MantisShrimpMan’s 170 Gallon Coral Corner Build (pentagon)

MantisShrimpMan

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 18, 2022
Messages
425
Reaction score
179
Location
New York/STL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hello Everyone!

I’m new to the reefing hobby. That said, I’m a scuba instructor and an engineering student, and also used to keep African cichlids, so I have more than enough background knowledge in marine biology and chemistry to at least be a fast learner as a novice. I‘d like to set up a reef tank and I figured that documenting my progress and receiving input along the way would be the best way to accomplish a successful tank.

I have a spot I’d like to set up a tank. It’s in the corner of my living room, across from my couches. However- my apartment has two distinct characteristics. There is a protruding column of brick that is a fake fireplace, and also, I have a sunroom, and there are indoor-to-indoor windows, which have windowsills that are proud of the wall. You can see both on the left side of the included photo. Unfortunately, the indoor windowsill sticks out at about 43” from the wall, and the fireplace sticks out at about 44” from the wall, which prevents me from making use of standard sized tanks with length 48”. The only tank I found that fits in the space somewhat well is the Waterbox infinia 125.3, but it is narrow and short, which makes the length shortcoming all the more noticeable, as the DT volume is only 85G. Also, the view from both couches would be poor, because you’d be at a large enough angle that you’d experience a ton of distortion and refraction.

96D2E19E-C64C-4A71-9CA8-1B6324FA1EAF.jpeg

Recently, a tank went up for sale in Chicago and was listed here on Reef2Reef, and while the inability to ship the tank prevented me from purchasing it, it was an epiphany moment. A pentagon corner aquarium, with each face along the wall being 42”, the side panels being 12.25”, and the middle display panel also being 42”.

D80BC7AA-D834-4EC0-A3BF-8A4207050B01.jpeg

This tank solves my issues! Not only does it fit in the fireplace&windowsill wall space limitations, but it also provides a terrific viewing angle for the couches at a diagonal to it, and gives a longer hypotenuse (longest hypotenuse is just over 59”) than I would have otherwise been able to fit in the space, hence allowing for more swimming room for tangs, dwarf angels, butterflyfish, etc. At 30” tall, this footprint is roughly 170 gallons. I know the large tank forum is for tanks 180-400 gallons, but I figured a 170 gallon build has far more in common with a 180 or 210 build than with a 40G breeder build. Hoping I dont get bullied for being 10 gallons short, haha. I’m already in touch with numerous custom makers, but I am almost certain I would choose Derek over at Miracle Aquariums. I love Joe over at Glass Cages, awesome guy, but he cannot manufacture a pentagon tank, and while I also have an immense respect for Custom Aquariums, their requirements on placement for internal overflows are not particularly well suited to the build.

I’m currently working to gather my funds to try to see this through, but I figure it is important to start considering the tank holistically even before I have the glass box. So, recommendations on plumbing, filtration, aquascaping, and more are all super welcome and appreciated! I’d like to run the tank as a mixed reef. Considering that I’m discussing a 30” deep tank with a non rectangular footprint, it seems like most reasonable lighting and flow solutions I could utilize would still leave significant gradients- areas at the bottom of the tank, or in the center of the pentagon, are more likely to receive both less light and less flow. So, while I’d like to have SPS like acros and monti’s, I would believe it would still be possible to have “dead zones” in the tank that are ideal for euphyllias and other LPS or softies. Fish wise, I’d like to have a dwarf angel, a copperband, and a few tangs from the different subgroups. For instance, a yellow tang and a powder tang. Plus- a handful of gobies, blennies, jawfish, and other smaller reef fish. Oh, also, planning on a sand bed- don’t have any interest in dealing with the added chemistry challenges associated with a bare bottom. Given that the tank is tall and cleaning the sand will be inconvenient, I figure a relatively short sand bed depth would be best. Maybe an inch or two? I love burrowing fish like jaw fish and garden eels but as a beginner I don’t think Im ready to deal with an 8” detritus trap in a tank that big.

As a college student, while I do plan on treating this tank as a labor of love, and putting a lot of time into it, I also want to ensure it has the necessary redundancies to prosper despite my schedule changing. For instance, if I were home for a weekend, or had to spend an all nighter studying in the library, I’d like the tank to be able to dose itself or top itself off. From my novice experience, it seems like everyone loves the Neptune Apex for all forms of tank automation, but I am aware competitors exist and I’d like to weigh their trade offs as well.

Also- its obviously an usual shaped tank- and so finding a sump for underneath it seems a bit confusing. Would the 40 gallon volume of the trigger systems 39” platinum sump be adequate for a 170 gallon tank? My research seems to suggest this is on the smaller end for the tank, but I am struggling to find either a larger premade sump (60 gallon range), or a tank with an ideal footprint for modifying into a sump under the stand.

