~360 In Wall Build

[Raoul5Duke]

I’ve been planning a large build for some time now, but I just received delivery of my tank and sump yesterday so I thought it was appropriate to finally start my build thread. I welcome any comments, suggestions or constructive criticism from my fellow reefers. I also want to thank all those that have created their own build threads on ReefCentral and especially the Large Reef Tank forum as I have learned a lot from exploring and enjoying these threads.

Background:
I’ve been keeping saltwater aquariums for approximately 6 years now. I started off with the typical 55-gallon FOWLR but it didn’t take long for me to get interested in corals and start upgrading equipment. Soon I had 2 tanks and was planning a third, basically the full blown addiction. After getting married in 2010 and moving to a larger place I decided that I really wanted to have a large tank one day, but I told myself that I needed to prove that I could keep SPS and other difficult corals before I upgraded to a large system. Over the last 3.5 years I have accomplished that objective and now I feel that I have outgrown my cobbled together ~150 gallon system and I am ready to invest in a large system. The system will be an in wall DT in my basement with a fish room behind it. I plan on this being a mixed reef, but I primarily enjoy SPS and LPS corals.

Equipment List:

Tank & Sump:
Tank – 96”x36”x24” or ~ 360 gallons. The tank will be made out of ¾” acrylic. I chose acrylic over glass for a variety of reasons but one of the main factors was the tank will sit next to our pool table in an area where the kids often play. I do not plan on painting the back as the room behind the tank is used as an exercise area and I want to be able to access it and enjoy it from both sides.

Sump – 60”x24”x16” or ~80 gallons. The sump is acrylic as well. I belive ¼” thick. Pretty simple design where the water flows into three 7” filter socks and then 2 large areas before hitting the return section. The skimmer will sit in the first large area while the second I have not decide what to do with. Possibly extra live rock, an algae turf scrubber or my reactors might go here.
The tank and sump were designed and built locally near Cleveland, OH by Aquatica. They were great to work with and came up with several ideas that improved upon my initial design ideas.

Water Movement:
I project I will need 20-40x my DT turnover inside the aquarium = 7,200-14,400 GPH. I plan to start with the following –

2x Vortech MP60s (3,500-7,500 GPH ea.) – I have heard these are pretty loud at 100% so I am assuming I will run them at 60% which should total around 9,000 GPH.

1.5” Sea Swirl = 3,500-5,800 GPH – I assume 3,500 GPH based on my return pump. I have always wanted to try these. If I need more turnover or I don’t like the Sea Swirl I will likely add 1-2x MP40s on the back wall.

For my return pumps, I am shooting for 5-10x my DT turnover flowing through the sump = 1,800 - 3,600 GPH. I plan on using 2x Reeflo Dart/Snapper hybrids. One will be the return pump while the other will run my manifold, yet will be plumbed in so I can switch over to it if I need to take the other pump off line for repairs. I really wanted to try the new DC pumps, but I just can’t get comfortable with their reliability right now based on the research I have done.

Filtration:
JNS Shark Series 7 Skimmer fed by 2x Modified Sicce 5.0 pumps. The skimmer is rated up to 1,000 gallons, has air intake of 3,000 LPH and 16 inch diameter chamber. I was recommended this skimmer by Drae in the skimmer forum who informed me that it’s the same skimmer as the AquaMaxx Cone 7, just rebranded and cheaper!

Carbon & GFO Reactors – I am undecided on brand, but I have not be happy with the BRS dual reactor so I am looking into single reactors for each

3x 7” Filter Socks – as mentioned previously. The guys at Aquatica designed a nice system where the socks slide into a shelf that holds each of them in place

Algae Scrubber? – I have experimented with some homemade and purchased scrubbers and I will likely continue to use this as part of my nutrient export.

Display Fuge?? – Currently I do not plan on using a fuge as I think it would be too small to really help with nutrient export. I think most fuges people set up are too small to do much good. Longer term I might plumb in a display fuge more for enjoyment that expected nutrient export.

Live Rock – Approx. 180 lbs that will be transferred from my current tanks. I want to have a very open aquascape in the display so there is plenty of room for corals to fill out and the fish to swim. If I begin having trouble with keeping my parameters in check then I can add more later.

Water Change & ATO:
Genesis Reef System Renew and Storm Pro models will be used for top off and automated water changes. I am really looking forward to automating my water changes. I always get really busy in the fall with work and coaching so inevitably my maintenance starts to lapse. I am hoping this will help out and increase the time I get to enjoy my tank instead of cleaning it, etc.

