Bess's Reef Tank

[redpine42]

Flat pieces are nice too to make caves for the fish and stack the rocks. We’ve added more rock than what we started with!

We just ordered some more flat rocks. I don't know if there will be room for any fish...

 

[redpine42]

Good morning! When we started we got a 75 gal 4’ and I said, “wow that’s a really big tank”! But when we went to Chicago to the aquarium and I saw how big my little fish were going to get I said, “ we’re gonna need a bigger tank!” So we found the 300gal by accident on sale brand new and bought it but it took a year to get everything together we needed. Thank goodness we have a family room that is an addition to our house and is build on a crawl space instead of basement, we had to put 4 jacks up under the joices to support the weight. Just Incase! We drilled a whole in floor and plumbed down through the crawl space 20ft to regular basement and my husband built his own sump out of a 120gal fresh water tank we got in line for 100$. Works well and is super convenient for water changes and maintenance. We also have a 180gal fish only in the living room, wanted bigger but wasn’t sure about the weight. We also drilled the plumbing through the floor to basement. So we have two sumps in the basement, RODI water station and had a plumber install a large double utility sink! Have to give up Harley’s to pay for fish! Now I wish we had done a 500gal. Next house will for sure build in a 500gal tank. Maybe 5-7yrs! What state are you in? We are in Wisconsin and have a great LFS about 45 min from us. Owner has been to our house and helped with the sump and design. Good luck and have fun. Glad you are doing it together makes it so much better. The planning was fun for us. I am on call today and just watching my fish!

I've been thinking about drilling holes to the basement. I'm mainly concerned about how to fully automate it. If I go with the big 10L jugs of Triton and figure out how my RO/DI is piped to my ATO, then the only thing left is feeding and trimming Chaeto. Oh and adding fish and coral. We're in Virginia.

 

[RtomKinMad]

Nice. Basement set up changed our whole weekend routine of maintenance and no more carrying buckets of RO h2o up the stairs. We put the RO in main water line( plumber did I should say) then put a line to the sumps directly from RO for auto top off, used a float valve. Then connected the doser. Had to drill whole to the outside and put a hose to the skimmer for fresh air and oxygen. With windows closed in winter and hot summer days had high co2 which drops ph. So far that has worked well too. We also use an apex but just for monitoring but just got it six months ago. Plumbed in the UV sterilizer with shut off valves too for bulb changes etc. It sounds like you have really done your home work and got nice supplies and equipment off the bat! We’ve had a slow Learning curve! Lol here’s a picture of our tank and home made sump. It’s not fancy but works well.

 

[RtomKinMad]

The smaller sump is a 60gal tank that we turned into sump for the 180 fo system, pretty simple and has top off also with float valve.
Our sumps and water station could use a good cleaning but this is our busy time of year at work for both of us and we have a 2 acre yard to mow! So we haven’t even riden the Harley’s this year yet! We worked on the tanks several hours yesterday cleaning and catching one purple tang to remove from 300gal and moved some rock and coral around and changed up the light settings. We have AI lights but our LFS owner swears by kessels.
What kind of fish does your wife want?

 

[redpine42]

The smaller sump is a 60gal tank that we turned into sump for the 180 fo system, pretty simple and has top off also with float valve.
Our sumps and water station could use a good cleaning but this is our busy time of year at work for both of us and we have a 2 acre yard to mow! So we haven’t even riden the Harley’s this year yet! We worked on the tanks several hours yesterday cleaning and catching one purple tang to remove from 300gal and moved some rock and coral around and changed up the light settings. We have AI lights but our LFS owner swears by kessels.
What kind of fish does your wife want?

That's a really nice setup. I'd do the sump in the basement and RO/DI also, unfortunately I finished my basement a few years back so I'd have to tear down sheet rock to get water where the new tank will be. So for now I'll be lugging water to the tank.

As for what fish Bess want's, I couldn't say she is kinda focused on coral right now. We really like what's been done with personal reef design. Hopefully she'll get on here and join the discussion.

 

[RtomKinMad]

That's a really nice setup. I'd do the sump in the basement and RO/DI also, unfortunately I finished my basement a few years back so I'd have to tear down sheet rock to get water where the new tank will be. So for now I'll be lugging water to the tank.

As for what fish Bess want's, I couldn't say she is kinda focused on coral right now. We really like what's been done with personal reef design. Hopefully she'll get on here and join the discussion.

Very nice thankyou. We wish you luck and have fun setting up. We got lucky on finished half the basement! Was disappointed at the time but glad we had the utility space now. We don’t really use the finished space anyway especially since the tanks are upstairs! My next house will design around the tank! Lol good luck and have a nice day. Hope you get the tank soon and continue to post.

 

[redpine42]

So tomorrow the aquarium arrives. I'm interested in doing the triton method, but am all wrapped up in the skimmer and refuguim. So there are few things that can happen.
1. My red sea reefer is a version 3 and comes with a division of the sump into skimmer and refugium.
2. I can modify my sump to have 3 sections, fuge, skimmer and return.
3. Buy a new sump.
4. Get an external skimmer.

Does anyone have experience/advice about any of these?

Thanks,
Dan

 

[davehead86]

So tomorrow the aquarium arrives. I'm interested in doing the triton method, but am all wrapped up in the skimmer and refuguim. So there are few things that can happen.
1. My red sea reefer is a version c and comes with a division of the sump into skimmer and refugium.
2. I can modify my sump to have 3 sections, fuge, skimmer and return.
3. Buy a new sump.
4. Get an external skimmer.

Does anyone have experience/advice about any of these?

Thanks,
Dan

If you can split the sump into three sections thats all that matters, well and that the FUGE is 10-20% and you have a turnover rate of 10x in the sump.

 

[redpine42]

These two pics say it all!

 

[Retro Reefer]

That’s sickening.. I to have received broken tanks, not fun!

 

[redpine42]

That’s sickening.. I to have received broken tanks, not fun!

I'm really happy with the support I get from Saltwater Aquarium, but shipping from the west cost has never worked out for me with large items. The box had three screws holding it together and there were foot prints all over the top of the box, that wasn't UPS since it had a plastic cover on the top when it arrived.

Wonder if they are going to take the broken one back?

 

[Retro Reefer]

No they will just send you new tank..

 

[C-Reefer]

Oh man... after waiting to long too. I'm so sorry, must be sickening.

They won't take it back, you can do what you want with it. I'm sure someone around you would love a nice tank like that, and its not that hard to fix the acrylic for the overflow. They should send you a new one.

 

[redpine42]

Another broken item.

 

[Retro Reefer]

I just noticed we are very close.. I go wheeling in my H3 near Leesburg

 

[redpine42]

Hmm. I use to go wheeling a lot, Rausch creek and George Washington. Everyone I use to go with left.

 

[C-Reefer]

Oh crap. I would definitely let them know your not happy. to have two things broken and obviously not in transit is inexcusable. They should give you a discount IMO.

 

[redpine42]

 

[redpine42]

Waiting for the replacement tank, so I did a little work. Divided the sump into two sections, skimmer 7x19x10.5 and fuge, 12x19x11. This should give me a fuge of 11 gallons.

 

[Retro Reefer]

Nice job on the sump, hopefully you will have your tank soon.. I just can’t believe these tank manufacturers don’t come up with a fail safe shipping method for aquariums the precentage of tanks being damaged during the shipping process is astronomical, your experience is probably about typical.. I have had one of the last two tanks I ordered also arrive broken:mad:

Have you been to blue ridge aquatics? They are off 234 on the 15 side.. maybe 30 minutes from Leesburg