Blimpy's 300G Shallow

[PPBlimpy]

On my current 125 i have a 57 watt UV plumbed into one of my returns.
I am thinking on the 300 I will give the UV its own pump and feed from the first chamber of the sump into the skimmer chamber jumping over the refugium.
Does this sound reasonable?

Will run on a DC pump so I can adjust flow rate depending on situation.
This is how I currently have it plumbed with the return but any time I have to change flow rate the level of my sump also changes and throws off the ATO. I want to avoid this next time around.
Also I think the uv and all the extra plumbing is causing more back pressure and lower flow rates on that side of the tank.

 

[PPBlimpy]

Got some more time in this weekend working on this setup.

Mostly Finished the frame for the stand. Got the top and bottom on and made sure everything was square, mounted my electronics panel, And sealed all the seams on the bottom.

Sump will be raised off the bottom of the stand 3.5 inches and bottom of stand should be water tight. I am doing this Incase there is a leak. The tank is going into our new house with original hardwood floors dating back to the 1800s. Wife would absolutely murder me if I ruin them. I am actually surprised she wants me to put the tank where it is going with the track record of spills on my 125.

Next is to order a crap ton of plumbing.

Where do you all get bulkheads? Going thru the bottom of the tank so I would like some decent ones.

Need 1” and 1.5”

 

[PPBlimpy]

Going to be ordering up plumbing pieces here soon.

I am a little concerned over my overflow setup and trying to figure out how to make this run quite.

I have 2 overflow boxes, each with 2x 1.5" bulkheads going thru the back wall. So 4 1.5" overflow pipes.

I will be running 2x 12000lph DC return pumps. I am figuring 40% head loss, so they will each push approx 1900gph. Puts my turn over at 12.6 times per hour thru sump.

A 1.5" pvc theoretically flows approx 1400gph at gravity

I am thinking of a bean animal style setup in each box without the emergency drain.

so 2 syphons with ball valves, unfortunately because I already have them, and 2 dursos.

Lets say each box when valve on syphon is adjusted can flow 2400pgh thru syphon and durso at full pull.
if there is a clog in either box the other box can accomidate the extra flow and I should hear a difference in the durso gargling.

Ball valves will be mounted at the inlet to the sump. Water return will go down 3/4-1" below water level of first chamber of the sump.

As much as I would like an emergency drain I don't think I will have

As I was typing this and working out numbers things became a bit more clear and think this will work.

Does this sounds reasonable?

 

[PPBlimpy]

plumbing adds up!!!

at $400 in plumbing fittings from amazon to do this whole tank, . this is starting from scratch. I do have a bunch of these items at home but wanted to do a full plumbing map and build list so I know what I need.

This is all new bulkheads, unions, ball valves, reducers, 45* & 90* elbows, T's etc in 1.0" , 1.25" , 1.5" and 2"

i have not gotten to my return pump plumbing yet which will consist of mostly 1.0" and 3/4"

overflow plumbing, closed loop, and return

going to take me a week to plumb . lol

 

[PPBlimpy]

Made progress this past week.

Please note: this tank was bought used and not how I would ideally ran my overflows or the sump in generally. trying to make due the best I can with what I got. To many other hobbies/life crap to afford buying new and building my dream setup

Sanded and polished the inside of the tank after work wed-friday.
Saturday I started plumbing the closed loop. I had plans and drawing and a road map on how i wanted to do everything but that went out the window. Unfortunately i really need to get water in this tank and my fish out of their current living situation.
I don't want to loose any more fish. Lost my juvenile emperor angle in the move, flame angel go sucked into a pump this past friday, my horseshoe crab had a big bite taken out of him by my porqupine puffer( no sand for him to hide) and my brittle star has 2 legs shorter then the rest.

so i rushed the plumbing job, and it shows. well mostly the closed loop, was going to make it so i could upgrade later to a OM$ style wave pump etc and that is out the window.

Its not pretty but it will work, going to run RFG nozzles on all the closed loop inputs, took my old internal closed loop / shelf i had in my 125 and put in in this tank also.

This tank has 2 seperate over flow boxes, each with 2 1.5" bulkheads out the back. Decided to run it as a bean animal style overflow, 2 are full syphon with valves to control flow, 1 as durso standpipe and 1 as an emergency.

