New SPS Dominant Tank Plan

[tsquad]

I ran into some money over this past month (my birthday, Christmas, Hanukkah, work), so I can finally have the tank of my dreams

I've already got most of the equipment too. Just need to buy a new tank. Not really a fan of my Glasscages 135.

I'm going to get an AGA 120 RR. All four holes will be used as drains, and I will have AGA drill some CL drain holes in the back [still looking/planning for designs, any ideas?] and have the CL come over the top. The CL pump will be a PCX-70 running penductors. The sump will be a 40g Rubbermaid, and will hold my return and skimmer. The return pump will be weak, I'm selling my Mag18...big power consumer, and I'm only 16. I got a Tunze 6100 + 7095 for my bday + some of what I've saved, and may get another should I feel the need. So that's flow.

For lights, I have two 250w DE PFO pendants running Phoenix 14ks off of a dual 250w HQI PFO ballast. So that's pretty sweet.

For skimming, I've got a Euroreef CS6-2+...not really oversized, but it'll do.

Now, the decision. In my 135 I have lots of wonderful sand. I really like it a lot too...but with all the flow in the 120 I'm not sure I'll be able to have a DSB in there. I have already cooked my rocks, but I was a little hasty, and they were still shedding a little when I put them back in my tank...the DSB should handle that anyway. Regardless, if I were to go BB, I'd use my cleanest LR and base rock, maybe Reef Ceramics, in the tank. I'm fine with BB/DSB, just want to know if with all this flow, can I keep the sand? If not, fine with going BB. If so, woohoo! Sand!

This tank will be primarily SPS, with some zoanthids and GSPs to fill in the spots...when they start taking over I will just frag and sell. Maybe a maxima or crocea or two. For fish, I'd want a pair of flasher wrasses, my Foxface, my pair of percs, and a pair of Fridmani pseudochromis' if I can find/mate a pair. Does that sound ok?

Thanks, I will be posting here as I progress.

Current ca$h status: $1540
Stuff to buy: AGA 120RR and Stand
PCX-70
Plumbing parts/penductors
Base rock

Thank you
Tyler

edit: I'd have to cook the BR again due to the PO4 huh...well I definitely can't cook rocks again. My mom was piiissed when I took over the side of the basement and it's very cold here now. So no cooking. I suppose if I went BB I could deal with siphoning every so often. Especially with lots of flow. The rocks have already been cooked to an extent also. DSB I wouldn't have to worry, I'd get a few cukes and be at ease

 

[tsquad]

Ah, and if it were a DSB, I would have one of my spare 20Ls plumbed in as a refugium as well.

 

[wjhuie]

sounds good to me

 

[tsquad]

bump for you morning/afternoon people...does the plan sound ok? Missing anything?

 

[Chaotic Reefer4u]

your off to a good start tsquad.

 

[tsquad]

Thanks. So I think I will keep the sand, after seeing Joe Burgers, Weatherson's, and a few other really nice tanks with sand. They seem to do fine with the flow, so hopefully I will just position the flow right and be ok.

So once this get's going I'll have some pics...hope you guys will follow, and if you see anything wrong let me know

 

[clkwrk]

Sounds good to me . But the biggest piece of advise is to QT all incoming corals and TREAT for rb's and flatworms

 

[REEF-DADDY]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6406299#post6406299 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tsquad
Thanks. So I think I will keep the sand, after seeing Joe Burgers, Weatherson's, and a few other really nice tanks with sand. They seem to do fine with the flow, so hopefully I will just position the flow right and be ok.

So once this get's going I'll have some pics...hope you guys will follow, and if you see anything wrong let me know

I think you'll be ok with the sand. Are you going to be able to set up the new tank while the current one is running? Your ARE you to have a ton of flow! More than I have in my 280!

Edit- I was just staring at my tank and man I don't know how the sand is going to stay put. You should really come see and decide for yourself!

 

[tsquad]

"bump"
Nothing's really happened, except my mom has disallowed me drilling a hole in the wall for my pipes. So. I'm looking into putting it at my Dads. He will most likely agree, especially if I ask when he's with his girlfriend. He's already voiced that he'd like a tank at his place, so hopefully he'll agree.

Anyways, the new setup would either be a 135 again, but not a GlassCages one, a used one. Or a new 120 AGA. Depends if I decide to spend the money for a new tank, and if my Dad wants a 6 footer in his living room.

The perk about my Dads is that we'd put it where the fireplace is. The gas fireplace doesn't work right, so we're getting it removed. Therefore, we'll have a nice hole in the floor where gas lines used to go for PVC pipes! So, we'd have a basement sump/refugium setup. I have two spare 250w shop halides, so I can have a HUGE fuge down there, along with a big sump, adding to water volume. Then pump back up with either a Dart or Barracuda, through a 1" Seaswirl. Then my Tunze 6100 on the other side of the tank. I doubt that's enough flow, we'll see though. I'll keep you guys posted on what happens.

 

[MiddletonMark]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6407058#post6407058 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by clkwrk
But the biggest piece of advise is to QT all incoming corals

Couldn't agree more. As part of your setup, include a simple QT in the cost.

Water flow, light, heater ... doesn't have to be complex IMO/IME - as long as you stay up on maintenance, keep changing water. I wish it wasn't so, but it is.
Trust me, don't learn the hard way too.


