tas5tas' 237g Total System Build

[tas5tas]

Ok, I figured I would take a shot at doing a build thread so here is a quick breakdown of what the system will include:

125g Barebottom SPS Dominated Display
75g Sump with 15g Internal Refugium/6" Deep Sand Bed
20g Auto Top Off
17g Custom Acrylic Softie Tank
Custom Built Stand/Canopy with Integrated Bookshelves/DVD Holders

Main Display Lighting:
3- 250w Coralvue Dimmable MH Ballasts
3- 250w SE Reeflux 12k Bulbs
3- Lumenbright Mini Reflectors
1- Icecap 660 VHO Ballast
2- 60" UVL Super ActinicR 140w VHO Bulbs
3- Current White Lunar Light Module

Sump Lighting:
2- 8" Shop Light
2- 15w 6500k Spiral Flouresent Bulbs

Softie Tank Lighting:
4- 18" Under Cabinet Fixtures
1- 15w 10k Ocean Sun Bulb
1- 15w 50/50 Reef Sun Bulb
1- 15w 420nm Coral Sun Bulb
1- 15w 480nm Marine Glo Bulb

Main Display Water Movement:
2- Koralia #4's modded with Sureflo 1600 kit
2- Koralia #3's modded with Sureflo 1600 kit
1- Quietone 4000 Return Pump

Softie Tank Water Movement:
Provided from Ouietone 4000 Return Pump

Total System Filtration/Contollers:
1- Octopus Extreme 300 Skimmer
1- Geo 618 Calcium Reactor/5lb Co2/Reef Fanatic Regulator/Ehiem 1048/Milwaukee pH Controller
2- TLF Phosban Reactors(1 Carbon & 1 Phosban)
250lbs. Live Rock
6" Refugium Sand Bed
2" Softie Tank Sand Bed
1- JBJ Auto Top Off
1- Aqua Contoller Jr/Temp Probe/pH Probe/DC 8
2- 300w Via Aqua Contollable Titanium Heaters

Hopefully everything will turn out as well as I hope it will. I'm shooting for a completion date of 1/1/2009, but being disabled it may be delayed if I don't have the help around I need to lift things. Once everything is completed I will be taking down my current 55g display and moving all of it's inhabitants to the new system.

[tas5tas]

Here is the equiptment:

[tas5tas]

[tas5tas]

Here are pictures of the sump....I was able to complete all the baffles last weekend. I still have to add my eggrate above the refugium and the bulkheads on the top edge for the water draining from the display.

[JRaquatics]

Looks like you have everything for a start of a great tank. Can't wait to see all the parts put together.

[RayAllen]

Great start, and nice equipment.

[m0nk]

Awesome equipment, love the Octopus skimmer. They skim like champs.

[tas5tas]

I was able to get some work done on the stand today since my father was here to help me lift things.












I will start to coat with Kilz tonight before I start skinning the bottom part of the stand and will start on the top half(canopy/bookshelves)once the bottom is skinned and primed.

[rydr119]

Looks good I like your sump design. Good luck keep posting.

[erics3000]

This is looking really good...

[erics3000]

i didn't know sureflo makes kits for korillias. i raelly love the one I have for my maxi jet.

[tas5tas]

You can use the sure flow 1600 kit for the maxi jet on the koralia #3 and #4. The black prop will fit both, but the white prop will only fit the #4. My #3's in my 55g with the black props put out more flow than a vortech. Just having one #3 on the side placed about halfway down ripples the entire top surface about 2" and you can visably see the flow moving away from the pump up top and the undertow moving towards the pump from the bottom. Like I said...I have 2 of them in my barebottom 55g now and they will be making the move to the 125g along with 2 new #4's modded with the white props.

[tas5tas]

I was able to prime the bottom portion of the stand last night and today, so I'll post pictures tomorrow once it is dry.

[tas5tas]

Here are some pics of the stand primed/sealed. Now I can start skinning the stand and prime/seal them to be painted.

[BlkfrontEnd]

Nice!!

[tas5tas]

Hey JR.....

I need to build a stand for my skimmer and was wondering what the best depth was for the Octo Extreme 300. I saw you were running your 160 in 8.25". I plan on using the pinwheels and may switch to the meshwheels once the tank is fully stocked.

[~sp0ok~]

nice start...
will be watching

[tas5tas]

It is a standard 72"x18"x21.5". Was going to use a closed loop, but I'm capping all of the holes and using Koralia's instead. Electricity here in Texas is outrageous and the thought of a 200-350 watt per hour pump running 24hrs/day makes me sick everytime I think about it.

[tas5tas]

Build has been delayed for a while. Battling a horrible abscess tooth and will have the tooth removed(hopefully monday) once the swelling and infection subsides. Went to the dentist on monday and they put me on some antibiotics. I just haven't had the will power to do any work through all of the pain. My right cheek/jaw is swollen to about the size of a softball. Will try to get some work done this weekend if I can. The antibiotics seem to be helping somewhat as most of the pain has subsided today. I'm still shooting for a completion date of 1/1/2009.

[JRaquatics]

Take your time and don't rush it. You will regret it if you do. Sorry to here about the tooth, that has got to hurt.

[GlassReef]

Looks like your off to a great start! You've picked some really nice equipment. You did a great job on the stand! One thing, if the stand is not going to be skinned, you might want to consider some kind of lateral stiffening. 1/2" ply across 2 of the back sections would suffice. I may be wrong, maybe someone else could give an opinion.

[tas5tas]

It's going to be skinned...just been delayed a few days thanks to an abscess tooth. The stand/canopy will also double as bookshelves/dvd/xbox360 games holder.



BTW......It's actually snowing here.....beware the end of the world when SE Texas receives snow. I actually made a fire in the fireplace for my wife tonight.

[sasharotty]

Very nice start How much flow do the modded k3 and k4 put out?

[GlassReef]

Originally posted by tas5tas
It's actually snowing here.....beware the end of the world when SE Texas receives snow.

Well, its obviously because of global warming ....

[tas5tas]

The modded k3 puts out a ton of flow....I don't have an accurate way to measure it, but it is about 3-4 times a regular #4. I haven't tested the #4 out yet, but I'm going to try and use the white props in my #4's.