Planning a 400 or 450 gallon tank

[psychorugby]

I am in the planning stages of a 96x30x30 or 96x36x30 tank. I want it to be a reef, but don't have the room to spare to make a fish room. I have enough rock, 4 halides (2x 250w and 2x 175w), a ER 8-3 skimmer, Little Giant 4x return pump... etc etc... stuff from my 125 and 120.

Without going overboard, I'd like suggestions on what to get and how to fit it under the stand. I realize this sucks, but that's the way it's got to be.

I don't want to say I'm on a budget when I'm planning a tank this big, but parts will have to be bought one at a time. Just got my first job and I think I have money all of the sudden :lol: .

[alien9168]

SOunds cool.

Since it sounds like your really in the planing stages, i would make the tank either longer or wider, and make it shorter. Just a thought because its a pain with a tall tank to clean the bottom or place corals.

Plus, the light penetration, even with halides, will be better with a shorter tank. ;)

If you are fabricating a stand, make it steel. THen you can maximize the space underneth the tank better. Make the stand fairly tall, so that you can work underneath it easily, and remove your skimmer cup from the sup area.

You wont have any problem fitting extra tanks underneath for a sump/refugium, being that the tank is 8 feet long. Go with a closed loop as well.

I think the best thing you can do, with respect to a stand is make it tall...if you need all of your equpment underneath it... look at some of the other big tank threads and youll see what im talking about.

If you still have problems fitting all your stuff underneath, you could build an adjacent cabinet to hold some of it, like a built-in.

I think this is going to be a cool setup, and I'm going to definatly follow along. Good luck in the planning stages. :)

Oh...do you think your current skimmer will be enough...you are upgrading to almost 4 times the system volume? ;)

[psychorugby]

I'm in the *very* beginnings of planning. I do plan to have the stand made of steel and was wanting it 36" tall (too short?). I'm not sure if my current equipment will be of help or hinderance, which is why I asked for opinons. I don't want to go way overboard with equipment just yet - I haven't had the best luck with sps in my tank (and currently I have a hammer coral that's giving me grief). I also have to work within the confines of what my LFS can order (the manager is my best friend so I get a little help with prices). Right now I want the bare minimum of equipment - sump, skimmer, pumps, etc... don't feel like going the kalk reactor, ozone, etc route just yet.

Plans are for a mixed reef with a decent fishload.

Any suggestions are welcome... I've been lurking here for months looking for ideas to steal.

[Fiziksgeek]

I agree with Alien9618 about the size. If you are planning to use the 250 and 175 watt MH lights you already have, the tank shouldn't be more than 24" tall. A 96x36x24 or 94x48x24 would be awesome!

The only piece of equipment you will have trouble fitting under the stand is a skimmer. And you will need a good skimmer if you plan to have a heavy fish load. 36-40" is a good height for a stand, I would recommend figuring out what equipment you will be using, and design a stand around it.

[travismcgee]

i just put a 96x30hix 30x36x30deep bowfront system together. i would keep the 30" height but i would not add any more height, it will wear you out. i would have also made the stand higher, you will need all the room you can get. good luck

[psychorugby]

Thanks. After talking to my friend and the acrylic guy... I think I will go with the 24" height. Wish I could put a date on this, but I have to save up the cash - might as well buy all the equipment in the mean time though. I like alien9168's idea of a cabinet on the side. I got to thinking about this and the cabient could hide the overflow box (I think I might set it up as a penninsula) and the skimmer as well.

Lots of thinking to do... more ideas are always welcome.

[2004jeepoutlander]

i dChange your halide to 4 400 watters, A second skimmer, how many gph does the little giant pump. Maybe something like a pan world 250 ps or 200 ps would be good. The do heat my tank up tohogh. If you dont wat to have to worr 6 about heat then Dolphins are great.

[alien9168]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7157188#post7157188 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by psychorugby
Thanks. After talking to my friend and the acrylic guy... I think I will go with the 24" height. Wish I could put a date on this, but I have to save up the cash - might as well buy all the equipment in the mean time though. I like alien9168's idea of a cabinet on the side. I got to thinking about this and the cabient could hide the overflow box (I think I might set it up as a penninsula) and the skimmer as well.

Lots of thinking to do... more ideas are always welcome.

I like that idea of hiding the overflow box! I never thought of that before. :)
I'm glad you decided to go with 24" for height, its going to make working on this tank much eisier on you! Not to mention the fact that the light penetration will be much better! :)

DOnt hesitate to ask if you have any other questions :)
Its good your really tanking the time to plan this out! :)

[psychorugby]

I'm not usually much of a planner. But, I figure if I can get the kinks worked out now and buy the equipment in the meantime, I can put this tank up wherever I land.

