coralfishg's 400gal dream

[CORALFISHG]

hey guys.. i already posted this on my local reef club's forum but i figured i whould post here, so you guys can take a look, and help me out with a few problems..

about 2 years ago i picked up a 400gal tank, and it has sat in my garage ever since.. my wife finally gave me the go ahaed to get started on it.. the tank is four feet deep, so planning things have been a little difficult.

here's some pics of the tank, and some of the equipment im gunna be running.. and at the end there will be a mermaid picture.. now beware, im not a wealthy person so alot of this set up is gunna be done as cheap as possible, but let's face it, there's nothing cheap about this hobby...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/coralfishg/013.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/coralfishg/015.jpg


the next picture show's one of my problems there is a hole drilled into the tank that is set up for a 3 inch pipe.. i have no idea what to do with this
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/coralfishg/014.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/coralfishg/IMG_4229.jpg

since buying the tank there has been no water in it, so i am not shure yet if the way the previous owner had the bulkheads or lack there of will work.. he did have the tank set up, and he said he had no problems with water leaking, but then again, they never disclose all the problems with the tank..

the tank is drilled with 4 holes on the bottom of the tank..
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/coralfishg/011.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/coralfishg/010.jpg

and get ready for it... here is the mermaid picture...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/coralfishg/007.jpg
sorry you perves the wife is pregnant.. there is no way that she's getting in there.. im 6'4" for refrence...

[CORALFISHG]

here is some pictures of the equipment that im gunna be using..

im gunna be using 4 400w mh on lumarics, along with 4 110w vho's for the atinics..
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/coralfishg/018.jpg

the tank under the lumarics is a 55gal, this will be used for the refugium, i plan on using a variety of macros, and having some mangroves in there also.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/coralfishg/017.jpg

the sump is a 150gal (i got this from a local reefer, thanks marco)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/coralfishg/016.jpg

the skimmer is a MLA preditor 2 downdraft skimmer with a mag 12 for circulation.. i have a feeling im gunna be very under skimmed with this, so this is something that im planing on upgradeing..
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/coralfishg/001.jpg

the calcium reator is a diy.. i bought this used off a guy on here..
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/coralfishg/003.jpg

for the closed loop im gunna be using a dart thru a 4 way ocean motion..
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/coralfishg/004.jpg

[CORALFISHG]

now onto the construction pictures.. some serious work got done on the tank this past weekend, no easter egg hunting for me.. my father in law came over and helped me bang out the viewing room in the garage, i built the light rack, and i made the stands for the sump, refugium, and for tank maintnance..


first we built a sub floor to raise it up so that it was level to the house. then we framed up the walls for the room
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/coralfishg/tank007.jpg

then the fun part, drywall.. I went with the drywall that is supposed to be able to handle moisture, but we will see..
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/coralfishg/tank009.jpg

it was getting dark out so i fired up one of the halides.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/coralfishg/tank012.jpg

at this point me and the father inlaw were pretty tired, and hungy..
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/coralfishg/tank013.jpg

finally we call it the night, we worked from 8am till about 11 at night..

and here is the closest memaid pic your gunna get, the wife is about 6 months prego and she's about 5-6 (i think)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/coralfishg/tank015.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/coralfishg/tank024.jpg

[CORALFISHG]

the light rack came out good but i still have some problems to work out with it.. the celing(sp) in the garage deffinetly is not square. I ran into a problem where at one end of the rack there is about 5 inches from the bottom of the rack to the top of the tank, and the other end there is about 3 1/2 inches, so im gunna have to do some changes to the rack to compasate for this later.. let me know what you guys think of it.. the rack can be pulled back a good 6 feet so that i can have plenty of room to work on the tank.. the cords will be cleaned up before this is all over..

i used aluminum angle, straight, and c channel to build the rack and slider..

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/coralfishg/tank006.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/coralfishg/tank005.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/coralfishg/IMG_4253.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/coralfishg/IMG_4256.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/coralfishg/IMG_4255.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/coralfishg/IMG_4254.jpg

[CORALFISHG]

the stands for the sump, refugium, and for tank maintnance..

i used 2x4's and fence posts...

the bare skeloton
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/coralfishg/tank016.jpg

some more 2x4's for support
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/coralfishg/tank017.jpg

and there here she is skinned
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/coralfishg/tank019.jpg

i built the other stand (standing rack) the same way.. i but 2 coats so far off white latex paint, im gunna put atleast 1 more coat on them before im done....
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/coralfishg/tank023.jpg


so that is where i am at as of today...

now for the question's...

1. there are 4 holes drilled in the bottom of the tank.. but the closed loop is gunna need 5.. 4 for the returns, and one for the intake.. were should i drill the hole for the intake..

2. should i drill a hole for the main return.. and if so, were should i drill this..

3. and the most importent question.. there is a 5 inch hole at the top of the tank.. i think the previous owner cut the hole to bypass the overflow.. should i block this hole up and go back to the overflow, or just go with the 5 inch hole.. I wish that stupid thing was not there..

4. inside the overflow there is two holes.. one is like 2 inch and the other is about a 1/2 inch.. is the smaller hole for the durso.. and how do i build a durso..




the tank has alot of surface scratches but nothing deep.. i want to polish the tank, but im to scared... i destroyed my last tank by polishing it.. there was no way that i could pass the tank up even with the 5 inch hole and scratches.. for 500$ i could overlook the problems.. everything can be fixed (almoast)

thanks for any help guys... jason

[tbone28]

how tall is your tank?

[CORALFISHG]

the tank is 4 feet tall, and 7 feet long..

[warriorss08]

i hope you have a snorkel to clean the bottom of that tank...tall tanks are not my favorite. I'm excited to see what you do

[FuzzyZipperbaum]

It's amazing on many threads start with..."I got permission from my wife!"

All I know is my wife doesn't ask me for permission to add to her huge shoe collection so when I start my next project... LOL....

anyway, looking forward to what you come up with in on the rock structure for that tall guy! Should be fun...

[jmccown]

I used one of the underwater scratch removers on my tank. I think I got it from algae free or somewhere. You just use your cleaning magnet to polish the scratches. Mine looks like new now. Very easy to do. As for the closed loop I'd use the large hole on the side for an intake and the ones on the bottom for the returns. I too have a tall tank, they're not fun to clean. You have to be creative. I just use PVC as extensions to reach the bottom of mine (which is only 36" high), I cannot reach the bottom of mine.

[CORALFISHG]

lol.. your darn right these threads always start with the wife gave me permission.. without getting voulger on here, lets face it, we have to keep the woman happy at all times.. so if she needs a few extra shoes then i will deal with it.. in the end most of the woman are not reef geek like most of us, and they just don't see the need for the massive tank.. but it's all part of the master plan.. if i get her the shoes, and i get my tank, then i have two lovers in my life, and the one starts getting less attention :)


god blessed me with a long body, and i deffinetly think it's gunna come in handy with this tank.. when stretching i can almoast tuch the bottom of the tank.. i deffinetly will be putting on a mask and using a snorkel for cleaning and maintnance..

speaking of magnets what company's out there make magnets for this size tank.. the acrilic is 1 1/2 inch thick.. i think algea free makes one, but they don't have it listed on there site..

i have actually been thinking of using the overflow drain for the imput to the closed loop and using the 3 inch hole for the main drain.. i think this will make my plumbing alot easier.. but i whould love to hear everyone's thought's as to if this whould work the way i want it to or not..

the 3 inch hole at the top of the tank is lower then the teeth on the overflow, what kinda problems am i gunna run into with this...

jason

[Meisen]

Very cool shape tank. Looks like its coming along nicely too. Definitely tagging this one to see what you do next.

[FishyBiz]

I like the dims. I think taller tanks are worth the effort.
You should take out the door leading into the house the the fish room feels like it is part of the house. Maybe open the doorway up more so it shows off the tank.

[CORALFISHG]

the door to the house is being removed this weekend and it is getting relocated to the new doorway.. i just ran out of time last weekend to do it.. i have 4 pugs so i whould have did it throughout the week but the last thing i need is to get half way done and have dogs having pug fun in the garage.. there's no telling what they could get into in there.

jason

[tbone28]

that tall tank makes for a beautiful display, but mainteance for a shorty like me would be killer!

[CORALFISHG]

alright guys im here to show my weekly update.. it dosent look like alot got done, but trust me, it shure dosent feel like it... I am flippin shore from head to toe.. i started on friday by emptying my garage completly, and there was alot of junk in there.. then i bought a epoxy to paint the garage floors.. so i spent a good portion of saturday prepin the floor for the paint.. and then saturday night i painted it.. the thing is i bought a kit to do it, got almoast done, and then ran out of paint.. so i had to rush to home depot and buy another kit.. so i took the extra paint and painted the top of the stands.. im really happy with the way that it came out.. does any one know if you can put a clear coat on that stuff so that it's glossy.. saturday I also got the old door ripped out and put it in it's new location.. it wasent easy getting it out of there without destroying the casing, but we got it done.. and then today i spent all day outside powerwashing the driveway.. I am burnt like a lobster, sorry to all you guys still dealing with the cold weather, it hit about 90 here today.. nad i got the sump up on it's stand..

here's some pics for all you pic lovers...
I whould love to hear everone's feedback..

