AlexGs Basement Plywood Build 2 displays one system.
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AlexG
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Small update the tanks are doing well. Been cutting up a few frags lately. Also taking some time to do more research for fun. I will let everyone guess what is going in the picture below. Shared a quick video of the fish in the reef eating as well.
vikinglord13
Active Member
Oh I know, I know! I won't tell though.
It's always fun to watch the fish eat!
It's always fun to watch the fish eat!
Devaji
5000 Club Member
oh man I man it through the thread I feel like you have been with me the last cpl of days. haha
what an epic build of a few years it's nice to see thinking come together.
I have been thinking of a plywood tanks for a few years and after reading this I just might.
moving in a few months to a house with a unfinished basement. small fish room for the soon to be peninsula reef and nano up stars, BUT maybe I should finsh out the basement and add a nice FOWLR and media room.
questions:
1) do you feel the 720 is the right size for a fowlr? if you where just doing 1 plywood fish only would you go biger or smaller?
2) just talking about size and looks which of your tanks do you like the look of more?
3) how are you liking the BB on the 720?
4) how is the 36" deep tank treating you?
5) if I read correct you are doing 200 gal WC a month so 50 gal a week? or all at once?
6) if you where to build the 720 again but needed a sump under would you use 2x6/4x4 for the stand?
7) if you had to guess what do you think is the running coast of the 720 per month?
8) how has the ranco temp controller be working for you?
9) looks like the radiant heating is working out very well for you. any think you would do different? what is the run from the water heater to tank? gas or electric?
10) what happened to the colt in the 720 I really liked it.
11) what CUC crew is in the 720?
12) you thinking of adding another UV to the system?
13) having a brain fart what in the name/style of the inverted tank you used to make the DIY skimmer?
14) where did you get the plastic for the skimmer cup?
15) if you have to get new lighting today for the 720 what would you go with?
16) humidity is a big concern for me. do you think the 1 vent fan would be OK for a 480-800 gal tank?
17) I know we need gas exchange in reefs BUT what are you thoughts on glass lids for 75% of the top? leaving 1 foot for gas exchange.
18) where did you get the plastic sump tub from?
19) IF* you where to do just the 720 how high would you make the stand?
20) what was the total price of the 720? if you dont mind sharing. I know it will verry form place to place.
what an epic build of a few years it's nice to see thinking come together.
I have been thinking of a plywood tanks for a few years and after reading this I just might.
moving in a few months to a house with a unfinished basement. small fish room for the soon to be peninsula reef and nano up stars, BUT maybe I should finsh out the basement and add a nice FOWLR and media room.
questions:
1) do you feel the 720 is the right size for a fowlr? if you where just doing 1 plywood fish only would you go biger or smaller?
2) just talking about size and looks which of your tanks do you like the look of more?
3) how are you liking the BB on the 720?
4) how is the 36" deep tank treating you?
5) if I read correct you are doing 200 gal WC a month so 50 gal a week? or all at once?
6) if you where to build the 720 again but needed a sump under would you use 2x6/4x4 for the stand?
7) if you had to guess what do you think is the running coast of the 720 per month?
8) how has the ranco temp controller be working for you?
9) looks like the radiant heating is working out very well for you. any think you would do different? what is the run from the water heater to tank? gas or electric?
10) what happened to the colt in the 720 I really liked it.
11) what CUC crew is in the 720?
12) you thinking of adding another UV to the system?
13) having a brain fart what in the name/style of the inverted tank you used to make the DIY skimmer?
14) where did you get the plastic for the skimmer cup?
15) if you have to get new lighting today for the 720 what would you go with?
16) humidity is a big concern for me. do you think the 1 vent fan would be OK for a 480-800 gal tank?
17) I know we need gas exchange in reefs BUT what are you thoughts on glass lids for 75% of the top? leaving 1 foot for gas exchange.
18) where did you get the plastic sump tub from?
19) IF* you where to do just the 720 how high would you make the stand?
20) what was the total price of the 720? if you dont mind sharing. I know it will verry form place to place.
OP
OP
AlexG
Valuable Member
Took a while but I got your questions answered
questions:
1) do you feel the 720 is the right size for a fowlr? if you where just doing 1 plywood fish only would you go biger or smaller? I think the 720 is a great size for FOWLR as it will keep lots of the fish out their comfortable for their lifetime. If I was going to to do just one tank I think I would go even bigger. I am already planning for my next tanks and I am planning to go even bigger with a new design but that likely won't happen until I move.
2) just talking about size and looks which of your tanks do you like the look of more? I enjoy the looks of both tanks but the visual stunner for me is the 720 because of its height it just takes up all of your vision when you sit in front of the tank.
