My (first) new tank...

mcdavies · 10-11-2003, 09:58 AM

OK...so there isn't anything growing in it yet...but my new tank is wet!!!

Have spent the last 3-4 months researching this new hobby and, about 3 weeks ago, took delivery on my new 150g tank! I now have it hooked up and ready to put the live rock in. The only critical piece missing is the skimmer, but will have that in a couple of weeks...

Specs are:

Tank: 60" X 24" X 24"
Sump (in the basement): 60" X 18" X 24"
Pump: Sequence 6000SE (4600 g/hr at 11.5' head)
Lighting: 2 - 400W MH; 3 - HVO (5')
4" DSB

A couple of pics below (not that exciting...other than to me, that is!).

Any thoughts / suggestions welcome!

Mark

mcdavies · 10-11-2003, 09:59 AM

Here is a closer look at the lighting wiring...

mcdavies · 10-11-2003, 10:01 AM

This is the sump. Inflow on the right, outflow on the left. It is directly below the tank in the basement...

mcdavies · 10-11-2003, 10:03 AM

Close-up of my beast pump...it is amazingly quiet! You can hardly tell it is on. With the feeds wide open, the circulation in the tank is VERY strong. Thinking I may not have to go with power heads if I can set it up properly (I have 4 lock-line feeds into the tank).

thefatman · 10-11-2003, 10:03 AM

looks like hte research has paid off well!! looks great!!!

mcdavies · 10-11-2003, 10:04 AM

And, last but not least...Avalanche! He's dying to know when the fish fry is!

If I find even one nose print on my tank, it's off to the glue factory (I'm so tough...).

Mafiaman · 10-11-2003, 10:07 AM

If I'm reading right you'd better tie everything down or split your return water up into several jets,cycling your tank water at close to 31 times an hour is fast. Wont be any need for powerheads

mcdavies · 10-11-2003, 10:12 AM

I hear you Mafiaman...

I haven't been running the feeds wide open. Have split the return into 2 feeds (see sump pic) and then have that split at the tank into 2 more (ie: 4 return feeds in total). Figure the vertical is about 16'. Wide open, that would put each return at about 3600 (est) / 4 = 900g/hr flow rate.

As a point of interest...what flow rate would a powerhead / return ideally have? I can adjust the rate down as far as I want...

JPerkins · 10-11-2003, 10:52 AM

Wow, I'm on my like 5 or 6th tank and yours blows my setup away heh.

Nice job, its going to look good I know it.

One thing I can't figure out is what the blue external pump is for. Waiting on skimmer perhaps?

It looks like you boxed yourself into a corner on setting up a freshwater reservoir to do top offs.

The third picture has a shelf on the right side, I would try to put a sturdier shelf there and hook your RO to a water container thats higher than your sump. Put a ball valve inline with your RO's output, then a float valve in the water container. You will have to turn the ball valve on to fill up the water container and the float valve is in case you forget to turn off the ball valve.

Then I would run a 1/4 tube from the water container to the sump and put a float valve in the sump to replenish evap....this way you only have the water containers volume to worry about spills and your RO's isn't kicking on hundreds of times each day to replace evap.

I'm also wondering why you don't have reflectors on your MH lamps. Maybe you do and I just can't see it.

Avalanche looks very cool. Nice face markings.

All in all an A+ system. ...

Mafiaman · 10-11-2003, 10:54 AM

These High tech guys will tell you better but if you cycled @ a rate of tank X 10 + 4 (250gph) Powerheads = 2500 gph would be considerd good movement. But once again let me say this is only what I have read and the Tech guys around here know much better..

Jeremy1973 · 10-11-2003, 11:00 AM

Nice job...keep us posted!

Mafiaman · 10-11-2003, 11:27 AM

I Apologize If I sound like rain.
Your system looks great and will be the envey of many including myself :-)

Mafiaman · 10-11-2003, 12:58 PM

Just one more obsevation and once again just look at it because I use submersible pumps.
You have what looks like a rigid connection from your pump to the sump. I believe there is a leak coming to a basement near you... (vibration)

mcdavies · 10-11-2003, 01:31 PM

Thanks for all the comments!

I think you're right Mafia...maybe I'll put a flex hose extension onto the pump to give it some play...

You're reading my mind JPerkins...I am going to rip some of that shelving out and set up an auto top-up system. I have the RO shutoff kit...just need to do the set-up work. Thinking of also setting up a separate reservoir for saltwater to facilitate water changes...

Your comment about reflectors on the MH's...is that typical? You're right when you say that I don't have them...

Just put in the live rock and a temporary skimmer (until mine gets in). Below is a pic of the rock as currently set up...may do some asthetic changes...not sure...the water is still a bit murky to tell.

Mark

JPerkins · 10-11-2003, 06:43 PM

Not having a reflector on your MH's just seems like a waste of electricity. Reflectors can greatly expand the amount of light and penetration to the corners so much it isn't even funny.