This sump is very large and sure I can push a lot of flow thru it. not sure how much I plan to push though. I have a couple options in regards to return pumps. 2 x 12k lph DC pumps, a 9k lph dc and also I have a 4400 GPH AC submersible(same as i am running on my closed loop)

i am thinking i am may run all 3 of the DC pumps, both 12k to the top of the tank and split off to two 3/4 rfg nozzles each and then the 9k will run thru my UV sterilizer and then feed down into the tank to hook up to the internal closed loop. the internal closed loop is to help with flow under the shelf i made.

wow this post got long. pictures are crappy, going to be a lot of swimming space and lots of open sand bed at first, only have about 150 lbs of rock going in. Will get more overtime and probably build two islands on wither side of the tank.

tonight/ tomorrow i am setting the tank in its final place, figuring out the best way to level, if needed, and starting to mix water.

 

[PPBlimpy]

Well the plumbing is done.at least the closed loop and the overflows.Wish it looked nicer but it will work.

Tank is off the furniture Dollies and in its final resting place. This Spot is fairly level, this part of the house was built in 1890 and I have found a lot of questionable things.

Will be adding jacks in the crawl space to support and do the minor tweaking this weekend. Going to water test tomorrow. Maybe 100g, make sure closed loop doesn’t leak etc.

 

[PPBlimpy]

Got 75G of freshwater in the tank this morning. Checking for any bulkhead leaks and seeing how level it is.

The floor is going to get supports in the crawl space and think I can tweak them into bring the tank level. Its pretty close as it sits. I know the stand will settle and the foam will compress some as the tank gets fuller.

tonight / tomorrow morning I will probably bring it up to about 150G. i hate to do it but i need to transfer my fish and rock from their multiple temporary tanks into this one.

This move did not go as planned and i have now lost my flame angel, juvenile emperor angel, mandarin and my horseshoe crab.

if i loose my puffer or one of my tangs I will be very very disappointed and upset with myself how this has all gone down

 

[PPBlimpy]

once the tank is fully up i am just going to let it run its course for a couple months before starting to add things again. Its going to be hard because my wife is already talking about replacing the fish we have lost and i want to make sure the tank has time to settle

 

[PPBlimpy]

Tank is still a mess. I know cords are everywhere. I and setting up my controller and organizing wiring.

I have not been very good at updating. More or less fairly disappointed in myself and in the move/transfer and life events that have led up to today.

When I first moved, my fish went into a 45G frag tank with enough rock to hide and majority of rock and corals went into a 50g horse trough. This was supposed to be a 2-3 day temporary situation. Ended up being 3 weeks due to stuff with the new to us house -very very old house circa 1759. 14 fish create a huge bioload on a 45G tank.

When I did finally get the 300G with water I had to run the tank half full of water for almost 3 weeks, skimmer sitting in DT, rock just tossed in. no sand just a **** show in all reality. Ended up loosing 7 fish total and so many corals. All 4 of my angels-coral beauty, flame, Singapore and juvenile emperor. I will never get as lucky as I did finding these guys again. The all got a long and didn't pick on my corals. Lost my powder brown tang, my male clown, a yellowtail damsel, my horse shoe crab and my giant serpent star.

I wish I had not sold the 125. I wish I would have just moved the tank and set it back up and continued working on the 300G when time permitted, But can't go back.

Now that that is all over.

Floor has been braced, tank is full, everything is plumbed except UV needs its final plumbing, there are no leaks, runs pretty quite and everyone is doing much better.

Tank is still not scaped. There is still no sand because I am cleaning it still. Have to put final touch on the plumbing inside the tank, print RFG nozzles and install etc. Algae is all over the front glass and I don't have an acrylic scraper to clean it so i scrub by hand with a credit card and a small clothe currently. But last night i got to sit down and actually enjoy the tank for the first time in almost 2 months.

 

[PPBlimpy]

Spent some time tonight cleaning the front glass and found coraline algae already growing on the front glass. Scraped it off because I don’t want it on the front of course. Just was nice to see.

Tank has only had water in it for a couple weeks.

Also dropped by my LFS and picked up a Duncan frag, 2 heads and 3 small individual mushrooms, colors I don’t already have.

