High Tide Aquatics

CaptainB's 110g (Marcus)

Marcus H

Marcus H

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Replacing my current setup, an old 34g Solana, with a 110g display (48x24x22) with sump and frag tank in closet behind it.This will take awhile to get running but I have most of the pieces already. We are finishing up the laundry room remodel (closet to be used is in the laundry). The new display will go in the same spot as the old one

Activities to go in this thread:

Build sump
Build stand for frag tank
Set up sump and frag tank
Tear down current display - transfer to frag tank
Build stand for display
Set up new display
 
Here's my current tank (please ignore cyano that grows in that one spot every morning). I set it up with all old stuff I had around except the light (the old halide disco ball was unsalvageable). It has tunze 9002/chaeto/return with ato reservoir in the stand. I use that IM magnet light to grow the chaeto. Been running for about 18 months.

It's a 20" cube including filtration so I think everything can fit in the frag tank 24x20x10 if it has to. Only 3 fish right now and my corals are small. All softies and one encrusting monti.

@Coral reefer: I need to settle on a design and then I'll get started on that stand. It'll be in my family room so I need it to be presentable. Since it doesn't have to hold a sump I have lots of options.

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Here's my new tank: it's an SCA 48x24x22. Drilled for modular marine 1600 gph overflow. The holes in the brace are to run cords through for gyre pumps.

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Since whoever designed my kitchen was not thinking straight, the door between the kitchen and laundry opened into the same space as the refrigerator door.

When we moved in we just took it off and have had no door.

I put this pocket door in so we can finally shut this room, which is good if I'm going to have strange blue and purple lights in there.


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Here's the closet where I'm putting the sump and frag tank it's approximately 60" x 30", Currently we use this to store mops and the cat's bathroom. Sorry fuzzies, you need a new spot to do your business.

Not pictured: I installed an outlet on a new circuit inside the closet (it's behind the ironing board).

What should I do to protect that pipe from corrosion? It's a gas line so... I was thinking paint/coat it with something durable and waterproof?

Also, I should probably put vinyl baseboard in here, yes?

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In case anyone is interested I use this as an ATO reservoir with my current tank.

https://www.amazon.com/Komax-Biokips-Plastic-Container-Measuring/dp/B01MSMLM59

It works great; holds 3 gallons and has a good form factor. I used a drill to make a notch in the red plastic lid to fit the power cord and tube through.

While on the topic of ATO I top off with dilute kalkwasser since I don't have high demand stuff. You can buy CaOH from reef suppliers or you can buy it from the Mexican supermarket at 1/5 the price. Ask for "cal", it's used to make corn into hominy for tortillas.
 
2 years and another daughter (18 m/o) later I've finally begin tearing down the tank. Frag tank setup in the closet is running with a few established rocks and some small things to colonize/make sure it doesn't cycle. I tried to build a sump before I said F it and bought a ruby The stand here I did myself and I'm pretty happy with it.

i added a new breaker to the fuse box to run everything on it's own circuit. The board is to mount all my electrics, maybe an apex in the future.
 

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Also stand for main display is done. If anyone in Concord/Walnut Creek is looking for a carpenter let me know. Easy to work with, didn't have to wait forever and price was reaosnable for a high quality piece of custom furniture.

Flooring in the family room is getting replaced July 8 so has to live here for a bit until that's finished.

Current tank has to be empty by July 8 as well but I'm pretty much ready to move the rest out at any time so no worries.

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Ya, stand for the 110g.

Since I'm connecting both the display and frag to the same sump in the closet I just have shelving inside for storage. If I ever have to move the tank a sump would fit inside (have ~24" below drawers, total height is 36") but may have to take the back off to get it in.

Hole in the back to run cords for wave/light controllers etc.
 

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Everything moved over to the temporary tank. I lost a fire shrimp but everyone else seems ok. Blue Assessor jammed himself in a hole in the rock but he eventually came out when I threw it in the new setup.

I'm not sure how I'm going to aquascape the new tank if I want to salvage any of this rock. I may just try to incorporate the big rock with the green sinularia and encrusting monti growing all over it. I have tons of dry rock so it's more about the established coral than anything else. Maybe I just start fresh and try to remove corals from these onto smaller rocks/plugs.
 

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So I'm planning/ordering stuff for lighting the new tank and have some planning questions/sanity checks.

I want to use 2 kessil a360s that I have already and a hybrid t5 that I need to buy. I am thinking to use 36" t5 rather than 48" to get less light spill and overall I just think it would look better with smaller fixture over the tank. Is this crazy?

Second I'm building lighting mounting arms from 80/20. I see most people use the wires to hang the hybrid fixture from the arms, but why not just connect to it directly? I think I want to bolt the fixture to the 80/20 then put locking pivots on the corners to pivot the whole thing up if I need to get into the tank. Am I missing something here?

The height adjustment will be where it connects to the stand. I have 4 of these brackets to hold the vertical pieces.
 

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I'm having a hard time getting the lighting right over the frag tank. I think I didn't realize how much light 4 T5s 5" over the water is on a 10" deep tank. Hanging from wires is not really an option due to the location in the laundry closet. The ceiling is thin (cabinet above) and it's partially obstructed by shelving.

How do other people do frag tanks with different coral light requirements? I have 2 old kessil A150 lying around so I was thinking to get something less intense for overall coverage then point an a150 on the light loving pieces.
 
Oh and I ordered all my 80/20 stuff. I was struggling to figure out how to bolt the fixture directly: access holes in the t-slot? Do I have to drill out the fixture to get the appropriate bolt size?

Then I realized I could just use L brackets /facepalm
 
CaptainB said:
I'm having a hard time getting the lighting right over the frag tank. I think I didn't realize how much light 4 T5s 5" over the water is on a 10" deep tank. Hanging from wires is not really an option due to the location in the laundry closet. The ceiling is thin (cabinet above) and it's partially obstructed by shelving.

How do other people do frag tanks with different coral light requirements? I have 2 old kessil A150 lying around so I was thinking to get something less intense for overall coverage then point an a150 on the light loving pieces.
Click to expand...

I have the aquatic life t5 hybrid fixture with 3 xr15s. I blast everything with the t5s and just have different profiles set for each xr15.
 
Srt4eric said:
I have the aquatic life t5 hybrid fixture with 3 xr15s. I blast everything with the t5s and just have different profiles set for each xr15.
Click to expand...

How high off the water are you mounted? Blasting with T5s right over the water some of my zoas like it but others are a little reluctant. Mushrooms mostly don't like it.
 
CaptainB said:
So I'm planning/ordering stuff for lighting the new tank and have some planning questions/sanity checks.

I want to use 2 kessil a360s that I have already and a hybrid t5 that I need to buy. I am thinking to use 36" t5 rather than 48" to get less light spill and overall I just think it would look better with smaller fixture over the tank. Is this crazy?

Second I'm building lighting mounting arms from 80/20. I see most people use the wires to hang the hybrid fixture from the arms, but why not just connect to it directly? I think I want to bolt the fixture to the 80/20 then put locking pivots on the corners to pivot the whole thing up if I need to get into the tank. Am I missing something here?

The height adjustment will be where it connects to the stand. I have 4 of these brackets to hold the vertical pieces.
Click to expand...
Not crazy at all, I used a pair of XR15's and 2 x 24" T5's for a 36x18x18 reef and it did a super job of growing out sps; actually only ran the T5's for 5 hrs a day at peak photo period.
 
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