What return pump would you recommend?
Closed Loops?
Refugium or not?
How big of a sump?
What bulbs? ballasts? what combination?

The questions are endless...

The stand I think will be 36" high and the canopy at least 12" high... making the total tank height as tall as I am. I want to hinge the canopy in the top middle so I won't have doors to contend with. The stand will be made of steel and superficially skinned.

I've been browsing around the forums here for a long time, but I get so innundated with information that I have no idea where to start. All of my other systems have been thrown up in a matter of days and pieced together. My current tanks do OK, but not great.

[alien9168]

I say use 2 sequence darts, for the closed loop.

For a return, you could use a sequence as well.

I'd say have a 50g refugium, with a small mangrove sump, adjacent to it.

Use a 100g rubbermaid stuck tank for your sump, you can fit anything in there adn, relative to their size, they are very inexpensive.

Use 20k spectrum mh, 400w. Icecap or Pfo ballest. IMO, it doesnt really matter which, from what i have read they are both incredibly reliable. Get lumenaric III's on a tank this size, they will provide great ligght coverage! :)
I'd say go with 4 LMIII's all with the 400w mh. THat would let you keep anything you wanted!
Also, supplement the lighting with acentic t-5's. this makes for a great combination! It will give the tank, depending on how many you add, a bluish tint. Probably 8 tubes of 48" t-5's remember, your only using these for "color" the mh will be your true power lighting.

Dont have the canopy sit directly on the tank. You may want to consider building it pendant style. Have the entire canopy hang, or, better yet, hang the lights into the canopy. do you understand what i mean by that?

I think 36" is a nice hight for the stand... especially if you take me up on that cabinet idea. That way, even if your skimmer is too tall to go under the tank, you can design your shelves in the cabinet to fit the size of the skimmer. yhis would give you at TON of flexibility!
NTM the area under the tank could be used specifically for grow out tanks, frag tanks, and your sump and refugium, with nothing else impeding them. :)

I completly agree with having the steel stand "superficially skinned."

If you browse some of the big tank threads here you will find that this is a very popular chices, and very effective. :)

Dont get yourself flustered, this is a learning expirience! Even for people who clam to know what theyre talking about. We're all learning, from novice- "expert"! :)

I hope some of these suggestions helped. :)

[psychorugby]

How much evaporation should I expect? Right now under 3x175w bulbs my 125 evaporates about a gallon a day? Is humidity going to be a problem with this volume of water? I do live in South/Central Florida so it's humid already. I don't want to get into doing anything permanent to my house.

[alien9168]

humidity will be an issue, not "a problem"
with a tank this large

You use a sytem of ducts to vent to the outside of your home. And use a dehumidifier..i dont know that much about this issue though--i just know thats what most people do-- look around, theres bound to be, in fact i know there is, a thread about humidity.

[psychorugby]

I've read the thread on humidity some. I just don't want to get into doing something permanent to the house - might need to sell it someday.

[alien9168]

the humidity off your tank is managable...dont sweat the small stuff...oops. :lol:

[alien9168]

sorry for telling a really bad, not funny joke ;)

[psychorugby]

hahaha...

since I have nothing else to do at work...
or home for that matter...

I think I'm going to go with a Sequence Hammerhead for a return pump. What would be a good closed loop pump? or should I go the Tunze route? I don't want excessive current since I want to have LPS in there as well.

Right now I'm thinking MRC MR-3R for a skimmer. Thoughts?

4x400w MH with 8 T-5s for supplemental lighting.

Been thinking I could house the refugium in the "cabinet" next to the tank to gravity feed into the display tank. Will probably have to go with a custom sump under the tank - possibly not the most water volume. I got to thinking about it and keeping everything under the stand isn't that hard...

Apparently I was a little more serious about this than I thought...

[alien9168]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7167469#post7167469 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by psychorugby
hahaha...

since I have nothing else to do at work...
or home for that matter...

I think I'm going to go with a Sequence Hammerhead for a return pump. What would be a good closed loop pump? or should I go the Tunze route? I don't want excessive current since I want to have LPS in there as well.

Right now I'm thinking MRC MR-3R for a skimmer. Thoughts?

4x400w MH with 8 T-5s for supplemental lighting.

Been thinking I could house the refugium in the "cabinet" next to the tank to gravity feed into the display tank. Will probably have to go with a custom sump under the tank - possibly not the most water volume. I got to thinking about it and keeping everything under the stand isn't that hard...

Apparently I was a little more serious about this than I thought...

Sounds good to me.

I'd go the cl route so that you can really controll the flow, point the returns towards sps and away from the lps ;)

I like your plans for the lighting ;)

And the rest sounds great to me...keep up the good planning work...this tank will be amazing!