My new project- Seahorse/reef tank

[Global]

Tank Dimensions: 645mm x 325mm x 900mm (25'x 14'x 35.5')(length x width x height)

Tank Capacity: 188 litres (50Gallon) give or take. That's without sump

Filtration: Sump with fug and skimmer, still to be built and bought, but have very limited room under the cabinet. So have a bit of designing and research to do.

Heating: 300watt, probably Ehiem (Still need to buy)

Lighting: 6 globe high output T5's, 2x 10000K, 2x 14000k and 2x blue lux coral globes. Have this but unsure weather to go LED or Metal Halide, problem would be heat from the metal halide that I nt really want.

Flow/wavemaker: Undecided yet, still need to purchase. Open to ideas and whether to run one or two???

Substrate: Undecided on whether go bare bottom, white sand or black sand???....I have all at my use, just got to hear the pros and cons I guess.
Rock work: all live rock

Stand: Homemade pine cabinet, stained into old english mahogany. Still need to build a hood for the top to suit.

Open to hear any advice good and bad, as its a new project im open to suggestions on all aspects of it.

More progress pics to come.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Cool! Following! :thumb:

 

[Global]

Thanks MD, but It will be a slow build. Lack of time and money doesn't always help haha
But ill get there bit by bit.
Also pay no attention to the undergravel filter and up-lift tubes, they have already been binned haha.
Will look into drilling the rear of the tank in the next week or so when I work out what sort of size plumbing I will need to use.

 

[Global]

So the tank is 188ltrs (50gallon) that I will be running a small sump underneath, which I have worked out to be around 40litres (10.5gallon). What size return pump would be about right so as not to be to fast flow for seahorses, the setup will be a reef tank to start with, and a year later or so add seahorses.

I was thinking around 2500ltrs/h (660gallons/h) what do you think?

 

[Global]

So Ive finally decided that my return pump which is much bigger than what I need, but fully adjustable the Eheim Compact+ 5000.
So what are your thoughts, good and bad I want to hear them

Heres the stats on it as well.....
EHEIM compact+ 5000

1 - For use in water.
2 - Supplied adapters make it suitable also for outside water.

High, controllable output from a compact unit – that’s what these pumps represent.

These new models complete the range of compact pumps. Suitable for use in or out of water.
Pump output 2500 - 5000 l/h (660-1320Gallons/h)
Power consumption 86 Watt
Connectors / Distributions in ø mm.
Suction side 26
Pressure side 26
Hose ø mm 25/34
Dimensions (HxWxD)mm 138x82x126
Delivery head Hmax 3 m

 

[Global]

Ok, need everyones opinions here.....

What substrate should I use in this tank???

White sand?
Black sand?
No sand (bare bottom)?
Or a mix of the white and black?

Want to hear the good and bad, as im really undecided, I have a heap of white and Tahitian moon sand from previous tanks. So I can do any.
Here are some pics of each....

 

[Global]

So done a little shopping for this tank today, so I can get going on it.

Bought the glass hole-saw, which cost me a fortune. Fittings, small saw to cut back the flanges, paint roller to paint the back of tank.

The plumbing to do the weir connections to go through the glass which I have decided to go two outlets through the tank.
One 25mm Dorso outlet and one 25mm backup syphon, which I thing should be plenty to handle the syphon from the 5000ltr/h return pump.
Both ive gone for the best fittings I could get and bonus their black, so will be harder to notice behind the tank.

 

[Global]

Ok measured up taking into account the thickness of the glass, cut the fittings and flanges to suit my tank.

This is how they will look going through the glass.

 

[MrDJeep123]

Sand. Planted macro seahorse tank. You'll have natural filtration to supplement your main filtration. Seahorses will love it. It will give a place for pods to grow and munch, and in return feed the ponies.

 

[Global]

Thanks MrD, yeah don't think Im all for the look of the bare bottom tank on this build.

I know Its easier to keep clean, but Im heading more for a natural look I think.

At this stage im heading towards the white sand look.

 

[Global]

Ok so moved the tank out to the workshop for a little cutting action.
Had to set the flanges up to exactly were they need to go bearing in mind where the top of the weir is so that the water will flow into it.
Thing with doing this, check check and check again, measure twice cut once! Theres no going back once you start cutting haha







Finally worked out the right placing.

 

[dan40b]

Nice work. I can't wait to see your tank come together. Keep the updates coming.

 

[SeahorseKeeper]

Sand. Planted macro seahorse tank. You'll have natural filtration to supplement your main filtration. Seahorses will love it. It will give a place for pods to grow and munch, and in return feed the ponies.

This is what I would do. Looking forward to your build!

 

[G_Sanab922]

This is what I would do. Looking forward to your build!

+1 following along! From what I've been told seahorses can be messy eaters. Natural filtration is best for them


Gabriel

 

[Global]

First things first, get all the things you need, drill, water, hole-saw.
Must use water and plenty of it when trying to cut holes in glass, only use a slow speed when cutting.



There are two ways of getting your start on the glass, I recommend if you haven't done it before use a stencil cut with the same hole-saw through ply or Perspex as a jig.
That way you can clamp it onto the desired spot and your hole-saw wont move when you first start.

For me ive done this many times so I do the steady hand, tilted blade to start an arc deep enough to slowly move flat and square to the glass.
Don't try this if you don't know what you are doing. The saw will skid across the glass and damage it. And don't forget plenty of water.

Don't forget to put some foam under the glass your cutting, for when the circle offcut falls through. Don't want it to fall through and drop straight on the glass and crack it.

And there you have it 2 holes cut in 10mm glass. Eazy peazy.

 

[Global]

So after taking the masking tape off and standing it back up, doesn't look too bad I think.

From the inside of the tank the black is fully saturated and no thin see-through areas, so the two coats worked ok.





And this is with the bulkheads/flanges put in and set up roughly how the will sit when the weir is built around them.
The holes are 32mm, with 25mm fittings which are both outlets for the sump.
Should handle the Eheim Compact+ 5000 adjustable from 2500ltr/h-5000ltrs/h with no dramas.









What do you all think about how ive gone about doing it and what do you all think so far?

 

[Global]

No can anyone give me advice whether the bulkheads need siliconing onto the glass, or will the rubber ring/washer be enough to keep it sealed once tightened from the other side?

Also the two elbows, do they need some silicon in the threads or will they be sealed with being screwed all the way in.
Mainly just worried about the inside first as once the weir is in I wont be getting into those very easy.

 

[tigerdragon]

Bulkhead gaskets will be fine no silicone req just dont over tighten them. Thread tape on threaded fittings will do fine

 

[tigerdragon]

Once you test fill the tank you will know all your leaks tighten from there.

 

[Global]

So built the weir and let it dry for a bit before installing it over the two outlet fittings,
had to be as tight fit as possible due to the narrowness of the tank,
still need to get as much light into the tanks as possible.