brady816
Well-known member
pics pics pics and more pics please 
400 Gal sunroom reef
- Thread starter jesseb
- Start date
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How did you setup your overflow that way????? Was a portion of the back panel shorter than the front and sides???? I am asking because i am planning a new reef and wanted a coast to coast external overflow. Any help would be appreciated
jesseb
Well-known member
Ed,
I am doing well thanks... traveling alot but that helps pay for the tank
brady816 - I will I will I will....
Reefboy23 - The tank is 3/4" glass. Before the tank was built, they waterjet cut a 1 or 1 1/2" notch in the top of the back glass - about 6ft in the middle of the back (3ft either side of center). The overflow box was added after the tank was in place... it's about 7' long - leaving me 6 or so inches either side (these are approximate dimensions - I'm not home and don't remember specifics.. but it's close to this). I'll get you a picture of it when I get pictures to post over the weekend.
I'm really pleased with the weir setup - has left a HUGE amount of additional room in the tank. Biggest issue is a bit of air noise - I'm pushing about 5200GPH through the weir and sump - and get some air sounds in one of the drains - I can silence it by closing the valves I put on the piping from the box - but I prefer keeping it wide open - I've had a few vapor lock episodes (adding water directly into the weir) where I had to scurry and open up full to not have an overflow - so I now just leave it open.
I am doing well thanks... traveling alot but that helps pay for the tank
brady816 - I will I will I will....
Reefboy23 - The tank is 3/4" glass. Before the tank was built, they waterjet cut a 1 or 1 1/2" notch in the top of the back glass - about 6ft in the middle of the back (3ft either side of center). The overflow box was added after the tank was in place... it's about 7' long - leaving me 6 or so inches either side (these are approximate dimensions - I'm not home and don't remember specifics.. but it's close to this). I'll get you a picture of it when I get pictures to post over the weekend.
I'm really pleased with the weir setup - has left a HUGE amount of additional room in the tank. Biggest issue is a bit of air noise - I'm pushing about 5200GPH through the weir and sump - and get some air sounds in one of the drains - I can silence it by closing the valves I put on the piping from the box - but I prefer keeping it wide open - I've had a few vapor lock episodes (adding water directly into the weir) where I had to scurry and open up full to not have an overflow - so I now just leave it open.
Last edited:
jesseb
Well-known member
morgan - I live in seattle area in the US Pacific Northwest - so I only get strong sun on the tank from about end June through October... when the sun is on things they rock.
I can tell you the sun does heat the tank alot - on a very sunny day - outside tempurature over 90F (38C?) - the tank will heat 7 or 8 degrees just from sunlight. I had a few days this summer where we shut the lights off - and the sun was more than adequate.
jesseb
Well-known member
OK - it is time for me to make my annual update - yeah I know more often - hey better late than not at all.... Since last time, I’ve made a number of changes which I’m happy to report, has also proved out the ‘modularity’ of how it got set up originally and now the tank is coming into its own.
Lighting: I am running two 400's year round. As much as I’d like to do sun only for periods – I don’t get enough full-time sun to run the tank itself. Lights are easily shutdown on really hot days (i.e. really sunny days as well) to assist with heat management. The tank DOES NOT have a chilller – I hope to keep it that way.
Sump/return: I’ve swapped out the sump return pump from an Aquamaster 3600 to a Sequence Hammerhead. I also had to add additional return piping both sides of the tank now receive water – there was not enough piping to allow the Sequence to run at full bore without it. To enable this, I simply added additional return piping on the other side of the tank. This required adding a little bit of additional piping, but was pretty simple – I spent less than 2 ½ hours on the changes - swapping out pump, adding new plumbing, and closed loop modes (including 2 trips to the hardware store).
Closed loop: I simplified the piping on the manifold inside the tank, and actually removed one pipe and eductor. This has allowed much more aggressive water flow through the closed loop.
Protein Skimmer – I shut it down. I actually think the protein skimmer was pulling too much out of the tank, I was having a hard time getting good Caulerpa growth in the sump. While it is still in the sump and available to use, the tank seems to be doing MUCH better without it. I do occasional 30 gal water changes.
Calcium reactor – I’ve turned on the Calcium Reactor – it’s a Deltec. The tank is maintaining at around 390KH. An Aqualifter pump is used to push through calcium reactor and return to the tank.
A few photos - shots of the tank, the back - wier and piping, and the hammerhead
Lighting: I am running two 400's year round. As much as I’d like to do sun only for periods – I don’t get enough full-time sun to run the tank itself. Lights are easily shutdown on really hot days (i.e. really sunny days as well) to assist with heat management. The tank DOES NOT have a chilller – I hope to keep it that way.
Sump/return: I’ve swapped out the sump return pump from an Aquamaster 3600 to a Sequence Hammerhead. I also had to add additional return piping both sides of the tank now receive water – there was not enough piping to allow the Sequence to run at full bore without it. To enable this, I simply added additional return piping on the other side of the tank. This required adding a little bit of additional piping, but was pretty simple – I spent less than 2 ½ hours on the changes - swapping out pump, adding new plumbing, and closed loop modes (including 2 trips to the hardware store).
Closed loop: I simplified the piping on the manifold inside the tank, and actually removed one pipe and eductor. This has allowed much more aggressive water flow through the closed loop.
Protein Skimmer – I shut it down. I actually think the protein skimmer was pulling too much out of the tank, I was having a hard time getting good Caulerpa growth in the sump. While it is still in the sump and available to use, the tank seems to be doing MUCH better without it. I do occasional 30 gal water changes.
Calcium reactor – I’ve turned on the Calcium Reactor – it’s a Deltec. The tank is maintaining at around 390KH. An Aqualifter pump is used to push through calcium reactor and return to the tank.
A few photos - shots of the tank, the back - wier and piping, and the hammerhead
jesseb
Well-known member
A few more shots.
The weir from the top, and shots from either end of the tank.
cheers!
The weir from the top, and shots from either end of the tank.
cheers!
jesseb
Well-known member
Beautiful tank and room. The only thing you did not add to your update were the new cushions on the viewing chairs.:lol::badgrin:
:lol::lol: Your right... but that story is a thread by itself... let's just say I now own all of that fabric that exists in the universe..... or so I think...
Damsel13
Well-known member
naaaah I have some :badgrin:
:badgrin:jesseb
Well-known member
how'd I miss that:badgrin:
Damsel13
Well-known member
Wow, your Tangs are huge!
Some of it must have slipped through to Califorinia :badgrin:
Some of it must have slipped through to Califorinia :badgrin:
wabio
New member
Brand new member with a question. I'm thinking of going with an external calfo-style overflow box almost identical to yours. How are you keeping fish from getting sucked out the back? It doesn't look like you have teeth on your back pane.
wabio
New member
Also, what kind of apogee reading do you get using only artificial lighting (AKA....at night)?
