380 Starfire SPS in a closet

dandy7200 · #1 06/30/2007, 01:40 AM

Well since I ordered the tank today it only seems appropriate that I go ahead and start the build thread today as well. Tank will be built by Miracles in Glass 108x30x27 Starfire front and ends, dual 30" external overflows.

This tank will replace my 75 gallon mixed reef and plumb into my 54 corner SPS tank which will turn into the refugium for the 380. All of the livestock from the two tanks will be combined with the exception of the soft corals and rock infested with soft corals from my 75.

Location: Well it's going into a closet, well two closets actually

It's what I got so I'll make it work. The closet space once I take out the divider wall used to be a laundry room but I just finished moving the washer/dryer to another location for er...uh... convenience (well that's how I pitched it to the wife anyway

). This is on the first floor of the house with a crawl space under backing up to an outside wall. The first step will be to rip out the floor and pour a trench footing, then add a few more floor joist to beef things up. I plan to line the room with 1/8" HDPE with welded seams. There is a return duct to the central AC in the closet and I will leave that there as is. I plan to put a pretty good size pair of bath fans for exhuast and cut a decent fresh air intake vent as well. There will be a floor drain for emergency purposes that will just drop to under the crawl space. There is water and plenty of power in the room already but I will probably redo it all to fit the tank.

Flow: Return pump will be a Hammerhead and also tee off to feed remote refugium, frag tank etc. I will likely plumb a 4 way and two wavy seas or 4 sea swirls on the returns. No closed loop since the space is limited, I am going to go with 2ea Tunze 6101's and a wavebox + extention to start and see if I need more.

Lighting: 250w XM10k's on PFO magnetics in Luminarcs X4 will be the main lighting, I will also put an array of VHO actinics and T-5 AB+ bulbs wherever they end up fitting.

Filtration: I like to build my own toys

But it will consist of a big ol skimmer, a pair of fluidized reactors running carbon and Phosar, a big ol calcium reactor and a big ol kalk reactor. I'll plan for a few hundred watts of UV. Curious to give ozone a shot but tanks going in my living room so I may pass for safety sake. All of this will be located in multiple sumps under the stand.

Other: I will have an automatic water change system plumbed in to change somewhere in the neighbor hood of 1/2% daily. I will also have a very large RO reservoir. These tanks will be located outside in a lean to shed that I need to build. Chiller will be outside as well and if I have time will be done on the mini split AC unit like Sidewinder did or I'll end up with a 1hp Tradewinds if time starts to run short.

Livestock: 90% SPS and a few LPS, rics and rare paly's and rics. Fish I currently have that will transfer are:

Longhorn Cowfish
5 glass cardinals
Joculator Pair
Algae Blenny
Yellow Watchman
Mandarin Goby
Sailfin Tang
Convict Tang
Multicolor Angel
Snowflake Moray
Bicintus Clown Pair
Dispar Anthias Pair
Copperband Butterfly
Blue Reef Chromis
Radiant Wrasse
Couple RBTA's
Couple Borneman Anemones
Dozen or so Maxi Morph Tapetums
Dozen or so Mini Morph Tapetums.

The Anemones may all end up in the 54, still haven't decided.

I have most of the fish I want except I really want to take advantage of the 9' swimming space and add a school of bannerfish. I'll probably add a few nicer angels as well and that's pretty much it.

I would love to hear some big tanker experienced thoughts before I start ripping apart my house

Also never fear, I take LOTS OF PICTURES!!!!!!!! Here a couple of my packed 54 to quell the doubters LOL...

OZreefhead · #2 06/30/2007, 02:12 AM

sorry dan cant offer much advise yet but judging by your 54 this tank is gunna be awsome!

sidog1 · #3 06/30/2007, 10:36 AM

dan, how is your multicolor angel with sps? mine is in quarantine at the moment but would like to know your experience. your new tank sounds great. love the joculator pair!

yoboyjdizz · #4 06/30/2007, 06:57 PM

This is going to be sweet! 9 feet of swimming room sounds nice! I know i just got started on my 280 but im already dreamin of a new tank in the 8-10ft range! Good luck can't wait to see the progress on this one as well!

dandy7200 · #5 06/30/2007, 11:36 PM

Thanks Oz.

sidog1, Multicolor is in my softie tank so I just cross my fingers.

yoboyjdizz, I'm pretty excited. It kind of hit me today exactly how much work I have ahead of me.....

dc_909 · #6 07/01/2007, 01:21 AM

Love the cowfish pic

chaffey · #7 07/01/2007, 02:45 AM

I love the top view pics...beautiful

Reefghoul · #8 07/01/2007, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by chaffey
I love the top view pics...beautiful

I have to agree on this statement...tank looks awesome as well.

nss9400 · #9 07/01/2007, 10:37 PM

awsome tank!

leeweber85 · #10 07/03/2007, 08:44 PM

I absolutely love the fish selection. Especially the glass cardinals and the cowfish!

meschaefer · #11 07/03/2007, 08:53 PM

good luck...then again who needs luck when you have planning.

spleify · #12 07/04/2007, 01:12 PM

Looks great. Nice job.

yoboyjdizz · #13 07/04/2007, 01:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by dandy7200

yoboyjdizz, I'm pretty excited. It kind of hit me today exactly how much work I have ahead of me.....

Yeah and it will never end.... Enjoy!

dandy7200 · #14 07/05/2007, 12:36 AM

Thanks all

Well now that you have seen the 54 I'll show you where it is in relation to where the new tank will go....

