My new 400 G tank

[Trigger 2]

can you guys go to my thread. i need help. its the 350-400 gallon one in this section. dont bring the mermaids.

[Crusty Old Shellback]

It would be easier if you gave us a link. We're old and senial.

[Trigger 2]

lol. its right below this. no one is answering! i need answers.

[GovtCheese]

wow... thats ginormous

[Trigger 2]

yuo. .

[Snap-on]

Hey buddy, how’s the tank. I just thought it would be nice to give you a surprise wholly without mention of you know who. LOL You accomplish a lot of construction to the room this weekend? I also wanted to ask how you like that skimmer. Looks pretty impressive. Does it pull out a lot of junk? Everyone is dying for pics on your progress so as soon as you hook up your home puter post some pics. We like to see anything. Even if it’s your truck hauling the water. Take care and hopefully “the pest� doesn’t mess this up.

[Crusty Old Shellback]

Started in on wiring the last wall of the room this weekend. Had to take a break on Sunday though and take the mermaid out for a putt up into the mountains. about 225 miles round trip up into the angles natl. forrest and then back down to the beach for teh final leg home. It was hot but a nice ride none the less. I'll get back to finishing the wiring tonight.

Got a guy coming over tonight to talk with me about how to pour in a level floor over the existing one. Then I will probably have to submit an change to the permit as I want to remove one of the walls they put up for the sunroom and make it a real 2 X4 & drywall wall. I'm still waiting for HD to deliver my second french doors. Got the firt one installed.

I may have to take a little break as the motor in the old truck is blowing oil again. I think I cracked another piston when it pinged a few times. Has happened before but I didn't use forged pistons, might have to this time, I don't know. Either that or spend the extra money and get a boost retard or just cut back on the total timming. It usually only happens when I get on it hard when the air is hot outside. Got to have it ready for the winter when it rains.

Tank is doing good and teh fish are pigs. I'm evaporating about 10 G of water a day because it get's hot in the garage where they are. I don't have a auto top off yet so I have to remember to manually fill it up each night.

As for the skimmer, it's awsome. I turned off the ozone and it didn't seem to make any difference on what it pulled out or my ORP reading. I'm running the foam a bit dry and it is smelly.

Later.

[Snap-on]

Sounds like you had a nice time up in the mountains. Spending your time with family is always more rewarding. For me anyway. Sounds like you’re making a lot of progress. Is the tank going to be in wall or open display? As for the pistons, forged sounds like a good idea. And nice to hear the fish are pigging out man, always a good sign. I assume the skimmer is cast, must have cost mm a fortune. Post some pics when you can. ttyl

[Crusty Old Shellback]

Yea we had a nice ride and it was great to get away for a while. Got a bit too much sun though. 7 hours of riding.

The tank will sit against a 12' wall at the end of the sunroom. On the right will be a cabinet that will house the skimmer, about 2 1/2 feet wide. There will be a bottom cabinet that reaches the rest of the way across the bottom of the tank all the way to the far wall. There will be a top just on the tank that fits up next to the skimmer cabinet to house the lights.
The tank will be viewable from the front and the left side. There will be a sitting area on top of the cabinet on the left of the tank, about 2 1/2' wide, so you can see down the tank. The pool pump and filter will be under that cabinet. There will be a window in that corner of the room as well so I'll get some natural sunlight on that end of the tank.

Aquasaping idea is to build a large wall in the right back corner of the tank with it slopeing down and out to cover the right third of the tank. I have one large peice of coral rock that will make an arch across the center of the tank to connect that slope to an island on the left third of the tank. There will be swimming rom around the island on the left. I also want to leave the top third of the tank "open" for swimming room.

For corals, I'm going with a mixed reef, a little of everything. For SPS, I'm going to stick mainly with Monti Caps as I like the way they form big spirling plates and cups. I'm also going to have some clams and then fill in with different color zoos. I'd like to maybe get a carpet anemone as well.

[Snap-on]

No such thing as too much sun man. You wanna look Hawaiian don’t you? Actually you and your wife would fit right in for some reason. I don’t know about Marc though, I think I would have to protect him. LOL If I sent him to Nanakuli to pick something up he might not make it back. It’s one of those situations where I would be concerned and laughing my butt off simultaneously.

Your ideas man, sound really awesome. Especially being able to look down the tank. You better charge admission. I can’t wait to see some pics. I pretty much could follow along but I need some pics. I’ll be patient and just imagine till then.

[Crusty Old Shellback]

Yea, it sucks not having the puter up at home. Got to sneek in to RC when I can here at work.

[JHReef]

Sounds good so far Ray. Took my mermaid to Heast Castle last weekend on the mega Hog. Took me hours to get all the bugs off from my 600 miler! This weekend was a cruise w/ my other Harley bud to the Camarillo Air Show. Boy, I sure do miss living closer to the coast. It's easily a 20 degree difference from the boiling boonies where I live now.