Your `real set up' seems good.

Are you starting with larger colonies, or just small pieces? IMO you'll have plenty of flow, if arranged right [like with the sand] until you'd have large colonies in there. Might actually not need that much - if you keep the rockwork nice and open. Not saying it won't hurt ... but IMO see how the flow does before doing much more.
I've ended up playing with, tweaking, adding/removing more flow-related stuff than anything over the last couple years.

 

[tsquad]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6586133#post6586133 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by MiddletonMark
Are you starting with larger colonies, or just small pieces? IMO you'll have plenty of flow, if arranged right [like with the sand] until you'd have large colonies in there. Might actually not need that much - if you keep the rockwork nice and open. Not saying it won't hurt ... but IMO see how the flow does before doing much more.
I've ended up playing with, tweaking, adding/removing more flow-related stuff than anything over the last couple years.

It'll be a mix. I've got a local club for a lot of frags and smaller pieces, and work at Findamentals, so I could probably get some nice sized pieces for not too extreme prices. The flow seems fine now that I think about it. It's a lot of gph going through the system, and the SeaSwirl and Tunze will move it around nicely.

I'm planning on setting up a QT. I've got a few extra 20g tanks, I can use one for corals, and a bunch of 40g tubs..one or two of the tubs will be for fuge(s) and I'll use another for a fish QT.

 

[fishdoc11]

A couple of things:
I wouldn't reuse the old sandbed. Maybe the top 1/2" or so and the rest new but I would ditch the old sand if it has any age to it.

Your overflows won't be able to allow enough through the weirs on top to justify using all four holes. Two should work just fine

Besides that it sounds pretty good to me.

I couldn't agree more with Qting all new corals. Bound to save lots of headaches down the road.


Chris

 

[tsquad]

I'm only going to use the top 2"...that was LS that I got from a local guy, seems to be the most populated. I'm going to try to find some Southdown or similar sand, I decided I don't like the look of Quikrete..too brown. I may even put out the cash for the LFS stuff.

I'm not going to have a CL anymore, it's going to be simple. I wont need any of the holes to be returns, it will be over the top from a SeaSwirl. Would it hurt to have them all as drains?

 

[fishdoc11]

I wouldn't use any more than the top 1" at most but that's me It wouldn't hurt to have them all as drains but it's not really necessary either as you can't push a lot more than 600-700gph through the teeth of the overflow anyway.
Chris

 

[REEF-DADDY]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6587735#post6587735 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tsquad
I'm only going to use the top 2"...that was LS that I got from a local guy, seems to be the most populated. I'm going to try to find some Southdown or similar sand, I decided I don't like the look of Quikrete..too brown. I may even put out the cash for the LFS stuff.

I'm not going to have a CL anymore, it's going to be simple. I wont need any of the holes to be returns, it will be over the top from a SeaSwirl. Would it hurt to have them all as drains?

HD in Danbury has Kolor scape sand. It's bright white and passes the vinager test. Do a search for it, its good stuff made by old castle I believe.

 

[tsquad]

I saw that stuff at HD in West Hartford too, isn't the grain size really large/crystalline?

 

[elephen]

It'll be wayyyyy to easy to pass $1500 bucks to setup a 120. I'm almost done setting up a AGA 120RR and have spent about 3x more then $1500.

Tank - $400
Plumbing Parts - $400
Lumber, stain, polyeurathane - $600
Dart for CL #1 - $165
Pan World 150-PS for CL #2 - $170
2 Eductors - $50
20g sump drilled - $45
Aqua Medic 36w UV - $105
Phosban Reactor - $20
250ml ROWA - $20
Eheim for return pump - $40
Eheim pump for ca reactor and phosban reactor feed - $36
Starboard - $45
DJ Power Centers $40

So basically $2136 just for equipment to get it up. Now when you take away all the other stuff... $1270, this is excluding stand and canopy.

Basically I have everything else that I need. I know its a bit more then what your currently looking at. Here is a small gallery - http://reefs.elephen.com/pics/categories.php?cat_id=2

I try to use the rule of thumb, plan $500 over what you think because you'll probably spend it. You'll always find something you have to have or want to get something better then you originally planned. Also why not setup with the right stuff first so you don't have to look back and wish you had done something different.

Can't wait to see your journal (hopefully you'll do one) for your tank build.

 

[elephen]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6587516#post6587516 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fishdoc11
Your overflows won't be able to allow enough through the weirs on top to justify using all four holes. Two should work just fine

This is very true. You wound have to make the 'teeth' bigger on the AGA overflows in order to let that much flow through to justify using all 4 holes for drains.

 

[tsquad]

All I need to buy is a new AGA tank/stand, some pipe, a SeaSwirl and a Sequence Dart or Barraduda. There's a bunch of stuff for sale in CTARS (SeaSwirl and tanks), plus I have a line for drygoods, working at a retailer.

 

[elephen]

Ah I didn't realize you were going to use the stock stand.

If you get the good true union ball valves and what not it gets pricey as far as plumbing goes. I spent $142 last night at Lowes for plumbing alone, re-doing one closed loop completely.

How many head feet are you looking at from the sump to the tank? A 'cuda sucks up electricity.