AlexGs 4200 Gallon Display + 2100 gallon fish room? --- New House = New Build

[AlexG]

Just got my pod shipment ecopods and phyto in from @AlgaeBarn to seed the 700 gallon refugium. It will be interesting to see how long it takes these pods to take over this tank and spread to the rest of the system.

 

[AlgaeBarn]

Just got my pod shipment ecopods and phyto in from @AlgaeBarn to seed the 700 gallon refugium. It will be interesting to see how long it takes these pods to take over this tank and spread to the rest of the system.

Thanks for choosing AlgaeBarn! Can't wait to see the progress

 

[Smarkow]

Is your chaeto on a screen?
i just ordered alagae barn too! For the limpets. Never tried them before, but I’m hoping they work as CUC for the predator tank.

 

[GBRsouth]

So I’m wondering with this new build/re-build if you’ve made any structural or design changes?
I only ask as I am in the middle of my own plywood build, and I did most things according to your 2017 build, just with slightly different bracing pattern.

@Smarkow I see your tank is L-shaped. Peter's fish tank on RC and Youtube was an acrylic L-shaped tank that had a failure. The failure was due to stresses in one of the outer panels, inline with the line of an inner panel where it would imaginarily cross the outer panel at it's base.

Even though you are building from different materials I believe the stress would have been due to the L-shape. I think it would be wise to incorporate extra strength along the bottom of your outer panels where the line of an inner panel would cross through the outer panel if it had continued in length. (Maybe you have already done this?)

Hoping to help you succeed as yours looks to be a build worth following!

 

[Smarkow]

@Smarkow I see your tank is L-shaped. Peter's fish tank on RC and Youtube was an acrylic L-shaped tank that had a failure. The failure was due to stresses in one of the outer panels, inline with the line of an inner panel where it would imaginarily cross the outer panel at it's base.

Even though you are building from different materials I believe the stress would have been due to the L-shape. I think it would be wise to incorporate extra strength along the bottom of your outer panels where the line of an inner panel would cross through the outer panel if it had continued in length. (Maybe you have already done this?)

Hoping to help you succeed as yours looks to be a build worth following!

Yep! It is actually in a basement, reinforced up against a water sealed concrete wall, with on edge 2x4’s.
Yeah I recall, 9ball’s tank. It was a beauty. (I think?)

 

[GBRsouth]

Yep! It is actually in a basement, reinforced up against a water sealed concrete wall, with on edge 2x4’s.
Yeah I recall, 9ball’s tank. It was a beauty. (I think?)

9ball, that's the right one! Glad to hear you have plenty of reinforcement!

 

[AlexG]

Is your chaeto on a screen?
i just ordered alagae barn too! For the limpets. Never tried them before, but I’m hoping they work as CUC for the predator tank.

I had 3 pieces of egg crate in the temp tank that had some good marine growth on them. I decided to hang these off the cross braces to get the highest par out of my two refugium lights on to an established surface for growing algae. I put some cheato and caulerpa on the egg crate to get it started. I am going to eventually add more refugium lights to this tank as the need to increased nutrient export is needed once the display tank comes online.

Limpets will do a great job as a cleanup crew but what kind of predators do you have? Large wrasses, triggers, and puffers can and do go after limpets. I had limpets reproducing in my last system and in the big fish tank they did not last long. In fact only a couple of large snails, hermits, and a Halloween urchin were not eaten in the big fish tank. Most of the snails, crabs, and urchins were eaten or slowly picked apart over time. I would add the limpets at night to rocks they can hide on. Most snails that survive in predator tanks only come out at night and hide during the day.

 

[AlexG]

Yep! It is actually in a basement, reinforced up against a water sealed concrete wall, with on edge 2x4’s.
Yeah I recall, 9ball’s tank. It was a beauty. (I think?)

The side of the tank is up against the basement wall with direct contact with the wall or is there an air gap?

 

[Smarkow]

The side of the tank is up against the basement wall with direct contact with the wall or is there an air gap?

There is an air gap, with the exception of a few 2x4’s which are directly up against the wall for support

So for instance there is about 2ft gap here. I plan to install a window fan to vent out the humidity.

