new in wall build!

[NP_Reef]

So after months of research and planning I'm starting my first tank and will be using this thread to ask questions as well as show my progress with the construction and maintenance of my system, any advice or ideas you might have for me is more than welcome and appreciated. The tank will be built in wall in my living room and will be a mixed reef.

This may be a fairly slow build so i apologize in advance for that and for all the dumb questions i will probably ask along the way :lol2:

Goals for this system:
- As automated as possible, my work requires me to be away from home for days at a time and while my roommates have shown an interest in helping with this tank id like to keep it as simple for them as possible
- Simple design
- Set up correctly the first time to save myself some headaches down the road
- As energy efficient as possible

Equipment list (so far):
- Custom lee-mar starfire display (66x22x31) purchased from Charlie at the fish tank factory, great price and customer service, excellent buying experience I would recommend him to anyone looking for a new tank
- 90L sump/refuge
- Euroreef rs250 skimmer
- Geo 612 ca reactor
- DIY led lighting set up (still researching this)
- Eheim 1262 return pump
- Reeflo Dart CL pump
- OM 4-way
- Neptune Apex controller
- Aqualogic cooler (it gets to 115* here in the summer)
- Steel stand

picked the tank up on Thursday, cant get over the quality that lee-mar puts in their tanks its just gorgeous

 

[James404]

Beautiful tank, looking forward to seeing this come together!

 

[NP_Reef]

150lbs of macrorock key largo dry rock came yesterday and i spent a couple hours designing an aquascape. Here is what i came up with let me know what you think.

Stand will be built tomorrow so i will update again then.

 

[L8ndeb]

I like the rock layout. You've provided little caves, and the rock is not clumped together. Only thing I can offer is to make SURE you like the design, and then exopy everything together to avoid "earthqukes and landslides".

 

[cilyjr]

subscribing. i put a tank in my wall back in march

 

[NP_Reef]

ya i read your thread, your tank looks great.

 

[cilyjr]

thanks. had serious ups and downs though. i think your rock work is similar to mine. in ya got 2 big islands on the sides and a smaller one in the middle. why did you decide on that?
i did it because i wanted my lps in the middle.

 

[cilyjr]

one major piece of advice i would give to all in wall people; if possible would be to make it so you can access your tank from the front. i have cabinet doors there but there might be other ways of doing it. someone from my local reef club suggested this to me (thanks dave) and i am very happy i did. 90% of how i access the reef is through the front. even cleaning the glass is easier.

 

[mutateddogbone]

+1 on front access, it makes it impossible to frag and get around to scrape the front of the tank without it. i dont have an inwall, but one of our local club members does and he hates how he cant get in and work in the front without breaking acros and cant see what he's doing

 

[NP_Reef]

thanks. had serious ups and downs though. i think your rock work is similar to mine. in ya got 2 big islands on the sides and a smaller one in the middle. why did you decide on that?
i did it because i wanted my lps in the middle.

i just like the three island look and i think itll give me a lot of options when it comes to coral placement

one major piece of advice i would give to all in wall people; if possible would be to make it so you can access your tank from the front. i have cabinet doors there but there might be other ways of doing it. someone from my local reef club suggested this to me (thanks dave) and i am very happy i did. 90% of how i access the reef is through the front. even cleaning the glass is easier.

ya itll have access to the lights and under the tank from the front.

 

[bobthehobo9]

+1 on the rockwork. it'll look really nice once it gets some coralline on it!

 

[NP_Reef]

a little update.

got the stand pretty well tacked together last weekend before work got in the way ill take it to my buddy's shop and mig it this weekend so it should be done and ready for powder coat or linex next week. (still not sure which i want to do. suggestions?)

sump tank came in today so i need to plan and put in the baffles.

epoxied two of the formations together, changed them up a little. not sure about the top right rock on the cave on the right i haven't epoxied it on yet might change it for "rounder" rock.

and the area where the tank is going to go.

 

[RVANANO]

Looking really good. I like your scape so far.

 

[SpencerG]

Looks like you're about to raise some Havoc!

 

[Anthonius]

looks amazing... i am following this one. keep up the great work.

 

[philip_r5]

That will be an awesome placement. What kind of epoxy did you use?

 

[SammyJ916]

im jealous man, my dream is to have a nice in wall reef, keep up the good work

 

[NP_Reef]

i used the loctite brand repair epoxy, i cant remember exactly what it was called.

 

[NP_Reef]

I got a little done the last couple of days, been busy so its been hard to find time for the build.

the stand is welded up, no pictures, it is at my friends shop still until i figure out powder/line x for it.

put together the base for the third rock formation, this one is going to be more of a pillar then the other 2 are, also changed the top of the right rock formation, let me know what you think.

top down

also here is a basic diagram of my plumbing, any suggestions you have send them my way.

 

[NP_Reef]

haven't gotten anything exciting accomplished, but i am almost finished removing and replacing studs to create my fish room/crawlspace/dungeon :jester:

here are some pictures. removed some studs, changed some electrical around, added lights and started drywall.

closet that's being turned into makeshift fish room

side of the stand next to crawlspace area

crawlspace area, about 3 ft tall

lighting