my 255 starfire ocean upgrade!

[eran]

350 gal. STARFIRE in-wall dream tank build
Well, I am trying to do my part to help our country out of the great recession of 09'. I actually owe all of this to my great wife. She of all people! We had a trip planned to go to Europe and she decided that she would rather finish the basement. She came to me and said, " it would be cool to put in an in-wall tank huh. And that was all it took. Here are the specs:

Tank:
72" * 34" * 24"(255 gal.) - starfire on 3 sides
euro braced
48" external overflow w/ 3- 1 1/2" drains and 2- 1" returns
black silicone
Polished edges


Lighting:
3- 400 watt galaxy elec. ballasts
3- 400 watt radiums
3- lumenmax elites
2- 6' VHO super actinics
1- icecap 660 ballast
moon lights
All put together in a custom aluminum light rack that will be hung by side mount drawer slides so that I can pull the lights out in front of the tank for easy access to the tank

Skimmer:
Vertex Alpha 300 cone


Flow:
4- New tunze 6105's with multicontroller

Misc:
Reef keeper Elite- ordered

reeflo dart- (return pump)

90gal. Sump with bubble trap and filter bag holder/prob holder

70gal frag tank

40gal refugium

BRS dual reactor for GFO and carbon

Tentative Fish List:
Powder blue tang
Purple tang
3 yellow tangs
3 borbonius anthias
5 bartlett anthias
6 threadfin cardnals
mystery wrasse
labouti wrasse-male
lineatus wrasse pair
onyx clownfish pair
black clown pair- if the tank is big enough for both pairs!!!

 

[eran]

Here is what my wife and I have done so far....................


Just a bit of an update for those that like the pics. I just got my bulk reef supply order today and I can't believe they got all that in 2 boxes. They have my dual reactor on back order and will be shipping for free when they come in. I also didn't remember that the 2" true union ball valves are SO BIG.

I have been pecking away at the basement as well. I hope to get some electrical done soon as well. I also have to build the stand for the frag and Refugium tanks still and figure out my lay out for the fish room. Don't mind the food on the stand. I have 4 kids and it doesn't all fit in my pantry!

This is my old 40breeder and will be my Refugium now. As you can see its a bit dusty down there.

 

[eran]

And some more pics.....................



Here are some happy faces after a bit of sanding!!!!!!!! Yum!

I had white dust boogers for 2 days!

Prepainting pics. of the basement!!!! Its a bit cleaner now. We still need to do the finish paint and put in the laminate floor and a few tiles by the back sliding door and put in the baseboards.

The fish room is like 12' * 12' and I still need to pick up a utility sink and figure out how i'm going to get that plumbed. And of coarse get all the plumbing done.

 

[eran]

Ok, here are some pics. of the tank being moved into its new home! It was pretty easy getting into the van. The builder and i just backed up vans and just pushed it right on in. No lifting at all! Getting it out was a different story. i even had to remove the glass sliding doors to get in in.

And the most important shot of the set of images!!!!!!!!
I caught these at the local swimming hole. They weren't to excited about getting in. As you can see my oldest son's face states clearly.

 

[eran]

I am just about done with the basement and am about to move to getting the tank set up and running. I finally did a water test the other day and NO leaks!! YEAH! Here are a few pics of the mess in the basement as of late.

WELCOME TO THE MAN PAD!!!!! My wife hates that!!! I love you Sweetheart.

I did a bit of more finishing work in the next few pics. and swapped out the couch and chair for a single more modern couch.

 

[eran]

Can you say.....................GOT FLOW!!!!! I am still waiting on the 4th. I just have to pick it up at a friends house. Between the 4 tunze and the return I will have 15600gph which equals 61* turnover!!!!!!!!!!!!

My ATO..............

What's better then 1 super dart gold?????

2 super darts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm a scoutmaster which equals = Be Prepared!!!! Always have a backup

To go along with the back up theme............................................b ack up calcium reactor pumps and air pumps for the unexpected power outage

 

[eran]

I'm plan on lighting the bad boy with a DIY sliding light rack with 3-400watt SE Radiums with lumenBrite reflectors powered by 400watt sunlight supply Galaxy electronic ballasts (or the XM 20,000. Ive never used these before. I'm looking forward to seeing the difference) with 2-60" VHO's ran off an ice cap 660 ballast. And yes, I have a backup ballast as well!!!

The 70gal. frag tank will be lite by a 250watt radium or XM 20,000k SE in a lumenarc III and powered by a 250watt sunlight supply Galaxy electronic ballast with 2-36" T5HO's powered by a ice cap 660 ballast



Heating the tank with these 500watt finnex titanium heaters. Like I'll ever use them!!!!!!

This is what I'l be dosing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't drink but my tank sure seems to enjoy partaking!!!!

 

[eran]

Always a fun toy........................the controller.

 

[eran]

sorry, not to sure why the last pics. are so huge

Anyone have some recommendations for a chiller???? I am guessing I will have around 385gals total. What brand should I be looking for and most of all which one is going to last!!!!! thanks guys

 

[eran]

Another quick question.......... what is your thoughts about using the threaded ends on my ball valves on my return pump and other valves in my plumbing instead of the slip fittings??? I ask because I have only plumbed a few tanks and didn't know if they tend to leak more then just being glued to pvc. I was hoping to use the threaded ends on the valves so if I ever more I wont have to buy new valves.

 

[NexDog]

Interested to see how you place the 6105s. I have two in my tank and having a hard time keeping the sand on the bottom.

 

[Ed Reef]

Love your Orange strip theme you got going there.... !! Very well planned

 

[CANMAN19762]

You stole my dream Eran, I love the "man room"with the home theater and tank all in the one room...can't wait to see more.

Jamie.

 

[strout]

Looks very nice, can't wait for more updates.

 

[eran]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15527810#post15527810 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by NexDog
Interested to see how you place the 6105s. I have two in my tank and having a hard time keeping the sand on the bottom.

I am a Bare Bottom guy myself, so pump placement won't be an issue. The tank is eurobraced and I plan on placing the pumps with the magnets on top of the eurobracing so that I don't have the magnets on the outside of the glass. Does that make sense? I'll post pics. of what I mean.

 

[eran]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15527813#post15527813 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Ed Reef
Love your Orange strip theme you got going there.... !! Very well planned

Thanks I tried my hardest to plan ahead and do things the way I wanted. Thats why its taken me like 5 months to get this far. lol

 

[eran]

Canman and strout- Thanks for the compliments. It has been a few fun experience from the begining. I have never done any construction before so that was a huge learning curve and I found out that drywall sucks!!!! I hope to get the sump and display plumbed by next week and get this thing filled with some water. I am going to be working all day in my basement today.



I just checked the update on my tracking # for my new skimmer; its in route right now!!!!!! The UPS guy usually makes its way around here by lunch so I'm pumped!!!

I will post a HD video of the new BK/Vertex Alpha 300 cone tonight!!!

 

[GlassReef]

Lovin' the Man Cave theme! You've already put lots of work into what definitely looks like a great start! Looks like you've got the whole thing planned very well. I'm subscribed ...

 

[eran]

Guess what showed up at my door step!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's red and white and German! I have pics. and an HD video of the beast running in a temporary sump tank with some H2O from my 90gal. reef. I can't believe how friggin' quite this skimmer is!!!:lolspin: :lolspin: :lolspin:

 

[eran]

Well, for all of you that want to see the big red beast here it is!! I remember all the times i look at build threads and just sit with TOY envy. Know I can play too.

This is my littlest of 4! I like the way he looks amazed as he glanced over at the skimmer.

And I have a big head! Just ask my wife. lol