Bluefools Pit of Money...er.....300 gallon tank build thread.

It may be a bit before there is much updating, but I have to start this sucker sometime.
For many years now I have dreamed of a saltwater tank, and in it a Mandarin Dragon fish.
So I started to do my reading.  Fenner.  Calfo. Wet Web Media. Burgess.  Sprung.  Boreman.
So...that sort of took awhile.  Especially the Sprung and Calfo, College chemistry was a long time ago for me and I had to do some reviewing.
But I had what I needed, and could start to form a plan.....knowing the requirements of my target fish, I designed a system that would support it.  I figured out an equipment list, and started swearing.  I started saving up.
Then...President Barrack Obama wanted to get the housing market rolling, and any "new home buyer" could get an $8000 tax credit.  I saw my chance.  I cut a deal with my wife: she got final choice on which house we bought, and I could use the tax refund to help buy the dream system.
So I am now waiting for the return, and start to double check my plan and prices.  I've got a 200 gallon glass tank in mind, but just for kicks and giggles I email a few tank folks and ask if they have anything they would like to get rid of.

 

Tenecor sends me a tidbit, I ask for a picture and they send me this.



(first attempt at posting a pic, lets see if that works.)

 

Yup, I think that worked. My wife looked at it and said that word we husbands don't hear too much of. She said: "Yes."

Deposit down on it, waiting for tax return. I'm working and reworking my plan to make sure it is solid so I spend the cash in the best way I can.

I'll post more when I know more myself /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/smile.gif.

 

Alrighty poo then. Wife kissed. She was really confused, and then brought me a frosty adult beverage. Gotta remember that.

The home we chose is a berm home. One level, all on solid concrete slab. Most of the house is tiled, and what there is of carpet is on the long term plan to turn into tile. (one dog, three cats....carpet is evil)

The tank is planned to go into the sun room:





Today I mopped and swept, and mopped and swept to get it ready for my new child. It will get shaded daylight in the summer, and direct sun light in the winter. We have an awning if in the summer it gets too much sun.

After agonizing over t-5, LED, or Metal Halide, I decided on all of the above. After talking to some GIRS members, I've decided that the money spent on icecap is worth it, so I'm going with their 48", expensive as hell MH, T-5 and led combo. That leaves me 12" on the end of the tank to try some things in the future. Mainly, I really wanna know how well LED's work. I get hugely conflicting answers, so that 12" at the end will get an LED array when I can afford it, and I'll just see what happens. Oh, this specifically: IceCap Reef Illuminations 250W Metal Halide, T5 & LED Aquarium Lght Fixture.

I plan on a two stage sump/fuge combo. Sump one is an octopus protein skimmer (Super Reef Octopus XP 3000 IN-SUMP Cone Protein) if I can find one, octopus skimmers seem hard to find. A Reef Octopus CR-140 Reverse Flow Calcium Reactor, with the aqua cave Deluxe Calcium Reactor Package, any extra space is sump rubble. Heaters, and then sump one drains into...

 

Sump 2, which has a deep agronite sand bed. That part will have some rooted plants (not mangroves tho...sorry but what I've read says that I can use the space better than what they can do). (Learn why later!) It also has multiple side-by side compartments that are intended to tumble various forms of macro alge, and then off to a bubble chamber, and then to the return pumps...

The tank is setup for a single 1.5" drain and dual 3/4" returns. It also has a 2" pvc dry raceway in the tank for electrical cables. I think dual Mag Drive 18's are the right solution for water return. With semi-intelligent plumgiing, that allows me to service one while the other continues to keep the water flowing...and same for pump failure.

I'm going to go with the Neptune controller. This was a *seriously* hard choice. I'm a retired network engineer, so gadgets make me jump up and down in glee. I was leaning strongly towards the reef keeper, but then I learned it used X-10 control. I live in the serious boonies, and my power is....we...lets go wth Chaotic. There is a planned propane powered automatic generator for the tank, btw. Screw the refridgearator, this is a Reef Tank!

 

So, with the basics down, other plans are 2 Tunze Turbelle Stream 6105's, and more of those as money allows. If I do things right, I figure with the returns I can make a nice chaotic flow in the top part of the tank, and a gentle moderate flow in the bottom.

As for aquascaping, I plan a pvc framework with egg crate elements. I have some dry rock from Bulk reef Supply, and I hope they get more &*(%^)&% in stock soon, because I want to use that for the main part of the aquascaping. MY wife voted on Tahitian Moon Black sand for the main display. Guys, when your Wife says black sand, as an old married dude I tell you to respond: "Oh that's so cool! The fish and Corals will look so hot against that background!" Then plan for a DSB of agronite in the sump. Your life will be happier if you follow this advice. Trust me here.

I'll be seeding the mostly foam and dry rock aquascaping with a small amount of Live rock, and letting time do it's magic. Oh yeah, a scraper magnet that can do 1 and 1/4" acrylic? 289.95. &*%^)*^#*(@)#!!

 

In those earlier photos, that 30 gallon on the left is planned to be a shrimp/rotifer/green water cultivator. That eclipse hood is planned to go on a soon to be purchased 29 gal, and used as the quarantine tank.

That 55 stand is what my wife and I have been using to look at where to place the tank. She has approved furniture for the room intended strictly to sit and look at the tank. Laz-y-boy credit, here I come again.

The 55 will turn into a frag tank....or I may get an acrylic frag tank, and turn that one into a planted freshwater tank. Laura likes both plans.

For corals, I'm going to start with zoas, palys, and Xenia. If things go right, I want to go for some LPS, Sea Fans, and maybe even SPS in the really long term. I think with a tank this deep I can do MH corals at the top, and low light stuff is gonna love it way down there (don't forget some natural sunlight in there).

For fish I want a big school of blue/green chromis.....about 15. After they settle in, a big school of PJ Cardinals (12ish). 3 Royal Grammas. *maybe* after talking to our guest at spring swap...at the same time a flame angle, a purple tang and a potters anglefish. After the pod's have gone crazy, the madarin fish.

Of course, snails and hermits as required. Probably gonna need alot due to real sunlight. Sand sifting star fish. Maybe a jawfish or two, depending on the sand bed. Current plans are for the main display to have an 8" dsb. Not only for some possible tunelling animals, but because it gets the bottom closer to the lights /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/smile.gif.

 

Kiss Delivered.
You have no clue.  She was anti-gun when we got hitched, and this past weekend she took second at a cowboy shooting contest (womens).  She was 17th of 45 overall.  She'll try it, then rule it.

 

Whoa! This time she brought me food. Must have used too much tounge or something.

 

Oh yea, I know. Reaching parts of it is going to be a *(&$$^@#!!

But...I'm an Engineer. Solving the puzzle of maximum surface area for depth to par...through a variable light reflective surface..kind of makes me...well *blush*. Get my HP 48sx! Quickly! OH yes....it feels so good to push your keys while I think...yes...oh....square that root baby!*hem*. Um, did I mention my wife was a Math major? Geek chicks rock.

The secret, I think, lies in the pvc framework. The old fashioned stack of rock I think would be a total disaster. I want a framework that allows me to lift reasonable sized bits off of it, so that I can frag a "wing".
So, the main frame will be for support, and not visable. PVC hooks will attach segments of dry rock and slate (for artistic variations in texture) of bits that will fit into a fragging tank (the one where you cut stuff so its defenses don't poison other stuff.) I feel that with the high vertical aspect of this tank, I can get a smidge wacking with aquascaping. I'm sketching madly, but a dragon head, a skull (my wife and I had a pirate wedding) And simple golden ration ideas are all racing. No decision yet.