Lots of water, or What the heck are you thinking
- Thread starter Northside Reef
- Start date
asnatlas
New member
If you check his history, he has not posted since 06/17/2005 at 10:41 PM...
His last post was in another thread he started...
Well, very bad news for my tank last night.
His last post was in another thread he started...
Well, very bad news for my tank last night.
Northside Reef
Premium Member
Well,
This project is back on the burner, a lot has happened since I started this thread. One of those things was getting remarried.
My wife and I are adding a couple of rooms to the house, one of those rooms will be a small addition behind the garage that will be my fishroom. I get a little nook in the house for the aquarium, which will be located just below where the fishroom will be.
I’ve been able to hang on to all of that old equipment I started with and it will be used on this build.
Before we decided to add the additions, we had to decide if this was going to be the house we would be keeping until we retire. Once that decision was made. I asked if I could revive the “big buildâ€Â
So with my wife’s blessing I have hired the contractor to build the fishroom and the rest will follow as we put this thing together.
There’s really not much to see atm but I will get some pics of the fishroom as it goes up and the aquarium room as I get it ready.
It’s good to be back!! And yeah I will be leaning on some of the great advice here.
oh, and Thank You Nanook for getting this unstuck.
This project is back on the burner, a lot has happened since I started this thread. One of those things was getting remarried.
My wife and I are adding a couple of rooms to the house, one of those rooms will be a small addition behind the garage that will be my fishroom. I get a little nook in the house for the aquarium, which will be located just below where the fishroom will be.
I’ve been able to hang on to all of that old equipment I started with and it will be used on this build.
Before we decided to add the additions, we had to decide if this was going to be the house we would be keeping until we retire. Once that decision was made. I asked if I could revive the “big buildâ€Â
So with my wife’s blessing I have hired the contractor to build the fishroom and the rest will follow as we put this thing together.
There’s really not much to see atm but I will get some pics of the fishroom as it goes up and the aquarium room as I get it ready.
It’s good to be back!! And yeah I will be leaning on some of the great advice here.
oh, and Thank You Nanook for getting this unstuck.
Northside Reef
Premium Member
Here are a couple drawings of the fishroom. It's not too big, and is tucked in behind the garage.
It is pretty tall though. I figure I will need the vertical space to pump the water up and let it flow down through all of the tanks.
They start next week on it, I will get some shots of the spot it's going in to.
It is pretty tall though. I figure I will need the vertical space to pump the water up and let it flow down through all of the tanks.
They start next week on it, I will get some shots of the spot it's going in to.
Northside Reef
Premium Member
I made some solid block drawings using solidworks to see how I would fit the large tanks and rubbermaid tubs into the fishroom. They're not fleshed out very well though. I will edit them and post them.
The old sump won't work. it won't fit under the stand and that's where I will need to put a sump. I am real limited on space where the tank is going to go.
that old sump is huge though so I will figure out some way to use it.
that's a 100 gallon rubbermaid tub it's sitting on.
The old sump won't work. it won't fit under the stand and that's where I will need to put a sump. I am real limited on space where the tank is going to go.
that old sump is huge though so I will figure out some way to use it.
that's a 100 gallon rubbermaid tub it's sitting on.
Purple Haze
New member
Is the sump too long, or too high? The right side can certainly be shortened and then just re-glue a baffle and end pane.
Northside Reef
Premium Member
it's too wide.
I made it (had it made) 30" wide same size as the tank. I really wish I would have made it 26" wide but it was going to go in a completely different spot before.
I have an idea though so it won't be a total lose. I think it will go in the fishroom and can recirculate water in there and act as an overflow back down to the main sump below the tank.
It could also double as a good prop tank.
I made it (had it made) 30" wide same size as the tank. I really wish I would have made it 26" wide but it was going to go in a completely different spot before.
I have an idea though so it won't be a total lose. I think it will go in the fishroom and can recirculate water in there and act as an overflow back down to the main sump below the tank.
It could also double as a good prop tank.
Northside Reef
Premium Member
here are the solid blocks I made up. I added the sump, but not sure if it will stay or not. as you can see the room is pretty packed.
I might be able to squeeze another Rubbermaid tub in there if I go high with it.
