300 Gallon Office Tank

[Gill the 3rd]

So i can post some updates - mainly to my mixing station and rodi top off. I was using the tunze ATO for the past 5 or 6 years, but the optical sensor finally crapped on me and wont turn the pump on. I tried cleaning it in citric acid and scrubbing it, but its no longer working. I always was intrigued by the gravity fed ATO that Jake Adams preached, mainly because it was so simple. I never did it before because of how my tank was set up, but now that I have a basement sump - I can do what I want!

So I built a little stand to elevate my RODI barrel and drilled/installed a float valve in my sump. I did add a ball valve to shut off the flow if I want to drain my sump and clean it. I also added the flood guardian optical sensor and solenoid valve as well. I placed the optical sensor in my sump, just above the water line when my return pump is off. That way if my float valve somehow gets stuck open, the optical sensor and solenoid will shut off flow.

I also updated my saltwater mixing barrel and water change system. I added an external pump, with ball valves to mix the water. I also added garden hose quick disconnects so I can easily change water using my return pump and the pump on the saltwater mixing barrel. I also added a quick disconnect to my sewer line from a sink upstairs. I just turn my return pump off to fill my sump and I pretty much return pump and a 6 ft hose to pump all the water out of the sump. I then then swap over to the saltwater mixing barrel and fill my sump up using the mixing barrel sump. Super easy and I can do a 70 gallon water change in 10 minutes without lifting a single bucket. I will get more pictures next time I do a water change.

 

[Imrahilwjz]

That is a great looking tank. The support equipment is interesting as well. Where did you get the brackets that support the refugium?

 

[Gill the 3rd]

That is a great looking tank. The support equipment is interesting as well. Where did you get the brackets that support the refugium?

Thanks! I got the brackets from rockler.com. I used structural screws into studs to mount them.

https://www.rockler.com/heavy-duty-steel-shelf-brackets-black-finish

 

[Imrahilwjz]

Thanks! I got the brackets from rockler.com. I used structural screws into studs to mount them.

https://www.rockler.com/heavy-duty-steel-shelf-brackets-black-finish

Thank you

 

[keepingfishwithnoidea]

any updates???

 

[Devaji]

 

[Gill the 3rd]

any updates???

Yes I have some updates...Here is the tank currently lol...

It looks worse than it is. My saltwater system is going to be relocated to a tank in the basement. I am moving some of my larger freshwater fish to this tank upstairs since my kids really like the larger freshwater fish and they are starting to require a larger tank. I also have the opportunity to do a really cool looking plant wall above the tank.

I'm also using this opportunity to euro brace the tank with additional acrylic strips. Its the one thing I didn't like about this tank, it started bowing between the strips.

I did have an unfortunate power outage which killed all my fish about 6 months ago. We lost power after I went to bed one night and woke up to most of my fish dead in the sand. Power came back a couple hours after that. I have a generator, but just bad timing since I didnt even know it was out. Many of these fish I had for a while, including a marine betta, a porcupine puffer, black trigger and a breeding pair of clarkis, and some various dwarf angels. Honestly if it weren't for my corals and anemone surviving and doing really well, I would have quit that day.

Glad I didn't though since I have a renewed energy with the system. I moved everything downstairs to a 300 gallon Rubbermaid stock tank. I also made a quick sump out of a storage tote that has my protein skimmer and a refugium. I moved my RODI barrel over so I have my gravity top off. Heaters and power heads are located in the stock tank. I threw together a wood canopy to support my lights.

I still need to move over my kalk brute can and my 2 part dosing buckets. I will hopefully do that this weekend. So far everything is working great and is easy to maintain. After purchasing a bunch of fish, my current livestock is:

gem tang
white tail bristle tooth tang
purple tang
coral beaty
flame angel
(2) osc clowns - they took to the anemone right away
snowflake eel - survived the power outage
lawnmower blenny - survived the power outage
blue nasso tang
flame hawk fish
long nose hawk fish
(5) green chromis - some new, some survived the power outage
red sea desjardin tang

Still looking to add a lemon peel angel, foxface and a porcupine puffer (they are my favorite fish). I may add a trigger and some wrasses, but we will see.

Overall Im very pleased with the system, time will tell what size tank they end up moving in. I would like to go a bit deeper than 24 inch since I like that deeper look.

FYI here are some of the habitants going into the old tank...