Smite's Stout CDA - 205g Acropora dominant system 50x38x25"

[Smite]

So it sounds like my tank will be shipping this week or next from CDA. I'm still waiting for some build pictures and will post those once I receive them.

CDA Tank
50"x38"x25"
1/2" glass
3 side starphire
Internal rear corner overflow - 3 drains and 1 return
Steel Stand by CDA
50x38x29"
I'm keeping this one low, it will be in my living room next to the couch and I want to be able to view it sitting down. It will be in a corner, with 2 viewable sides which is part of the reason for the 38" front to back.

Lighting:
Main lighting:
Metal Halide, Lumenbright large refectors x2. I'm still deciding whether I'll need 250w or 400w lamps. Kelvin will be 14k hamilton. I'm using these reflectors so I can mount them 18" above the rim of the aquarium to bottom of pendant.
Supplemental lighting:
4 Kessil A360. These will be for adding more viewing time and also going blue when I want. I'll be controlling them with apex 0-10v ports.
I may add some orphek all blue strips if the kessils aren't bright enough.
I'm looking at building a "floating" canopy for this build. It will be mounted to the wall. I do want to figure out a way to incorporate inserts that will fill the gap between tank and canopy to block overspill for viewing movies, when companies over ect.

Flow:
Return will be a m2 vectra for now. I may upgrade to a RO pump eventually.
In tank flow - all Tunze:
1 Wavebox and 3 x 6105

Filtration:
AA hybrid sump
Considering a cryptic zone plumbed in with a 40g breeder
Deltec skimmer
I've struggled to grow macros for the last year, so I may just skip any kind of plant based refugium altogether.

Control:
I'll still be using my apex classic for this build

Dosing will be my Geo's Reef 618 calcium reactor. I'll be sticking with no water changes and using the Reef Moonshiner's program.


I prebuilt my rockscape soon after placing my order for the tank in May. It has been cycling since then with circulation and heat. I've been adding ammonia every few days. I recently added the biobrick form my sump to the tub. I'll be starting to dose phytoplankton to the tub going forward to try and get a good pod population going. I've kept the rockwork in the bottom 1/3 of the the tank on this one. The goal is to allow for some good sized colonies to grow in and have plenty of free water for fish to swim.
This tank is going to have sand and I'm doing a blend of special grade with a few other types of live sand. The live sand has been in the hot garage all summer, so I think I'm just going to rinse it in tap, flush it a few times with RO/DI and then let it dry in the sun.

This will be a acropora dominant reef tank. I'll be transferring my main structure from my 75g over and all my current livestock when the time comes. I'll be keeping a gigantea anemone on an island rock in the front corner of the tank. I'll be keeping a few chalices/favia on the sand and a torch coral as well.

Not much without pictures, I know. Hopefully those will come through soon.

 

[Smite]

Here is the layout I have in mind. The drawn section in the middle is the rough outline of my current main structure in my 75g. It's covered in all kinds of stuff so it probably wont be a staghorn island anymore For reference the box is 48x36 so there will be be 2" all around. The back and right pane are walls and the back right is the corner overflow.

I'm tempted to leave the bridge out of it for more vertical growth but the extra area to mount coral would be nice.

No bridge

Basica layout I have in mind top down

The bridge, it's cycling too so I can always add it in if I feel it works.

 

[Smite]

If you had to guess, would you guess 205g?

Pending some coating materials for the stand, it sounds like a this Friday or Saturday delivery!

 

[bisteclol]

Very interesting tank!

 

[Acropora52]

Looks great. I think the scape looks great both ways. Personally, I prefer the non bridge setup but if you're like me, it's hard to resist the number of nice sticks that are out there while giving them space to grow so you'll probably want the bridge long term. It also depends on how high the central structure is. If the central structure is at or near the level of the bridge, you won't really see it and you'll probably appreciate the extra real estate. Ultimately, looks great either way!

 

[Smite]

Very interesting tank!

Thanks! It's the "I want to go big but don't have a 6'+ wall available

I've always enjoyed cube-ish tanks so this is basically a tall jumbo version of a 66g I've ran in the past.

 

[Smite]

Looks great. I think the scape looks great both ways. Personally, I prefer the non bridge setup but if you're like me, it's hard to resist the number of nice sticks that are out there while giving them space to grow so you'll probably want the bridge long term. It also depends on how high the central structure is. If the central structure is at or near the level of the bridge, you won't really see it and you'll probably appreciate the extra real estate. Ultimately, looks great either way!

That was my exact thinking with the bridge, I just won't be able to hold off on adding more sticks. But ultimately my goal is to have full blown colonies, so I'll probably leave the bridge out......but keep it cycling in the sump, haha.

I've used a bridge in a past 180g that was similar and ultimately ended up removing it due to shading.
DSC_0598

The bottom right structure in the 180g is the center piece. I basically knocked the tall section I had cemented on off and that has been my main rear structure in my current 75g. It's pretty low, about 9-10" tall. but does already have some growth on the back that may be shaded from the bridge too.

 

[Kershaw]

Looks good, following. I like the dimensions.

 

[Smite]

Looks good, following. I like the dimensions.

