The 720- take 2

[jrpdriver]

So I'm not going to get into any of the details of my previous tank but it ended with an emergency sale/giveaway to find homes for fish and coral that had been in the system for 2 years. I was considering taking a break for a long while but I received a lot of support and encouragement from my family and friends so I quickly changed my mind and go back to work.

I ordered a new tank from A.G.E., 3/4" glass, 1" PVC bottom, and 2" stainless steel bracing around the top, bottom and cross supports.

Tank Dimensions 130" X 40" X 32"
Sump Dimensions 96" X 26 1/2" X 16"


It was about an 8 week timeframe to take delivery of the new tank so I decided to overhaul the whole system and over-build everything in hopes that this system will be up many, many years.

I welded a new stand using 2", 3/16th wall, square stock, and re-poured the concrete platform to level everything again.





I also ordered a new sump from Advanced Acrylics, I'll get into more details on that a little later

 

[savethereef]

Oh can wait to see your new build. Are you reusing alot of your old equipment?

Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk

 

[jrpdriver]

Oh can wait to see your new build. Are you reusing alot of your old equipment?

Sent from my SM-N920P using Tapatalk

Uploading photos as I type ... I am reusing my skimmer, Vortech's, calcium reactor, controller and RO unit. I went with different lighting, return pumps and sump

 

[jrpdriver]

I didn't stop to take many pictures during the construction and installation but my fortunately my wife snapped a few.

I decided to go back to T5's this time around, I have had years of success with LED's but after the coral got big, shading became a serious issue. Because of the small projection area of LED's it took a lot of them to get the coverage I needed on a mature tank.

I went with four 6 X 80w ATI Sunpower fixtures

 

[jrpdriver]

I gave away all my live rock on "judgement day" so I ordered up 500lbs of CaribSea dry rock and a couple boxes of Marco Cement...and as you can see in the picture, my wife went to work on the Moscow Mules lol

 

[jrpdriver]

Fast forward to delivery day... it took a small army to unload and place, but it was worth it!



tank showed up in perfect shape, A.G.E. did a great job with the crate





and here it is in what is hopefully, its final resting place

 

[jrpdriver]

 

[jrpdriver]

Next cam a quick wipe down


the sand and crushed coral


and finally after the rock was placed, the slow and painful process that we are familiar with...it took 5 days to fill

 

[jrpdriver]

Fast forward again.. I finished the plumbing, added the salt, dosed bacteria for a week and added a salmon filet to the tank to start the cycle.

 

[jrpdriver]

I went simple and clean with the trim, nothing fancy

 

[jrpdriver]

Recessing the tank further into the garage and having the cutout in the wall, allowed me a nice platform above the front of the tank for all the lighting equipment

 

[jrpdriver]

Here is the business end with all the equipment installed and most of the wires cleaned up

 

[jrpdriver]

On to the sump...I never liked changing and washing filter socks, but I like keeping snails and large debris out of my skimmer and return pumps so I came up with this idea. The overflows drain into a small chamber in the sump, which then overflows onto a plastic plate full of holes. I cover the plate with a filter pad material that I buy in 45 foot rolls. I just throw it away and cut a new piece when it gets too dirty

 

[jrpdriver]

Next is the frag section, I repurposed a couple of my old LED fixtures and used Sunlift style pulleys to move them out of the way when I need to work inside




I'm going to run the frag tank on a reverse lighting schedule so I had a sliding cover made to block out the light at night so I don't get a glow in my house through the main tank

 

[jrpdriver]

I'm re-using my skimmer, an Aquamaxx Cone 7 (16" reaction chamber and collection cup), and my Reef Octopus Calcium reactor, from my old tank. Both are beasts and have worked flawlessly

 

[jrpdriver]

That brings us current, time to sit and wait

 

[scubadan206]

Cool!
Subscribed!:celeb3:
Is that exhaust from your tankless hot water heater in the same area as your tank, or is that the inlet? Could be an issue either way with humidity/CO2.

Daniel. :wildone:

 

[jrpdriver]

Cool!
Subscribed!:celeb3:
Is that exhaust from your tankless hot water heater in the same area as your tank, or is that the inlet? Could be an issue either way with humidity/CO2.

Daniel. :wildone:

Thank you, its the intake, the exhaust vents outside

 

[jbvdhp]

Wow! Very clean!!!!!!!


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[Rakie]

Huge tank, very much looking forward to seeing growth