Let's see those 300gal reefs!

[David Grigor]

I'm working on the DIY plans for the project to post on the new TCMAS website.

I'll provide a link when I'm done.

Mine way may not be necessarily the best................ but it worked !

[Minnreefer]

I have seen Dave's tank in person and it looks VERY good, his old tank was nice looking but the new one WOW. The only thing that he did wrong on his tank is made it too small

Jon

[oregon_gorge]

Thanks David,

I have been wrestling with the problem myself. Mike got a new bigger tank, now I have too! Just kidding!!!! But I have been wanting to do something different.

We have a 240 acrylic. I am on the road too much and every time I come home, the algae is out of control, or, more scratches in the front.

I am going to follow your lead and build one 72''x36''x30'' tall. 336 gallons w/ existing 135g sump. I just called on the glass, $258.00 with the edges ground. Plywood is nominal, $100.00 and I dont have a price in the paint until Monday. The paint guy said I need potable 2 part epoxy paint, and the rep from the company will be around Monday to get details and price.

Really looking forward to having more room fron to back too! Will have a 240 and stand for sale after the transfer.


Thanks for the help and the idea!

Chris

[David Grigor]

May previous tank was acrylic too. I wanted glass because of the scratches issue. Well two weeks after putting the tank in my wife scratched up the front with the magnet. Only this time no chance of buffing them out.

I think your plywood estimates are quite a bit low...... I used 3/4" A/C exterior plywood. Becuase of the demensions wider/taller than 24" can't do more than one side out of a sheet. Between the tank ( 4) and stand ( 2) I used 6 sheets at $35 each.

Glass sounds about right mine was $240.

I got the paint locally from Glidden and was $56 a gallon, I used 2 gallons on the tank.

[oregon_gorge]

Thanks,

My sister in law makes plywood, and she says all the glue is exterior now. I was at the lumber yard and the old fir 3/4 is coming with a veneer from South America, it is Luan or similar and looks like an unfinished door blank. Very smooth, paintable, no defect face. Its only $25.00. Bargain Basement!!!!

The canopy and base will be Oak, so I didnt add any plywood for them. But you are right, 4 sheets. I like how you used a whole sheet for the front, no weak spots!

Have a great reef weekend!

Chris

[David Grigor]

Plywood for the stand was for the top and bottom shelfs. Not any finished sides. So really the bottom of the tank is support by 2 3/4" plywood sheets + plywood for the sump to sit on.

[san salvador]

Great looking tanks spanky and Dave.

spanky - My tank dimensions are 8'L x 2'W x 30"H. sorry, no pics yet.

RWD - I plan to use the canister filter to run carbon 1/week - 1/month if I end up using celerpa as the primary macroalgae in my 65 gal refugium. I may keep cellpore media in the filter and use it as an auxiliary refugium. This gives advantages over my 65 gal refugium because the canister is located in line between the sump and the main tank. With the canister refugium the macro inverts do not go through the impeller of the circ. pump. With an independent pump plumbed with a sidestream I can periodically adjust the flow of the sidestream to blow pods to the main tank. Most of the time the canister pump will act as an auxiliary circulation pump.
I also plumbed my ETSS skimmer with a sidestream so as I "turn down" the skimmer the excess flow returns to the main tank to add to my total circulation. My total circulation ( as best as I can estimate) will be about 3000 GPH or 10X an hr turnover. I don't think I can handle more circulation to the sump; as I have only two 1.5" overflow drains to the sump. What size/ How many overflow drains to the sump do you have? I hope to add more flow as time/money allow. Maybe a closed loop, or www.reeftec.com, or www.wave2k.com.

[RWD]

O.K. I understand about the carbon in the canister. I use a mesh bag for carbon and put it in the sump. It sits between the baffles so water flows through it.

I have two corner overflows, each with a 1" bulkhead fitting. I would have went bigger but my overflows are kinda small. I use the Durso pipes and it's very quiet. For a return pump I'm using a Little Giant that flows about 1000 gph. I know the overflows will handle more gph but I wanted to keep the noise down, don't like a waterfall noise when watching TV Most of the circulation comes from the 2 closed loops with SeaSwirls. The 2 links you listed look interesting. If I ever set up another tank I plan on some sort of surge system. Tunze also makes some cool pumps for circulation. Very expensive but they move a LOT of water (+3000 gph I think).
Good luck and keep us updated, Bob

[san salvador]

RWD - Do you use an open - top hood design? If so, what is your evaporation rate? What size/type chiller do you use? What do you use for intake strainers for the closed loop and where do you locate them in your tank? What size/type, and how many heaters are you using? Do you have pics of your set - up?
Thanks for the input.

[RWD]

San,
For the hood it is an enclosed canopy that I built myself. Here's a shot of it while I was building it in my garage:

[RWD]

Another shot with one of the three doors open:

[RWD]

I estimate evaporation rate at 5-6 gal per day. I have a float valve in the sump hooked up to a ro/di system so I don't add water manually.
Intake strainers are the screw on type that usually come with bulkheads. One 1"closed loop sucks water in from a few inches below the waterline. The strainer is screwed into a bulkhead fitting drilled through one of the corner overflows.
The other larger closed loop uses 1-1/2" pvc pipe and is plumbed with the intake piping going over the back of the tank and down to the pump in the stand. Return plumbing goes over the back and is hooked to two 1" SeaSwirls and one 1" return. Here's a shot :

[RWD]

Sorry for the bad picture. Oh, and ignore the white vho bulb that looks like a pipe You can see the strainer at the end of the intake and also the tee that splits off to two SS's.
I don't use a chiller but I probably should. For a few months each year the water temp peaks at over 84 durring the day I lessen the photoperiod durring the summer and run a few more fans to help. For a heater I use one 300 watt Ebo-Jager I do have another one in the sump but it never went on so I unplugged it. My tank is acrylic so it holds heat a lot better then glass. It's also the reason it gets so hot in the summer
I used to have a web page but Homestead deleted it on me so it is now lost. Bob

[David Grigor]

My tank evaporates 4 gallons a day in wintertime open top.

Humidity in the house never drops below 40. Usually around 45 which is pretty high for winter here in MN. My squirrel cage fan with ducts is on a temp controller and really doesn't come on at all during the winter. If the fan were running on a timer instead of controller I am sure evaporation would be significantly higher.......

[san salvador]

RWD - Thanks for the info. My tank is acrylic also. I can't believe you can get away with out a chiller. This gives me hope. But, I have all mag drive pumps so my temp will be higher than yours. Do I remember correctly that you use Ampmasters? Your stand and canopy look great! I can not wait till I get mine finished. I will be filling and testing the plumbing this weekend.

David- It sure sounds like you are a creative guy. You have a squirrel cage fan on your canopy and still only evaporate 4 gal/day? Thats awsome. What temp controller do you use?