Hello all. I recently picked up a used 585 Gallon Acrylic tank at an incredibly cheap price and while I am in the process of cleaning it up and building the stand I just wanted to get some potential advice on what I might need to make this thing look good. I know the general rule is 1lb/gallon, but I have a hard time imagining I will need 600lbs of rock and at around $4 a pound getting more than I need would be costly and cumbersome. I intend to go with a more minimalistic aqua scape with lots or superglue and hydraulic cement to make a lot of thinner and overhanging structures. 2nd I'm on the fence about sand/bare bottom. I intend on a mixed reef with a light fish stock so I'm not too worried about detritus buildup. I'v never had a bare bottom so its tough for me to picture how well it would look. If I did get sand it would be 200lb's of Fiji pink. 3rd would be lighting. The tanks dimensions are 90"x30"x50". Being 4 feet deep I am having a hard time finding too much info on LED par levels at that depth, but just guessing I was thinking 5 AI Hydras or something similar. Any impute is appreciated.
New 585 Gallon Acrylic tank
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Lighting:
You could go with several Kessil A500X's, but they do punch down fairly deep. Kessil also makes several commercial aquarium grade LED canon's that can punch down deeper and wider spread than the A500X's. Send them an email and they will provide you with options for your tank.
You could go with 4 Orphek Amazonas 960's, they can punch deep with the right reflectors.
You could go with 4, maybe 5, Reefi Uno Pro's, they are very powerful, probably the best bang for the buck LED's out there.
You could go with several Kessil A500X's, but they do punch down fairly deep. Kessil also makes several commercial aquarium grade LED canon's that can punch down deeper and wider spread than the A500X's. Send them an email and they will provide you with options for your tank.
You could go with 4 Orphek Amazonas 960's, they can punch deep with the right reflectors.
You could go with 4, maybe 5, Reefi Uno Pro's, they are very powerful, probably the best bang for the buck LED's out there.
areefer01
2500 Club Member
Quanta Atlas LEDs may work - you can check them out. All the buzz these days as they are new. I do not own them but they seem to offer a pretty good bang for the buck.
Not sure I buy into the rock thing. NSA, negative space aquascape, to me is a fad but I respect that it is a something that others like. My problem with it is that you are giving up surface area for the microbiom. Healthy aquariums, reefs, need that surface area in my opinion so I've always gone with lots of rock Berlin style with a quality skimmer. Rock equals surface area which adds places for fish to retreat, spawn, sleep, forage for food, and more. Also gives areas to attach corals, build arches, swim lanes, and so forth.
One thing you noticed obviously rather quickly is that large systems require more things or larger things that otherwise may have been taken for granted. Water, salt, additives, lighting, rocks, and so forth. You have a lot of options with one probably being mixing live rock from a LFS or on-line vendor like TBS or KP aquatics and mixing in a lot of dry. Seed with live, save money with dry.
It seems to me you are a savvy shopper and know how to find deals don't be afraid of going in stages to get what you need the first time. PetClub has sales from time to time selling CaribSea South Sea Base Rock for dirt cheap. 40 lb boxes for 39 USD.
TL; DR - check out some of the NSA displays and troubles encountered (Tidal Gardens did one as did BRS). Not knocking them but surface area is important. That aside, because it is a personal preference, shop around and look at PetClub - they offer sales on rock that may help. Also some online vendors offer it as well.
Not sure I buy into the rock thing. NSA, negative space aquascape, to me is a fad but I respect that it is a something that others like. My problem with it is that you are giving up surface area for the microbiom. Healthy aquariums, reefs, need that surface area in my opinion so I've always gone with lots of rock Berlin style with a quality skimmer. Rock equals surface area which adds places for fish to retreat, spawn, sleep, forage for food, and more. Also gives areas to attach corals, build arches, swim lanes, and so forth.
One thing you noticed obviously rather quickly is that large systems require more things or larger things that otherwise may have been taken for granted. Water, salt, additives, lighting, rocks, and so forth. You have a lot of options with one probably being mixing live rock from a LFS or on-line vendor like TBS or KP aquatics and mixing in a lot of dry. Seed with live, save money with dry.
