Planning a 225g reef tank

[DaveWC]

I know, another build thread. It may be old hat for the forum but it's new to me so any advice that you might have is more then welcome. I've confirmed the details of the hardware for this tank and this is what is coming:

225g tank 72x30x24 (LWH)
- starphire glass on front & sides, center overflow
- 48x26x18 (LWH) refugium/sump, 97g, glass
- 72x30x40 (LWH) steel stand
- Quiet One 6000 return pump
- Deltec AP701 skimmer
- 2 Tunze 6100 streams on 7095 controller
- Infinity XR4 HQI 3x250w MH with 8x39w T5 with ACLS Lighting system
- Aquatronica Professional System with a few add'l gadgets
- Deltec PF-600 Calcium reactor
- Deltec KM-500 Kalkwasser mixer
- Deltec FR-509 Fluidized reactor

The stand is going to be a 1.5" tubular steel that will have wooden walls/doors attached with magnets. That should allow me to fit everything underneath the tank. At least that's the plan. The tank & equipment isn't going to arrive until after MACNA so in the meantime I've been trying to organize how this stuff can be organized.

Here's a layout of the floorplan for the tank stand with all of the equipment laid out.

I got the dimensions from the various sites that sell this equipment. Here's the same floorplan with the heights of the equipment included.

I've tried to organize it so the taller equipment is at the back but is still accessible. I've got to try & figure out where the 3 ACLS units will go as well as the electrical panel. Given that the tank is only 18" tall and the stand is 40" I figure I can place a shelf above the tank, allow for 6" of headroom over the tank and still have a good 15" of room on the shelf. Here's what I'm talking about.

I'd like to leave the area above the equipment wide open for full access as well as for the plumbing coming down from the tank. I can run a pipe under the shelf to feed water to the refugium.

Any comments? Ideas?

 

[DaveWC]

I'm moving along while waiting for stuff to arrive. Now that MACNA is over my tank might get going... you never know. I've made a few changes to the equipment configuration. I swapped a Deltec AP851 for the AP701, ditched the FR509 fluidized reactor and doubled up the Tunze streams so there will be 4 6100s pushing water around.

I've also made the decision to go bb. I've been reading a ton and learning from the 67g reef I'm running with about 2" of sand. The sand is improving with time and I don't mind it but I figure I'll do this one bb so I have a means of comparison. I don't like the idea of having 15 sq. ft. of sand to keep clean. And I've also seen the cost of all the critters that I'd need to maintain it.

Today I got the starboard for this tank. It's just sitting there waiting for a stand & tank to house it.

 

[Tremelle]

Damn, your planning for the stand is very nice and tight. What software did you use to draw it? How will you be able to get the skimmer out of the back without having to disconnect and remove everything in front of it? With a Deltec you will have to clean the recirc pump at a minimum of every 6 months.

 

[DaveWC]

I used Google SketchUp to draw that. It's free & easy to use.

I'm hoping I can remove any piece of equipment from under the stand without moving everything else. But the sketch was just a way of seeing if everything would fit without dumping it in the sump. Most of these things are boxes either and won't take up the full room that the dimensions call for so I figure there will be more room then it looks. The sides of the stand will also be accessible so I can remove equipment from the right side as well as from the front. I'll know better when it all arrives. If it looks too tight I'll change the sump design and put some equipment in the water.

 

[DaveWC]

btw, I see you've got a similar sized tank and you're running a TS24 for circulation. How do you find it? Is it sufficient or do you want more current?

 

[Tremelle]

I use the TS24 setup plus 2 Maxijet 1200s. I used the Maxijets pointed into a areas that I thought were dead spots at the back corners. I have the Streams mouned up high aimed to the middle.

I am going to try that Google Sketchup. I have to rearrange my stand since I just got the AP702 this weekend at MACNA.

 

[DaveWC]

I got my live rock today. It's Tonga and I ordered 160lbs. Wow, is this stuff nice. It's sitting in big rubbermaid containers right now shedding a bunch of crap. I was researching all over RC trying to find out how people attached their rock to make cool structures... things like PVC platforms, thorite cement to connect it, stuff like that. It turns out I won't need to do any of that.... this rock is in huge pieces and amazing colors. One box weighed 70 lbs and there was basically one big piece in there and three 5lb pieces. The other box was 90 pounds and had 3 25lb pieces of rock. Here's a pic of the smaller box...

