New Tank Equipment Questions/Opinions

TyroRuan

TyroRuan

New member
Hi Everyone,

Ok so first off i have been out of the game for a bit over 10 years, back in tha day my mother and i had a F/O 150g for around 5 years. So i didnt know jack until about a week and a half ago :)
I didnt even know about bio balls, a sump, a refugium, tank plumbing, i mean nothin :) So i've been a busy boy reading posts on tank builds and watching vids anything i can get my hands on.

I'm in the middle of buying a house here in FL so.....

with a bit of knowledge i decided to take the plunge and get me a tank, not a little tank i mean a TANK!

I'm looking in the 280 - 300 plus range, I've searched RC and found a few i'm looking at. Starphire Glass, or Acrilic "Thats in good shape"

I'm looking for a tank only, or a tank with a metal frame stand. I'm going to do the cabinetry myself.

Now to my dilemma, I know nothing about namebrands of equipment. I mean i have an idea but info seems to be scattered and hard to find for larger tanks.




This is my gear list:




1. 300 ish gal tank somewhere in the 72 x 36 x 24 range w/ dual overflows and riser tubes in both each w/a muffler unit

2. Custom Sump/Refugium "I'm making it" somewhere in the 52 x 28 x 20 range depending on the clearance width under the tank.

Mock up renders in my pictures :) Its a w.i.p. since i had initially designed it for a 180g, so I'm widening it and adding more propagation racks, and a quarantine/hatchery

3. JBJ Arctica Titanium Chiller DBM-250 1/3HP

4. Korallin Calcium Reactor

5. AquaC Protein Skimmer

6. 4 stage RO/DI Unit

7. Top off plumbed to water container not straight from ro/di

8. Main Pump/Pumps ?? Iwaki? Mag?

9. In tank pumps/wave makers ?

10. Lighting i have NO IDEA!!!!!!!!

11. UV sterilizer ??? no ideas

12. Controller unit ?? no ideas

Ok so thats what im looking at, so any help or opinions on equipment would be greatly appreciated. Or anything i left out ;)

Also whit will be a mixed coral tank!!

Possible lighting in pics also..
 
OOOHHHH NNNOOOOO, i found a 450 thats perfect lol its just only 150 gallons bigger than what i wanted LOL ;)
 
This is going to be very expensive. Not to mention the utility bill if you choose Metal Halide lighting. Should be a great build! Make sure your motivation is for the long haul before committing the financial resources for a tank of this size. If not, consider something smaller and work up to this if the motivation is still there a year from now. Money aside, make sure you have the time to devote to this project. There is always something to go wrong, and the learning process never ends!

Good Luck.
 
I'm going to venture to say most saltwater hobbyists don't use UV, unless they have an algae bloom they are attempting to bring under control. I bought one, but have yet to need to use it.

That's going to be a fairly deep tank, so I would recommend MH for penetration. You'll probably want a set of 400w fixtures. Otherwise your SPS placement could be limited.

I hope you know what you're getting into. That thing will use a LOT of electricity and produce a LOT of heat. You might want to try and vent the chiller to the outside.
 
Yeah i have done pricing and its scary, but i have to remind myself that its a hobby and like all hobbies your main expenses come first, then its paying to keep it going.

I definitely want to stay in the 300 and under range. I dont think i can realistically handle any more than that ever!

I'm use to spending 150 every Saturday on 5-6 hours of entertainment so i feel that i can direct my funds in a more constructive manner. I don't expect to have it up and running in a month and full of coral :), i know it takes time to stock and grow

I'm also buying everything i can used to save the green, and making my stand and canopy and lighting fixture, and everything else that i can myself. I,m kinda handy with these things

BUT I'm not sure on lighting at all,

i did sell my huge 56' LCD TV to help on power consumption, it was a major power drain :), Gonna replace it with a LED 46 or smaller when the prices drop. They use about 45% less power and i'm going smaller. So all in all i can cut back and add in to make up for my new hobbies
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15311492#post15311492 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by TyroRuan
Yeah i have done pricing and its scary, but i have to remind myself that its a hobby and like all hobbies your main expenses come first, then its paying to keep it going.
Click to expand...
Yes and no. It's nearly impossible to accurately predict the true cost. I always tell people to come up with the best number they can, then double it. That tends to be a much closer estimate.

Also, have you considered what will be required to perform water changes, QT new additions, or for that matter just scrape the coralline from the glass? Tanks of that size can be unwieldy for a number of reasons. I'm personally of the opinion that it's an adventure mainly for experts. For example, imagine putting a critter in there, be it intentionally or unintentionally, that you later decide you want to remove.

I don't wish to discourage you tho. If this is what you want and you feel ready, then go for it. Just know what it is you're in for.
 
Thanks guys for your concerns, I know i wont be happy going to small so i think after revision that a 240 ish tank would be just fine and much more manageable. I still want a wide tank at least 36" and probably 24" high 60" long

As for the chiller i live in FL and there is no way that i know to not need one ;) "any advice?" I will however have it in my garage and route the plumbing myself so that will help with heat but add to construction costs and probably another pump in the circuit

Also i will have Cooling fans in my hood for the lights, and my house is around 75 degrees usually
 
Well after reading everything I agree with you. I do need to start smaller, yet on the other hand, if I don’t get something that I’m not happy with I won’t be successful period.

I still want a large tank, and the more I think about the more I’m decided upon it. So I’m firm on my decisions there. Although the actual dimensions I’m undecided on. I need to go to my LFS and look more to make a proper decision. Every time I do tho I see this big beautiful 300 just screaming at me 

I was always “bigger is better” ;) sigh… I will have to subdue myself a bit!!

