10,000 gal pool reef. 38,000 liters

[karimwassef]

I’m adding a massive deep zone with tons of crushed limestone ... 10 cubic yards of the stuff.

The primary intent was to reduce the volume of saltwater needed in the tall tank’s hidden bottom but now I’m curious if it’ll act as a mineral and pH stabilizer.

[karimwassef]

Another addition is growing mangroves in the settling sediment filter. The idea is that detritus collects here and I’d rather not have to remove it...

https://cals.arizona.edu/azaqua/ista...%20Control.pdf

They call it swirl separators in the paper

[travisstewart]

Originally Posted by karimwassef

I’m adding a massive deep zone with tons of crushed limestone ... 10 cubic yards of the stuff.

The primary intent was to reduce the volume of saltwater needed in the tall tank’s hidden bottom but now I’m curious if it’ll act as a mineral and pH stabilizer.

Ahh sounds great!


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[karimwassef]

Still waiting on city permit and HOA approval

[karimwassef]

Also decided to start a new YouTube video channel to walk through it once I get approval.

It’s called “Bright Reef Gardens” and it’s currently empty... but it’s a start.

[travisstewart]

Originally Posted by karimwassef

Also decided to start a new YouTube video channel to walk through it once I get approval.

It’s called “Bright Reef Gardens” and it’s currently empty... but it’s a start.

Cool following!


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[Lytehouse]

Originally Posted by karimwassef

Also decided to start a new YouTube video channel to walk through it once I get approval.

It’s called “Bright Reef Gardens” and it’s currently empty... but it’s a start.

Quick search on youtube for your channel brought up lots of interesting videos, but I was unable to locate yours.

[karimwassef]

It’s empty so the search engine can’t find anything yet.

I’ll post my first walkthrough this weekend.

[karimwassef]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ayxv7GOuiU

Eli's tank is on this list...

[travisstewart]

Originally Posted by karimwassef

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ayxv7GOuiU

Eli's tank is on this list...

Eli’s is cool and I think you could get some good ideas from his tank, but dang I love David saxbys tank


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[karimwassef]

it took a while to capture the walkthrough so I'm going to post the images tonight and then explain over the week

ok.. here's the end view as it stands...



and here it is without the reef cover:



and without the screened-in reef room:



the design has morphed into a coral reef inside of a pool. The pool is basically a moat (U shaped actually) and the pool water is separate from the reef water but there are windows that allow viewing inside the reef from underwater in the pool. This is a wife-compromise and the reef is 20% smaller now at 8' x 16' x 5.5' deep. The pool is 20' x 30' x 4'. The sump is the part of the pool that is separated behind the reef and that's 5' x 20' x 4'.

The surge tanks are 4' x 8' x 6' and the return surge fuge is 4' x 8' x 2.5'

But it all starts with building the pool... on a very strict DIY budget!



Here's the starting point:



the first step is the deep excavation for the geothermal loops. First, the air cooling loops that go down about 8'



and then a foot above that, the water cooling loops:



Both are PVC loops and the excavations are filled in with sand which is wetted and then compressed... Is it perfect? No, but it's an opportunity to reduce my cooling costs in the summer.

The excavation is then expanded in area to put in the pool and plumbing. The first step is a gravel base:



Then a waterproofing plastic layer and a 4" insulation layer to reduce heat loss in the winter (pink). Then the pool plumbing. There are two bottom drains and 2 pool skimmers connected to the pool equipment back beside the house. I also added 3 "conduit" channels underground made of 4" PVC for electricity and water connections over time. I'm also adding PEX heating loops at this point.



The challenge is to keep the pool at 73F or warmer during the upcoming Texas winter. If I can't do that, then I have no chance of keeping a reef alive. Either I make an all-year pool first, or ... no reef. That's the driving force behind all the insulation, the heating coils, and the swimming pool moat. The idea is that the pool water volume would act as a giant thermal battery. If it's under a greenhouse structure, it should continue to hold on to heat.

