Josh's $632.00, 270Gal SWFT Project......

BILLYO382

Member
Hello guys & gals, I am finally able to post in the large tank forum :D yes!!! Anyhow I started out in the reef hobby with a 30Gal 5yrs ago, then steped up to a 55Gal 3 mths later and built my first true reef tank then I sold this tank for 1500 after about a year. Then 3mths later I bought a 110gallon tank which is when I got lazy and did a fish only aggressive tank with live rock and some coral decorations. Then I sold that tank setup for 800 about 6mths later. then I bout a 135gal tank and used it for my redbelly pirahnas until they killed each other after 2 mtrhs, then I switched the 135gal over to a slatwater tank with some damsels and clown and a couple of corals for about 5mths, then I sold that tank for 850 and have been without a tank for about 6mths until now when I just bought my 270 Gal tall Acrylic tank for get this ""$632.00"" which is drilled with two overflows one on each side, complete with 2 little giant pumps, 30 gallon wet dry sump, heater, protein skimmer, 500wat metal halid system, r/o unit, & a titanium 300w heater, oh and about 80lbs of sand. yea sweet deal...lol. I love e-bay. ill post some pict's here below.......BEAR IN MIND i have to buff the tank on the inside where the idots used a brissel pad to clean the tank of algae. :confused: But it will clean up like new....

I plan on setting this tank up in my living room wall so it will be two sides viewable, I will be building a stand for it this weekend hopefully and ill post pictures of my progress as I go along. my wife's a little nervous of me with a sawzaw in the living room wall cutting a big hole, lol. But i convinced her to let me try, lol. I will post pictures of the tank once I get my scratch removal kit from live Aquria here in a few days. As far as my setup I plan on keeping the skimmer, heater, & sump, and selling the lights, and little giant pumps. i will be buying a new light fixture good for about 650watts metal halide & t5 setup, the new pump will be a Mag-drive 24 and Ill be running a 30gal refugium in line with the 30gal sump. thats about all I can think of now, oh and a Deep sand bed, about 4". Total water volume of about 330Gal System..if you guys have any questions or comments, advice, just let me know thanks, and im glad to be apart of reefcentral.















 
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sweet deal man. I picked up a 125 with halides, VHO's, iwaki pump, stand, and canopy for $200. I didn't need it at the time but it was worth my wife yelling at me!!! Welcome to the big tank club!!!
 
My wife was kinda supportive. lol. She understood how good a deal it was. She will love watching NEMO & DORIE in the tank, and buying little pretty fish she wants, blah blah, lol.
 
it will be more then enough.. i actually think it will be a little over kill... i wouldn't have went with anything bigger then 400 watters over a tank that size..

jason
 
sweet deal man. I picked up a 125 with halides, VHO's, iwaki pump, stand, and canopy for $200. I didn't need it at the time but it was worth my wife yelling at me!!! Welcome to the big tank club!!!



It was my sixth tank at the time.
 
I have over 2000 watts over a 300 gallon right now. Light is a good thing as long as you acclimate them first. 1000 SE bulb would burn the retinas on the devil if you didn't acclimate him first.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9866868#post9866868 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by swimboy123
I have over 2000 watts over a 300 gallon right now. Light is a good thing as long as you acclimate them first. 1000 SE bulb would burn the retinas on the devil if you didn't acclimate him first.

LOL. GOOD POINT. I think I got a great deal on the 1000watt ballast and socket w/ plugs, etc.
 
Hey guys, I have two holes in the bottom of my tank about 2' apart from each other that take 1" bulkheads? what do you guys think i should do? Close them up or use them for returns in addtion to the returns in the overflow boxes to generate more flow. And if so how do i keep the tank from completely emptying if i have a power loss with those retuns being on the bottom of the tank? Please help me out with this. i want to run a closed loop system, but just unsure how to do so. thanks for advice 7 help in advance.
 
traded a glass 75 gallon tank for a 220 Acrylic with corner overflow straight up, tank is in prestine condition too. Got to love the sweet deals!
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9896106#post9896106 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Bcollins111900
traded a glass 75 gallon tank for a 220 Acrylic with corner overflow straight up, tank is in prestine condition too. Got to love the sweet deals!

YEA IT WAS A SWEET DEAL. Will someone please respond to my question above this reply. thanks
 
in order to run a closed loop you whould need to drill atleast one more possibly two more holes.. you whould drill these holes on the back or the sides, depending on how your tank will be seen..
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9902002#post9902002 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by CORALFISHG
in order to run a closed loop you whould need to drill atleast one more possibly two more holes.. you whould drill these holes on the back or the sides, depending on how your tank will be seen..

Please explain why I need to drill 2 more holes. I have two built in overflow already one on each side of teh tank. both boxes have two holes drilled in them already, one for drain and one for return in each overflow box. in addition to those overflow holes I have two extra holes drilled in the bottom of the tank about 2' apart from each other in the center of the tank. how could I use these holes in a closed loop. perhaps a diagram would better explain or drawing or somthing. I just dont understand why I would have to drive 2 more holes?
 
The one or two additional holes will be for the intake (suction) side of the pump. Then use the holes on the bottom for the outlet (discharge) of the pump.
 
that 1000 watt is way overkill you need to keep that bulb at least 3 feet from the tanks surface or you will cook your tank.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9908913#post9908913 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Rick00
The one or two additional holes will be for the intake (suction) side of the pump. Then use the holes on the bottom for the outlet (discharge) of the pump.

I understand the priciple of in and out water movement from the pump, but what about when the pump losses power, wont gravity pull the water down the outlet side of the pump until the water has drianed below the oulet retuns in the two holes? How do i keep the water from back syphoning is my main question here?Why couldn't i use the two overflow holes drains for the feeds to the pump. Then use the outlets of the pump to pump through the two holes in the center of the tank and to the overflow outlet pipes to the top of the tank. Im just really confussed on how to stop the back syphon. maybe a valve or somthing I see people use holes in the bottom of their tanks all the time to add water movment but just am confussed on how. Thanks
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9908953#post9908953 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Bebo77
that 1000 watt is way overkill you need to keep that bulb at least 3 feet from the tanks surface or you will cook your tank.

Why is it way overkill. you yourself have 4 -250watt metal halides and 6 t5's plus more lighting. the 4 250's is 1000watts already plus the t5's you have? and you have a 300g long. and thats just 30gal more than myself, so our lighting requiments are pretty close. plus I have a tall tank 36" to be exact so I will need to light more deepr water than you. I think Ill be fine with the 1000watt 14k metal halide bulb and the two 250's total 1500watts/ 270 =5.5watts per gallon for a reef tank, i think that is ok. Especially a tall tank. Ill keep what you said in mind about the 3' above the tank though. thanks
 
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heres a plan of my stand made of 4 x 4's and 2 x 6's. i plan on making a plywood bottom and top for the stand as well and a sheet of foam will go inbetween the tank & playwood base. i will also post full pic's of the assyembled stand design and plumping, lighting, etc. Right now im stuck on the plumbing stuff. I will problby build the stand this weekend. I talked to a engineer at my job and he told me that the stand should hold up to 2 tons easy, which equals about 4000lbs.
 
I think a 1000 watt metal halide is overkill too. Too much wasted electricity and added heat. I am only using three 250 watt bulbs over my 450 gallon tank and I am happy with the amount of light. I am planning to upgrade by light fixture in the future but I will still use only three 250 watt bulbs for my tank.
 
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