OK Big Tank Crew - If you could do it again what would you do different ?

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jmarko

New member
I saw something like this done for people that built theater rooms an their homes and thought it could be helpful to me and many others planning projects to know.






If you could do it again what would you do different this time?

stuff like:

equipment choices and recommendations you found useful

fuge setups - internal in sump, external, what would you add or change about your sump

Bare bottom or sand ? would you do the same again?

controller, water top off , water mixing, please comment on anything you thought later dam should have done it different here.
 
Excellent idea for a thread!! I will definitely be tagging along to see what others have to say.

One of the main things I would have done is an external overflow box. I really like those that extend the length of the back of the tank. I would also have added additional bulkheads for outflow from the tank to the sump in order to increase the flow volume. (My current setup doesn't drain a large enough volume to keep up with the max output of my pump).

I should have had my closed loop holes drilled for 1.5" bulkheads rather than 1". If building another tank I would have all holes drilled to fit 1.5" or possibly 2" bulkheads.

I'm sure I'll think of other things I should have done differently, but this will get things started...
 
I would have gone glass, or really really buffed out my acrylic tank. I have 2 scratches in my tank that no one notices... EXCEPT ME (the person Im doing this for lol). I also would have went with a little smaller of a tank, so I could use higher end equipment. Instead of mid level equipment (6080s, octo 250 pro) Id have some vortech MP40ws, and a bubble king. I also would have got a tank that was euro braced.
 
The first few that come to mind for me are:
  • Glass instead of acrylic.
  • Don't put the sump under the tank-- too hard to access for cleaning.
  • Ledge around tank for easy access without moving a ladder around.
  • Slightly elevate the metal stand on shims so that minor spills/floods wouldn't result in stand sitting in water. Even with powder coating, it has started to rust over time.
 
Take a LONG time to build the system and have a wiz that is knowledgable at all kinds of construction, plumbing, HVAC, electrical, etc etc and you have half the battle done. The main thing is planning the room so the system is seen and not heard, the humidity is controlled and not overwhelming, the temperature is cool and not hot, there is room to work, there are plenty of drains, plenty of everything you could possibly want. I used six coats of high gloss Rustoleum on my 2"x2" square metal stands.....I just wipe them down if saltwater gets on them and they look new again. I know a lot of people that spent big bucks on powder coating and while it was the hip thing to do for a while there, the results have been pretty crappy.
 
Reconsidered size. Custom fit, but hey, 40" deep is too deep to be able to grab stuff off the bottom with your fingers, 20" is too narrow to rockscape without everything falling off the ledge.

Should have stagged all the rock and glued it into large sections and placed before filling.

Would have run wiring so all controllers, timers, switches, meters, etc would be in the same area.
 
Reconsidered size. Custom fit, but hey, 40" deep is too deep to be able to grab stuff off the bottom with your fingers, 20" is too narrow to rockscape without everything falling off the ledge.

Should have stagged all the rock and glued it into large sections and placed before filling.

Would have run wiring so all controllers, timers, switches, meters, etc would be in the same area.
 
Very interesting thread. Tagging along, but wish it was started before I took a nosedive into the hobby with a 180 gallon build! :D

So far, the only thing I wish I would've done better is the plumbing.

I would have put in a T and a bypass for easier water changes, and most definitely included some kind of manifold, like the one Chuck (Goodwin9) fabricated.

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If I were to do it again, which is funny coming from a guy that just put his first fish in the tank 48 hrs ago, I'd go bigger and with a fish room. But that will be in my next house once I have years of experience!

Would love to read what the experienced reefers will post here!

Regards, Itay.
 
I would have decided to choose a less expensive hobby. :D

I would have made a bigger tank room. I mean HUGE. If you're lazy like me and something is hard to get to then it just isn't going to get done. And no, space under the tank doesn't count because I have to bend my head down.
 
I would have started with a bigger tank from the get go. Doesnt really matter though because we all know you can never have the bigest tank!
 
When I built the tank, I imagined that I would not be able to reach the centre of the tank if I went larger than 4 feet deep. My reach limit would be about 2 feet in from the front...and 2 feet in from the back.

Upon receiving my tank, I learned that I can easily climb around on top of it. Had I known that, I would have made the tank 6 feet deep, instead of 4. (Tank is 1" acyrlic) That would have made the tank a 6 foot cube...sigh.

I should have inserted more gate valves in the lines to create removable sections. This would be useful for major section modification/cleaning. As is, I put the valves in place only to replace pumps and now it is very difficult to alter the plumbing.
 
QUARANTINE all new additions no matter what the source of the livestock. Then you will avoid having a large hospital tank like me!
 
QUARANTINE all new additions no matter what the source of the livestock. Then you will avoid having a large hospital tank like me!
Ich in a large tank is a major headache- its a lot easier to quarantine one fish in a 40 gallon tank than to catch them in your 400 gallon tank to be treated in a 240 gallon one.
 
I would have put eggcrate on the bottom of the tank before adding sand to make the live rock more stable.

I would epoxy or acrylic rod my live rock to make a more interesting aquascape.

I would have bought a bigger sump made by a friend of mine, and had things like probe holders and effluent chambers added to begin with.

I would have ordered my base rock in the shapes/sizes that I wanted, and added the live rock later to seed it. Buying a big "mystery box" full of baseball-size live rock was a dumb move.

I would have put foam on the back of my tank. It just looks so awesome, but I didn't even know about it.

I would have added another full ton AC compressor capacity instead of 1/2 ton.

No regrets in regards to equipment so far.
 
I'm just cycling mine now but I wish I never drilled for closed loops. The amount of circulation doesn't equal to me the cost of the pump, electricty used, plumbing headaches etc. I could have just bought some tunzes and would be better off for it. Now I have to save up to buy them. :(
 
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