Dputt88's 240 gal In-Wall Build

[dputt88]

I'm leaving the initial post as a place will I will keep the most recent status and images of the tank. the story line will be in the rest of the thread.

Overall Plan:
240 gal build into a corner wall and a 63 gal cube built into the side wall, small fish room behind the tanks. 240 will be focused on peaceful fish, may end up with a couple soft corals. 63 will function as QT tank until fish additions are done. Later the 63 will be tied into the system with the 240 gal and will be a macro-algae display.

Current Status:
Both tanks have been running for a few months now. Livestock is slowly being added. the LFS's around us have been pick over pretty well by the weekends so we haven't had many opportunities to add a lot of things were looking for. still working out some kink in how the system runs, learning the complexities of an Apex is always fun. hopefully next weekend I can get the cabinet doors finished.

Current Equipment:
Neptune Apex 2016
Neptune ATO
Neptune AutoFeeder
Neptune WAV
Skims Octa sc205i
Reef Octopus Varios-8 (2700gph)
800W Finnex Titanium Heater
4x 24" Reef Breeder Photon Gen 2+ (240 gal)
1x 16" Reef Breeder Photon Gen 2+ (60 gal)

Current 240 Livestock
12 Blue/Green Chromis
Yellow Tang
Sailfin Tang
Naso Tang
One Spot Fox Face
Yellow Wrasse
Melanarus Wrasse
Fairy Wrasse
Red Scooter Blenny
Blue Mandarin Goby
Orange Spot Goby w/ Bonded Pistol Shrimp
Sleeper Banded Goby
Bangai Cardinal
Serpent Star
Fighting Conch
Black Long-spine Urchin
Heart Urchin

Current Pic of the Tank.

 

[dputt88]

The Beginning.

Over the past 7 years my Father and I have maintained a 90 gal mixed reef tank. However, a couple of years ago I moved out of my parents place (again...) and all of the maintenance of the reef tank fell upon my father, Especially because work had me working out of town every summer. After a lengthy power outage about a year ago the tank was never the same despite desperate attempts to stop the obvious cascade of entropy within our tank. A couple months ago we decided that it would be a good idea to shut down the 90 gal and start it back up from scratch. There were so many things that we wanted to do differently this time, especially when it came to maintenance protocols ( i.e. water changes... ugh). We got rid of all of our livestock and moved the empty glass box into the garage temporarily to begin our preparations for its reincarnation.

First order of business was prepping the actual house for a reef tank. We tore down the paneling and ripped up the old tile. In the process we also moved the electrical outlet up to about 6 ft and upgraded to 2x 3 gang boxes with GFI. The Paneling was replaced with greenboard, new tile was also put down with 2 floor drains.

So things were looking pretty nice, we were getting to the stages where we could move our tank back in, start making all those changes we wanted for our second go at reefing....

But things cant be that simple right?

All the construction was wrapped up when someone had to open their mouth with these big fancy ideas, lol. My dad made a comment that the living room and dining room would look nicer with new flooring instead of the carpet, mom agreed but added that if we're doing those rooms we are also doing the kitchen, utility room and hallway.. so pretty much the whole 1st floor. so everything gets put on hold while mom picks our new flooring and I spend a little over a week tearing up carpet and wood flooring to lay the new waterproof premium vinyl.

So now the fish tank area looks less impressive with furniture being stored there after the new flooring was put down.

Enter the new plan.

The flooring wasn't the only thing to change during this new flooring project. With the flooring came a whole new plan for the upcoming tank. We were able to pull off something amazing, convince mom that our efforts and prompt completion of replacing all that flooring warranted an aquarium that was on a slightly different scale.... a 240 gal starfire tank built by Miracles that would be built into the wall. A wall I might add would be built to create our new fish room.

We took multiple angles while convincing mom that this was the way to go. There was the "look how much money we saved on the flooring by having us install it ourselves", and the "Having a fish room will make everything look much neater" and of course there was "having a fish room will keep all of the saltwater away fro you new flooring, water will be made and mixed right next to the tank"

In the end, the project was green-lighted and just in time for black friday!!!

Daa Build.

So the tank has been ordered it will be a 240 gal tank that measures 72 long x 30 wide x 25 tall. It will have starfire glass on the front and right hand panel, blacked out on the rear and left hand panels. A skubbard box will be built off the back panel. The tank will also be set in the corner of the wall making the front and right hand panel the viewable sides.

