My 180 gallon project (pic intense)

[reef_dude76]

Hi all,

I am starting to get pretty deep into building my 180 gallon sps tank and need some help figuring out some details. I have added some pics to show where I am at thus far, and to try and illustrate where I need help.

First is a pic of the tank after getting it home. It was purchased from a fellow hobbyist whoe originally baught it from glasscages but then decided not to set it up and sold all the parts off brand new. I ended up buying the tank, stand, sump, and ASM skimmer.


I have decided to install durso drains in the overflows. The tank has two glass overflow boxes, and two black acrylic covers that will be installed over the glass overflows to hide the plumbing. The overflows have a 1.5 inch hole for the drains, and 1 inch hole for the returns. Here is the assembled plumbing for one overflow:


And full tank shot of both overflows:

[Alexj716]

Sweet tank!

[reef_dude76]

I decided on a Sequence Dart as the main system pump. Here is a pic of the dart after I had drilled a hole in the sump and installed a 1.5 inch bulkhead fitting to which I plumbed the intake side of the dart.
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/...28dart-med.jpg
Here is a shot the return plumbing.


You can see the ASM G4X skimmer sitting in the skimmer chamber in that last pic. This brings me to my first question. The recirculation mod and the gate valve mod have been constructed for the skimmer and I am now trying to figure out what I want to do to supply water to the skimmer. The recirc mod on the ASM webpage talks about sizing a feed pump to supply water to the slimmer. In the example on thier site, they pair a RIO 800 to a ASM G2 skimmer. How do I fugure out what size feed pump to use with the G4X that I have? Would the RIO 800 be too small to feed my skimmer?

[outy]

dont use rio,

[Airman]

The second pipe in the overflow with the durso. Is that the return pipe from the sump?

[reef_dude76]

Airman: Yes, that is the return pipe from the sump. I have been thinking of using one return pipe to return water from the sump, and use the other as a return for a closed loop with an oceansmotions four plumbed at the top of it.

outy: If not rio, then what? and what size?

[reef_dude76]

Here is a repost of the dart pic that did not post before

[reef_dude76]

I had been originally thinking of plumbing both overflows with duro's and return lines terminating in loc-line fittings. The main pump will be the dart as pictured above. For the last several days I have been toying with the idea of only plumbing one overflow with a return line from the sump, and using the other as a return line for a closed loop with an oceansmotions 4 way plumbed at the top of the overflow instead of the 90* elbow and the loc-line as I have it plumbed now.

I was thinking of plumbing both drains in the overflows to dump into the sump thus maximizing surface skimming and nutrient removal with the skimmer. What I am trying to figure out now:

1. Would there be any draw back to not plumbing standard returns in both overflows versus one standard return from the sump and one closed loop return?

2. If I use both drain holes in the overflows, how do I feed the closed loop pump.

3. Any opinions on what the CL pump should be? Another dart? a hammerhead?

[Spartan]

I have nearly the exact same equipment as you (good choices I might add!). I run the dart full out and the two large drains have no problem keeping up wiht it. Thus, I do not think you'll get any added benefit in skimming by converting the 2 returns to drains, you'll just distribute the flow through 4 drains instead of 2. I did not use a CL so can't comment with certainty, but a hammerhead seems like it would be too much. Good luck!

[TCU Reefer]

I'm setting up a 215 also with a very similar equipment list.

First, my ASM G4-X has bothe the recirc and gate valce mod. TO feed the skimmer, I plan on running one of the drains to the skimmer. BUT....600gph would be too much for the skimmer to be effective. The ASM crew recommended around 200 gph for optimal production. So I will split the one drain and control the flow with a gate valve. I will T off the rest of the flow to the fuge.

For my closed loop, I already have my Dart and OM 4-way. I plan on keeping SPS and I think the Dart will be plenty of flow. I think the Dart and OM 4 way go hand in hand with each other.

You could use pvc for your intake and returns. It would just basically be a larger sclae version on Melev's 29g closed loop.

[reef_dude76]

TCU Reefer: So are you running one overflow plumbed with a drain and sump return, and the other overflow with a drain and the CL return with the 4 way? Or is your CL completely separate from the overflows? And how are you plumbing the intake for the CL? I have seen intake plumbing running up and oveer the back wall of the tank, but I am unclear as to how you prime this so that you establish flow into the CL pump.

[reef_dude76]

I have been rethinking my plumbing and pump situation. I am starting to worry that the dart is going to be too much as a main system pump for this setup. I am worried that it is going to pass water throught the sump too quickly and not allow the refugium time to remove nutrients from the water as well as contribute to producing massive amounts of microbubbles.

I am thinking of using a Little Giant 4MDQX-SC as the main pump and use some seios for extra flow until I can save up for a set of Tunze streams 6100 and a controller. This will flow about 1000 gph through the sump using the LG pump. Also, not haveing the dart as an option on the head calc makes it harder to predict flow in gph. But is the LG is going to run 1000 GPH according to the head calc with my plumbing setup, then I estimate that the dart is going to be turning over between 2800 -3200 gph. This seems like way too much flow to me.

Has anyone else had this problem?

