320 gallons of Serenity, Sea Monsters & Sanctuary

[mvsjrs]

Of course, I decided a quarantine section was mandatory once I get a couple thousand in corals and fish grown out. I based the station on 20gal high tanks with the option of 29gal tanks on the bottom row. The stand was built in two pieces in my garage and carried down to the Fish Cave. Notice there is some progress in containing my mess.









__________________
Jason

Single system called Pandora Too of three tanks:
• Pandemonium: 92gal corner Softies/FOWLR on fish overload (office)
• Coral Country: 150Xgal LPS (&SPS?) (family room)
• Sanctuary: 120gal REFUGIUM (50% chaeto/50% all dark bacterial LR) (fish/man cave)
• Filtration: 90gal sump, 60gal settling tank?, DSB?

• Serenity: FW105gal Discus (MBr...mood fish...)

"Physics is a b!tch. She's always right no matter how sure you were about your plumbing design." Me, standing in a puddle of water...

"You cannot allow [yourself] to avoid the brutal facts. If [you] start living in a dream world, it's going to be bad." General "Mad Dog” Mattis.

[mvsjrs]

The water change area received two 75gal polybarrels. One salt mix. One top off. The plumbing was complex and in some ways wrong--I cannot deliver a massive amount of fresh water to the tank with the pump--not sure if that is a flaw in some ways though. So, I make water in a 96gal tap water or RO/DI water. I transfer the RO/DI to the two polybarrels and mix there with a little Mag Drive utility pump. The big thing is this is power by the same pump as all my other pumps so I have a ready replacement if there is a problem. And rated at 1750gal/hr pump, the water moving process is very fast.

[mvsjrs]

The next part came in

[Waterspout]

Awesome!

[mvsjrs]

I’m back! Back in the saddle again!
I’M BACK!!!

Sorry I didn’t keep up on the thread. Typical mid-life…second back surgery, layoffs after ~no revenue growth, kids in high school, coaching BBall, terrifying my girls’ new boyfriends. All the reasons we escape into our tanks in the first place.

Now two major changes have occurred in the build parameters. First, I nixed the 150 tall intended for the family room as an SPS tank because I just can’t handle the physical work of setup and maintenance (even just cleaning another tank’s glass). My last back surgery was amazing but not THAT amazing.

Second, I discovered Craigslist. What a great way to unload a lot of the old equipment in favor of some new toys. I am a techie geek so new shiny things distract me…

So now the build is being adjusted for maximum macro waste removal and a softies/LPS/fish setup. Don’t get me wrong, SPS tanks can blow your mind but I love fish first and corals second. There, I said it. Confession made. With that disclaimer, here are some of the basics.

Still using a 90 gallon sump (basement), a 120 gallon refugium (stacked over the sump) and a 92 gallon corner display tank. Some fauna changes and equipment changes got made:

(1) The boring…150 gallon tank #1 became a F/W tank for my polypterus ornatipinnus (10 years old) with 12 giant danios, 5 wide bar blue hook myleus schomburgkiis, 6 electric blue peacocks, 6 cobalt blue zebras, 4 clown loaches, a redfin blackspot (L-091) plecostomus, a polka dot cactus plecostomus, a gold nugget (L-177) plecostomus, a redtail leopard (L-007) plecostomusa, and a brown hoplo catfish. With all white sand and a black backdrop, it makes a great entrance into my fish cave.





(2) Continuing the boring…150 gallon tank #2 was resealed and became a F/W tank for my my platinum polypterus senegalus (1 yo) with 6 red hook silver dollars, 12 red-spotted gold severums, 2 red-shouldered severums, a redtailed shark, a white seam synodontis, an armoured catfish, a royal sunshine (L-253) plecostomus, a gold nugget (L-81) stardust plecostomus, and a galaxy (L-007) plecostomus. With all black sand and a black backdrop, it finishes the the “room” by separating the fish cave from the main basement.



(3) The last boring…90 gallon tank became a brackish tank for my gymnothorax tile, figure 8 puffers, and many, many lyretail dalmation mollies. With mixed black and white arogonite, it looks great as an island in the middle of the fish cave.



Why bother with the boring? Because these projects gave me a reason for mass water changes. For this S/W project, the new saltwater and T/O water manifold is now plumbed into the house septic. This allows direct dumping of waste water making my 60 gallon water changes a snap. It also saves on energy because I don’t pump it to the sump pump just to pump it to the septic. It goes straight to septic.



