My 1300 gallon addiction: A Miami reef build story.
- Thread starter DannyDJD
- Start date
Bogue Chitto
New member
You will really have room for just about anything you want in there. I have a 48" deep tank as well and it is a challenge to try to place things in it without getting wet. You will have fun getting it all together and up and running. You have to have a great wife as well....keep her happy.
nivram
New member
My 1300 gallon addiction: A Miami reef build story.
Hope you don't mind. I posted a link to your thread on our local club forum
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=235
Hope you don't mind. I posted a link to your thread on our local club forum
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=235
Tradewinds
Well-known member
Your tank looks to be a masterpiece. Subscribed.
Here are some more pics:
Fish room progress
Added shelf for dosing containers
Sump coming together
Refugium...although I am planning on replacing the temporary light with a Kessil horticulture/purple grow light for the algae.
Here's the Hammerhead and Dart. All valves on this project are Asahi, and I've been very impressed with them so far.
The massive 2" Dart inlet valve
Here's the overflow with dual Durso standpipes. You can see the Waveline DC 12000's as closed loops. So far, they've worked great and definitely push some serious water.
The LumenBright reflectors I chose to go with...and yes, that's a pink cat carrier in the background...I can't win them all guys!
Here's the light rack starting to come together. The T5's in the middle with the pair of Lumenbright 400 waters on the outside. The sit within a bar that allows them to be slid in line within the canopy making access and flexibility easier. the cords are run up into the canopy and to the fish room. Notice the dedicated AC vent inside the canopy to assist with cooling. Once I get the White shaker cabinetry and doors, it'll really make a big difference. Thankfully in the month the tank has been running, the highest temp without the chiller has been 82, with an ambient house temp of 80. The large water volume and movement seems to help quite a bit.
Here's the Titanium Heat Exchanger from Universal Marine Industries out of Canada...its a beast.
Fish room progress
Added shelf for dosing containers
Sump coming together
Refugium...although I am planning on replacing the temporary light with a Kessil horticulture/purple grow light for the algae.
Here's the Hammerhead and Dart. All valves on this project are Asahi, and I've been very impressed with them so far.
The massive 2" Dart inlet valve
Here's the overflow with dual Durso standpipes. You can see the Waveline DC 12000's as closed loops. So far, they've worked great and definitely push some serious water.
The LumenBright reflectors I chose to go with...and yes, that's a pink cat carrier in the background...I can't win them all guys!
Here's the light rack starting to come together. The T5's in the middle with the pair of Lumenbright 400 waters on the outside. The sit within a bar that allows them to be slid in line within the canopy making access and flexibility easier. the cords are run up into the canopy and to the fish room. Notice the dedicated AC vent inside the canopy to assist with cooling. Once I get the White shaker cabinetry and doors, it'll really make a big difference. Thankfully in the month the tank has been running, the highest temp without the chiller has been 82, with an ambient house temp of 80. The large water volume and movement seems to help quite a bit.
Here's the Titanium Heat Exchanger from Universal Marine Industries out of Canada...its a beast.
The Amana 1.5hp condenser and compressor being installed outside.
Installing the heat exchanger
This chiller install looked insane and brought the entire project into perspective.
QT system
Heat Exchanger installed, with frag system and new Water container, this time 250 gallons.
Here's the BioTower reactor, which basically circulates K1 (or similar) media with air and water and builds a large bacteria colony to help with nitrates. It's 48" tall and let me tell you, its quite the sight when you first see it. It's fed with a waveline DC12000 tuned to about 50%.
Peter spent a couple dozen hours buffing out the small scratches from the glass, which made the tank truly pop.
Another shot with the full light rack installed
Marco rock shipment. I think we ordered 400lbs of regular and base rock and 100lbs of premium shelf, which I love.
6 stage BRS RODI system
Here's a Panoramic of the fish room basically as it is today, with only minor differences. Here it's got all the pump controllers mounted and spider web of wires/cables. That's one of the next things on the list...cable organization!
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After 4 hours and numerous back pains.
First water goes in
The yellow water is due to the 6500k bulbs that came with the T5 fixture...ATI bulbs on the way! I apologize for the not amazing photos...ALL were taken with IPhone and not a fancy camera.
When it was still cloudy from the sane...day 1
After about a week, I started to see diatoms...a good sign! I added 32 oz of Dr. Tim's One and Only (which I have used in the past and swear by) to kick start the cycle, even though I knew the BioTower already had a solid nitrifying bacteria colony, and saw a VERY minor ammonia spike (a few Chromis were added) which subsided in 2 days then the Nitrite came and went, and Nitrate stabilized at 3ppm after about 12-13 days.
Dave, unfortunately we didn't' soak the tiles, and that might explain some higher than expected Phosphate readings recently. I'm currently running 1.5L of Rowaphos in a reactor and will test tonight. After 3 weeks the phosphates rose to 0.28 before adding the GFO. It's been a few days since I tested...keep you posted tonight!
Is there anything I can do to mitigate? as removing the tiles is not an option obviously...
Thanks
Is there anything I can do to mitigate? as removing the tiles is not an option obviously...
Thanks
dave.m
Active member
I don't know of an easy way around this. Another big tank owner here on RC lined his tank with limestone and it took a very long time as I recall for pollutant levels to fall for him. You may just have to wait for it all to soak out if you can't get the tiles out any other way.
Dave.M
Dave.M
scubadan206
Member
If your nitrate reactor is circulating with air and water, then it is not a nitrate reactor. It's a fancy trickle filter.
Someday it will probably be more like a nitrate factory. You have created an aerobic zone for bacteria to process ammonia and nitrite.
It will work well for that function until it builds up enough crap and gets clogged often.
You need an anaerobic zone to process nitrate.
Proper nitrate reactors use small media, like sand, and a high RPM pump to force water up the column of media. A reactor for a system like yours would be 8 feet tall and 4-6 inches across.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=20852816&postcount=915
A large reactor running sulfur media would also work.
Just a heads up.
Great system overall. You have your hands full even with so much help.
Someday it will probably be more like a nitrate factory. You have created an aerobic zone for bacteria to process ammonia and nitrite.
It will work well for that function until it builds up enough crap and gets clogged often.
You need an anaerobic zone to process nitrate.
Proper nitrate reactors use small media, like sand, and a high RPM pump to force water up the column of media. A reactor for a system like yours would be 8 feet tall and 4-6 inches across.
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showpost.php?p=20852816&postcount=915
A large reactor running sulfur media would also work.
Just a heads up.
Great system overall. You have your hands full even with so much help.
scubadan206
Member
Question for you.. Have you thought of seaswirl's for your return's to the tank?
Those plus some large eductors on the end would be of great benefit.
Daniel.
Those plus some large eductors on the end would be of great benefit.
Daniel.
