JvC's Peninsula Build 6x3x2 - CustomAquarium.com rimless tank

[JvC]

TANK SIZE is 72x42x24 NOT 72x36x24.

About me: I had freshwater tanks in the past (more than a decade ago). Last freshwater tank was a 175. Never tried saltwater becasue of the difficulty. We moved and I have not had a tank since. Decided to get back in to the hobby. And, then after some research, I decided to go saltwater - this time. Long story short - in very early April I setup a 65 gallon reef tank I bought used off facebook marketplace. Also, I purchased a Red Sea Reefer 350. Both tanks are up and running. They are doing ok, but both have their own cases of the the ugly phase right now. Attached are photos of what the look like as I write this sitting here.

Overall, I am loving the hobby, and I wish I had not gone without a tank for so many years, so I figure I need to make up for lost time and buy a big tank. Seriously though, it seems that since I have got these tanks all I hear is: don't get that fist, it gets too big for your tanks; or don't get those fish they need more room than your tanks offer. ARHG!!

A couple of weeks ago, I decided that I had had enough and that I was going to just need a bigger tank. We (wife and I) talked about waiting for these tanks to mature, but decided to just get it done. More room for fish, and corals too. Also, I have decided that I no longer want to maintain (AND TEST) two separate bodies of saltwater. And I have decided that I am going to only have a single display tank - the new one.

I looked around - considered glasscages.com and cutomaquariums.com (could not get a quote for a planet aquarium custom from my LFS - said his sales rep had covid and was 2 weeks behind). I also considered a couple other more boutique type tank makers. Like the tank maker who made the tank for ReefBum on youtube. (Which I ultimately decided was not going to work for me due to logistical reasons)

In the end I went with customaquariums.com, they were the most responsive, and the videos on youtube of their operation are impressive. Here is the tank I ended up going with. Inspired by the ReefBum tank.

They quoted me 12 weeks. So I have a few months to get ready. Before the new tank arrives I have to:

1) Tear down one of the currrent tanks - the 65 cube. It is sitting exactly where the new 250 must go. There is no other option. The 250 will sit directly on top of a portion of the floor directly supported by a steel i-beam. I need to figure out what to do with the fish. Most will go to the new tank - but it won't be setup when this tank is torn down. I have a pair of clowns and a firefish that will have to live elsewhere else (as both the 65 and 73 have them) (I will keep them in this system, but they can't coexist in the DT). But the rest of the fish from both tanks should get along /). However, I have a small tang in each tank, they are not too big for the tank they are in right now, but are too big to go in either tank together - especially now that each has been in her tank for almost 5 months. So, I need a temporary place to keep some fish until they can all go into the new tank.

2) Build a stand for this tank. - I am going to build my own stand.

3) Setup a sump in the basement. - I already have a water station in the basement. With a DOS for each tank doing daily water changes. But, with this new tank I amd going to plum the lines through the floor and have the sump in the basement.

I will update when there is more to update.

jvc

[/MEDIA]

 

[JvC]

EDIT 11/8/22 - The tank and stand have arrived and are in position.

 

[JvC]

Reserved for future updates

 

[JvC]

Sump as of 1/11/23

 

[JvC]

Reserved for future updates

 

[JvC]

Here are a few pictures of the basement area directly under where the tank will sit. The lines are a VERY ROUGH approximation, but give an idea of how the tank will sit on the room above.

I know next to nothing about structural engineering. I am assuming this is good enough. But, the tank is very heavy. Perhaps I may plan to add some more cross planks.

jvc

 

[JvC]

Here are a couple of shots of my "mixing station" and water change station for both of the current tanks. IT has evolved and grown in to this beast you see before you. I just keep telling myself - I used to work in IT, cables do not frighten me. But I think the cables and "tubes" as my wife refers to the RO lines are winning the batle. (Much like the dyno in the 73, but that is another post).

The APex brain in this pic is not controlling anything, I just have it hooked to my local LAN. Both are in my Fusion panel and I can move modules if I need to. -- It's just a backup brain.

The 2 DOS's and the EB 832 is hooked to the current system and are responsible for the nightly water changes on the 65 and 73.

I have a 3rd bin not pictured that the RODI dumps into from the filter. It is controlled by a neptuno optical sensor and a relay. I manuallly move the RODI water to the 2 bins pictured here. This happens 1 time a week. 1 bin is for top offs and the other is for water changes.

Top offs:
I am using a Neptune ATO on both tank on an FMM, I have a couple FMMs in the basement with PMUPS hooked to the 24v plug.