Feel like I am starting to enjoy the hobby again

 

[PPBlimpy]

good and bad update.

good- week or so ago I added a very friendly Unicorn tang, like friendly he wants to be petted when i put my hand in the tank and can catch and lift him out by hand and a pyramid butterfly. Came from my buddies tank as they were over growing it.


And bad news...was cleaning the left side glass on the tank and found a bunch of salt creep and moisture between the tank and the 1/2" foam.

The tank was water tested for a week prior to setting up and no leaks.

So either a bulkhead for the closed loop is leaking, but no drips or possibly something worse. Not sure what to think at this point. Going to keep watching it and see where it goes. I do not think it is from water spill over the top, I guess it could be but i have no spent much time on that side of the tank yet.
In the mean time I am shopping for another tank. If I go new glasscaes is the best deal for the same tank 96x30x24. Found a redsea 1000 a local has. Reasonable deal but redseas scare me. Would be a set down in volume. Comes with some nice equipment and a full setup. Could break mine down and transfer everything in a day. sell off all the unused equipment and be done.

My 300g tank was used and I have no idea how old it actually is, made by TRUVU. There is some glazing in it.

Would like to find another tank that fits my stand. but hate to replumb etc.

Anyways, Going to keep watching. In the mean time I am enjoying the tank.

 

[PPBlimpy]

I have been monitoring the salt creep and possible leak, it does appear to be a bulkhead. I have tightened it up the best I can and now just watching it.

Other then that everyone is happy.

Tested the tank yesterday at
27 nitrate
.47 phosphate
1.026 salinity

Just going to leave it be. Everything is thriving.

Going to start building my mixing station shortly.
2 x 60g cylinder - Fresh RO / Salt mix - plumbed together like a standard mixing station.
2 x 35G cylinder - one holding fresh RO for my gravity feed ATO and other tank top off / one is going to be Kalkwasser Resevoir.

Will be running lines under the house from utility room to tank.

 

[PPBlimpy]

current livestock list as of 7/8/25

Blimpy the Porcupine Puffer
D.Sailfin tang
Purple tang
Dory (of course) the Blue hippo tang
Unicorn tang - the worlds friendliest tang
Foxface
Pyramid butterfly
Darwin Clown - female
Green Chromis

livestock on the list -
Gold rim tang - getting tomorrow 7/9/25
Darwin clown - small male
Powder brown tang
Coral beauty
2x Morish idols - placing an order for 3 here soon.
Juvenile emperor angle
Yellow tang - if i can find an adult 4+" from a locals tank

Will also ad some sort of sand sifter / utilitarian fish once sand is added to the system.

The morish idols are high up on the want list. I have a 25G chamber in my sump that I will ad them to at first so I can isolate and direct feed but still be in the same system.
I currently feed the tank pellet, red and green nori, raw medium shrimp and pop open a littleneck clam. hoping to get them to eat what I already feed. I do have a pretty good supply of sponges but not enough to sustain them. If i am lucky(never am) and all 3 survive and eat well I may sell one or just ad all 3, who knows.

The darwin clown, coral beauty, powder brown and juvenile emperor were all fish I lost in the move. There were others too but those are the guys I plan to replace. I am not sure I will get lucky enough to get a second reef safe Flame angle or Singapore angel like I had previously.


Realistically I think that if I fulfilled that listed it is actually overstocking the tank. But plan to peck away at it over the next year or so. I am sure things will change.

What do you all think?
any advice on the Morish idol?

 

[Gumbies R Us]

@vetteguy53081 would be able to give you good information on the Morish!

 

[Featherweight]

Glad things are settling.

 

[vetteguy53081]

current livestock list as of 7/8/25

Blimpy the Porcupine Puffer
D.Sailfin tang
Purple tang
Dory (of course) the Blue hippo tang
Unicorn tang - the worlds friendliest tang
Foxface
Pyramid butterfly
Darwin Clown - female
Green Chromis

livestock on the list -
Gold rim tang - getting tomorrow 7/9/25
Darwin clown - small male
Powder brown tang
Coral beauty
2x Morish idols - placing an order for 3 here soon.
Juvenile emperor angle
Yellow tang - if i can find an adult 4+" from a locals tank

Will also ad some sort of sand sifter / utilitarian fish once sand is added to the system.

