my new LPS reef/project log

[davejnz]

I inherited another tank(48"L x 18"W x 23"tall)I think its a 75gal.Gonna transfer my current LPS reef over to this one.I still got alot to do,I'm gonna have it drilled for twin overflows.Gonna have my buddy cut them out of black acrylic at his job(computer controlled router)so that should save me a bundle plus i can design the overflows to whatever measurement i want.Probably gonna do the closed loop thing too.The only thing i cant decide on is DSB or BB/starboard reef.

[davejnz]

I think this is how i'm gonna go with the drilling.I'm gonna use 2 horizontal overflows on the upper rear corners and have 2 intakes for the closed loop.

[Reptoreef]

Looks like a plan... my suggestion... make sure your intake is shallow enough not to allow too much water loss in main display when there's any power loss..

[davejnz]

good point,i'm figuring 3.5" under the overflow/water level should do the trick.The overflows I'll be making out of glass panels and will be 12'x3" along the back glass.Between the two of them,that should give me about 30 linear inches of overflow which should keep the layer thin and hopefully avoid the waterfall effect(loud noise).Since the overflows will be horizontal along the top of the back glass,I'm hoping to get away with using a standpipe behind the tank/bulkhead instead of having to plumb PVC elbows inside the overflow box.

[davejnz]

Just wanted to share this cabinet with everyone,i thought it was unusual how it was constructed.Every part of the stand/cabinet is completely removable,no screw,bolts,etc..

[flame]

Wow
Looks great nice work.

[KG]

#ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#I like the DSB. Seems to take about 6 months to start, but does a great job reducing nitrates. Just be sure to populate with lots of pods and worms to keep the top layer stirred.#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl##ed_op#DIV#ed_cl#KG#ed_op#/DIV#ed_cl#

[davejnz]

The display tank will be barebottomed(BB),with a 1/2 piece" of starboard placed on the bottom glass.The sump is looking like it will have to be 2 tanks unless i can figure out how to get around the center divider of the cabinet.On the left will be an old acrilic wet-dry that i converted into a sump currently being used on one of my tanks.I plan to partition it to make a small,dedicated skimmer that will provide a constant 9" of water for the euro-reef skimmer.This chamber will be just big enought for the skmmer to fit in.One of the tanks overflow/bulkheads will be plumbed directly to this chamber as close as possible to the intake of the skimmers pump.The rest of the sump will be a DSB,about 6" of fine sand.The water will leave th skimmer chamber and flow directly over the baffle that seperates the 2 chambers.There will also be water flow via the other bulkhead from the overflow passing directly across the top of the bed.I plan on designing the baffles so that there is only 2-3" of water flowing across and over the DSB.The water will leave the DSB section via 1" bulkhead where it will overflow into a 20gallon tank.This tank will sit on the right side of the cabinet so i will have to drill through the divider to plumb the 2 together.
From there i will partition 1/2 of the tank off to serve as a sort of detritus trap.Then baffles to the other side where my return pump will be.I will drill that side for a float-valve for auto-top-off/kalk.
BTW,this is still the design phase so all suggestions are welcome

[davejnz]

I got the horizontal glass overflow installed,i left a little lip on it to mount frags.I had to scrap the previuos design for 1 longer overflow instead of the 2 at the corners.I finished building the closed loop return manifold/loop.It was made put of 1"-"funny pipe" and has 4 outputs.I will probably have to re-build it with 1.5" because the closed loop pump i have is a MAG18 and those pumps are rated with 1.5".Should do close to 1500gph if i re-do it with 1.5",otherwise i need to find a pressure rateed pump that'll perform with the rstrictive 1" pipe.Getting closer to getting wet now,still need to track down a piece of starboard and finish connecting the 2 sumps in the cabinet.

[jerryc]

Looks good Dave looking forward to seeing it all set up

[wpspfan]

I think that design will work good on my tank. Does that overflow work good?

