190 Gallon SPS build

[sgresham]

I have been lurking on here quite a while and only posting in the WTB/WTS threads, but it is finally time to post my new build! A few weeks ago, I ordered a custom tank from Deep Sea Aquatics through Rift to Reef. I ordered 60.5X30.5X25 reef ready aquarium with a center overflow with 4 holes drilled, and a low iron glass front panel. I only needed the front panel starphire, as it will really be the only viewable pane. I did not order this tank rimless, as my wife was adamant about having a canopy over the tank, no matter how much I begged. As I patiently awaited the tank to be completed, I began ordering the other components. This tank will be replacing a 75 gallon reef that I have had set up for about 6 months. As an aside, I knew I should have gone bigger when I bought the 75, but I digress. Unfortunately, I am not able to use alot of the equipment from the 75 gallon, as the water volume and dimensions are completely different. Just about the only thing I will be using from the 75 is the marine magic dosing pump, the reefkeeper, a BRS media reactor for GFO, rock, corals and fish.

alt="">
Here is a large part of what I will be using on the new tank...a Super Reef Octopus 3000int with a self cleaning head, 2 tunze 6105s with a tunze 7096 controller (I may be adding a tunze 6055 as well; I will have to see how the flow goes), a water-blaster 7000 for my return pump, and two lumenbright reflectors with reeflux 20k bulbs and cv 250 ballasts.

Today I also received 4 bags of tropic eden reeflakes (I will only be doing about a 1/2 inch sandbed just for aesthetics), 2 coralvue canopy fans, and two standpipes.

In addition, as I waited for the tank, I also built my stand. After many days of sweat, here is what I came up with.

alt="">
stand without the doors

Today, I received a message on textbook from Dane at Rift to Reef that my tank had arrived from DSA, and he could deliver it if I wanted. Of course I wanted! I rushed from work, and met Dane at my front door, and in a few minutes, this was in my house...

alt="">

I was completely happy with the work done by Deep Sea Aquatics, and I was also very surprised to find that my tank had a pvc bottom, which cut quite a bit off of the weight of the tank.

alt="">
pvc bottom

I was also surprised to find out that my youngest son is now 36 inches tall, go Jude!

alt="">

Finally, here is a picture of where the tank will be going in a few days. The current tank is a 75 gallon, and the size of that alcove is the precise reason that I wanted this tank built to these dimensions. The aquarium will fit in that spot with about 4 inches to spare on each side.

alt="">

Tomorrow, I will be receiving a media reactor and biopellets from avast marine and a 50lb box of dry rock from reefrocks.net. In addition, if I am not too tired after work, I wil be moving the 75 gallon out of the way so I can get the 190 to its new home. This weekend will probably be the time to build a canopy for the aquarium.

Let the fun begin!!

 

[Wes]

Love the dimensions, that will be a fun tank...you have some nice equipment too, I have the ext vs of that skimmer and it rocks.

 

[sgresham]

@Wes wrote:

I am really excited to set up the skimmer. I almost bought the ext. I just didn't know if I would have enough room in the stand for the skimmer and all of the other equipment. I also almost bought the cone version, but Mike at Reef Specialty assured me that if I got the regular int with the head cleaner, I would be more than happy. I think and hope he was right. He's an awesome guy and very knowledgeable, and I highly recommend Reef Specialty.

A little advice here...from what Mike said, the lumenbright mini wides will need to be 16 to 17 inches off of the top of the water in order for me to get no shadowing. First of all, do you guys know if he means from the bulb to the water, or from the bottom of the reflector to the water? I think he meant from the bottom of the reflector to the water, and that means that the canopy will have to be about 24 inches tall. That sounds like a crazy large canopy; I hope it doesn't look really weird.

 

[Wes]

Bottom to the water, I also have lumen brights and mine are right at 16

 

[sgresham]

Thanks for the clarification Wes. That is exactly what I thought.

