My 240G Addiction - It's a Miracle

[jknecht]

All I can say is this hobby is addicting. It all started one summer day about 3 years ago. I decided to buy my daughter a 12 gallon Nano-Cube and a clownfish. We all know it really wasn’t for her but it convinced my wife we should give it try. It’s all been downhill since. Of course the 12 gallon was never big enough and I wanted a full blown reef so I upgraded to a 90G AGA RR about six months later. Along with the new 90G I had to have a custom stand built, built a basement fish room, and everything else that goes along with this addiction. And like all addictions I need my next fix.

The fix will be an in-wall custom 240G from Miracles Aquariums. So after lurking around the RC forums for about 3 years and learning a ton I decided to start a thread. I’d also like to thank everyone on RC for all of the acquired knowledge and inspiration. I think I learn something new everyday. I look forward to your comments and suggestions.

Display

72" x 26" x 30"
240 gallons from Miracles
Starphire glass front
Right Side External Overflow with 3 – 1.5” bulkheads
2 - Left Side Returns through Euro-brace for 1.5” bulkheads

I would like to go wider but I’m converting a closet, so I’m limited by my garage wall.

Sump / Refugium

Existing 65 gallon acrylic sump

I may end up going bigger if I have to. I’m concerned about the amount of water from the overflow when the power is out. The new tank is going in my office at home which is farther away from the basement fish room than my current 90 gallon tank. I’m going to have a lot of 1.5” pipe between the overflow and the basement which is really going to increase the water volume. If I upgrade the sump I’m thinking of going to a 100G Rubbermaid stock tank.

Water Movement

1 – Existing Gen-X PCX-40 (I will be upgrading to a Barracuda for flow through the sump)
1 – Existing WavySea
2 – Eco-Tech Vortechs with the new wireless controller

I’m open to suggestions. I want something economical but the pumps are in the basement fish room with about 15 feet of head pressure. Suggestions?

Lighting

2 – Existing 250W ReefOptix III+’s on IceCap Ballasts
1 – 250W LumenMax 3 on IceCap Ballast
4 – 36” 39W Atintic Blue+ T5’s on IceCap Ballasts
Phoenix 14K 250Watt DE MH
Fishbowl Innovations Moonlights and controller (I may convert to the Neptune LunarSim)

I will ultimately switch the ReefOptix III’s to the LumenMax 3’s so the light spread will be wider. Any comments or suggestions?

Controller

Existing Neptune Systems ACIII
3 – DC8’s

Skimmer

Existing ASM G3 Skimmer - fully modded (Mesh wheel, Recirc with two Sedra 5000’s, and Gate Valve)

I’m sure I will be upgrading to an ATI Bubble Master 250.

Suggestions?

Calcium Reactor

GEO Calcium Reactor 624

UV

Existing AquaUV 25 Watt

It is currently plumbed inline on the drain. I will need to add another 25 Watt or convert to a 57 Watt. I tried ozone but decided not to use it.

I welcome suggestions and comments as I’m just starting the upgrade process so things can be changed.

It's going here

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/IMG_2922.JPG


Adding a door for access to the back

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/IMG_2923.JPG


Closet is empty

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/IMG_2926.JPG


Door is framed and ready for drywall

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/IMG_2929.JPG


Door is in

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/IMG_2959.JPG

[yaktop]

[i2 – Eco-Tech Vortechs with the new wireless controller



know something we dont? or are you just expecting they'll be out in time for your tank. I know I've been waiting to long.

[yaktop]

never mind. I guess they are out. bummed. I was on a notification list for the new controller. so much for that :(

thanks for the info posted though.

[jknecht]

I can't believe it's been a month since my last update. Things have been moving along (slowly). I thought I would share the progress.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3058.jpg

I forgot to take a picture before the plywood top and the drywall were on the stand. Here are pictures from the inside. I think she'll hold...

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3061.jpg

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3063.jpg

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3064.jpg

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3065.jpg

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3066.jpg

I got a little more done since the last picture. I just need to take a few more pictures.

[chwcdw]

Good looking build!

Looks like space is going to be at a premium though. Are you planning to have the fuge. and all the plumbing under the display tank, or will some of it spill into the garage or basement?

Will you have access from the front of the tank for cleaning and maintenance?

I'm looking forward to seeing the finished product.

[Julio]

that will be a sweet fish room

[Tec2112]

Looks good. Can't wait to see how you use that space.

[jknecht]

Thanks for the compliments. It feels like it's taking me forever to finish such a small space.

All of the plumbing will run into the fish room in the basement. I will take a few pictures of the room tonight.

For access to the front of the tank - The top 12 inches of the decorative molding around the tank is going to be on rails so it will slide out. I should have the rails installed tonight so I will take a few pictures. I should be able to access the front, right side, and rear of the tank with no problem (I hope).

[db_triggerfish]

subscribed, this is going to be nice build.

[jknecht]

As promised. More update photos :)

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3071.jpg

Drywall hung on the inside

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3076.jpg

Stainless steel rails will be mounted here

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3074.jpg

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3075.jpg

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3077.jpg

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3078.jpg

Panasonic 150 CFM exhaust fan (FV-15VQ4). It's going to be connected to a CAP AIR-1 Temperature & Humidity control using the black power cord coming out of the plate in the ceiling.

The two can lights will be replacing the single light you see in the picture.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3072.jpg

Pictures of the basement fish room currently connected to my 90G.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3079.jpg

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3080.jpg

[chwcdw]

Thats a good looking fish room you have there, especially for a 90 gallon. You must have been secretly been planning this upgrade for a while! :)

I also have a 90, but no fish room. Everything is housed under the tank which really restricts what I can use in terms of a sump/fuge. and skimmer.

My next tank will be about the same size as yours but will be set up as a room divider, so we have 3 viewable sides.

Good luck and I'm looking forward to seeing the finished product.

:)

[Bax]

Very nice! You have a big jump start with that fish room this will be agreat upgrade! Nice work so far!!!

[Avast Marine]

Nice work. I just got my tank from Miracles. You'll be happy, they are worth the wait. Your carpentry looks pro. When I first looked at the framing I thought it was your house....then you said it was your stand :p I think your set....lol

[jknecht]

Thanks all....

chwcdw - Your right, I always figured I would upgrade. Having the room in the basement just made it a little easier.

dandy7200 - I've been watching your thread as well. Your setup is going to be great.

[jknecht]

I finished quite a bit over the weekend and wanted to share a few pics.

The drywall has been sanded and primed. The wall will be re-painted to match the rest of the room. I wanted to make sure everything blends well so I re-primed the whole wall.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3085.jpg

The tank area has been sanded and primed. I should be painting it tonight. The green piece of wall laying on the stand will fill in the area on the side once the tank is in. I had to leave it out in order to slide the tank in place since it has a side external overflow.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3086.jpg

The other side

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3087.jpg

Under the stand

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3088.jpg

I also noticed my current 65 gallon sump has a small crack near one of the bulkheads. So as luck would have it; it gave me an excuse to upgrade the sump (I was planning to do it eventually anyway). I ended up buying a 150 gallon Agrimaster Stock Tank (made by Freeland Ind.). It's the same as the Rubbermaid Stock Tanks.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3084.jpg

I'm looking for ideas on how to setup the sump. Anyone have any good ideas or pictures? I know many of you are using the same setup. I'm worried about micro bubbles since it's not as easy to install baffles. Ideas?

[mxett]

Looking great. I love your honest appraisal of your addiction. Sounds very familiar........infact I'm late for my next meeting......reefers anonymous of course.

[chrisqueenz]

Very nice!

[Jar*Head]

Very nice. i wish i can do in wall someday without getting in trouble with the wife :)

[meschaefer]

Very nice build so far.

[jknecht]

Here's a pic of the tank under construction. :rollface:

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/tank1.jpg

[Avast Marine]

Now the hardest part of the wait begins :) Once you've seen it, it can't be delivered any faster....

[Barky]

Your stand and room look awsome. I recieved my tank from Derek and they did a super job. If your having euro bracing your about three weeks out, that is how long it took mine. I'm still setting up my 220 can't wait till its up and running

[jknecht]

Thanks for the compliments. It's kind of like waiting for Christmas.:D But I'm okay with it since it gives me time to get everything else done.

I have a few updated pics.

Everything has two coats of Kilz and two coats of Valspar Severe Weather Exterior paint. I put some extra outdoor carpet down that I used in my garage (It cleans up easily). I cut it into three sections so I can pull it out if I have too.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3097.jpg

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3099.jpg

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3100.jpg

The stainless steel rails are mounted

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3090.jpg

Rails Extended - The rails are only going to support the face of the canopy. The lighting will be supported by a 4:1 pulley system.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3091.jpg

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3092.jpg

Fan and work lights are complete. The pulleys are there for the light rack

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3094.jpg

I'm working on the light rack next

[BucNtears]

That looks like the beginning of one clean setup..

[jknecht]

I'm slowly getting things done.

