Matt’s 210 rebuild

[mms_citrus]

I started about 2 years ago planning our 210 overhaul. I designed a stand, did load calcs, hoping it doesn’t fail lol. About 8 months ago I built the stand but the past 2 years we have been remodeling the house and the yard, too many projects and way to much work. On the plus side covid was a boon for boating so I’ve pretty much been stuffing the mattress. Sorry for those less fortunate.
Shortly after I built the stand I made a boo boo. My normal top off setup was down, so I was just doing it manually. Well my boy was 1 at the time. I was tired. I forgot I had the valve open. I diluted the tank super bad. It was Sunday evening and I was also out of salt. By the time I got to the store it had wiped out a bunch of coral. Softies mostly made it but nothing else. So I’ve been doing minimal maintenance for a couple months anticipating the rebuild. The tank has looked better but honestly everything that survived the kill is thriving, it’s bizarre. I haven’t done a water change or vacuumed up detritus in probably 3 months.

Anyway, last week I uncovered the stand and started prepping it. It’s steel. I cleaned it up. Acid bathed it. Blasted it. Put about 6 coats of epoxy anti corrosive prime on it. Sanded it. Faired it out. 2 more coats of primer. And 2 coats of white urethane. It’s the same stuff I use on boats. It’s a good product. I don’t expect trouble. I didn’t take any picture of it but I have renderings I’ll post. It’s 96L 30H 30D.
The other day I took down the gargantuan hood I had made to house ballasts and the triple halide setup I had been using. I threw some old leds up there in the meantime. Im not sure what lights I want yet.
I’ve got a trigger ruby sump that I’ve had for years. I’m going to reuse it. I know the flow characteristics thru it. I don’t have to guess. I am however going to modify it so I can run dual 7” socks. And I’m going to run my skimmer external. It’s a downdraft type, pro clear I think made it. Honestly it’s super old but it works really really well. It’s running internal now but I want more space in the sump.
Everything for the existing tank setup is self contained. It’s in a “tub” if you will. It has a water supply. A Rubbermaid garbage can for water changes in the stand, plumbed to the sump. The sump is drilled and has drains for water changes. The tub drains out of the house. Overflows, spills, skimmer runoff, I can just hose it all out. I don’t have to haul anything around. Just jump salt in the can. I want to replicate this again but with more finesse. This setup has worked for like 8 years but it’s ugly and I want to be able to just press buttons and do it all electronically. So I’ve been designing the sump. I’ve decided to build a water change tank. Approx 30 gal. I can utilize the space better. I’ve been doing some tests with 1/2” pvc sheet, you can buy at Home Depot, and I think I’m going to use it. It glues up good. Strong enough for the purpose I think I’m going to use it for the cabinetry too instead of starboard, seeing as its 1/3 the cost and should hold up. I’ve not rendered this yet but I’m still working out if I can get away with a small sink built into the cabinetry, so the renderings I post may get updated.
Today I finished the rockscaping . It’s my first true rockscape. I’ve always just kind of piled up the rock. I was never really happy with it but it was good enough. This time I did it right. I am really happy with it. We run a bare bottom tank, so I’ve designed my rockscape with that in mind. I’ve got a preliminary powerhead setup in mind and worked it into the design. I used 2 pieces from the existing tank. The rest is all Marco rock or something like that. I bought it a year ago. I can’t remember.
I purchased new acrylic over flows. I’m not sure if I’m going to baffle them and route some intakes lower or if I’ll just stick with surface skimming. I’m open to suggestions.
I’m going to reseal the tank. I’m not going to break down the panels but the corners are all mangled and I want to reseal it black anyway. I’d like to get a decent rimless tank but my wife is pretty sure I don’t know what I’m talking about and that with a little work the tank we have is fine, lol. She’s probably right.
That’s all I have for now.

