Vince's custom 415

[phurst]

I helped build and maintain this system for my good friend Vince. It's just too pretty for there not to be pictures out there of it.

The tank was ordered from SP Aquatics http://www.spaquatics.com/ and picked up in August of 08.

It's a 415 gallon DT with a full Calfo overflow. It has a 150 gal Rubbermaid fuge and a 150 gal Rubbermaid sump. It has a Hammerhead running for the return via 2 Sea Swirls, and another running a closed loop via Oceans Motion 8 way. There's a Reeflo Orca 250 and a 5' tall dual Beckett performing skimming duties. Lighting is 4x400w Radium 20K halides and 8x54w T5s.

 

[phurst]

 

[phurst]

 

[Jhardain]

Very nice set up, great looking tank. A job well done on it!

 

[Capt_Cully]

"______!!!!!" fill in blank with Italian explitives.

that's sick!

 

[phurst]

Yeah, not surprisingly I like working on his tank more than my own

We have the entire garage to play with for a fish room, so it's fairly easy to do whatever we need. We just recently set up a continuous water change system using a peristaltic pump and the salt water storage vat. No more thinking about water changes, just refill the vat once a week

 

[phurst]

I have been told an upgrade has been ordered. Same width and height, but 4' deep instead of the current 3'. Outa room

 

[erics3000]

super sweeet..Just WOW...

I have been thinking about running 2 400 20k in the middle and 2 40014k on the outside of my 8ft tank. But I have been afraid it might be too blue. This tan looks sweet with all 20 k bulbs..It really make the colors pop. I do currently have a couple 50 50 attics flourcent installed... Just wondering how you like all 4 20k?

 

[phurst]

I'm a sucker for blue light

We've had a variety of bulbs in checking out different light, but this seems to be the best look so far. The T5s are a combination of daylight, 65k and actinic bulbs to balance everything out. I'd be concerned it would look funny with mix-and-match halide bulbs.

 

[erics3000]

yeah..I see your point it might. I seen a couple tanks with one in the middle of 3 bulb but 2 on a 4 bulb system might be a little off.

 

[bjg]

Very nice set up!!

 

[phurst]

Thanks, I'm definitely proud of it

 

[phurst]

Plumbed a 60 gal acrylic frag tank into the system today. Sorry about the crappy cellphone pic.

 

[erics3000]

Looks sweet...Can you explain how your fuge skimmers and sump are hooked up and maybe get some more equipment pics?

 

[phurst]

I can get some more back room pics later this week.

The main DT has 3 drains. One goes directly into the sump, one goes directly into the fuge and one goes into the Orca. The Orca draind back into the sump. The fuge drains into the sump via a 1 1/2" bulkhead and PVC set at the top of the fuge. The fuge is about 4" taller than the sump, so it's just a gravity drain. The dual becket is fed by a Dart pump pulling from the sum and feeding back into the sump. The Hammerhead return is drawing from the bottom of the sump, and runs through a manifold to feed the chiller and UVs (this particular line now feeds the frag tank, which drains into the sump) and the various reactors (2 calcium, 2 sulfur denitrators). There's also a line off the manifold feeding the 40L zoa tank, which drains into the sump. the rest of the return flow goes into 2 Sea Swirls for return duty. There's also a Hammerhead pump running the closed loop via an Ocean's Motions 8 way. There are also a pair of mag 18s in the sump feeding the 2 surge tanks. Let's see. What else. There's a peristaltic pump dosing magnesium. There's also one handling ATO duties through a kalk stirrer. There's yet another dual channel peristaltic pump doing automatic continuous water changes to the tune of, I think, 75 gallons a week. I think that's pretty much it....

 

[phurst]

Ah crap. There's a Deltec Eco-Cooler in there somewhere too. It drains into the sump, and I believe is also manifolded off the return.

 

[MatthewLaw]

pretty cool!

 

[erics3000]

Thanks..That is sweet...

 

[phurst]

I'm sad to report that one of the seams burst catastrophically on this tank this afternoon. I won't be able to see the damage until much later this evening

 

[Spinny]

" seams burst catastrophically " are words that we never want to hear.

Please share what the failure was, or why you believe this has happened.

I will be starting a 500 gallon setup shortly, and have honestly had sleepless nights over this happening.

Good luck!