240 Gallon Mixed Reef Build
- Thread starter ChrisKey
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ChrisKey
Well-Known Member
I just went and dropped $100 on some new tanks for a refugium and frag tank rack I plan on putting in my laundry room behind the DT. I will be building the frame today and have a rack for my laundry/fish room that will have a 40B refugium on top, a 40B frag tank in the center rack, and a double shelf on the bottom for my new Phytoplankton culturing, copepod culturing, and brine shrimp hatchery. And have another rack for some equipment and hold my supplements and additives. This is going to clear up lots of room under my stand.
I will be updating later with pictures of the saltwater, base rock, and live rock curing in the tank. I did a little aquascaping to part of the rock, but then just threw in some rock on another section because I ran out of time. I just needed to get it in and get the tank cycling so it will be ready in a few weeks.
I will be updating later with pictures of the saltwater, base rock, and live rock curing in the tank. I did a little aquascaping to part of the rock, but then just threw in some rock on another section because I ran out of time. I just needed to get it in and get the tank cycling so it will be ready in a few weeks.
ChrisKey
Well-Known Member
Here is the latest updates on the tank while I was home for the Easter holiday. I found a large mistake I made in building the stand and built the left side of the stand 1/4" taller than the right side, so the tank and water were not level. After alot of deliberation, I drained the 30 gallons used for a initial leak test and started to build up the right side of the stand to level it out. Since I am putting 3000lb on the stand, I was concerned with just using weak shims, so I went and bought a small sheet of 1/4" plywood.
I cut a 2" wide strip and 2 feet in length to place under the entire right end of the stand. Then I used a planar to plane off 1/32 of an inch while the board was still in tact in a 2" strip off the end. Then I could cut the board to get my 2" width and cut them into 6" strips to place under the stand all the way down until I get to the left side where I could get the thinnest pieces under the stand. I don't have any pictures of this process because I was working alone at 11pm at night not wanting to tae a break.
Well, I got the tank level and started the process of putting in the base rock, sand, RO water then mixed in some saltwater. I hope to get back in a week or so to straighten up the aquascaping to get it close to what I want. But it is cycling for now and I will finish my plumbing and aquascaping in a few weeks.
I cut a 2" wide strip and 2 feet in length to place under the entire right end of the stand. Then I used a planar to plane off 1/32 of an inch while the board was still in tact in a 2" strip off the end. Then I could cut the board to get my 2" width and cut them into 6" strips to place under the stand all the way down until I get to the left side where I could get the thinnest pieces under the stand. I don't have any pictures of this process because I was working alone at 11pm at night not wanting to tae a break.
Well, I got the tank level and started the process of putting in the base rock, sand, RO water then mixed in some saltwater. I hope to get back in a week or so to straighten up the aquascaping to get it close to what I want. But it is cycling for now and I will finish my plumbing and aquascaping in a few weeks.
ChrisKey
Well-Known Member
Here is a pic of the base rock. It includes 130 pounds of Reefrocks.net, 50 pounds of misc rock like texas holley and Pukani, and 75 pounds of other random rock. This is the dead base rock. I also brought in 20 pounds of live rock from my tank and 20 pounds of live rock from a tear-down tank from an individual in Birmingham , AL that was curing for 4 weeks in my garage. And I will be bringing in 100 pounds of live rock from my 55g and 20g system. So, alot of numbers there, but in the end I will have about 250 pounds in the DT, 75 pounds in the sump, and 50 pounds in my 40B refugium, giving me close to 400 pounds of rock.
Here is a pic of the column I am setting up on one side of the DT.
Here is the water test with some RO water as I am mixing in saltwater to get up to 1.023 SG while it cycles.
And here is the level I put the water until I can get all the plumbing donw to the sump.
Here is a pic of the column I am setting up on one side of the DT.
Here is the water test with some RO water as I am mixing in saltwater to get up to 1.023 SG while it cycles.
And here is the level I put the water until I can get all the plumbing donw to the sump.
ChrisKey
Well-Known Member
I have decided to change my setup for the sump, fuge, and frag tank. Originally I wanted to put a frag/growout section in the middle of my sump with a MH. Then plumb the fuge coming off of the return pump to a 20g refugium that will drain back into the sump. But with the $1 a gallon tank sale at Petco, I decided to redo my setup.
I am still using my 40B sump but I will load it with some extra live rock to keep my DT from having too much clutter.
Next, instead of just a 20g refugium, I am going to plumb a system in my laundry room with a 40B refugium that will drain down to a 40B frag tank, which will drain into the sump. This will also allow me to have a set-up out of view for my phytoplankton and different cultures. As well as dosing a few trace elements in the frag tank, which will then drain into the sump and up to the DT to dose the entire system. My normal dosing of calcium and alk (until I get a calcium reactor under the Stand), will still go into the sump and through the system.
I will have the Sump and Refugium on a reverse lighting cycle and have the frag tank on an overlap lighting cycle so I can have good viewing time in the afternoons and nights for fragging, showing, and selling. I am in the process of building the stand for this, so I will get some pictures of a dry setup on here later.
This is going to push my entire system to 360 gallons with about 300 true gallons of water. The solution to pollution is DILUTION!
I am still using my 40B sump but I will load it with some extra live rock to keep my DT from having too much clutter.
Next, instead of just a 20g refugium, I am going to plumb a system in my laundry room with a 40B refugium that will drain down to a 40B frag tank, which will drain into the sump. This will also allow me to have a set-up out of view for my phytoplankton and different cultures. As well as dosing a few trace elements in the frag tank, which will then drain into the sump and up to the DT to dose the entire system. My normal dosing of calcium and alk (until I get a calcium reactor under the Stand), will still go into the sump and through the system.
