Sabreman0001
New member
Let the fun begin! After having a 600g 8’long x 36 tall acrylic FOWLR up and running for two+ years, my wife and I got the bug to do a predominately SPS tank …..so initially we where going to just convert that, but then decided to get a 10’ tank with external overflows on the ends and starfire glass on both viewing sides….the tank was ordered last week from Derek at Miracles Aquariums and will be here in 6-7 weeks…..needless to say, I have a lot of work to do….I have watched several other build threads and have found it to be a wonderful way to both gather information and share information. So here we go….come along for the ride…..btw…if you live in Charlotte…..come over and bring your sweat equity for beers and future SPS frags!!!!
Main Display: 575g â€"œ 120†(130†with overflows) x 36†wide x 30.75 tall, 6†euro brace, external overflow boxes on the ends, starfire on both viewing panels….in other words….a small mortgage!!!
Main sump: I have a 180g acrylic tank that I need to add baffles into…easy enough…..I work with acrylic…so no big deal.
In-Line Coral Prop tank: 67g - 36†x 36†x 12â€Â
Refugium: 89g 18.5â€Âx18.5â€Âx60†I plan to run a remote DSB with Cheato and Mangroves…I have two 96W PC with 6500K bulbs….I may switch out to lesser Watt fixtures….
Flow: There will be two -2†drains in each overflow…..all drains will drain into the first compartment of the sump, from the first compartment of the sump, I will use a Sequence dart to pump to the coral prop tank, where I will use two-3/4†seaswirls (need one more used one…)….from the prop tank, I will partially drain into the fuge and partially back into the sump, so I can throttle flow through the fuge, the fuge will then drain into the second from last chamber of the sump to bypass the skimmer. The main return pump will be a sequence hammerhead to two ¾ wavy sea+’s located a 1/3 of the way down either side of the tank. I will run 4 â€"œTunze 6200’s on a 7095 controller to achieve the flow turnover….
Skimmer: I currently have two skimmers that would skim this tank, I have a 32†Aerofoamer (single beckett) or a 6’ dual recirculating beckett. I plan to either use an Iwaki 50 rlt on the aerofoamer or an ampmaster 3000.if I go the recirc…I will use an Iwaki 70rlt or the ampmaster….or I may build a new box for the 6-footer and go for the new needle-wheel dart….likely a project for down the road!!!!
Calc reactor: I currently have a MRC CR-2….I think that initially this will be okay as my coral load will not be huge to start…I plan to build/buy a much larger one after the tank is up and running.
Live Rock: I have approximately 800-900 lbs of Kaleini, Fiji, Marshall Island, and Tonga Branch…mostly all monster size pieces….not sure how much will go into the tank versus sump....depends on how I aquascape
BB or DSB or Faux Sand Bed…..the million dollar question!!!1….here is the deal, my wife has two decent size horseshoe crabs...that she mandates need to go into the tank and they need sand!!!…I do all the cleaning of the tank, which pushes me towards BB or Faux…..I really do not like the look of BB tanks….but on the other hand…I know my 6200’s are going to make a mess of the tank….my initial thoughts are to paint the foam that the tank will sit on tan to match the sand….and then use no more than 1 ½ - 2†aragonite sand bed…..input without making this into a DSB vs. BB thread!!! ?????
Lighting: Over the main display…I was planning on using 4- 400W SE Luminarc III /PFO’s and 4 â€"œ 5’ VHO Actinics as supplement, along with my LED moonlights…I would like to stick with the 4 MHs….but am also considering going to 5…..thoughts??? currently I have 24k hamilton bulbs....but will decide as I get closer which bulbs to go with....
For the Coral prop tank, I will run 1 â€"œ 250W MH on a luminarc and two 96 W PC actinics….
Stand/Canopy: This tank will be built into the wall….however, we have 10’ ceilings on one side where the dining room is, so the wall will only go up about 7’, my plans are to split the wall at the top of the viewing window and mould the 3-4" on either side so I can connect the canopy top to that….I will use 2 â€"œ 32†travel linear actuators and 4 â€"œ Linear slides to raise and lower the top half (canopy) to provide easy access for cleaning…..on the other side of the tank there will only be about 8’ of viewable tank, I plan to put cabinet doors and make them air/light tight somehow.....learned from my last tank…the more access into the tank the better!!!!
Cooling: I am converting a major portion of my 1st garage bay into an enclosed fish room…1’ to 1 1/2’ of the tank will be exposed to this room ….I plan to put a 12000BTU portable A/C with dehumidifier and vented and continuous drain to outside….the room is only about 150 sq ft….and would typically require only 6000BTU….but…I know I will need this much….because… I plan to take the cold air that is near the floor….and using fans/ducts…pull it under the tank to the farside of the tank, then with a large (quiet) fan, blow directly across the lights the length of the tank…pushing the hot air back into the fish room…..another wife requirement is no light bleed through the top of the canopy or the cabinet doors (8' viewing side)!!!! So theoretically, I hope to keep the fish room around 70-75 degrees and the house in the range of 70-75 degrees
Chiller: I have not decided on which make to buy yet, but I plan to buy a 1HP chiller…I am leaning towards the Pacific Coast Imports…since I have a ½ HP (that will be posted FS soon) and has always been great….or a JBJ professional 1 HP….input???? Premium Aquatics recommended I go with the PCI due to a better heat exchanger, better warranty, and easier to get replacement parts….sounds like a plan to me….
Another Chiller issue I need to resolve is where to put the thing!!! I had planned to just put it out in the garden in a little dog house….however….this would create four issues…1, potential failure in winter due to no crank case heater in the compressor which could lead to compressor failure, 2, kills PCI’s warranty, 3, if/when the temp gets over 95 degrees, they are designed to go on thermal shutdown, and 4, my wife really does not want this in her garden….so with this said…I will need to put it into the fish room and ventilate it straight out the wall or up to the sofit via 2-3 4†in-line duct blowers (Home Depot Specials!!!) connected to the bathroom fan exhaust sofit fixtures.
Controller: Here is where I need to go to school on the big controller thread…I was leaning towards an ACIII….X-10 sucks…and I will never use it again (had an ACII and sold it due to X10 issues)…so the amount of DC8s etc that I would have to buy would really rack up costs….I will look into this a little later in the build before I locate all my plugs….
I have tried to be as descriptive as possible to generate some good discussion…..the pics will follow in the next coming days as I start to rip apart my house to get it ready.
Main Display: 575g â€"œ 120†(130†with overflows) x 36†wide x 30.75 tall, 6†euro brace, external overflow boxes on the ends, starfire on both viewing panels….in other words….a small mortgage!!!
Main sump: I have a 180g acrylic tank that I need to add baffles into…easy enough…..I work with acrylic…so no big deal.
In-Line Coral Prop tank: 67g - 36†x 36†x 12â€Â
Refugium: 89g 18.5â€Âx18.5â€Âx60†I plan to run a remote DSB with Cheato and Mangroves…I have two 96W PC with 6500K bulbs….I may switch out to lesser Watt fixtures….
Flow: There will be two -2†drains in each overflow…..all drains will drain into the first compartment of the sump, from the first compartment of the sump, I will use a Sequence dart to pump to the coral prop tank, where I will use two-3/4†seaswirls (need one more used one…)….from the prop tank, I will partially drain into the fuge and partially back into the sump, so I can throttle flow through the fuge, the fuge will then drain into the second from last chamber of the sump to bypass the skimmer. The main return pump will be a sequence hammerhead to two ¾ wavy sea+’s located a 1/3 of the way down either side of the tank. I will run 4 â€"œTunze 6200’s on a 7095 controller to achieve the flow turnover….
Skimmer: I currently have two skimmers that would skim this tank, I have a 32†Aerofoamer (single beckett) or a 6’ dual recirculating beckett. I plan to either use an Iwaki 50 rlt on the aerofoamer or an ampmaster 3000.if I go the recirc…I will use an Iwaki 70rlt or the ampmaster….or I may build a new box for the 6-footer and go for the new needle-wheel dart….likely a project for down the road!!!!
Calc reactor: I currently have a MRC CR-2….I think that initially this will be okay as my coral load will not be huge to start…I plan to build/buy a much larger one after the tank is up and running.
Live Rock: I have approximately 800-900 lbs of Kaleini, Fiji, Marshall Island, and Tonga Branch…mostly all monster size pieces….not sure how much will go into the tank versus sump....depends on how I aquascape
BB or DSB or Faux Sand Bed…..the million dollar question!!!1….here is the deal, my wife has two decent size horseshoe crabs...that she mandates need to go into the tank and they need sand!!!…I do all the cleaning of the tank, which pushes me towards BB or Faux…..I really do not like the look of BB tanks….but on the other hand…I know my 6200’s are going to make a mess of the tank….my initial thoughts are to paint the foam that the tank will sit on tan to match the sand….and then use no more than 1 ½ - 2†aragonite sand bed…..input without making this into a DSB vs. BB thread!!! ?????
Lighting: Over the main display…I was planning on using 4- 400W SE Luminarc III /PFO’s and 4 â€"œ 5’ VHO Actinics as supplement, along with my LED moonlights…I would like to stick with the 4 MHs….but am also considering going to 5…..thoughts??? currently I have 24k hamilton bulbs....but will decide as I get closer which bulbs to go with....
For the Coral prop tank, I will run 1 â€"œ 250W MH on a luminarc and two 96 W PC actinics….
Stand/Canopy: This tank will be built into the wall….however, we have 10’ ceilings on one side where the dining room is, so the wall will only go up about 7’, my plans are to split the wall at the top of the viewing window and mould the 3-4" on either side so I can connect the canopy top to that….I will use 2 â€"œ 32†travel linear actuators and 4 â€"œ Linear slides to raise and lower the top half (canopy) to provide easy access for cleaning…..on the other side of the tank there will only be about 8’ of viewable tank, I plan to put cabinet doors and make them air/light tight somehow.....learned from my last tank…the more access into the tank the better!!!!
Cooling: I am converting a major portion of my 1st garage bay into an enclosed fish room…1’ to 1 1/2’ of the tank will be exposed to this room ….I plan to put a 12000BTU portable A/C with dehumidifier and vented and continuous drain to outside….the room is only about 150 sq ft….and would typically require only 6000BTU….but…I know I will need this much….because… I plan to take the cold air that is near the floor….and using fans/ducts…pull it under the tank to the farside of the tank, then with a large (quiet) fan, blow directly across the lights the length of the tank…pushing the hot air back into the fish room…..another wife requirement is no light bleed through the top of the canopy or the cabinet doors (8' viewing side)!!!! So theoretically, I hope to keep the fish room around 70-75 degrees and the house in the range of 70-75 degrees
Chiller: I have not decided on which make to buy yet, but I plan to buy a 1HP chiller…I am leaning towards the Pacific Coast Imports…since I have a ½ HP (that will be posted FS soon) and has always been great….or a JBJ professional 1 HP….input???? Premium Aquatics recommended I go with the PCI due to a better heat exchanger, better warranty, and easier to get replacement parts….sounds like a plan to me….
Another Chiller issue I need to resolve is where to put the thing!!! I had planned to just put it out in the garden in a little dog house….however….this would create four issues…1, potential failure in winter due to no crank case heater in the compressor which could lead to compressor failure, 2, kills PCI’s warranty, 3, if/when the temp gets over 95 degrees, they are designed to go on thermal shutdown, and 4, my wife really does not want this in her garden….so with this said…I will need to put it into the fish room and ventilate it straight out the wall or up to the sofit via 2-3 4†in-line duct blowers (Home Depot Specials!!!) connected to the bathroom fan exhaust sofit fixtures.
Controller: Here is where I need to go to school on the big controller thread…I was leaning towards an ACIII….X-10 sucks…and I will never use it again (had an ACII and sold it due to X10 issues)…so the amount of DC8s etc that I would have to buy would really rack up costs….I will look into this a little later in the build before I locate all my plugs….
I have tried to be as descriptive as possible to generate some good discussion…..the pics will follow in the next coming days as I start to rip apart my house to get it ready.