[davejnz]

Will,these are the most efficent/effective overlfows there are IMO.By haveing 36 linear" of overflow[dual tower overflows useing a 6x6 corner configuration(many are smaller than that) only give you 24"],it skims a very thin layer of water from the surface where the concentration of organics is concentrated.This style of overflow is also very quiet.By having your overflow on the top,it allows for better water flow around the bottom of the tank.This is achieved by proper aquscaping by leaving at least a couple inches betwee the back/sides of the tank and your rock/aquascape.

[davejnz]

OK,Its been 7 months since i first posted this thread about setting this tank up.Its not that i'm lazy,as Reptoreef put it "just extremely patient"LOL.There was alot of litttle setbacks along the way.First of all,I built the horizontal glass overflow useing the dimensions without the bulkheads installed,obviously the BH'ds take up an additional 1" so i had to rebuild the overflow again.When i started plumbing things,3 out of the 4 bulkheads were machined to small.Fortunately,the LFS where i got them from exchanged them back so i didn't have to mail order new ones.The only location i had in my house to put the tank was extremely off level.One end of the tank was approximately 3/4 lower than the other end,and my tank is only 4' long.I thought i had it leveled but didn't account for the compression of the wooden shims so i ended up having to drain it and start over again.Then as i filled it up past the bulkheads,I noticed the closed loop plumbing was leaking.Since i used unions at the bulkhead and the pump it was easy to remove and fix.Seems i forgot to glue a couple of the 1" PVC fittings,DUHHHH.The tank is now filled,the 1/2" starboard bottom is installed,and i have about 35lbs of base/LR in it.I'm trying to locate some Tonga branch LR from LFS right now so i can start with the aquascaping.The only thing i have left to do now,Is install the 4x54wT5 lighting in my canopy and to plumb the return manifold to the output of the closed loop pump.I'm useing a rubbermaid tub as a temporary sump while the tank matures for the next few months.I will then switch to a dual sump setup(actually 3 if you include the RDSB)because my stand/cabinet has a middle divider.
Pics to come soon

[davejnz]

Pics of the plumbing to follow.This has been by far,the most difficult(not really difficult,just time consuming)plumbing i have done for a tank.It wouldn't of been so bad if the stupid MAG pumps had the proper size intake/outputs.They decided to use 3/4" intake/outputs on the pump.To make it worse,they used internal threads on the intake.There was no way i would of been able to feed that pump with 1500gph useing a retricted intake like that.MAG did supply a collar that fits on the outside of the intake,it just so happens that that collar fit snugly into a 1 1/4" piece of thinwall PVC(actually measures 1.5" ID).So i glued the collar into a short length of pipe,at the end of the pipe i installed a 1 1/4" T where the 2-1" feeds from the bulkheads are plumbed into.

[Whoyah]

Looking good. Thanks for the update.

[graphixx]

David, looking good, your right you do have a ton of pipe behind that baby. cant wait to see it stocked. thanks for the update

[jerryc]

looking good Dave

wish i had time to get more done to my 75 iv got almost everything i need together
just need some time

[dakar]

It's about time she gets wet! Plumbing looks nice and clean, nice job.

[davejnz]

Ok guys/gals,I can now confirm that these horizontal overflows are the best i've ever used.Not only are they completely quiet,but the surface of the water is like a sheet of glass,perfectly slick.As Dakar suggested,I didn't drill a vent hole in the caps on the durso/PVC T fitting behind the bulkheads.These vents are typically used in corner/tower overflows to prevent gurgling/flushing in the standpipe but they also are prone to salt creep because of the holes.Even without ball valves to regulate the flow from the overflows bulkheads there isn't any surging/flushing going on in the overflow/plumbing/sump.I did do something a little different with my plumbing into the sump.Both 1" feeds from the overflow are submerged below the water level of the sump.This would normally cause excess air/surging in the sump.What i decided to do was use T fittings instead of elbows to direct the PVC plumbing into the sump.By leaving the top of the T's open,It serves as a vent for the air to escape.
More pics to come soon

[davejnz]

The lighting is installed finally.I went with a 4x54w T5 setup overdriven on an IceCap660 ballast to 83w.From front to back,my bulb setup is this.1 CVact(450nmblue),1 aquablue(11k),1 CVactinic,1 G.E. 6500k.Currently,the overall look of the tank is similiar to 13k.Its just a bit too blue for my taste.I'm gonna reposition the bulbs placing the GE up front,then actinic,aquablue,and actinic in the back.This should give me more of an 11-12k look.It will probably still be a bit too blue so i might swap out one of the actinics for another GE bulb.

[davejnz]

Here's a really bad updated pic.I got my aquascape 95% completed.The dead Pocillopora skeleton wieghs about 18lbs.I bought 13lbs of dead base rock.I added about 20lbs or LR from my old tank.And i recently added 13lbs or Fiji and Kaelini(spelling?).That puts me at 64lbs.I'm still looking for a long piece of Tonga branch LR then my aquascape will be complete.While the tank matures,I decided the T5's would be too much light so i removed my canopy.I'm currently just useing 3x40w NO flourscents.As of now,the only livestock in the tank is 3 Caribbean Rose brains(Manicina areolata),1 Pagoda cup(Turbinaria peltata),
Protopalythoa sp.(zoa polyps) that hitchiked in(they're on the same LR as the cup coral),and some zoa's(Zoanthus spp.)that i thought i removed from my old tank.Turns out,a few polyps survived on the LR and are multiplying.Looks like i'll be trading that piece of LR in for another piece with no corals.The tank never really had a cycle,probably due to the well established LR and no nutrient import.The ASM G2 skimmer i'm sure helped as well.Over the last week,I've been spot feeding my Rose brains with a mix of mysis and Golden pearls.This first nutrient import had no effect on my Nitrogen levels but my G2 is now pulling out some nasty sludge.Moday,I will add my cleanup crew(astreas,Turbos,and cerith snails)as diatom/turf algae are now starting to appear.

[Whoyah]

Lookin good Dave. Thanks for the update.

[davejnz]

Another tank pic for you as well as a closeup of some of the hitchiker polyps.

[davejnz]

Last week,the tank had a little setback.I added a remote DSB in the sump.The flow rate through it was too much and sand was spilling over into my sump.The sump pump sucked it up and it died on me.I refuse to pay LFS prices for a return
pump so i had to order a new impeller for this one.The mean time,all i had for circulation was a pair of 200gph powerheads,LOL.The lack of current and no sump loop/skimmer caused a little algae bloom.After 5 days,I finally was able to borrow a friends return pump while i wait for my impeller.Its been a few days now and the tank is starting to recover.I added some more corals so i figured it was time to throw the 4x54wT5 canopy back on.I'll get an updated pic posted soon.

[davejnz]

Here's a bad pic i just took.My digicam can't do accurate pics under blue light without the flash.

[5uperman]

Dave what is htat hanging in the corners of your tank?

[davejnz]

those are those little powerheads i was useing when my sump pump died.I still havn't finshed plumbing the return manifold to the closed loop pumps output.Should get that done tommorow then there will be no powerheads in the tank at all.The return manifold has 6 outputs so that with my sump return should do the trick

[dsfdbutterfly]

Dave,

Even though you had an algea outbreak the tank looks real good to me. I like your layout. Real open and you only have a few points of contact. I definately need to talk to you some more to get me a bigger tank started and do a little diy projects to save me some money.

Angie

[davejnz]

Well,the tank is almost 4 months old now so i figured it was time to add my first fish.I moved my Tomato Clown pair out of my 40 and into the 75.The female is my oldest fish,she's 4.5yrs old now.The little male is about 2yrs old.They are loving there new home.The tank is progressing nicely,its nearly 80%stocked with stoney corals now.Pics to come soon.

[addam4208283]

nice can't wait for new pics. this tank is sweet.
ADAM

[davejnz]

Here's a really bad pic.Still got those hideous powerhead in there too,LOL.Maybe if i can get off my lazy butt and plumb the CL pump's output to the tank,I'll be able to take them out.

[mutts]

nice looking tank.... i love the brains and the clam... that clown fish looks huge!!!!

[PurpleAardvark]

nice tank Dave, It is true then you do have a brain. LOL just kidding nice to see a new DIY project.