DiscoBiscuit's 200 gallon chain jewelry box

[DiscoBiscuit]

I'm moving into another one of our buildings to get this business set up. I finally went and took a look at the building I'm moving into and began to plan things out.

I think I'm going to have the display and initial 50 gal frag tank in this enclosed front porch. This is nice because I will want the display in my place for viewing, but also good because I can plumb drain lines to the driveway. I'll just need you guy's expertise on how to avoid problems with that much sun light coming in. Best of all I have the central AC here to keep everything cool.

I figure I'll want to keep the main display in there permanently, but build my business frag system in the back. There is a small separate garage that I could wire and plumb. It has windows for an air conditioner and fans. Has a hard concrete floor so I can put as many gallons as I can fit in there. All in all I'm super stoked...

It looks like the perfect place for my workshop and business frag system.

Do you guys have any thoughts? I know the commercial side of this will be foreign to most, but any help at all would be much appreciated!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

Great thread !! I'll be setting up a 180-220 gallon tank using the same sump.

I'll check it out!!!

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

For the business side of things I've already settled on the pump brand I want to use. The Dolphin Diamond AMP master 4750GPH with the type 4 seal.

https://fragtasticreef.com/diamond-amp-master-4750gph-type-4-dolphin-pumps/

The reeflo pumps it competes with have a worse performing seals that have a bad track record of leaking because of the inherent abrasiveness of reef tank water. The Dolphin Diamond external pumps have 4 grades of seal that they sell their pumps with. 1 - pure water 2 - freshwater systems 3 - saltwater systems 4 - highest level of protection. You can use either the level 3 or 4 for reef tanks.

The level 4 seal is designed to last longer than the motor. Every pump I get for the business will have that seal. The upfront cost is worth the potential decades of service life and more hassle free operation.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

^That pump also is the highest GPH per the motor size. The pump a size down has the same motor just a diff impeller probably. I dont want a pump that has a motor that could be giving me more performance but isn't.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

Since it's Florida my main concern especially in that back building is heat. I would like to have a multilayered approach to handling temperature management.

I want to figure out the heat dissipating capacity of fans and drawing in fresh air so I don't have to run the window unit i'm going to get all the time. Hopefully I'll be able to get away with fans 60 or 70 % of the time, but with 100 degree temps in the summer I know that will not be enough.

The Second line of defense is going to be the AC unit I will inevitably install in that back building for the business given how much of my time I'm going to be spending back there.

The third line of defense will be the chiller I will *eventually* pick up. I figure it can be my back up for when the AC dies or cant keep up.

Last line of defense will be the Apex itself which will shut down heat generating equipment.

If ALL of that fails, then I'll be stuck using bags of ice, which I will happily do to keep the business afloat.

The generator is ultimately the most important back up of all.

I just wanted to give y'all some insight into how I'm trying to design this to protect myself from failure.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

While using those heat management systems, I will cycle through using each as frequently as I can, to take the strain off any one piece of equipment and also to make sure that I don't leave the chiller sitting for two years then expect it to turn on the first time I really need it.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

There don't seem to be any big dog Coral Dealers here in Jacksonville like WWC is in Orlando.

Maybe there is a niche here I can fill????

 

[Ranjib]

There don't seem to be any big dog Coral Dealers here in Jacksonville like WWC is in Orlando.

Maybe there is a niche here I can fill????

Do you have a thriving market like Florida ?

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

Do you have a thriving market like Florida ?

Jacksonville is in NE Florida. We even had a Super Bowl here lol.

In your defense there is also a Jacksonville North Carolina.

 

[Ranjib]

Jacksonville is in NE Florida. We even had a Super Bowl here lol.