I guess you can see how the flow will go. But pretty much just pump it to the first Rubbermaid tub on the left and then let gravity take over from there.
8BALL_99
New member
I just don't see the reason to try and pack so much water volume onto a system.. Sure a larger system helps keep things stable to a point. But a huge amount of water will also add to water changes and just take up space. The idea that you can do water changes based on your display only is not the case IMO... If you have 900 gallons of water with say 10ppm No3 and low Trace elements.. If you only change out say 30 gallons if your going off of your display volume. The water change will do almost nothing for the sytem as far as replacing Trace elements or lowering No3, or anything else in the water.. If you change a small amount of water in a large system things will start to build up over time as well as trace elements will start to decrease.. Just noway around it..
You also will have to beef up your skimmer. You wont have a bioload of a huge system. But you still will have to have a little bit more skimmer just to be able to process so much extra water.
You also will have to beef up your skimmer. You wont have a bioload of a huge system. But you still will have to have a little bit more skimmer just to be able to process so much extra water.
Northside Reef
Premium Member
That's quite alright 8 Ball, I think stability is a good enough reason. Also I am hoping that this system is going to allow me to not use a chiller.
The room will be at room temperature year round. heated in the winter cooled in the summer. If anything I should have to heat it.
having lost one system already to a chiller failure is one system too many.
Thanks for the input, but I think I am going to build it like this, and we'll see how she goes over the years.
The room will be at room temperature year round. heated in the winter cooled in the summer. If anything I should have to heat it.
having lost one system already to a chiller failure is one system too many.
Thanks for the input, but I think I am going to build it like this, and we'll see how she goes over the years.
8BALL_99
New member
But if you just want stability as far as PH and temp a 100 gallon sump would probably be enough. From the looks of it you will have 5-600 gallons worth of sumps/Refuges. On a 280 tank
Chillers really just depend a lot on how you set up your system.. If your going to keep the room cooled to room temp. Then you shouldn't need a chiller. I've got about 500 gallons with 1800 watts of light over it. 4x250Mh and 2x400Mh No chiller.. I just cool the room. Its two systems with sumps about half the size of the displays. My Equipment room is some what divided from the rest of the house to keep the noise and moiture out of the display area.
Chillers really just depend a lot on how you set up your system.. If your going to keep the room cooled to room temp. Then you shouldn't need a chiller. I've got about 500 gallons with 1800 watts of light over it. 4x250Mh and 2x400Mh No chiller.. I just cool the room. Its two systems with sumps about half the size of the displays. My Equipment room is some what divided from the rest of the house to keep the noise and moiture out of the display area.
Northside Reef
Premium Member
actually the large reservoirs hold 325 gallons each, + another 300 gallons from the Rubbermaid tubs and 150ish from the upper level sump (dims at 30X24X60 but won't be full) and I have not decided if it stays or goes, if it stays it will make a nice prop tank. I have not designed the lower level one yet.
Now there will be some lose due to sand and live rock in the tubs as those will be my refugiums.
I already have the reservoirs; I want the equipment to be in a separate room so I'm happy with the way this will be built.
I hear what you're saying, it's overkill. You're right.
I'm cool with it.
Now there will be some lose due to sand and live rock in the tubs as those will be my refugiums.
I already have the reservoirs; I want the equipment to be in a separate room so I'm happy with the way this will be built.
I hear what you're saying, it's overkill. You're right.
I'm cool with it.
I think if you have the system running properly, it would be very stable. It is to get to 20ppm nitrates in a 100gallon tank, but to get the same amount in a 1000 gallon tank it would take a lot more feeding.
Plus if you can change 10% every week, I don't think it is going to a problem keeping the system stable.
Plus if you can change 10% every week, I don't think it is going to a problem keeping the system stable.
8BALL_99
New member
Thats sort of the problem with it.. He would need to change about 100-120 Gallons a week to do that. Thats 2.5 buckets of salt a month for a 280 gallon tank lol. Even at 10% a month thats still 100-120 gallon water change every month for a 280 display..One bucket does what 160 gallons.. If your going to do that get a 500 gallon display lol. If you only change 30 gallons in a 1100 gallon system like you talked about doing back before. Then I think over time things will build up in your water as well as get depleted. Sure it will take longer for it to happen but it will happen sooner or later.
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