Ordered my tank, please help me make finals!

[mane3215]

Ok, today I ordered my tank and revised my dimensions. It will be 60x44x28 made with 3/4" diamonte glass from Aquarium Obsessed. I need to figure out the placement of my closed loop holes by Monday =). I probably should have figured this all out before hand, but I am tired of procrastinating.

I will have all four corners of the euro bracing drilled with 1" holes for returns off of a closed loop with an oceans motions super squirt. I may possibly use oceans motions revolutions as well just under the euro brace so I can get water movement in different areas of the tank without sea swirls.



In the back wall I plan on having four holes drilled for a second closed loop and two for two 2" intakes for both closed loops. I am not sure what size to make the closed loop return bulkheads, but I am thinking 1.5".

The overflow will bet this shape: \________/ centered in the rear of the tank and contain two 2" over flows and two 1.5" returns.

I originally wanted 6 returns in the back wall and have two of them drilled low enough ont he back panel to plumb two lines under that sand and bring them up somewhere about half way into the tank for water movement there, but I am not sure I want a total of 8 holes drilled back there.

Please give me a hand guys =)...and thanks a head!

[OUinLA]

The closed loop return sizes will be dependent on what pump you are using on the closed loop. If you are using a pump with 1.5" output, and the output would be split into two returns, then 1" bulkheads would be the largest I would use. I'm assuming you want as much flow as you can out of those. If you go with 1.5" and it's split into two returns then the flow is going to be cut down a lot.

[mane3215]

I plan on using two red dragon pumps not sure which yet. I will have as I said the ocean motions super squirt for the returns int he four corners of the euro brace, and I was thinking of having on for the other four returns as well. Or an 8 way with 2 of the holes blocked off if I went with 6 holes.

Maybe I would be better using one squirt on the eurobrace returns, and leaving the four in the rear of the glass just constant returns?

I figure if I did 1.5" bulkheads that I can reduce them down if need be, but maybe its just a bit smarter to go with 1" bulkheads for closed loop returns?

Also I was considering using those jet returns some guys have used on there tanks here:



I have just never set up a large tank before so its a bit confusing. Just don't want to make any mistakes I will regret.

[OUinLA]

Also remember that the super squirt has 1" input and 1" output and can handle about 2200 gph.

I wouldn't use anything bigger than the 8m3 with that OM. The OM 4way HD will let you use a bigger pump if that's what your looking for.

The jet bulkheads seem really cool!!!

[mane3215]

So maybe it would make sense to run the super squirt with the RD 8m3 on the eurobrace returns.

Then run something larger for the second closed loop system in the rear with a constand return instead of an OM device. Perhaps a dart or a larger RD? Use 4 of the jet bulkehads so I can direct flow around my rock work to try to get a nice flow in the tank.

[nbd13]

Hey nice demensions, mine is 60x44x24.

i should have mine by august from James at Envision Acrylics. i ordered about 2 weeks ago.

anyway should be a nice tank! i would have liked to go 48, but could not fit it down the stairs.

make sure you document your tank build!

are you building the stand and canopy?

Nick

[mane3215]

Hey nice demensions, mine is 60x44x24.

i should have mine by august from James at Envision Acrylics. i ordered about 2 weeks ago.

anyway should be a nice tank! i would have liked to go 48, but could not fit it down the stairs.

make sure you document your tank build!

are you building the stand and canopy?

Nick

Thanks bro, I REALLY wanted 48 eep as well, but I just cant fit it. It has to share space with my home theatre.

What made you go with acrylic?

I will be sure too =).

Yes, I will be welding upa steel frame then skinning it with some kind of wood, I am hoping I have some time to do a really high end stand, maybe veneering it in a rich exotic wood. I am hunting down 1/4 ovc sheets to skin the inside of the stand and caulking everything up so if there is a leak in there, it will all be contained.

The canopy I am not sure about, I want an open top, but with evap and other factors I may have to build one =(.

What lighting are you using over yours?

