I finally got my new tank home today so it's time to start a new build thread. It should be a familiar tank because Andy was one of the previous owners.
The plan
Lighting
I will be running a single 400 watt 20k plus rite bulb over this tank using a galaxy ballast. The reflector is a lumenarc reflector that gives me plenty of spread over the the 3ft x 3ft footprint.
I'm toying with the idea of running two strips of dimmable royal blue cree LED's (12 on each side of the tank spread along 24" strips) with no reflectors. This would be controlled by my APEX controller. I would do a slow ramp up until the halides kick on and a reverse order later in the evening. This will get going at some point but not to start.
Flow
I will be running a Mag 7 return pump.
My main flow through the tank will come from a vortech mp40, mp10, and a korallia 4. I may adjust these flow options at some point but this is a nice starting point. The back glass is painted black so it should look pretty clean.
Sump
Wednesday I will be picking up a Eshopps RS-200 sump from Marvin. They run a 200 micron filter bag and leave me plenty of room for a skimmer, return pump, and heaters. The sump measures 30" x 12" x 16" and has a total volume of 25 gallons.
I should have plenty of room under the stand to run my vertex biopellet reactor. I will upgrade my pump running my reactor to a Rio 2100 pump to give more flow that can be adjusted and manage to keep the pellets from clumping. My current 300 gph pump does not cut it.
I may drill the sump at some point to attach a frag tank that will run inline with the rest of the tank. If I go this route I will run a stronger external return pump.
Skimmer
I currently have a super octopus skimmer that runs on a bubble blaster pump. It has the nice adjustable gate valve as well. It's rated up to 125 gallons but I will use it for the time being and if need be I'll upgrade.
Livestock
I plan to transfer all of my current reef inhabitants to this tank. I want to make this a more active tank as well. I want to focus on wrasses with this tank, fairy wrasses specifically. I really want to add a flame, rhomboid, christmas, coris, lubbocks, and possibly a scott's fairy wrasse to this tank. I only want to add one tang maybe two. The tangs I would add would be a kole yellow eye tang and bristletooth (tomini more than likely).
I have a ton of coral to move over so this should get put together quickly. I want to aquascape this tank as two long islands (shallow on the right, built up towards the overflow on the left) maybe connecting with an overhang near the back. I want to have tabling corals and plating monti's from the rear to the middle of the tank on both sides. This will leave room near the front to highlight plenty of acans, clams and favias. I also want to throw a few photosynthetic gorgonia in there somewhere. I think it looks to be a good plan and got a vision for what I want here.
Thanks to Jon for helping me get the tank today.
Here is how the tank looks today, 2/28/2011. I will set this all up on Thursday. I have the day off to get it done (moving out two tanks and moving/stocking the new 150).
Nice big reflector
Needs cleaning but I'll get that done soon enough.
The plan
Lighting
I will be running a single 400 watt 20k plus rite bulb over this tank using a galaxy ballast. The reflector is a lumenarc reflector that gives me plenty of spread over the the 3ft x 3ft footprint.
I'm toying with the idea of running two strips of dimmable royal blue cree LED's (12 on each side of the tank spread along 24" strips) with no reflectors. This would be controlled by my APEX controller. I would do a slow ramp up until the halides kick on and a reverse order later in the evening. This will get going at some point but not to start.
Flow
I will be running a Mag 7 return pump.
My main flow through the tank will come from a vortech mp40, mp10, and a korallia 4. I may adjust these flow options at some point but this is a nice starting point. The back glass is painted black so it should look pretty clean.
Sump
Wednesday I will be picking up a Eshopps RS-200 sump from Marvin. They run a 200 micron filter bag and leave me plenty of room for a skimmer, return pump, and heaters. The sump measures 30" x 12" x 16" and has a total volume of 25 gallons.
I should have plenty of room under the stand to run my vertex biopellet reactor. I will upgrade my pump running my reactor to a Rio 2100 pump to give more flow that can be adjusted and manage to keep the pellets from clumping. My current 300 gph pump does not cut it.
I may drill the sump at some point to attach a frag tank that will run inline with the rest of the tank. If I go this route I will run a stronger external return pump.
Skimmer
I currently have a super octopus skimmer that runs on a bubble blaster pump. It has the nice adjustable gate valve as well. It's rated up to 125 gallons but I will use it for the time being and if need be I'll upgrade.
Livestock
I plan to transfer all of my current reef inhabitants to this tank. I want to make this a more active tank as well. I want to focus on wrasses with this tank, fairy wrasses specifically. I really want to add a flame, rhomboid, christmas, coris, lubbocks, and possibly a scott's fairy wrasse to this tank. I only want to add one tang maybe two. The tangs I would add would be a kole yellow eye tang and bristletooth (tomini more than likely).
I have a ton of coral to move over so this should get put together quickly. I want to aquascape this tank as two long islands (shallow on the right, built up towards the overflow on the left) maybe connecting with an overhang near the back. I want to have tabling corals and plating monti's from the rear to the middle of the tank on both sides. This will leave room near the front to highlight plenty of acans, clams and favias. I also want to throw a few photosynthetic gorgonia in there somewhere. I think it looks to be a good plan and got a vision for what I want here.
Thanks to Jon for helping me get the tank today.
Here is how the tank looks today, 2/28/2011. I will set this all up on Thursday. I have the day off to get it done (moving out two tanks and moving/stocking the new 150).
Nice big reflector
Needs cleaning but I'll get that done soon enough.