I added two quick connects at either end of the fish cave and joined them with the waste line. Now I can use a trash can with a powerful sump pump and 1 ¼” hose to pump waste water from any siphoning in the room. (The check valves have sometimes drip under the pressure of one side being pumped into. I will have to augment them with ball valves. Lowes…)

[mvsjrs]

Now the good stuff…

(4) With all that investment of time & energy, one more upgrade…speaking of energy…whole house generator fueled by our propane tank.

[mvsjrs]

(5) The 120 gallon refugium was divided into two 60 gallon sections with a black polycarbon Lexan Makrolon sheet (eBay, free cut-to-size).

[mvsjrs]

I missed above showing the manifold in the ceiling for all the F/W, S/W and septic plumbing. At my last home, I used 3/4" PVC for my plumbing lines. Since starting this project, I have used all 1" plumbing for lines and 1 1/4" plumbing for major water pathways. It is great to move 90 gallon trashcan fulls of water in just a 1-2 minute wait.

[mvsjrs]

(6) A second Pan World 200PS (1750 gph) was dedicated to the display tank circulation allowing the other Pan World 200PS to be dedicated to the refugium circulation. I also added pipe insulation cut into short segments to dampen vibration of the pipes to the wood framing.

[mvsjrs]

(7) This was the first place I really fell off the wagon. The lighting for the display tank was upgraded from Coralife Coral Aqualight Pro 24 Retrofit kit to 2 EcoTech Marine Radion XR15w Gen4 Pro LED Lights augmented by 2 T5HO 24” MIRO-4 dimmable retrofit kit. The Coralife Coral Aqualight Pro 24 Retrofit kit went to the chaetomorpha refugium section.





I coated the inside of the canopy with a wood sealant that is extremely robust and highly resistant to mold. There really should not be any condensation rolling into the tank so the mold resistance shouldn't ever enter the water. It should keep the canopy immaculate for a lifetime.

[mvsjrs]

With the lights on for a better idea of coverage.

[mvsjrs]

Forgot:
The distance to the water surface is only 8" so the lighting is fairly intense and focused under the LEDs. There was also a strong disco ball effect. I could add diffusers to the LEDs but the spread would not significantly improve high in the walls and corners. Therefore, I added a pair of retrofit T5 bulbs on either side and lowered the intensity of the LEDs. It gives a great visual impression but I am still experimenting with intensity because some softies and LPS are doing better than others.

[mvsjrs]

(8) The temperature of the tank was running about 83 degF so I connected a salvaged HVAC duct fan to the canopy to pull cool air over the water and redirect the canopy lights’ heat. This was always the intent but really is a requirement given the lighting. It perhaps reduced the tank at most a degF. So…

[mvsjrs]

(9) I salvaged a JBJ 1/5 HP Arctica DBA-150 Aquarium Chiller from a past failed start and that keeps the tank at 78-80 degF depending upon high summary temperatures. The exhaust heats my whole basement raising the temp by 1 degF. At the peak of the summer heat, the chiller cannot keep up and the temperature rises to 79.8 degF but without spending money on a more powerful chiller, I am happy with that result. Gotta save money somewhere in this project.



It is current a jury rigged arrangement pending more design thought. I have tried to envision pumping the exhaust through the stand of the two 150 gal F/W tank which currently rely on heaters for a boost. But when I get some real lights for those two tank,

[mvsjrs]

(10) The Coralife Coral Aqualight Pro 24 Retrofit kit was upgrade to a Coralife Coral Aqualight Pro 24 over the refugium chaeto half. The chaeto withered to a few tightly curly threads. Meanwhile the green hair algea exploded. However, not a single strand ever showed up in the display tank.

(11) The withering chaeto led to a lighting replacement with a H380 HALO II LED Algae Grow Light. After two months, a few strands of chaeto have blossed into a 60 gallon mass.

[mvsjrs]

(12) The Reef Octopus 2000 XP-SRO-2000-INT was replaced with a Reef Octopus REGAL 250EXT External Recirculating Protein Skimmer with VarioS-6 DC Pump and VarioS-6 DC Pump volute pump. Even has a Neck Cleaner and a Neck Extension Ring. I build a PVC stand to elevate the new skimmer and placed it in the 90 gallon sump because I am paranoid of overflows.



I demo'ed the skimmer in a variety of locations.







This thing is a beast even handling my way over-the-top fish load.





