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Unread 03/03/2014, 11:08 AM   #1
nuxx
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Smile 470 Gallon Mixed Reef - nuxx Reef

Hey guys I thought it was about time to create a build thread for my new tank.

A little background:
- Started keeping marine tanks about 4 years ago. Setup a 55 gallon with a canister filter, HOB Skimmer, etc... learned a ton, went through some crashes, and it's still running today.
- First large tank I went after was a used 135 acrylic. Was badly scratched and didn't think the effort in fixing it equaled the reward.
- Next I bought a used 240 gallon non-reef ready acrylic tank. After poorly choosing somebody to work on the tank and add overflows, I gave up on the tank after 1 year of not having the work done and sold it.

This all left me wanting a large tank, and just decided to go much bigger and have the tank custom built.

I changed the location I wanted the tank to go in and came up with the dimensions of 120 x 29 x 31".

After contacting the usual suspects I decided to go with Jeff at Pimped Out Aquariums (http://www.pimpedoutaquariums.com/).

Jeff just seemed the most interested in my build and didn't treat me like a number. His prices were also very competitive. He knew I wanted acrylic, but he suggested starphire glass as an alternative but didn't push it. Went with an internal overflow setup for the Bean Animal overflow.

The tank build time was not very long at all, and Jeff kept me in the loop at all times. He even ate the cost of moving up from 3/4" to 1", when the 3/4" he ordered for the tank was a hair under .75". I was blown away with this gesture

The tank was crated well and shipped via crate to San Antonio. My wife and I rented a truck and picked it up.



A local reef club member here in Austin who had the reputation of being a tank whisperer when it comes to moving large tanks came to help get the tank in the house.

The fit was TIGHT... maybe had .5" coming in through the garage. Coming in through the front door would have been extremely hard because of a pillar. With the custom tank jack we were able to get the tank in the house with only 2 people.





For the stand I ended up having another local reef club member put together a steel stand for me. I had the stand built tall (42") since I'm 6'2 and didn't want to have to bend to look at the tank. Also the middle three front supports are removable, since my sump is 8' long.



The sump is 8 feet long and roughly 200 gallons. It's feed by a Bean Animal drain using 3 1.5" pipes. 2 1" returns are feed back into the tank. I didn't think there was enough turbulence in the sump, so I added 2 Jebao WP25s and 1 Tunze Nanostream 6015 to the sump.

For rock I ended up not going with live rock and instead bought 500 lbs of Marco Rock. I decided to acid bath the rock as well. A ton of junk came off the rock, so I'm glad I did that step.



I then took the rock to a local Macro farm to cure for 4-5 months. After all the time it had some nice color, pods, snails and a little macro on the rock.



Laid down some egg crate for the base of the rock and just stacked the rock. I bought rods, epoxy, glue, etc... and didn't use them. The Marco Rock, esp. after acid bath, just stacked so well. Also added 240 lbs of CaribSea Seaflor Special Grade Reef Sand. Ended up spending 7-8 hours cleaning the sand outside. Had a sand cloud for just 2 days.

I had a Tunze skimmer and two Quiet One return pumps left over from my 240 build, as well as 2 Sicce Voyager 4000 powerheads. During my 2 week water test I discovered I couldn't live with the constant hum coming from all these pumps.

The Sicce powerheads were replaced by a host of Jebao WP powerheads. The Quiet Ones were replaced with two Jebao DC9000 return pumps. Finally replaced the Tunze with a Reef Octopus Diablo DCS300. The hum is completely gone and all I hear now is impeller noise.



Here is the tank how it stands today with two temporary LEDs. The tank is now going through it's cycle.



I've just setup a 40 gallon breeder for QT as well.

Next up is getting the reef controller, lights, ATO, auto-saltwater change system, and skinning the stand.

Guessing I'm going with the Apex controller, just not doing a crazy amount of things with my controller. The Apex seems to have a nice interface and is an industry standard.

Going with 5 Kessil A360-we LEDs. Probably going to start with 3 and add more when I get a better feel for their coverage. Going to use their goosenecks with 90 degree adapter to mount. Not going to have a canopy.

Still not sure on the ATO. Want a pump that'll do 1/4" tubing with 8-9' of head. I like the Hydor system, just not sure of what pump to use. Have a tall-skinny 50 gallon storage tank to hold my RODI water. Used a BRS 150 gpd system. Also had to build a gutter system into the sump which is higher than my 50 gallon storage tank with an air break to stop the siphon after the ATO pump turns off.

For saltwater changes. I'm going to use a Stenner double head pump to make sure the same amount of old and new water is pumped. Also stored in a 50 gallon storage tank.

