Upgrade Build- Dowtish's 120 gal Oceanic Tech Tank DSPS

[btb72]

I see you live in nashville, about what parts are you located?

 

[dowtish]

Looking good! :thumbsup:

Where is your pearlberry in there? I just got a frag of it, I've been told pretty high light and flow by a reliable source, I just moved mine up to what I would call high flow, and moderate-high lighting.

Thanks man! I got the pearlberry from a friend that had it under LED's, so I placed mine about halfway down in moderate flow for now. It has colored up extremely fast.

very nice tank! I am about to set up a 4x2x2 and was wondering if you can take a pic of your sump? and also what kind of system/equipment you are using. Thanks.

I see you live in nashville, about what parts are you located?

I will try to get a better picture of the sump soon. There is a pic early on in the thread, but it has changed a bit since then.

I am actually in Murfreesboro, southeast of Nashville.

Tank Specs:

4x2x2 120 Gallon Oceanic Tech Tank
Geismann Spectra fixture w 2 SE 400W Radiums and 4 54w ATI T5's-2 blue+2 purple+
2 MP40's
SWC 230 Cone Skimmer
Dosing BRS 2 Part with BRS 1.1ml dosing pumps
Running ecoBak pellets in an Avast MR5 Reactor
Running rox carbon in a Synergy Reef Reactor
Tunze Osmolator ATO
Speedwave 10000 DC controllable Return pump
Neptune APEX Controller

I actually copied and pasted this from early on in the thread. I have currently cut off my dosing pumps and am using kalk through my ATO only. I am however adding an avast kalk stirrer as soon as I build it and get my 50ml dosing pump. I truly believe Acros LOVE kalk. They grow so much faster with it in the system.

 

[sahin]

Very nice display! Loving the colours. :thumbsup: Yesterday I wen to an LFS I never been before...the guy is still a Radium fan and even though he sells Ecotech Radion gear told us for SPS he would prefer a Radium setup any day!

So jealous of your lights.

 

[jroovers]

Thanks man! I got the pearlberry from a friend that had it under LED's, so I placed mine about halfway down in moderate flow for now. It has colored up extremely fast.

Mine should be good where it is then. Just noticed this now, you have quite the "wall" of purple coralline on the back of your tank... pretty incredible really!

 

[dowtish]

Very nice display! Loving the colours. :thumbsup: Yesterday I wen to an LFS I never been before...the guy is still a Radium fan and even though he sells Ecotech Radion gear told us for SPS he would prefer a Radium setup any day!

So jealous of your lights.

Thanks Sahin. I really cant say enough about the intensity, shimmer, and deep rich colors. I love the fixture's sleekness and overall look and performance. I want to add my LED strip to it somehow without ruining it and I just cant come up with a way to do that! So for now, the strip just sits on top of the tank, but my tank stand is literally 41" tall so the tank is quite tall overall and it works.

Mine should be good where it is then. Just noticed this now, you have quite the "wall" of purple coralline on the back of your tank... pretty incredible really!

I'm sure it will be fine where you have it. I just wanted mine to acclimate to 1000 watt+ environment.

I actually hate the huge plastic overflow just for this reason. You notice that the actual glass is scraped clean of it, but the plastic is impossible to scrape. If I had it my way I would cut it out and install a ghost overflow from reef savvy, So the back glass could be completely clean. But yes, the super fast coraline growth I have had is always a good indicator of good parameters. So, I will live with it.

 

[Quintis]

Very awesome set-up dowtish, everything is looking great. That light fixture is super sexy. I run two 250w radiums as well and am looking for a sleek way of adding some supplimental lighting to the system. I can't wait to see the new pics of the sump area as I just got a Synergy Reef systems reactor and am curious to how you set yours up and how it's working.

 

[dowtish]

Very awesome set-up dowtish, everything is looking great. That light fixture is super sexy. I run two 250w radiums as well and am looking for a sleek way of adding some supplimental lighting to the system. I can't wait to see the new pics of the sump area as I just got a Synergy Reef systems reactor and am curious to how you set yours up and how it's working.

Quintis- I have been following your thread. You have an awesome setup as well. I live 10 minutes from Rick at Synergy Reef, and I am actually running one of his first reactors he ever made. It is clear and has no green, but I do have a couple more of his all green reactors which I dont think he makes anymore based on my opinion that you really need to be able to see the media tumbling. The all green one is running on a tub of LR with GFO in it that I am using to help someone out on their new setup. I currently use the one on my system for GAC. Its the rox carbon, so I put it in a media bag in the reactor as it is extremely messy, and I just find it easier to change it out that way. I had the avast reactor first and it has a shower head type nozzle mod on it that gives me a very nice tumble for my EcoBak pellets. I have seen his reactors used with bio-pellets and they work quite well.

