Gofor's Birthday Upgrade

[gofor100]

Hey Guys,

Well, as some of you may know, I've been planning an upgrade for quite a while now, and although (given my current living situation) it is slightly smaller than what I was originally planning for, the time has finally come! :dance:

Just a side note... this upgrade almost never happened because it took A LOT of persuading on my part to get my wife on board... in fact, only a couple of weeks ago, I thought this idea was dead in the water. But... she started becoming a little more open to the idea, and I just placed an order for a 60"L X 30"W X 24"T LeeMar Eurobraced tank with Staphire on the viewing panels, set up for the Herbie Method in the overflows (two drains, and one return per overflow).

Along with that, I purchased a custom steel stand that measures 36"T so I don't have to bend down too much to see what I hope is an awesome tank. It'll be powdercoated black, and then skinned with probably a mahogany stained cover (still contemplating the final touches on this).

Lastly, I had an aluminum light rack created to attach my three 250W LumenMax Elite fixtures and one 48-inch 4-bulb light fixture (probably just a TEK light, but this still needs to be purchased), along with a few LED strips for morning/sunset affects. This will also be skinned with the same material as the stand, and the top will remain open to help with ventilation, also assisted with some computer fans placed in between the MH fixtures (two blowing down, two blowing up).

I'll follow up with some sketches of the above tank/stand/canopy.

Happy Birthday to ME (which was actually yesterday)!!! :xlbirthday:

-Chad

 

[gofor100]

Here are some of the sketches of the tank to give you a better idea of what I'm working with...

 

[BeanMachine]

Awesome finally getting started! Happy belated.

 

[gofor100]

Now the Stand and Canopy/Light Rack...

 

[gofor100]

And the finished product... (although the actual stain will be a dark mahogany)

 

[solitude127]

NICE!! congrats on the upgrade. What skimmer will you be using? So you'll have 2 o/f boxes?

 

[gofor100]

Awesome finally getting started! Happy belated.

Thanks bro'!

-Chad

 

[gofor100]

NICE!! congrats on the upgrade. What skimmer will you be using?

Hahaha... you're one step ahead of me.

Here's my equipment list:

(I'll note what I don't already have in case someone wants to cut me a deal )

Filtration
> Skimmer: Vertex Alpha Cone 200
> Media Reactors: TLF Media reactors- one using carbon, the other using GFO (although I'll be upgrading to the larger BRS reactors down the road)

Circulation
> Return Pump: Eheim Compact+ 5000 pump (1320 gph)
> Powerheads: 2XMP40WES placed on each side of the tank, 2XTunze Turbelle Stream 2 6085 (2113 gph each) running in each corner of the tank pointed inward

Lighting
> 3 X 250-watt LumenMax Elite DE MH powered by Lumatek Digital Ballasts
> 1 X 48" 4-bulb T-5 TEK light fixture (don't have this yet, but just looking for a cheap fixture that'll do the job but looks decent)
> 2 X 12"-24" LED strips (have not gotten these yet or determined which brand-open to suggestions)

Temperature Control
> Canopy fans: I haven't determined the brand yet (open to suggestions), but will probably just go to Radio Shack or something, placing 2 pointed up, and 2 pointed down.
> Sump Fan: I've got two (probably only use one) Sunlight Supply Air King 6-inch Clip-on Fans that'll be in the sump area
> Chiller: JBJ Arctica 1/4HP Titanium Chiller
> Heaters: 2 X Won Brothers 350W Titanium Heaters (heard too many horror stories with the glass ones breaking)
(note: All of these will be controlled by an APEX controller- still need this- and each will turn on only when a certain temp is reached)

Supplements
> Dosing Pumps: I currently have a LiterMeter III system that takes care of all of the dosing (Ca/Alk/Mg)
> Ca Reactor: I will later purchase a GEO calcium reactor, and run this in conjunction with the dosing pumps as a safeguard- I travel for several days at a time sometimes and need a backup

Substrate/Rock
> Sand/Substrate: CaribSea Aragonite Special Grade Reef Sand (with a few bags of the Aragamax Sugar-Sized Sand that I already have)- still need several bags of the Special Grade Reef Sand in case anyone knows of good deals out there.
> Rock: Deciding between MarcoRock/BRS or any other dry rock. I'll seed the dry rock with a carefully selected and quarantined live rock piece, but a majority of this will be dry rock since I don't want to add any unwanted pests.

So there it is... any thoughts/suggestions are welcome (although a majority of the equipment has already been purchased, so I hope you agree with my purchases).

Thanks,

Chad

 

[gofor100]

So you'll have 2 o/f boxes?

Yep... I currently run 1 overflow box on my 60 gallon, but am really trying to maximize the surface skimming. They'll both be blocked by some rock pillars, so I'm not too worried about the eye-sore.

