the RO/DI is ON - let's fill this badboy!!!

SoupySteve

SoupySteve

Reefer Dadness
got a 110gallon oceanic (THICK friggin' glass!) tank today.
5' across
maybe 4" taller than my 55gallon
significantly deeper (front to back)as well
:bum:
i think my 2 (150W mh 14k) pendants will still be adequate lighting

so the debate begins - DSB or crushed coral? either way, i'll certainly try to "seed" my 110 with the substrate from my 55gallon (80lbs of aragonite, 25lbs of southdown, and 15lbs of black volcanic sand). if i use crushed coral, should i use a plenum again? i can't really argue with the results :p
i'll be able to fit my 30gallon refugium/sump IN the stand - i'm quite happy 'bout that!
my non-reefiing buddy who helped me bring it home suggested that i get the tank drilled... i've heard a local place can do it (binschwagger??) but they said that they couldn't when i called them and the were total poopooheads about it when they said they couldn't so THAT may be out of the question since i'm not too sure that i'm game to drive to exotic tropicals to have them do it for me (and i think the cost is rather pricey - maybe it's fair - but it's pricey!) ... and NO i do NOT have the guts to try to cut this with a dremel tool either!
the center brace is glass - so there WILL be a "shady" center - so i''m trying to think of a CREATIVE :smokin: way to aquascape - so it looks like it SHOULD be that way - any suggestions?
does anyone have any suggestions for an auto top-off i could use in conjunction with my RO/DI unit? i was pondering putting the tank against a shared wall between by dining room and kitchen - just so it'd be easier to run a water line into my sump if i could make an auto-top off possible...
anyway, i will post pics as i go for any who care to see this tank's progression.
(i KNEW buying that lil yellow tang so i could feel sorry for him being cramped was a brilliant idea!)
:bum:
 
I would research remote DSB and do one of those. They actually work better. If you have any questions about them, I can help you out. I would stay away from doing a DSB in the tank, and do a remote!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Also, you could Euro brace your tank. I Eurobraced my 180 oceanic, and made a custom 4' internal overflow box w/5 bulkheads, drilled 6 in the back for a closed loop and 2 in the bottom for the closed loop. It's awesome, and anyone is welcome to come out!!!!!!!!!
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7840957#post7840957 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by aquaconnect
I would stay away from doing a DSB in the tank, and do a remote!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Click to expand...
My thoughts exactly.
 
steve, do like 2 inch sandbed. thats my opinion. also, sounds like you'll need more rock.. i have 40 lbs of it left :D

i've gotta come and check this thing out. let me know if you need help with anything!

PS, sorry i missed your call today, i was working and didn't get any free time ;)
 
is the bottom tempered? i would at least try and do a calfo style overflow basicly one hole drilled high up on the back of the tank
and as wide of an overflow as possible like 4.5 feet in your case

and i also think a remote sandbed is a good idea and a ssb in tank for looks
 
by the way autotopoff.com is good if you have the space i recomend running ro to a resivour so the solenoid won't go on and off every time the water level changes as the top off fills the sump back up

can't wait to see how it progresses

you should start a thread in the reef forum
 
I won't be drilling the tank - at least not for a while... It'd cost almost as much as my tank and stand cost JUST FOR the holes all the holes I'd want added :bum:
I'm gonna try to do all of this nice and slow. It's nice to be able to start again - but this time, with 3yrs of reef-keeping experience (for whatever that is worth).
As far as an auto top-off goes, I have NO experience with any devices for the purpose of auto-top off. The most high-tech I have got so far is by using a sharpee to make a "fill to when pump is on" line on my sump! :) My RO unit is in my garage ATM - my washing machine is out there (and that's where my RO "waste water" goes). I was considering moving the RO unit to under my sink and then running the out put line into the sump - but I'm not sure if this can be done. I would imagine it's a bad idea to put water line UNDER the floor (it could freeze). Are there any issues with having the RO travel a long distance - or even UP? If not, where do I get like ... 50 - 100 ft of new tubing? I like keeping my RO "waste" going into my washing machine. I do not have the room for an additional reservoir beyond my sump/fuge (which will be a 30g until I upgrade to anything larger that can fit under my 110). I'll definitely check out autotopoff.com though...
I'm toying with the idea of an ABOVE TANK REFUGIUM; anyone have experience with these?
Concerning my substrate choices, this is what I've come up with... I'm going to construct a plenum. I'll do it the same way I did with my 55 (pvc, egg-crate, fiberglass screening, wire ties, and elbow grease) :smokin: In my 55, I used aragonite that was all crushed to the same uniform size. For this tank, I bought two 40 pound bags of aragonite that was made of "larger" chunks. I did this because of the "reef building" abilities of aragonite - and because a lot of shrimp/goby combos that I find interesting could use the different sized aragonite MUCH better than the uniform, smaller chunks to build their homes. I think that I'll buy a 40 pound bag of the uniformly crushed aragonite. That added to the two bags of "larger" aragonite with the rest coming from my 55 and possibly fellow reefers should be enough, I'd think.
Right now, I'm trying to come up with some aquascaping in my head. I'm thinking that with all my LR from my e.g. (80?Lbs), the 110 could be a NICE "open" looking tank - which may be good since the wife wants a hippo tang. :rolleyes: I think that I am going to try to take advantage of the added depth by getting away from the "reef wall" look and see how things look with more rock in the foreground.
 
