Acrylic 120 setup

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I read through or pretended to read through that thread Nikki and I did not see a reference to the fact that the external weir is noisy but that there are ways of dealing with it.... I'm still searching the forums trying to find out how... but i know I will figurout something if it is just tooo loud. I could always PM Mike and ask - if he never stops by this thread... and the whole external thing is still not set in stone I have until the end of next week - Andy won't be starting on the tank until then.... I have just about decided to go with a larger pump than the sequence dart - I may wind up with the sequence barracuda it's 4500 gph... I'm thinking about uping the pump because I am going to add 4 more holes since I will not have the corner overflows - so instead of 4 returns per side of the MBV I will have 6 per side of the MBV..... thoughts???

Now about lighting. I am planning on using at the very least a spare IceCap 660 using T5 bulbs all in the actinic spectrum during the cycle process. When the 180 is finally down, I can move over 2 250MH fixtures that have fairly new (maybe 3 months old) reeflux 10k bulbs. OR I could go ahead and while I am installing the IC 660, I can also install an spare IC430 also using T5's that would give me 6 T5's that I could mix the spectrums up on.... but would that be enough light to support sps through out the depth of the tank? Would I really have any heat savings as opposed to the MH?

Thanks
Lisa

 

[NaH2O]

Mike's comment on the weir wasn't in that thread, I read it when I was trying to find Jesse's thread.

Going outside of the tank from the coast to coast works real well, we call it a weir and just put one on Jessies 7 foot starphire, you can keep the overflow out back to. One thing to concider is that it might be a touch more noisy, but you could do things to help that.

from the thread: New Tank Design

I think adding the extra outputs would be great. You'll be able to have a lot of coverage that way. Where is your sump return going to be again?

As for the lighting, if it were me, I'd wait for the MHs before adding any SPS. How long do you think it would be before the MHs were on the tank?

 

[snowstar]

I forgot to answer some of your earlier questions. Yes it will be eurobraced, and the acrylic will be 1/2" - I'm debating 3/4" but most tank builders are using 1/2" for tanks that are 4' long 2' tall... I am thinking about bulk heads on the front corners of the eurobrace for a part of the closed loop return - so Andy is going to re-inforce the bracing. I'm debating the merits of that though - it would be nice to have an outlet in each fron corner - but I'm afraid it may in the long run hinder the flow of detritus up and into the weir for processing by the skimmer. The weir will only be 3' long and centered on the back - so there will be 6" on either side of the weir - that is where I will put the sump returns, in the upper back corners...

As for the MH timing - I will have some lighting in the form of T5's during the cycle (6 to 8 weeks) all corals and fish safe in the 180... when the tank is cycled and I move in the 180's denizens - I could theoretically move the MH the next day or the day before... so theoretically, we are talking only a 24 to maybe 48 hour period that they might be without MH.

Lisa

 

[NaH2O]

What is he doing to reinforce it? I would go with the re-inforced bracing...I have a crack in my eurobrace, and have seen others (Mtndewman for one, and a local reefer here for another).

The corals would likely be fine without MHs for that short amount of time. Just be sure to acclimate them to the MHs once you get them on the tank.

 

[szidls]

Lisa,
Have you thought of running your return pump plumbing to the front corners of the tank? Possibly adding sea swirls to this?
Scott

 

[snowstar]

Nikki

What is he doing to reinforce it? I would go with the re-inforced bracing...I have a crack in my eurobrace, and have seen others (Mtndewman for one, and a local reefer here for another).

I believe that he is planning on using thicker Acrylic - but I am not 100% certain - when I mentioned that I want to add bulk heads on the front corners or the eurobrace - he said that he would "re-inforce that area" I will ask when we finalize everything next week and let you know.

Scott

Have you thought of running your return pump plumbing to the front corners of the tank? Possibly adding sea swirls to this?

I had not thought about using the bulkheads in the front eruobrace for the returns - just for a part of the closed loop. And yes I have thought of sea swirls, or OceanMotions revolutions, but I am not sure how much room the revolution will take up in the tank. They look pretty cool though and i may decide the loss of space is worth the technology. Is there any reason to use them for the return as opposed to part of the closed loop?


As for the lighting, I will probably go with the mix of T5 and MH as opposed to just T5 - if I have to get a chiller well I guess I just have to get a chiller....