The light rack is complete (except for lights). It can be raised and lowered using a pulley system. All of the hardware on the rack is stainless steel. I'm waiting on the IceCap T5 retro's and will be moving my existing ReefOptix III pendants once the 90g is down and adding a LumenMax 3 pendant. I will eventually replace the ReefOptix III's with LumenMax 3's.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_0702.jpg

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_0703.jpg

I realized as I was hanging the light rack that I wasn't going to be able to easily access the pulleys, fan, or work lights if I needed to. So I decided to cut three holes through the wall and made insulated plugs using plywood and insulation to fill the holes. I will add weather seals and will screw the plugs to the wall to make sure they are good and tight. Now I can get to everything fairly easily if I have to.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_0705.jpg

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_0708.jpg

The roof cap for the Panasonic fan is installed. The model I'm using has a 6 inch duct so roof cap is a little larger than any of the others on the roof. I have to say that Panasonic exhaust fans are almost silent. I may add another fan to the basement fish room.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_0709.jpg

I finally got the correct size hole saws for the Hayward bulkheads; so I could start on the new sump. I put two 1.5 inch bulkheads and one 1 inch bulkhead in the sump. One of the 1.5 inch bulkheads will be connected to the Barracuda and the other will be capped for now. The 1 inch bulkhead will be used to pump water from the sump straight to the drain for water changes.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_0718.jpg

1.5 inch bulkheads - I will never go back to the lightweight bulkheads after using these. They are worth every penny - IMO
http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_0721.jpg

1 inch bulkhead
http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_0722.jpg

I also extended my current ARC fault circuit from the 90g to the new tank. That was a pain as the local codes require conduit. Once the 90g is down I will remove the ARC fault run to the old location.

I think that's about it for now. I'm going to paint the top of the stand this week and start running PVC from the basement up to the new tank.

[jknecht]

The day has finally come! Thanks to the hard work of Derek and Elka at Miracles the tank was delivered on Saturday. :D

I thought I would share a some pics. I didn't get any shots of us taking it off the truck, as it was all hands on deck. To get the 700 pound crate off of the truck, I rented a 24 foot truck with a lift gate and backed it up to the 53 foot trailer it came on. We pushed it onto the lift gate and lowered it to the ground. It worked like a charm. :rollface:

Once we got it off the truck we rolled it to the garage on furniture dollies.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_0790.jpg

On and up the Genie lift it goes

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_0792.jpg

Pushed into place

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_0793.jpg

I filled it with the garden hose to leak test it. No Leaks! Ignore the wires over the tank. I'm still working on the T5's

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_0812.jpg

I bought 1.5" ChemKor bulkheads through Miracles and they actually seem a little bit beefer than the 1.5" Hayward bulkheads I have. I really like them. The flange side inside the overflow is huge.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_0813.jpg

I also hung 160 feet of PVC in the basement for the overflow and returns. I need to take a few pics of it.

[cybrsufr]

Update Please. That is one great looking builds.

<b><font size="3"><font color="sienna">WreckDiver</font> </b>
<i><font size="1"><font color="teal">aka: CyBrSuFr</font> </font> </i> <br>
<i><font size="1"><font color="red">Click the little red house for the latest tank picts</font> </font> </i> <br>
<br>

[thor32766]

wow great build log!! your tank looks incredible!

[TripleP]

that is great. what you going to keep in that mini ocean?

[jknecht]

cybrsufr & thor32766 - Thanks for the compliments.

TripleP - It will be barebottom with mostly SPS and a couple of clams. I'm working on my fish stocking list now.

I've been working on the plumbing and hope to have water in it by the weekend. I'll snap some pics tonight if I get more done.

My remaining plumbing parts from Savko arrived today so I should be able to get it finished up. My fishroom is in the basement and 40 feet away from the tank so I had to lay alot of pipe. :D

I ran four 40 foot sections of PVC:

1 - 1.5" Return
1 - 1.5" Drain
1 - 1.5" Emergency Drain
1 - 1.5" Future use

What is making the plumbing difficult is I'm not ready to take down the old sump and cabinets it sits on in the fishroom. So I have to run all of the plumbing to a temporary location for the new sump. I'm making the plumbing very modular (lots of unions and threaded fittings) so it will be easy for me to move the few pieces of PVC once I take down the old sump. I'll get some pics...

[jknecht]

I finally got around to taking some more pics.

The plumbing is complete and the sump and tank are full of RO/DI. Everything has been leak tested, No Leaks!

Here is a pic of the plumbed drains

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_0989.jpg

I had to show you how large the flanges are on these ChemKor bulkheads.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_0983.jpg

I put true union ball valves on the drains just in case I ever need to shut them down.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_0982.jpg

The drain runs through the floor. I cut an extra hole in case I ever need it.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_0976.jpg

I like using unions, in case I ever want to change something. This is the beginning of the two 40 foot runs of drain pipes.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_0977.jpg

[jknecht]

The four 40 foot runs of 1.5" PVC pipe. I spent more on pipe hangers than I did on pipe.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_0974.jpg

The business end of the plumbing. I still need one more union.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_0968.jpg

The return unions. I'm only going to use one.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_0975.jpg

The sump will eventually be where my old sump is. I stripped most of the values already from the old sump so it's almost ready to be removed. This is it's temporary home and temporary plumbing.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_0969.jpg

I ordered a Barracuda pump and week later found out ReeFlo is releasing their new Gold series which use less power and have higher flow rates. I was able to get my hands on the new Hammerhead Gold. Max Flow 5555 GPH, Max Head 23', Avg Draw 272 Watts. Not bad at all compared to the current Hammerhead. Here's a pic of the gold series. It uses a Marathon motor which is just as quiet as the Barracuda and it's the same size as the Barracuda. I got it running last night and it rocks.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_0971.jpg

I ordered a couple of Pacific Coast Flow Accelerators for the returns. I also ordered a couple of short bulkheads so the returns fit better through the Euro-brace. Regular bulkheads interfered with my light rack.

Tank full of water ready for salt. I had to use a couple of rocks to hold the starboard down.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_0991.jpg

I hope to paint the wall to match the rest of the room tonight and put the salt in. I got it get it cycling.

I got the new IceCap 250MH Ballast yesterday. I think I will eventually replace my older IceCap 250MH Ballasts with the new ones. They look cooler.... I'm also upgrading my 25W AquaUV sterilizer to a 57W UV sterilizer (bought the 57W transformer and bulb). The LumenMax III pendant will be here today. I will eventually use all LumenMax III's. To save a little now I will be moving my two ReefOptix III's from my 90G until I buy them.

[mdaybowls]

Can we get more pictures of your plumbing from the tank through the floor? I'm in the process of designing a 125g on the first floor to a basement sump/refugium. I would like to get an idea of how you did this since I can't seem to decide on what I want to do. I'm afraid to drill through the carpet since the tank might eventually be taken down and/or moved and then I would be stuck with a bunch of holes in the carpet. Going through the wall and then down to the basement is also an option, but I don't want to tear the wall up if I don't have to. Just looking for some more opions really.

[mcliffy2]

Im probably going to order a tank from Miracles. How do you like your tank?

[jknecht]

mdaybowls - For this tank I just used a hole saw and went straight through the floor. I get some more pics. Since this is an in-wall I really don't mind the holes in the floor behind the tank. I agree if it was in my living room on a stand it may not look as nice. On my 90G I went through the drywall and through the bottom floor plate. I'll snap a picture for you.

mcliffy2 - I love my tank. It's built very well and the quality is excellent. Derek at Miracles is great to work with. Just have patience, it's not a fast process. Mine took a little longer because they were in the process of moving to a new building and I wasn't in a huge hurry. Good luck, you'll love it!

[mdaybowls]

Thanks for the info jnecht. My tank will be on a stand in my office. But it won't be easily visible from either side. On one side there will be a wall and the other side will some office furniture. It is possible that someone could walk around and see it, but for the most part it won't be visible. And any pics you could post would be great.

[jknecht]

Well the holidays have kept me busy. But, I am finally able to get around to providing an update.

I had to replace the regular bulkheads I was using for the returns through the euro-brace with shorter bulkheads. The taller ones interfered with my light rack. I got the short ones from AquaticEco and they work great. I didn't realize they were Hayward until I got them, which is always good.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_0994.jpg

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_1193.jpg

Heres' the ends of the returns with Pacific Coast Flow Accelerators attached. I shortened the loc-line. I like the fact you can still angle them slightly. They're working great on the Hammerhead Gold. I used a Y just below the tank to split the returns. I also added the blue vinyl background to the return end. Miracles forgot to install it so they sent me a couple of pieces and told me how to apply it. It's very easy. Thanks again Derek.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_1196.jpg

I built my Durso standpipes. I may raise them up another inch. The water falls about 2 inches into the overflow. Which isn't bad but I want to see if I can quite them a little more.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_1183.jpg

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_1189.jpg

After debating for sometime on how I wanted to run my UV. I decided to put it on the return. I know not everyone will agree with the placement. I upgraded my AquaUV 25W to a AquaUV 57W by buying a new transformer and bulb.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_1211.jpg

I got the new IceCap 250MH ballast and made an adapter to convert the IceCap plug to a Sunlight Supply plug.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_1031.jpg

I hung one of the SLS LumenMax 3's. The other two are on order. I was going to use my existing Reef Optix III's for a while but decided to just go ahead and change them now. I still have to clean up the wires for the T5's. I just got the IceCap harness extensions.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_1205.jpg

The wall is painted and ready for trim. The trim should be done in the next few weeks.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_1207.jpg

I also took the plunge and ordered two Vortech's WWD. I debated forever I whether to get Tunze's or Vortech's. I hope I made the right choice. I also got two Vortech Battery Backups so I can cut the power to them overnight to reduce the speed. Hopefully they will come up with a night option.

The only other item I would like to change is my skimmer. I am planning on running my heavily modded ASM G3 for a while. But I know it's not enough. I was originally thinking of going with the ATI Bubblemaster 250. But now I think I may go with the Reeflo ORCA 250. Thoughts?

I've also been eyeing the Geo Media Reactor 618. However I may end up making my own out of 6" PVC. We'll see. The Geo would be cooler. :smokin:

Finally - rocks are cooking and salt is in the new tank. I should be able to take down the 90G soon. I'll be selling most of the 90G off so stay tuned...