In your defense there is also a Jacksonville North Carolina.

oops :-0) . I am not native from here, still learning the states and the cities. I thought of the Jackson, Mississippi (also assumed that Jacksonville and Jackson is probably shorter form of Jacksonville), like the one mentioned in the Johny Clash song.
Great build log btw , thank you for sharing

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

oops :-0) . I am not native from here, still learning the states and the cities. I thought of the Jackson, Mississippi (also assumed that Jacksonville and Jackson is probably shorter form of Jacksonville), like the one mentioned in the Johny Clash song.
Great build log btw , thank you for sharing

No Worries! I'm kinda jumping in with both feet on this tank, I haven't kept a salt tank since my predator tank known as the battle tank in College.

 

[revhtree]

Welcome back!

 

[count krunk]

To figure out the best setup for your commercial aspect in the building. I would tour as many LFS as possible. Living Reef and WWC are both in Orlando (I'm spoiled I know). Those are the two nicest Reef stores I have ever been in. Ask them questions about their setups. Take their successes and discard their failures. What are you going to light your frags with? LED? What other sort of equipment will you have going on? They typically are daisy chained together, or one massive frag tank. Or a combo. Will you be selling any other livestock? Or even trying to breed some clowns or other fish?

 

[Ranjib]

tidal garden put a lot of stuff on their greenhouse building. I don't want to discourage you, but just advice you to be cautious and invest proportionally as there are way too many folks whom I have seen got burned on that route.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

Before I can conquer the sea I must first conquer rock!!!!

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

To figure out the best setup for your commercial aspect in the building. I would tour as many LFS as possible.

I've been to six here in town, and to be honest I have been impressed with none of them. But I have found one that is acceptable. The one that I'm getting my two low boys from tomorrow.

Living Reef and WWC are both in Orlando (I'm spoiled I know). Those are the two nicest Reef stores I have ever been in.

Which is exactly why I'm going.

Ask them questions about their setups. Take their successes and discard their failures

I plan on it.

What are you going to light your frags with? LED?

LED T5 combo until LED's get good enough to do the job by themselves.

What other sort of equipment will you have going on? They typically are daisy chained together, or one massive frag tank. Or a combo.

I plan on having a master sump that handles everything. Prob like a 150 Gal rubbermaid or something.

Daisy chaining the low boys as a raceway initially. Ultimately I would like to have 8 of them.

Will you be selling any other livestock? Or even trying to breed some clowns or other fish?

One day maybe. I aim to be the one of the best coral propagators on the planet. The hazards that many fish can pose to coral would preclude me from including them in the frag system. My main display will have all the fish. My first low boy will be daisy chained to the display to get to proof of concept for the business plan.

Ultimately the frag system will be entirely separate from my display. I would hate for some issue in my display to get into the frag system. I would like to have beneficial CUC members which may include an exception fish or two to my rule.

The coral is the easiest aspect of this to monetize once you have a stable system. Fish have a high death rate when shipped and I'm not trying to mess around with all that.

I already have a youtube channel and camera gear to do live show's like Tidal Gardens.

I was hesitant to join a reefing forum before I knew a thing or two so I chose to do my research before joining.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

tidal garden put a lot of stuff on their greenhouse building. I don't want to discourage you, but just advice you to be cautious and invest proportionally as there are way too many folks whom I have seen got burned on that route.

The business side of things will be housed entirely within the garage. I should be able to keep the bugs out of my water a little better than them.

I also don't have to deal with the random effects of the sun in the garage, I can perfect my lighting system with no outside interference.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

Welcome back!

Thank you very much!

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

looks like awesomeness in the making.) i am new to saltwater, as well as r2r and am in the proses of a similar build myself. SCA 120 gallon but the 6stage RODI, fuge (35gall brute) and (E.T.S.S 1400 skimmer) will be plumbed to the basement because of space and noise. also built my stand, a lot more work than i thought it would be considering i don't have a woodworking shop lol.

The stand has been the most maddening part so far.

But I got it squared away like a week ago. I was too angry with how I had messed it up to even go back to it for a day or two.

 

[DiscoBiscuit]

All of my initial purchases will be coming from wwc and whatever the other really good one in Orlando is.