2x 80 gallon storage tanks plumbed to an old Mag 12 for mixing saltwater.

Lighting:
4x Ecotech Radion XR30w Pro Generation 3

Temp Control:
4x 500w Finnex Titanium Heaters controlled by 2x Ranco Controllers. There is no need for a chiller as it doesn’t get warm enough in Cleveland to worry about it.

Controllers:
Apex and Ecotech Reeflink

Other/Misc.:
I plumbed in a janitor’s sink to a Liberty 404 – 1/3 hp remote sink/drain pump system. Additionally, I plan on getting a 50-70 litre/day dehumidifier to keep humidity levels in check. I might look into an exhaust fan, but for now I am going with just a dehumidifier.

[Raoul5Duke]

Here is a pic of my current system. 4 tanks plumbed together.
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I started with a mock up just to make sure it was going to fit in the house.
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[Raoul5Duke]

With the help of my father in law, we knocked out the back wall of the finished portion of the basement, reframed the wall and ran 2 dedicated 20 Amp circuits. I later realized I probably should have gone with 3 dedicated 20 Amp circuits.

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[Raoul5Duke]

Sorry struggling with the picture editing and posting here.

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I'll try to post some more later.

[benihana]

This is remarkably close to the build I have planned, except mine will be 72x42x24

I will make a couple of observations/suggestions

- you may want to look into decreasing the flow rate from your return pump (water moving through the sump) and increase the turnover rate in the DT to something closer to 60x if you are planning on a good amount of SPS

- I would ditch the dehumidifier and go with the exhaust fan. It will be easier to run (hook it up to a humidistat) and you won't have to deal with the excess water it pulls out

- similar to yours my tank will be in an oversized walk in closet that separates our family room and workout room. I am planning on figuring out something to hang on the back of the tank to give it a black background from viewing from the front, but when using the treadmill, it could easily be taken off to view from inside the workout room

Great progress....looking forward to seeing more pics!!!

[benihana]

I also plan on running two return pumps in two seperate 20 amp circuits so that if one trips, the other will hopefully keep the tank functioning and alive

Gotta have redundancy!

[SPotter]

great build! I have the same exact tank being built right now and should be shipped to me next week!

[Raoul5Duke]

After the framing was complete we covered the backside of the wall with water resistant greenboard and started construction of the stand. I really wanted to go with a steel stand but I realized that the only way to have it done would be to have it welded on site as it wouldn't fit through the basement door. I opted to go with the tradition wood stand using RocketEngineer's design from the DIY Stands Template and Calculator forum.
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[Raoul5Duke]

Finished the stand with a coat of Kilz and then a couple of coats of a high gloss white. We also framed a door in to the room. Then we started to mud the drywall which I hate and am terrible at. Good thing its on the backside of the basement so no one will really see it.

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[Raoul5Duke]

The closest drain was across the room about 15-20' away so I had to come up with a solution as I wanted a sink right by the tank area. I found these Liberty 404 pumps after doing some research and it worked great. It pumps up to the ceiling 9' no problem and then drains across the room and down the other wall to the floor drains.
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Since I had a few weeks until the tank would arrive I went ahead and ordered the tanks and plumbing to mock up my watermixing station. I found a perfect size tank to fit 2 side by side underneath the stairs. The 80 gallon size was a little smaller than I hoped for, but I think it will be fine.
I still have a few things to finish so I can install the Genesis Renew and Storm systems.
Mixing station.jpg

Well that's it for this morning as I have to get to work.

[Raoul5Duke]

Benihana, thanks for the suggestions. I'll have to do some more research on exhaust fans. Any suggestions? I already have a drain that I can tie into for the dehumidifier so its an easy setup, just an added expense.

As far as flow I might have to ditch the Sea Swirl and go with the two extra MP40s which would push me into the range you suggest. I was looking at the tank last night and they ended up going with a full top and cutting out access holes so there is no central place to mount it. I think I will keep it simple for now till I decide. I need to make sure MP40s will hold to 3/4" acrylic.

Check out this thread:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...2302364&page=7
Post #173, he came up with a pretty good idea for the backside, but I'm not sure how easy it is to remove.

[Raoul5Duke]

Originally Posted by SPotter

great build! I have the same exact tank being built right now and should be shipped to me next week!

Thanks Spotter. I've checked out your thread. Really impressive all the detail you are putting into your flow design and the various colors you are using. Looking forward to seeing the finished product. I hope everything goes well with the shipping and delivery of your tank. I was pretty nervous till we actually got my through the door and on the stand.

