My 210 shallow reff build

[ifrizk]

My 210 gallon Shallow Reef 

This is my first build thread, I've wanted to do one before just never took the time.

Little history lesson first. For my first saltwater tank was a full reef ready Oceanic 90 Gallon bow front. I bought it used and it came with everything ready to go. An older AquaC EV-180 protein skimmer that came with a MAG drive 7. Also came with a set of IceCap ballast to go with the VHO lights, and a MAG drive 9 for return. So it was great for the time being.

But as time went on I swapped out my standard 90 gallon with built in overflows from a freshwater to saltwater and then my bow front from salt to freshwater because I liked the look of saltwater in the standard 90 gallon tank better. For any Freshwater people out there it was a group of 22 Tropheus moorii Chaitika aka (Blue Rainbows) it was a beautiful group of fish.

Onto to the next stage of my saltwater journey was a 265 gallon tank that I replaced my 180 gallon mix Cichlid tank that was mostly peacocks. At this time I sold all of my livestock as well as the tank and moved forward into the largest saltwater tank I had kept. Going from the 90 gallon to the 265 gallon.

Now onto my next build which is what this thread is about. My 210 gallon shallow build. I've always thought the shallow builds were really interesting, and if done right they are great looking tanks. There are quite a few on Reef Central that are really amazing and I'm looking forward to seeing the end results with this build.

During this transition I currently am going through I lost 100 present of my live stock due to a power outage this past winter. I was hoping to have everything in the stock tank durning the transfer for maybe a month or so but it actually turned into almost 6 months, it was very cold this past winter and with the power outage everything had del justl froze to death with such a quick temperature drop and with not having my Apex running to alert me because this was suppose to be a pretty quick trun over.
Why it took so long is I was waiting on the stand to be done I had a steel stand made, it was some horse trading I was doing to get the stand welded and well that just took much longer then I ever anticipated due to a few things. But won't get into that.

But here is a list of the lost coral I had that I plan on collecting once again. Some I sold when shutting the main display down so that is a positive, as well as I took a few pieces to a friends but most I just lost.

SPS
Green Psammocora
Frog Skin
Blue Mili
Sunset Milli
Orange Milli
Rainbow Pocillopora
Green Pocillopora
Green Slimmer
Green Digitata
Red Forrest fire Digitata
German Blue Digitata
Purple tip Digitata
Green Spongode
Green Bird's Nest
Pink Bird's Nest
Ponpae Bird's Nest
Sour Apple Bird's Nest
Bird of Paradise
Orange Monti Cap
Purple Monti Cap
Green Monti Cap
Scroll Monti Cap

LPS
Torch Coral
Frogspawn
Branching Hammer
Wall Hammer
Tube Coral, Yellow
Button Coral Cynarina, Red
Red Acan
Orange Acan
Bubble Coral
Duncans
Candy Cane
KryptoniteTrumpets
Favites
Pagoda


I also had a handful of Zoes but nothing crazy, and these are more like if I come across some great ones cool if not no big deal. I am a huge fan of the Euphyllia family wither it is a torch, hammer, or frogspawn and whatever the color is green, orange, or purple I don't care I just really like them.
At that point of losing everything I just took a step back and just told myself there is no point to being in a rush to get things going now, so i've been just taking my time.

So after everything died I just have been gathering things and thoughts as to how I was going to do everything. Fast forwarding to now i'm hoping within the next few weeks I should be up and running. I've taken many pictures and will post them as I continue this thread.

Hope you all enjoy:lolspin::fish1:

 

[ifrizk]

Here is the Stand

 

[fredg89]

I'll be following.

 

[BillNye]

Looking forward to this one!

 

[ifrizk]

I'll be following.

Thanks guys

 

[ifrizk]

Looking forward to this one!

Great to hear, lots of pictures to come

 

[ifrizk]

Here is a picture of the stand, also a reference of how big it really is my little one is relaxing and checking things out.

As for something I learned from my last steel stand, some of the products I used for example Rust Oleum to seal it just did not work for me, as to why I got this new one for my 210 powered coated. One reason I bring up the rust topic, is you can see it in the carpet  of the picture of where the old stand was.



This is when adding the foam and board, I did not do it on my last setup. I did not have any problems with the last aquarium with it. But thought what the heck I will try it and see what I think. My idea for doing it is to help with leveling and keeping all the pressure even.

 

[ifrizk]

Here is the dimensions of my Shallow 210
It has two center overflows with three 1" holes drilled in each overflow.
Tank: Built by Miracles Aquarium
Dimensions
LxWxH
96"x36"x14"

The Stand is a steel stand, powder coated with a glossy black.
The Dimensions
LxWxH
96"x36"x40"

Custom sump - approx. 57 gallons
LxWxH
48"x18"x15.5
This was a really fun part of the build so far, building my own sump. I will go into further detail later.


My current equipment list is:

Sump: 57 gallons - two drains areas - two filter pad areas for mechanical - that will flow into main equipment area of the sump.

Refugium: Standard 20 gallon high

ATO: 65 gallon storage

Skimmer: Vertex Alpha 250 Protein Skimmer

Return Pump: Jebao DC-12000

Circulation: 4x Jebao WP25

Lights: 2x Radions XR30w and 2x Radions XR30w PRO

Controller: Apex with
-2x EB8
-WXM module
-Breakout box

Chiller: Not running one

Reactor: Next Reef MR1

Dosing pumps: Kamoer - model KSP-F




Here is some of my reasoning for the equipment I chose above, maybe this will help others, or maybe some people will have even better ideas. All equipment listed above I have already and will explain in the order above.