So I fell that either a 60” 30” 24”, or a 60” 36” 24” are my picks. “Got the old measuring tape out”

Starphire glass on front and sides, black back, and internal overflow/’s. I suppose I would go with acrylic if I can find a used one at a decent price.

Can anyone give me a good manufacturer for a Starphire/equivalent glass tank?

I also have been checking prices for equipment “USED” so I know what I’m gonna spend. “I’m patient” I can take my time gathering parts. Especially while I build the base, hood, and sump/fuge
BTW any input/ideas on my sump design?
Fuge is on the front right, main flow comes in on the left over liverock in the corner and into the skimmer section, then through the traps into the center return tank. Fuge also overflows into the center, return plumbed to bottom rear right after the propogation racks.

I really need help with manufacturers “Who makes better what?” Based on the tanks above these are my pics:

• Skimmer = AquaC EV 400
• Calcium Reactor = Korallin Calcium Reactor 1502
• Chiller = Arctica Titanium ¼ hp
• Lighting = ?????
• Pumps = ????? “Quiet is better”
• Computer = ?????
• RO/DI = ????? 4 Stage “ Going to use RO for drinking water, RO/DI for tank”
• LR = 270lbs around $2400 “Quote for all high grade, I
won’t use all high grade”
• LS = 360lbs around $1000 “Florida live sand”
• Float Switch
• Auto Top Off
• Wave Makers = ?????
• Heater
• Test Kits / Supplies

WHAT ELSE????????
 
Even a 100 gal tank is considered large and much easier to control water parameters than a nano tank. A tank of this size will give you all the experience you need for a super build in the future. My little 75 gal sucks up plenty of my time and money. I too would like to build a monster tank one day. However, I really don't have the room nor can I justify the energy cost of such a large system. Water changes are a constant chore; after about 6 months they become tiresome. If and when I build a monster system; it will be designed with a dedicated fish room where water can be drained directly from the tank without moving it. You almost have to design your house around the tank for projects of this size. You might as well add some solar panels to your roof to off-set the energy costs. You might get a tax credit as well.

If you go for this project....please post. I would really like to see how it turns out.

Best of luck.
 
QT?? Guess im missing that one :), or im just really tired IDK.

And as far as water changes, its as easy as opening a valve, closing a valve, and turning on a switch :) "I hope"

I have my drums ready, i have a 35 gallon top of drum set to hold RO/DI water, another drum just like it with drinking water"RO only" ;), and a large drum to hold salt water for my changes" easy open and resealable", its all going to be plumbed through my kitchen and out to my garage "in floor drain"

Although im a little skeptical about keeping salt water drummed.. looking for pointers there "barrel is large non transparent"

So when i need to change water:

I close a valve in the return line and open both of the valves in the drain line "1 is a backup"

I turn off my Top of unit, and after i drain all needed i turn on my container pump, and it will pump the saltwater into the sump via the top off line

should work, yeah should work :)

BTW guys, this isnt my first big tank to care for. I did everything for our 150 when i was in gradeschool. all the oldschool ways to boot. So yeah my mother was good for paying for it thats about it ....

I havent been able to have a tank until now because of school and housing etc.

So now that i have a place of my own, im taking the dive
 
Can anyone give me suggestions/input on the equipment i dont have a make or model for?

Or any suggestions for any and all equipment? Thats really what i was needing, i dont know much about the manufacturers these days
 
check out marieland deep deminsion tanks right up your ally. stay away from Acrilic. it will scratch to easy when you clean it. from what I read aqua c are nice but spend alittle more money get a better skimmer. check out liveaquaria for your rock pretty good prices. for wave makers ethier vortech mp40w or tuzune.
 
For Lighting, which will be one of your biggest expenses--both to purchase and maintain, check-out the Current USA fixtures. I've added this to my system last year and have been very happy with it. You might consider a DIY project for lighting, using a retro kit and adding the ballasts. These bad boys suck the juice out of your electrical service, however, they are necessary for a pristine reef tank. The size of the lights you need will be determined by the size of the tank you use.

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_Aquar...urrent_usa_outer_orbit_hqi_actinic_lunar.html
 
Being in Florida, you might want to check out one of the live rock aquaculture companies like Tampa Bay Saltwater. You could potentially save a lot of shipping costs and get some nice rock.
 
Don't forget to check out Live Rock USA here in the Florida Keys.
Islamorada or Tavernier in the northern Keys. He let's you pick it out yourself so you can create virtually.
Good Luck with your large tank. Maybe youo could train some sea otters for maintenance.
 
LOL Thats great, but i was thinking a baby manatee could work :)

Yeah, there are some great aquaculture places etc. and of course wild harvesting places also. Thanks for sending the exact places my way. I quoted myself highside of online pricing, so i know i wont pay that much, but it gives me some nice playroom in my budget.

I also decided 60” 30” 24” 195 gallon,

So after reading a bit on lighing, i think i can do a DIY lighting build with icecap ballasts and some cooling fans and a nive vented hood.

Also it seems that i need 300 wat MH for a 25 depth? Since im doin a mixed reef.

also i looked into more skimmers, im still kind of stumped LoL, it seems that PM makes a good skimmer "What if i ran 2 bullet 2's?" Considering the bio load and size of the tank and my fuge/sump?

I did look into ATB cone skimmers also, but jesus are they expensive, i would need the medium sized one
 
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