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(no, the cat grooming itself is NOT essential)

40073Prep.JPG
 
... the fishroo- err, DINING room is waaay too crowded. I'm glad that the Wife is patient for the transition (PLUS she remembers the cycling of the first tank - she knows it'll be ahile) :smokin:
40073MVC-661F.JPG
 
That's going to be nice Steve :thumbsup:.

I significantly reduced the amount of live rock in my main tank and like the open area, but have also significantly increased my filtration capability with a new sump.
 
as far as i know having a long out put would actually be good for ro as it would help create back pressure you can get hose at lowes or home depot

what are the dimensions of this tank?
and dilling one hole with a dremel tool is really easy i have been working on a 40g breeder drilling about 20 slots in it for an external overflow seems like it would be hard to mess up
but totally worth the effort
i have also herd it called a california style overflow
the idea is to skim as thin a layer off the top as possible, as the higher water has more concentrated polutants

hope some of this helps :)
 
tank's dimensions are 5ft across, 2ft tall, 1.5ft deep.
how does back pressure HELP the RO/DI? not doubting - just need clarification...
i've seen the calfo style overflow - very nice (i even have a halfway pricey dremel tool)... but i'll need a DIY plan for the big set of balls i'll need to drill this tank myself :smokin:
what type of bit would you use to cut through that thick of glass? would it be similiar to a router?
i rinsed off the agargonite last night - MAN i like it MUCH more than the finely crushed aragonite i have in my 55 gallon. there are much more actual structures and cool variations in color, shape, and size - looks MUCH more natural, IMO.
40073aragonite_after_rinse.JPG
 
well as far as i know people but a valve on the out put it helps cut down on waste water ask larry and cathy about it i think they have one on theirs

i am using a regular diamond dremmel bit but roto zip makes a tile bit that is supposed to be a little better use plenty of water with the dremel bit to keep the bit from heating up also the glass
but the bit will mess up really fast without water and the pair costs like five six bucks
in effect you have a durso pipe that runs through the back of the tank and into the overflow would be very quite also i would oversize the drain so if you wanted to up the flow in the future you wouldnt run into any problems

once you get it going i have some frags for you man

i like the spread out look as well, a little school of anthias would be really cool the new coral mag has some pics of lyretails that are stunning

looks like its gonna be great just take your time and do it right there are alot of build threads on here that will really help you out
also i think you should start a thread in the reef discution forum
 
sorry i realized i wasn't clear about the bits
the dremmel ones look like a nail with a round or cone end
very small comes in a pack of 2
the roto zip one is about a 1/4 inch wide and has a wierd bumpy texture
i am going to get one this weekend and will let you know wahts works better for me
also you can get a diamond hole saw bit for like 20 dollars i think off ebay and it is really quick and easy to get a perfect hole
any way you do it is a totaolly worth while mod as you never have to worry about losing the siphon ever again
 
i'd DEFINITELY have to get the hole saw... i'd hate to see the hole i'd make "freehand" :smokin:
btw, i DO have a thread in the reef forum called 5ft 110 build or something like that
i also have one in the DIY thread - i want advice from all three of the forums readers :bum:
 
40073added_salt_and_circulation.JPG

the guys in the DIY forum are trying to convince me the plenum is a bad idea - but i'm gonna stick with my guns on this one.
i'm rubbing my chin and saying "hmmm" a lot when i look at the Tunze Wavebox... i've even considered two tunze 6060's connected to a wavemaker. melev's closed loop on a SCWD looks like a good idea as well. i'm thinking of doing one of those three options for circulation and having my SOS overflow dumping into my 30gal under the tank and having it be a sump/fuge with my rio2500 as a return. i can leave my skimmer (RedSea Prism Pro) attached to the 30G.
as far as aquascaping goes, i'm thinking of making a LARGE (get some base rock at C&S) nose shaped (yes, that's what i said :lol:) structure in the center of the tank (with the "nose" facing you) i could anchor my mangroves on the "nostrils" so that they would be coming out over the tank to the sides of the centerbrace.

i'll close there before a make myself look even sillier!

comments/suggestions?
 
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