A New Reefing Chapter Begins

I am not going bare bottom. /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/smile.gif I know some people love it and I like it for easy cleaning but I hated my tank for 3 years because it was bare bottom. I have always been a sand guy so I will be happy to have it again!

 

I think it is pretty well divided on the sand and bare bottom stance.  




Here's a pic of my bb tank from about a year ago.






Here's a pic of my previous tank with sand in it now.

 

I'm not sure what to do about fish.  I have put some thought into it but I haven't begin to formulate a list or anything like that.  I am thinking a nice population of clowns but I'm not sure how well they would get along when there are 10+ in a tank and with them being different types of clowns.  I also like angel fish but most of them are not reef safe and I don't really want to gamble on it whether they are or not.  Maybe I will add a school of fish to it as well but even then, I'm not sure what kind I want.  So basically I have no set list of must haves, just going by what I feel like when the time comes.  Maybe my aquascaping and coral selection will dictate what I put in there because it is a reef tank first and foremost.  Fish are usually an afterthought for me. /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/smile.gif

 

Ok, I am finally done with my plumbing! The general design of the system was based on the return pump, an ATB Flow Star 4200. It is rated for 4200GPH but with head loss and plumbing, I was going to be in the 2500GPH neighborhood. With that said, 2) 1" drains wasn't going to be able to handle that much water, I knew I had to use the 2) 1" returns as drains as well. With the drains using all 4 holes in the overflow, I decided to run the return externally. I ended up with a 1", two output manifold that hangs over the side of the tank. Hopefully this will give me enough flexibility as to where I want to point the flow.  It also allows me to keep the outputs on one side of the tank vs having outputs and pumps all over the tank.
I had a few goals in mind and I think I got them all. First, I wanted the plumbing to look as clean as possible. Second, to make it clean, a lot of it had to be hidden. Third, I wanted to use as much flex PVC as possible to keep the system quiet. From my experience, the flex PVC is softer so it absorbs more noise with water passing through it than standard PVC. Last but not least, I wanted an output from the return pump to power a couple fluidized reactors. This will help reduce the output of flow from the return pump and it will also eliminate the need for extra pumps in the sump to power the reactors. 
In theory, everything works but I have yet to try it with the system running. I wanted to try it earlier in the week but I didn't have all the parts I needed at the time. Regardless, I shouldn't have any major plumbing changes even if I have to change some things.  Anyway here are the pics of the plumbing project.




This is the hole on the right side of the stand where the return will come and over the top of the tank.







Here are the holes that I ran the plumbing through to keep everything hidden











Valves on the left side to help control the amount of water going through each drain







Here are the drains on the right side of the tank







These are the valves that controls the drains from the right side, they are located near the left drain







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Here's the Durso style drains that came with the tank.  I figured I would go ahead and give them a try.  If I don't like them, I will switch them out with strainers on the ends







Here is the return output coming up the right side of the tank with a valve to help control the output







Here are the 1" outputs that will be visible in the tank







Here's a close up of the pump.  The valve pointing to the left if what will be used for the fluidized reactors







And here's a shot of the stand from the fish room.  Again, I wanted the plumbing to be clean and I think I have achieved that.

 

Thanks, Jim!  I hope I didn't disappoint you with the plumbing! /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/wink.gif

Right now I only have 1 reactor so there isn't a need to create a manifold for it.  When and if I add more equipment, I can easily unscrew the fitting off the valve and create a manifold for it.




I have seen in some build threads on RC where they have cut out some of the overflow teeth to create the drainage needed to match the pump output.  I will mod it as I see fit.  I need to get it up and running before I start cutting. /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/smile.gif

 

Thanks for the feedback, Bud! Please show it to your structural engineer just to be on the safe side. I just thought I would be OK since they are 2x8s. If they were 2x4s or 2x6s, I probably would have been more cautious. Anyway let me know what you find out. /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default//emoticons/smile.gif

 

Oh come on Tim!  Now that you have more free time on your hands, you might as well set up a smaller tank the way you like it.  I am sure  your wife will appreciate a tank full of colorful sticks!
I am still in the process of making water.  I think I will be until this weekend!  For now, I am starting on my aquascape.  I hope it will look like how I have it in my head! 

 

Thanks Jim! I will have to check it out if I get stumped and can't get it to look like I want it to!

 

Today makes it 7 days of continuous water making.  I am very close to having the tank and sump filled but it will probably be another day before I have enough to be fully functional.  So that's about 420 gallons in 8 days.  That comes out to 52.5 gallons a day.  My RO/DI system is about exhausted so I will need to replace the cartridges again! /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/sad.gif
Anyway here are some pics to share.  I ended up going with Carib-Sea special grade 1mm-2mm for the tank.  I really liked it when I put it in my brother in-law's tank so I am using the same because it stays down pretty good without getting blown out.
140lbs worth
Now the fun begins with adding mixed saltwater!  For my salt, I am using Red Sea Coral Pro.  I haven't tried it yet but I am going to give it a chance based on good feedback I have been reading about.

The aquascape has changed since this picture but it is still the same concept
I had some free time so I modified the overflow teeth since I am going to be pushing more flow than what the standard overflow will allow.  As you can see, there's a big difference in the modified one over the standard.  I just snipped every other one with pliers and grounded them down smooth with a dremel for a clean look.
Then I added the gutter guard to it and glued it in place with PVC cement.
That's it for now!  I am still in the process of painting my white egg crate black so once I get that done, I will be able to set up the skimmer and get the system up and running at full speed!
Oh and I made another change to my in-tank flow.  Originally I was going to run 3) Tunze 6200s and a 6105 but I decided to go with MP40s and then changed my mind again so I will end up with 2) MP60s.  I am going for the cleanest look possible so there will not be any cords in the tank.  Just 2 pumps and 2 outputs from the return, all on one side.