3) how are you liking the BB on the 720? It has been working well. A pump can be used to blow off the bottom if needed. The PVC has been holding up from what I can see and the algae that has naturally grown has given it a natural look.
4) how is the 36" deep tank treating you? It has its challenges as I cannot reach the bottom with my hands. That being said since there are no corals in this tank that need bottom placement reaching bottom is not needed very often. If this was a reef tank I would create a platform at ~24" depth mark to put in a large sand tray to allow coral placement on the bottom that I can easily reach. The only other option would be to have a big enough space to allow me to get in the tank which is really not possible due to the aquascape placement.
5) if I read correct you are doing 200 gal WC a month so 50 gal a week? or all at once? - 200 Gallons all at once. I mix and heat the water in my storage tanks to prep. Then I shut the return off let the water fill the sumps to their max level with the return off. I restart the return pump and then simultaneously open the valve to the house waste water plumbing while closing the display tanks return valve. Once drained I reverse the valves with the pump on then shutdown the return. Then I pump the new water in and then restart the return.
6) if you where to build the 720 again but needed a sump under would you use 2x6/4x4 for the stand? The biggest sump that you can fit while still being able to easily access all parts of the sump. I am a big believer the more water volume you have the more stability you have in the system. I would do everything I could to avoid an under the tank sump and have it in a remote location as it makes life a lot easier and removes lots of worries like (can I fit my skimmer or calcium reactor under the stand?) (How do I protect the electrical under the stand from spills from above and humidity?)
7) if you had to guess what do you think is the running coast of the 720 per month? My electricity bill is ~$200/month to run the aquariums water is ~$25/month. Feeding varies as I use a mix of fish foods and seafood from the market.
8) how has the ranco temp controller be working for you? It has been working well and the Apex is setup as an over temp backup. I have had some slight drift on the temp probe 2 degrees but its due for a replacement.
9) looks like the radiant heating is working out very well for you. any think you would do different? what is the run from the water heater to tank? gas or electric? The radiant heating system really works well as their is no need to worry about an electric heater frying your tank. I have a total of 100' of pex in the loop with the run from the heater to the coil being ~20-25' in each direction. I would likely use a dedicated water heater next time but as for gas vs electric I think that depends on your location and the calculation of cost benefit on which to use.
10) what happened to the colt in the 720 I really liked it.
When I had a coral crash last summer it slowly faded away but I believe that some of the angels were eating it over time. I have tried to add a couple soft corals here and there and they all seem to disappear. The last attempt was a green capinella tree coral and it was gone after a day. Only the blueridge coral is left in the 720 at this time.11) what CUC crew is in the 720? Well there is one holloween urchin in the tank, 1 large brittle star, and 1 cleaner shrimp. There might be a couple of big hermits running around as well. I had multiple longspine and pincushion urchins in the tank but they were all eaten overtime by the triggers and puffers. For whatever reason they will not touch the holloween urchin. The tangs and foxface constantly nibble on the algae. The cleaner shrimp only comes out at night and does have a cleaning station under a rock that most of the fish use as needed.
12) you thinking of adding another UV to the system? I think the 80watt HO has been a great addition to my system and I would not replace it at this point. There are a lot of different thoughts on the use of UV. I added it to see if it would impact algae grown when I had a bloom going in then new tank along with pathogen reduction as I had a fish dieoff hit when I was on vacation. I also got a steal of a deal on this unit I could not pass up. While its addition helped the skimmer performance and reduced algae I think it plays a bigger role with acting like a form of activated carbon. All of our corals and algae emit toxins in the water as a form of chemical warefare and UV light has the potential to breakdown these chemicals just like ozone. I have read several papers on UV and its potential impacts on organisms and chemicals in the water which is part of the reason I run it and don't feel at this time that it needs to be replaced with a larger unit. I have not come accross a peer reviewed paper that can show evidence of these benifits and I look at it as if its working and not broke don't attempt to fix it.
13) having a brain fart what in the name/style of the inverted tank you used to make the DIY skimmer? Cone Bottom Tank or Inductor Tank is the name. I was going to get this tank from plasticmart but I found the same one one Amazon for a cheaper price when shipping was factored in.
14) where did you get the plastic for the skimmer cup? Flex PVC Clear UV Flex PVC has just about every odd ball PVC fitting you would want to find along with a big selection of clear PVC pipe you can purchase by the foot. I used the clear UV PVC for my skimmer cup.
15) if you have to get new lighting today for the 720 what would you go with? For just a FOWLR I would go with some reef bright lumilight pro strips as they make the colors of the fish pop.