The tank skin will be distressed wood panels mounted in between the stands skeleton with magnets. We want the stands wood to match the style of furniture we have in the house.

Equipment list so far:
Tank - 470 Gallons (1" Acrylic ~ 120 x 29 x 30")
Sump - 200 Gallons (92 x 22 x 23)
Skimmer - Reef Octopus Diablo DCS300
Returns - (2) Jebao DC9000
Powerheads - (2) Jebao WP60, (4) Jebao WP40, (2) Jebao WP25, Tunze Nanostream 6015 (Needed 6 230 lb pulling force magnets for dry side due to 1" acrylic)
Heater - Eheim Jager 300 Watt
RODI - BRS 150 GPH

Equipment needed:
LEDs - Kessil A360-we (5)
Heater - Need a bigger primary heater
Controller - APEX
ATO - Hydor Smart Level (Pump ???)
Water Change - Stenner Double Head Pump

Fish planned:
Yellow Tang (Have)
Purple Tang
Black Tang
Yellow Belly Blue Tang (Have)
Chevron Tang
Kole Tang
Achilles Tang
Sohal Tang (Maybe)
Crosshatch Pair
Black Ice Clown (Have)
Various smaller fish, wrasses, etc... (My wife gets to pick :P)

Coral:
Mixed Reef (SPS, LPS, not much if any softies)

Thanks for taking the time to read my build... I'll try to update as often as I can.

Feel free to leave an comments, concerns, suggestions, etc... I'd love the feedback!


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470G Display - Build Thread

Current Tank Info: Retired - 470 Gallon Mixed Reef (120x29x31")

Last edited by nuxx; 03/03/2014 at 11:14 AM.
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Unread 03/03/2014, 11:13 AM   #2
arinrb
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It is good to see you kept it small, no need to overdo it you know . This is really great, enjoy!

Now I have to go back to my 90 gallon and convince myself that I am glad I did not go bigger.


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Unread 03/03/2014, 11:38 AM   #3
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That's a very nice system


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Unread 03/03/2014, 05:23 PM   #4
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Just bought my first two fish from Diver's Den.

Pajama Cardinal Trio and Tomini Tang.

QT is all setup and ready for them.


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470G Display - Build Thread

Current Tank Info: Retired - 470 Gallon Mixed Reef (120x29x31")
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Unread 03/03/2014, 06:00 PM   #5
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You have a nice build. Love the dimensions of your tank. My stand is also 42" high as I didn't want to bend down to look at the tank. Can't wait for the next updates.


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Unread 03/03/2014, 06:21 PM   #6
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Thanks

I would definitely not go over 31" tall unless you had a monster tank like 2000 gallons.

Even at 6'2 and on a ladder it's hard for me to reach the very bottom of the tank :/


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470G Display - Build Thread

Current Tank Info: Retired - 470 Gallon Mixed Reef (120x29x31")
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Unread 03/03/2014, 06:42 PM   #7
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Yea,my standard 225 is 30" deep and its tough for a shorty (5'10") to work on the bottom.


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Dave.

"I have learned all kinds of things from my many mistakes. The one thing I never learn is to stop making them." --Nicomo Cosca.

Current Tank Info: 225 mixed w/ 225 sump 550 lbs live rock,3x MarinePure ceramic blocks,Skimz SM201,Geo 618 CR,Vectra L1,DOS automatic water changes,3x 250w MH w/ 4x actinic T5,All ran by Apex thru Fusion.--57 community tank w/ OR T-247,120 nem tank.
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Unread 03/03/2014, 07:53 PM   #8
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subscribed!


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Steve

Am I really doing all of this for a fish tank??????

Current Tank Info: 360g Envision Acrylic Tank, Closed Loops, Vectra L1's, MP40QD's, 400w Radiums, Regal 300ext, Dastaco Ext3 CaRx, Controlled by GHL Profilux
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Unread 03/03/2014, 08:39 PM   #9
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Nice to see another tank with the same dimmensions as mine! Subscribed!


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Unread 03/03/2014, 10:04 PM   #10
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Nice Tank, Sump and Stand. (I'm jealous!)

I would suggest adding a Gate Valve on that Bean. I tried running my dual Herbies with the Ball Valves and it was tough, a lot easier with the gate.

Also, it looks like your DC9000's are being run submerged? I also run a DC pump (WaveLine DC12000) submerged. I have noticed that the output flow varies by the water level in the sump, causing the overflows water levels to vary. I know the water level in my sump is low when I can HEAR the water flow into the overflows because the pumps GPH rate has slightly decreased and the siphon is flowing more than the pump is pumping. Getting an ATO has moved up on my "to buy list". Im curious if that happens with your DC9000's?

Anyway, I look forward to following your thread.


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Unread 03/04/2014, 10:14 AM   #11
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SPotter View Post
subscribed!
Quote:
Originally Posted by h.cordero View Post
Nice to see another tank with the same dimmensions as mine! Subscribed!

Thanks guys


Quote:
Originally Posted by TankWater View Post
Nice Tank, Sump and Stand. (I'm jealous!)

I would suggest adding a Gate Valve on that Bean. I tried running my dual Herbies with the Ball Valves and it was tough, a lot easier with the gate.

Also, it looks like your DC9000's are being run submerged? I also run a DC pump (WaveLine DC12000) submerged. I have noticed that the output flow varies by the water level in the sump, causing the overflows water levels to vary. I know the water level in my sump is low when I can HEAR the water flow into the overflows because the pumps GPH rate has slightly decreased and the siphon is flowing more than the pump is pumping. Getting an ATO has moved up on my "to buy list". Im curious if that happens with your DC9000's?

Anyway, I look forward to following your thread.
Yeah if I need to take any of the plumbing apart I will. When I did my water test I wished I would have been more patient and not just bought cheap Lowes values which are a PITA to make minor adjustments too. During the water test and after I filled the tank with saltwater, the night of I'd get up every few minutes to make the smallest of adjustments. My wife thought I was crazy...

The DC9000 in sump have been great. They seem to be vary consistent. I have mine running at 90% though. Are you running yours at 100%?

When you start up the system it does take a few hours for everything to level out though. The overflow level will be low and have some spillage noise (which I hate) and you can hear some air in the drains for a while. Then it's all good in time.

Speaking of ATO. I still can't find a pump to go with the Hydor Smart Level. I want the smallest diameter tubing (1/4" hopefully) and need a head of probably 9-10 feet. Any ideas?


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470G Display - Build Thread

Current Tank Info: Retired - 470 Gallon Mixed Reef (120x29x31")
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Unread 03/04/2014, 10:54 AM   #12
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Quote:
Originally Posted by nuxx
I then took the rock to a local Macro farm to cure for 4-5 months.
I'm not familiar with a "Macro farm". Would you please describe what this is?

Thx

Dave.M


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Unread 03/04/2014, 11:07 AM   #13
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dave.m View Post
I'm not familiar with a "Macro farm". Would you please describe what this is?

Thx

Dave.M
Local guy who grows decorative macro for sale. Has a large 5000 gallon system my rock cured in.


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Unread 03/04/2014, 11:17 AM   #14
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Sorry to seem stupid, but why does he grow macro-algae? What decorative purposes would it have?

Dave.M


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Unread 03/04/2014, 11:18 AM   #15
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Quote:
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Sorry to seem stupid, but why does he grow macro-algae? What decorative purposes would it have?

Dave.M
To sell it

Some people really like having macro in their display. He sells normal types for fuge duty as well.


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Unread 03/04/2014, 04:13 PM   #16
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Here's my little 40 gallon breeder setup for QT.



I have two exact setups like this. Marineland HOB filter with filter pads that had sat in my old tanks for a while. Eheim Jager heater, Rio HOB Skimmer, cheap Lowes clip on LED, Modded MaxiJet 1200, few pieces of live rock and PVC.

Also have a 55 gallon for larger fish and a 20 gallon long hospital tank.


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Current Tank Info: Retired - 470 Gallon Mixed Reef (120x29x31")
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Unread 03/04/2014, 08:42 PM   #17
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Quote:
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Thanks guys




Yeah if I need to take any of the plumbing apart I will. When I did my water test I wished I would have been more patient and not just bought cheap Lowes values which are a PITA to make minor adjustments too. During the water test and after I filled the tank with saltwater, the night of I'd get up every few minutes to make the smallest of adjustments. My wife thought I was crazy...

The DC9000 in sump have been great. They seem to be vary consistent. I have mine running at 90% though. Are you running yours at 100%?

When you start up the system it does take a few hours for everything to level out though. The overflow level will be low and have some spillage noise (which I hate) and you can hear some air in the drains for a while. Then it's all good in time.

Speaking of ATO. I still can't find a pump to go with the Hydor Smart Level. I want the smallest diameter tubing (1/4" hopefully) and need a head of probably 9-10 feet. Any ideas?
I found the "Lowes" ball valves and unions to be inferior too. They seem to "stick" a lot and make adjustments hard. You can kept your current ball valve where it is (leaving it open) and add a simple gate valve near the sump for your drain where its easy to adjust.