Far left of this picture you can see the bow and the first closed in my living room is just to the right of that. Currently this is my "fish closet" that has my equipment sump and filtration for the tank. This room will be where all of my electrical is run from:

Moving to the right you can see the two closets I am going into for the new tank:

The stand will be 40" tall, giving me 27" for the tank and then another 27" to the ceiling after that. The canopy per say will be a single door hinged at the top and lifted by a linear actuator via remote control. I am going to get Craftmaid pewter glazed cabinets to frame the whole thing with.

dandy7200 · #15 07/07/2007, 08:36 PM

Well, I dropped a couple mortgage payments at the LFS today, heres what I ordered:

Lighting:

3 ea L3 reflectors with AC kits
170cfm inline blower fan from SLS
3 ea 400w pfo magnetic ballast
3ea 10k XM 400w bulbs
Icecap retro 4x24" T-5 on 660 ballast with Geisman AB+ bulbs
Icecap retro 4x24" VHO on 660 ballast with URI Super Actinics

Flow:

2ea Tunze 6200's (went with these over the wavebox)
2ea Tunze 6101's
Multicontroller
Hammerhead return pump
Backup Hammerhead return pump

and:

114w Aqua UV sterilizer no wiper

I'm thinking of adding a Vortech with 2ea battery backups for protection just a tad bit more flow, for $600 and change it seems like a pretty good deal since I would spend more than that on a generator especially when you add the cost of another 6101 to get that other 3000gph. Anyone have thoughts on this?

Also for flow, I think I am going to ditch the seaswirls and OM and rely on the 2ea 6200's osculating back and forth for random current.
This will allow me to drop the returns straight down behind the reef structure, then I will put the 2ea 6101's in the back bottom shooting up and to the center and put the 2ea 6200's on the ends. I've had great luck with this flow pattern in the past and no need to change what was working before (just add a bunch more of it

).

I talked to Derek at Miracles and they will be drilling the eurobracing 2 holes on each end and 4 along the back to run 1" pipe and/or powercords. These guy's are great to work with, and very patient.....It took me almost 3 months to decide on the final design along with about 60 e-mails......and I still am tweeking the design bit by bit as I see it coming together in my head.

Still need to get a controller. I am thinking I will likely stick with Neptune and get the ACIII.

Still need to build the rest of the equipment, I think I might start with the calcium reactor this coming week........

imsocool5609 · #16 07/07/2007, 09:33 PM

wow i love your 54 it is so sick. I love the boxfish.

cbui2 · #17 07/08/2007, 01:31 AM

dropped few months mortgage payments

. we all have the same addiction even if they're no roof above our head but still manage for the tank to make it inside the house

will that wall needed to be frame, from the pics doesn't seems to be load bearing also 9'L will be really nice with 12" tangs. keep them pics coming and great build Dan.

marlin_dory · #18 07/08/2007, 06:14 AM

hey dandy7200
love ur 54 awesome idea with the closet space make sure u have alot of pics me myself im thinking of making a indoor pond with a window
=o i dont think its been done b4 so im hoping it work i have 1 q arent cow fish not reef safe or do u not have ne inverts in there please reply

dandy7200 · #19 07/08/2007, 01:12 PM

cbui2, yep I got it bad, could be worse though right?

The wall is simply a divider for the two closets, will be simple to remove and I just need to attach framing to hold the cabinets to so nothing really structural going on there. The floor is a different story though, that will be the biggest challenge of my entire build (I hope).

marlin_dory, pond sounds neat. Check out last months "thread of the month" for more really good ideas. Cowfish....hmmm...not really reef safe according to the books. My wife loves "Tex" and since he will get quite large it has FORCED me to upgrade to this big tank, it's all her fault.....

Actually he was the first fish in my 54, I got him when he looked like a little yellow marble. Never picked on a healthy coral. Like many questionable reef fish he is opportunistic, if there is a shrapnel frag rolling on the sand bed after a pruning session he will rip the flesh from it. He has been known to knock snails from the glass and eat one every now and again but hardly a problem on a regular basis.

Solitaryensis · #20 07/08/2007, 10:38 PM

Nice pair of Jocs! Good luck on the build

dandy7200 · #21 07/10/2007, 11:22 PM

I worked over the weekend on the big ol calcium reactor and finished it today after work. It should hold about 30# of media, I'm hoping this will be large enough

8" x 20" chamber with a Panworld 40px recirc pump. I put it in front of my 54 for size reference:

I was actually thinking about running this on my 54 so I could sell the one I currently have on there. Does anyone see anything wrong with running a obscenely oversized calcium reactor on a small tank? I use a controller and only feed a little bit so it seems like it would be OK, just wondering if anyone has ever done it?

dandy7200 · #22 07/10/2007, 11:33 PM

Here is the current sketch I have from Miracles, there is 2ea 1.5" sched80 bulkheads and 2ea 1" sced80 bulkheads in each overflow, the black dots around the euro represents the utility holes that will be drilled in it for cords, pipes etc.

erics3000 · #23 07/11/2007, 12:31 AM

Wow your 54 is sweet. This is some addiction. I cant wait to see your progress. Keep the pics coming..

dandy7200 · #24 07/11/2007, 10:48 AM

Thanks erics, I hope to progress quickly. I want to start cutting the wall in the next week or so.

yoboyjdizz · #25 07/11/2007, 01:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by dandy7200
I worked over the weekend on the big ol calcium reactor and finished it today after work. It should hold about 30# of media, I'm hoping this will be large enough 8" x 20" chamber with a Panworld 40px recirc pump. I put it in front of my 54 for size reference:

I was actually thinking about running this on my 54 so I could sell the one I currently have on there. Does anyone see anything wrong with running a obscenely oversized calcium reactor on a small tank? I use a controller and only feed a little bit so it seems like it would be OK, just wondering if anyone has ever done it?

Not sure if im reading it right.. but did you build it yourself?