240 Cube Build Help

[moovinfast]

Got the tank home. Now I need to start getting things together for it. Tanks is 4x4x2'

Here is the tank

Here is the back wall. Continuous overflow, two closed look intakes and 4 returns from the sump. Closed loop returns are through the bottom of the tank.

Here is the bottom before it had been drilled

The bottom. Has 8 3/4" returns for the closed loop

Here is the the part behind the overflow. From left to right are Return,Durso Overflow, Closed Loop intake, Closed Loop intake, Durso Overflow, Return

And here is a pic of the back he had so you can kind of see how its all hooked up

Ive already picked up 2 dart pumps. Want to do one for the closed loop and one for a return.

For lighting I have 4 250w electronic ballasts and pendants, but would like to get it down to two. Does someone make a DE pendant that is large enough to cover 4x4 with 2 pendants?

Not sure what to do for a stand. Was thinking of using 4x4 posts with 2x6s wrapped around the top and bottom. Would a single piece of 3/4" mdf on top support the tank? Was thinking of making a 1' edge on the two sides and back so it has a bar around it. Somewhere to place a drink while looking into the tank.

For the return I wanted to use one of the Darts. Could I use it with an 1" SCWD and then have each side split into 2 3/4" returns? Can I do similar with the closed loop? Go from the dart to a 1" SCWD and then have each side of the SCWD go to 4 3/4"" returns. So it would run all 8 in total? The darts are rated at 3600 GPH.

 

[ac7av]

That’s a monster tank!
You have got your work cut out for you.
Sorry I don’t have any knowledge about the light fixture your looking for.
I just had to say seeing that many holes that close together freaks me out. I know acrylic is stronger then glass but I would have nightmares about that.

 

[NaTe R]

Would a single piece of 3/4" mdf on top support the tank? Was thinking of making a 1' edge on the two sides and back so it has a bar around it. Somewhere to place a drink while looking into the tank.

Yes a 3/4" MDF would work with about 4 supports with a max 10" span IMO
but... MDF will swell when it gets wet so unless you were going to cover in laminate i would not recommend it.

Having room around the tank with the extra width is a must, also i believe and in my experience i think a having a way big stand is important to if you have to put everything equipment under it. it get crowded pretty quick

 

[NaTe R]

Not sure what to do for a stand. Was thinking of using 4x4 posts with 2x6s wrapped around the top and bottom

Think about using 4x4 posts with 1 1/8" plywood top and side skirts mabey use steel instead of big 2x6's save some space. just an idea

 

[Workaholic]

personally I wouldn't use MDF for any part of the stand. its expensive, really really heavy and VERY absorbent (were talking the wood equivalent of a sponge). As for a dart as a return pump. allot of the return speed would depend on the size of the sump you plan to have. lets say you're going to have a 100gal sump which puts total volume at 340gal give or take. Honestly I wouldn't run more than 1500gph through the return but thats just me, personally I like ALLOT of dwell time for the skimmer to do its thing. Then run a big pump for the closed loop. Personally I would run a mag12 or mag 15 for a return and then run both darts for your closed loop making two different loops essentially if you still wanted to use those two that or upgrade to one big pump.

Tom

 

[lvsuckerfish]

I forget what a scwd is top rated pressure for a dart will blow that apart IMO darts are best set up with 2 inch intake and a min. of 1" or 5 or more outlets 3/4" you are putting back pressure on the pump which will cause it to not be as effiecient and probly fail sooner. (many friends of mine did 3/4 on there closed loops and regret it to this day. flow is not the same the enductors will give more of a target flow if you want to call it that.

You can use the dart as a return Most in the north west like the longer dwell times I look at our systems "now this is my opinon" as a enclosed system so the water is going to hit the skimmer and macro algea several times throughout the day. so fast or slow sump times I really do not pay attention to dwell time to a skimmer if you have a good rated skimmer then the dwell time will be there just spread out over the coarse of a day. I am running a enhiem 1262 on my 29 gallon tank macro grows dt is clear and skimmer pulls muck out all day. my sump is a walmart tub 18 gallons only filled to the level of the skimmer. 7 inches high. thats above works for me and has always worked on all my systems I ran. so a high turn over rate is a good thing.

IMHO Dwell time is over rated! Running the dart can be used if you have it to use rather then buying a new pump.

reefing is like skinning a cat there is more then one way to do it LoL.

