Marcs 6x3x26" Peninsular Tank

kirsto71

New member
I have finally started my new build and i was going to modify the old 350 gallon thread but unlike the Australian Reefing site i canot edit after 60minutes. So here goes the new thread on the build.

Well I have finally made the jump and decided to start the build on my new tank. I have decided on a 6 x 3 x 26 inch tank with an external weir at one end and a mix of closed loop and Tunze streams. I would also like to plan on using an external Tunze wavebox. I have always liked the idea of a wavebox and I decided that this tank would be great with one. I am still checking up on some things first.

I really like the idea of a peninsular style tank as it virtually doubles the viewing area for the tank and lets me collect a lot more goodies.

Tank
6 x 3 x 26 inch peninsular
Single external weir and external wavebox
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Stand & Hood
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50x50x3mm galvinised steel with the same for the end cabinet
Hood is made from 50x50x3mm angle and was designed to be really open. It will be joined to the cabinet frame at one end and supported with a stainless wire into the roof at the other end

One thing I am doing with the stand is to build a small edge around the bottom which will be fibreglassed to hold any spills. I have calculated that it can hold up to 50 odd litres (pretty big spill). I have also come up with a small “sump” in the base of the stand that will hold a small 600 LPH pump that will start up when a set of water leak contacts are tripped and pump the water to a drain.
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Circulation

2 Iwaki MD70’s with 4 x ¾ inch eductors in one end
1 15000LPH pump (probably a Haliea) with 4 x ¾ inch locline returns in the base
Tunze wavebox??
Tunze 6101 x 2

Filtration & Reactors

110x60x45cm sump â€"œ multicompartment including a refugium and space for my zeovit reactor
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Zeovit system
Turbo 1200mm high recirculating beckett skimmer (excellent) powered by a Sedra 7200 LPH pump.
Carbon run in two fluidized bed reactors (might be getting Turbo to make up a better setup for this)
Dupla calcium reactor â€"œ running magnesium only
Turbo single chamber calcium reactor
Aquamedic kalk reactor

Control System

Aquatronica control computer
1. Level monitoring
2. Temperature monitoring
3. pH (tank and calcium reactor), Redox
4. Manages a number of plugs including lights, auto top off zeovit and calcium reactor
etc etc

Automated water change system â€"œ using relays and timers (people have said it is a bit too complicated but I had the gear and it is industrial grade stuff so I don’t imagine too many issues).
Auto top off system

Lighting

3 x 250w MH â€"œ using standard reflectors (may update this over time). I will probably go with bulbs around the 14 â€"œ 20k mark. I have been using 10k XM bulbs â€"œ heaps of light but a little yellow.
HO-T5 lights for supplemental actinics
Refugium lighting will be HO-T5 lights.

I am not a huge fan of highly controlled lighting. I have yet to see concrete evidence that there is any benefit to the corals or other inhabitants through the use of lighting control computers etc. I believe at this stage it is more for the aquarist than the tank inhabitants. Please tell me other wise if someone knows more about it than I do.

Other

Iwaki dosing pumps â€"œ to supplement Calcium or Bicarb as required and also for my calcium reactor, kalk reactor and auto top off
Teco Chiller plus a backup Resun CL-650

As I think of things I will add to the thread and obviously as it develops I will add photos.
 
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I just downloaded some pictures of the new skimmer and calcium reactor and waste collector that were made for me by a fellow reefer in Australia. These are great and the skimmer has not missed a beat since it wasinstalled a few weeks ago. A real skimmate making machine. It is a single recirculating beckett powered by a 7200 LPH pump.

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well here are the first pictures of the tank at the builders shop. Notice i fitted an external wavebox (small glass box next to the weir) - thanks Jar*Head for the idea.

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Here are some new pictures. I will get a full tank shot as soon as i finalise the plumbing and test a couple of pumps.

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Finally a video showing the external wave box (6212) in action and some Carrib Sea rock in place.



Note no other pumps are running as i am waiting on some spa flex to connect in the closed loop pumps.

There are two Iwaki MD70 with two 3/4" eductors each and a single 15000 LPH (approx 4000 GPH) pump. As well i will be runniong two 6101 Tunze pumps and some smaller Koralia copies if i need to (i got a bunch of these of a fellow reefer cheap just in case - they are about 5000 LPH (approx 1300 GPH) each.
 
I didn't really. Although i had to drop the length back to 6 foot. The 8 foot was just too long. At least with the peninsular design i have 15 feet of viewing space.

She has been in Sydney for the past two weeks so - SURPRISE :eek1: :eek1: :eek1: :eek1: :eek1:
 
Well it has been a while and i thought i would post some updates. All is going well and i have nearly finished setting up. I am just in the process of designing and have built a three stage fluidised filter system out of acrylic to run carbon, phoshate media and an option for filter wool (wont run this all the time). I also have to finalise the reflectors for the tank and which way i will go with globes.

Here are some photos. I will post some better ones soon as a friends wife has just got into photography and she is going to come over.

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<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14287453#post14287453 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Jar*Head
Beautiful setup. I love the wave action.

Well Steve i have to say thank you to you for the idea of an external wavebox.
 
I got hold of my new custom fluid reactors and have them setup now. They are great and i am just waiting on some new foam filter pads (ones that suit a Fluval 303 cannister filter) and things should be all setup. The first chamber will be used for bags of purigen and/or filter foam to help polish the water when i am doing tank maintenance and the second and third chambers are for phosban and carbon. I am currently running a 2800 LPH pump through and it is all working very nicely.

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awesome I just ordered a marineland 300g which is about the same size and I was wondering if a single wavebox would work for it.

how much splashing sound are you getting from the wave going over the overflow box?
 
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<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=14449696#post14449696 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by EnderG60
awesome I just ordered a marineland 300g which is about the same size and I was wondering if a single wavebox would work for it.

how much splashing sound are you getting from the wave going over the overflow box?

Not too much with the one wavebox. But having said that when i redo this tank i will fit a second wavebox. With the amount of rock work i have and all the other pumps i dont get much more than a 3/4 - 1 inch wave (enough to get some sway in my elegance etc) - so i want some more.
 
I have aded some new photos. I am sorry about the quality. I am also struggling picking my globes so some of you will notice some difference in colour with some photos.

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