-Chad

 

[Enjoy]

AWESOME!!!

I've been waiting a long time to see this build thread. Everything looks great so far, and I'm sure it will be a beautiful "finished project". I like how the two OF boxes are not touching the side viewing panels. It will be much easier to "hide" them.
To be completely honest....I'm a bit jealous of your dimensions

Can't wait to see where this build thread goes. I will be along for the ride.
Congrats bro, and Happy B-day. :xlbirthday:

 

[gofor100]

AWESOME!!!

I've been waiting a long time to see this build thread. Everything looks great so far, and I'm sure it will be a beautiful "finished project". I like how the two OF boxes are not touching the side viewing panels. It will be much easier to "hide" them.
To be completely honest....I'm a bit jealous of your dimensions

Can't wait to see where this build thread goes. I will be along for the ride.
Congrats bro, and Happy B-day. :xlbirthday:

Thanks Andrew!

I definitely hope to get plenty of info from you on this build (since your tank came out so awesome).

About the OF boxes... Yeah, I purposely requested that they be in at least 9 inches from the sides because: 1) The "look" and, as you stated, so they could be hidden easier, and 2) to help avoid any deadspots. I'll be keeping quite a bit of SPS in this tank, along with quite a few fish, so this should help accomplish nutrient removal.

As for the dimensions... as you know, I was initially going to wait until my wife and I moved (but that probably won't happen for another couple of years), so I figured I would get a tank as large as the space permitted . If space wasn't an issue, I would have gone about 2 feet longer (84") and about 6" to 12" deeper/front to back (36" to 40"), but at least that gives me something to plan for after I've got this thing up and running .

Thanks for the b-day wishes! :celeb1:

-Chad

 

[gofor100]

Here's an update!

I just placed my order for an Advanced Acrylics custom sump this week (should have it by next Friday, which is plenty of time before the tank should arrive).

It's pretty much as big of a sump that I could fit while still leaving some room on the right side of the stand to place future equipment (i.e. Calcium Reactor and CO2 tank) and current equipment (such as my dosing pumps/containers).

The result... a 43"L X 24"W X 18"T sump. :fun4:

Sorry for the lack of pictures with this post, but I'll try to describe the sump as best I can and will post pics when I actually get it.

I'm actually going sockless, so the Return section will be approx. 5"L X 24"W, and will have a pair of baffles (under-over) to keep any detritus in this section so I can vacuum it up when I do my weekly waterchange, and to keep the water level in the next section stable.

Next is the Skimmer/equipment section, which will be 14"L X 24"W... this will fit my Vertex Alpha Cone 200, my heaters, and 2 media reactors (one for carbon, the other for GFO). Immediately after this section there will be a triple-baffle (over-under-over).

Next is the Refugium, which will be 9 3/4"L X 24"W... I'm still contemplating just doing a "cryptic fuge", where I would put a good portion of rubble and LR (maybe with a DSB- need some feedback/help on deciding this) vs. the "typical fuge" where people keep chaeto and what-not. I'm leaning towards the cryptic fuge because it's simpler and will not need any equipment (i.e., light) or use any energy (which I think we all are conscious of- every little bit helps when CA Edison is charging you up the a$$). Immediately after this section is a pair of another baffles (over-under) with a set of teeth that will keep any snails and the like in the refugium.

Last is the Return Section... which will be 6"L X 24"W. This will have a probe holder and house my return pump to the main tank, my return pump to the frag tank (so I can have better control over the flow into and out of each tank and can independently work on each if needed), and the feeder pump into the future calcium reactor (as well as any other equipment I might purchase in the future that would need access to the sump).

Next step... make room for the tank!

Thanks for reading,

Chad

 

[solitude127]

How high are the baffles that will control the water height in the skimmer section?

 

[gofor100]

How high are the baffles that will control the water height in the skimmer section?

They will be 9-10" (since I believe that is the optimal height for the Vertex). Does this sound about right?

 

[solitude127]

You might want to check the premium aquatics forum for the ideal height of the alpha200. For some reason, I think that's a little high, but I could be wrong. Also when you go pick up your sump, bring a measuring tape and make sure <b>EVERYTHING</b> is to your specs.

Ever think about putting the fuge on the end of the sump so that you can maximize the height of the sump for more volume in the fuge?

 

[gofor100]

You might want to check the premium aquatics forum for the ideal height of the alpha200. For some reason, I think that's a little high, but I could be wrong. Also when you go pick up your sump, bring a measuring tape and make sure <b>EVERYTHING</b> is to your specs.

Ever think about putting the fuge on the end of the sump so that you can maximize the height of the sump for more volume in the fuge?

