanks, I could find a good project car. hehe glasscages allowed me to have the car and the tank.

Anyway, I can envision a great display with this tank. 11 feet...phew!

Your fish list looks good to me. I agree with you that the tangs will have plenty of swimming room. with your water volume I don't see heavy feeding an issue with that skimmer. You'll find out anyway in the end right? hehe They say the g6 is rated for 1000 gallons (i figure that's got to be wrong but still more than you need), so you're well within the ballpark. There are many ways of dealing with bioload in addition to a skimmer anyway.

Your plan looks good to me overall. Go for it and keep us briefed.

 

[11FootReefer]

Any other comments/suggestions?

 

[ReefingBuddha]

I want to go bigger already as well. Its something about this forum that keeps pushing everyone towards wanting a bigger tank. And my tank isn't even done being built yet.

Sorry to hear about the quality of work from glasscages but you did get a hell of a big tank for 2g's. So i guess its worth it as long as it holds water.

I had a ASM Gx on my 120g and I was very happy with it. You might have to add another skimmer at somepoint in the future if you are looking at a medium to high bioload but it will probably due for now.

a 40 gallon refugium will hardly influence a system of your size, I think the rule of thumb is to go with a refugium that's at least a 1/4 of your display size to even be effective. Another one of those rubbermaid tubs would work well.

Shouldn't have to much trouble with water movement. Could always add more tunze's

What are your aquascaping goals and how much LR are you using?

I would concentrate on one kind of dominated reef, people run into all kinds of issues with large mixed reefs. Then again most of the big tank guys are hardcore SPS finatics as well so that probably why you see so many SPS dominated large reef tanks. Don't have to worry about gluing the clams, they will stick themselves into the rock in no time and you will never be able to get them off again.

Can't give you to much advice on the fish list but you have lots of swimming room so enjoy. That is a lot of different tangs. Try posting in the reef tank forum, that's what I did. I was told to look into red cardinals and they look great in schools and are tiny. There is some more information on my thread if you want to check it out.

I think you can add as much live rock as you can fit, the more the better.

Good luck. Keep at it.

 

[ReefingBuddha]

Sorry ASM G4x on my 120

BTW - that's the best advice I can give you with the limited experience I have had.

Good luck