New 46 Gallon Reef Tank

[esacjack]

After getting my feet wet (ha!), with the Biocube and the Pico, I decided (with clearance from the wife to be) to start allocating money to a new tank.

A few months ago, I purchased a 46 gallon bowfront tank, with 'value stand' for 100 bucks. It came with about 4 AC50's, tons of tubing, lots of freshwater stuff, etc...

I started relatively simple, I was going to do it on the 'cheap' so I bought a Tunze Doc Skimmer and a few powerheads and was going to start from there. Well a friend of mine happens to have multiple tanks, and he recommended getting mine drilled. So began the project....

Tank:

Perfecto 46 Gallon Bowfront

Stand:

Aqueon 58 gallon breeder stand, ghettofied.

Pics and more data to come soon.

[esacjack]

Current Hardware:

Perfecto 46 Gallon drilled 2 in 2 out.

Tunze Nano DOC Skimmer

'Reconfigured' All Glass Pine stand rubber coated./ sound isolated

Tripplite APC 1200KVA

JBJ Picotope QT

Planned Hardware:

EcoXotic 36" Panorama LED

20/30 Gal Sump

Reef Octopus 4" In Sump Skimmer

CurrentUSA TrueLumens moonlights

Tunze ATO Universal

Return Pump Mag18? Looking for suggestions here

(2) Tunze Turbelle 6045

Current Automation:

NS Apex Lite Kit

Apex VDM

[esacjack]

Planned Automation:

Arduino based controller board running open source code (For any fellow automation nuts/engineers/codemonkeys http://www.reefproje.../wiki/Main_Page)

[esacjack]

reserved for tank inhabitants

[bige]

Reserved for pics?

[(Bio)³]

reserved for software (yes, software)

This im interested in. Custom coding or just apex coding and calling it software? Or are you going to build a one off app/prog for yourself?

[esacjack]

Actually I'm adapting it from my other project/passion, BBQ. I've been working on assembling a remote monitoring system using different types of probes and thermocouplers. Primarily uses SNMP command sequences, sort of like Nagios. Based on value of probe x do y, etc.

Scratch that, I'm going to check out reefproject rather than reinventing the wheel.

Edited November 2, 2012 by esacjack

[esacjack]

Made progress on the stand today. The stand I bought for it was a hollow top, so I had to build a support structure/lid for it. After the support was done, I created a lid for it out of some 36x24 solid birch wood. All of it was repainted with primer and sprayed with 7 coats of black rubber coating.

Had the tank drilled with two low profile overflows, and 2 returns. Sump TBD.

Edited November 1, 2012 by esacjack

[esacjack]

Tomorrow I'll be installing the sound isolation padding, caulking the gaps in the paneling, and printing/cutting the new backdrop panel for the tank. It will be a bluish/green fade to dark blue/black.

Edited November 2, 2012 by esacjack

[+brian.srock]

[DerrickH]

p.s. For some reason I am not able to go back to my other posts and add/remove pictures. Is this a premium member benefit only?

Yes, its a prem member thing. Cmon join the cult...ooP's I meant "club" lol

[esacjack]

mmm thats some good koolaid, is that three cups of sugar or 4?

[esacjack]

So I've encountered a bit of a hangup on my new tank setup. The tank stand I purchased for my tank is actually for a 58 gallon. Sadly, its one of the tank stands that is configured to allow the tank to sit IN the lip of the stand. I made a lid for it to accommodate my tank sitting on top of it and it seems pretty sturdy. But here is my problem, there are TWO center braces, front and back, keeping me from sliding my 30g sump through the front or back. The tank does not have water at the moment, so I'm free to move it around. But I was thinking I should just lower the sump through the center of the stand. However, by doing that, it eliminates the ability of getting the sump back out of the tank stand. Is it feasible/possible to remove one of the center braces permanently? The braces go through the floor board of the stand, and appear to have some kind of staple holding them to the wood. The board wont simply pop out with a rubber mallet, and will either require dis-assembly of the floor board, or cutting the vertical brace out. Both make me rather nervous. I really hate to imagine my tank crashing to the ground because of a weakened stand. Watching Deuce Bigelow last night didn't help either....

[mFrame]

I'd put the sump in through the top. You'll almost never want to remove your sump unless you're breaking down the tank. You definitely do not want to remove one of the center braces.

[+Capt. Obvious]

Actually I'm adapting it from my other project/passion, BBQ. I've been working on assembling a remote monitoring system using different types of probes and thermocouplers. Primarily uses SNMP command sequences, sort of like Nagios. Based on value of probe x do y, etc.

