Starting over- my new 225g project

[corwando]

I've been a "lurker" for several years now, just admiring the large tanks on Reef Central as well as some around my home town. I finally convinced my wife to let me start a new tank, but the catch was that I have to finish the basement of our home AND sell my 120g tank. I wanted to start over with a new tank because I had about every conceivable pest imaginable, save AEFW. That was 8 months ago, and I took delivery of my new tank in January:

It's a 225 gallon, 72" long x 24" tall x 30" wide tank with float glass front and sides, made by Lee-Mar and brought by a friend to my home in Utah. Notice the lack of overflows and a complete euro-braced design with no center brace. I am building my own "removable" overflows for the back wall, held on by large bulkheads and sealed by an inner and outer gasket.

I realize that this forum has many tanks way over the 225g tank I have, but I am happy to talk about it anyway. We had to get this "small" tank into the basement in a rather unusual way:

It took six guys to get it through the window. It wasn't that hard, actually.

 

[corwando]

The tank will be an in-wall design. I might leave 8 to 10" of the side viewable, kinda like a glass box that protrudes from the wall. I have three holes on each side of the tank that were drilled by Lee-mar, and two holes in the back glass up high for the removable overflow boxes. More on the overflow boxes to come.

Here's a current list of equipment that I have currently for use on this new tank setup:

1. Sequence Snapper return pump (quiet, less than 110 watts, decently efficient). I was considering purchasing a Red Dragon pump, but the cost could not be justified when I considered the initial cost and three years of the difference in electricity used between a Snapper and the Red Dragon.

2. Multiple bulkheads for the closed loop and overflow box. I was able to find 3/4" bulkheads with threaded tank side, slip outside- what a chore. The threaded tank side works well with my penductor and gyre flow ideas- more on this to come.

3. Two 1-1/4" PVC Sch. 40 wyes. True PVC wyes are hard to find. Thanks to Ryan at Aquatic Dreams, I was able to get these no problem for a reasonable price. Also, a drawer-full of PVC parts, bushings, flexible PVC, etc. Hope I can re-coup my expenses when I changed my last tank plumbing five times.

4. Aquamedic 250w DE metal halide pendants and brand new Phoenix bulbs. Here's where I might ruffle some feathers- I will probably sell this setup to finance an all-T5 HO/VHO retrofit setup, possibly eight 60" 80w bulbs or sixteen 36" bulbs and Sunlight Supply Tek II reflectors. I may hold out for the rumored new TEK light coming soon, but I like the retro kit bulb watertight end sockets more than the present TEK light sockets. Again, more to come.

5. Four-bulb PFO 4' VHO with two actinic bulbs- haven't figured out what to do with this yet, but maybe it would be good refugium lighting.

6. 40 gallon breeder tank. I will be using this for a refugium, plumbed into the system instead of having a dedicated portion of the sump as part of the refugium.

7. 20 gallon long tank. The 20 long will be a coral and critter quarrantine. I am not interested in having a tank with the possibility of red bugs, AEFW, sea spiders, asperigopsis algae, etc. being introduced by my own negligence.

8. DIY Calcium Reactor. I may build a new one to handle the new load.

 

[corwando]

I plan on using a Vortech and a closed loop using a Plast-o-Matic 1-1/2" three-way, actuated ball valve on a timer:

I will be running four penductors from the closed loop and ball valve. Two penductors will be on each side of the tank, and flow will alternate between each side via the three-way ball valve.

I also plan on building my own overflows. Here's a mockup of what I want to do:

 

[CHASDB]

Nice tank! I like your overflow idea. It looks like you may have to build the stand in the basement, but it sure is nice to have a fish room. I agree with what your saying about the quaranteen tank. It's so easy to add critters to the tank, good and bad. Good luck on the build, I'll be tagging along.

 

[corwando]

Thanks. I will be building the tank into the wall, so the stand will be simple. Probably some 2x4's and such.

 

[corwando]

So this is what I originally planned to do, but I'm still thinking about it:

I like the idea of having the sump and refugium in another room and not stuffed under the tank: