336 A.G.E. Peninsula Tank

[bag151]

Well after half a year of being patient, saving, and planning everything I can think of I am ready to take the plunge. I am planning on submitting my order to AGE this week for my tank. Just need to make a few final decisions. I currently live in a loft so I have a open floor plan, this is great because it allows me to arrange things how I would like them. The Tank will act as a room divider between the living room and my bedroom. The aim of this new endeavor is to provide a suitable environment for my obsession with SPS as well as fish. I will post the stock list at a later point but it revolves around Tangs, Anthias, and gobies.

Display Tank: The Tank will be a 72x36x30 three side viewable tank with a pvc base and the three main panes will be Starphire. It will have 2x 2in drains ( a little overkill I know) and 2 returns ( 1in sea swirls) fed by a sequence snapper.

Second Display Tank: I have planed to add a second tank at a later time which will be a 46g zero edge aquarium that will be tied into the main system. This tank will be dedicated to a blue carpet anemone and clams. I decided that I would never again allow a anemone into my main system after I had gone on vacation and returned to discover that my fav. fish, a 8in Sohal Tang, had vanished and my long tentacle anemone was very fat and happy. I have no proof that he did in fact eat him but I will never trust one again.

Sump: The sump is designed to manage the nutrient export of my tank through the use of a large skimmer as well as a refugium. The sump is also designed to allow all incoming water pass through a filter sock.

Nutrient Export:
Most important factor IMO is the use of a good skimmer, after alot of deliberation I have decided to go with a Bubble Master 250 as my skimmer. The sump is designed to support a wide range of in sump skimmers when the ever evolving skimmer market presents itself with a new option. There is also a 30g refugium tapped into the main return line for low flow. I will also be incorporating Ozone into the system through the use of a Ozone Reactor for that final polish.

Flow:
Currently I have stockpiled 4 ecotech marine vortechs as well as a sequence baracuda. I also have alloted for two tunze 6200's when they become a requirement for the tank. The sequence barracuda will be plumbed in as a closed loop running through a ocean motions 4 way.

Lighting:
The main display will use 2 lumenarc III pendents with 400w 20k MH and 2 PFO HQI mini pendents with 250w 10k bulbs for a balanced color scheme. The third PFO pendant will be used to light the overflow tank. I also have a few vho icecap ballasts to provide actinic supplementation. Moon lighting will be taken care off by a large array of actinic & blue led's that I am having shipped in.

Temp Control:
With such a large influx of heat due to lighting I will be using a 1/2 hp jbj artica chiller on a independent closed loop as well as my home ac system to cool the tank.

Calcium/alk:
Well since they tend to run together I am using a geo calcium reactor coupled with a geo kalk reactor to maintain proper levels.

Humidity:
Since a vented air duct outside in my case is not an option I will be ducting the air through my dehumidifier that did a great job on my previous 180g tank.

The pictures below are a rough mockup of the system but is built to scale. I will finish them and make them shiny when I get a chance .

Any advice or insight on my design is welcome. Just hope I haven't over looked some fatal flaw

[mcliffy2]

I also live in a loft, and have now pretty much decided to do an in-wall build to hide all the equipment in my 2nd bedroom. I've had a semi-large (125g) tank for 8 months, and doing maintenance under a cramped cabinet is just a pain and it seems like water inevitably gets spilled on the floor, so getting the sump elsewhere was a huge priority in my next system. Have you thought about trying to locate the sump in a spare bedroom or somewhere? Also, what floor are you on? Just curious how you evaluated what size tank your floor could support?

[bag151]

I only have one room so there is no second bedroom to hide the equipment in and I don't want to sacrafice my only closet to equipment. I had no issues really with cramped working conditions because I made sure to plan around them in my 180g. The stand is 42 in tall so I have plenty of vertical height and I can get underneath the tank from 3 sides which is great. One of my favorite things about this place is the sealed concrete floors. No worries about split water & and I have peace of mind that the floor is structurally sound. I live on the ground level in a high rise complex so the floor is a reinforced slab. I am guessing at least 12in thick post tension slab. Something I left out of my discussion earlier was my canopy, it uses 2 linear actuators & a frame made out of aluminum profile to lift the canopy up. Really makes a big difference in a 30 deep tank.

[mcliffy2]

Looks pretty cool. Another idea I would kick around would be doing the tank rimless and open top, and hanging the lights from your ceiling - its a very cool modern look that would keep with the open feel of a loft. Either way this looks like a build to follow.

I remember now the lofts in H-town having concrete floors (I lived there for 6 years)...up here they are all hardwood. I think I'm going to build a plywood box to set my sump in and seal it, or something to keep spills off the floor - I have too many salt stains as it is.

[stdreb27]

I guess I just don't understand loft on the ground floor. I'd really like the open look. As long as you don't have people putting stuff in there.

[bag151]

Well I do like the rim less look, but it was an extra grand as well as some of the fish I will be keeping tend to be carpet surfers. I am going to seal the base of my stand as well, I am using a 1/2in sheet of PVC and poly-welding a 3in lip around the rim. The stand will also be elevated by plenty of leveling feet so in the even of water making it under the tank it can be blown out by a fan.

Stdreb- It's not a true loft just a more open footprint. Not really worried about stuff making it in there, just stuff making it out. Enclosing the hood also allows me to duct the humidity more effectively through my dehumidifier. I think what drives me nuts with open top tanks is accidentally looking into the light, hard to enjoy the tank with blue spots floating in your vision. It has been done very well by Naka & Invincible but at this time its not for me, my open top tank will be a overflow tank