We gotta go for a putt w/ our girls soon. Can't wait to see your room and tank when it's done. See ya.

[Crusty Old Shellback]

Yea we do need to go for a putt. Missed you at the last meet. Had a great time with our suprize guest. It sure was hot out your way this weekend, got the red arms and nose to prove it. It was more like a 40 degree differecne between the beach and the valley.

[zfunk007]

Figured I'd drop a little post here to let you know I'm following your progress . Your ideas sound great and intriguing. As I've said many times before, can't wait to see some pics!

[Crusty Old Shellback]

In time. Got all the electrical to do right now.

Anyways, a question for everyone.

I have already put in two dedicated 20 amp circuits for the tank. I'm wondering, while I'm doing all of this wiring, if I should add in another 20 or 15 amp circuit. Any ideas?

My power comsumption should be this:
1 pool pump for the canister filter. (it pulls about 6 amps but I'm looking for a more efficient one)
2 pressure rated return pumps that flow about 2500 GPH. (I'm looking for new ones now)
3 sedra 9000 pumps for the skimmer
3 controllers
1 heater
3 fans right now but may be going with a chiller in the future.
10 55W PC bulbs
4 400W MH bulbs
10 timers
small pump for a calicum reactor
couple of exhaust fans for the heat.

Maybe a few other small electrical things, I don't know just yet.

Thanks for any help.

[bstear]

So your going to break it all down to move it to the Sunroom. Wow that will be quite a day. Good luck in getting it all done. Can't wait to see the tank in the new room with the seating area around it.

[MargaritaMan]

Snap-On, I made that skimmer! Check this out: http://reefcentral.com/gallery/showp...t=1&thecat=500

Ray, You should really get a life seeing as though all you do is sit around and do nothing!

Glad to hear you're having so much fun with it. Better than selling it to that other wierd lady! hehe

MM

[melev]

The third circuit is very handy. In my case, I added the third circuit as the window a/c unit pulls 8amps all by itself. And if you happen to have to plug in a vacuum cleaner in a nearby outlet shared with the tank, you need to have enough power to feed it too, without tripping the circuit.

Now's the time to go all out.

[Crusty Old Shellback]

MM,
Yea I need a life, . Anything should be better than sitting around all day posting on RC. I wonder if she's seen this thread.

Melev,
The two 20 amp circuits I installed are strictly for the tank. There is nothing else on those circuits. As a matter of fact they will be behind the tank cabinet so you can't even plug anything else into them. I'm just wondering if I really need a third dedicated circuit for the tank with all of the equipment I'll have running.

Right now it's running on a 15 A and 20 A circuit but I don't have the MH lights yet. When I was setting it up in the garage, I wound up tripping the 15 A breaker a few times and so had to split out the load to another 20 A circuit I had that wasn't being used.

[Snap-on]

Hey Marcy Boy, you alright? I’m proud of you man, not one mention about the mermaid. And your suggestion is actually helpful, too. Wow! LMAO

Hey MM, what are you doing to me man?!!! LMAO I’m trying to be good here and you go and show me THAT! You’re no help dude. All I can say is what a really fine skimmer you have there.

Ray, hey bud. You see, I’m being good man. MM is the devil, but I resisted.

[melev]

Just add up all the wattage you expect to use. Translate that into amps.

You are only permitted to run each circuit breaker at 80% volume, per building code. So a 15 Amp breaker shouldn't have more than a 12 Amp load. The 20 Amp breaker shouldn't have more than a 16 Amp load.

Right now it is easy to add another circuit, right? What if you decide to set up a frag tank nearby? Or need some extra outlets for raising live food, mixing water, etc. I never have enough outlets, it seems.

MargaritaMan, that cracked me up when I saw the Binford label.

[Crusty Old Shellback]

Well I've got enough room in the sump for frags. I may just go ahead and add it in while I've got the wall open. Will make it a lot easier to do. I sure hope that 60 amps will be enough for this monster.

[bstear]

There is no way she is 6' 8" MM. You would have really high ceilings and that tank behind her would be quite tall. Maybe 5"8 and the skimmer is over 6' .

[Crusty Old Shellback]

She's not 6'8" but he does have high celings, the skimmer is over 6' tall and yes the tank is that tall. .

The tank alone is 3'. add in the 2 1/2' of stand and the 1 1/2' or so of top. ;D

[MargaritaMan]

Originally posted by bstear
There is no way she is 6' 8" MM.

Actualy she is 3'6". I like short women!

For the record, it was someone posting a reply to the pic that said she was 6'8"... AS A JOKE. Glad to see there are still some folks that take this board REAL SERIOUSLY!!!

OK, Everyone follow my lead: 1-2-3-breath, 1-2-3- breath, 1-2-3-breath. Now drink!

MM