 

[Smarkow]

I had 3 pieces of egg crate in the temp tank that had some good marine growth on them. I decided to hang these off the cross braces to get the highest par out of my two refugium lights on to an established surface for growing algae. I put some cheato and caulerpa on the egg crate to get it started. I am going to eventually add more refugium lights to this tank as the need to increased nutrient export is needed once the display tank comes online.

Limpets will do a great job as a cleanup crew but what kind of predators do you have? Large wrasses, triggers, and puffers can and do go after limpets. I had limpets reproducing in my last system and in the big fish tank they did not last long. In fact only a couple of large snails, hermits, and a Halloween urchin were not eaten in the big fish tank. Most of the snails, crabs, and urchins were eaten or slowly picked apart over time. I would add the limpets at night to rocks they can hide on. Most snails that survive in predator tanks only come out at night and hide during the day.

Yep... just one super piggy puffer right now, but my wife loves triggers. I’ll probably have a harlequin tusk at some point. I will take your advice on the timing!

 

[AlexG]

Working on the secondary sump tonight. I think it's break time for the evening. Also included some microscope eye candy.

 

[Smarkow]

Working on the secondary sump tonight. I think it's break time for the evening. Also included some microscope eye candy.

What are we seeing under the microscope? Some sort of mysid or tube worm?

 

[AlexG]

What are we seeing under the microscope? Some sort of mysid or tube worm?

I believe it is a type of isopod

 

[Smarkow]

I believe it is a type of isopod

Looks like free fish food to me!

 

[AlexG]

Update time

 

[Smarkow]

Update time

Awesome as always. Out of curiosity, why 2 week leak test? Seems arbitrary. I get why 60 minutes might not be enough... but any reason/experience guiding that decision?

 

[AlexG]

Awesome as always. Out of curiosity, why 2 week leak test? Seems arbitrary. I get why 60 minutes might not be enough... but any reason/experience guiding that decision?

Part of it started out as an arbitrary time based on the curing time I allowed for my glass seals to cure before allowing the tanks to start a fill test. I also took some notes from professional experience with things like new software deployments where doing a "soak test" to monitor how it runs can help to detect bugs. I also like to study engineering failures of structures to understand how any why structures fail. Often times a structure that fails will be built and stand for some time before signs that a failure might occur start to appear. Careful observation of the stand, tank, glass seals, bulkhead fittings, plumbing, ect over a couple of weeks for minor defects or issues can prevent a catastrophic aquarium disaster. In my own experience with my last plywood tank builds the 720 gallon tank was filled for a week before I noticed the sides were starting to bow outward by a 1/4" on the short sides and 1/2" on the back side of the tank. This prompted me to drain the tank as it would have eventually had a structural failure. After I built bracing for that tank I refilled and observed again for a testing period to ensure there was no bowing before I turned it into a saltwater tank. Also being that the pond liner tanks are a new design and method of building I wanted to build some confidence on the glass seals. For my main display I have already decided it will have to run with just RO/DI water filled to capacity for at least a month before I entertain adding salt.

 

[AlexG]

Its been under 3 weeks since my shipment of copepods from Algae Barn @AlgaeBarn and I would say the copepods are spreading through the system at a great pace. The entire front glass of my 700 gallon refugium now looks like the clip below. I am also starting to see pods on the glass of the other tanks in the system so its just a matter of time before the entire system is crawling.

 

[AlgaeBarn]

Its been under 3 weeks since my shipment of copepods from Algae Barn @AlgaeBarn and I would say the copepods are spreading through the system at a great pace. The entire front glass of my 700 gallon refugium now looks like the clip below. I am also starting to see pods on the glass of the other tanks in the system so its just a matter of time before the entire system is crawling.

Build is looking great! Are you dosing phytoplankton as well?

 

[AlexG]

Build is looking great! Are you dosing phytoplankton as well?

I am dosing some phyto into the 700 every few days. Your post was my reminder so I just dosed the 700 gallon tank with phyto. Getting phyto cultures going is on my to do list in the next few weeks.