[Rickyrooz1]

Awesome tank! I will keep coming back for updates.

[deep6er]

great looking tank.

[deep6er]

great looking tank.

[Me No Nemo]

Very nice. I went with the Vortechs on mine and they're fantastic! I dont' think you'll be disappointed.

[Barky]

I am setting up the same tank size from Miracles also,

How large of a hole did you drill on your stand pipes?

I am at this point and not sure what size to drill.

Glad to here the vortech are working I am waiting for mine to arrive.

Did you custom make your light rail?

Nice tank

Brian

[JRaquatics]

WOW! great build. That's alot of pipe you have running. I will also be following your progress.

[bower23]

Wow!!

[jknecht]

Everyone - Thanks for the compliments

Me No Nemo - I look forward to getting the Vortechs. It seems almost everyone is happy with them.

Barky - I went with 2 5/8 inch holes to accommodate 1.5 inch Sch 80 bulkheads. If you don't need 1.5 right now you could still have them drilled for 1.5 and use reducing bushings.

I made the light rack out of 1 x 3 furniture grade pine so it would be nice and smooth then sprayed it with primer and oil based paint.

JRaquatics - I didn't think I was ever going to finish the pipe. I still have more to do once I move the old sump out and move the new one.

A little update - This weekend I ended up purchasing the GEO 618 Media Reactor instead of making my own. I also bought a Ranco Temp controller for redundancy to my AquaController III. I've had two Finnex Temp Controllers go bad on me (the digital and manual) so instead of spending money on things that continue to break I decided on the Ranco. I'll still use the 500W Finnex Heat tubes I have.

[Barky]

i have the tank and slowly setting it up. i have the 1.5" stand pipes with a 2" drain.
Do you have your to drains tied together with a Tee or did you use a wye connection as I am getting a flushing effect, read that this happens if pvc is running lateral to each other. a slight slope to the lines supposedly will eliminate this.
also is the top of your tee not the cap at the bottom of the teeth of the overflo or is it above this. I couldnt tell from your picture angle.
Thanks Brian

[mcliffy2]

Im following this very closely as my system is going to be very similar - 225 Miracles, external overflow, rubbermaid sump, ATI BM 250 or Reeflo 200 or 250 (maybe Xtreme 250, depending on reviews), Vortechs are in the mail right now.

I have thought about doing the returns like yours as well and think that would work well with a wavyseas. Have you thought about this or will it not fit with your lights?

[jknecht]

Barky - I ran two 1.5 inch drains to my sump instead. I don't have any issues with the returns run that way. I would think the wye would be better than the tee. The top of the tee in the overflow is equal height to the bottom of the teeth.

mcliffy2 - Your going to love the 225 from Miracles. Congrats! I actually have a Wavysea on my 90G and have been debating whether or not to use it on the new tank. I think it would work fine attached to the euro-brace as the height of it with the hose connected is about 3.5 inches. The way I have the returns configured on the new tank make the height almost 5 inches. The Wavysea would allow you to lower the rack a little more. I figured I would get better flow (stronger flow) using Penductors and a couple of Vortechs than using the Wavysea with Vortechs. The Penductors alone have made the water very turbulent. I have used the Wavysea on the 90G for almost two years now and have always been a little concerned about the barb connection and the threaded cap. I get salt creep around the cap even though it's really tight. I don't mean to discourage the Wavysea, just my observations from owning one. I still may end up using it. I wish they made a version that could be hard plumbed with PVC like a OceansMotions.

[~sp0ok~]

nice job

[reefkeeper135]

tagging along for this one!!! sweet set-up

[Harleyguy]

Nice build... I love the look of all that pipe in the ceiling... It's crazy what some people think is cool... lol

[jknecht]

Harleyguy - I thought I was the only one who thought it looked cool. :D Some how my wife doesn't see it the same way. It's like art! By the way your monster system is going to be sweet. I've been following your build.

[tank watch]

I think I missed something. What are the slide rails for if the lights are suspended by the pulley system?

[summer6]

Everything is coming along so nicely...very well thought out. BTW I'm using two vortechs with the wwd and am overall satisfied. One pump seemed to have a habit of vibrating, but it's fine now after being really careful about lining it up just so. Using the 250 ATI bubblemaster, and am very happy with it on a 200 heavily stocked fish, mixed coral reef.

[ToddG]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11508256#post11508256 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tank watch
I think I missed something. What are the slide rails for if the lights are suspended by the pulley system?


I think he said they were to slide the upper cabinetry out of the way during maintenance.


EDIT - Here is a quote from below the picture of the extended rail....

'Rails Extended - The rails are only going to support the face of the canopy. The lighting will be supported by a 4:1 pulley system.'

[tank watch]

thank you

[Avast Marine]

Wow, very nice progress! Stellar plumbing skills!

[kdblove_99]

That is looking awesome

very nice work so far!

[Haffs09]

Great thread! Very informative. Sent a PM.

[drama07]

Awesome man!! Real professional work with the plumbing and fish room stuff. Love the fact that I can get an example of miracles workmanship. I'm thinking of ordering from them for a custom project of my own.

The shipping of that tank must have been high no? I'm lucky though :D I can just pick it up seeing that I live 45min from the factory warehouse.

Keep up the good work. Looking forward for farther progess :)

[mcliffy2]

Any updates? I know the itch to fill that tank with life has got you by now ;)

[redline]

its nice to see it done right and done well!

[Barky]

drama07
I had a tank made by Miracles also. Great people to work with!
I also worked Paul from Oceans motion to get my plumbing on my 4 way setup. Paul worked with me and Derek for location of all drilled bulk head locations.
You will be very happy with the quality of the tank.
Good Luck on your project.
Brian

[Reefman79]

I dont know what to say thats going being for sure.

[jknecht]

Thanks for the compliments. It's nice to be able to share my build with everyone. I have followed a lot of great builds on RC and that's where a lot of my ideas start.

It's time for an update. I can't believe it's been over two months since I last updated the thread.

I have moved everything out of the 90G. Everything survived except one of my BTA's decided to get to close to a Vortech. :mad2: During the move I decided to cook all of the live rock. I have some of it in the tank but most of it is still cooking. I hope to pull it out this week.

Most of the work I've been doing has been in the fish room. I still need to clean everything up under the tank.

Here are some updated pics.

Fish room BEFORE shot

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3080.jpg

AFTER shot

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_1612.jpg

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_1613.jpg

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_1620.jpg

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_1621.jpg

Here are the auto top off float switches

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_1624.jpg

[jknecht]

The probe holder

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_1627.jpg

I took my old GenX PCX40 and used it for my water change pump.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_1628.jpg

Water change check valve and plumbing

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_1634.jpg

UPS for the ReeFlo Hammerhead Gold. It's produces a true sine wave. It runs the pump for about 20 minutes. I have the Vortech battery backups for my Vortechs so I'm covered in case of a power outage.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_1623.jpg

I also got rid of my Phosban Reactors in favor of this GEO 618 Media Reactor. I love it! I'm running Chemi Pure in there. I'm eventually going to hard plumb it.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_1617.jpg

On the skimmer front; I have also been speaking with Spazz about building a Volcano skimmer for me. I hope to change my skimmer soon. I don't have a large bio load yet so the old modded ASM G3 is hanging in there.

[chrisqueenz]

Wow, sweet set-up!

[oxbeard]

looking fantastic!!! very clean

[mpoletti]

Very nice build so far. Thanks for sharing with us.

[Oldtimer]

Awesome build. It's making me more excited about my setup. I'm currently finishing the basement with an in wall reef planned of almost identical size. I love Miracles tanks, but the AGE tanks are really nice as well, esp. the PVC bottom. Tough choice. I have yet to price compare, but I'm sure AGE is more...

Your fishroom looks very professional. I'm trying to take a similar approach. Can't wait to see more.

[jknecht]

I agree the AGE tanks are very nice. When I started looking into having a tank built I contacted Miracles, AGE, and Aquarium Obsessed. AGE said they would send me a quote and they never got back to me. AO was more expensive than Miracles and I really liked the support from Miracles; they are one of the best companies I have ever dealt with. Definitely no regrets!

[chwcdw]

Looking good!!!!!!!!

Isnt unistrut great?

[SuperR*]

Looks great! I should have my rimless starphire tank from Derek at Miracles in a few weeks also!
They really make awesome tanks!

[jknecht]

Unistrut is great! I think I'm addicted to it now as I always seem to find a place to add another piece.

SuperR - You're going to love your tank. I notice your in Toronto; no shipping cost for you!

[SuperR*]

Yes, they are local for me. Tank should be ready next week sometime! I will post pics

[SuperR*]

Any updates?

[vinc]

sorry but I had to show you what I need . LOL

http://i156.photobucket.com/albums/t31/vinc1/fish%20tank%20photos/pichers1.jpg

[jknecht]

I don't have much new to report. I ordered a big clean-up crew from Premium Aquatics two weeks ago. The crew has pretty much wiped out any algae I had. I just started aquascaping; now that all of the rocks are cooked. I should be able to get more done this weekend and will post some updated pics.

[jknecht]

WOW! I've been neglecting my thread. It's time to get back at it and get this thing going again. Other house projects have taken priority over the tank. Those are done for the most part so I'm back. :D

Update:

Well after a long internal debate I ordered a Volcano 1850 skimmer from Spazz. I contemplated the BK 300 External, Reeflo 250, and the Volcano. I picked the Volcano because of the options and the ability to run my overflow straight to it since it can handle 2000 GPH. It's going to be a beast. It's foot print is 24" x 30" with an 18" diameter tube and stands 60" tall. I ordered it with a wet neck, auto shut off, and a Rowaphos port. I decided not to get an ozone port because if I ever decide to run ozone again I'm going to get the Marine Technical PRO240D Ozone Reactor. I think it's safer that way as well I won't ruin an expensive skimmer over time.

