UrbanSage's 270 Gallon in Wall Reef Adventure.

UrbanSage · #1 04/15/2007, 06:25 PM

I am finaly getting so close to setting up my future aquarium that I can share it with the RC crowd.

I will be welcoming any and all comments, questions, recommendations and heads ups! Afterall, I have never done anything quite like this before

For a long time I have wanted a bigger tank and tried to get closer to making it happen.

Currently I have two tanks, a 10 gallon and a 75 gallon. These two will go into the one 270 and it will be my only tank..... my only display tank at least

My wife and I are building a house (well, paying someone to do the actual building of it) and I will be placing the tank in a basement wall so it is seen from a family room. I will have a dedicated fishroom 10' X 11' housing the tank. I am getting a floor drain, sink/water, 3 x 20amp circuits and an exhaust fan installed to support the room.
The basement will be mostly unfinished leaving me and my barely novice construction skills to get everything completed.

The tank itself is made of 3/4" acrylic. It measures 72" x 36" wide x 24" high. I will have a 48" x 24" x 24" sump and my current 75 gallon tank will be turned into a refugium.

I currently have about 130lbs of Gap Island live rock in my 75 gallon tank. There is a thread about it here, and I just aquired another 100lbs of the same kind (take a look and you will see why I want to keep it the same). The new rock is being kept in a 25 gallon rubbermaid that I just ghetto plumbed into my 75 system today.

The closer I get to setting up the new tank the more my tank resembles something Frankenstein would be proud of!

Now I know this looks pretty bad, and I know my wife will think worse........ So I camouflaged it and I really think she won't noctice now

If against all odds she notices the setup I am not to proud to beg!
It will be another three months or so before the house is done, I did not want the rock to sit untouched for that long. With the rock I also received about 150lbs of sand. It will stay in two buckets and will not be plugged into the running tank.

Today I picked up the first equipment for the new tank.

I am going with 3 x 400 watt metal halide. I will use 10,000k bulbs and supplement with 2 x 72" actinic VHO.
The ballasts are a single and a dual pulse start magnetic Sunlight Supply.

The MH will use Luminarc III reflectors and these will be ventilated by a Ecoplus Inline Fan.

crescent1 · #2 04/15/2007, 07:05 PM

good start i would say, why pulse start, wich bulbs will you be running.

UrbanSage · #3 04/15/2007, 07:54 PM

I haven't bought the bulbs yet.
But I was told that this ballast with I believe (and may be wrong) XM mogul bulbs has a really nice performance.

Can I ask you why you mention it?

crescent1 · #4 04/15/2007, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by UrbanSage
I haven't bought the bulbs yet.
But I was told that this ballast with I believe (and may be wrong) XM mogul bulbs has a really nice performance.

Can I ask you why you mention it?

They do, the 20k looks great with that ballast to bulb combo.

costa13 · #5 04/15/2007, 10:23 PM

Looks like a good start. I really like how the lumenarc reflectors allow you to mount a fan directly in them.

wrenchhead · #6 04/15/2007, 10:38 PM

Man your current tank is awesome!!Can't wait to see the new one.I love the caps and where you have them placed.Good luck

UrbanSage · #7 04/15/2007, 10:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by crescent1
They do, the 20k looks great with that ballast to bulb combo.

I am currently running 20,000k and it is too bue for me

Been looking at this light for about a year now.

Quote:

Originally posted by costa13
Looks like a good start. I really like how the lumenarc reflectors allow you to mount a fan directly in them.

Yeah, will allow me to get some of that hot air directed outside easily.

UrbanSage · #8 04/15/2007, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by wrenchhead
Man your current tank is awesome!!Can't wait to see the new one.I love the caps and where you have them placed.Good luck

Thank you.
The orange monticap fits really well in its current spot! The other ones..... Not sure yet, but I suppose I get to redo it

kau_cinta_ku · #9 04/16/2007, 06:52 PM

wow, it's a great start and if the bigger tank looks anything close to your 75 it will be beautiful. and i agree that gap rock looks great, i am hoping to also get the same or close to it for my 75 gal. which i am hoping to look half as good as yours

Mojo Jojo · #10 04/16/2007, 07:16 PM

The question we all want to know is how much

.... But like they said^ looking good.

UrbanSage · #11 04/16/2007, 07:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by kau_cinta_ku
wow, it's a great start and if the bigger tank looks anything close to your 75 it will be beautiful. and i agree that gap rock looks great, i am hoping to also get the same or close to it for my 75 gal. which i am hoping to look half as good as yours

I can't wait to have so much room for more stuff.
I like open sandbed where I can place a clam or two but currently I just don't have it.

Thanks Sam, I am sure your tank will be even better

Quote:

Originally posted by joeyjoeq
The question we all want to know is how much .... But like they said^ looking good.

How much what? Money? I don't know...... If I start thinking about it I might panic

Lunchbucket · #12 04/19/2007, 09:55 PM

Looks great for now. Where did you get the Luminarc reflectors and how much? I need 2 for my new tank. Also how much was the fan and where did you get it??

thanks
Lunchbucket

UrbanSage · #13 04/20/2007, 01:17 AM

All my reef purchases through the last year has gone through Oceans of the Midwest.....

I don't have the exact numbers here. Working at 1AM....... Yay! for working in IT

Travis · #14 04/20/2007, 09:32 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by UrbanSage
All my reef purchases through the last year has gone through Oceans of the Midwest.....

You too huh.

Definitely going to miss that store.

Lunchbucket · #15 04/20/2007, 04:39 PM

good to know. Guess I haven't purchased much for dry goods over the last year. But I did all I could through Oceans

hope safari is just as good

Lunchbucket

UrbanSage · #16 06/03/2007, 05:31 PM

A small update.

The house will be done in less than a month if everything continues at the current pace.

Here is an early picture of the future fish room.

I have a 20 amp circuit above, below the tank and one extra spread evenly around the rest of the room.

One change to the original thought has been to eliminate the floor drain. The builder warned me about the smell of a not often used floor drain.

Travis · #17 06/03/2007, 06:23 PM

Lookin good! I saw your tank and it looks NICE! I would really keep the floor drain. Hook up your RO/DI waste to go down that drain to make sure it gets used regularly. If you get rid of the floor drain I have a feeling you will regret the decision.

UrbanSage · #18 06/03/2007, 06:26 PM

Well, too late now

Well, not too late, but beyond sense from a cost perspective.
I still have the sink and I think it will be ok.
After all, once we move this will likely become a bedroom for the next family.

UrbanSage · #19 06/11/2007, 11:04 PM

Got the greenwall up.
It is now ready to get painted and some epoxy paint on the floor as well.

tangdiver · #20 06/12/2007, 08:21 AM

Tank is ready when ever you want help to move it.

Wife is counting the days until she can park in gargage.

I have to email you the tank building pics for you to post if you like also.

Great work.

Grant