And here's the big piece in that box...

Here's the 90lb box...

And *** is this stuff sitting in the bottom of the box? Looks like some kind of sea slug.

 

[DaveWC]

Today I started building the stand. The steel is all cut, miter cuts for all of the pieces on the top & bottom so they don't look like crap. The stand will be built in three 2 foot sections and then bolted together. At least that's the plan since I realized that the doorway to my office is 29" and the stand is 72x30x40. I'm also building an aluminum tray that will have a 4" apron on it. The stand will fit within the tray and that will help give the three sections stability as well as giving me some insurance in case any of the equipment leaks. I'll have a water detector in the tray to sound the alarm if any water leaks.

I decided to get the sump made of acrylic instead of glass since the price was right and I know it will be much easier to manouver if it's lighter. That should be ready in about a week.

Much of the Deltec/Tunze equipment is on its way. Otherwise I'm just waiting for the tank and remaining equipment. I'm hoping that will land here by the end of the month.

 

[Waxxiemann]

fantabulous!

Dave, I remember replying on your other thread some time ago.

Your tank is gonna be really sweet and I'll be following it closely. It's awesome that you're in Winnipeg as well.

Anyway, I'm a noob, but I'd like to help you in any way I can.

Cheers!

 

[DaveWC]

Thanks Tyler. btw, those slugs in the bottom of the box are called Thitons. They're a type of snail. I can't find any pic or link on Google so maybe I've spelled that wrong. That's what the vendor said they were.

I was cleaning up the rock today and took some better pics. This is from the 90lb box. These are the 3 big pieces and one smaller one. To give you an idea of the size, the tiles in the first pic are 18"x18".

 

[md14fish]

where did you get the rock?

 

[DaveWC]

J&L Aquatics in B.C., Canada.

 

[Waxxiemann]

Yeah, those rocks are no joke. The largest wouldn't fit into my tank! I'd have to wiggle it in there.

I hope that JL will be as good to me. I have no doubt they will though, they are pretty good to deal with.

Your system is going to be awesome Dave. You're not messing around.

 

[kistin]

i like these live rock men they are look so nice,,,,,

 

[Gundo5000]

nice rock!

 

[DaveWC]

The stand is still in process. It's taking forever to hook up and get access to the welding equipment. With any luck it will be welded this weekend. Then I've got to get in line for the powder coating.

I decided that since the tank will be bb I'd skip the base rock and ordered another 160lbs of Tonga. I'll get it cooking as well. Figured I might as well make use of this time where I'm just sitting around.

 

[DaveWC]

The stand has been welded. The toughest part about doing it in 3 sections is getting them all the same. i.e. same height, flat surface top & bottom etc. It looks good so far and once there's 3,000 lbs on it I'm sure it will be flat & stable.

Here's a pic after the welding was done. From there we used a grinder to smooth out the top. Then I made a bottom plywood plate to sit on top of the steel for my sump & equipment & drilled the legs to hold a shelf. I'm using pieces of rebar to form a support for the shelf so I don't need legs. This weekend I'm going to start on the electrical panel. It has to tie into two DJ boards & two Aquatronica powerbars. Should be fun... I'm no electrician.

 

[Waxxiemann]

looks great Dave. Steel stands are the way to go. You get more room.

Hey where did you get those DJ switch panels from? Was it locally? I betcha it wasn't!

Anyway, keep us posted and keep the pics rolling!

 

[Waxxiemann]

I don't want to voulenteer his services for him, but my friend Ben is an electrical whizz kid.

 

[DaveWC]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8335548#post8335548 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Waxxiemann
Hey where did you get those DJ switch panels from? Was it locally? I betcha it wasn't!

I got them off of ebay. I found a Cdn company selling them pretty cheap.

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8335576#post8335576 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Waxxiemann
I don't want to voulenteer his services for him, but my friend Ben is an electrical whizz kid.

Thanks, I'll keep that in mind in case I get in over my head. Most of what I need done is just grunt work so I should be ok. And it will be boxed up so you can't see the work once I'm done... hide all of my mistakes. All of the power center & DJ panels will be on a shelf above the sump and below the tank so there shouldn't be any salt or water in close proximity to it.