This weekend I had to make room for the skimmer. I turned the rack that holds the two 50 gallon barrels for water changes sideways. They were full of water so I decided to do a water change and moved the remaining water to a couple of Brute barrels while I moved everything. I also realized that the RO/DI unit needed to be moved since the skimmer would have been directly underneath it so I would have had a problem getting to the canisters. Luckily all of the RO/DI tubing was long enough to move a couple of feet.

Here's an old picture of how it used to be setup.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/old_rodi.jpg

Not much to see but here is the new space for the skimmer. Ignore the extension cords. I really like the clean look so I have a little more conduit to run.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2016.jpg

I forgot to update everyone in regard to my fish room ventilation. I installed a Panasonic FV-30VQ3 - 290 CFM exhaust fan in the fish room. Currently it's just controlled off a wall switch and I will eventually add a temp/humidity controller to it. This thing really pulls/pushes some air. If you stand outside of my house you could dry your hair.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2015.jpg

You can feel the breeze about 6 feet away. I just caulked the vents yesterday (it will dry clear).

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2012.jpg

The trim around the tank is finished. My buddy and I spent a couple of afternoons making it. I finally finished painting it yesterday.

Ignore the aquascaping it's no where near done. I still have a lot more rock in the sump. I just placed the pieces in there to give the fish something to hide in.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2022.jpg

Now the stainless steel slide rails make sense.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2023.jpg

From the side. A friend of mine welded the Unistrut L-brackets to the rails and it's bolted on with 1/2 carriage bolds. They are full extension slides so they come out even further. But I just need room to get my big head in there if need be. I've been doing most of the maintenance from the back.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2026.jpg

Tonight I will mount a 3/4" piece of plywood I painted yesterday underneath the stand. I'm going to mount all of the ballasts, Vortech controllers, etc to the plywood.

What's coming? Last week I ordered sand and crushed coral and am going to make a foam/rock structure using egg crate. I'm going to use the black handi-foam and cover the whole thing with West Systems epoxy and then sprinkle the sand and crushed coral mixture over it. I've been really impressed with the tanks that have done this. I'm choosing to use West Systems over the hobby epoxies because I know it's certified for potable water.

I also ordered the Neptune Systems Break Out box. I mounted a float switch in my overflow and need to be able to shutdown the pump if the water level gets to high. Let's hope I can make the float switch work considering the wires to the float switch will have to run almost 60 feet. I spoke to Neptune and their not sure if it will work. I'm hoping it will work considering I was able to make a 65 foot Cat 6 cable work between two DC8's. I do have a plan B if it doesn't.

I think that's all I have for now. Let me know what you think.

[mcliffy2]

Looking very nice....wow the volcano on that tank is nuts! and I thought the reeflo 250 was overkill on my 238...

[cbui2]

thats nice and very clean in wall. great job on the full extension slides, do you have any actuator on those slides?

[jknecht]

mcliffy2 - I know it's a little overkill. However I plan on stocking the tank pretty heavy. It will handle anything I throw at it. It can also be upgraded if I ever go bigger. I don't ever plan on doing that, but the option is there. This should be the last skimmer I ever need to buy, right. ;) By the way your build is coming along nicely.

cubi2 - I actually got the slide idea from your thread. I really liked how clean your setup came out.

[cbui2]

:D, thanks. how will the lights be mounted in the rear for you to do any maintenance?

[jknecht]

Here are some pics of the access above the tank from the back side. The light rack is on a pulley system so it goes up easily. I can reach pretty much the whole tank. I'm glad I have front access if I really need it.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2027.jpg

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2032.jpg

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2028.jpg

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2031.jpg

These pictures just reminded me I still need to install the IceCap T5 reflectors.

By the way - The moonlights are from my old tank. They are made by fishbowlinnovations and have their own controller. I would like to add additional tubes but I have the original version which has a different connector than the new ones so I don't think I can add any more tubes. I should probably check. The two tubes actually have a pretty good spread on a 6 foot tank. I will probably end up switching to Neptunes Lunar Sim.

[erics3000]

Wow this is an incredible build. Excellent craftsmanship. I wish I would have found this a few months back when I started. The front access is for sure a plus. I have been wanting to finish my mantel. I love yours it came out beautiful. Everything is top notch, excellent job.

Keep the updates and pics coming.....

[jknecht]

Thanks Eric. I'm really glad I added the front access. When it's closed you can't even tell it opens. My wife was concerned with how large of a trim piece I would have to add to cover the access but I think it came out well. By the way, your build looks great too. I've been following it for a while now.

I got my Neptune breakout box yesterday and started experimenting with it last night. I must say it's a cool little add on to the ACIII. I was able to extend the wires of my float switch 75 feet and it still worked. Now I just have to run that cable from the overflow to the fish room.

[Dansin]

jKnecht looks great. I have been reading from the beginning. Vary nice. Can you tell me were you purchased your fan. I have a bath room fan in my tank room but its not enough. Thanks.

[Bax]

Great work! The trim looks awesome, and that Volcano will be killer on this system!!!

[jknecht]

Dansin - I purchased the fan from westsidewholesale.com. I have ordered from them quite a bit. They seem to have the best prices on the Panasonic fans. I have the 290 CFM in my fish room and I have a 320 CFM at my office. If you decide to go with the 320 CFM just a word of caution. It won't fit between standard 16" on center joists. I found out the hard way.

Thanks Bax - I can't wait to get the Volcano. I really wanted an external skimmer and wanted to be able to put almost all of my overflow through one. The Volcano will do the trick.

[Dansin]

Thanks for the info i will check this site out i built the room myself and i can get in there if i need to,depends on how big the 320 cfm fan is thanks again.

[erics3000]

Wow..a Volcano..Cool...Thanks for the info on the fans too I am going to order a couple..

[jknecht]

My favorite people showed up on Friday and Saturday (UPS and FedEx). :)

I'm going to try my hand at building a couple of rock/foam structures. I've seen some great reefs on here with this combination. I decided to use West Systems epoxy instead of the hobby type epoxy resins just to be safe; since it's certified for potable water.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2253.jpg

I also ordered this surface viewer. It's made by CPR. It should come in handy for taking pictures and working on rock work with the pumps going.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2255.jpg

Skimmer Update: Scott has part of it built and said it should ship in a couple of weeks.

[jknecht]

I also ordered 1/2 Acrylic rod from US Plastics to help hold the rock together.

I have a couple bags of crushed coral and sand to sprinkle on the epoxy.

Last week I sent one of my Vortechs to IceCap so they could update the firmware to Generation 2. It will have a couple of new pulse modes and night mode now. I purchased the new magnet kits; which should never rust.

[MBZ]

Great build so far. Keep posting more pics for us.

Mark

[Oldtimer]

Great build. I love everything you've done except for that foam. I just can't appreciate the use of expandable foam in such an otherwise pristine natural environment. But, everyone has their own tastes.

Keep the updates coming.

[jknecht]

Great build. I love everything you've done except for that foam. I just can't appreciate the use of expandable foam in such an otherwise pristine natural environment. But, everyone has their own tastes.

Oldtimer - It's funny you should mention the foam. Since I received all of the supplies I been thinking I'm not 100% sure I'm going to use them. I think I'm going to end up just purchasing more rock and use the acrylic rod to hold some of the taller sections together.

[Rickey]

Any updated pics? Let's see what youy have going on. I love the trim you have around the tank. It looks awesome.

[jknecht]

I think it's time for an update; I've been slacking. I finally got around to mounting the ballasts, Vortech controllers, battery backups, and the DC8. As well as clean up the cables. I cut a 3/4" piece of furniture grade plywood, painted it, and mounted it under the tank to give me a place to screw everything into.

Here are a few pics.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2412.jpg

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2414.jpg

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2418.jpg

After mounting everything I realized I must really like IceCap products. :)

I lost my yellow tang a couple of weeks ago. He stopped eating a got very weak and thin. :( I had him for a couple of years so I'm not sure what happened to him. Everything else is doing good.

I spoke to Spazz a week or so ago and he is still working on my skimmer. I hope to have it soon.

I'm thinking about getting rid of my Lumenmax III's and replacing them with LumenBrights just to give me more room to work over the tank. Currently I can raise my light rack to give me access but it becomes a pain when I want to do something simple in the tank. If I switch to the LumenBrights I'll easily have 12 or more inches of clearance so I should rarely have to raise the light rack to do anything.

The big question is do I go with the LumenBright DE or SE version? I really like my Phoenix bulbs and I could just put them in the LumenBright DE. If I go with SE I would try the Reeflux 12K bulbs. What should I do?

I still have not got around to aquascaping the tank. Where does the time go?

[Endy0430]

cool build do you have any new pics .....