I actually just double-checked the manual, and it says the optimal water height was actually 9-10" (but you're right, when I first read that I thought it was a little high too).

Definitely be measuring it out (my main concern is making sure the outside dimensions are 43"L X 24"W and that the skimmer section is at least 14"L).

As for the fuge, I had thought of the fuge being placed elsewhere, but will probably just stick with the current design. Thanks for the suggestion though.

-Chad

 

[gofor100]

Ever think about putting the fuge on the end of the sump so that you can maximize the height of the sump for more volume in the fuge?

Also, with the depth of the sump (front to back) being a full 24 inches, this will give the fuge more volume than most other sumps that have a 10"L refuge. I think I see where you're going with your idea though... it makes sense.

Thanks again,

Chad

 

[gofor100]

Alright,

Progress is being made (albeit, without pictures... YET).

So here's what's been happening the last couple of weeks and what's coming up...

> ROCK: Got 150+ lbs of Marco Rock at RAP, and was actually the first person to get to their booth that Saturday (got there when it opened up), so I was able to select from all of their show pieces and had first dibs on EVERYTHING. Needless to say, I got some pretty nice pieces for a great price and will take some pics when I unload everything and start laying out my aquascape.

> SUMP: As I'd mentioned before, I ordered my custom sump (43"L X 24"W X 18"T) from John at Advanced Acrylics a couple of weeks ago and John dropped it off at a LFS just this last weekend. When I went to pick it up, all of the dimensions were spot-on, and it looks great. Brought it home this last Saturday, it passed my leak-test, and now it is all set for the upgrade. Pics should come this weekend.

> PREPARING FOR THE TRANSFER: So my current set-up is a 60 gallon DT and a 35 gallon Frag Tank, both plumbed together. The problem is my DT/Frag Tank has several pests that I'd prefer to be without (i.e., planaria, apitasia, and some nuisance algae) and I don't want to introduce these little buggers into my new tank. So I've devised a plan that should minimize the chance of infesting my new tank.

1) Break down my Frag Tank and transfer all of the corals into my DT- this is so that I can scrub down the Frag Tank really good (then leave it dry for a couple of days) and dremel the overflow teeth (have had problems with the water-level and circulating the water). I actually just completed this step last night and am in the process of cleaning and re-filling the Frag Tank with a mixture of new saltwater and saltwater pulled from the DT.

2) Break down the DT, dip all corals/inverts, and transfer these with as little of the existing rock as possible- this is where the corals/inverts will live until the new tank is set up, cycled, and ready. This is also where I will closely observe the corals/inverts (mainly the rock some of them may be attached to) to make sure the pests didn't get transferred or are removed before spreading. Since my new tank won't be up and running (and ready to have corals) for another couple of months, this should be a sufficient quarantine process for all of my corals. Once the new tank is ready, I have it set up where I can easily plumb them back together and run them off of the same sump. I hope this step will be completed this weekend, since the tank should be arriving in the next couple of weeks.

3) Quarantine my fish- I'll actually just be using my current 60 gallon DT as a QT (even though I currently have only 3 fish- a Starry Blenny, Firefish, and Yellow Wrasse). They will be placed in the 60 gallon for at least one month (probably longer) and go through a treatment of Cupramine to ensure that no Ich parasites get into the new tank (even though I've never seen one spot on my fish, I want to be super careful with this because I will be keeping some sensitive fish in the new tank). All new specimens will go through the same treatment (with the possible addition of Prazipro treatment in the last week of quarantine).

Sounds like a lot of work for me, but hopefully in the end it will all be worth it.

Thanks,

Chad

 

[gofor100]

Alright, so although no pictures like I promised, I can say that the pain-in-the-arse 2-day event described above was completed as of the weekend before last and it was a success. All of the corals/clams are doing well in the Frag tank, and this last weekend, I zapped a few aiptasias found on some plugs and will continue to keep an eye out for any others that might pop up.

The new tank should be arriving either this upcoming weekend or next weekend (waiting to hear from the builder)... but either way, this week will consist of making RO/DI water ahead of time (because I'm impatient and don't want to wait a couple of days to fill this thing after I already have it), cleaning/rinsing sand (so I don't have to do this when there is more important stuff to do when the tank arrives), and rinsing/pre-arranging the rock (this is the fun part, and will be done last so I can spend as much time as I'd like on this to make it look SWEEEET!).

Add into this the fact that I have to travel to North Carolina for a business trip later this week, and it leaves me no time to give you guys what I know you want... PICTURES!!! Sorry for the disappointment, but I promise I'll get some posted soon (maybe next week?).

Thanks again for following,

Chad

 

[solitude127]

j/k. I'm looking forward to the pics.