Planning Out My First Large Tank, Advice Needed..

[Sprockett]

Well it's time, the wife has approved the purchase of the tank and the location so now that it's settled I'm onto the details...

The tank I'm looking at is as follows:

48"L x 30"D x 31"H

That works out to about 187g's total, there is a possibilty that I can do a 48x36x31 if I can get it close enough to the wall. That for me would be ideal, but I have to do some planning first...

Here is a drawing of the tank:

Before I share my plans, my goals are as follows:

This is going to be a show tank for our front room, I intend to paint the back and to hide the overflow with rock as much as I can, I don't want powerheads and pvc sticking up in the center of the tank. I want it to look as natural as I can without sacrificing current flow. I also don't want to have a spiderweb above the tank, I dread complicated plumbing, the simpler the better for me because their's less than can go wrong (and if it can it will).

I've decided on these options so far:

1. All holes will use 2" bulkheads and piping.

2. The overflow will sit in the center of the back, I will be putting in crate to keep snails out.

3. I'm plumbing for a closed loop system that will use the holes in the back, my original plan is to have one side be intake and the other to be output to produce a current in the tank.

4. I want to have some type of water polisher hooked into the closed loop, still not sure how to do that as of yet, possibly have it pump into a small holding tank with an external filter that would pull from the loop and return it to the tank.

5. I'll be running a refugium and sump under the tank, still need to work out their size and volume.

6. I will run a Protien Skimmer, not sure which one yet, need to do some searching on that.

7. I will most likely run a reactor, again just need to research what will fit and meet my needs.

8. I will be integrating an emergency system so that if the power goes out, two UPS's will take over running the bare minimum to keep everything alive for a couple of hours until either the power comes back on or I pull out the generator.

9. I'm going to automate the system using one of the new available systems, possibly the Aquatronica system. I want something that I press one button and the tank will go into 'Feeding mode' turning off the return and possibly the closed loop so I can feed (and then coming back on after a set amount of time). If nothing will meet my needs I may just have to make a mini PC to control everything

10. The bottom of the stand will be built so it can hold water and will have a drain that will go out through the wall, it should also set off an alarm so I know something bad is happening...

Lighting is an open issue right now, still researching options there. I will be building a custom stand and hood for this, it's going to be an integral piece of our main living room.

This is my first 'big' tank so everythings new to me, I'll most likely order the tank early next week and the estimated turn around is 3 weeks plus shipping time, but even if I got it tomorrow there's so much research to do that it will a long time before I can even start on the stand...

So some advice from the more 'seasoned' members would be very welcome at this point

Cheers

 

[MCary]

I have a 30 inch deep tank and it is difficult to aquascape and maintain. You can't reach the bottom. You also won't be able to reach the bulkhead inside the overflow if they need tightening or anything.

UPS don't seem like a good investment. Your tank is fine for over 6 hours without power. I have a heavily SPS stocked 150 gallon and had a power failure for longer than that and had no problems.

I have good luck in my 30 inch deep tank with 250 w MH lamps, but I'm setting up a 240 that's 31 inch deep now and will go with 400 watt.

 

[nccmike]

I also have a 30 in tall tank.
It looks real nice but is deff hard to aquascape.

 

[wetWolger]

I have a 24inch tall tank and it is almost imposible to reach the sandbed with the canopy on it. Also the taller the tank the thicker the glass eneds to be, and that is a large part of the expense. I would think about making it shorter, and wider. As for the skimmer I recomend a ASM. Also IME it is imposible to have a large tank without some complicated plumbing. I guess it all depends how good you are at it. I did not find my plumbing to be too hard on my 120. But it can look pretty intense. Anyways good luck with it all.

 

[jtreath]

Sprockett;

Some observations IMHO..

I am in the planning stage for a 54L x 30W x 30H as well.. pretty close to your dimensions, but mine is on an Island in the middle of my livingroom.. the 2 30" ends will be enclosed in false walls and the 2 54" sides will be viewable.. therefore my Overflow is on one of the ends.

For the CL.. I consulted with a tank maker and his whole take on CL is to provide the majority of your flow in the tank.. therefore to add a polisher in that loop will defeat some of the purpose.. my experience with my 75G is to allow a slow flow through the sump (400 gph) versus the 1200 gph in the CL.. therefore my new tank will have 800 gph in the sump and 4200 gph in the CL. The longer the water is in contact with Reactors, Skimmers and Polishers the better.. therefore the Polisher should be in the sump system IMO.

Also, the CL should move water in a direction to help send the water in a direction that will help move it to the overflow.. I am assuming your sump return will come up and over your overflow and go down towards the substrate... then I would make the supply to the CL the bottom holes on either side of the overflow and the CL returns would be the 2 top holes on either side.. pointed towards the ends along the surface.. this should give a good wash of water down-- then out.. then up.. back to the overflow. If the CL returns are on the top it will also give rippling to break the surface and promote gas exchange.

As for lighting.. if you are planning on just Softies, 6 x 65W PC (2 Actinic and 4 10,000) would do ok... but add a couple if 250 W MH for better results. If you are looking at SPS and LPS.. you are going to need 400 W MH to penetrate deeper than 18".. 250 W MH will take you to 24".. but at 31" you rally need the 400W.. 12,000 - 15,000.


This is all from my past 6 months of planning my upgrade.. take it for what it's worth..lol

 

[Sprockett]

OK thanks for the input, I'll adjust it to a height of 25" (functionally 24") and go with 48"L x 36"D X 25"H which is 187g's....

jreath.. good advice, the polisher is based on my current nano experience, it's a 12 with a 20g sump and the one problem I have is stuff blowing around the display tank, I ended up putting a filter on the power head which helped immensly. The sump/fuge does have a filter and catches most of it but not everything floats to the surface where the overflow can grab it.

Since it's all in the planning stages changes are easy right now

Thanks

 

[gvibes]

As the person-smarter-than-I said, if you add a polisher in your closed loop, you won't have a closed loop.