The morish idols are high up on the want list. I have a 25G chamber in my sump that I will ad them to at first so I can isolate and direct feed but still be in the same system.
I currently feed the tank pellet, red and green nori, raw medium shrimp and pop open a littleneck clam. hoping to get them to eat what I already feed. I do have a pretty good supply of sponges but not enough to sustain them. If i am lucky(never am) and all 3 survive and eat well I may sell one or just ad all 3, who knows.

The darwin clown, coral beauty, powder brown and juvenile emperor were all fish I lost in the move. There were others too but those are the guys I plan to replace. I am not sure I will get lucky enough to get a second reef safe Flame angle or Singapore angel like I had previously.


Realistically I think that if I fulfilled that listed it is actually overstocking the tank. But plan to peck away at it over the next year or so. I am sure things will change.

What do you all think?
any advice on the Morish idol?

Having had them, they are friendly but will squabble amongst themselves. The reason I had to get rid of them was their knack to nibble on coral. They went after zoas, hammer, acans and scoly

 

[PPBlimpy]

Having had them, they are friendly but will squabble amongst themselves. The reason I had to get rid of them was their knack to nibble on coral. They went after zoas, hammer, acans and scoly

That is something I worry about. I have a 50+ head of hammer colony and a bunch of different zoas that i like a lot.

I am willing to give them a try. Actually still thinking about starting a smaller tank, probably 60 breeder or similar as a reef tank and let my 300G be overrun with BTA and a FO type system.

 

[PPBlimpy]

Let me start by saying I need to make an acclimation box.

Added a new member to the tank last night.

Beautiful Gold rim Tang. I have never had a gold rim, I did have a powder brown in my 125 that didn't make it thru the move, miss him. He was a model citizen.

The Gold rim was the bully in his last tank and was picking on his yellow and purple brothers and got evicted.

Well in my tank he is the smallest Tang, not much smaller then my purple but significantly smaller then the Sailfin. I know gold rims can be butt heads similar to PBlueT and generally want to ad them last.

Well my Sailfin and Purple have given him a taste of his own medicine. Lots of tail flashing and chasing. I shut the lights off about 30 min after adding him to the tank and making sure everyone was overfed. Went thru the night fine and found himself a nice cave in a rock I recently added. He has a couple nips in his fins but I am thinking things will be okay. If there is a lot of chasing today I will ad a mirror and possibly pull him and put him in the sump till I get an acclimation box setup.

This morning fed heavily again and put out nori in 3 spots, one is by his new cave.
Hoping to curb aggression at the nori by spreading it out.

I did see 2 small white dots on him this morning- This is to be expected. He is stressed. With a porcupine puffer in the tank I have to manage having Ich in the system.

Picture sucks, tank is super dirty, When I start a new tank I barely clean the glass for the first couple months, usually while cycling etc. Guess it is just habit and even though this was an upgrade and not a fresh build I am doing the same. I have scrapped the whole left side of the tank and have been keeping it clean. Right side I have not gotten to yet.

but pretty good coralline growth for only like 3 months old

 

[PPBlimpy]

After a full 24 hours in the tank things have settled down with the gold rim. Purple tang still flashes his tail when they are near each other. Sailfin ignores him now. White spots are gone completely and he is eating with the rest of them. I think he is claiming the cave he found as his spot.

All is well in the house of Blimpy

 

[PPBlimpy]

Been about 10 days, everyone is happy in the tank. I can't seem to have that so I am mixing everything up again.

I am downsizing, this 300G was originally meant to be a FOWLR tank. Wanted to house a cat shark and cortez or blue spot Ray and was going to keep my 125G mixed Reef. 300G was going in the back room/ entertainment / mancave whatever you want to call it.

Before we moved my wife and I decided instead since time was going to be short with the new house and the rest of our animals we would just do the 300G as a mixed reef and move it to the front room. I have never finished setting it up, finished the stand etc.

Came across a smoking deal on a different tank 210G , my 300g is sold, once I part some items out I will be ahead financially.

Being Honest.. I am a bit worried, new tank is a REDSEA, I have never owned one but see the horror stories. it is a G2, every seem looks amazing. tank/stand look amazing. Think it will fit in better with the house.

I am thinking with the reduced size, added room in the stand, better orginization and just cleaner looks. My wife and myself will be happier.


Will be starting a New Build thread "PPBlimpy's S1000"