Adee's new build

[amfynn]

Well I though it's time that I post a thread on RC of my new build. I plan to have a total volume of around 2000 liters (528 gallons) or so.

My main aim here is to work with a sunlit driven set-up and to also start a propagation area that can also benefit from the display system.





The red line on the rooftop indicates the separation of the roofing material, to the left will be normal what we call IBR sheeting (insulated and has a ceiling on the inside....and to the right I plane to fit twin-wall polycarbonate clear sheeting (6mm thick).

some pics of the building at the moment.






I have run plumbing to also take off the water from water changes, this is plumbed direct to the sewer line....no more dead grass from water changes.

My tank as it stands currently....excuse my photogenic gremlin in the pic.



Specs of the tank as follows:

RIMLESS
24mm thick starphire glass
2m length, 1m wide and 800mm height.

Filtration,
In the sump I will have a very large DSB.
In the display, live rock
above the frag tank I will have an algae scrubber (1200mm height and width)

I have used the balling method very successfully in my current set-up so will continue along this line with this tank, dosing my own mix of calcium and alkalinity additives. I will will also run a kalkstirrer. For cooling I will transfer my 1HP Hailea chiller, otherwise also mount some fans above the ATS.

The display will also be lit by a 1.8m long pendant that consists of 3x 400w SE metal halides, and 8x 54w T5's. For the MH I will probably use the BLV 20000K's and the tubes will be Geissman's. I wan't to also figure a railing system that will move the pendant in place only at before sunset, as I don't plan to rub light during the day.

For flow, I have 6 Tunzes a mix of 6201, 6101 & 6100 all will run on a 7095 controller. The return pump is driven by a MD70 pump and I have another MD70 that will drive the CLS that is plumbed under the rock-work.

will up date more once I have laid down the twin wall polly....then its game on.

[shannonpayne86]

well thought out.... and great sketch work, can't wait for this to take place.

[amfynn]

Originally Posted by shannonpayne86

well thought out.... and great sketch work, can't wait for this to take place.

thanks Shannon....well, that makes two of us

[amfynn]

I will transfer all the stock from my existing set-up, to the new tank.

Here are some pics of my existing set-up.

[PunkReef]

very nice adee, judging from your current tank this new setup will be magical

i'd love some more info on how you plan to build the scrubber/prop setup, also will it all be plumbed into the same system as the main display?

cheers
punk

[amfynn]

Howdy Punk,
the ATS and prop will all be plumbed into the main display. The scrubber idea is a simply waterfall off a sheet of glass with substrate (plastic flyscreen) stuck onto it. It will be fed either via spray bar or a resvoiur located at the top end that will overflow onto the scrubber. A pump plumbed in from the prop tank will feed the water in a continual loop.
cheers
Adee

[amfynn]

Okay, so got round to taking some pics of my new fish room...





this is where I intend having my nursery/refuige/ats...2m x 1.2m


pics of the 8mm twin wall poly carbonate.....I still need to clean the roof of builders dust...still lots of light for a winters day...just how enough is enough, time will tell.






I've started up the beginnings of the filtration with some 50kgs live rock, will chuck in some caulepra as well over the weekend.




the wife added some re-modelling...couch should face the other way though...

[ptan]

nice concept and execution... good job

[Reefer Brian]

Sounds like a great plan, cant wait to see the finished product. Nice pics of the corals, they are well fed!

[amfynn]

Originally Posted by ptan

nice concept and execution... good job

thanks.

Originally Posted by Reefer Brian

Sounds like a great plan, cant wait to see the finished product. Nice pics of the corals, they are well fed!

Thanks...fed purely on fish pooh. I just hope they keep their health when I move them to their new home.

[sedor]

Impressive build so far. This thread's a keeper.

[amfynn]

Originally Posted by sedor

Impressive build so far. This thread's a keeper.

Thanks Ryan.

[zaheda]

Good luck on your new system, im sure its going to look awsome.
Suhayl
South Africa

[Slummies]

Good work bru! its going be lekker once done!

[amfynn]

Originally Posted by zaheda

Good luck on your new system, im sure its going to look awsome.
Suhayl
South Africa

Originally Posted by Slummies

Good work bru! its going be lekker once done!

Thanks guys!

[amfynn]

Things still to do (in order of importance- sort of)

1. Clean up the main DT and get the CLS going, will have to weld in a platform just under the tank to create a false bottom. A MD70 pump will go there.

2. Build a DSB roughly the same dimensions as the main DT, that will be positioned directly below the DT.

3. In the gap between the wall and the plumbing end of the tank, weld a frame in there as well to support another sump just below half way...to house the skimmers.

4. Plumb in the two big tanks that you see in one of the pics, currently just resting on the frag tank. they both 200L's each in volume, one is a mixing tank, the other is a RO reservoir that will then be plumbed into a smaller reservoir.

5. Setup all the LR I can fit into the current sump I'm using to mature my filtration with, that will go below the frag tank. Should get about 150 kilos in there.

