150, 170, or 180 rimless build

[jasonbrew]

Hey guys, my mind is going insane with all the info on the forum about different ways to do things. It is really impressive how some of you have built out your systems.

I am in the process of building a 150, 170, or 180 build. I am in the final stages of submitting payment for a custom tank.

On the table for me is a tank that is snug against the wall but a very low space consumption with an internal overflow box. The tank will be 3/4" glass and low iron. the foot prints are up for grabs to 60x24x24, 60x27x24, 72x24x24.

I am upgrading from a DSA neo 65. I run an apex controller and auto water change, auto top off. I dose with 2 part. I want to grow into a heavy SPS tank and then have a decent amount of fish to go with the coral. I have been reefing for 8-10 months. Here are a few questions that I would love to ask you guys.

build list (have and using on the 65)
1) 2 radions
2) 2 mp40
3) 1 mp10
4) reef octopus 200 gal skimmer
5) trigger systems 30" refugium
6) apex
7) media reactor

build list need
1) calc reactor or kalwasser
2) return pump
3) new live sand
4) maybe new rock
5) new fish list

Questions:
1) the tank foot print. Wider or Longer for SPS and fish?
2) a quiet overflow on a rimless is a must for me. (i have attached images of the drawings of the tank build.) Is there a way to have an efficient and space saver internal overflow in the back corner? With a back up dual drain? Like a herbie? but also below the top of the tank so it could be hidden by an overflow cap of some sort? I also want to try to have the returns be 4" below the water line and use loc line to snake it up close to the surface.
3) would 2 overflows in opposite corners be better? Then I could use one drain to feed my refugium in the trigger systems elite.
4) last, how long should I have both tanks running, to allow the new one to properly cycle? I bought some rock from old tanks. I think I have unwanted critters in my tank (other issues). should I buy dry rock and cure it for this new one?

[attachment=0]170Gallon&Sump copy.png[/attachment]
[attachment=1]170Gallon copy.png[/attachment]

 

[JBsmurf]

Why not do one large center overflow with multiple drains and returns? You could then dean a herbie or bean animal overflow which should be all but silent.

Samsung Galaxy S III

 

[Hung]

If efficiency/space is a concern why don't you do an external overflow?

 

[jasonbrew]

The tank is in my office and need to get as close to the wall as possible. The internal tank lets me no that.

JBsmurf, how wide would the internal overflow need to be for the center option to work well?

 

[Mike M]

@jasonbrew wrote:

Couple of comments on the equipment list:
The MP10 will not work with 3/4" glass, you'll have to stick with your MP40s. You could put the MP10 in the sump if you want to provide extra flow there. I might add a second media reactor to your list so that you can run both carbon and GFO or biopellets in a second reactor. If you go with a large enough return pump, you can build a manifold to feed your reactor(s).

1) I like a good balance between front and back and length. More front to back space allows you to get a look with more depth with your aquascaping. Length is great for fish that like to swim around but that also will depend on how you aquascape. Depth (front to back) can let you have islands and things they can swim around. If the tank is against a wall, you may want to go with whatever dimensions will allow you to easily get to everything in the tank from the front (i.e. something falls down on the sandbed close to the back wall.

2) Not enough experience to really comment intelligently on this one.

3) I like have dual everything that I can so that I have redundancy. You'll have more plumbing to do of course any if you like you can run a second return pump.

4) I did something similar to you and just moved everything over within a week or so of setting up the new tank with new sand BUT I also had my liverock seeding for weeks before that transition. I wanted a fresh start so aside from a few pieces of seed rock, I nuked all the rock going into the new tank with a bleach and acid wash bath and then went through the seeding process. That took care of any phosphate issues, got rid of an asterina star explosion, vermitid snails, aptaisia and other unwanted pests.

 

[jasonbrew]

mike, thanks for your thoughts. i would love to hear more on seeding your rock, is that the same as curing it? can I coral dip my frags to make sure they are good?

 

[JBsmurf]

@jasonbrew wrote:

I'm not sure how big it would need to be but on a 180 I'd go total of three drains 2 returns herbie style. That being said I don't know the flow rates or any of that so its something I'd research. Others here have far more experience with it than I do.

Samsung Galaxy S III

 

[downwithfescue]

What software did you use to draw out your tank?

Thanks,
fescue

 

[DaveG99]

go with the herbie over flow. You will need one return and two drains. You can use 3/4 return and the drains can be 1". Its dead silent and the best part is no salt creep in the sump because there arent any bubbles.

I would go with a 72"x24"x18" but Im a fan of shallow tanks. The longer the tank the better it is for tangs.

I recently set up a custom 72" tank. You ordering from Planet Aquariums?

And your going to need more than 2 radions for sure! Probably more like 4. If you want to go with only two lights you should use the maxspect razor 160 watt.

 

[jasonbrew]

downwithfescue: i use sketchup.

I talked with miracles and planet. I am trying to get quotes. Miracles is the only response I can get backbut shipping with add $450. The current internal overflow is 5x15 with two 3/4 returns and 3 1" drains. I would kind of like to only have 2 drains and 1 return. so I could have a size of maybe 5x10. I also like a little bit longer and maybe a bit wider. my wife, won't go for too big though!

[attachment=0]170Gallon3 copy.png[/attachment]

 

[Guest]

Might send reef savy an email they are like miracles and make beautiful tanks.

Might pm dvups1 he is a member that builds tanks. He has built many tanks for members


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[Mike M]

@jasonbrew wrote:

Seeding is the process of taking dead rock that has been cooked to make it live again. It is as simple as adding in a piece of two of live rock that you trust or, you can go with a completely clean setup and just use a starter bacteria or let it cycle naturally by adding in some ammonia source like food to get the cycle going. When you completely nuke the rock by doing a bleach and acid bath you need a source of nitrifying bacteria to get things going again. The seeding takes care of that by using existing live rock that already has your nitrifying bacteria.

Dipping corals can certainly help if you are worried about things that dips will kill. I always dip corals before adding them to my tank in case there is something I can't see or that I missed.

 

[jasonbrew]

I just bought 100lbs of dry punkani rock from BRS. I have read all the concerns. I am going to get a brute heavy duty trash can to seed the new rock. Can I coral dip a rock that I think is okay? or would i be better off putting rotifers cube in there?

 

[jasonbrew]

You guys have been very helpful in helping me think through a few things. One more Question for those of you with experience with a herbie or been overflow.

Question:
a) What problems do you see with the attached drawing. (Anything is game, dimensions can change)
b) The reason I want a lid and to keep the returns lower than the top is I hate salt creep. HATE. (If I had room I would drill the returns in the back of the tank.)
c) I also like small as possible, slick and contained.

Further Ideas:
a) I am not sold on a 15" overflow.
b) If I went with 1 (1") return and 2 (1.5") drains would that be enough for my DT?