460g Sectional

[Reef Chiefer]

I'm a bit late into this tank for a build thread but I documented it all and wanted to share my experience.
280g glass peninsula 6'x3'x2'
180g glass peninsula 6'x2'x2'
60g frag tank
The idea is to have two tanks together, looking like one. The advantage is I can have different conditions for different corals in each. Also I don't have to manuever a massive single tank.
They are positioned in and L shape so the one side will be 8' long and the other side is 6'. They go right in the middle of the room behind my sectional couch.
Before the new, the old 125

I love peninsula style.

 

[Reef Chiefer]

As we all know moving a reef is no fun for the reef keeper or the reef.
My sad limbo system in the garage of the new house.

Work started on the plumbing from the upstairs display to the downstairs mixing station and water change drain. 1" PVC through the floor for fresh water and salt water pumped up to display. 1"1/2 PVC for the drain down to basement for easy water changes.

 

[Reef Chiefer]

Simple mixing station.

Waveline dc12000 for moving water around. Can turn it down and recirculate for mixing fresh salt water. Then turn it all the way up to pump fresh water into my 10g ato bin under the display. Or salt water into the sump.

I keep it plugged into a cheap lil wifi controllable outlet. Programed for 4 minute auto shut off. Hit the button on my phone and it fills my ato bin from down stairs brute and shuts it self off after 4mins.

 

[jschultzbass]

Definitely a cool idea! Can't wait to see it in action!

 

[Reef Chiefer]

Home made stand out of 2x4s and plywood. Painted with white elastomeric paint.

 

[Reef Chiefer]

After much consideration on the sand bed vs BB I decided to go BB. Bought the starboard. Made a template for the overflow cut out.

The glass bracing on the top middle of the tank made it so I had to cut the board up into pieces which annoyed the hell out of me but figured after rock and Coraline the seems wouldn't be noticable.

Then the internal bracing on the bottom perimeter led me to routing notches in the board.

Took down the edges to not damage the silicone on the tank.

Then 2 tubes of tank safe silicone all over the bottom of the tank and in between the mitered seems of the starboard. Down it went with weights on top for 48hours to cure. Then silicone bead around the perimeter.

 

[emvanburen]

Looking forward to this one. All the same system?

 

[Reef Chiefer]

Looking forward to this one. All the same system?

I went back and forth on plumbing them into each other or not for like a year. Decided to connect them into the same system. As I see it, pros; easier to maintain, more stability from water volume, CHEAPER. Cons; can't truely have species specific tanks, if one tank has an issue they both do, possible toxins from soft corals bothering my stones in the other tank. Oh ya I don't think I mentioned, the 280g tank will be soft coral specific (mostly). The 180 will be all stoney.

 

[PSU4ME]

That’ll be an interesting challenge with softies and sps sharing the same system but keeping it middle of the road should work for the both. Good luck!

 

[Reef Chiefer]

That’ll be an interesting challenge with softies and sps sharing the same system but keeping it middle of the road should work for the both. Good luck!

Indeed, do soft corals like a different Cal/ dkh then sps?

 

[PSU4ME]

One could argue that. I think softies prefer a bit more nutrients than sps imo but I’ve seen tanks kept different ways with good success so you’ll have to find your balance.

 

[Smarkow]

...possible toxins from soft corals bothering my stones in the other tank. Oh ya I don't think I mentioned, the 280g tank will be soft coral specific (mostly). The 180 will be all stoney.

I would think if you run some carbon in the sump between the two you would be fine?
Good luck, great build so far

 

[Reef Chiefer]

One could argue that. I think softies prefer a bit more nutrients than sps imo but I’ve seen tanks kept different ways with good success so you’ll have to find your balance.

That's what many say. I have seen high nutrient input systems with beatiful sps tanks though. I have a big bubble magus hero 77 skimmer and a fat refugium chamber in the sump with an ai fuge over it. That plus my 5 year old rock aught to keep my No3 and Po4 in check. I target feed heavy too.

 

[Reef Chiefer]

I would think if you run some carbon in the sump between the two you would be fine?
Good luck, great build so far

Right you are, I've got a carbon reactor and a phosban reactor. I'll prolly run the carbon most the time and the phosban periodically if I test high on Po4.

 

[Reef Chiefer]

Pretty colors in my limbo tank.

My melanarus loves the camera.

 

[Reef Chiefer]

Water, salt and heat in. With in 24 hours water made its way under the star board. Despite my best efforts, so frustrating. It started to lift so I removed it. I thought about just putting the rock in there to keep it weighed down and move on. However I decided to rip it out to avoid the inevitable detritus trap. Went with Carib sea special grade sand instead. Super thin layer, no more than an inch thick.

 

[Reef Chiefer]

Layout for my control panel.
Lunar module for that night light.
Leak detector for I'm not sure yet?
mp10 and two maxspect gyres for the 280
one gyre and two mp40s for the 180

Plumbing layout.
Vectra L2 return pump feeds a 4 valve manifold for carbon, phosban, fuge and future something?
Unions on either side of the manifold and a one way valve to stop back syphoning. 1.5" from return through manifold then 1" for both return lines.

35g. Settling tank that the 280g tank will drain it's Herbie 1.5" over flow into. Spears gate valve for tunning. Settling tanks drain goes down stairs to waste drain. Water changes are as easy as hitting water change mode on apex. Opening the drain valve on the settling tank. Then pumping the fresh salt water back into the settling tank with a switch and a valve.