For flow, what would others suggest? I’ve been contemplating a solution consisting of three power heads, one on the left side pointing along the hypotenuse, one on the right side pointing in, and one close to the middle pointing up and out.

A2A565E8-B476-44E2-90C8-16681057109F.jpeg

lighting wise- would 3 Neptune SKY’s in a triangular layout be an optimal solution? As a beginner, the impression Ive gotten is that everyone fights about which light manufacturer is best and there’s no real correct answer to that question. I identified the SKY’s as an option because they are made by Neptune and would offer the benefit of fitting into the automated APEX system. That said, other systems still interest me, such as the Reefbreeders Photon V2 Pro, and also the Radions. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Seeking lighting that, despite diffusing well to minimize shadows in acroporas at the top of the tank, would still have a significant enough drop off in par, both as a question of depth and spread, to allow for corals to be placed lower in the rockwork that need less light. Ideally, the top of my tank would sit at around 300 par? And drop off to 200 for LPS below.

AAD9C9FF-0121-4552-BDFC-E8AC9C4AEAB5.jpeg

And, plumbing wise- I’m planning on having an internal overflow with a weir box in the back corner. I’d like to set that up as a bean animal, which needs 3 holes, but I could also see myself reaching for a UV sterilizer in the long term, as the tank develops. Would this mean my weir box would need 5 holes? Would Ozone require even more?

Thanks! 8F8DB37D-DF7F-4ACC-AA04-E2CF335F30AB.jpeg
 

Joe Glass Cages

Passionate Glass Cages’s Team Member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 13, 2019
Messages
1,172
Reaction score
5,654
Location
Dickson, TN
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hello Everyone!

I’m new to the reefing hobby. That said, I’m a scuba instructor and an engineering student, and also used to keep African cichlids, so I have more than enough background knowledge in marine biology and chemistry to at least be a fast learner as a novice. I‘d like to set up a reef tank and I figured that documenting my progress and receiving input along the way would be the best way to accomplish a successful tank.

I have a spot I’d like to set up a tank. It’s in the corner of my living room, across from my couches. However- my apartment has two distinct characteristics. There is a protruding column of brick that is a fake fireplace, and also, I have a sunroom, and there are indoor-to-indoor windows, which have windowsills that are proud of the wall. You can see both on the left side of the included photo. Unfortunately, the indoor windowsill sticks out at about 43” from the wall, and the fireplace sticks out at about 44” from the wall, which prevents me from making use of standard sized tanks with length 48”. The only tank I found that fits in the space somewhat well is the Waterbox infinia 125.3, but it is narrow and short, which makes the length shortcoming all the more noticeable, as the DT volume is only 85G. Also, the view from both couches would be poor, because you’d be at a large enough angle that you’d experience a ton of distortion and refraction.

96D2E19E-C64C-4A71-9CA8-1B6324FA1EAF.jpeg

Recently, a tank went up for sale in Chicago and was listed here on Reef2Reef, and while the inability to ship the tank prevented me from purchasing it, it was an epiphany moment. A pentagon corner aquarium, with each face along the wall being 42”, the side panels being 12.25”, and the middle display panel also being 42”.

D80BC7AA-D834-4EC0-A3BF-8A4207050B01.jpeg

This tank solves my issues! Not only does it fit in the fireplace&windowsill wall space limitations, but it also provides a terrific viewing angle for the couches at a diagonal to it, and gives a longer hypotenuse (longest hypotenuse is just over 59”) than I would have otherwise been able to fit in the space, hence allowing for more swimming room for tangs, dwarf angels, butterflyfish, etc. At 30” tall, this footprint is roughly 170 gallons. I know the large tank forum is for tanks 180-400 gallons, but I figured a 170 gallon build has far more in common with a 180 or 210 build than with a 40G breeder build. Hoping I dont get bullied for being 10 gallons short, haha. I’m already in touch with numerous custom makers, but I am almost certain I would choose Derek over at Miracle Aquariums. I love Joe over at Glass Cages, awesome guy, but he cannot manufacture a pentagon tank, and while I also have an immense respect for Custom Aquariums, their requirements on placement for internal overflows are not particularly well suited to the build.