I run my DC12000 at about 70%. Just 2 1" lines reduced into .75" LocLines with dual outputs running up 6' after a 1.5" Tee. I plan on adding to that in the future, therefore, the oversized pump for now. I have external overflows and the water drains into them without a drop off. If my sump level is low the overflows will drop a couple inches causing a 2" waterfall. (ok, 2" is not a waterfall )

I haven't got as far as a pump decision for an ATO. I'm still trying to decide which one. I'm leaning towards the new CoralVue model. I will only be running my line 3' so I will prob just use the pump that comes with the ATO.

My wife thinks I'm crazy too. I'm just not sure its because of my aquarium?


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Unread 03/05/2014, 12:53 AM   #18
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I need to stay away from the large tank builds. My 4ft long tank looks like a nano compared to these. I love your setup and you seem to have it all thought out, can't wait to see it all come together. BTW- I love my kessils. I had one actually go out after a year(may or may not have been my fault) called up customer service and had a brand new one 3 days later.


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Unread 03/05/2014, 01:53 PM   #19
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Just got our first 4 fish into quarantine.

Once again great looking specimens from Diver's Den!



Don't have any pictures yet. Running the tank with the lights off and the Tomini is very shy.

I did spy on him a bit and saw him picking at the live rock I have in the tank. Also picking at all sorts of things on the bottom of the tank... not even sure there was anything there... got him to be a grazer of after cycle algae, looks like a good candidate for the job

I put in a piece of nori on a piece of rubble, hopefully he'll go after that soon.

Do you think I should try to feed the Pajama Cardinals tonight? Maybe just try a bit of Cyclopeeze and Mysis with some Selcon in it?


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470G Display - Build Thread

Current Tank Info: Retired - 470 Gallon Mixed Reef (120x29x31")
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Unread 03/06/2014, 10:35 AM   #20
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Little Tomini Tang and trio of Pajama Cardinals in quarantine.

BTW: Do you think the Tang's darting / twitching is just shyness/nervousness for just being in the tank for a day?




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TankStop - Fish and Coral

470G Display - Build Thread

Current Tank Info: Retired - 470 Gallon Mixed Reef (120x29x31")

Last edited by nuxx; 03/06/2014 at 11:02 AM.
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Unread 03/10/2014, 12:33 PM   #21
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Little Tomini Tang seems a lot happier in QT now. Maybe it was just skittish.

I went ahead and ordered the Avast Marine Auto Top Off and their diaphragm pump. Dan was super helpful over at Avast.

Also just placed an order for the 4 remaining magnets to mount my 4 WP40s on the back wall.


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Unread 03/10/2014, 01:50 PM   #22
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I lobe the wp series of power heads. I got to order 2 more for my tank...debating on 3 for a total of 4


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Unread 03/10/2014, 01:53 PM   #23
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I lobe the wp series of power heads. I got to order 2 more for my tank...debating on 3 for a total of 4
Was going to not use two of my WP40s and just have a WP60 at each end and then have a WP40 a few feet in on the back wall pointing towards the center but ended up decided to use all my 4 WP40s and 2 WP60s.

Will have a WP40 and WP60 on each far end pointing down the length of the tank. Then use the additional WP40s about 3 feet in on the back wall pointing to the front panel and to the center.

Hopefully with that setup and 2 returns I won't have much dead space.

Really love the WP25s in the sump. Dead silent and making some good turbulence.


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470G Display - Build Thread

Current Tank Info: Retired - 470 Gallon Mixed Reef (120x29x31")
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Unread 03/14/2014, 04:39 PM   #24
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Just installed all my powerheads.

Have a WP60 and WP40 on each end pointing down the tank. Then a 1/4 down the tank I have a WP40 on each side point toward the center front panel.

Flow seems pretty good and the Seaflor Special Grade sand hasn't moved




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Unread 03/27/2014, 03:47 PM   #25
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Just added one Kessil A360W-E to see how I liked the fixture.

I have to say I'm pretty blown away with it.

Going to get two more for the time being and then add the final two in a few months.

I think 3 will cover the tank, but there will be shadowing. My 90 degree gooseneck adapter hasn't made it here yet, so I'll probably raise the light up a few inches as well.

5 will definitely do the trick

Have my programs / profiles loaded in the Apex for the lights, but need a stereo cable extension for the Kessil Apex cable, about 6 feet too short...

BTW: The left and right of the tank have some old Marineland LEDs over them. The A360W-E is at about 80% intensity as well.




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TankStop - Fish and Coral

470G Display - Build Thread

Current Tank Info: Retired - 470 Gallon Mixed Reef (120x29x31")

Last edited by nuxx; 03/27/2014 at 04:07 PM.
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