360 gallon logistical nightmare and no spare time!

[nsamouroux]

I'm very happy with it I've had to clean the viewing panels at least once a week which is a pretty major chore, but if I run the magnet cleaner around it every day or two it's not as bad. A few months of this thing running and it looks like it adds around $100 per month to my power / water bill which isn't too bad at all since it cost about the same for my 100 gallon setup. This setup is almost 5x the size but MUCH more efficient! Once the weather warms up and I get a bit more motivated again I'll start adding more corals and perhaps fish / inverts, I'm really liking this new emperor angelfish from Barrier Reef, it's still a bit shy but is incredibly healthy and has become one of my favorites!

 

[TotalVapor]

Nice clean look, I like it.

 

[Chichas01]

looking great man!

 

[Aquanaut]

I'd love to see your set-up for your 1 year anniversery. Unfortunately your links are'nt working. I am in the CAD stages of ordering a Marineland 250g 60x36x27 AGA peninsula set-up and looking to have 1.5" durso and return that will split at tank entry. I thought about SeaSwirls and Vortex but way out of my $$$. How'd the Koralla's work out along the back wall? Could use your insight with your experience on maintaining high flow rates.

Fine, here's a few shots I just took with my cell phone.

And for those of you who have a LOT of time on your hands or voyeuristic tendencies, here's a link to my picasa album for the 360 gallon project. Every photo I've ever taken of the tank, build process, and things that are or have been living in it is in that album so it's a bit much to sort through :badgrin:

360 Gallon Nightmare Picasa Link

 

[nsamouroux]

Wow, I really let the updates slip didn't I :biggrin1:. I haven't been on the site much, but the tank has been set up for almost a year and a half now! (got water into it some time around September 09). I don't have any current photos of the tank itself in my picasa album (consolidated some folders there which likely broke all the links in the thread) but here's some from 2-3 months ago when I put in a refugium tub and a much bigger skimmer (bought it from one of Barrier Reef's used equipment cleanouts). I'll get some photos of the actual tank tonight after work and update things a bit more.

 

[nsamouroux]

In response to your question about flow: The four Koralia Magnum 8 pumps plus the sump return were FAR too much flow in this tank for the sand bed (400 lbs of Marco Rocks sand, very small grain aragonite). I traded two of the Mag 8s for four Koralia 4s spaced along the back wall pointing towards the rockwork (with the flow concentrator nozzle thingies attached) and set up the two remaining Mag 8s to create a circular flow throughout the tank. I have them on opposing side panels of the tank, one towards the back panel and the other side pump near the front panel. I also added about 120 lbs of heavier grain sand from Barrier Reef (can't remember the type / brand, they sell 40ish lb bags of it in the store). I get a bit less total flow (only around 14,000 gph / 30x system turnover constant instead of 16-18,000 gph / 40x), but it's more dispersed and a bit more variable because of the number of pumps all somewhat aimed towards eachother. The tangs certainly love the Mag 8 pumps! I don't have a wavemaker or anything of the sort set up to vary the flow, but I mess around with the tank often enough that it changes slightly every few days and I have few if any dead spots in the coral / rockwork. Sand bed is another matter, I can't direct much water flow across it without really making a mess. I'm currently battling an algae outbreak on the sand (top layer turned a bit green) but have added a pair of fighting conchs, a 1' long tigertail cucumber, and a number of nassarius snails to hopefully stir things up a bit.

 

[nsamouroux]

Well now... I'm coming up on the 3 year anniversary of setting up this beast and someone reminded me of the build thread here on RF so I figured I'd provide some updates! Lots of new livestock (not much in the way of corals yet, been trying to automate things a bit better before that). I got tired of looking at the fugly old canopy so I built a new one out of oak ply and boards with a suspended light rack for easier access. Lots of new DIY equipment in the basement (3 foot tall dual chamber recirculating calcium reactor, ~34" tall recirculating sulfur reactor, water change station, etc) but I'll have to post photos of the basement area from home later this evening. Let there be pics!

How about a 14" diameter starfish?

 

[nsamouroux]

Finally home for the evening, a few more photos just taken of the tank and equipment areas:


FTS

BIG starfish!

Emperor Angel starting to get his adult coloring

Left 1/3 of tank

Middle of tank

Right 1/3 of tank

Basement equipment / "fish room"

Skimmer and DIY recirculating sulfur reactor

DIY dual chamber recirculating calcium reactor

55-gallon refugium tank (gravity fed from tank, gravity drains into sump). Currently a lot of cyano in here due to vinegar / vodka dosing

Dual 50-gallon water station. Salt mixing drum on left, RO/DI storage (for gravity fed auto-topoff via float valve) on right

 

[Chichas01]

whoa! that linkia was from Blue Sierra right? I saw that thing. Freaking huge!!

 

[nsamouroux]

Yep, that's the one! Saw it while browsing the store to kill time a few weeks ago and bought it immediately. Biggest starfish of the type I've ever heard of! It's been doing great in the tank, very active and no signs of deterioration so common with linckia type stars (although the purple types aren't really linckias but something else).

 

[seakingaquariums]

Love the emperor I love the coloration when they are morphing to adult colors.

and i must say that starfish is pretty freaky! hahah

 

[nsamouroux]

Forgot to mention, aside from cruising around the rocks / walls, the giganto-starfish takes nori sheets from a clip, generally after the piglet fish are sleeping.