16) humidity is a big concern for me. do you think the 1 vent fan would be OK for a 480-800 gal tank? That is difficult to know as every home and climate is different. I think that vent fans do help but it comes down to measuring humidity levels in the spaces near the aquarium. I started out with just a vent fan but I eventually added a dehumidifier to keep it under control. I always stick to minimize, contain, and mitigate with humidity. I have a couple videos on the subject that go into detail.
17) I know we need gas exchange in reefs BUT what are you thoughts on glass lids for 75% of the top? leaving 1 foot for gas exchange. I would not be concerned about tops and gas exchange. If you use an outside air draw for the skimmer along with the skimmer itself will do plenty of gas exchange on its own.
18) where did you get the plastic sump tub from? - Plasticmart.com. Also look directly at manufacturers in your area and amazon
19) IF* you where to do just the 720 how high would you make the stand? I like the 17.5" stand of the 720 and would not change it because when you sit in a chair your eyes are at about the 24" height line of the tank making it really nice to sit down and watch without having to look up. I don't like tall stands because you need to stand up for optimal viewing. When you sit in a chair to watch a tall tank you will be constantly looking up and will get to see a lot of the colors of the fish and corals due to the viewing angle. The low stand makes viewing better and accommodates a walking platform in the back making it easier to feed and maintain the tank. It also give you the ability to enjoy a top down view.
20) what was the total price of the 720? if you dont mind sharing. I know it will very form place to place. - Its been a while since I did the math but I believe that I spent around 5-6K building both of my plywood tanks with 2k before for the glass.
Devaji
5000 Club Member
Took a while but I got your questions answered
questions:
1) do you feel the 720 is the right size for a fowlr? if you where just doing 1 plywood fish only would you go biger or smaller? I think the 720 is a great size for FOWLR as it will keep lots of the fish out their comfortable for their lifetime. If I was going to to do just one tank I think I would go even bigger. I am already planning for my next tanks and I am planning to go even bigger with a new design but that likely won't happen until I move.
2) just talking about size and looks which of your tanks do you like the look of more? I enjoy the looks of both tanks but the visual stunner for me is the 720 because of its height it just takes up all of your vision when you sit in front of the tank.
3) how are you liking the BB on the 720? It has been working well. A pump can be used to blow off the bottom if needed. The PVC has been holding up from what I can see and the algae that has naturally grown has given it a natural look.
4) how is the 36" deep tank treating you? It has its challenges as I cannot reach the bottom with my hands. That being said since there are no corals in this tank that need bottom placement reaching bottom is not needed very often. If this was a reef tank I would create a platform at ~24" depth mark to put in a large sand tray to allow coral placement on the bottom that I can easily reach. The only other option would be to have a big enough space to allow me to get in the tank which is really not possible due to the aquascape placement.
5) if I read correct you are doing 200 gal WC a month so 50 gal a week? or all at once? - 200 Gallons all at once. I mix and heat the water in my storage tanks to prep. Then I shut the return off let the water fill the sumps to their max level with the return off. I restart the return pump and then simultaneously open the valve to the house waste water plumbing while closing the display tanks return valve. Once drained I reverse the valves with the pump on then shutdown the return. Then I pump the new water in and then restart the return.
6) if you where to build the 720 again but needed a sump under would you use 2x6/4x4 for the stand? The biggest sump that you can fit while still being able to easily access all parts of the sump. I am a big believer the more water volume you have the more stability you have in the system. I would do everything I could to avoid an under the tank sump and have it in a remote location as it makes life a lot easier and removes lots of worries like (can I fit my skimmer or calcium reactor under the stand?) (How do I protect the electrical under the stand from spills from above and humidity?)
7) if you had to guess what do you think is the running coast of the 720 per month? My electricity bill is ~$200/month to run the aquariums water is ~$25/month. Feeding varies as I use a mix of fish foods and seafood from the market.
8) how has the ranco temp controller be working for you? It has been working well and the Apex is setup as an over temp backup. I have had some slight drift on the temp probe 2 degrees but its due for a replacement.
9) looks like the radiant heating is working out very well for you. any think you would do different? what is the run from the water heater to tank? gas or electric? The radiant heating system really works well as their is no need to worry about an electric heater frying your tank. I have a total of 100' of pex in the loop with the run from the heater to the coil being ~20-25' in each direction. I would likely use a dedicated water heater next time but as for gas vs electric I think that depends on your location and the calculation of cost benefit on which to use.
10) what happened to the colt in the 720 I really liked it.