[jknecht]

More Pic's

Full Tank Shot - I haven't aquascaped yet. Please ignore the algae on the sides and back. I haven't cleaned it lately.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2421.jpg

My Maroon Gold Striped Clown & RBTA. Her male partner is hiding under the anemone.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2424.jpg

Pygmy Angelfish

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2431.jpg

Clam

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2423.jpg

Long tentacle plate coral

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2428.jpg

[jknecht]

I realized I've never shown you my DIY Anti TDS Creep RO/DI storage barrel. It has two float switches that connect to a solenoid that turns on the RO when the water falls below the bottom float switch and turns off when it reaches the top float switch. The manual float valve is there in case the solenoid fails. The bulkhead is there in case everything fails and runs to a drain. I realize it's overkill but I original just had the barrel setup with the manual float valve and the bulkhead was the fail safe. I added the anti TDS feature after the fact.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2446.jpg

Outside of barrel

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2433.jpg

The barrel has a 1.5" valve to fill my salt barrel below it. One RO line connects to the solenoids below. The other is just for future use (Volcano wetneck). I sometimes connect a long hose to it to rinse probes in RO water.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2437.jpg

The barrel connects to dual solenoids for redundancy

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2442.jpg

They run to the ATO standpipe which have dual float switches attached to it.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_1624.jpg

I also added another UPS and have them connected inline. They run the skimmer pumps and Hammerhead Gold.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2448.jpg

[Dudester]

That's as fail-safe an ATO as I've seen - nice work!

[tgunn]

Now that's a nice auto top off!! :)

Just curious, but are you getting one of the massively huge volcano skimmers?

The only reason I ask is because I actually found with my tank that TOO big of a skimmer is a bad thing.

I've got a total of about 240g of water, and I'm running a three pump recirculating octopus skimmer. Admittedly my bioload is fairly low with 10 fish.. Because of this my skimmer can hardly pull anything out of the water. I get MAYBE a cup of skimmate a week. I think if I was running a smaller one I'd be able to pull a lot more out.

Just figured I'd share my own experience with you. Something to be aware of.

Great looking setup so far!
Tyler

[dteske]

Love the build, everything is so well done. How are the Vortechs working out for you?

[8BALL_99]

Great setup. I like your canopy slide. Your ballast wires look about 10 times better then mine lol.. I mounted all my ballasts ont he wall also but my cords just got tied and piled up :( You probably would have been better off building your Own ups with a deep cycle battery insted of buying both of those. I've had very good luck with mine running a few hundred watts for about 5 hours. Haven't tried longer cause I haven't had an outage that lasted longer,,,Yet..

I've got a 190 built by miracles a few years ago. They are building me a new 300 to replace it Now! They really do make great tanks.

[jknecht]

Dudester - Thanks. I probably would have skipped the drain if I built it again.

tgunn - Thanks for the the heads up. Yes, I am getting a Volcano 1850. It will definitely be overkill until I get the tank stocked. I plan on having it heavily stocked with fish and SPS. Even then it will still be a little overkill but I really like the idea of running all the overflow water through the skimmer. BTW I have been following your thread from the beginning. Your setup came along very nice!

dteske - Thanks. I love the Vortechs. I don't know how long I debated over whether to go with Tunze or Vortechs. I'm so glad I went with them. They look a lot better in the tank IMO. Also having the ability to upgrade the firmware with new features has been nice. I still need to install the Gen2 Magnet Upgrade Kits I got a few weeks ago.

8BALL_99 - Thanks. I know what you mean; it was a pain cleaning up all of the wires. The deep cycle UPS would have been a great idea. Oh well, I got a good deal on the UPS's. I'm sure mine won't last 5 hours! Congrats on the 300 gallon from Miracles. They do build a great tank. 3/4" glass is heavy stuff!

[8BALL_99]

Well believe it or not my tank is only 1/2" on the front and sides and 5/8 tempered on the back and bottem. But it has Euro Bracing around it.. I got quotes from several builders and they all had it with the same glass. Now if I didn't want the Euro bracing the price from all of them went up cause they said I had to have 3/4" Glass all around. Thinner the better IMO. It kinda of suprises me how many people get Rimless tanks. I wouldn't want one just cause of the thickness of glass I'd have to get. My tank is really a 280 72x36x25 with 2 external overflows. But each overflow holds 11 gallons. That counts right? :) If they were internal they would count ,but never have corals in them.

[jknecht]

My tank is really a 280 72x36x25 with 2 external overflows. But each overflow holds 11 gallons. That counts right? If they were internal they would count ,but never have corals in them.

Overflows count! I need to start counting the 120ft of pipe I have between my fishroom and tank.:D

I wish I could of had a width 30" or 36" inches. But my space was dictated by the garage behind the tank. I really didn't want to eat up space in the garage or have it protrude into my office so I ended up with 26". So I opted to make the tank 30" tall. Having the external overflow is nice; I have plenty of space to aquascape.

It's interesting that their using 1/2" and 5/8". It will definitely help with weight and clarity. When I had my 240 built, Derek did everything in 3/4" with the exception of the eurobrace and overflow which is 1/2".

[stunreefer]

jknecht, great build!

I'm curious as to what you used for your probe holder? I've been contemplating how to do it, and I was going to plumb them in line, but I like the way you did it. Prevents any chance of leaking (over plumbing) and is easy to access for maintenance.

TIA!

[Dudester]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12989182#post12989182 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 8BALL_99
You probably would have been better off building your Own ups with a deep cycle battery insted of buying both of those. I've had very good luck with mine running a few hundred watts for about 5 hours. That's a great idea, care to go into any detail on the materials necessary to put this together? Sorry jnecht if this is considered a hijack but it will probably interest many others as well.

[jknecht]

stunreefer - My probe holder is made by AquaMedic.

http://www.aquacave.com/electrode-holder-by-aquamedic-1034.html

I just attached it to a pvc pipe in my sump using cable ties. It works well.

I may try the Aquadyne 1/2" inline compression probe holders down the road. I think these would work well if you screw them into a tee. Marine Depot carries them.


Dudester - No problem, ask away. I would be interested as well.

[8BALL_99]

I guess cause yours is 30" tall vs mine is 25" tall. You wouldnt think that would make that big of a difference.

Dudester, If you click on my redhouse Its got a few pictures of my UPS. Its not to hard to built. Its just a Relay Inverter and battery really. I've since replaced my triclke charger with a solar charger that connects to a couple panels on the roof. I also run my Canopy lifts off the ups battery. After couple years I'm very happy with the ups. Works great.. I've got a Generator. But really since I built the ups I just use the Gen to run the big screen and the fridge lol

[AgentSPS]

WOW there was a LOT of careful thought and planning put into your system. Very nice! Following closely.

[jknecht]

8BALL_99 - Now that I recall. I believe Derek did say he needed to use 3/4" because of the height. Makes sense.

AgentSPS - Thanks. I'm trying to put a lot of thought into everything to limit the regrets later. However, I think I already want to replace my lights with LumenBrights; just so maintenance is easier.

[jknecht]

I got a new toy the other day. I ordered the EZ model which has a few more features than the original.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2462.jpg

I believe it's worth every penny.

I tested the following and I can't believe what some of them are costing me each month.

Hammerhead Gold - 234 Watts. Not to bad considering the head pressure required. I can live with it.

2 - UVI 39W T5's on an IceCap 430 Ballast - 125 Watts

Here are the shocking ones:

Whirlpool Dehumidifier in fishroom - 748 Watts :eek: I looked around online and it seems this is pretty typically. Running it 24/7 adds up quick.

Deep Freeze - 634 Watts - This one makes no sense. I looked online and it should be pulling about 125 watts. I unplugged it for a while and plugged it back in and now it's pulling exactly 125 watts. It's old, so maybe something is going wrong with it.

I tested a ton of other things but don't want to bore you with the details. Unless you want them.:D

[tgunn]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12990090#post12990090 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jknecht

tgunn - Thanks for the the heads up. Yes, I am getting a Volcano 1850. It will definitely be overkill until I get the tank stocked. I plan on having it heavily stocked with fish and SPS. Even then it will still be a little overkill but I really like the idea of running all the overflow water through the skimmer. BTW I have been following your thread from the beginning. Your setup came along very nice!

I really should just dump a whole load of fish into my tank and get the bioload up, then I'd have no problems. :)

Funny thing, my 3 pump recirculating octopus which is 12" diameter and 32" tall uses over 180w of electricity (roughly 60w per pump). Your massive volcano will use less and it's sooooooooo much bigger!!! :) It's nice you can run all the overflow water through it too. I can only run a fraction of my overflow water through my skimmer because of it's size..

Nice that you have external overflows though! I wish mine was external. The area to the left and right of the overflow is pretty much dead space. I'd have gained a LOT of room without the overflow.

Thanks for the comments on my tank! It's been a long time getting to where I'm at. Always things I'd love to change, but hey that's how it goes I guess.

Tyler

[8BALL_99]

Yeah Dehumidifiers suck. They pull a Ton of power and add a Ton of heat to the room. I was lucky enough with the way I built my Equipment room not to need one.. I use a window AC mounted in the wall in the summer to cool the room and help with moisture. It does pretty good. Pulls about 400 watts when it kicks on. But it doesn't run that much and it removes the heat insted of adding it.. I built the room pretty water proof anyway though.

In the winter I have a couple of inline fans in the ceiling rigged to a thermostat.. When the tempiture gets above a set point the fans kick on.. One exhausts air outside the other brings fresh cold air in..

[jknecht]

Now that summer is winding down I have more time to dedicate to the tank.