It seems to me you are a savvy shopper and know how to find deals don't be afraid of going in stages to get what you need the first time. PetClub has sales from time to time selling CaribSea South Sea Base Rock for dirt cheap. 40 lb boxes for 39 USD.
TL; DR - check out some of the NSA displays and troubles encountered (Tidal Gardens did one as did BRS). Not knocking them but surface area is important. That aside, because it is a personal preference, shop around and look at PetClub - they offer sales on rock that may help. Also some online vendors offer it as well.
Nothing definitive to add, but I hope these may point you in the right direction.
I read this awhile back -
Deep Tank Lighting
Looking for some suggestions for my reef tank. I have a 150g display tank (72” x 18” x 29.5”) that currently has 3 AI Hydra 32HD lights over it. The system is 2.5 years old. One of my lights now has a purple hue and isn’t as bright as the others. They are all paired and running the same light...
www.reef2reef.com
Ecotech did recently launch a new line of narrow lens for XC30s. Overlapping several XC30s in the right places can dramatically raise par in those areas without additional lens modification. Adding the narrow lens may be all you need, but would reach out to Ecotech for data points that can support its viability.
May the odds be in your favor!
Devaji
7500 Club Member
wow 50" crazy
my thought would be build that stand pretty low if you can.
NSA scapes do work you just need surface area in the sump. I really like seacheam matrix in a panty hose in the sump.
it prob. the same stuff as pumice but IDK for sure.
post some pics of the tank man we wanna see this beast!
congrats on the new system! woot woot
my thought would be build that stand pretty low if you can.
NSA scapes do work you just need surface area in the sump. I really like seacheam matrix in a panty hose in the sump.
it prob. the same stuff as pumice but IDK for sure.
post some pics of the tank man we wanna see this beast!
congrats on the new system! woot woot
Mwatts12
Active Member
1. I have a 225 gallon with 110 pounds of rock. The 1 for 1 is not needed. I also like the minimalist look. I have 3 islands in the tank.
2. Bare bottom because I have only SPS. Although I do miss the look of sand sometimes. The hassle with heavy flow is not worth it.
3. 5 ft deep is a lot…. No doubt. I have 4 G6 XR30 pros, in an aquatic life T5 with all blue bulbs and have 2 reef bright strips attached to it. With the 30s cranked up to 100% on all channels you will have a blanket of light.
I also keep miracle mud and another maybe 30 pounds of rock in my sump. The rock is just in case I need more in the DT.
JumboShrimp
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I am thinking of switching my two 150 gallon FOWLRs to bare bottoms-- but of course that will mean no Wrasse varieties that need to burrow in sand at night. So that's one consideration.
slogan315
Active Member
I’m not an expert on lighting, but my understanding is lighting roughly follows the inverse square law. So for example if youre getting 400 par 12” deep, you can estimate that par will decrease as follows:
Intensity x distance1^2 / distance2^2 = intensity2
400par x 12^2 / 24^2 = 100 par at 24” deep.
Or at 48”….
400par x 12^2 / 48^2 = 25 par at 48” deep.
But! In theory, that 25 par will be spread wide across the tank. Not the 24x24 footprint most lights recommend.
Narrower reflectors or lenses just results in a tighter cone of light. Meaning you’ll have less spread and more power is focused down rather than out.
Experts, please shred this explanation if I have it wrong.
Intensity x distance1^2 / distance2^2 = intensity2
400par x 12^2 / 24^2 = 100 par at 24” deep.
Or at 48”….
400par x 12^2 / 48^2 = 25 par at 48” deep.
But! In theory, that 25 par will be spread wide across the tank. Not the 24x24 footprint most lights recommend.
Narrower reflectors or lenses just results in a tighter cone of light. Meaning you’ll have less spread and more power is focused down rather than out.
Experts, please shred this explanation if I have it wrong.
Yea it's been pretty crazy prepping this thing up. I knew it would be big when I was getting it, but just standing next to it is a bit daunting. It's going to be quite some time before I get it where it needs to be but I am excited. I'm going to run some water lines through the wall to it for a freshwater top off and I have to cut some holes in the ceiling for ventilation with the lights. Still waiting on some final plumbing pieces and then its time to fill!
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