Thanks Kershaw,

Did you get your replacement tank yet? I'm gonna do a search for it, but if you started a new build thread shoot the link here. I'd like to follow

 

[Kershaw]

Thanks Kershaw,

Did you get your replacement tank yet? I'm gonna do a search for it, but if you started a new build thread shoot the link here. I'd like to follow

Comes in Friday. It’s sitting in Stockton waiting for me to be home since Monday.
Friday was the only day I was able to be home for delivery. And no new build thread yet

please take lots of pictures of your canopy, I’m still undecided on what I want to do for mine.

 

[Smite]

Comes in Friday. It’s sitting in Stockton waiting for me to be home since Monday.
Friday was the only day I was able to be home for delivery. And no new build thread yet

please take lots of pictures of your canopy, I’m still undecided on what I want to do for mine.

Will do. I've just got a basic idea in my head but I'll document the process as I go.

Nice! Mine's due Friday, possibly Saturday this week as well. I'll be looking out for the thread

 

[Acropora52]

That was my exact thinking with the bridge, I just won't be able to hold off on adding more sticks. But ultimately my goal is to have full blown colonies, so I'll probably leave the bridge out......but keep it cycling in the sump, haha.

I've used a bridge in a past 180g that was similar and ultimately ended up removing it due to shading.
DSC_0598

The bottom right structure in the 180g is the center piece. I basically knocked the tall section I had cemented on off and that has been my main rear structure in my current 75g. It's pretty low, about 9-10" tall. but does already have some growth on the back that may be shaded from the bridge too.

Yeah, I would leave the bridge off based on that. And very nice past tanks! You clearly know how to grow them

 

[Smite]

Yeah, I would leave the bridge off based on that. And very nice past tanks! You clearly know how to grow them

Thank you for the input and compliment. I really can't wait to get to work on this thing! I think that footprint is gonna be very fun to work with.


I won't have to wait long though, tomorrow afternoon it will be here. Just got my confirmation for Zoya.

 

[Smite]

Man that double bottom pane is no joke! This girl was heavy

 

[Smite]

Shimmed and leveled.

Started the floating canopy. The picture makes it look larger than the tank and bent for some reason.

The lengths of rail down the back wall is how deep the canopy is going to be, 14". MH reflectors are 8" deep and will be mounted on the two center most rails. There will also be a kessil a360we front and back of the reflector, 4 in total . Those are going to be for extending the photoperiod a bit and going all blue. I need to figure out a way to extend those down to the bottom of the reflector, I'll probably use scrap rail and some 90 fittings.

I want the skin for the canopy to be removable which is why I didn't just box this out. I want as much clearance as possible to get to the back corners.

 

[Kershaw]

Tank looks good there.

 

[Kershaw]

Shimmed and leveled.

Started the floating canopy. The picture makes it look larger than the tank and bent for some reason.

The lengths of rail down the back wall is how deep the canopy is going to be, 14". MH reflectors are 8" deep and will be mounted on the two center most rails. There will also be a kessil a360we front and back of the reflector, 4 in total . Those are going to be for extending the photoperiod a bit and going all blue. I need to figure out a way to extend those down to the bottom of the reflector, I'll probably use scrap rail and some 90 fittings.

I want the skin for the canopy to be removable which is why I didn't just box this out. I want as much clearance as possible to get to the back corners.

Is there any foam under your tank or did you place it directly on wood?

 

[Smite]

Tank looks good there.

Is there any foam under your tank or did you place it directly on wood?

Thanks. Got the okay to use the corner, so I took ever inch of it

I'm directly on the wood. I'm so close to CDA that their stand fabricator was the one who dropped it off. I was able to ask a few questions about moving it in the house, ect. I specifically asked him if I needed foam and his response was, no. Directly onto the wood is how it was meant to be. He said it's dual 1/2 panes with bottom bracing and the wood conforms to the tank. That's actually what the previous stand builder told me for my 180 MODE as well.

The wood they gave me is extremely smooth, I checked for any hard nipples or defects and it was clear. I was suprised it wasn't fastened to the top of the stand though. Truck left and I about crapped my pants when I noticed the overflow box was on the wrong side, lol. Oh, flip it over and good to go.

 

[Smite]

Also I told them it had to be 59" tall, I wanted it flush with that fireplace mantel. I think they would of had to account for foam if that was the case. MODE told me foam, but it also came with 1/4 foam cut to fit.

 

[Kershaw]

Thanks. Got the okay to use the corner, so I took ever inch of it

I'm directly on the wood. I'm so close to CDA that their stand fabricator was the one who dropped it off. I was able to ask a few questions about moving it in the house, ect. I specifically asked him if I needed foam and his response was, no. Directly onto the wood is how it was meant to be. He said it's dual 1/2 panes with bottom bracing and the wood conforms to the tank. That's actually what the previous stand builder told me for my 180 MODE as well.

The wood they gave me is extremely smooth, I checked for any hard nipples or defects and it was clear. I was suprised it wasn't fastened to the top of the stand though. Truck left and I about crapped my pants when I noticed the overflow box was on the wrong side, lol. Oh, flip it over and good to go.

I’m beginning to think we had two different builders lol.