I will have the Sump and Refugium on a reverse lighting cycle and have the frag tank on an overlap lighting cycle so I can have good viewing time in the afternoons and nights for fragging, showing, and selling. I am in the process of building the stand for this, so I will get some pictures of a dry setup on here later.
This is going to push my entire system to 360 gallons with about 300 true gallons of water. The solution to pollution is DILUTION!
Lilmatty5dimes
2500 Club Member
this is going to be an awesome build. jumping on board cant wait to see some more.
jmann124
Well-Known Member
Here is a pic of the base rock. It includes 130 pounds of Reefrocks.net, 50 pounds of misc rock like texas holley and Pukani, and 75 pounds of other random rock. This is the dead base rock. I also brought in 20 pounds of live rock from my tank and 20 pounds of live rock from a tear-down tank from an individual in Birmingham , AL that was curing for 4 weeks in my garage. And I will be bringing in 100 pounds of live rock from my 55g and 20g system. So, alot of numbers there, but in the end I will have about 250 pounds in the DT, 75 pounds in the sump, and 50 pounds in my 40B refugium, giving me close to 400 pounds of rock.
Here is a pic of the column I am setting up on one side of the DT.
Here is the water test with some RO water as I am mixing in saltwater to get up to 1.023 SG while it cycles.
And here is the level I put the water until I can get all the plumbing donw to the sump.
Did you have to cure the rocks that came from reefrocks?
ChrisKey
Well-Known Member
The beauty about the rocks I ordered is they are large but only about 2" thick. I wanted to be able to stack them well and I am not concerned with the hops hates. However, I do have rock from 3 systems and never know what happened before they were dried out. So I will be periodically testing the phosphates over the next 5 weeks. And I plan to install my phosban reactor, carbon filter, and UV Sterilizer next weekend so it can run about a month while the rock finished curing and cycling the tank.
ChrisKey
Well-Known Member
160 pounds. I put the rock flat on the bottom glass and filled sand around it to keep it stable and prevent shifting of the rocks. So I was able to go with a little less sand in the DT but still get about 2" in sand depth.
Mason Dixon
Active Member
I used reefrocks in my aquascape. By the time the green hair algae was converting the phosphates up, my yellow tang was busy mowing it down.
Great build thread Chriskey, looking forward to the updates.
Great build thread Chriskey, looking forward to the updates.
ChrisKey
Well-Known Member
After 2 weeks away I finally got back up to Huntsville to get some more done on the tank. I walked in to some crystal clear water and the hope that I can keep it that way. The to-do list consisted of plumbing the overflows, plumb the skimmer, build a stand for the skimmer behind the tank, plumb the return lines, put in the first round of cleanup crew (thanks to Reefs2Go.com). Then I needed to build the saltwater mixing station and plumb the station through the house and under the stand. Then build my 40b refugium and 40b frag tank stack with phyto/brine/copepod culture station.
I was able to finish most of the plumbing with the exception of the return due to a conflict in how I want to plumb the return pump. And I didn't drill holes through the house walls to plumb the saltwater and refugium. I will update a few pictures in a little bit of the updated progress.
I was able to finish most of the plumbing with the exception of the return due to a conflict in how I want to plumb the return pump. And I didn't drill holes through the house walls to plumb the saltwater and refugium. I will update a few pictures in a little bit of the updated progress.
ChrisKey
Well-Known Member
Here is the beautiful clean water.
Pic of the 1.5" Bean Animal drains. I had to stagger the valves sideways so they didn't interfere with each other.
And a pic of the skimmer on the stand behind the tank. The outflow needed to be higher than the sump, so I had to build it up for free flowing drain. Good thing I took the width into account when I placed the tank 7" from the wall.
Pic of the 1.5" Bean Animal drains. I had to stagger the valves sideways so they didn't interfere with each other.
And a pic of the skimmer on the stand behind the tank. The outflow needed to be higher than the sump, so I had to build it up for free flowing drain. Good thing I took the width into account when I placed the tank 7" from the wall.
ChrisKey
Well-Known Member
And here is some additional random pictures of the plumbing. I will be filling all this area with the dosers, ATO, carbon reactor, GFO reactor, and UV Sterilizer. I have one dual reactor for carbon and GFO but I may have to split it since I will get about 300 gallons of water. And I plan on a Calcium Reactor one of these days.
ChrisKey
Well-Known Member
I plan to build a manifold for valves and quick connections of the UV Sterilizer, carbon reactor, GFO, refugium feed and future calcium reactor. I just can't decide if I want to feed all this off of my return pressure pump (1850 gph) which will take some away from my sump turnover or install one single 1000gph in sump pump which I already own to feed the manifold. This will also allow me to auto feed through my return pump if desired when away from home.
gcrawford
Valuable Member
Looking good! I had to research "BeanAnimal" drains and it's a really great concept. It's much like "Herbie" pipes with an additional pipe for insurance. You're progressing nicely!
ChrisKey
Well-Known Member
Everything in the return ones is 1.5" right after the bulkhead. The bulkhead is 1" but then goes to a 1.5" sanitary Yso it drains down. The return line is 1" which splits once to the left side and right side, then splits again so I have 4 returns. Then I will reduce them each to 3/4" right at the outflow of the pipe with the pressure rated pump.
aslmx
Valuable Member
I thought that I had read that you reduced them down, thats what im planning on doing. Im going to build a manifold on my pump also to run other equipment. I landed an Iwaki that has enough power to run everything I need plus the carwash down the street. When you get yours flowing let me know how it goes and if you find any changes that need to be made because im doing about the same build. Have you made the fish wish list yet? I have my stand frame built and I guess im going to drill the holes myself, like you said im dreading it.
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