I finally got around to replacing the Vortech magnets with the new Gen 2 magnets. I haven't noticed a difference in noise that some have reported. Although mine have never been loud. I did find one of the drive shafts was different between the two. The one on the left is the new version. I ordered a replacement for the one with the older drive shaft.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2507.jpg

I replaced my 10 year old dehumidifier in the fishroom after finding out how much it was costing me a month to run. It used to cost me about $60.00 a month to run the old one because it never shut off. The new Danby is only costing me about $32.00 a month. The dehumidistat appears to be very accurate.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2527.jpg

I gave my glass a good cleaning a couple of weeks ago and have been keeping up with it on a weekly basis now. I don't want to let it get bad again as it was back breaking work scraping everything off the sides and back.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2515.jpg

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2516.jpg

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2530.jpg

[jknecht]

Yesterday I received my Eco-Rox order from BRS. I ordered 100 pounds of Fiji and 75 pounds of Tonga shelf rock. All of it looks great. It was packed very well; not one broken piece. So I have 175 pounds plus what's in my sump and tank already. I have plenty to finish the aquascaping now.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2639.jpg

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2641.jpg

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2642.jpg

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2644.jpg

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2645.jpg

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2646.jpg

One of the large shelf rocks has what looks like a favia brain coral skeleton attached to it.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2649.jpg

I have about 50 pounds of Marshall in the sump.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2651.jpg

I noticed last week that my RBTA has split in two for the 3rd time in about 2.5 years. I may sell the second one once it heals up.

On to the bad news. I still haven't received my Volcano skimmer. As of last week Scott (Spazz) said he hopes to have it done this week. We'll see; I ordered it in May and was told it would only be about 6 weeks. I know he runs behind; but I figured I would have it by now. I have been very patient. Although after reading the Volcano thread over the last couple of days I'm not sure what to think about the skimmer anymore. It looks like for the size of skimmer I may have to force air into it with an Alita air pump.

As of last night all of the new rock is curing in trash cans and should be ready in a couple of weeks. Then the stocking will begin; as long as I have a new skimmer.

[jknecht]

I also ordered a gallon of ROX carbon from BRS. I'm looking forward to trying it.

[AgentSPS]

<img src=http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2462.jpg>

Awesome! I just bought one for myself. I have had this sneaking suspicion that my Iwaki MD70 has some sort of voltage leak. Now I will know for sure.

[Ricecakeguy]

must take alot of committments to build such an awesome tank, keep up the good work

[dvanacker]

Sorry if I missed it but do you plan on staying BB. I've got my 200g sitting in the garage and am in the planning stages and BB or DSB decision is killing me......

[jackiechandc]

Cool Eco Rox!

[SuperR*]

like the BB set up. going with one on my next tank

[jknecht]

Ricecakeguy - Thanks it has been a big commitment. I took delivery of the tank last November and I'm still not done.

dvanacker - I plan on staying BB. I had a 2 inch sand bed in my old 90 gallon and I could not believe how dirty the sand bed became. Even with all of the snails and crabs it stayed pretty dirty. When I took the tank down and pulled out all of the sand it was almost black at the bottom. That's why I decided to go BB.

jackiechandc - Thanks, I couldn't be happier with the rock. I always thought I would stick with the Marshall island but now that it's near impossible to get I have to say I like the Eco-Rox just as much.

SuperR - Thanks, I think you will like BB over sand. How is your Miracles tank coming along?

[Oldtimer]

Awesome work. My 240 from Miracles is ready to ship. I've scheduled a final electrical inspection for the work I did in the fish room for next week and assuming it's good, I'll be making a call to Derek. Just need to get some people together to move it now. How many guys did it take to move it into position? I'm thinking six of us. I have the additional challenge of having to get it down a flight of stairs into my basement - this requires that I stand it on end to make it through the doorway.

[jsteidl]

You may need more than 6. I had my 240 from Miracles brought in straight from the truck to the house, no stairs, with 6 good sized guys and it was rough. More the better and get the suction cups for glass to help carry it.

[Oldtimer]

I do plan to get suction cups. I just need to make some calls to rental shops hoping I find some.

I actually have a steel utility cart that will support the weight no problem. I plan to wheel it from the lift gate to the door of the house and then remove it from the crate so we can lift and move it through the door. At that point, we're on carpet just a few feet from the basement so the time we actually spend holding it will be minimal. I'm most concerned about getting it down the stairs. Thinking of using some 2 x 6's to slide it down. Someone suggested using an appliance dolly because it can negotiate stairs with it's belts (similar to a tank), but I'm concerned with using one with 600+ lbs of glass. Makes me nervous even if I padded it well.

[jsteidl]

Take the tank out of the crate before you get it out of the truck. Makes life a lot easier and a lot less weight. They really build the crate well and it weighs a ton with all the wood the use. In regards to the stairs and being nervous, just take it slow and all will be fine. There tanks are built very well.

[AgentSPS]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13289007#post13289007 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Oldtimer
I do plan to get suction cups. I just need to make some calls to rental shops hoping I find some.

I actually have a steel utility cart that will support the weight no problem. I plan to wheel it from the lift gate to the door of the house and then remove it from the crate so we can lift and move it through the door. At that point, we're on carpet just a few feet from the basement so the time we actually spend holding it will be minimal. I'm most concerned about getting it down the stairs. Thinking of using some 2 x 6's to slide it down. Someone suggested using an appliance dolly because it can negotiate stairs with it's belts (similar to a tank), but I'm concerned with using one with 600+ lbs of glass. Makes me nervous even if I padded it well.


I just moved my 300 gal. It was 3/4 glass but had PVC bottom. Total weight was 540lbs. I rented 6 pairs of suction cups at Cresco. After an exhaustive search, they were the only ones I found who rented them. We had about 7 people. Two were BIG guys and we all strained.

http://i307.photobucket.com/albums/nn290/AgentSPS/The%20Build/DSC_0012-2.jpg

[jknecht]

Oldtimer - Congrats on the new tank. I had five guys including myself for the move. I definitely could of used more but we made it work. The question is how are you going to get it off the truck? That was my biggest concern/challenge so I'll share what I did. I wish I had pictures of the actual move but it was all hands on deck. My tank/crate was put on the 53' freight truck lengthwise with very little room to move; as the truck was full of other product. I rented a truck with a lift gate; the key was finding a truck that was standard dock height with a lift gate. Ryder was the only one I could find that had them. Others had trucks with lift gates but they were not standard dock height. I wanted to make sure I could back up the rental truck to the freight truck and have no difference in height. When the freight truck showed up at my house I backed my rental truck with the lift gate to the back of the freight truck. Then we had to slide the crate off the truck and onto the lift gate. You would think it would slide easier than it does. It was a beast. We lowered the whole crate to the ground removed the crate and put the tank on furniture dolly's. Luckily I only had to get it to the garage. I used a Genie lift to raise the tank about 4' to put it on the stand. Good luck. Let us know how it goes.

[Oldtimer]

Thanks. I requested a truck with lift gate from Derek so my intention is to get the tank onto the lift gate and lower it enough to get it onto the steel cart I have. It may require a few guys supporting one end of the tank based on your comments about room to move the crate, but one way or the other I'm sure we'll manage. At least the cart is a few feet off the ground - easier to lift from that level then from ground level. I'll eventually create a thread for my build. I've accumulated lots of pictures so far.

[jknecht]

Be sure to double check with Derek to make sure you are truly getting one with a lift gate. I originally requested that and then they said they couldn't get one. Granted that was a year ago so they may be using someone different now.

[jknecht]

We'll I received a new addition to the family today.

What could it be?

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2694.jpg

A Bubble King SuperMarin 300. This thing is big (a coke can for reference). It's very well built.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2698.jpg

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2706.jpg

A perfect fit in the sump

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2702.jpg

It started skimming the minute I put it in. This thing pulls some serious air - 3600 lph. I'm sure I will spend the next couple of days tweaking it. But so far it looks good.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2703.jpg

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2704.jpg

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2705.jpg

For those of you who have been following my thread my wonder why I don't have the Volcano 1850 I ordered. Long story short after 5 months I got extremely frustrated that my Volcano wasn't done. Since June I heard it would be done 'next week' which never happened. I also got concerned that Volcano 1850 users started noticing the 1850 wasn't really pulling a lot of air. As a result they are seeing or starting to see problems with their tanks. Not Good! I wasn't about to take a chance. For more info take a look at the Volcano Club thread in Vendor Experiences. I decided to go with something tried and true, a Bubble King! I also looked at the ATB's and they are top notch as well. Down the road I will add the BK Self Cleaning Head.

I also aquascaped the tank on Saturday. Lights are off now so I will take pictures tomorrow.

[8BALL_99]

I just got my 310 from Derek at miracles yesterday.. I also asked for a lift gate but they couldn't find one.. So don't count on it lol They were very nice about it. After a week of waiting he just said he couldn't do it..
This is what I did
http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2150/944495/20092255/334683179.jpg
http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2150/944495/20092255/334683178.jpg

[Bax]

That is a beautiful skimmer!

[jknecht]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13367802#post13367802 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by 8BALL_99
I just got my 310 from Derek at miracles yesterday.. I also asked for a lift gate but they couldn't find one.. So don't count on it lol They were very nice about it. After a week of waiting he just said he couldn't do it..
This is what I did
http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2150/944495/20092255/334683179.jpg
http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2150/944495/20092255/334683178.jpg

Congrats on the tank. That's a great way to move the crate. So does it have water in it yet? :D JK! Miracles builds a great tank. Did you go with Starphire? This was my first tank with Starphire and love it.

[jknecht]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13367827#post13367827 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Bax
That is a beautiful skimmer!

Thanks! Klaus builds some great stuff!

[Oldtimer]

I just got off the phone with the delivery service this morning. I'm getting a lift gate. I guess they like my money more. :D

Tank is being delivered this Friday.

Awesome skimmer. Great choice. I have a BK 300 External myself. Haven't used it yet.

[8BALL_99]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13368134#post13368134 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jknecht
Congrats on the tank. That's a great way to move the crate. So does it have water in it yet? :D JK! Miracles builds a great tank. Did you go with Starphire? This was my first tank with Starphire and love it.

Haha not yet still likes a little. Its my 2nd Miracles tank with Starphire glass. I agree I think its crazy not to get it on larger tanks. It just looks so much better!


OldTimer, Thats great glad they got you one.. Haha I never said who paid for the rental fee for teh skid loader.. Wasn't me. Derek said he would cover it since he couldn't get the lift gate like I requested! To tell you the truth for me the skid loader worked out much better.. My driveway is about 200 yards long so we would of had to load it onto my truck or trailer then drive it to the house and unload it. I don't even walk to the mailbox no way I'd carry that tank that far haha

[8BALL_99]

To give you a little better idea of the distance haah.. The pic above my wife was zoomed in
http://pic90.picturetrail.com/VOL2150/944495/20092255/334683180.jpg

[jknecht]

Oldtimer - Good to hear you're getting your tank! I couldn't be happier with mine. You're money must be greener than mine. :D I almost went with the BK 300 External but decided to go internal instead. Good luck, I would help you if I lived closer.

Here's a pic of the skimmate after about 18 hours. It's skimming a little wet right now. I just dialed it down a little to get it a little drier. Not bad considering it's not even broken in yet and I really haven't adjusted much.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2707.jpg

8BALL_99 - Now that's a long driveway. I'm not sure how you and Oldtimer got so lucky. I had to pay for my truck rental. I'm not complaining; I love my tank.

As promised here are some shots of the aquascaping. Oldtimer you will be happy to know I did not use any foam. :D All Marshall Island and Eco-Rox.

What do you think? Please be honest. I think my wife likes it a little more than I do. But I'm a little picky; it's growing on me. I do really like the caves and overhangs.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2708.jpg

Left Side

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2709.jpg

Right Side

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2710.jpg

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2711.jpg

[Dudester]

Personally, I think the aquascape looks fantastic, plenty of open areas to allow good flow and hiding places for fish, and nice overhangs for not-so-light-loving corals. I do find the height to be a little too uniform for my taste, however, and with the rocks being so tall throughout the whole tank, there might not be room for any colonies to achieve much vertical growth. Just a thought, really not criticizing, as I don't know what you plan long-term. If this will be a bonsai-type reef with shorter, pruned coral colonies, it will be absolutely fantastic.

[jknecht]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13372783#post13372783 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Dudester
Personally, I think the aquascape looks fantastic, plenty of open areas to allow good flow and hiding places for fish, and nice overhangs for not-so-light-loving corals. I do find the height to be a little too uniform for my taste, however, and with the rocks being so tall throughout the whole tank, there might not be room for any colonies to achieve much vertical growth. Just a thought, really not criticizing, as I don't know what you plan long-term. If this will be a bonsai-type reef with shorter, pruned coral colonies, it will be absolutely fantastic.

Thanks! I agree with you on the height; it is a little too uniform. I'll have to work on it a little more. Also, great point about colonies I definitely need to make room for them. I would like to have some nice SPS colonies.

[Oldtimer]

I like the openess of the rockwork, although I ageee with Dudester's comments about the uniformity in height. I'm personally a fan of open structures and minimal usage of rock. I plan to have a couple islands of rock, one per each end of the tank, allowing for plenty of room for coral to grow and fish to swim. I also plan to use some Eco-rox seeded with some live Marshall Island/Fiji.

Kudos for not going with styro. Very inorganic and fake looking IMO... not to mention petroleum based and environmentally unfriendly. I prefer it the way nature intended. ;)

As for my tank move, we've got a steel push cart on wheels that will get the tank from the truck to the rear of the house. My driveway is no where near as long as 8BALL's.

8BALL - That's some great customer service! Wish I could get him to pay for a crane to lower it into my basement. :lol: I'll have to manage with 6 guys and an appliance dolly.

[8BALL_99]

Well I think what helped with me was I already bought a 190 from them a few years ago. I sort of told them I had to have a lift gate this time cause the last time the truck showed up with 30 mins notice.. Rounding up 3 or 4 guys on a weekday in the middle of the day with almost no notice was not a fun task. I got lucky though.. But this time with a larger tank I made sure I had a plan for unloading it lol. I think they really did try to find a smaller truck with a lift gate for me, But just couldn't. I agree though, great customer service to cover the rental fee. I didn't ask him he was just trying to make up for not coming through on the Gate..

Will

[mcliffy2]

Honest opinion - good but not great. I think while you see caves and open spaces now, when the corals fill in, it will end up with the fruit stand (sloped rock wall) look, as the corals will quickly take up all that open space. Here's a few ideas:

(1) as others suggested try playing with the dynamics of the height, overall I think the rockwork is a bit too high in general - its personal taste to an extent, I like 8-12 inches for corals to grow in. Try picturing what the tank will look like filled with corals, when you can't even see the rock anymore.
(2) try to make multiple identifiable structures - right now, everything is connected and it looks like one big structure. This will become even more the case as corals grow in.
(3) don't be afraid to throw some rock in the sump, and don't get attached to that one awesome rock and sacrifice the overall aesthetic of your scape.
(4) try out a few different scapes and play around with it before the corals go in, no time like now.

In the end though, whats important is that you are happy with how it looks, so take these suggestions with a grain of salt.

Here's an idea what I might try removing and moving, but again this is my personal taste, so take what you like, and ignore what you dont :)

http://lh5.ggpht.com/mcliffy2/SNHHLmFltwI/AAAAAAAABsk/sF-r4U522qY/s800/img_2708.jpg

[tangreefkeeper]

show us more

[reefgeek67]

This is a great project, I am very impressed with every aspect of it along the way!!! I am planning a 125 sps reef(space requirements keep me to a smaller tank than i would like). Im glad you documented this project so well. its a big help for ideas=) Good luck with the system!

[jknecht]

mcliffy2 - Thanks for the advice. I haven't had a chance to play around with the aquascape much more.

reefgeek67 - Thank you. I hope my thread helps others that's really why I did it. I got many of my ideas from other great threads here.

I posted these in another thread but thought I would post them here as well. The new skimmer is working great. These were taken a couple of days ago.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2718.jpg

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2720.jpg

I've been looking at calcium reactors. I was always thinking I would go with a GEO 624. But I really like what the AquaC RX-1 has to offer. I plan on having a lot of SPS. Any advice? Should I go with the RX-1 or 624?

[mcliffy2]

Skimmer is looking nice and gunky.

I had the same decision to make on my 238g, and went with the RX-1. I just set it up yesterday, and plan to tune it tomorrow. The RX-1 is a much better design for a number of reasons, but it is not as tried and true. Seems that everyone who has them likes them tho. If you hold off for a few weeks, I'll be able to give you my initial impressions of whether the design performs in practice...

[jknecht]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13434287#post13434287 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mcliffy2
Skimmer is looking nice and gunky.

I had the same decision to make on my 238g, and went with the RX-1. I just set it up yesterday, and plan to tune it tomorrow. The RX-1 is a much better design for a number of reasons, but it is not as tried and true. Seems that everyone who has them likes them tho. If you hold off for a few weeks, I'll be able to give you my initial impressions of whether the design performs in practice...

Thanks! I will defintely hold off a couple of weeks to see how you like the RX-1. I really like the recirc feature as well as the easy loading of media. I await your review.

[gimmito]

Jknecht,

I just finished reading your thread...very impressive. We're in the process of remoldeling our house and building a 400 gallon display is in the plans. I got alot of great ideas from your build...so thanks !

Jim

p.s.

I notice you are into home theater...what type of set up do you have ?

[Zoonutt]

What a great thread! Nice build,u have alot of good ideas. I noticed when u recived you eco rock u had a brain or favia skelton,I also recived one of thes on my rock and am happy to report it came back to life,it has lil clear polyps that come out all day,it looks just like the 1 u pictured and is now starting to color up,thanks for keeping me busy at work,reading ur thread.......

[jknecht]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13505558#post13505558 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gimmito
Jknecht,

I just finished reading your thread...very impressive. We're in the process of remoldeling our house and building a 400 gallon display is in the plans. I got alot of great ideas from your build...so thanks !

Jim

p.s.

I notice you are into home theater...what type of set up do you have ?

Thanks. I can't claim all the ideas are mine. I borrowed many ideas from a lot of great threads on here.

As for home theater I have a BK AVR317 Receiver, Rotel amp, Monitor Audio Silver series speakers, Samsung TV, Denon DVD Player (sorry I don't remember all the model numbers). I haven't upgraded to Blu-ray yet. Since getting into reef aquariums I haven't put much time into the HT. I would love to upgrade my receiver to either a Denon or the new BK AVR707.

Good luck with the remodel and your 400G build.

[jknecht]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13505735#post13505735 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Zoonutt
What a great thread! Nice build,u have alot of good ideas. I noticed when u recived you eco rock u had a brain or favia skelton,I also recived one of thes on my rock and am happy to report it came back to life,it has lil clear polyps that come out all day,it looks just like the 1 u pictured and is now starting to color up,thanks for keeping me busy at work,reading ur thread.......

Thanks! That's cool about your skelton. I've been really happy with the Eco-Rox. I'm glad I could keep you from your work. :)

[martinphillip03]

Any first impressions of the AquaC RX-1 Calcium Reactor?

Marty


<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13434287#post13434287 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mcliffy2
Skimmer is looking nice and gunky.

I had the same decision to make on my 238g, and went with the RX-1. I just set it up yesterday, and plan to tune it tomorrow. The RX-1 is a much better design for a number of reasons, but it is not as tried and true. Seems that everyone who has them likes them tho. If you hold off for a few weeks, I'll be able to give you my initial impressions of whether the design performs in practice...