Final location:



I located the pump controllers conviently to the left 2x4 post:

[mvsjrs]

(13) I salvaged a black polycarbonate overflow from a dead tank and flipped it upside down so the overflow slots were at the bottom. Voila…bubble tower for a 7” 200 micron polyester filter sock.

(14) I added a Theiling Automatic Roller Mat. Again, I build a PVC stand to elevate the roller mat and placed it in the 90 gallon sump because I am REALLY paranoid of overflows.

Trial location before moving into the sump.



In the sump:



The water flow is as follows:
(a) The display tank siphons into the settling tank.
(b) The settling tank overflows into the sump via a 200 micro sock and bubble tower.
(c) The skimmer pump is located adjacent to the bubble tower. So even though the skimmer is all the on the opposite side of the sump, the skimmer is always feed "dirty" water. The discharge of the skimmer is "backwards" to the center of the pump. This helps allow bubbles to rise in the 2 foot travel to the pumps' intake.
(d) The water is drawn into the pump manifold. The first pump feeds the chaeto refugium, the rockfugium, and the RollerMat. The second pump feeds back to the displa tank after passing through the chiller.
(e) The closed loop system is of course entirely separate.

[mvsjrs]

(15) I completed the quarantine tank rack for good fish handling. Each tank is independent with a heater, small powerhead, and sponge filter. The quarantine rack can be seen at the end of room.

[mvsjrs]

(16) Occpants of the display tank include the following:

https://youtu.be/tJ6s12gZEHU

Snowflake Eel (Indonesian)
Sumatran Magnificent Foxface
Marine Betta
Tibicen Angelfish (Coral Sea) - Medium
Fijian Lemon Peel Angelfish
Fijian Coral Beauty Angelfish
Fijian Bicolor Angelfish
Red Stripe Angelfish
Rusty Angelfish
Flame Angelfish (large)
Half Black Angelfish
Fireball Angelfish
Potter's Angelfish
(2) ORA® Captive-Bred Gold X Lightning Maroon Clownfish
(2) ORA® Black & White Ocellaris Clownfish, Captive-Bred (Pair)
(2) ORA® Captive-Bred Midnight Clownfish (Not Pair)
Fijian Two Spot Bristletooth Tang (blue eye)
Fijian Squaretail Bristletooth Tang (yellow eye, spotted)
Hawaii Kole Yellow Eye Tang (yellow eye, striped)
Engineer Goby
Hybrid Cleaner Goby, Captive-Bred ORA (pair)
ORA® Captive-Bred Yellowline Goby (Bonded Pair)
Gold Midas Blenny
Red Fin African Sailfin/Algae Blenny
Ember Blenny - incompatible with conspecifics
(2) Fijian Canary Blenny
(2) Captive-Bred Kamohara Blenny
Royal Gramma Basset
(2) ORA® Captive-Bred Splendid Dottyback
ORA® Captive-Bred Orchid Dottyback
ORA® Captive-Bred Springeri Dottyback
ORA® Captive-Bred Black Neon Dottyback
ORA® Captive-Bred Sunrise Dottyback
ORA® Captive-Bred Electric Indigo Dottyback
Maldivian Exquisite Firefish
Marshall Islands Helfrichi Firefish
(2) Azure Damselfish, Captive-Bred - Medium
(6) ORA® Captive-Bred Lemon Damselfish (Trio's)
Flame Cardinalfish
(2) Scissor Tail Dartfish

Aussie Torch Coral
Starburst Polyp Rock Indonesia
ORA® Red Goniopora Coral
Ultra Hammer Coral
Aussie Cespitularia Coral
Red Bubble Tip Anemone
Starburst Polyp Rock Indonesia
Rose Bulb Anemone (Indonesia) - Medium
Pacific Flower Mushroom Rock Ricordea Yuma Indonesia
Toadstool Mushroom Leather Coral Indonesia
Mushroom Rock Rhodactis Indonesia
Mushroom Rock Rhodactis Indonesia Combo
Mushroom Rock Actinodiscus Indonesia
Alveopora Coral Indonesia
Green People Eaters Colony Polyp Rock Zoanthus Indonesia IM
Starburst Polyp Rock Indonesia
Jasmine Polyp Rock Indonesia
Mushroom Rock Actinodiscus Indonesia
Aussie Sinularia Finger Leather Coral
Bubble Tip Anemone Green

