SUPPOReefer's 280g Starphire Build (AKA: The Home Wrecker)

[SUPPOReefer]

Clean setup!

Thank you. You joined in 08 and only have a few posts? I guess I should feel honored to have you come out of hiding to comment on my tank. :dance:

 

[bdw3031]

Nice tank, I,m in the process of setting up a 265 gallon tank. Lot of information in your thread. Thanks keepum commin

 

[SUPPOReefer]

Nice tank, I,m in the process of setting up a 265 gallon tank. Lot of information in your thread. Thanks keepum commin

No real update for today. I replaced the bulkhead after getting home from work early. Going to take the wife out for a date tonight, so no more time for the tank tonight. Saltwater starts going in tomorrow.

 

[SUPPOReefer]

Well, the wife came home from work exhausted and said she didn't want to go out (I was a good husband and tried). Soooooo... that gave me time to conduct my last leak test. Happy to say after an hour of running, there is not a drip anywhere. :dance: :dance: :dance:

 

[SUPPOReefer]

Haven't updated in awhile. Started the tank cycling a week ago. While I was out of town I told the wife to change the filter sock on my 90gal every day and put the dirty sock in the new tank. I also moved around 20 pounds of established live rock from my 90 and 20 pounds of rock rubble from a ghost shrimp tank we had set up. Came home and ammonia and nitrite are reading 0 nitrate reading 2. I have to work all day tomorrow but want to detest on Tuesday. Is it possible to have a tank completely cycle in a week with only 10% established rock?

 

[Newbie Aquarist]

If you had no bio load, what little death you had might have done it. I would conduct an ammonia chloride test and if it disappears in 24 hours then your cycle will be complete.

 

[SUPPOReefer]

Tank is done cycling but I am going to wait until after Christmas to break down the 90 and my wife's 65 and move all livestock over.
On a side note, my wife decided to get me some toys for the tank (bio pellet reactor, ORP probe, carbon, filter socks) so I went and bought myself the other toys I wanted for Christmas. I can't wait to learn how to use it

 

[littleguy210]

Nice toys!

 

[SUPPOReefer]

Nice toys!

Thank you

 

[SUPPOReefer]

Alright, I have been neglecting the thread. I have been too busy working on the tank and entertaining guests. So anyways, here comes the mother of all updates:

Closed loop:

So I played around with having two eductors on one end and three on the other to figure out which I wanted to go with:

Please ignore the filter socks, the pics were taken while I was cycling the tank

In the end, I loved the flow that three eductors provided, but, to make it easier to hide, I went with two. Still around 8,000 gph.

In order to make them blend better, I gave each return a few coats of Krylon Fusion

Manifold:

In order to keep my sump as clutter free as possible, I built a manifold that goes inline with my skimmer feed to provide flow to reactors

They are quite lengthy due to the number of adapters needed. Composed of 1" tees, 1" to 1/2" bushings, 1/2" FPT to 1/2" John Guest adapter, and finaly 1/2" John Guest to 3/8" John Guest adapter

Installed:

Livestock move:
Since the tank has been cycled for awhile, we decided to go ahead and break down my wifes tank and move her coral and fishies over.

My wife's Zoa Island:

Softie Island #2

Right side:

Left Side:

FTS:

 

[SUPPOReefer]

Pics of some of the first residents (I really like how the fish stand out against the black bottom)

Greatest thing about a bare bottom tank: I can see every bit of detrius/ food that needs to be siphoned.
Worst thing about a bare bottom tank: I can see every bit of detrius/ food that needs to be siphoned.

I will be moving my tank over next Saturday/Sunday I will be taking a few pieces of rock from my tank and will use those to completely cover the closed loop return.

That is it for now. Hope you enjoy.

 

[Newbie Aquarist]

The black bottom looks good. I did black sand in my 225 and it has the same symptoms as yours. Tanks looks good with the inhabitants.

 

[Osteoclast]

The tank is looking good,
Keep up the good work!

 

[SUPPOReefer]

The black bottom looks good. I did black sand in my 225 and it has the same symptoms as yours. Tanks looks good with the inhabitants.

I love the look of black sand. I wanted the tank to be as easy to clean as possible. That meant going barebottom and being able to see everything that needed cleaned out. Only problem is, I am extremely OCD and now I can see every flake that is on the bottom of the tank. I am worried that I will spend three hours a day siphoning the bottom. Or investing in four mp40s to go along the back wall to ensure that nothing is able to settle on the bottom of the tank. :spin1:

 

[SUPPOReefer]

The tank is looking good,
Keep up the good work!

Thank you very much. I am originally from right around the corner from you. Smyrna, TN.

 

[Newbie Aquarist]

I love the look of black sand. I wanted the tank to be as easy to clean as possible. That meant going barebottom and being able to see everything that needed cleaned out. Only problem is, I am extremely OCD and now I can see every flake that is on the bottom of the tank. I am worried that I will spend three hours a day siphoning the bottom. Or investing in four mp40s to go along the back wall to ensure that nothing is able to settle on the bottom of the tank. :spin1:

You might want to try Tunzes. More flow and least expensive.

 

[Osteoclast]

Smyrna is a nice area with amazing growth. Every year we cut down our Christmas tree at a tree farm near there just off 840. Love the tradition! BTW how do you like the SRO 5000?

 

[SUPPOReefer]

Smyrna is a nice area with amazing growth. Every year we cut down our Christmas tree at a tree farm near there just off 840. Love the tradition! BTW how do you like the SRO 5000?

I love it. I was worried that it would be too much skimmer for me since it is rated up to 700 gallons, but it produces a nice thick foam with only half of the livestock moved over.

 

[Newbie Aquarist]

I thought that skimmer was rated for a 500 gallon tank?

 

[SUPPOReefer]

You might want to try Tunzes. More flow and least expensive.

I love the Tunzes, but can not stand looking at cords in the tank. With Vortechs, I can put them on the bottom along the back wall and not have anything distracting me from the fish and coral.