 

[lvsuckerfish]

sorry I just looked up a 1 inch scwd it will work up to 3400gph so with head pressure you might be ok with it. I still wouldn't chance it but thats just me lol

 

[Skimmy]

IMO,
that return pump is innapropriate...
I prefer the european new school method of matching the return pump with the amount of water the media reactors and skimmer is processing...
to provide your sump with more water than it can clean is a complete waste of watts, use those watts for providing flow for the main display, I say...
the only thing that would benifit from that much flow through the sump would be mechanical filtration, which you should not be running 24/7 anyway, if at all, you should only have socks or polyester pads when you do wc's or cleaning.

so a general rule of thumb I use is to make the entire display tank go through the filter 3x an hour, most skimmers are processing about 1.5-2.5x the total display volume per hour. also, if you have a refugium, it will be easier to remove nutrients via marcoalgae if there is more dwell time...
so unlike luvsuckerfish, I think dwell is paramount to consider, and will also have the side benifit of saving you money in the long run.

and fwiw(prolly not much), I think closed loops are evil, and holes in the bottom of the tank make me cry...
I am a huge proponent of using wide flow low watt tunze/vortec powerheads that dont have innapropriate finger size nozzel outlets like a closed loop. those are completely unnatural, and nothing like wave action in the actual ocean, not to mention the plumbing of a closed loop is obnoxious, expensive, a complete beyotch to clean, and should be replaced every 5-7 years.
and because you have holes on the bottom of the tank, that means breaking the whole system down to do said maintenance or replacement...good times, ....good times.

 

[Chichas01]

wow, great build! You have some great space to work with there. What's up with those bulk heads you have? they look like they have a barbed end and a steel compression ring or somthing.

 

[ac7av]

+1 more on everything skimerwhisperer posted.

With that said you already have it drilled and plumbed, you’ve already made your choice on how you want to plum the tank. No since in trying to change it and it will work just fine and look clean. It sounds to me like that pump is overkill and a watt sucker. I run around 800 gallons on a 210 and the pump draws around 50 watts. I had two pumps of the same value inline but found it was completely a waste of watts. So I just keep the extra pump for a backup if the one I’m using fails.

 

[moovinfast]

The tank was already drilled when I got it, so cant really change it now. As for the return pump, I think I read it uses 145w. And it wont be 3600 GPH once you figure in head height and losses from splitting up the flow for the return. Not sure if I'm going to use it, its just what I have. If I go with 3x turnover, that would make a 720gph pump. But I'm affraid I wouldnt even notice the flow from it once its split up 5 ways.

 

[Burke]

If your going to have sand, you could patch the holes and the sand would cover it. It's acrylic, so it would easy to do. Just a thought.

BTW, love the tank. I did see it when Ben had it setup. It's my dream tank, I love that size. Lucky sucker...

 

[lvsuckerfish]

but just like i stated more ways to skin a cat!

I have a method that works for me and others have methods that work for them. getting a new pump a may save you want you will spend in that year on a power bill lol using what you have can work also depending where your sump will be is also a thing to think about under the tank in a fish room (garage) all things to consider here. I am in now way saying my way is the best or only way just stating what works for me. if water is going through a skimmer and the skimmer pump is rated @ say 900 gph it is going to pull 900gph regardless how much water is going through the sump by putting a return for 800 gph it is still going to pull 900 gph so there is no difference it is an enclosed system the water will get skimmed regardless. fast or slow. water moving through the sump. also uping my DT turn over helps my ORP im may tank. but that may be just a fluke I don't know.

 

[moovinfast]

Well I think I figured out the lighting. I'm thinking of just using all the 250w I have. So it will be 4x250w with 20k bulbs. I have 4 electronic ballasts. 2 ARO and 2 IceCap. I was going to try to just do 2 with a large reflector but I tried a electricity cost calculator and the addition of 2 250w ballasts is about $5 more a month. So it would take about 60 months before the 2 larger reflectors paid for themselves.

 

[moovinfast]

Gave up on the SCWD idea. Now im on the look for an inexpensive Oceans Motions 4 way

 

[moovinfast]

Found a skimmer. Get to go pick it up next week. Now Im trying to figure out a stand.

 

[Skimmy]

what skimmer is it??

 

[Skimmy]

If your going to have sand, you could patch the holes and the sand would cover it. It's acrylic, so it would easy to do. Just a thought.

yep, that's what I'd be doing, personally... but i do understand the "this is the way i got it and this is what i have" methodology as well.
if your limited by funds, then yeah, you kinda gotta make do with what you got. but if you have the means, then it makes sense to really try to perfect the flow system as much as possible, in this case, get as much low energy consuming flow as you can, avoid all the nasty plumbing that requires maintenance/replacement, and have the wide flow outlets from the pumps that provide natural wave action. especially in a reversing (every 10-12 hrs like tides)gyre configuration. IMO, this is such an easier flow system to set up and maintain, and it produces higher quality flow.

 

[moovinfast]

Going to go with a SWC 200 Extreme for skimmer. Still think Im going to use the 8 holes in the bottom for the closed loop. Trying to find a oceans motions 4 way to use with it.

 

[Burke]

Any updates? I'm excited to see this setup.