[mms_citrus]

http://imgur.com/a/3pxygu3

[mms_citrus]

I think I broke the link
https://imgur.com/gallery/3pxygu3

My wife thought I needed to add something extra for the snowflake eel. So I added this to the central island. The tank is viewable from our bedroom between the overflows so it could be cool to see more of it. Plus the royal gramma is always hiding so this whole less is more rockscape could be cool

[mms_citrus]

https://imgur.com/gallery/IwJObcz

[ReefStache]

posting images and vids seem difficult here... I just started a new thread and was only able to get embedded vids to work. The days of hosting images on other servers I thought was long gone..

[mms_citrus]

Yea I couldn’t figure it out on my phone so I just did it this way.

[Pellikan]

The scape looks great. I'd like to see how it fits into the tank.
I'm still just piling rocks up.

Sent from my SM-G991U using Tapatalk

[mms_citrus]

No real updates. Been trying to finish up some jobs so I can go on vacation. I’ve decided to build a scratch sump. I’ve been working on the design. I think I’m gonna do fleece roller but a custom build. Anyone have any experience with fleece rolls? I hate cleaning socks, like really really hate it.

[mms_citrus]

Back from vacation. Will start working on it soon

[mms_citrus]

Got the aquarium put back together. These are some
I progress pics.

https://imgur.com/gallery/YKHAmlM

The old sump was a wet sump. The ro drained into it and then put the front of the house. So it always had algae and stuff growing in it. That’s why it looks so nasty plus the overflow for the skimmer drained into it too. I’m doing away with all that. Everything will be plumbed right out the front. Sump area while sealed will dry except for spills and accidents. I resealed the corners inside the tank to clean it up. And installed new overflows. New bulkheads and plumbing throughout. I reused some equipment that I had. I decided to spend the money on some other projects and make best use of some of my existing. equipment. I reused the sump. Made nice covers for it tho and cleaned everything up. Reused a return pump I had. And also have switched to a reef octo skimmer. It’s technically a little small for this but it’ll work for a couple months until I get a bigger one. The old downdraft beast I had was just too tall. I put down a wood subfloor as you can see in the pics. On the open end I’m going to make and install a drawer. Extra salt storage and stuff less than 5 inches tall. I used a lot of pvc board. Really enjoyed working with it. I’m very happy so far.

[mms_citrus]

Corals aren’t mounted. Just dropped them in for the time being.
https://imgur.com/gallery/pFCKSyP

[mms_citrus]

im on apc so i figured id get the pics working properly. these are the same pics youve seen if you have looked at the imgur links.
the old setup was kind of a mess. it worked but it was a wet sump area, skimmer overflow drained into the wet sump, and the ro waste drained into it. was always full of algae and waste. id pour bleach in it sometimes and rinse it out.

[mms_citrus]

i had already removed the massive hood and 6' halide setup. old wooden base stripped. you can see the sump pan more easily here.

[mms_citrus]

i spent 2 evenings working on the rockscape. came pretty easily to me.. now that its in the tank i see somethings i might have done differently but im still real happy with it. i layed out the tank and setup the overflows to figure out the build. i had planned on powerheads low to keep the detritus up, but it was unnecessary as i now know. the neptune powerheads work really well.

[mms_citrus]

i renewed the inside corners of the tank. i went black, however in hindsight 2 things are apparent, i think id go back clear because the rest is clear and while it doesnt look bad it is a little noticable. secondly i used dow 795 or some such, it sat in my sump for a couple months and 2 things have made themselves known. the silicone was possibly old and it may not cure. second i didnt know it had a 7 day cure time and i filled it in 2 days. i didnt even think to check it. ive never used it before and its not like regular silicone. its a structural adhesive or some such. so the inside corners are still soft. it hasnt fully sured where i used it outside either hence my reasoning that it may have been too old. it is only a cosmetic issue and if i am careful with the glass cleaner ill probably just leave it.

[mms_citrus]

i didnt disclose this earlier cause it was embarrassing but i made a booboo on the stand lol. somehow i got it in my head that i wanted 30' countertop. not 36ish like everything else in my house..........when i whent ot put the stand into place i was measuring stuff because i have a window into my bedroom that i can see the back side of the tank thru and it was all off. lol. it took me a moment to realize the colossal error i had made. but necessity is the mother of invention so i just made a 5.5" base for it and i will make a slide out drawer on the one end and store salt and flat stuff in it, so win win.
everyone chilled out in this trough thing i stole from my dead neighbor when my mother in law got a contract on his house lol. i took it 30 days early, you got me.