For auto water changes, I am just using the DOS pumps to do it nightly. I do 2.2 gallons per night per tank, which makes me have to mix noew saltwater each weekend.

There are also optical sensors in the bins to let me know when they run low. If they run low the Apex also stops changing water topping off...

jvc

 

[JvC]

Sump Design

So, both of the tanks I currently have, the 65 cube and the 73 Reefer 350 are very different. One of the ways they diifer is the sump. The reefer 350 included a sump with partitions.. you know. And for the 65 cube I used a 40 gallon breeder.

After using both for 5 months, I can say that I like the 40 gallon breeder much better. First, there is just more space. It is a big open space. I have it packed with a skimmer, the return pump, and the reef mat rests on the side. There are 2 gallons of Biopure media balls and 2 large blocks. And there is still more room! The sump in the Reefer 350 feels cramped.

Another benefit I have here is by putting this sump in the basement, there is no limit to how large of a footprint I can make my sump.

There is also the cost. Large pre-made sumps can get up there $$$. And a 40 gallon breeder is not. Jake Adams summed it up in this video at about the 6 minute mark.



So I am going to use glass tanks for my sump.

MY current plan - only in thinking about stage - is to use multiple tanks as the sump. Either connected together via bulkheads or a gravity feed, or some combination of the two. Perhaps an upper level sump for the overflows to dumo into and filter through the reefmat(s). Then, that would gravity drain to another tank that could house media and maybe even have a sand bed, feed to another tank with skimmers, then feed to a final tank, at the lowest lever (where the ATO will sit) with the return pumps.

This would be essentially a modular setup, you could easily add/remove equipment and make changes.

This is the current plan.

jvc

 

[JvC]

Update on the sump plan. I am going to use 2 40 gallon breeders on the same level and a little 20 gallon on a slightly lower level. Both the return pumps and the ATO will live in the 20 gallon which will be connected downstream from the 2 40 gallon breeders.

I calculated that 1 40 gallon breeder @ 12" is about 33 gallons. That is where I am at right now in the 65 and it is a good height for the reefmat 1200. So 2 x 33 + 10 or so for the 20 puts me at aobut 325 gallon TWV with 250 DT.

In other news, I got my Ph on point finally in the 65 and the 73!

 

[JvC]

Ordered a mastertronic last night. Will update with pics once I get it online. I do not currently have a Trident on the 65, I had considered buying one for the 65, b/c manual testing is getting to be a PAIN. I tried to enlist my wife's help to test, but she seems to have better things to do. LOL. Anyway, I am going to use the mastertronic on the 65.

Sump:

I have also ordered some 2" bulkheads to connect the sump tanks together. The current plan is to use 2 40 gallon breeders and a 20 tall as the sump. The 2 40 gals will be on the same level, while the 20 tall will be a little lower for the ATO. Each connected via a 2" bulkhead.

The fist 40 is for the reff mat. The second breeder will be for skimmer, etc. And the last chamber will be the 20 and the return pumps. I prefere barebottom tanks (only b/c of the less maint) so I have put a LOT of media in my sumps. And it has seemed to work well. I plan to use all the media from the 65 and the 73 to cycle and permanently in the sump.

This should give me a ton of working space in the sump and the ability to easily add another sump when/if more space is needed.

jvc

 

[DE FISH]

Following

 

[JvC]

Tronics have arrived; the plan is to setup and control the 65 with them (pictured). The 73 is being tested regurarly by the Trident on the Apex. I will post back when I have something more to report.

jvc

 

[JvC]

I forgot to mention, I had already started debating if 36 inch was deep enough. So rather than regretting it for years, I called and made the tank just a wee bit wider. The tank is now 72 inches x 42 inches x 24 inches. All other aspects remain the same. This puts the volume at around 300.

 

[JvC]

I have not updated in a bit. I have fallen behind on the work. I had hoped to have most everything done when the tank arrived. But I can't take all the blame, as Custom Aquariums.com shipped about 3 weeks ahead of schedule.

As far as I am concerned, the hardest part is over. Getting the tank on the stand in the house.

Here are a few pics of the process.

 

[JvC]

Here is a pic of the bracing we did to the basement floor under the tank.

I think I put a red line on each new support. The red circles represent where the feet are above. We added the 4x4 supports and new posts.

Here is the original pic:

 

[JvC]

Current state:

 

[JvC]

 

[JvC]

This is the sump as of 1/11/23.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Tank is awesome looking!!! Can't wait to see what else gets added to it