Scratch that, I'm going to check out reefproject rather than reinventing the wheel.

I work for Solarwinds...SNMP based tank monitoring is already on my todo list.

[esacjack]

@Mike - thanks, I really didnt want to cut that brace.. I cant think of any reason aside from a crack in the sump that would make me want to remove it. But I wanted to be prepared just in case.

@Capt - I actually have several friends working there, and I myself was part of their APM beta that came with a flip cam

[victoly]

Actually I'm adapting it from my other project/passion, BBQ. I've been working on assembling a remote monitoring system using different types of probes and thermocouplers. Primarily uses SNMP command sequences, sort of like Nagios. Based on value of probe x do y, etc.

Scratch that, I'm going to check out reefproject rather than reinventing the wheel.

I work for Solarwinds...SNMP based tank monitoring is already on my todo list.

Every time i drive by that building I get jealous of the location.

[esacjack]

Finished with the sound dampening/isolation. I decided to use some scraps of Auralex and greenglu isolation spray / silicone. Also used some of my scrap auralex foam for the doors and the hollow underside of the stand. Took the opp to install the sump to see what it looked like, sadly, only had my cell phone and shaky hands to use for pics..

[esacjack]

Some updates. Did a leak test, and everything went fine. However, I noticed cracks in the black framing in the bottom corners. Is this something to worry about? Should I CA/Glue them now? Or do I need to get replacement parts before putting water in it for the long term?

Also, here are some other updates. Whilte the tank was filling with water, I decided to go ahead and install some of the electrical. I actually had a few of the 4 channel american dj power stations laying around. I wired one up to my RO system to control pumps and lights, and one under the tank for the main pumps, drain and sw refill. However, I think I may put the ATO on a switched socket so that I can turn it off during water changes.

My Finnex FugeRay, JBJ ATO, RODI, Salt, Plumbing, Tubing, Refracto, etc, all came in over the last 3 days. That really pissed off the lady at the front desk.

The JBJ ATO didn't work out so well in my pico, but it looks to be solid enough for the bigger tank. I'm not a fan of the mounting system, suction cups and some loop/hook method. Lame. For now it'll do, but that'll be next on my DIY list. ( Seriously guys/gals, level with me, does this Tim Allen mentality ever end? )

I tossed a pretty crude frag rack into the fuge area. Still not sure if I want to do a bunch of LR rubble down there, or keep the rubble minimal, and keep the frag rack.... choices... choices...

Quite oppositely, I installed my FugeRay, and WHOA is that thing bright.

Oh yah, and I built a live rock curing vat. BTW, if you need a 30 gallon heav duty tub, Lowes has sales on VERY nice ones (not those crappy ones) 12.99 out the door (29 gallon with nice lid). No pictures of the vat, but I have it sitting on top of cinder blocks next to the RODI /SW barrels. I installed a valve and hose on the bottom, due to the way its sitting, I can just turn the valve, and the hose drains into the floor drain next to the garage. That should help with water changes, and ridding my DT of unwanted water change water

Next on the shopping list, pumps. Two mag 7 returns, two mini's, one for ATO, one for drain. Also thinking about buying mag 5's for the 55gal drums. I want to be able to push water from the SW mixing tank, straight into the DT without filling jugs. Does this seem like a valid approach? I was thinking of just using rigid water hose with the fittings lopped off, and a ball valve between the end of the hose and an outflow pipe. Will I need a more powerful pump? The other Mag 5 is going to be for pushing water from the RO/DI storage barrel, into the SW mixing barrel for...well, for mixing silly... Anyone have any input on my pump selection?

After the pumps, comes the Apex and some Tunze EVO's. I cant afford MP10's, so I'm not even going to try. Plus, with a bowfront, I think a lot of the 'wave effect' is lost. Not sure. But definitely not in the budget this year.

Lastly, after all of that comes the two drain connections and LIGHTS! I think I'm going to pickup either an x4 T5, or an x6 T5. I'm thinking x6 might be overkill. But I found several great deals on ebay for some 4 and 6 bulb systems. some were even 100 bucks! I wish I could afford to get a BuildMyLed rig, but I'm probably going to need two, and frankly thats 500 dollars I just dont have Anyone have any insight into a good 36" T5 setup that can also grow SPS? I don't plan on going full blown SPS, but I'd really like to have some acro's, gorgonians, etc along some of my overhangs and outcroppings.

