Watta's 600 gallon in-wall chronicle

Watta · 01/04/2016, 10:37 AM

Hi everyone!

I've learned so much from this site over the past several years that I'm gonna chronicle my latest tank on here so maybe others can learn from my mistakes as I make them.

Display tank: 96 x 48 x 30h made of 3/4" thick glass, assembled myself
Sump tank: 96 x 18 x 24h made of 1/2" thick glass, assembled myself
Tank stand: Cinder blocks, 2x10's, 3/4" plywood
Aquascape: 600 lbs of Key Largo rocks
Substrate: 300 lbs of tan play sand, 1-2 inches deep throughout
Overflow: Coast to coast overflow box with bean animal drain
Lighting: DIY LED on track
Other goodies:
Reef Octopus SRO-6000EXT skimmer
2 jumbo BRS media reactors (carbon/GFO)
Tunze osmolator ATO
Waveline DC12000 return pump
2000W of Eheim Jager heaters (it gets cold in Maine)
3 Neptune WAV powerheads
Neptune Apex controller with all sorts of extras
Several quarantine tanks up to 29 gallon
2 cheap-o clamp lights with 6500k bulbs for chaeto in the refugium

The tank is currently cycling with seeded bio-sponges from my 55 reef, and there is still plenty to do. I'm 90% sure this will be a FOWLR tank, but the stocking list is still up in the air. Its a tough choice between a peaceful mixed tank with mostly smaller fish, or a predominantly angelfish tank with larger fish and some aggression. The fish stock will determine what clean up crew I go with, but I am a big fan of crustaceans so I'll most likely avoid any fish that eat them.

I just gotta say, with the DC pumps and bean animal overflow, this tank is completely silent from anywhere besides inside the fish room. Even then it is still very quiet, mainly the skimmer. I still can't believe how quiet it is!

Pics to come, Thanks for stopping by!

Watta · 01/04/2016, 10:39 AM

Display front

The fish room

The overflow

Sorry if the pics are crummy, There isn't alot of room to manuver for pics

welshintheusa · 01/04/2016, 01:41 PM

The tank looks great, but why Play sand? It offers no benefits for a marine tank. Its not actually sand, its silica! To sharp for many of our critters, which we house in our tanks

rygar · 01/04/2016, 02:18 PM

hows that bean animal working out. Can you post a picture head on to your pipes?

Watta · 01/04/2016, 04:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by welshintheusa

The tank looks great, but why Play sand? It offers no benefits for a marine tank. Its not actually sand, its silica! To sharp for many of our critters, which we house in our tanks

Mainly I just wanted to use a dry sand that wasn't outrageously priced. I have used play sand in the past for several tanks with no issues. It is indeed sand, just containing some silica. Sand on the beach contains silica as well.

Watta · 01/04/2016, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rygar

hows that bean animal working out. Can you post a picture head on to your pipes?

It's great! Totally silent once dialed in and it moves a ton of water.

Like this?

d-man · 01/04/2016, 10:10 PM

Nice. Congrats. You built the tank yourself? Were u nervous or have you done this before?

d-man · 01/04/2016, 10:11 PM

I built my 860 out of plywood and glass, but it has more room for error unlike all glass. Nice job

rygar · 01/05/2016, 05:15 AM

This is great. Looking good so far.
Is there a way to access from the front? Can't tell from the picture.

rygar · 01/05/2016, 05:17 AM

Yes. What is the flow going thru the that? What size piping did you use? What size gate valve?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Watta

It's great! Totally silent once dialed in and it moves a ton of water.

Like this?

Watta · 01/05/2016, 03:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by d-man

Nice. Congrats. You built the tank yourself? Were u nervous or have you done this before?

I have built a 400 gallon plywood with glass front before, but these were my first 2 all glass tanks that I attempted to build. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a bit nervous during the initial fill.

Watta · 01/05/2016, 03:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rygar

This is great. Looking good so far.
Is there a way to access from the front? Can't tell from the picture.

No access from the front. This is a load bearing wall so there's a good sized header preventing any top access from the front. There is ample room from the back and both sides though.

Watta · 01/05/2016, 03:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rygar

Yes. What is the flow going thru the that? What size piping did you use? What size gate valve?

The flow is about 2000 gph with room for more. The pipes and gate valve are 1.5 inch .

How do I quote multiple posts in one?

rygar · 01/07/2016, 08:36 PM

When you gonna put some fish in there?

rygar · 01/07/2016, 08:40 PM

The way you have your rocks set up, would be awesome as a mixed reef. You gotta do corals in that tank. Would be insane. I can tell you'll get bored with a fish only. Was your other tank a reef?

Watta · 01/07/2016, 09:04 PM

The tank is still cycling. I plan on getting my first wave of fish and placing them in my quarantine setup at some point next week.

My other aquarium was indeed a mixed reef. I found myself spending 5x as much time maintaining it compared to before corals. With a tank this large I don't forsee myself having enough time (or arm length) to properly maintain it as a reef. Plus alot of my fish choices are not reef safe. But you can never be sure what the future holds

rygar · 01/07/2016, 09:40 PM

Yeah. A reef definitely takes a lot more time. So if your short on that, a fish only is the way to go.

johnkd24 · 01/07/2016, 10:44 PM

That looks awesome!!! Is that a PVC pipe that you are using to reinforce your live rock tower? Also, are you planning to put a grate over the spillway/waterfall to prevent your fish from swimming out?

Watta · 01/08/2016, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by johnkd24

That looks awesome!!! Is that a PVC pipe that you are using to reinforce your live rock tower? Also, are you planning to put a grate over the spillway/waterfall to prevent your fish from swimming out?

Thanks! Yep, I used 3 pvc pillars to serve as a backbone to my rockwork. The overflow is a very thin sheet of water so I'm not expecting any fish to be able to swim out without jumping. No plan to use a grate as of yet

alexkharden · 01/08/2016, 09:21 PM

I really love the display trim, very clean looking! I want to do something very similar when I trim up my tank. Maybe exactly that, lol. Awesome looking setup!

01/04/2016, 10:37 AM	#1
Watta Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Maine Posts: 8	Watta's 600 gallon in-wall chronicle Hi everyone! I've learned so much from this site over the past several years that I'm gonna chronicle my latest tank on here so maybe others can learn from my mistakes as I make them. Display tank: 96 x 48 x 30h made of 3/4" thick glass, assembled myself Sump tank: 96 x 18 x 24h made of 1/2" thick glass, assembled myself Tank stand: Cinder blocks, 2x10's, 3/4" plywood Aquascape: 600 lbs of Key Largo rocks Substrate: 300 lbs of tan play sand, 1-2 inches deep throughout Overflow: Coast to coast overflow box with bean animal drain Lighting: DIY LED on track Other goodies: Reef Octopus SRO-6000EXT skimmer 2 jumbo BRS media reactors (carbon/GFO) Tunze osmolator ATO Waveline DC12000 return pump 2000W of Eheim Jager heaters (it gets cold in Maine) 3 Neptune WAV powerheads Neptune Apex controller with all sorts of extras Several quarantine tanks up to 29 gallon 2 cheap-o clamp lights with 6500k bulbs for chaeto in the refugium The tank is currently cycling with seeded bio-sponges from my 55 reef, and there is still plenty to do. I'm 90% sure this will be a FOWLR tank, but the stocking list is still up in the air. Its a tough choice between a peaceful mixed tank with mostly smaller fish, or a predominantly angelfish tank with larger fish and some aggression. The fish stock will determine what clean up crew I go with, but I am a big fan of crustaceans so I'll most likely avoid any fish that eat them. I just gotta say, with the DC pumps and bean animal overflow, this tank is completely silent from anywhere besides inside the fish room. Even then it is still very quiet, mainly the skimmer. I still can't believe how quiet it is! Pics to come, Thanks for stopping by!

01/04/2016, 01:41 PM	#3
welshintheusa Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2016 Posts: 52	The tank looks great, but why Play sand? It offers no benefits for a marine tank. Its not actually sand, its silica! To sharp for many of our critters, which we house in our tanks __________________ Regards Garry Thomas

01/04/2016, 10:39 AM	#2
Watta Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Maine Posts: 8	Display front The fish room The overflow Sorry if the pics are crummy, There isn't alot of room to manuver for pics

01/04/2016, 02:18 PM	#4
rygar Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: michigan Posts: 282	hows that bean animal working out. Can you post a picture head on to your pipes?

01/04/2016, 10:10 PM	#7
d-man Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: San Diego, ca Posts: 2,732	Nice. Congrats. You built the tank yourself? Were u nervous or have you done this before?

01/04/2016, 10:11 PM	#8
d-man Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: San Diego, ca Posts: 2,732	I built my 860 out of plywood and glass, but it has more room for error unlike all glass. Nice job

01/05/2016, 05:15 AM	#9
rygar Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: michigan Posts: 282	This is great. Looking good so far. Is there a way to access from the front? Can't tell from the picture.

01/07/2016, 08:36 PM	#14
rygar Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: michigan Posts: 282	When you gonna put some fish in there?

01/07/2016, 08:40 PM	#15
rygar Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: michigan Posts: 282	The way you have your rocks set up, would be awesome as a mixed reef. You gotta do corals in that tank. Would be insane. I can tell you'll get bored with a fish only. Was your other tank a reef?

01/07/2016, 09:04 PM	#16
Watta Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Maine Posts: 8	The tank is still cycling. I plan on getting my first wave of fish and placing them in my quarantine setup at some point next week. My other aquarium was indeed a mixed reef. I found myself spending 5x as much time maintaining it compared to before corals. With a tank this large I don't forsee myself having enough time (or arm length) to properly maintain it as a reef. Plus alot of my fish choices are not reef safe. But you can never be sure what the future holds

01/07/2016, 09:40 PM	#17
rygar Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: michigan Posts: 282	Yeah. A reef definitely takes a lot more time. So if your short on that, a fish only is the way to go.

01/07/2016, 10:44 PM	#18
johnkd24 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 0	That looks awesome!!! Is that a PVC pipe that you are using to reinforce your live rock tower? Also, are you planning to put a grate over the spillway/waterfall to prevent your fish from swimming out?

01/08/2016, 09:21 PM	#20
alexkharden Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2015 Location: Evansville, Indiana Posts: 336	I really love the display trim, very clean looking! I want to do something very similar when I trim up my tank. Maybe exactly that, lol. Awesome looking setup!