[karimwassef]

Next is the waterproofing layer and the rebar (horizontal and vertical) #4:



and then the concrete pour with 4000psi (6sack) mix:



the next step is the concrete walls and I'm planning on using preformed PVC from a company called EPI plastics: https://www.epiplastics.com/index.ht...SAAEgL7evD_BwE

Here's a video showing how they go up:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjZex0ne8GM



The walls are 4' high but the excavation is 3' deep to the concrete floor so there's about a 1' edge above ground.

Then the epoxy paint from Aquaguard:
https://www.aquaguard5000.com/produc...primer-sealer/
https://www.aquaguard5000.com/produc...quaguard-5000/



That's basically the pool.

The protective screen room is next:



The purpose of the room is to provide a space to work in the brutal winter in Dallas. Ice is harsh. This is a mini-greenhouse with insulated walls for sound proofing and controlled environment.



The front of the room is screened with clear plastic sheet and the roof is acrylic panels.



Next is the "pool shed". This will house the 100A subpanel, RODI, ATO, sinks, generator, hot and cold water, drain, as well as the pool equipment:



and it's all brick and roofed to match the house:



then the pool "green-house" cover is PVC and plastic sheet:

[karimwassef]

So the pool guts look like this:



Then the insulation around the pool sides too...




So far, the estimate to do the 20'x30' 18,000 gallon pool is $36K... my budge is $25K ... so I'm still trying to figure out how to squeeze it all in...

[karimwassef]

Once the pool is proven in, the reef can start:

The plumbing goes in first:



The large white pipes are 4" overflow and drain (red is emergency) and the green pipes are 2" returns from the surge-fuge. There are also four yellow pipes 2" for vacuum and four white 2" for electrical and hydraulic connections... these are just conduits to avoid running wires over the pool edge.

Next come the walls - same construction as the pool but with windows cutout under the water level with glass panels.



and here's what it looks like with the greenhouse screening room:

[karimwassef]

[karimwassef]

[karimwassef]

Here's what I wanted to achieve:

1. Solar to reduce cost of lighting
2. Geothermal to reduce cooling cost
3. Thermal coils to allow me to use gas heating
4. Peninsula to allow 3 sided view
5. Dropoff edge to create separate shallow and deep reefs
6. Deep cavern region for the fish to hide and sleep & encourage sponges.
7. Large shallow reef with side and top view
8. Underwater pool view
9. Thermal mass of the pool to control heat loss
10. Tides with a hydraulically controlled overflow
11. 4 massive channel surges that can immediately flow in circulating loops to each other
12. 100% surge-fuge return inside the rock to encourage soft structure plankton
13. Underground surge flush through limestone
14. Sand bottom and rock bottom
15. Year round access with a moving pool/reef cover
16. Large raised tanks to to create a scrubber that can be vertically scaled by fish (reverse dropoff)
17. Large settling tank with rotating separation for detritus
18. Walk-on pool walkway (barefoot only) with winter greenhouse effect

There are a few more nuances to the design but I'll capture them as I walk through the images later.

[travisstewart]

Dang! You sure you don’t build pool reefs for a living?!


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[karimwassef]

Originally Posted by travisstewart

Dang! You sure you don’t build pool reefs for a living?!


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LOL! I might end up doing that after this build...

[karimwassef]

If anyone sees anything that could be done better, now would be a good time to chime in.

I haven’t taken on a project this big before.. any ideas on cost reduction options or smarter solutions would be great.

[travisstewart]

Just invite me over!!!


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[karimwassef]

You can be present at the groundbreaking event... I’m hoping it’s a week out. Contractors are getting edgy.

[travisstewart]

Originally Posted by karimwassef

You can be present at the groundbreaking event... I’m hoping it’s a week out. Contractors are getting edgy.

If it’s a week out, i won’t be able to be there :/ I live in Houston, but am in rowlett two weekends a month. I was just there this past weekend


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[karimwassef]

Maybe we can coordinate. When are you back here?

[travisstewart]

Prob 5/22 weekend but for my 30th bday not a good weekend lol


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