JellyTheory
VP of FishTank Operations
JellyTheory’s 450 gallon Peninsula Style Starfire display tank Extravaganza - w/Pics!
Hello all,
I am just too excited to continue to hold off on posting this thread!
After quite a bit of research and discussion with my wife (who is wonderfully supportive) it looks like we are going to be setting larger sized reef tank over the coming months to replace our current 180 gallon tank (6x2x2). So, thank you honey when you read this!
Secondly, I’ve been extremely lucky to have met and made friends with quite a few fantastic people in this hobby over the past 4 and ½ years, both in person and through these forums, that I look up to and have nothing but respect for. Some of you have already taken the time to answer questions I’ve had for this project as well as provide me with extra input during the initial stages of planning. So, a big THANK YOU to all of you as well!
I’m adding a link to a fluid summary/appendix page --> <a href="http://www.jellytheory.com/NewTank/Summary.html"> HERE</a> <-- that I can update and add pictures to as this thread grows. Hopefully it will make it easier for any of you looking through this thread in the future to go to and find any and all of the pictures and updated information on the tank.
I’m going to attach a couple of diagrams of the tank below but here is a brief description of what we are currently planning on upgrading to.
It will be a 450 gallon peninsula style display tank housing SPS, an RBTA, Clams, and Ricordia with a 240 gallon tank underneath it in the stand. I’m planning to keep less light loving corals (LPS and soft corals) in the 240 gallon tank so that I can keep it covered and house fish that would be considered “jumpers†(i.e. wrasses, etc). The display tank will be up against an exterior wall of the house. The sump, refugium, and all the rest of the noisy equipment will be housed in a “lean-to†shed we built on the outside of the house (this shed already houses the chiller and pumps for the current 180g). The shed’s ground level is about 7†lower than the floor on the inside of the house. So, I hope to use gravity as much as I can to help get water from the lower display tank to the sump outside.
<ul>
<li><strong>Upper Display Tank </strong></li>
<ul>
<li> 450 gallon peninsula style starfire display tank.
<li> Dimensions - 84"x42"x30"
<li> Starfire panels on the two 84" sides as well as the 42" front.
<li> Single in tank 30" overflow on the back of the tank.
<li> 8-10 holes around the perimeter of the Eurobracing for returns
</ul>
<li><strong>Lower Tank </strong></li>
<ul>
<li> 240 gallon peninsula style Acrylic tank
<li> Dimensions - 68"x30"x27"
<li> Covered to prevent "jumpers"
<li> Three 2" output bulkheads at 25" high
</ul>
<li><strong>Stand </strong></li>
<ul>
<li> Steel stand will have hooks welded into the bottom of the top of the stand to hang return plumbing and lighting in place
<li> "Line-X"ed
<li> Wood furniture grade facing with open viewing windows on front and side of stand to view lower tank like a display tank
</ul>
<li><strong>Circulation/Plumbing </strong></li>
<ul>
<li> I'm going to try to keep it as simple as possible as I've had rotating return devices fail on me at the worst possible times in the past
<li> Will probably go with fixed locline returns but there is still a possibility of using Sea Swirls or Wavy Seas
<li> Variable alternating flow in the tank will be created by 2 controllable Tunzes on the back wall of tank. Each one will be placed in the open 6" of space on each side of the back overflow.
<li> Return Pump(s) from sump to locline - Undecided
<li> No closed loops
<li> Tunzes in the lower tank to add circulation still needed after gravity fed water enters from display tank
</ul>
<li><strong>Lighting </strong></li>
<ul>
<li> Upper Display
<ul>
<li> 400w SE
<li> Lumenarcs or Lumenmaxs reflectors
<li> VHO Actinics for sunrise/sunset and supplementation
</ul>
<li> Lower Tank
<ul>
<li> T5s
</ul>
</ul>
<li><strong>Controller </strong></li>
<ul>
<li> Undecided. I have an ACII on my current 180g but am thinking about either an ACIII or a Profilux because of it's ability to control Tunzes.
</ul>
<li><strong>Skimmer </strong></li>
<ul>
<li> Bubblemaster 300 (once they become available)
</ul>
<li><strong>Chiller </strong></li>
<ul>
<li> Undecided
</ul>
<li><strong>Sump (lowest tank in shed) </strong></li>
<ul>
<li> 130 gallon - Acrylic
<li> Dimensions - 60"x21"x24"
<li> Will hold skimmer
<li> Return pump will feed from this tank and send water to display
</ul>
<li><strong>Refugium (Highest tank in shed) </strong></li>
<ul>
<li> 86 gallon - Acrylic
<li> Dimensions - 46"x18"x24"
<li> Chaeto
<li> Xenia
</ul>
</ul>
So, this thread is being started a little prematurely in the hopes that I can get some extra input from everyone on the plumbing. I would like to keep the plumbing/circulation setup as electrically efficient as possible. I will attach a few diagrams of what I’m thinking about doing for plumbing to this thread after I’ve cleaned them up a bit.
I’m basically looking at trying to feed the lower display tank (with added in tank circulation accomplished using Tunzes), the sump, the skimmer, and the chiller via gravity from the main display tank. The lower display tank will feed any water it receives from the main display tank to the sump via gravity. The refugium will be fed off of the main display return pump and drain back into the sump.
If any of you have any suggestions or input regarding the plumbing or anything else, I would absolutely appreciate it!
Stay tuned.
-Chris
Hello all,
I am just too excited to continue to hold off on posting this thread!
After quite a bit of research and discussion with my wife (who is wonderfully supportive) it looks like we are going to be setting larger sized reef tank over the coming months to replace our current 180 gallon tank (6x2x2). So, thank you honey when you read this!Secondly, I’ve been extremely lucky to have met and made friends with quite a few fantastic people in this hobby over the past 4 and ½ years, both in person and through these forums, that I look up to and have nothing but respect for. Some of you have already taken the time to answer questions I’ve had for this project as well as provide me with extra input during the initial stages of planning. So, a big THANK YOU to all of you as well!
I’m adding a link to a fluid summary/appendix page --> <a href="http://www.jellytheory.com/NewTank/Summary.html"> HERE</a> <-- that I can update and add pictures to as this thread grows. Hopefully it will make it easier for any of you looking through this thread in the future to go to and find any and all of the pictures and updated information on the tank.
I’m going to attach a couple of diagrams of the tank below but here is a brief description of what we are currently planning on upgrading to.
It will be a 450 gallon peninsula style display tank housing SPS, an RBTA, Clams, and Ricordia with a 240 gallon tank underneath it in the stand. I’m planning to keep less light loving corals (LPS and soft corals) in the 240 gallon tank so that I can keep it covered and house fish that would be considered “jumpers†(i.e. wrasses, etc). The display tank will be up against an exterior wall of the house. The sump, refugium, and all the rest of the noisy equipment will be housed in a “lean-to†shed we built on the outside of the house (this shed already houses the chiller and pumps for the current 180g). The shed’s ground level is about 7†lower than the floor on the inside of the house. So, I hope to use gravity as much as I can to help get water from the lower display tank to the sump outside.
<ul>
<li><strong>Upper Display Tank </strong></li>
<ul>
<li> 450 gallon peninsula style starfire display tank.
<li> Dimensions - 84"x42"x30"
<li> Starfire panels on the two 84" sides as well as the 42" front.
<li> Single in tank 30" overflow on the back of the tank.
<li> 8-10 holes around the perimeter of the Eurobracing for returns
</ul>
<li><strong>Lower Tank </strong></li>
<ul>
<li> 240 gallon peninsula style Acrylic tank
<li> Dimensions - 68"x30"x27"
<li> Covered to prevent "jumpers"
<li> Three 2" output bulkheads at 25" high
</ul>
<li><strong>Stand </strong></li>
<ul>
<li> Steel stand will have hooks welded into the bottom of the top of the stand to hang return plumbing and lighting in place
<li> "Line-X"ed
<li> Wood furniture grade facing with open viewing windows on front and side of stand to view lower tank like a display tank
</ul>
<li><strong>Circulation/Plumbing </strong></li>
<ul>
<li> I'm going to try to keep it as simple as possible as I've had rotating return devices fail on me at the worst possible times in the past
<li> Will probably go with fixed locline returns but there is still a possibility of using Sea Swirls or Wavy Seas
<li> Variable alternating flow in the tank will be created by 2 controllable Tunzes on the back wall of tank. Each one will be placed in the open 6" of space on each side of the back overflow.
<li> Return Pump(s) from sump to locline - Undecided
<li> No closed loops
<li> Tunzes in the lower tank to add circulation still needed after gravity fed water enters from display tank
</ul>
<li><strong>Lighting </strong></li>
<ul>
<li> Upper Display
<ul>
<li> 400w SE
<li> Lumenarcs or Lumenmaxs reflectors
<li> VHO Actinics for sunrise/sunset and supplementation
</ul>
<li> Lower Tank
<ul>
<li> T5s
</ul>
</ul>
<li><strong>Controller </strong></li>
<ul>
<li> Undecided. I have an ACII on my current 180g but am thinking about either an ACIII or a Profilux because of it's ability to control Tunzes.
</ul>
<li><strong>Skimmer </strong></li>
<ul>
<li> Bubblemaster 300 (once they become available)
</ul>
<li><strong>Chiller </strong></li>
<ul>
<li> Undecided
</ul>
<li><strong>Sump (lowest tank in shed) </strong></li>
<ul>
<li> 130 gallon - Acrylic
<li> Dimensions - 60"x21"x24"
<li> Will hold skimmer
<li> Return pump will feed from this tank and send water to display
</ul>
<li><strong>Refugium (Highest tank in shed) </strong></li>
<ul>
<li> 86 gallon - Acrylic
<li> Dimensions - 46"x18"x24"
<li> Chaeto
<li> Xenia
</ul>
</ul>
So, this thread is being started a little prematurely in the hopes that I can get some extra input from everyone on the plumbing. I would like to keep the plumbing/circulation setup as electrically efficient as possible. I will attach a few diagrams of what I’m thinking about doing for plumbing to this thread after I’ve cleaned them up a bit.
I’m basically looking at trying to feed the lower display tank (with added in tank circulation accomplished using Tunzes), the sump, the skimmer, and the chiller via gravity from the main display tank. The lower display tank will feed any water it receives from the main display tank to the sump via gravity. The refugium will be fed off of the main display return pump and drain back into the sump.
If any of you have any suggestions or input regarding the plumbing or anything else, I would absolutely appreciate it!
Stay tuned.
-Chris
Last edited:
