New tank build!

[CHSUB]

back in the hobby after 6 years.
ordered a new tank and stand last week and planning my set-up after a lot of study.

-60x36x30 281 gallon tank viewable from 3 sides
-steel stand, copied some plans from RC, thanks!
-sump(thinking used 75 gal) to hold skimz kone skimmer 251 and a 25 gallon ref. with live rock and some algea (what kind?), lite opposite the tank; i think
-main flow about 2000 gph, lower flow in ref.
-1 mp40 and 1 mp60 vortech pumps(50 x flow with main pump)
-5 eco tech radion
-3 part dosing system to maintain cal, alk, etc

live stock: mixed reef, sps, and large fish load

any advice or suggestions would be great!!!!

[strout]

Wow, thats jumping back into the hobby in a big way.

[Faye]

Sounds good. A quick thought...That's $3750 in radion. That light has been out for like a month. If I were you I would wait to get those until more reviews come out, or get something with some sort of positive track record.

[usatennisfan]

I'm tagging along. This looks like loads of fun.

[CHSUB]

good point on the leds, and i agree; waiting about a month before ordering...

some progress this week, ordered the sump 65 gallon with a 25 gallon refugium section(skipped the diy sump). i plan on running about 2500 gph through the sump with less flow through the ref. section, two 1.5 inch drains and one 1.5 inch return with a sea swirl head on the return, the pump: a reeflo super dart gold. going to run my old chiller off the sump with its own pump...any comments would be great..

this weekend i'm heading to the florida keys with 300 lbs of rock, going to put it about 500 yards offshore behind my brother's house...plan on having two reefcrest in the tank with a valley in the middle for lps and softies, sps on the top and sides, hope the valley will have less flow and the top and sides more..we will see?

here are some pic of my 92 corner, hoping for a huge improvement??



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[Psirex]

Originally Posted by CHSUB

this weekend i'm heading to the florida keys with 300 lbs of rock, going to put it about 500 yards offshore behind my brother's house...

I wish I was able to something like that!

[girlygears13]

Nice. Wish I had a dump site in the keys! Good luck, and how long do you think it's going to be before that is well seeded with life?

[danderso]

Do you have to do anything specific to put rock out like that? What happens if fwc stops you on the way in with your seeded rock? Very curious because I would like to try that as well. I'm in the keys now but with no rock. I come down often enough to do this though. Hoping to find some blue legs while I'm here.

[jtrasap]

Sounds pretty sweet! Through personal experience, I'd pass on the Skimz skimmer though. Horrible customer service.

[diesel444]

sounds like a cool build who made the tank

[jacob.morgan78]

Originally Posted by danderso

Do you have to do anything specific to put rock out like that? What happens if fwc stops you on the way in with your seeded rock? Very curious because I would like to try that as well. I'm in the keys now but with no rock. I come down often enough to do this though. Hoping to find some blue legs while I'm here.

I'd never be able to do it but would like to hear more info on this as well!

This sounds like its gonna be a fun build thread! Thanks, keep us updated!

[Squiers007]

Are you planning on welding the stand yourself or having someone else do that for you? Can't wait to see progress pics once this build starts!

[CHSUB]

hello reefers,
made it back from the keys in one piece, rock is IN, about 3/4 mile from shore about 8 feet deep, we piled the rock about 3 feet high; looks great. will leave it there for about 2 months and then get it. can't leave it to long becauce if coral grows on it you can't take it back. just hoping for seeded rock with nice algea on it....went out the second day to check on the pile and there was snapper already around pile, awesome!!!

here are some pics, also the stand is done: 1/8 thick steel powercoated black, gives me great room for sump, was going to build a wood stand but this is much better and safer, going to have a wood shell built around it that can be removed in two peices....had the stand built by a local welder(SALOMON WELDING), did great work at a fair price, got 4 quotes he was lowest by far and nice to work with...

tank and sump should be ready next week, built by EXOTIC AQUARIUMS, still study equipment, hope the skimmz is good, heard great things about performance not service...we will see?

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[jtrasap]

If you really want a Skimz skimmer, I'd go with Warner Marine. Same basic skimmer but you get the awesome stateside support of Warner Marine unlike the Horrible customer support in Singapore that comes with a Skimz skimmer.

I'm speaking from experience. I'm dealing with trying to get a new gate valve knob from them. The part will be "covered by warranty" but unfortunately I will be paying shipping which they bent me over and charged $40 for!!! That's a little knob which shouldn't cost more than $10 shipped if I had to buy it and they ripped me for $40, and now, two weeks after the last email with two different Singapore support people with American names but very poor english, the part still is not here.

Beware of Skimz! Truthfully, I wouldn't buy the Warner Marine counterpart just because some of my money would still be funneled to Skimz.

Ok...I'm done with the rant...sorry...and good luck with the skimmer.

[PistolShrmp]

Great start, keep us posted!

[CHSUB]

time for an update,

made some changes to the equipment;

-passed on the radion leds and went with Pacific sun leds, got 2 33" units each with 280 watts of power. they look great, first company to use cree xml at 10 watts, 8 different colors, software looks great
-passed on the skimmz skimmer,(wanted to make jtrasap happy) and went with Royal alpha 300 cone, bigger skimmer and pulls twice the air; had to redesign the sump, 54x20x17 with 3 compartments; skimmer section, return, and a fug that will receive "raw" dt water and return that water unskimmed to the dt
-order the vertex rx 6 duo CR, with an Aquarium Plants regulator, skipping the dosing, but will use kalk too
-also order a reef flo super dart, and 1 mp40 and 1 mp60, plan on making a manfold to feed the chiller(my old one), a tlf reactor with gfo, and the CR


i'm going with a bean overflow and 1 sea swirl for the return, meeting the cabinet maker on wed, copied a build here on rc. want it to match my kitchen. i'm a diy but not for the cabinet

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here i'm putting the tank on the stand, it was heavy but i could not find anyone to help. my rock is still stewing in the keys, i planning on getting it in late march

[SPotter]

tagging along!!! cant wait to see the lights!!

[SPotter]

did you get the light?

[CHSUB]

Originally Posted by SPotter

did you get the light?

got the lights yesterday; put the software on my computer and fired them up over the empty tank...first impression: they are awesome. i looked at many leds including: radion, AI, orphek, acan, and others..IMO Pacific Sun is the best; color, brightness is awesome. this is my first try with leds having always used MH. now lets see how they grow sps...

[SPotter]

thats awesome!!! I have the pandora hyperion r2 with t5's on order. Looking forward to seeing pictures when you can post them.

[SPotter]

any updates on the tank?

[CHSUB]

progress is slow, but almost finished.
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hood and stand skin are done and look great; the hood is completely removable and all panels on the stand are either on hinges or removable.

the sump is 80 gallons with a skimmer section, alpha cone 300 (in mail), and a 28 gallon fug, the middle section is the return; i'm using a customize "bean" overflow...it is super quiet.

using a reefflo superdart gold for return and a 1.5 inch sea swirl, also built a manifold with 4 outputs: chiller, vertex CR, and two reactors

i will be taking more pics of lights and stand; running freshwater currently and all looks good...no leaks

[Curious George]

I like this build. Very interested in seeing the rock after it has been marinating in the ocean for a bit. Do you have any better before pics for the comparison of when you go and get the rock?

- That's a great idea by the way.

[jacob.morgan78]

I was curious about the rock too... how's it cookin?

[CHSUB]

set-up complete...

got skimmer today and installed, vertex alpha 300, still need to tune and adjust: pics of manifold, chiller, fug with led grow lights, hood with lights installed...

-painted inside of hood with marine boat epoxy, my last hood just rotted away
-studied some manifolds and copied the best ones. built it off a tee with a disconnect so it can be removed without turning off main return
-chiller is 10 years old hope it keeps working
-got the vortech battery back-up for short power outages and a 8k generator wired to house fusebox for longer outages
-rock has been stewing for 4 months, planning on getting it next weekend


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