500 Gallon Reef

[urbor]

I am finally getting a bigger tank.

I will be upgrading from my 240 fowlr to the new 500 gallon tank.

The tank is going to be 8'Lx30"Wx38"H

I will be putting this tank in my living room on the first floor with the sump in the basement.

I will be using the 240 in the basement as a sump.
I also have a 125 that will be used for water changes that is going in the basement.

I still need to decide on what size and brand to get for a return pump.

I will be using my existing euro-reef skimmer.


I also need some suggestions on what kind of lighting I should use for a mixed reef on such a tall tank. I want to be able to keep zoos, mushrooms, lps, softies. If I can keep sps in there to that would be nice but not necessary.
I was leaning toward some MH supplemented with VHO attinics.

and just because I dont have any pics of the new tank yet here are some of my fowlr.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v511/acurar/PictureNEWEST017.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v511/acurar/PictureNEWEST276.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v511/acurar/PictureNEWEST014.jpg

[stunreefer]

Sounds awesome, and your fish in the existing 240 ROCK!!!

Are you planning on putting them in the 500 with coral? I see a few fish that would probably devastate your zoas...they're much cooler than zoas though :thumbsup:

I might look into the LumenBrite reflectors in order to achieve deeper penetration....it depends on your aquascape and where you want to grow the coral too. If you will place the coral 1/2 way up your tank and higher your options are more open IMO, but if you want to grow coral towards the bottom you'll need some serious power "under the hood."

GL!

[mortis13]

go with MH, 38 thats deep man have you got a mask and a wetsuit yet?

[streetjudge79]

awesome fish!

[urbor]

well i got the 500 gallon home with about six guys i got it off the truck and into the garage until I build a stand for it.

I will take some pics of it later tonight.

[urbor]

heres a crappy cell phone pic of the 500 gallon in my garage


ill get better pics

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v511/acurar/500gallon.jpg

[porthios]

lol, how stoked are you ;). tagging along.

[urbor]

im so excited to get this thing running

[soccerbag]

Wow, that's a monster. Love your Vlamingi Tang - how old is he / she?

[AMD30]

whats the thickness of the tank walls?

[urbor]

the vlamingi is about 12" with some really nice streamers, hes about 3 years old

I think the glass is about 3/4" thick


I hope to start working on the stand this weekend

[urbor]

heres a few more pics of the tank

its sitting on the old 240 stand(dont worry im not using tha one for the 500 gallon, i'm going to build a brand new one)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v511/acurar/IMG_1147.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v511/acurar/IMG_1149.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v511/acurar/IMG_1151.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v511/acurar/IMG_1152.jpg

[urbor]

heres a pic of the euro reef skimmer off my 240 i will be using
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v511/acurar/IMG_0484.jpg


heres some more fish pics
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v511/acurar/PictureNEWEST030.jpg[/IMG]
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v511/acurar/PictureNEWEST272.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v511/acurar/PictureNEWEST272.jpg
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v511/acurar/PictureNEWEST031.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v511/acurar/PictureNEWEST257.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v511/acurar/PictureNEWEST158.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v511/acurar/PictureNEWEST142.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v511/acurar/PictureNEWEST174.jpg
[IMG]

[urbor]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v511/acurar/DSC03158.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v511/acurar/DSC03143.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v511/acurar/PictureNEWEST119.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v511/acurar/PictureNEWEST057.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v511/acurar/PictureNEWEST104.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v511/acurar/DSC02644.jpg

[FFrankie]

I love your fish!
Will be fun watching this build. :)

[AMD30]

wow! u have 3 achilles!? thats awesome. how do they get along? are they all the same size? i always wanted one.

[Bax]

I can't believe you have three achilles tangs!!!

Now we need a fish list of what you have and what you want to add! :D

[drpo21]

holy crap, how did you manage to get 3 achilles? beautiful fish, as well as the rest.

also do you think that euroreef will be enough?

[ruiny]

looking great, can't wail to see it all set up.
I too love your fish.

[urbor]

yeah i think the euroreef will be enough because im going to have a 240 gallon refugium with macros in it

yeah i love the achilles, probally one of my favorite fish

as for all the fish I have now wont be going into to this tank, I wont be putting in of the angels in there

[urbor]

I added all three achilles at once and they never really pick on each other.

[thor32766]

i have to say that is pretty cool. Its great feat just to have one achilles doing well much less three of them!

[urbor]

thanks thor

i really love all your tangs and angels also

[urbor]

OK Ive moved into a new house and have completelty started over with my livestock which really sucks.

So here are some pics of the progress Ive made.

I supported the floor under the tank in the basement and added some bracing 2x10, 4x4 and steel columns.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v511/acurar/1126081605a.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v511/acurar/1130081646a.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v511/acurar/1130081646.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v511/acurar/1130081644.jpg

I also built the stand, it isnt finished yet!
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v511/acurar/1030082214.jpg

Here is some of the new live rock I got about 300 pounds, waiting for the tank to be ready for water, so i can put these in there.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v511/acurar/downsized_1107081730.jpg

And I got a crappy picture of the tank on the stand, it took about 10 guys to lift this thing probally is about 1200 pounds.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v511/acurar/1128082336.jpg

o and i got a pair of blakc misbar clownfish but i dont have a pic yet

I also got some of the lighting equipment that I needed, three coralvue 400watt electronic ballast and two 660 vho icecap ballast

I think thats about it for right now

[rob1991]

wow those fish are awesome i really like the achilles tangs, the convict tang, and the clown tang!

[monti1]

That is one amazing fish display! cant wait to see the new tank.

[urbor]

alright here is update of the stand and the tank

the stand is still under construction

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v511/acurar/1202082025.jpg

[urbor]

ok finally an update on this tank

I've been working on the stand, its about done.

I need to do some little things still like stain it and mount my metal halides.

Here are some current pics of the my soon to 500 gallon reef.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v511/acurar/100_1064.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v511/acurar/100_1072.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v511/acurar/100_1087.jpg

[Hongt713]

go with mh i have 2 x 400watts mh on mines and my tank is 42" tall heres a photo of how tall my tank looks

http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL367/11060598/20974865/357910218.jpg

[FishyBiz]

Hongt713
Do you have a thread on your tank yet? Id like to know more about it. Size.... equipment...... *cough more pics of the girl cough*

[stunreefer]

Looks great urbor, I really like the way you "framed" the tank in the wall :thumbsup:

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15237459#post15237459 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by FishyBiz
*cough more pics of the girl cough*
:lol: