Cuacuac's 100 Gal Reef

Cuacuac · 01/31/2017, 10:25 AM

Hi Reef Central comunity!!!

First of all I'd like to introduce myself. I am from Buenos Aires - Argentina and I've been in this hobby since 2010. In 2015 I moved from my parents house and left my old 200gallons reef there sitting with them, taking basic care of the livestock every time I visit them, unfortunately nowadays its filled with nuissance algae, dirty glasses and some broken hardware (calcium reactor for example).
Now, more than a year later I'm building a smaller set up to bring my livestock home and I'd like to share my proyect with you. My lifestock is mostly composed of soft corals and some easy-to mantain sps like montiporas. I also have a Premnas Clownfish pair and a Coris Gaimard. I plan on repairing the broken hardware and build an simple, but yet healthy setup.

There goes some pics!

The aquarium stand, made in 40x40mm steel:

The aquarium display, made in 10mm thick glass (and my moving team!)

The reef's first inhabitant, a catfish it seems

And finally the tanks outer look so far:

This week I plan on finishing de plumbing. I'll use 1.5' plumbing from the display back to the sump and 1' for the return pump back to the display (Ocean Runner aprox 1000gph). I'd also like to build a small frags tank above the sump, but I'm not quite sure yet.

I'm open to any suggestion or opinon, your experience is very valuable!!!!

timnem70 · 01/31/2017, 11:01 AM

Cool. Welcome. B.A must be a beautiful place to live? Good looking tank bro.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

Cuacuac · 02/02/2017, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by timnem70

Cool. Welcome. B.A must be a beautiful place to live? Good looking tank bro.

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

Indeed it is a beautiful city! Of course it has it's pros and cons. For example, we have very few aquarium shops and all the livestock impo goes through only one person, because of that the livestock prices are really abusive. For example a tiny lysmata is more than u$s100 and any tang isn't less than u$s400-500 regardeless the species. The same happens with coral frags, I've seen sops selling acropora frags the size o a fist for u$s1000. The pro of this cons is that hobbists rely on trading frags and livestock with eachother. This way I met many friends, and of course livestock for reasonable prices!

Returning to my proyect I still have doubts regarding how to distribute the plumbing and how to divide the sump. Since I don't have many space under the display and my sump isn't very large, I'm considering using only one division with a bubbles trap. On one side y plan on having the skimmer and reactor and on the other the return pump, with no fuge. As a complementary filtration system I could add an algae scrubber to remove anything that the skimmer cannot. I would also add the frags tray above the return pump.

Here's a draft of what I have in mind! (of course, my cat Cousteau is the chief inspector!)

Any suggestion regarding the sump and plumbing distribution???????

TinWolf · 02/03/2017, 11:28 AM

Hello Cuacuac, I am really loving the design of your tank stand and canopy! For a quick and simple sump, the easiest way to go is a bubble trap/filter socks close to the down spouts, a space for equipment, another trap for fuge (if you can fit it) and one more trap for return pump/ heaters. This is my sump for my build:

I have spaces for socks and traps/ equipment and heaters. A simple sump is a happy sump!

For your frag tank idea, I would plumb it in so that one water from the sump will flow up to the tank and frag tank in a tee; then the frag tank will overflow back into the sump in a small loop. Make any sense?

01/31/2017, 10:25 AM	#1
Cuacuac Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2011 Posts: 10	Cuacuac's 100 Gal Reef Hi Reef Central comunity!!! First of all I'd like to introduce myself. I am from Buenos Aires - Argentina and I've been in this hobby since 2010. In 2015 I moved from my parents house and left my old 200gallons reef there sitting with them, taking basic care of the livestock every time I visit them, unfortunately nowadays its filled with nuissance algae, dirty glasses and some broken hardware (calcium reactor for example). Now, more than a year later I'm building a smaller set up to bring my livestock home and I'd like to share my proyect with you. My lifestock is mostly composed of soft corals and some easy-to mantain sps like montiporas. I also have a Premnas Clownfish pair and a Coris Gaimard. I plan on repairing the broken hardware and build an simple, but yet healthy setup. There goes some pics! The aquarium stand, made in 40x40mm steel: The aquarium display, made in 10mm thick glass (and my moving team!) The reef's first inhabitant, a catfish it seems And finally the tanks outer look so far: This week I plan on finishing de plumbing. I'll use 1.5' plumbing from the display back to the sump and 1' for the return pump back to the display (Ocean Runner aprox 1000gph). I'd also like to build a small frags tank above the sump, but I'm not quite sure yet. I'm open to any suggestion or opinon, your experience is very valuable!!!!

01/31/2017, 11:01 AM	#2
timnem70 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 462	Cool. Welcome. B.A must be a beautiful place to live? Good looking tank bro. Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

02/03/2017, 11:28 AM	#4
TinWolf Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2017 Location: St. Albert, Alberta Posts: 0	Hello Cuacuac, I am really loving the design of your tank stand and canopy! For a quick and simple sump, the easiest way to go is a bubble trap/filter socks close to the down spouts, a space for equipment, another trap for fuge (if you can fit it) and one more trap for return pump/ heaters. This is my sump for my build: I have spaces for socks and traps/ equipment and heaters. A simple sump is a happy sump! For your frag tank idea, I would plumb it in so that one water from the sump will flow up to the tank and frag tank in a tee; then the frag tank will overflow back into the sump in a small loop. Make any sense?