[TCU Reefer]

Originally posted by reef_dude76
TCU Reefer: So are you running one overflow plumbed with a drain and sump return, and the other overflow with a drain and the CL return with the 4 way? Or is your CL completely separate from the overflows? And how are you plumbing the intake for the CL? I have seen intake plumbing running up and oveer the back wall of the tank, but I am unclear as to how you prime this so that you establish flow into the CL pump.

Closed loops are supposed to be seperate from the other system. I have my tank drilled specifically for the closed loop, independent from the overflows. I had a 2" bulkhead installed for the intake and 4 one inch returns.

Check out www.melevsreef.com

Tons of good info on how his closed loop with PVC works.

[rjwilson37]

Awesome, great start... I can't wait to see some more!

I think you want to move around 4-5 times the tanks volume through your sump/refuge, where 5 times is the most you want moving through. This will give your skimmer and fuge a chance to work with the water passing through.

[143gadgets]

Nice setup.

[reefarchitect]

Reef_dude,

I am a long-time little giant user and will be the first to say that after a while, they ALL get a little loud and start adding a bit of heat. I recently replaced my Little Giant 3 (closed loop) woth a Tunze. I was surprised that my overall water temp droped by just over 2 degrees. Not to mention the tank is soo much quiter.

Just a word of warning from my experiences.

Setup is looking great. I am at the same stage as you in my 180 build.

I plan on using an Iwaki or Blue=line 100 with 4 penductors. The back=pressure should reduce the flow to about 1000 GPH through the sump with "hopefully" about 5000 GPH in the tank.

Good luck with plumbing. I've found it to be the most challenging part thus far.

[reef_dude76]

Well, I wanted to post an update of my progress with my 180. I'm not as far along as I would like to be ... time and money always seem to be in short supply . I ultimately did decide to scrap the idea of the Dart as the main system pump. I hooked up the tank for a freshwater test run and the dart almost ran the sump dry and overflowed the display twice. I tried to solve the problem with spa flex for the drains and dialing the dart back with a gate valve but in the end I still could not get it tuned enough to get rid of microbubbles and the flow through the sump was just way too fast.

So now the design has changed somewhat. I decided on a Little Giant 4MDQX-SC as the main pump after looking at Iwaki, Blueline, LG, and Sequence. I chose the LG because it had one of the best flow to power consumption ratios and had the dementions to fit in my stand (along with a topoff vessel, calciuim reactor, and co2 bottle). The design for the tank now includes the incorperation of an aquatic systems design calcium reactor, a 15 gallon vessel for top off water, a Tunze osmolator for topoff purposes, and the tunze kalc chamber so that I can mix my topoff water with kalk before pumping it into the sump.

Since my last post I have also aquired a canopy for the tank. It was initially unfinished, and in the process of staining it, found that I could not get the color to match the stain that was already on the stand. I have since stripped the stand and restained it. It is now finished with three coats of satin polyuretahne on the outside and a waterproof/weather proof poly on the inside of the stand.

Here's a pic of the finished stand:

[reef_dude76]

I have also finished staining and polyurethaning the canopy. I painted the inside of the canopy a light white to make it more reflective for the lights.

I have also purchased a retrofit kit from Hamilton Technology. I have the relfector installed at the moment. The lighting system consists of three 250W SE MH. The two on the ends are 250W 10K MH and the one in the center is a 250W 14K MH. The system also has two 140 VHO actinics for added blue.

Here's a few shots of the installed reflector:



I also installed the ventilation fans myself. There are a total of four. Two blow air into the canopy and the opposite two blow air out of the canopy.

Here are some pics of the installation, fist is me measuring for placement

[reef_dude76]

Next are pics of were I cut the holes for airflow and then the final installation.







The last thing I have to do is install the wiring for the fans, and then use some cord tacks to secure the power cords to the side of the canopy wall to that they aren't flopping around too much.

Now that all this is done, I will be returing to the plumbing problem again. Since I have added some equipment that I wasn't originally planning on having, I has forced me to redo the drain and return lines. In the long run this is a good thing. I'd rather be doing this now, as opposed to a year or so from now after the tank is up and running

[tang_man_montreal]

Lookin GREAT!

Don't forget to pull off the protective wrap from the reflectors...

[reef_dude76]

No, I won't forget ... thanks for reminding me

[mg426]

That is some fine looking work !!!

[reef_dude76]

mg426: thank you for the compliment, I have been working my tail off on the canopy and stand for the past two weeks.

[reef_dude76]

Well, it's been 3 months since my last update so I thought I would post a few more pics showing the progress of my 180 sps tank.

I finally have everything built, fitted, and now I am in the final stage of setup. I had top hire movers to get the tank out of my garage and into my basement rec room. The stand and canopy color look awesome with the rest of the downstairs decor (this has been my wife's big concern as she has been stressing if the tanks stand and canopy will clash with the room )

Anyway, here are the update pics.

First some pics of the empty tank after getting it moved.




Addition of the 65 gallon sump

[reef_dude76]

Here is a pic of the Aquatic system design calcium reactor sitting in the 15 gallon tank that I will be using for my autotop off tank.



Another shot


One of the setup in the stand
http://i73.photobucket.com/albums/i2...0gallon007.jpg