 

[dputt88]

The plan has evolved yet again. were building 2 tanks into the wall. We're adding a 63 gal cube as well. For the near future the cube will run independently and work as a QT tank. Then after a year or so, after most of out live stock has been added, it will be tied into the 240 gal system and function as a macro algae display tank.

Yesterday I bought most of the lumber needed to build the stand. I wish I could have had one built but it was going to be too expensive. We really pushed the budget on the tank and some of the major equipment items.

Also, today I was able to mount the RODI unit in the water heater room which is just behind the wall to the left. I then ran the line through the wall.

 

[dputt88]

we got around to painting the 60 gal, still have to do the bottom but good enough to post. Hopefully I'll get around to doing the stand this weekend and the things will really start taking shape.

 

[don_chuwish]

So jealous of the floor drains! Just for emergency flood contingency or will you use them for water changes?

 

[dputt88]

They will be used for water changes once I fugue out where to plumb them to

 

[dputt88]

i took the time to make a couple to scale drawings of the proposed fish room just to give a better idea of whats gonna happen.

 

[dputt88]

started building the stand today. still needs a little bit but you can get the jist.

 

[dputt88]

Finished the stand and started priming the stand with kilz complete yesterday.

 

[sneub]

Following

 

[dputt88]

well not too much progress as of yet. but i did finish the primer. and due to having the holidays over at my parents I stopped by to help move all of the fish stuff back to the fish area. the way the stand and cube are arranged should give a good idea of how they will look in place. notice that the stand of the 60 gal is lower than the 240 gal, i will either be raising the stand of the 60 or building a new one all together.

 

[Streetdoc77]

Love the stand and how you incorporated the 1x6's I have also been thinking about getting the reef octopus dc return pump will have to let us know how it works out for you . The pump is also apex compatible right ?

 

[dputt88]

Love the stand and how you incorporated the 1x6's I have also been thinking about getting the reef octopus dc return pump will have to let us know how it works out for you . The pump is also apex compatible right ?

Those are 2x6s I ran them through a planer so they may look more like 1x without the chamfered edges. The varios pumps are apex compatible. However I am completely new to controllers and I'm not entirely sure what capabilities I'm going to have with it. I was hoping that I could program it to slow down at night but I will have to look into that. My plan is to get the apex running in the most basic way, which I think I have covered as of now and then add on cool features as I learn more.

 

[Streetdoc77]

I look at the apex like a multitool and various forms of automation , I have had great success with it over the years one of the things i really like with the apex is being able to program flow schedules inside the tank . It has so many functions to list skys the limit ....and money hahahaha

 

[dputt88]

I made a not so neat drawing of the plumbing. the tank will be shipping next week sometime.

the ball valve on the full siphon return line will be switched with a gate valve

 

[dputt88]

Well its been a good weekend as far as this project goes. We picked up the tank from the shipping depot on Friday!

Man is this tank cool, this is the first time we have had a tank with star-fire glass and the difference is obvious.

We got the stand all prepped and ready for the tank

On Saturday we picked up this 75 gal sump from another reefer.

Unfortunately the tank was too heavy for the 3 of us to lift so we are going to have a tank raising party this weekend to finally get this beast on its stand. I also picked up all of the plumbing supplies so once its up we can get a move on that stuff. but for now the room is left in state of chaos.

 

[S-t-r-e-t-c-h]

Great looking build so far!

 

[Zack33]

Looking awesome! I'll be following along.

 

[don_chuwish]

So pretty - now the hard part. Lift!

 

[dputt88]

The tank is on the stand!! a big thank you to Peter's Glass for alowing my to rent a few of their suction cups over night and on the cheap. been using them for years now.

I started plumbing this weekend too, didn't get very far though. plumbing is the least fun thing about this hobby. originally i wanted a sump that flowed right to left but ended up getting a sum that flows left to right. this wasn't a big deal for my drains, i just mirrored them. however, for my return lines its is completely different, im going to use a 4 foot manifold and let everything tee off of that. I know I'll lose some flow doing this but hopefully the 2700 gph varios 8 can handle it.

there was even a brief moment this weekend where i thought about selling the varios 8 and replacing ti with 2 varios 6's one would power the left the other would power the right. but again it was just turning into too much of a headache.

We have more plumbing supplies on order right now so this Friday i'll be heading back over there and my father and I will hopefully have the plumbing all dry fitted.

once the pluming is all figured out i have to come up with a plan for that 60 gal, either i have to raise its stand by about 6 inches or i have to build a new stand all together. I haven't decided yet. once the 60 gal is level with the 240 i can start framing the wall around the tanks.

what a process...