-The Stand
I went with a steel stand because I had a steel one with the 265 gallon and loved it. Here is where I went wrong first time around. I did not go with a sealer that withstood the saltwater, and well looked like crap a few years later.
Next part I found that I went wrong with the stand it was the height I made it, it was 30" tall and for me I try my best to make this hobby as easy as possible and working in that area for me was a pain. It was made with 2x2 square tubing so right away I loss 4" putting it at 26" two work with.

So on this one I went big, I went 40" tall so far one of the best things I did. Due to where my tank is located I do not have room for the tank to be in the wall and the equipment ran elsewhere, nor do I have the space for a equipment room.

Which this is one really cool thing about this shallow build is that the stand is 40" and the tank is 14" so at 54" I can still look right over the tank with no problem, or when sitting I can see right into the aquarium.



-The Sump
Originally I was going to do two 40 gallon breeders plumbed together as I did in the past with my 265 aquarium. Which fit great and I felt like I maximized the space I had at the time. With this build there was no way I felt like I was maximizing my space with two 40 breeders. So onto to the custom sump in which I was excited to do a little DIY which I had never built a tank from the glass up. I will give pictures on the sump later.



-The Refugium
Nothing fancy just a standard 20 gallon high that will have a pipe split off of the main return into this tank. It will be drilled so that it can drain right into the sump because it is on a little stand that will make it higher then the sump.



-The ATO
Again nothing fancy here, just a larger storage tank then I have ever had before. The large 65 gallon storage tank is due to my last setup the 265 I had a 20 gallon ATO tank which worked great but only lasted about a week and a half maybe two weeks.

Remember how I said I try my best to make this hobby as easy as possible, well in my mind that includes not refilling the ATO tank every week and a half or so. I'm hoping the 65 gallons will last over a month which would be great. I was able to do this due to the large amount of space I have under the aquarium stand. If I had an equipment room with a drain my ATO would run straight from my RO unit to the sump.



-The Skimmer
This is the best skimmer I've ever owned very very well made, it has been amazing and did really well with a fully stocked 265. The Vertex Alpha 250 Protein Skimmer was the line of skimmers that were designed and manufactured by Royal Exclusiv for Vertex before Vertex and Royal Exclusiv split. They are no longer in any kind of partnership. Royal Exclusiv is the same company that makes the Bubble King line of skimmers. I was also able to talk to the owner of Royal Exclusiv at the MCANA in Denver. Very nice guy and we had a great talk.



-The Return Pump
I went with a Jebao DC-12000 because I wanted a pump with extra power if needed that was controllable. The bigger pump with extra power is need for the return because it is split into each overflow then is also split to go to the refugium, and possibly a reactor Carbon/GFO if needed. I have used MAG drives, RIOs, REEFLO, Waveline, Panworld, and many more but after all of those I've been happy with the Jebao they have treated me well. I first tried the Jebaos just as it was cheap and did not used a ton of electricity. If I had an equipment room with a drain (LOL that is my new motto) I wouldn't mind running a REEFFLO or Panworld because I liked both of those pumps but just the factor of having an external pump just does not sit well with me. same reason I use an internal skimmer.



-Circulation
Due to the tank being so long as well as two center overflows chopping things up, i'm going to need some great flow but not to powerful due to the shallow waters. I had two Vortech MP40s but that was some of the equipment I sold off during the time frame of selling my 265. Plus I feel that the Vortech MP40 would have been to much. I ran a few Jebao WP25 to help with areas that needed flow in the 265 and they worked great.

So we shall see how they work with the shallow waters in the 210 because this will be a new adventure for me. Flow I feel is a really big part to having a healthy tank, because with the proper flow it helps keep areas from having to much build up and things such as Red slime algae aka cyanobacteria and the accumulation of broken down organic matter in an aquarium that with the proper flow could have been caught in a filter pad or filter sock and not settled.

But I am not set on these for sure. In the back of my mind I've been thinking of maybe trying a few Vortech MP10s or even the new circulation
pumps that Neptune Systems is coming out with called the WAV.
www.neptunesystems.com/wav/



-Lights
For the lights this was easy, I've done the DIY Rapid LED setup which was great really liked them and they were well worth it and did a great job on the 265 but the problem was I wanted something that was going look very slick with having a floating canopy. I did not like the idea of looking under or being at the right angle when sitting and seeing nothing but wires and cords. I found a set of Radions XR30w at an amazing price still looking for one more by the way. But it was a great deal from a fellow reefer that got out of the hobby and that I trust.



-Controller
This for me was another easy one, I personally would not go with another controller it has been great in the pass and does a good job with tons of flexibility.
I have two EB8s that I will run as well as the WXM module for the lights and possibly a few Vortech MP10s. Then the breakout box runs my ATO.



-Chiller
I never have ran one in the pass, and I don't believe I will need one on this setup either. Although I do have one from last summer/fall when I ran the stock tank in the garage. But we all know how that ended, running it longer then i ever thought into the winter months, power outage and boom thee end. So yes if anyone wants a chiller I have one and it was hardly used.



-Reactor
I don't really use reactors very much just have not had the need, but do have one just in case and it is ready to rumble.



-Dosing pump
I'm going to try this one out I have never used it so we shall see. Another piece of equipment I may be buying if this does not work out how I would like it to is the Neptune Systems DOS. But as of now I feel they are still working some things out on it, so we shall see. One thing I can say is Neptune Systems customer service is great.
www.neptunesystems.com/dos/