Down grading

[rob G]

Hello all, not sure if I am looking for suggestions or wanting to spill my thoughts out to a group that might actually be interested. Anyway, suggestions welcome either way! I have a 2 year old now and am downgrading to a system that will be more user friendly. I currently have a 360 gallon plywood/epoxy/glass tank up for about 3 years now. It is doing okay, but I have slacked off on maintenance lately due to time and partly due to poor design. I have the tank sitting really high on it's tall stand. It was meant to be visible while standing in front of it because I was tired of bending over to get a really good view of the tanks I had in the past, plus wanted more space underneath for the sump and storage and water change vessels. But, I literally have to pull a ladder out each time I need to do a deep cleaning and for the most part, still cant reach a good part of the tank. the tank itself is 2'tall 3'front to back and 8' left to right and takes up a far too large portion of our living room. I love the tank and am considering putting it in storage for now. What I want to do is move what I have in there into a matching pair of 120s that would be on each side of my TV in my living room. The way it is built, the tanks would be even with the front of the TV and would all be built in so it would look really cool. The systems would be tied together with a communal sump that will sit between the two tanks beneath the TV.

Fish
2 disbar anthias (will probably get a few more)
pair of flame angels
spotbreast (lyretail) angel
royal gramma
3 cardinals
1 flame fish
1 clarke clown who will be finding a new home during this
1 six line wrasse
blue throat trigger (worried about this one in a tank that size, super healthy but still only about 3.5", new addition)
zebra moray (worried about this too)

Coral, not that extensive.
4 kinds of monti caps
3 kinds of birdsnest
Duncan coral
ricordia
red dragon
green planet
setosa
pocillopora
All doing well except for the green planet and red dragon, both stn. These corals are large, my purple monti is every bit of 2' wide so I will have to frag most of this.

I already have a 120 (4x2x2) and was planning to match on both sides, mainly because if its not symmetrical it might drive me nuts, but I'm not sure. I would really like a rimless thank, those Deep Blue 80 gallons with the same footprint are pretty cool, and at the same time I love the depth of a 150 with the same foot print so I am torn. Leaning towards just grabbing another 120 to match.

My thought is, I want to build the stands so that with me standing on the floor, the top of the tank is armpit level so I can work on it and reach everything, the water volume will be less so my water changes will have a greater impact on improving water quality. Also, they are already sectioned off, I can focus on one tank for 45 minutes a week and keep up with both of them (this would be in addition to small things done each, or every other day). One skimmer to clean once a week, one filter sock to change as needed but two smaller manageable tanks above.

Actually, yes, any thoughts or suggestions would be appreciated!
Thanks

 

[trevormass7]

How everything goes well, would love to see the setup process

 

[rob G]

Thanks Trevormass7, I will document it as I go. I started with the big tank and was too impatient to stop what I was doing to record or take pics, this time will be slower by default.

 

[cmcoker]

Sounds like a good plan. I would maybe do the one and see how it goes and if you really feel 2 tanks that large will be easier. planning on a combined sump? Would only have to do one water change that way..
I had a 120g, also on a tall stand and had same issues you mention. I then wrecked my back and had to have surgery and could not take care of it due to the size and height.
I downgraded to a reefer 250, a 54g tank that I can reach into without a ladder. Best decision ever.

 

[rob G]

Thanks cmcoker, I think I want the two so that the room is even, I think it will be neat with the two tanks flanking the entertainment center. I am building the stands so that when we sell the house, I just have to replace the top of the stand and do a little work to the underneath to turn them into desks or work areas with shelving above. My other reason is stocking levels. I wont feel right taking the trigger and cramming him in with all those fish in such a small space. I already feel like I am taking him from an ocean and putting him in a pond. I also want them set up differently. One that will be pretty heavily aqua scaped with bare bottom and the other fairly open with just enough rock for hiding places, and deep sand with open swimming space. Not sure which scenario will be better for the eel, if I do the deep sand bed I may bury some 2" pvc for his home, but think he may be more comfortable roaming the tank with more rock. Thoughts?

PS the tank will share a sump.

 

[cmcoker]

Sounds like you have it pretty well thought out. The shared sump will help with reducing 2 tanks maintenance. Never kept an eel myself..
Definitely start a build thread as you get setup, sounds like it will be a interesting setup. Kinda the jumbo version of urbaneks ADA tank trio.

 

[Grey Guy]

Hmmmm. Pumping into 2 tanks from the same source. I am worried about flooding. If both tanks have built in over flows that can each handle the total flow, then I would be o.k. With it. I have experienced so many unexpected floods from my plumbing experiments.

 

[rob G]

Flooding it always a worry with a sump. I am going to use one pump and a "Y" to feed both tanks and as long as I have it so when the power goes out and the sump fills within a safe limit from the top all should be well, gravity will do the rest. Thanks for the input though, I have had a few floods to deal with, but they mainly had to do with RO tanks without a float switch. Not cool in the second story apartment I lived in at the time.....

I am concerned about moving the blue throat trigger to a tank that small though. Anyone have one in a tank that size? I will keep it open with just enough rock for hiding so everyone has a home, and not overcrowded at all.

thanks for the input!