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/coralfishg/IMG_4257.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/coralfishg/IMG_4258.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/coralfishg/IMG_4259.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/coralfishg/IMG_4260.jpg

here's the tanks in place.. i don't know yet if that's the skimmers final resting spot..
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/coralfishg/IMG_4262.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v655/coralfishg/IMG_4261.jpg

let me know what you think..

jason

[Jar*Head]

I think it look sweet. I want to put my tank in the garage too but CO kinda cold...

[CORALFISHG]

thanks jar head.. i have following your build for the last few months and i have to say it's looking great.. those wave boxes really get the water moving.. are you having any problems with water splashing out..

jason

[Jar*Head]

I will if i don't dial down the wave. I didn't fill my tank all the way up but the water already touch the brace... I could get away with two but my curiosity got me into doing 4 :D

[PRINCE_NAMOR]

Nice setup dude, Ill be watching this thread closely, Im building a big tank soon as I find a site for my new house.

[chrismhaase]

Looks great. I live in Tampa and I would be worried about the temp from the garage, so are you going to use a window AC unit or a chiller?

[CORALFISHG]

i havent decided yet.. im thinking about using a window ac unit.. or just running the ac into the garage.. my father in law is a ac man so he will be able to help me figure that out... im deffinetly gunna run a exhust fan above the lights to try and keep the heat from the 400's under control..

[CORALFISHG]

alright guys im about ready to place a order at savko.com but im having trouble figuring out which bulkheads i need to order.. i have to different hole sizes that i need to order for.. the first hole is exactly 2" and then the other one is 2 3/4".... im wanting to place my order so that possibly i can have everything this weekend to plumb, but i doubt it will get here in time...

i will post more pics later today.. the room is almoast done all i have left is to trim it out...

jason

[chrismhaase]

Here is a guide
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t296/chrismhaase/bulkhead.jpg

[CORALFISHG]

thanks for the chart.. that helps out alot and also confirms why im having problems finding the size i need.. if im looking at the chart right then i want to go with the 1 3/4 for the 2" hole and 2 3/8 for the larger hole.. both of them will have a little slop in them, the smaller one having 1/4 and the larger having 3/8.. will having that much slop be alright...

[chrismhaase]

Maybe if you went with a schdule 80 then that might work better. They are wider bulkheads if I am not mistaken. I guess some homework is due.

[chrismhaase]

here is something else http://www.savko.com/portal/bulkhead.asp

[salty55]

I love that tank! it's freaking massive!

I don't know if I would use the big bulkhead up top for a closed loop inlet. it would probaly suck air like crazy being that close to the water surface.

i'm curious, how are you going to get the water to flow into the sump with it at the same level as the tank?

[CORALFISHG]

thank you chrismhaase i think sch 80 is deffinetly the way to go.. it looks like i will only have about 1/8th slop on both holes, i will deffenitly feel safer with those..

salty55 this tank is deffinetly not your normal tank, and deffinetly is not your average reef tank.. i have only seen like 3 or 4 that are close to my dimension's...

as for the flow into the sump.. i have decided to use the hole at the top for my overflow into the sump.. there is a good foot from the bottom of the hole to the top of the sump.. i don't think i will have any problems with this.. im gunna run the pipes almost to the bottom of the sump so that i won't have alot of splashing, so in all reality there will be about a 3' drop.. im gunna use the overflow that is in the tank for the closed loop.. if i run into a problem were the water going into the overflow cant keep up with the closed loop then i will drill some holes lower then the large hole at the top of the tank.. until i get some water into this beast i really won't know if my ideas are gunna work...

[OnlyCrimson]

I love that tank height! 4 feet is insane. Makes for an awesome display, but a bastard to light. Looks like it came from a restaurant or something.

[CORALFISHG]

i don't know where it started from but i bought it from a guy in upstate florida.. he had it built into the front of his house.. yes, i said the front of his house.. he had it so that the tank was visible when you drove by his house. made no sense to me but, who am i...