So anyone who's seen my first build thread or read any of my several posts about planning this upgrade may already know this, but while this is my second reef tank, it's my first one with a sump, so the learning curve has been steep this time around as well.
I've been planning this upgrade since the middle of this summer, which is way sooner than I anticipated upgrading, but c'est la vie. I decided on the 80 gallon shallow display size for several reasons: the 48"x24" footprint will allow me to keep a small tang or two, with a good amount of horizontal swimming room in many directions, and the shallow depth will fit the space it will be going in the living room well, without blocking any of the art on the wall there (a requirement of my wife in our negotiation to move the reef to the living room). I had a difficult time sourcing a new tank in this size, even going so far as contacting Seapora directly to see if they had any tips on distributors that might have one in stock. They said that while there could definitely be some still out there in stores, they are not currently making them due to COVID-related glass supply issues, and their need to focus on manufacturing their more popular sizes. But, I was able to find one semi-locally in Kenosha, and it came with a 45 gallon sump. The top rim had a few tiny cracks in the corners, but the seals look perfect, no leaks, and the center brace was perfect, so I think that the cracks are from someone trying to life or move the tank by lifting on the rim sides, not from stress on the tank or bowing. Decided to pull the trigger, and then reinforced the rim corners with plastic epoxy on the inside and outside.
As followers of my first build thread know, I love keeping things as simple as possible, as well as keeping them as inexpensive as possible, so despite switching over to a sump setup this time around, I'll still be foregoing any sort of automation for the time being. My goal is to create is a self-sustaining ecosystem, so I'm planning on running a refugium in the large middle compartment of my sump with macroalgae. I'll be pulling some of my equipment from the old tank, including my inkbird temp controller, and probably the heaters if they can handle the larger system (I think they'll be able to since the return pump will provide some heat to the system also). I am upgrading to the follow equipment, though:
2x Jebao SLW-20 wave makers
Eheim 1262 return pump
2x AI Hydra 26 lights with AI Director (found them new-in-box locally on Facebook marketplace collecting dust in a guy's closet since an abandoned build years ago)
BRS mesh filter socks
Reef Octopus eSsence S-130 Protein Skimmer
Here are some photos of getting the tank, modifying stand that came with it, and plumbing my first sump! Next up, the leak test...
I've been planning this upgrade since the middle of this summer, which is way sooner than I anticipated upgrading, but c'est la vie. I decided on the 80 gallon shallow display size for several reasons: the 48"x24" footprint will allow me to keep a small tang or two, with a good amount of horizontal swimming room in many directions, and the shallow depth will fit the space it will be going in the living room well, without blocking any of the art on the wall there (a requirement of my wife in our negotiation to move the reef to the living room). I had a difficult time sourcing a new tank in this size, even going so far as contacting Seapora directly to see if they had any tips on distributors that might have one in stock. They said that while there could definitely be some still out there in stores, they are not currently making them due to COVID-related glass supply issues, and their need to focus on manufacturing their more popular sizes. But, I was able to find one semi-locally in Kenosha, and it came with a 45 gallon sump. The top rim had a few tiny cracks in the corners, but the seals look perfect, no leaks, and the center brace was perfect, so I think that the cracks are from someone trying to life or move the tank by lifting on the rim sides, not from stress on the tank or bowing. Decided to pull the trigger, and then reinforced the rim corners with plastic epoxy on the inside and outside.
As followers of my first build thread know, I love keeping things as simple as possible, as well as keeping them as inexpensive as possible, so despite switching over to a sump setup this time around, I'll still be foregoing any sort of automation for the time being. My goal is to create is a self-sustaining ecosystem, so I'm planning on running a refugium in the large middle compartment of my sump with macroalgae. I'll be pulling some of my equipment from the old tank, including my inkbird temp controller, and probably the heaters if they can handle the larger system (I think they'll be able to since the return pump will provide some heat to the system also). I am upgrading to the follow equipment, though:
2x Jebao SLW-20 wave makers
Eheim 1262 return pump
2x AI Hydra 26 lights with AI Director (found them new-in-box locally on Facebook marketplace collecting dust in a guy's closet since an abandoned build years ago)
BRS mesh filter socks
Reef Octopus eSsence S-130 Protein Skimmer
Here are some photos of getting the tank, modifying stand that came with it, and plumbing my first sump! Next up, the leak test...