[nbd13]

Hey i went with acrylic becasue i wanted to do 3 closed loops and that envolves alot of holes, with all the glass horrior stories i decide on acrylic. Plus James is great to work with.

Also the biggest problem with acrylic is that it can starch, well since i will have BB and no sand it shoudl be a problem if i am careful.

As far as lighting goes, i have 4 reef optic IIIs 250w DE w/ hamilton 14ks right now on my 180, so i will use those on my new tank (thats the big plus i will not have to buy more MHs). I will also be able to use fans like i am now to keep the tank cool.

So i will be using 4 of these pendants with the 4 openings on top and then getting either VHOs or T5s to light the sides and back and front. i will get 4 36.5" VHOs probably.

anyway since i cant have the MHs over the acrylic bracing i will put the MHs in the 4 openings that James is making for me and having the VHOs run along the cross bracing.

i will be building my own stand and canopy out of wood. my canopy will be open on the top, with some 2x2s to support the lighting. i will have about 4-6 fans blowing down and some up and then 2-3 in the stand blowing on the sump.

i will get fans that are quiter than my current ones so i shoudl have no noise.

what skimmer are you using? i am going BK 300 internal.

anyway how are you going to light it?

what do you plan for aquascaping?

i plan on 2 islands diagnol from eachother. these will be bigger isalnd that go all the way up to the water line. then i will have 2 small island opposite of the big islands to cover up the strainers for the closed loops.

Nick

[mane3215]

Sounds like thats going to be a really nice tank bro! Cant wait to see it, James does excellent work.

for lighting I am kicking around the idea of maybe 3 lumenarcs 400's, like two in the front and one in the middle back. This is still way up in the air. If i do an open top lumenarcs are ugly =). If its works out to be open top, maybe two geisemann pendants with 4 250w de's.

I am going to use either the BK 400 External, or the 300 External, all depends on what can make it on this next shipment.

The aquascaping I originally planned on two islands just like you, kind of like steve weases tank, but now I think I have opted for reefscaping like Orions, I really like that large cave he has going on! Maybe even a combination of the two.

[nbd13]

Hey that sounds great!

you have the advantage with glass since you will have more open space on the top of the tank to do different lighting opitions.

Nick

[invincible569]

mane, looks good! I dont like adding too many holes on the back wall for 2 reasons. One, its glass and with glass, you are taking more of a risk with all the pressure of the water in it. 2nd, the more holes you have with bulkheads or jetstreams, the harder it will be to clean off the coralline algae on it and the more dirty it would look. thats why I resisted in putting to much.

everything else looks great! The best way to do your aquascape is to see pictures of a real reef.

[mane3215]

Here are a few goodies I added to my equipment line up for the new tank =). They should have been here around this week, but I havnet heard from the company. I am leaving for Alaska on sunday, so looks like it will be at least another week and a half before I can even snuggle with these babies:

You can see details at www.seavisions.com

[fkadir]

Whats the 2nd pic about? Looks very high-tech and you know how we reefers just LUVVV new gadgets!

[moonpod]

The 2nd pic is part of the business end of the first pic. The seavision thing is supposedly some sort of dialysis based machine for keeping your water clean. A true "filter" if you will.

[mane3215]

Whats the 2nd pic about? Looks very high-tech and you know how we reefers just LUVVV new gadgets!

The first pic is their dialyseas unit, it will remove products that are dissolved in the water through its artificial kidneys, keep your salinity straight do auto water changes and numerous other things.

The second unit was recently built to go hand in hand with the dialyseas and is called their CADS unit. It has a screen down to 150 microns. All dirt and waste is vacuumed automatically from the micron screen filter before it has a chance to break down in your tank. The water over flows from your tank and through the screen. Once its starts to block up the water level rises and triggers a sensor which automatically cause the unit to divert the water around the screen and turns a vacuum on which cleans the screen. They said its so sensitive that if you stir your gravel it will come on.

I travel a lot so these two units though pricey will bring a great piece of mind.