[mms_citrus]

moved the stand into place, and set the aquarium back on top of it. no plumbing or anything else done. put the rockwork in. i moved it a little bit but not much. moved the fish into it that night. i made 150 gallons of water and put about 50 gallons of old water in it. i think this has caused me a problem now which ill explain later

[mms_citrus]

i didnt document this phase very well because i was frustrated with this website and its inability to load photos from a phone. i almost quit the thread but im glad i didnt. these are sump photos. if you looked at the imgur links i designed a custom sump. well i designed another one i liked better. in the end the wife and i talked and we decided to use the money for another project, same story about the lighting but ill talk about that next. i have a ruby 36, i reused it. made a better sock setup for it. made some nice covers for all the sections. routed a lip on the sup and a corresponding lip on the covers. the downdraft skimmer i had was too tall. its almost 29' tall. skimmed like a monster tho. it made me sad to shelve it. i had this reefocto laying around. its too small by about 25% but itll do for a couple months. i put down 1/2 pvc sheet on the floor of the sump area, and between the frame supports. and underneath the tank. its super clean. was a nice idea. i ran new power, and a new water line for it all. we have a well, with excellent water here so i eliminated the ro and will run my top off direct like i used to, and will also use it for filling the water change tank and for washing things off.

[mms_citrus]

i installed new bulkheads throughout. 1" to 3/4' return. 1" drains. full siphon and emergency. its whisper quiet in here. i have 2 valves on the drain. the emergency drain flows full into the fuge section. the full siphon overflow has 2 valves on it. 1 into the fuge so the fuge always gets a small amount of water, and the other valve to set the flow rate to establish siphon and not create a bunch of noise. no valving on the return. i have another pump for the return tat i havent installed yet but will do so this week. its a little bigger than the one installed currently. apex controls. im going to add more modules in the future

[mms_citrus]

didnt post the corresponding pics

[mms_citrus]

i used some lights i bought a year ago and never used. some marsaqua 36' leds. they are ok. they look alright but i have plans for that in the future. ill update this as i go.
i went back and forth on light mounting before i settled on this set up. in the future i want 4 led pendants so i decided to have 4 separate mounts instead of a bar or some other setup. i wanted to be able to move them out of the way to allow better access and i didnt want to hinge them. i have a lunar module and 4 lunar leds and a variable speed module for the lights, ive wired the dimming into the apex.

[mms_citrus]

i had some 3/16 aluminum sheet lying around so i cut some pieces out of it and routed out the center. i broke 3 router bits from chatter. it was annoying. the lights slide all the way to the wall. plenty of space. painted them black. if they Start to sag over time ill add a cable brace. these lights are pretty heavy. the next set may not be as heavy.

[mms_citrus]

first night with the lighting and sump finished. have to make a water change tank for premixed water still. also need to make some cabinetry. but ill gte to that in the future.

[mms_citrus]

i think the tank is cycling. ammonia is very high. like making me very nervous high. i didnt use enough of the old water i dont think. i added some prime to it and some microbacter to it. another thing that may have gotten me was 2 of the larger surface area rocks in the center cluster were from the old rock work. i didnt cure them. i pulled them fresh and let them rot, lol. i figured it would be ok but maybe they had just too much dead organics in them. ill monitor this closely. nothing in the tank is exceptionally valuable, but there are a couple of big old colonies ive had for a while and all of the fish ive had for atleast 5 years, would hate to lose them.

[mms_citrus]

mounted the existing coral last night. i think the positions are ok. ill see how they do. ammonia is still elevated but half what it was. nitrates havent come up yet. will observe...the eel hadnt been eating, i was wondering about it if it was just an acclimation issue. well he ate half of our beloved royal gramma. weve had her for many many years. im going to have to watch him closely. dont need him turning all bad roommate and all.