 

[sahin]

I want to add my LED strip to it somehow without ruining it and I just cant come up with a way to do that! So for now, the strip just sits on top of the tank, but my tank stand is literally 41" tall so the tank is quite tall overall and it works.

If that bada$$ Giesemann fixture was mine, I would remove two of the T5 tubes and the ballast that runs it and replace with Royal Blue LED's. This will keep everything internal. You may need to get different reflectors like those in the ATI units which are compact.

But hey, 400w Radium 20K, T5 and Royal Blue LED's (heck I'd even add some Actinic/UV LED's too...will make for a smoking light unit! :smokin: With your Apex Controller Control the LED's. :inlove:

I almost picked up a Giesemann unit a year ago to do this exact mod...but being that my living room is like 26-27'C all year round, it would have meant major cooling bills and need for a chiller etc.

 

[dowtish]

If that bada$$ Giesemann fixture was mine, I would remove two of the T5 tubes and the ballast that runs it and replace with Royal Blue LED's. This will keep everything internal. You may need to get different reflectors like those in the ATI units which are compact.

But hey, 400w Radium 20K, T5 and Royal Blue LED's (heck I'd even add some Actinic/UV LED's too...will make for a smoking light unit! :smokin: With your Apex Controller Control the LED's. :inlove:

I almost picked up a Giesemann unit a year ago to do this exact mod...but being that my living room is like 26-27'C all year round, it would have meant major cooling bills and need for a chiller etc.

I have thought about doing this, but having to take the fixture down and do this in a timely fashion would be an issue. The current LED strip I have would not fit inside as it is 49" long. I would have to do a DIY job and that would simply take up too much time to have it off the tank.

 

[btb72]

Ok thanks, I'd appreciate the sump pics. My wife is from Murfreesboro so I am very familiar with the area. Do you go to the swap down there every year?

 

[dowtish]

Ok thanks, I'd appreciate the sump pics. My wife is from Murfreesboro so I am very familiar with the area. Do you go to the swap down there every year?

Ok cool. I just moved from Smyrna to Mboro. I am one of the ones that puts it all together.

I'll get those pics taken tonight.

 

[dowtish]

Here is the sump and my ATO tank. Its a 40B with a 14"x18" section for my 7" filter sock and skimmer, then a 6"x18" section for chaeto, then a 12"x18" section for the return section. I made the return section large to be able to set my 2 reactors and return pump easily in the sump as my ATO tank is a 15 gallon tall.

 

[dowtish]

Few more cell phone pics because....why not?!!!

 

[dowtish]

Update: I just put together my kalk stirrer from Avast marine. I have to go pick up my 50ml dosing pump from a buddy's house to get it all set up. My evaporation has been way more than I anticipated on this tank and dosing kalk through my ATO is very unpredictable. With the stirrer, I hope to have more control to keep my params spot on and stable.

 

[sahin]

Update: I just put together my kalk stirrer from Avast marine. I have to go pick up my 50ml dosing pump from a buddy's house to get it all set up. My evaporation has been way more than I anticipated on this tank and dosing kalk through my ATO is very unpredictable. With the stirrer, I hope to have more control to keep my params spot on and stable.

I would love to utilise Kalk in my tank...but space, expense of extra equipment etc has stopped me so far. But its something I would definitely utilise in a future tank.

 

[dowtish]

I would love to utilise Kalk in my tank...but space, expense of extra equipment etc has stopped me so far. But its something I would definitely utilise in a future tank.

I hear you on the space issue. I am going to have to set the stirrer in my ATO tank. Only way it will work.

 

[dowtish]

I hear you on the space issue. I am going to have to set the stirrer in my ATO tank. Only way it will work.

 

[sahin]

I'm being thick here..despite the photos I cant still work it out... :wildone:

But how are you controlling Kalk addition? If its on a timer, are you drawing water from the Top Off Container?

 

[dowtish]

I'm being thick here..despite the photos I cant still work it out... :wildone:

But how are you controlling Kalk addition? If its on a timer, are you drawing water from the Top Off Container?

The kalk reactor is controlled by my apex. I am currently dosing 750ml per day over 9 doses.

Whatever additional top off that is needed will be thru the osmolator.

 

[s2nhle]

The kalk reactor is controlled by my apex. I am currently dosing 750ml per day over 9 doses.

Whatever additional top off that is needed will be thru the osmolator.

I am doing the same thing with my set up. My Avast stirrer and tomtom pump which draws water from ATO 6 times from 12am to 3pm are being control by digital timer. So far the PH is very stable.