My 12' long, 560 gallon Reef Tank Build

R

rere85

Premium Member
Well I have put my downpayment on a 144"x30"x30" AGE tank with Bill at Neptunes cove and will have it in 3 weeks is the estimate. Front panel is standard glass (starphire doesnt come in 12' sheets locally, so too much $$), sides and back will be black acrylic with 3 external overflows on the back of the tank.
[attachment=2]144x30x30tank.JPG[/attachment]
I am combining the space in my fish room where I currently have 2 - 220 gallon oceanic tanks, which I'll sell once I got the new tank in.
[attachment=1]Old2Tanks.jpg[/attachment]
The tank on the right in that picture was a freshwater planted tank but I changed it to a FOWLR about 8 months ago.
The tank of the left is my reef tank I have had going about 1 1/2 years, that picture is probably in the first 4-5 months old.
I bought quite a few SPS frags from all over, forum, swaps, online, etc.
here is some pics of the frags I bought from ReefGod...
[attachment=0]ReefGodsFrags.jpg[/attachment]
 
bam! now that is what im talkin about! this should be a very nice build, looking forward to hear everything you are doing with it. good luck!
 
Here is my current Reef sump systems...
[attachment=2]CurrentTankRoom.JPG[/attachment]
[attachment=1]Reeflight.JPG[/attachment]
[attachment=0]ReefSump.JPG[/attachment]
 
Here is my current FOWLR setup....
[attachment=2]FOWLRlight.JPG[/attachment]
[attachment=1]FOWLRsump.JPG[/attachment]
Here is my frag tank and auto topoff system, also have the floor drain over there...
[attachment=0]Frag&AutoTopOff.JPG[/attachment]
 
I have been drawing up some plans for the setup and would love any questions or ideas...
[attachment=2]NewTankRoom.jpg[/attachment]
[attachment=1]tankplans.jpg[/attachment]
I also am trying to setup an automatic live brine shrimp hatchery that actually feeds the tank full size brine shrimp...
[attachment=0]BrineShrimpSystem.JPG[/attachment]
 
@rere85 wrote:
I also am trying to setup an automatic live brine shrimp hatchery that actually feeds the tank full size brine shrimp... [attachment=0]BrineShrimpSystem.JPG[/attachment] said:
Definitely interested in this part of your build. I'd love to do this with my new tank as well. Keep us updated with any pictures or schematics with this part.

That's one sweet huge tank. AGE as well. Nice.
Click to expand...
 
Good to see a build of this size that's local and not just on the crazy big builds on Reef Central. Looks like it's going to be a nice setup. Can't wait to see it mature...
 
@chrisrush wrote:
[I]@rere85 wrote:[/I][quote="I also am trying to setup an automatic live brine shrimp hatchery that actually feeds the tank full size brine shrimp... [attachment=0]BrineShrimpSystem.JPG[/attachment] said:
Definitely interested in this part of your build. I'd love to do this with my new tank as well. Keep us updated with any pictures or schematics with this part.

That's one sweet huge tank. AGE as well. Nice."]


In the frag tank pic above, I have my test run of the brine shrimp in the coke bottle with a pvc base. Seeing if I can keep them alive and growing for 4 weeks with phytoplankton feedings every few days. The first time I didnt realize the eggs I put in had their own salt, so I added salt water and had a crash after about 2 weeks, but I did see alot of shrimp grow to near adult size, definitely big enough for normal reef fish to eat.
Click to expand...
 
I like the build and would like to see how the brine shrimp feeder pans out as I have often considered one.

