BornToHula

Yeah, the flex PVC would only be for two awkward angles going up from the manifold to the return lines. That being said I still need re-think my plumbing and re-locate the manifold over the sump so I may be able to hard plumb it all. Also I'm curious what do y'all use for auto top off containers on larger tanks? I want something that will fit under the stand, but most the containers I see online are only around 10 gallons. A 16 gallon tall aquarium would be perfect, but they don't seem to be commonly available.

Ty, his tank still has your name on it! Its just a small upgrade I feel like a kid waiting for Christmas morning. Yep, I have another one on the way too! I think I'm going to set it up on my 75g (at very low power) for the time being just so I can play around with it.

Got the first batch of equipment for the new tank

Thanks for the info on flexpvc.com, I see the fittings now. I couldn't find them on that site the first time I looked. It will be a bean animal drain with 1.5" pipes.

Tank is heading to production! I'm starting to order some plumbing items so I can have the parts in by the time the tank arrives. I'm a plumbing newbie so I need some advice. Is there a disadvantage in using flexible PVC, besides price? Is there a source for black sch. 40 PVC fittings? (elbows, Y's and tees) Are loc-line fittings available bigger than 3/4"? If not are there any other products that are similar? This is what I want to do, but I'm not sure how to do it without loc-line. The pictured returns would be kept at the surface of the water to help with surface skimming and prevent the need for a check valve.

OK, after looking things over and comparing my current tank with other SPS tanks of the same size I'm pretty convinced the adding more Build My LEDs are not the way to go. The more I check out the ATI Hybird Powermodule, the more I want one! Seems like they can grow SPS like crazy even at the bottom of tanks. Not sure how I never knew they existed until yesterday. I'm hopefully going to check out Juiceman's light soon to see one in person. The other lighting option I am considering are the Ecotech Radion Pros. Each unit supposedly can cover a 24"x24" area, so 4 units should do it for my tank.

I'm fairly sure I will end up getting the Gyres. It doesn't look like their price/performance ratio can be beat. I'm on board with getting some exhaust fans installed. The problem I think I'm going to need to overcome is the tank is going against an interior wall, so the duct would need to go up through the wall to the attic. There aren't any pipes running through the wall, but there are electrical wires running though it. I'm not sure if it will be possible to get a duct past the wires or not. I definitely want to come by and check out your tank. Maybe next week sometime? I'll send a PM.

Have you had any issues with bleaching? I did a tad bit of research and the PAR those ATI Hybirds put out are insane! I wonder since my tank is only 25" deep if they would be too bright (if there is such a thing)? I assume I would need 2 of the 48" fixtures to cover the 8' span.

Juiceman, not sure why you can't see the pictures. They are hosted on imgur.com, maybe that site is blocked for you? If others are having the issue I can re-host them somewhere else. There isn't going to be a closed loop, so I will be relying on powerheads for water movement. I like the Vortechs because there are no cords in the tank and the controllability with Apex. Are you saying you don't think a MP60 would have enough power to cover 8'? I've seen a few out and about and it seemed they move a massive amount of water. According to their website flow calculator 1 MP60 and 1 MP40 is right where I would need to be for SPS. That said I am leaning towards the Gyres due to the better cost/value ratio, even if I have to deal with their cords in the tank. I believe they just released something that allows them to be controlled with the Apex. Still no random modes though. Hmm, I had always considered Build My LEDs to be near the top of the line when it comes to price/performance. I guess that's because I come from my planted freshwater tank where the BMLs are top of the line in that world. However, at the end of the day the goal is to grow SPS and I'd rather it be my skills than my equipment that hold me back from having growth. Those ATI Hybirds look awesome, I hadn't ever seen those before. How often do you have to replace bulbs on T5s?

Yes, an external overflow was what I wanted and was in the original plan. However, I became concerned with where the tank is going to be located (niche in dining room) I would not be able to access the bulkheads if I ever needed to. I consulted with Jake @ River City and he said I needed to do an internal overflow. The internal overflow does take up a lot of room, but I think I would rather have that then have to cut a hole in a wall to repair a leaky bulkhead. For reference here is the original design I wanted: That's a good idea, I will move the manifold over the sump. The siphon drain on the bean animal will have a gate-valve to control the flow. From what I have read the durso and emergency drains don't need valves, but they can be added if you want more control. Since valves are relatively inexpensive I will probably add them. Yes, that extra bay will be a frag tank and will also have some miracle mud underneath the frag rack. I'm planning on using an AI Sol Blue I have lying around to light it. This tank is going to be SPS dominant. Just curious on why you would go with with different LEDs? I admit my SPS growth has been fairly slow under BMLs on my 75g, but I kinda attributed that to inconsistent Alk levels I had until a few months ago. Any suggestions on lights? I like the Ecotechs but like everything from them the price tag is quite heavy. Hmm, I hadn't really thought of this, but it is concerning. I had always heard that with an Air Conditioner you don't really have to worry about evaporation. The wall the tank will be in front of is empty, so perhaps I could run a vent from the tank up through the attic. It would probably need pretty strong fans to push air that far though. Any chance you have a picture of your setup?

Equipment: Still a work in progress, I'll update as equipment is purchased. I'll be moving stuff like the ATO system, apex and dosing pumps from my 75g to this new tank. Lights: Two 48" ATI LED/T5 Hybrid Powermodules Sump: Standard 75 gallon tank with custom made baffles Return pump: Ecotech Vectra L1 Powerheads: Maxspect Gyre XF150's on each end. Neptune WAVs in the middle for added randomness. MP10 in the frag area. Skimmer: ATI Powercone 250IS Heaters: Two 500W Finnex Titanium Heaters Other toys necessary reef tools: Apex, Apex Leak Detection Module, IceCap Controllers for the Gyres, IceCap Battery Backup, Aqua Illumination Sol Blue over frag area, RODI: Bulk Reef Supply 150 GPD upgrade kit.

New build thread time! I ordered a 240 gallon tank from River City (Planet Aquariums) last week Dimensions: 96.5" x 24.5" x 25" I made some renders to get an idea of what it will look like. There will be some bracing on it that is not shown. Front Top-down It has a 36" overflow and will be drilled to accommodate a bean animal drain. Here is an idea on how it will be plumbed. I've never plumbed a tank before so if you have any critiques I am all ears! View from back: Front: I'm also getting a 42" stand and 12" canopy made for it! Hopefully it will look something like this: