370 gallon tank

[Frag Around and Find]

My 370-Gallon Reef Build (570g Total System Volume)​

Hey R2R! I wanted to share what I’ve been working on with my big reef system. This build has been a mix of DIY, upgrades, and some serious planning to create a long-term, stable setup that can handle heavy bioload, coral growth, and natural filtration.

The System​

• Display Tank: 370 gallons
• DIY Sump: Built from a repurposed 200-gallon tank, sectioned for filtration, refugium, and return
• Plumbing: Custom-built by me, with hard plumbing and unions for easy maintenance

Filtration & Flow​

• Dual ReefMat 1200 fleece rollers for mechanical filtration
• Protein Skimmer (coming soon) to boost nutrient export
• UV Sterilizer plumbed in for water clarity and disease control
• Large Overflow → Mini Refugium: I converted my main overflow into a small refugium, packed with macroalgae and pods, then plumbed directly back into the display. This keeps pods alive and circulating instead of all going through the sump.

DIY Projects​

• Stand & Hood: Built sturdy and custom-sized to handle the weight and give me full access
• Tank Lid: Designing and building my own lid to keep jumpers safe while still allowing great gas exchange and easy feeding access

Next Steps​

• Finish tuning the sump and add the skimmer
• Expand my refugium and macro garden
• Dial in lighting and aquascape for coral grow-out
• Begin fragging and expanding high-end coral farming under What The Frag

---

This system is my centerpiece reef, and I’m excited to share the journey as I push it toward being a thriving mixed reef with strong aquaculture goals.


If anyone has tips for optimizing dual ReefMats in a large system, or DIY lid builds for tanks this size, I’d love to hear your feedback!


– Robert | What The Frag

 

[tzabor10]

Looking forward to seeing pictures.
Bare bottom or sand?
Live rock or dry?

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Following along!

 

[Frag Around and Find]

Looking forward to seeing pictures.
Bare bottom or sand?
Live rock or dry?

full reef tank, sand and live rock, with a 40 gallon refugium

 

[Ruben's Reef]

Welcome to R2R !!! Looks like a nice setup. Dont forget the pics.

 

[Frag Around and Find]

 

[Frag Around and Find]

 

[Frag Around and Find]

Homemade stand frame. Still have to fix drips coming from the bulkheads

 

[Ruben's Reef]

Niceeee, what size, 4ft x 3 ft?

 

[Frag Around and Find]

Niceeee, what size, 4ft x 3 ft?

6x4. With a nine inch over flow on the back and 200 gallon sump

 

[hatfielj]

72" x 48" x ?? 24" ??
I'm thinking of going with a similar size on my next system.

 

[Frag Around and Find]

mine is 24 inches deep, almost a 700 gallon system. I can't wait to stock it full of fish and coral. I have two reef mat 1200s and a Octo Regal 300 skimmer. I will have 7 radion XR30 pros on it. home made acrylic top. here will be the inhabitant list:
4 Kukhenthal's Cleaner Shrimp
4 Banded Coral Shrimp
4 Gold Banded Coral Shrimp
4 Purple Banded Coral Shrimp
4 Randall's Snapping Shrimp
20 Electric Blue Knuckle Hermit Crab
20 Scarlet Reef Hermit Crab
50 Assorted Red Banded Algae Snail
20 Turban Algae Shell
20 Little Picher Conch
50 Tongan Nassarius Snail
100 Bumble Bee Snail
20 Dwarf Turban Snail
5 Anemone Crab
5 Boxer Crab
Helmet Urchin
Globe Sea Urchin
Yellow Rainbow Wrasse
Golden Rainbow Wrasse
Orange Tipped Rainbow Wrasse
2 Ornate Leopard Wrasse
2 Yellow Tail Tamarin Wrasse
2 Black Leopard Wrasse
Pink Streaked Wrasse
Sixlined Wrasse
Disappearing Wrasse
Bluestreak Cleaner Wrasse
False Bluesteak Wrasse
3 Tono' Wrasse (Female)
Tono' Wrasse (Male)
Exquisite Fairy Wrasse
Black Tail Filament Fairy Wrasse
Blue-Sided Fairy Wrasse
Red Eye Fairy Wrasse
Red Finned Fairy Wrasse
3 Yellow Fin Fairy Wrasse (Female)
3 Naoko's Fairy Wrasse (Female)
Naoko's Fairy Wrasse (Male)
Orange Back Fairy Wrasse
Rose-Brand Fairy Wrasse
Blue Stripe Fairy Wrasse
Carpenter's Flasher Wrasse (Female)
4 Convict Tangs
Two Spot Bristletooth Tang
Striped Bristletooth Tang
Tomini Bristletooth Tang
Pacific Orange Spine Naso Tang
Indian Orange Spine Naso Tang
Blue Spine Naso Tang
Vlaming's Naso Tang
Hippo Tang
Brown Sailfin Tang
Koi/Abberant Tang
Sawtail Fish Tang
Pasific Sailfin Tang
Desjardin's Sailfin Tang
Golden Head Sleeper Goby
White Rayed Antena Prawn Goby
Pink Bar Prawn Goby
Randall's Prawn Goby
Yellow Watchman Prawn Goby
male and female Indonesia Mandarin Dragonet
Male and Female Indonesia Mandarin Dragonet (Orange)
Male and Female Red Starry Dragonet
Male and Female Ocellated Dragonet
Fire Fish
Decorated Dart Goby
Engineer Goby
Spot Tail Dart Goby
Blackfin Dart Goby
Zebra Dart Goby
3 Purple Queen Anthias (Female)
Purple Queen Anthias (Male)
Sunset Anthias
Strawberry Dottyback
8 Banggai Cardinalfish
8 Pajama Cardinalfish
8 Gold Striped Cardinalfish
8 Blue Streak Cardinalfish
Magnificent Foxface
4 clowns
Arizona sunset anemone
Colorado sunset anemone
6 Royal Grammas
and eventually a powder blue and Achilles tang

 

[Ruben's Reef]

6x4. With a nine inch over flow on the back and 200 gallon sump

Oh wow, I like that footprint.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Cool! Following!

 

[Rocks reef]

WOW! Looking forward to this build

 

[Frag Around and Find]

I am still working on getting the bulkheads to not leak. So far my biggest issue. I did a couple leak tests and they have small driping leaks. Will look for some professional help.

 

[MegabiteOG]

Very impressive build. Will be following. Good luck with the leak. Those are the little annoying things that can drive one crazy!

 

[1ocean]

Homemade stand frame. Still have to fix drips coming from the bulkheads

get new gaskets and put a skim coat of Vaseline on them to keep them from getting brittle

 

[1ocean]

I am still working on getting the bulkheads to not leak. So far my biggest issue. I did a couple leak tests and they have small driping leaks. Will look for some professional help.

does the acrylic where the bulk head sit have any imperfections... maybe it has something creating raise or lowered issued thats allowing water to seep out. is so some 1000 grit sand paper to get rid of the raised issue. If it is a lowered issue a small bead of silicon or that plastic dip stuff on the new gasket should do the trick...

 

[Frag Around and Find]

I am still working on getting the bulkheads to not leak. So far my biggest issue. I did a couple leak tests and they have small driping leaks. Will look for some professional help.

does the acrylic where the bulk head sit have any imperfections... maybe it has something creating raise or lowered issued thats allowing water to seep out. is so some 1000 grit sand paper to get rid of the raised issue. If it is a lowered issue a small bead of silicon or that plastic dip stuff on the new gasket should do the trick...

Thank you... I am going to take them all off clean them again really good then apply silicone around the gasket. Plus i will let if cure for 3 weeks before reattching plumbing and leak testing... ww will see if that works