[Demodiki]

I use a Mag 7 from my 55 and I wish I had bigger. It's pretty slow. Of course, I'm going like 20 feet

[esacjack]

Really? How much VERTICAL head pressure? I was concerned it would be a trickle. I dont need it to fill my tank in 10 minutes, but over the course of an hour or two wouldn't be so bad to be honest.

I use a Mag 7 from my 55 and I wish I had bigger. It's pretty slow. Of course, I'm going like 20 feet

[esacjack]

Made some progress on the tank build, but not much on the actual DT. My finances have been directed at my wedding and christmas so squeezing blood out of this stone is very hard at the moment.

I bought a 30L off CL for 10 bucks, and built a dry rock vat out of it. I already had a few 'junk' powerheads laying around and put those to use. I also took what used to be an undergravel filter, and used its guts to fashion the remainder of the tank. I bought 50lbs of dry rock, 20lbs pukani and 30lbs reefsaver from BRS. Then I added about 3lbs of LR rubble to the tank. I had these miniature milk crates laying around and used those to hold the new LR rubble. Worked out really well! I had an emerald crab that was destroying the corals in my pico, so I evicted him to the LR tank. He is actually MUCH happier in the bigger tank, especially since I've hidden little clumps of nori all over the LR for him to find.

I also finished setting up my mixing tanks and RODI station. Two 55 gallon drums, a mag 9.5 in the SW and a 7 in the RO tank as well as a powerhead for mixing salt and a nice refractometer. I'm very happy with the design/setup. I made two sets of modular hoses for each tank, allowing me to run a hose to the DT for filling or water changes, or using the shorter hoses for filling water jugs.

Some things I've noticed about the rock curing so far:

I'm at day 7 of curing, and the pukani rock is already taking on coraline. My last step of prepping the vat (after soaking the dry rock for 48 hours in RODI) was to scrub each rock with LR rubble that had REALLY thick coraline growth on it. This seems to have sped up the pukani's coraline growth. The reef saver however seems to not be taking to curing a quickly as the pukani, nor is it actually getting any coraline growth.

I noticed about 30 or 40 clusters of forams. http://en.microcosmaquariumexplorer.com/wiki/Red_Tree_Foram . The reefsaver rock still hasnt taken to any coloration, but the pukani has forams and coraline all over it. I'm sure its going to take some time for the RS rock to take on some color. Just thought it was a strange observation.

[esacjack]

So this project had been placed on the back burner during my fiance's move-in. Now that everything is settled, and our wedding is paid for, I was able to throw some money at the build. Updates are going to happen fast, as I have parts coming in every day of this week.

Thursday I ordered all the parts for my light build

2 Makers LED 12" Heatsinks

2 Lumia 5.1 100 Watt Full Spectrum Dreamchips

10 LDD 700P's

1 Typhon PWM Controller

1 12 volt power supply for fans/typhon

2 56 volt ps180's. (LED Power supply)

1 Lock box

4 VGA 15pin connectors / 2 right angle 2 straight

2 vga cables

1 fused 220VAC (IPC) toggle/switch/illuminated

4 L 36" stainless steel 1/4" rods

15 2p2c spdif jumper cables ( makes for a total of 30 pins and 30 leads per fixture including fan power)

Parts should start arriving Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. With the last parts coming in probably around thursday or friday.

Friday I went shopping and picked up a bunch of plumbing parts. I'm fortunate to have a friend who runs a custom pond/pool company in town. He stopped by with his awesome ratcheting PVC cutters. It made the job take less than about 45 minutes to complete post design phase.

Today I spent the day smoking some ribs and some brisket and of course, plumbing up the returns.

I decided to build a nano manifold. But I didnt want it to take up much real estate behind the tank. So I altered my initial design to fit in the stand and tucked up out of the way. I used more 90's in the setup than I really cared to, but I'm using a mag 18 to push water into a 46 gallon. I can spare some pressure in lieu of convenience.

I need some kind of suspension clamp to alleviate some weight on the current hangers.

[victoly]

Reallllly looking forward to documentation on your lumia build. Are you going to use 5 of the meanwell LDDs? If you check RC, there is a thread where a guy put together a board to mount all of your LDDs (5up LDD board is what it was called). Like I said, super excited you bit the bullet on that thing :)/

[esacjack]

I'm going with 5 LDD 700LHW's on each unit, for a total of ten drivers. Going to run it off two PS180's. I saw the thread about the 5up LDD board, AFTER I ordered the wired ones. Up to that point all I could find is the standalone ldd nests, and 4 up boards. I'll just have to get creative in cleaning everything up.

Just received a notification that my heatsinks and LED's arrived. Drivers and what not should be here Thursday. Typhon possibly on Friday.