 

[MarcoG]

I can't wait to see this thread get going!

 

[bimmerzs]

Looks good bro....I run my lumenbrights a lil closer but my tank isn't as wide. If you can fit a third one in there then you may be able to put them lower I have a large one you can snag.

Cheers,.

 

[sgresham]

@bimmerzs wrote:

I may take you up on that. A large one over the middle might not be so bad. I am going to test these out this weekend to see.

 

[hitillidie]

I have the same identical tank dementions from DSA and I run Three MH over my tank. The coverage is great of course and I have them about 10inches off the water. I believe with a five foot tank and trying to cover with no shade area with leave you with a very tall canopy. JMO

 

[Ptt]

24" tall canopy will look very disproportional when sit on a 25" tall tank. Considering the canopy will cover the top 2" of the tank.
You seem to be pretty handy with woodworking. How about building wood panels that will go from ceiling to floor and wrapped around the stand. You can have a pulley system to raise and lower the light.

 

[cabi]

Really nice tank!

 

[sgresham]

@Ptt wrote:

Hmm, it sounds like I might need three.

@cabi wrote:

Thanks!

 

[bimmerzs]

Or this. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUlgd0WGQfU

Cheers,

 

[Guest]

Or trade them for lumen max elites or lumenarcs you get more light coverage with those without having to raise them


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[sgresham]

@kuyatwo wrote:

don't the lumenbrights put out quite a bit more par than both of those though? I got home pretty late from work last night, but I did have a pretty big UPS day! I received 50 lbs of rock from reefrocks.net (nice stuff), my avast marine media reactor kit, and a couple of uniseals for my water station from BRS. I began working on the media reactor last night, and it is super simple to build, and really quality. I am hoping to finish it tonight. The plan for this weekend is to move the old tank, get some new filters for my RO (reading 3tds, probably need new DI), make water, move the new tank into its spot, and begin plumbing. I hope I get to all that.

 

[sgresham]

@bimmerzs wrote:

Damn work; I can't look at Youtube here. I'll check this out when I get home.

 

[Guest]

On a tank like yours you wont need par to hit all the way to the bottom.

I ran lumenarcs on my old 150 and frag tank and lumenbrights on my 250 gallon.

Large lumenarcs can cover a 36x24 spread while lumen brights have more par as it is more focused towards the center.

Reflectors are only one part to getting good par. Choosing the right bulbs and ballast. For example i could put a iwasaki 15k 175 watt in a lumenarc and it will prob blow away 60-70% of 250 watt bulb in a lumenbright reflector as just the bulb puts out a ton of par as it is a great bulb and uses less wattage

Lumenbrights need to be ran pretty high to not get that shadowing effect so unless you have a tall canopy. You might not have alot of room to work with if you need to get in and out of the tank.

Also I would set them on a light rack so you can move the reflectors left and right to get acces into your tank easier.


Lumenbrights are great reflectors just need some height to make them work correctly.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[sgresham]

I think you are just right. I just called coralvue, and they saud, at 14 inches, the lumenbright wide minis cover a spread of about 18-22 inches. If I go the lumenbright route, I will probably need to add one more bulb. That will also still mean the inner dimensions of my canopy needs to be 20 inches, and if I add an 1.5 on to that to cover the trim, and .75 for the thickness of the wood on top, that is 22.25 inches, pretty tall...

Now, it sounds like 2 large lumenarcs would handle the tank pretty easily? What height do they typically need to be mounted at, from the bottom of the reflector?

Also, where is the best place to order what I need for a metal light rack? I would rather not have to weld it.

 

[masharp1126]

@sgresham wrote:

Several people, including myself, have built their light racks with the aluminum tubing and connectors from this site:

http://www.eztube.com/aluminum_tube/aluminum_tube.html

 

[sgresham]

Thanks for the link. I actually foud this site last night. What is the financial outlay for this stuff? It seems pretty easy to use compared to aluminum angle iron and rivets.