I’m currently working to gather my funds to try to see this through, but I figure it is important to start considering the tank holistically even before I have the glass box. So, recommendations on plumbing, filtration, aquascaping, and more are all super welcome and appreciated! I’d like to run the tank as a mixed reef. Considering that I’m discussing a 30” deep tank with a non rectangular footprint, it seems like most reasonable lighting and flow solutions I could utilize would still leave significant gradients- areas at the bottom of the tank, or in the center of the pentagon, are more likely to receive both less light and less flow. So, while I’d like to have SPS like acros and monti’s, I would believe it would still be possible to have “dead zones” in the tank that are ideal for euphyllias and other LPS or softies. Fish wise, I’d like to have a dwarf angel, a copperband, and a few tangs from the different subgroups. For instance, a yellow tang and a powder tang. Plus- a handful of gobies, blennies, jawfish, and other smaller reef fish. Oh, also, planning on a sand bed- don’t have any interest in dealing with the added chemistry challenges associated with a bare bottom. Given that the tank is tall and cleaning the sand will be inconvenient, I figure a relatively short sand bed depth would be best. Maybe an inch or two? I love burrowing fish like jaw fish and garden eels but as a beginner I don’t think Im ready to deal with an 8” detritus trap in a tank that big.

As a college student, while I do plan on treating this tank as a labor of love, and putting a lot of time into it, I also want to ensure it has the necessary redundancies to prosper despite my schedule changing. For instance, if I were home for a weekend, or had to spend an all nighter studying in the library, I’d like the tank to be able to dose itself or top itself off. From my novice experience, it seems like everyone loves the Neptune Apex for all forms of tank automation, but I am aware competitors exist and I’d like to weigh their trade offs as well.

Also- its obviously an usual shaped tank- and so finding a sump for underneath it seems a bit confusing. Would the 40 gallon volume of the trigger systems 39” platinum sump be adequate for a 170 gallon tank? My research seems to suggest this is on the smaller end for the tank, but I am struggling to find either a larger premade sump (60 gallon range), or a tank with an ideal footprint for modifying into a sump under the stand.

For flow, what would others suggest? I’ve been contemplating a solution consisting of three power heads, one on the left side pointing along the hypotenuse, one on the right side pointing in, and one close to the middle pointing up and out.

A2A565E8-B476-44E2-90C8-16681057109F.jpeg

lighting wise- would 3 Neptune SKY’s in a triangular layout be an optimal solution? As a beginner, the impression Ive gotten is that everyone fights about which light manufacturer is best and there’s no real correct answer to that question. I identified the SKY’s as an option because they are made by Neptune and would offer the benefit of fitting into the automated APEX system. That said, other systems still interest me, such as the Reefbreeders Photon V2 Pro, and also the Radions. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Seeking lighting that, despite diffusing well to minimize shadows in acroporas at the top of the tank, would still have a significant enough drop off in par, both as a question of depth and spread, to allow for corals to be placed lower in the rockwork that need less light. Ideally, the top of my tank would sit at around 300 par? And drop off to 200 for LPS below.

AAD9C9FF-0121-4552-BDFC-E8AC9C4AEAB5.jpeg

And, plumbing wise- I’m planning on having an internal overflow with a weir box in the back corner. I’d like to set that up as a bean animal, which needs 3 holes, but I could also see myself reaching for a UV sterilizer in the long term, as the tank develops. Would this mean my weir box would need 5 holes? Would Ozone require even more?

Thanks! 8F8DB37D-DF7F-4ACC-AA04-E2CF335F30AB.jpeg
Love reading about your journey. This is going to be an epic build. So glad you found a builder for your build. exciting for sure.
 
OP
OP
MantisShrimpMan

MantisShrimpMan

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 18, 2022
Messages
425
Reaction score
179
Location
New York/STL
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
UPDATE:

I'm a college student, and unfortunately the expenses associated with reefing are still dawning on me. While I certainly want a tank larger than my current 20G, a 170 would likely, when adding up the costs of necessary equipment and stocking, be over 5 figures out of my current budget.

That said, this was a learning experience- I know what I want once I'm in the workforce and able to afford a larger scale project. This also leads me to have an outstanding appreciation for irregular tank design- just because I can't afford a pentagon now doesn't mean that will always be the case, and I appreciate the quality it provides where the depth of the tank (relative to the viewing pane) varies based on position. I can see this allowing fish to swim in more organic shapes than a larger rectangular tank might, as even in a 10'x30"x30", tangs, butterflyfish, and triggerfish would all most likely be swimming back and forth from one end to the other. Assuming my future living space can benefit from it, I will once again consider a non rectangular build.

As of now, I am considering my options for expanding my love of reefing, and while I am on a limited budget, the tank that has caught my eye is the 74G 24x24x30 format. If I can accumulate the necessary funds this will be the path I will likely pursue- and I would make another build thread. I have some ideas for how to go about setting up a unique use of the "column" footprint. Looking forward to sharing my ideas and bringing them to life if my budget supports it.
 
Back
Top