Tongan Fighting Conch
Margarita Snail
Babylon Snai
Banded Trochus Snail
Super Tongan Nassarius Snail
Nassarius Snail
Cerith Snail
Astraea Turbo Snail
Mexican Turbo Snail
Fighting Conch (Tonga)
Dwarf Red Tip Hermit CraB
Scarlet Reef Hermit Crab
Dwarf Blue Leg Hermit Crab
Banded Coral Shrimp
Blue Tuxedo Urchin - Small
Brittle Sea Star, Banded
Serpent Sea Star , Fancy Tiger Striped
(2) Serpent Sea Star, Fancy Red

Fiji 194 lbs (in display tank)
Tonga 150lbs (in sump)
Pukani 150lbs (in sump)

[Dr. Jeffles]

Impressive list!

[mvsjrs]

(17) The denitrator section of the refugium (rockfugium) produces a ton of bacterial mulm which is a mess to remove even with the sneaky variable direction spray nozzle underneath.

It is hard to see clearly but there is a layer of mulm on top of all the rock. This is after using a Mag 5 pump with a jet nozzle to spray into the rock pile and blowing it out with the directional nozzle. This method is clearly no reef crest with detritus washed away into the abyss.



The pile of bacterial mulm behind this support can be easily blown away by the directional nozzle.



But I believe that only a fraction comes out of the system rather than resettling in the rocks. This is a step in the right direction rather than sitting in a display tank or refugium creating a future nitrate problem. Cleaning this better would certainly be closer to my original intent in the design. I just have to design a way to clean it better either continuously by changing my design or incrementally because it is easier on a weekly basis.



Meanwhile the ACE Roto-Mold 60 gal Induction Tank (settling tank) only settles out a small portion of crud in the 1 gallon waste water that I drain each day. So the idea occurred to me to…

[mvsjrs]

(18) I moved the denitrating live rock into the settling tank to drain the mulm that makes its way down each day. Then when it’s water change time, I run the water from the 120 gallon reservior through the live rock as a rinse until it comes out clean. Refill with fresh S/W mix and I am ready to go.

This is 2 days after cleaning the live rock in the rockfugium and moving it to the induction tank.



The right bucket is the rinse water pulled out the drain from the inductor tank.
The center bucket is water from the main system (there is a bit of chaeto strands artificially “dirtying” the color of the water slightly).
The left bucket is fresh saltwater.

The point is…the rock in the rockfugium is cleansed, but maybe not as well as I would like it, by just the process of a water change. I really need to rinse all that mulm off the rock to get maximum benefit…

[mvsjrs]

(19) The system loses about 2 gallons to evaporation daily which I still topoff manually. I include Mrs. Wages pickling lime saturate water with the T/O water. However, I am not comfortable yet with automatic topoff from my storage vat because a failure could dump 75 gallons of kalk laced T/O water scares the #@!! out of me.

And that, my friends, is my miserable failure of my original idea behind this build. Two tanks, a LPS with fish and a SPS without fish. Having been this far, I doubt I could have really achieved my original goal. The chemistry of the water just can't be changed fast enough to accommodate the nutrient needs of the two types of tanks. I definitely could have achieved a clean and a dirty tank but it would have been more akin to a display and refugium that an LPS and SPS optimized environment.

Given all the challenges of the last year, I couldn’t be happier!

[mvsjrs]

One area that I missed covering was changing the way the siphon line comes into the sump. My original design gathered the siphon lines and the refugium lines into one pipe going into the settling tank. However, I had an overflow because there was residual air in the siphon line when the pump was turned off and the refugium line created a type of water trap like a sink. The result was that the air in the siphon line could not be pushed out when starting the system.

Here was the old setup which could overflow:



Which ended with a type of periscope drain line that will not overflow:











__________________

"Physics is a b!tch. She's always right no matter how sure you were about your plumbing."

[tjm9331]

This sir, is an impressive build.

You have all those fish in a 92 corner? You obviously have enough water volume and filtration to deal with the bio-load but I'm curious how the angelfish get along and how all those fish stake their own territory?

Please don't take that the wrong way, I'm legitimately curious. I'm going to be starting my 125 build with in the next year. I would love to house a bunch of fish like that but all the research I've done is quite contrary to what you have pulled off. Forget the filtration, just from the sheer size of the 92 I would never have thought all those fish would fit.

btw I'm a huge fan of eels and love your zebra and snowflake, I'm hoping to put a chain link and snowflake in my 125.