[SPotter]

Originally Posted by Raoul5Duke

The closest drain was across the room about 15-20' away so I had to come up with a solution as I wanted a sink right by the tank area. I found these Liberty 404 pumps after doing some research and it worked great. It pumps up to the ceiling 9' no problem and then drains across the room and down the other wall to the floor drains.
Attachment 275746

I used one of those pumps with my system in my old house and worked flawlessly!!!!! Just be careful with what goes down the drain....one day the pump stopped working. I took it a part and found a very small piece of RO tubing had made its way down the drain and it got wedged in and would not allow the pump to turn.

[MrClam]

Where did you get those 80g barrels? I have been looking for something along those dimensions. Thanks.

[Raoul5Duke]

Originally Posted by MrClam

Where did you get those 80g barrels? I have been looking for something along those dimensions. Thanks.

I was able to get them from Tank Depot, Plastic Mart also has them. There are a few things to consider though..... The shipping on these to residential areas is pretty ridiculous and there is a 4-6 week lead time as the manufacturer (Ace /DenHartog) is backed up. I got lucky, the sales rep from tank depot tracked down two that they had in stock for me. I decided to just eat the high cost as I needed them to fit in that space. I know several guys around here get the blue 55-gallon drums from breweries, etc. but those were not large enough for me.

Websites:
http://www.tank-depot.com/browse.aspx?id=2
http://www.plastic-mart.com/product/...tank-sp0080-rt

[benihana]

Originally Posted by Raoul5Duke

Benihana, thanks for the suggestions. I'll have to do some more research on exhaust fans. Any suggestions? I already have a drain that I can tie into for the dehumidifier so its an easy setup, just an added expense.

As far as flow I might have to ditch the Sea Swirl and go with the two extra MP40s which would push me into the range you suggest. I was looking at the tank last night and they ended up going with a full top and cutting out access holes so there is no central place to mount it. I think I will keep it simple for now till I decide. I need to make sure MP40s will hold to 3/4" acrylic.

Check out this thread:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...2302364&page=7
Post #173, he came up with a pretty good idea for the backside, but I'm not sure how easy it is to remove.

Haven't decided 100% on the exhaust fan, but I am leaning toward a panasonic 110 or 130, but I have a small room that this will pull from. I have panasonic exhaust fans in my house right now and you can barely hear them.

Have you looked into MP60's? Since my tank will be 42" wide, my plan is to utilize MP60's (or Tunze equivalents) for left to right flow, but then add a couple on the back panel to help randomize the flow

The window tint looks like a great option, especially for the price....the unknown is how many times you can "un-stick" and remount the tint...but for $33 it is worth a shot


Keep the updates coming!

[svavrek]

Lookin' good! How about a picture of the tank on the stand... and a play by play of getting the monster in the house

[Raoul5Duke]

Originally Posted by svavrek

Lookin' good! How about a picture of the tank on the stand... and a play by play of getting the monster in the house

Hopefully I can get a pic of the tank and sump up tonight. You lived the play by play Steve so you know what fun that was. I wish I had my camera when you slid down the tank on the stairs so we could get 3 people at the bottom.

[svavrek]

I'm just happy it fit through the opening. I knew it would swing at the bottom of the stairs. I can't wait to see this thing filled and ready to go!

[SPotter]

Did you use 2x6's or 2x8's for the top of the stand?

[kris101]

Great build! Thanks again for the coral, they are looking good. Are you running your new beast of a skimmer in sump or external?

[Raoul5Duke]

I'm a little crunched for time this a.m. but I wanted to post the few remaining pictures I have and hopefully later I can provide some details. I'm heading to Aquatica this weekend to pick up more equipment, so hopefully I can start on some plumbing Sun.

JNS Shark 7 Skimmer
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Sump
Sump1.jpg
Filtertray.jpg

Tank
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Thanks for the questions & suggestions guys.

[Raoul5Duke]

Originally Posted by SPotter

Did you use 2x6's or 2x8's for the top of the stand?

I used 2x6s since there was a brace in the middle. It basically ends up being 2 4ft. spans instead of 1 8ft. span. RocketEngineer said I could even go with 2x4s for the legs, but I wanted to make sure it was overbuilt given the size so I used 2x6s in the corners and 2x4s for the center supports.

[benihana]

Tank looks great! How long till it's wet?

[Raoul5Duke]

Originally Posted by kris101

Great build! Thanks again for the coral, they are looking good. Are you running your new beast of a skimmer in sump or external?

No problem, I'm glad to have the extra space. I'm running it in sump. I debated about going external but in the end felt like it would take up too much space and the idea of it overflowing onto the floor if it were external wasn't too appealing.