6. Plumb in the second MD 70 pump that will drive the return, it will also drive the carbon reactor and anything else. No more tiny pumps that fail every 2nd month.

6. Then build my frag tank 2m x 1.2m. I have not figured out the glass height yet, want to make sure its structurally sound.

7. Build the algae scrubber that will then lean and cascade into the frag tank.

8. Above the scrubber (where a window should be) install a exhaust fan linked to an internal ambient temp sensor of the room.

9. Plumb in my 1 HP chiller...will have to sit outside.

10. Mount (on rails) the lighting pendant...has 3 x 400w globes. Get the whole system to automate and only move into place when the sun sets....won't have to burn halides the whole day. I have no idea where to begin with this....will need some help.

I need to be sure also that the water temp can maintain itself to around 27-28 degrees, summer will be aproaching so coolling the water may be a problem, will have to get the cooling dialed in but evaporation cooling, the effects of the ATS and exhaust fan...should do a good job and not overload the chiller. Will keep an eye on visible life, pods, tiny fan worms, etc....I will also watch for signs of coraline taking over, only THEN will I start testing the system with frags from my current set-up...if they show signs of growth will start moving coral stock across and move all the fish last.

Project should be completed if all goes well by year end, depends how much time I can get to juggle all the DIY stuff....but will certainly love every minute of it.

[amfynn]

I've sort of figured out what I'm gonna do with the plumbing. On the return pump I will split the flow to both sides, with the return flow also going to the ATS, which then drops into the frag tank, which in turn drops into the LR sump below. The LR sump then in turn will have an overflow level higher than the DSB sump from which the return pump feeds. Using one return pump allows me to keep the whole system running, should I need to go battery backup, will also keep then keep the ATS wet which in turn will aid in keeping water temps stable.

Will draw a pic in sketch as soon as I figured out how to draw pipes with 90 degree bends.

Anyways started to fill the main DT with RO water...that's now on day 3....will move the LR and macroalgae that I'm currently sort of cycling in another sump, to the DT (will only half full the tank). The CLS is plumbed in and that is working with no leaks. This will then clear away space for me to build beneath the frag tank (the LR sump), then once that is done, the frag tank and then the DSB sump.

I have really gone with the "go big or go home" attitude here, don't want to kick myself in years to come that i've should have had a bigger sump, ats, dsb, etc...so using all the space available to me. I will probably separate and divi the frag tank up to create a refuige for macroalgae. I plan to keep tons of fish and feed heavilly but once I see filtration really kicking resulting in the algae not growing that fast, will lessen the foot print size of the refuige.

Now just to get the glass I need and to plumb in everything else. I've decided to go with an external skimmer (a first for me) rather than internal...as having an internal would have meant that I would have to sacrifice sump space for the skimmer.

[amfynn]

Well I don't have space to mount these....will go to my new system when its ready. Got these about 10 days ago. Pity they have lost some of their color though.

Blue Mille


some type of yellow formosa with pink tips


another formosa with bluish tips

[coraltastic]

sweat very nice love the new setup.

[amfynn]

Was at the coast and collected quite a few hermits and snails, I've added these to the half filled DT where I have live rock and chaeto maturing.... surprisingly, with about 4 weeks of natural sun there is not much of an outbreak of GHA as I would have expected. I have a skimmer in there as well, helping to keep things in check.

[amfynn]

Originally Posted by coraltastic

sweat very nice love the new setup.

thanks.

[wowkingjames]

Keep us posted, your tank is beautiful.

[amfynn]

Originally Posted by wowkingjames

Keep us posted, your tank is beautiful.

thanks...some update to follow.

[amfynn]

Here's pics of the tank, have about 120kg's of LR that I have been running for about 4 weeks now....I've added a big clean up crew and cheato in there as well.







GHA, something familiar...but slowly also dying off.


Will do a test end of the week for PO4 and NO3 readings.

[amfynn]

Okay, so glass arrived today, wasting no time...started slapping things together. I will show in detail how I went about doing the build.

Tools needed:
good strong quality Duct tape
"corner clamps"
matchsticks
your middle finger
throw away rag
silicone & gun

Okay...so firstly laid down the matchsticks which will act as spaces for the glass to rest on...working with the the two sides that makes the corners, use then the corner clamps and duct tape to hold things nice and square...I did this all round before laying down any silicone.


Siliconed around the base on all four sides, then once done...a good sloopy lick of your finger, then run it along to force the slicone thru the crack left by the matchsticks...don't worry if the silicone does not appear on the other side at this point


then remove the matchsticks one by one, just neaten up the area where your removed with a globe of silicone and again run your finger thru.


If u have a problem gripping the heavier piece of glass (with your now messy hands)....run a length of duct tape with excess on both sides, then use that to grip like a rope..u only need to lift a few millimetres to get the matchstick out.

The weight of the glass should then force the silicone out on the other side as well creating a firm grip on the base.


I've added these 50mm x 10mm strips of glass which are stuck onto to re-inforce the the side walls....as these are sumps and not show tanks...looks take a back seat. On tanks with higher walls, will make these strips the same height.