11) what CUC crew is in the 720? Well there is one holloween urchin in the tank, 1 large brittle star, and 1 cleaner shrimp. There might be a couple of big hermits running around as well. I had multiple longspine and pincushion urchins in the tank but they were all eaten overtime by the triggers and puffers. For whatever reason they will not touch the holloween urchin. The tangs and foxface constantly nibble on the algae. The cleaner shrimp only comes out at night and does have a cleaning station under a rock that most of the fish use as needed.
12) you thinking of adding another UV to the system? I think the 80watt HO has been a great addition to my system and I would not replace it at this point. There are a lot of different thoughts on the use of UV. I added it to see if it would impact algae grown when I had a bloom going in then new tank along with pathogen reduction as I had a fish dieoff hit when I was on vacation. I also got a steal of a deal on this unit I could not pass up. While its addition helped the skimmer performance and reduced algae I think it plays a bigger role with acting like a form of activated carbon. All of our corals and algae emit toxins in the water as a form of chemical warefare and UV light has the potential to breakdown these chemicals just like ozone. I have read several papers on UV and its potential impacts on organisms and chemicals in the water which is part of the reason I run it and don't feel at this time that it needs to be replaced with a larger unit. I have not come accross a peer reviewed paper that can show evidence of these benifits and I look at it as if its working and not broke don't attempt to fix it.
13) having a brain fart what in the name/style of the inverted tank you used to make the DIY skimmer? Cone Bottom Tank or Inductor Tank is the name. I was going to get this tank from plasticmart but I found the same one one Amazon for a cheaper price when shipping was factored in.
14) where did you get the plastic for the skimmer cup? Flex PVC Clear UV Flex PVC has just about every odd ball PVC fitting you would want to find along with a big selection of clear PVC pipe you can purchase by the foot. I used the clear UV PVC for my skimmer cup.
15) if you have to get new lighting today for the 720 what would you go with? For just a FOWLR I would go with some reef bright lumilight pro strips as they make the colors of the fish pop.
16) humidity is a big concern for me. do you think the 1 vent fan would be OK for a 480-800 gal tank? That is difficult to know as every home and climate is different. I think that vent fans do help but it comes down to measuring humidity levels in the spaces near the aquarium. I started out with just a vent fan but I eventually added a dehumidifier to keep it under control. I always stick to minimize, contain, and mitigate with humidity. I have a couple videos on the subject that go into detail.
17) I know we need gas exchange in reefs BUT what are you thoughts on glass lids for 75% of the top? leaving 1 foot for gas exchange. I would not be concerned about tops and gas exchange. If you use an outside air draw for the skimmer along with the skimmer itself will do plenty of gas exchange on its own.
18) where did you get the plastic sump tub from? - Plasticmart.com. Also look directly at manufacturers in your area and amazon
19) IF* you where to do just the 720 how high would you make the stand? I like the 17.5" stand of the 720 and would not change it because when you sit in a chair your eyes are at about the 24" height line of the tank making it really nice to sit down and watch without having to look up. I don't like tall stands because you need to stand up for optimal viewing. When you sit in a chair to watch a tall tank you will be constantly looking up and will get to see a lot of the colors of the fish and corals due to the viewing angle. The low stand makes viewing better and accommodates a walking platform in the back making it easier to feed and maintain the tank. It also give you the ability to enjoy a top down view.
20) what was the total price of the 720? if you dont mind sharing. I know it will very form place to place. - Its been a while since I did the math but I believe that I spent around 5-6K building both of my plywood tanks with 2k before for the glass.
thanks for the replay!
I know there where tons of questions...lol
I am really tempted to give this a try. I love the idea of A DIY skimmer but not sure my skills are there?
I was thinking of a few ATS,UV and maybe carbon reactor maybe find a good deal on a large skimmer know knows?
had I know I wanted to do this we had the whole house gutted one think we keep was the room and foundation. now we are 85% done bad timing as i could have planed it better...oh well
Devaji
5000 Club Member
Devaji
5000 Club Member
the pink nephthea!
OP
OP
AlexG
Valuable Member
I think my maco algae is starting to get out of hand in the refugium. The mantis was saying hello after I cleaned the refugium tank glass. First time seeing the mantis in over a week as the mantis was hiding in its burrow likely molting.
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Very cool! I've always wanted one of those guys!
OP
OP
AlexG
Valuable Member
Decided to do some rearranging last night in the reef tank. Adding more flow to the SPS side of the tank with an MP40. Ran out of time but I plan to mount some frags in the reef and do some maintenance trimming on some other corals.
Hey Alex, i know you’re getting bombarded with questions but i have one. Do you use an adhesive or caulking between the plywood edges? Or just bare with the screws holding the sides together? I’m making a plywood sump
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