How would you do it / 40” x 40” x 40” Cube Build

[TheDallasCollector]

This is the best picture from my thread. I have a platform my tank sits on. There is room on 2 sides to walk around the tank. The white square on the right that opens to the room on 2 sides like yours, is where the tank sits. My tank is 5x5x3. I cannot reach anywhere near the bottom with my hands in most of my tank. It makes for some interesting maintenance tools. Placing corals on rocks with snake tongs is fun.

Unbelievable set up! Using tongs with heavy coral got me thinking — I should definitely go 36” x 36” x 36” so that is the most recent change. More to come!

 

[TheDallasCollector]

This is the best picture from my thread. I have a platform my tank sits on. There is room on 2 sides to walk around the tank. The white square on the right that opens to the room on 2 sides like yours, is where the tank sits. My tank is 5x5x3. I cannot reach anywhere near the bottom with my hands in most of my tank. It makes for some interesting maintenance tools. Placing corals on rocks with snake tongs is fun.

Lapin, your set up has really got me thinking. I’m looking for electrical suggestions. My electrician comes next week and we can ask him to drop any number of circuits, GFI, 220v, 110v, etc. I want to build my system in a way that’s built in fail over, ready for outages, disaster recovery, no downtime etc.

Do you happen to have an electrical diagram you could share? Thanks

 

[lapin]

I dont have a diagram. What I can tell you is I had them put 4ea 20A circuits to the room. Each one goes to a 4 gang box. Each box has its own GFI. The circuits are in their own panel on the outside of the house. That panel has a transfer switch so the gas generator will kick on if we lose power. I put 3 of the 4 gang boxes up higher than the tank. Lights ect... One down low. Each 4 gang box is on its own wall so I would not have to run cords very far.
I have an Apex classic that runs everything. Lots of DB8's and 4's

 

[TheDallasCollector]

I dont have a diagram. What I can tell you is I had them put 4ea 20A circuits to the room. Each one goes to a 4 gang box. Each box has its own GFI. The circuits are in their own panel on the outside of the house. That panel has a transfer switch so the gas generator will kick on if we lose power. I put 3 of the 4 gang boxes up higher than the tank. Lights ect... One down low. Each 4 gang box is on its own wall so I would not have to run cords very far.
I have an Apex classic that runs everything. Lots of DB8's and 4's

awesome man, thanks for the great info, we’re installing a permanent generator too just in case. Nothing needs 220, right?Anything you would have done differently with your electrical?

 

[Breadman03]

awesome man, thanks for the great info, we’re installing a permanent generator too just in case. Nothing needs 220, right?Anything you would have done differently with your electrical?

I’d ensure you have life support split across circuits ie:return pump and powerheads on separate circuits. I have a 150 Deep Dimension so 36x36x27. Flow is a bit of a challenge, and reaching into a 36x36x36 will be very difficult. There’s also not a ton of room for bigger fish, which is okay by me as I really like a variety of smaller fish.

 

[lapin]

awesome man, thanks for the great info, we’re installing a permanent generator too just in case. Nothing needs 220, right?Anything you would have done differently with your electrical?

No 220v.
Since i did not map it out for them they centered stuff on the walls which is ok. I might have had them move one 4 gang box over 1 stud.

 

[Jeeperz]

It may be cheaper and easier to run a 220 circuit and sub panel to the fish room then break off any additional 110 circuits from that.

 

[TheDallasCollector]

The first floor is framed! Here’s a picture of my (soon to be) fish room. It’s is 4’ wide and about 9’ long.



and also a picture of my vision

 

[TheDallasCollector]

Haven’t posted in a while but putting together my parts list. Would love some feedback if you think I’ve got something wrong, have had a poor experience with any of these products, or suggest a better way;

- 38x38x38 with 3/4” glass, 1” PVC bottom, back corner overflow 1 1/2 drain and two 1” returns. Four 1” holes for closed loop.

- Tideline Sump 72” x 22” which is about 100 gal

- AI Hydra 64 HD x 4 and these are 64” LEDS

- Reef Octopus Elite 220-INT Skimmer

- Ecotech Vectra L2 x 2 pump returns and they run 3,100 gallons per hour

- AI Prime Fuge LED

- Tideline ATO Container and Smart ATO Micro

- 800 Watt True Temp Titanium Heating System

- 300lbs live rock and 300lbs live sand

 

[TheDallasCollector]

Fish Room will be about 5’ wide and 12’ to 14’ long. (3) gangs of 4 outlets. Water supply. Floor drain.

 

[TheDallasCollector]

Lighting for this 38” x 38” x 38” tank:

Would you go with (4) AI Hydra 64’s or (4) AI Hydra 32’s?

Thanks!

 

[TheDallasCollector]

I’d ensure you have life support split across circuits ie:return pump and powerheads on separate circuits. I have a 150 Deep Dimension so 36x36x27. Flow is a bit of a challenge, and reaching into a 36x36x36 will be very difficult. There’s also not a ton of room for bigger fish, which is okay by me as I really like a variety of smaller fish.

Thank you, I took your advice on setting up 3 separate circuits. For the pumps and flow I’m going with (2) EcoTech Vectra M2’s — one as a return pump and one as closed loop pump — and then also with EcoTech Vortech MP40wQD.

For lighting this 38” x 38” x 38” reef tank would you go with (4) AI Hydra 64’s or (4) AI 32’s? Any thoughts on that? Thanks

 

[DC Reefer]

Nice looking setup. One thing I have always done is have redundant heaters. I have 1 that kicks on .5 degrees before the other. I have two 300 watt heaters in my 190 gallon system and the 2nd one usually only comes on in the middle of the night for a short time.

 

[TheDallasCollector]

Nice looking setup. One thing I have always done is have redundant heaters. I have 1 that kicks on .5 degrees before the other. I have two 300 watt heaters in my 190 gallon system and the 2nd one usually only comes on in the middle of the night for a short time

That’s a great idea! I remember in my freshwater days when a heater breaks, they break on HIGH!

 

[MileZer0Reef]

Any updates? I came across your thread I’m getting a 40x40x34 built at the moment it’d be cool to bounce ideas off each other im going to be running 2 vectra m2s, 1 running straight to 1 return and the other to feed my manifold and 2nd return line, reef octopus 200sss and 4 radion G5’s

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Really excited to see this one!

 

[TheDallasCollector]

Any updates? I came across your thread I’m getting a 40x40x34 built at the moment it’d be cool to bounce ideas off each other im going to be running 2 vectra m2s, 1 running straight to 1 return and the other to feed my manifold and 2nd return line, reef octopus 200sss and 4 radion G5’s

Nice! Let’s for sure bounce some ideas. The main guidance I received over the past few months from others with ~40” tall tanks is to go with more powerful lighting to make sure you illuminate everything to the bottom, and also to add an extra pump to circulate the water in dead spots. I’m also going with (2) Vector M2’s and on a Closed Loop. Switched up the skimmer but only because of a good Black Friday deal. Here’s the purchase I just made just waiting on parts.

 

[TheDallasCollector]

Really excited to see this one!

Thanks Daniel, a lot more updates coming soon once I get my parts!

 

[TheDallasCollector]

TANK

 

[TheDallasCollector]

STAND

The 72” Tideline refugiam will go on the bottom platform