A concern I do have is the use of solenoid valves as conventional solenoids have internal ports that are very small and there is exposed stainless. They work fine for RO/DI but will clog and corrode in salt water use. You may need to check into using a motorized ball valve but they can get pretty costly (over a hundred bucks versus 25 for a solenoid)

I'm including a picture of a conventional solinoid (the type we often use for RO/DI set ups)
De-Energized - the spring forces the piston down and line pressure helps maintain a seal against the internal port
Energized - the piston is raised by an electronic magnet and flow is established through the small internal port. The internal port on a 1/4" solinoid is probably less then 1/8"

[attachment=0]solinoid.JPG[/attachment]
 
Thanks for the tip on the solenoids, I will definitely take some time in picking the right one. Right now I am just trying to make sure raising the shrimp in coke bottles will work for 4 weeks. If the picture isnt clear, each container will be full about all the time, the bottom container should hold the 4 weeks old shrimp that should be full size from what I have read about growth time, it will be fed to the main tank through a timer and if I calculate the volume dosed correctly, I should be about empty in a weeks time and then timers will release the bottles from above, one at a time to each one below to continue the rotation on a weekly period. I am concerned also that the hatchling bottle will need to be cleaned nearly weekly to biweekly due to the egg shells. I havent figured a way on how to clean out the eggs after they been hatched without hurting the shrimp other than one day delay on filling the top bottle and have to manually clean it out each week. Still better than having to prepare and feed multiple times a day but still looking for complete automation.
 
I think I have a soleniod that wont flow through a small chanel like Pete warned me about. This one has a plunger that is electronically opened or closed. Its mostly plastic but the shaft of the plunger is stainless steel, so I am gonna order one and see if I can coat or block the water to hitting the shaft. By the way, only $20 bucks including shipping on ebay!
[attachment=1]solenoid.jpeg[/attachment]
[attachment=0]solenoidinside.jpeg[/attachment]
I should note, these are designed for gravity fed water, not for pressure like a pump, so they will work for dropping water into each shrimp container, but not for many other things.
 
nice find on the solinoid valve - it has a much larger port the the other ones
the stainless may stil be an issue on the but worth a try, also check the spring. The main issue is if/when the stainlees stem corodes (even just a little) it may swell and get jambed in the magnet preventing it from operating.
 
Ok, here is a list of most my equipment, let me know what you think...

Lighting
5 - 250w MH lumenbright reflectors DE
5 - coralvue 250w electronic ballasts
5 - 14k 250w coralvue DE bulbs
I have a 4' - 8 bulb T5 fixture that I was thinking I could breakout of the box and run the T5s along the distance of the tank in front and back of the metal hallides, similar to my old reef light setup with VHOs pictured above
I also have the reefkeeper elite moon lights

Pumps
3 - Reeflo darts (return pumps and manifold to power reactors)(plan on having the return pipe go down the back of the tank and come out to 3 - 1/2" openings for each pump just above the sand bed
2 - Vortechs MP40
2 - Vortechs MP20
I have originally planned on spacing all 4 vortechs on the back wall for circulation, but am considering putting two on each end and try for more of a wave motion than random motion that the back wall would give. Please help on this one.

Reactors
2 - 2' built in protein skimmers in sump with venturi air from pumps
CA reactor with extra chamber
Biopellet reactor
Kalkwasser reactor off the RO system, I have a completely automated top off with a 30 gallon holding tank which only fills up when over half empty, so RO gets past the first gallon of bad water
I had been using filter pads for carbon before, probably need to make a carbon reactor
Rowaphos reactor
Thats all I got of reactors, let me know if I missed one

Misc.
Refugium Chaeto
extra live rock in sump
frag tank (on my last setup, the frag tank had the main tank water running to and from it but it was getting bad algae outbreaks, I cleaned many times, added snails and emerald crabs but it still comes back, and the main tank isnt getting the algea, Help
3 - Eihem autofeeders for dry food
working on the live brine shrimp feeder
 
I already have the MP40s and MP20s, so I didnt want to spend the money but I would love to have the MP60s.

LEDs have not impressed me yet with good PAR readings at low depths, my tank is gonna be 30" deep and again I already have the metal halide setup so I would be spending alot of money to go LED with optics and on a 12' tank it would be about a million bulbs needed to cover everything. Again I have had no personal evidence the led's even with optics will get the par readings at 30" that my MH will. And if they can it would cost much much more. Please give me good info if you know something I dont, but it has to be cost practical on a 12' long tank.
 
How thick is the glass you
Might have a problem with thickness with mp40 and mp20
 
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