[mcliffy2]

Unfortunately my impressions are delayed a bit - I believe I had a faulty regulator, and the instant I fired up the reactor, it flooded the body with CO2, and literally blew it up! One thing I can say is that AquaC customer support has been top notch. It wasn't any defect in their reactor (could arguably be their instruction manual, but that is splitting hairs), and the regulator was a 3rd party product packaged by the vendor with the reactor. But nonetheless they are sending me a replacement for $75. They could have pointed the finger at the reactor manf., who would have said not our problem because I was following instructions that came with the RX-1, not theirs...but instead they did everything they could to make sure it was taken care of.

[jknecht]

I don't have much to report. I needed to raise my skimmer up a little bit and wanted a stable platform for the skimmer to sit on. So I came up with the following.

3/4" Acrylic

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2896.jpg

I originally had the skimmer just sitting on those pvc couplings which worked well; but when removing the collection cup the skimmer would like to slide around a little. It's perfectly stable now.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2899.jpg

Skimmer back together

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2904.jpg

I also picked up a few corals a couple of weeks ago.

1 - Acropora Blue (I need to get the exact name)
1 - Purple / Blue tipped small Acro colony (I need to get the exact name)
1 - 3 headed Frogspawn
1 - Galaxea

I only have a pic of the Galaxea right now. I need to take a pic of the Frogspawn

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2905.jpg

The bad news is the Acro's I picked up got nuked in my QT tank. I traveled out of town one day after getting them and my lights didn't turn off on the QT. They lost all of their color. They do have a little polyp extension so I hope they recover.

[SaraB]

Great looking system!

Question, where did you get your extendable stainless steel rails? I'm trying to figure out my lighting and need something like you have.

[jknecht]

Thank you! The rails are made by Accuride and can be purchased from Rockler. Here is a link to them. They also make a heavy duty version that hold more weight but they don't appear to have stainless components.

http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?Offerings_ID=10925&TabSelect=Details

[SuperR*]

tank looks great. Like the BB! Fantastic

[boggerscott]

Awsome!! like to meet u sometime

[barandiaran]

make sure to give that galaxea plenty of room, those sweepers that you see in that picture can get quite long...

[InsaneClownFish]

You do have some nifty toys for this tank.

Now that I bought your old pendants you need to get some salad bowls over that tank! :D

[gasman059]

great build.

[jknecht]

Wow! Almost a year has gone by without a post. Other projects have taken priority over the last year. The tank is doing great.

I've added a Naso Tang, 4 female Lyretail Anthias and 1 male. I also added few new toys and had to fix a leak on my Hammerhead Gold pump.

New Naso Tang

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3952.jpg

This Super Feeder has been great. I'm really surprised more people don't talk about them. It's the first feeder I have tried that I can put anything into including flake and it doesn't get moisture in it. I have it connected to my AC3 with 3 feeding times a day.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3882.jpg

Uh Oh! A leak! I posted pics since I always wondered wait the Hammerhead Gold looked like inside and the instructions you get from ReeFlo on changing the seals is for a Dart which is a little different.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3915.jpg

I'm glad I used a lot of unions! Easy out!

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3917.jpg

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3919.jpg

Impeller removed

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3920.jpg

[jknecht]

I guess it was leaking a while. Can you say salt creep!

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3921.jpg

All cleaned up!

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3923.jpg

New seals installed. Don't forget the silicone...

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3925.jpg

Back together, almost ready to roll..

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3926.jpg

Running again, No Leaks!!

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_3929.jpg

I was looking for one of my Anthias the other day and saw this guy's claws hanging out from under a rock. I put a piece of raw shrimp in a glass and waited for him to come out to where I could see him. After an hour or two he came out and quickly hide in a hole in a piece of live rock. I quickly dismantled some of my live rock and was able to pull out the rock he was in. Since I've had my 90 Gallon I have caught four of these in my tank. I let most of my rock totally dry out when I setup this tank so I'm not sure where he could have come from. Let's hope I have no more. I never could figure out where all my peppermint shrimp have gone. They must have been dinner for this guy!

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_4005.jpg

I have replaced my LumenMax III's with SE LumenBright Mini's with Reeflux 20,000K bulbs. All I can say is Wow! I thought my tank was bright with the LumenMax's and Phoenix bulbs. But the LumenBrights and Reeflux look much better and are brighter. They really allow my to get into the top of the tank without raising my light rack which is a huge plus. I'm in the process of re-working my light rack. I'll get some picks posted of the re-do.

I'll have to get a FTS posted as well.

[adddo]

Nice job catching the crab ;)

Any updated FTS?

[morrisgigantus]

can u post a pic of a fts.. since its been almost a year.. be nice to compare how ur tank has changed..

very nice planning btw.. very nice clean setup.. good job

[paulthomas]

I like your system. It's nice n' simple :thumbsup:, which is the way I'm planning mine.

Did you ever figure out a good way to section off your stock tank? If so, is that what those two steel beams are for?

Thanks,
Paul

[Reefy.Dave]

wow your tank is very impressive. keep up the good work !

[sean_954]

very nice tank ... !!

[evogames]

Any new updates??

[paulmartin]

Ditto

[jknecht]

WOW! No updates in almost a year.

I have been pretty busy so I haven't had much time for the tank until recently.

Currently the tank is empty, WHAT? Yes, it is bone dry.

I decided I wanted to re-work my display and at about the same time my Reeflo Hammerhead Gold had leaking seals so I decided to move everything into a holding tank and send the pump in for repair as I was on my 3rd set of seals in less than two years. I didn't anticipate the tank would be down this long but like all projects I decided since the tank was down I would change a few things to make things even easier. So I started changing electrically and plumbing. So hear it is several months later and no water. My wife will tell you I like projects.

The good news is I received this yesterday. It's the latest and greatest Hammerhead Gold pump from Reeflo. They switched back to Baldor motors from Marathon on the Hammerhead Gold. My original was beyond repair so this was covered under warranty. Hat's off to Reeflo for standing behind their product. So now water can go back in and I can re-set everything up. I will post some updates in the coming weeks of the things I changed. The good news is I finally got around to setting up a 75G holding tank in the basement that I can also use a quarantine tank.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_4944.jpg

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_4946.jpg

[Lyfey]

Wow awesome build. I just read it all today. Congrats!! I cant wait to upgrade my tank from my current 75gal. It just stinks that we live in an apartment on the second floor and I am afraid of capsizing the floor lol.


-Chris

[patmack]

Wow that is service!! I was looking at a regular dart but maybe I should step up to the dart gold.

[jknecht]

oops

[jknecht]

I finally got around to taking pictures of some of the changes.

OLD FTS

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_2708.jpg


Updated FTS (Still working on my photography skills)

I sold all of my live rock and went with Aquaroche. I loved how easy it was to setup. It's expensive but it's the easiest rock I have ever worked with. Worth every penny in my book.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_5336.jpg

I re-worked my drains to incorporate filter socks. I could never come up with a clean way to use them. Geo's Reef was kind enough to make a modified version of their holder for me.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_5276.jpg

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/img_5278.jpg

I'll post some pics of the new fish a little later today. I also need to take some pictures of the things I re-worked in the fishroom to make things even easier.

[gregmoeck]

lol and this all started with a 12 gallon tank for your daughter :)

Sounds like me, I started looking to buy a new watch. I was looking at Seiko's and ended up with a $6000 rolex and another for my wife.

[jknecht]

I currently don't have any corals in the tank and I realize my coral selection is going to be very limited because of the fish I've chosen.

I've decided to focus more on fish and have limited corals. If a coral doesn't work out I've setup a 75G system in the basement I can move them to.

Anyone have any coral suggestions?

I really like SPS but my wife prefers LPS or Softies because they move in the flow. I know angels like to pick, anyone have any luck with a certain coral over another with similar fish?

Current Fish List:

1 - Desjardinni Sailfin Tang
1 - Bicolor Angel
1 - Emperor Angel Juv.
1 - Flame Angel
1 - Powder Brown Tang
1 - Diamond Goby
5 - Blue Chromis
1 - Regal Angel
2 - Maroon Clowns (Male and Female)

All of the fish get along with each other and they all eat like horses. I've been feeding Rod's, pellet, and Sea Veggies.

Not everyone wanted their photo taken.

http://www.myreefaddictions.com/tankbuild/IMG_7108-1.jpg

[jknecht]

lol and this all started with a 12 gallon tank for your daughter :)

Sounds like me, I started looking to buy a new watch. I was looking at Seiko's and ended up with a $6000 rolex and another for my wife.

I'm the same way. Any hobby I've ever gotten into I seem to go overboard (I just like to do things right, at least that's what I think in my head. I could be crazy.) If I only knew then what I was getting into. Sometimes I wonder what I would of done with all of the money I have sunk into this setup. It's truly an addiction.

[BowieReefer84]

How about an update to this thread? Particularly how you like the aquaroche rock. How it grows coralline, accepts new growth of sps, etc...

Thanks

[aquainas]

Would love to see how the aqua-scape has transformed as well. I like that Aquaroche!

[ptr13]

Nice build,awesome aquascaping,keep us posted.

[567234ta]

man i love your setup, thanks for posting all this and all the updates as time has passed. Very educational for me as i plan on doing an in wall tank. I love the way the new aquascaping looks way better also.

[N_prise]

Hey im about to setup the same tank !!! do you have any updates...? Please send me a pm on info about that rock work, looks amazing!!! What bulbs u running??

[TheFishTeen]

Wow. Your set up is outstanding. I love how clean and organized your fish room is, and the improvements you have made thus far. I also really like how you took the time to monitor your electricity usage. Your build has given me many ideas when it comes time for me to build my fish room (still in planning stages). :) Thanks.