Thanks
Lisa

 

[snowstar]

No update on the tank - it has not gone to build yet... but I'm still trying to get all my parts in a row though... Since I've decided not to use any of the rock in my current tank, what is everyone's feeling about rock types around here. I know that Mike, Nikki and some others have Pukani - but that Nikki has had some trouble with algae in her tank.... so does the coolness of the rock shapes and nitches for sps outweigh the disadvantage of all the sponge?

Or would I be better off going with Kaleini rock.... I believe both are deeperwater rock although I could be wrong on that... and is $359/88lbs a good price for pukani and $289/88lbs a good price for kaleini. Or do you think that it may really be cruddy rock - that seems awfully cheep - then again I have not seriously priced rock in several years....

 

[NaH2O]

I've seen Kaelini at Premium Aquatics and it has some nice shapes, too. Pukani would be fine if you take care in prepping it prior to use. Really manually dig out the sponges....don't let the cure process take care of it. That is where alot of my issues stemmed from. The rock in the tank, since my issues, is getting covered with corraline, and I would say I has a normal amount of other algaes. I'm thrilled at the turn around with my rock. I don't think you'd go wrong with either type (Pukani or Kaelini).

 

[snowstar]

Thanks for the Rock update Nikki --- Tank update - it's getting ready to go to build - Andy is going to drill the closed loop holes on the back for me and the 2 holes on the eurobrace in the front...

i have found out a bit more about the external weir - so I may be back to nervous. the deminsions will be 3' long 5" wide and 12" tall - those are Andy's preferences for the dimensions. He prefers the weirs to be half the height of the tank - I guess so that you can easily use a stockman to quieten the flow. I am wondering now how badly that will disrupt the the CL? I was really hoping to jus tcopy Nikki's since it is creating such a nice flow pattern and keeping the bottom of the tank clean. Ideas???

Do i opt out of the external and go with the internal coast to coast and corner - or just modify the CL and stay external???

 

[NaH2O]

I don't know...sounds like a lot of room taken up. I wonder if you could drill through the weir and into the tank for where your outputs are to go. Might be a plumbing nightmare, though....I'm just typing some thoughts . You could always to the internal coast to coast then have short overflow boxes, as opposed to the ones that go all the way down (like mine).

 

[snowstar]

I had thought about that but - yeah plumbing nightmare kept running through my head...

I have PM'd the Mike master and asked for an opinion... but at this point I'm thinking about falling back to the internal corner & coast to coast plan....

what is the height of the section of coast to coast on your tank? and the dimensions of the corners I don't remember seeing that on the thread.... I don't want to take up any un-necessary space in the tank....

 

[snowstar]

Alright I have some additional information from Andy - the 12" is just his preference but he does feel that 8" is really a minimum for height. I can live with that I'll just use fewer holes and more Y's - it should all work the same - unless I am not thinkging of something... I know that I will need to alter the way the flow patterns over the life of the tank, but even though I'll be loosing the top 8" of the center 3' I should still be very covered. AND the MBV is on the Fred-Ex truck for delivery - small steps - but I feel like I'm starting to get there....

 

[NaH2O]

As long as you are happy with how the plumbing will lay out with the weir being 8" deep. My coast to coast is only ~2-1/2" deep and sticks out ~4-1/2".

Can't wait to see this come together! Be sure to post pics along the way if you can.

 

[snowstar]

I am hoping that I will be able to - I've busted my camera and have not decide on repair or replace...

thanks for the measurements that gives me something to work with - I may supplement that top 1/3 with tunze - if i find that I just cannot get the flow the way I want it.They would still be behind the rock stack and only visable from the side - end of the tank. Which reminds me is your aquascape a few inches off the back wall no touch points?

 

[NaH2O]

Which reminds me is your aquascape a few inches off the back wall no touch points?

Yes. I wanted to have good unobstructed flow behind the rockwork so there aren't any dead spots that would be problematic. Also, make sure you will be able to access your plumbing (inside tank) when you aquascape. It would really stink to have to reach a piece of locline or take out an intake screen, and have to move your aquascaping.

 

[snowstar]

that is the way the 180 is 'scaped currently I was just more verifing that yes I should definitely be able to sink a tunze down behind ---- if i need to soo I think I am on my way with it

 

[snowstar]

OK while a lot really hasn't been physically happening on the getting the house ready for the tank front, I have been agonizing over the external weir - as everyone who has viewed this thread is aware ...:doubt:

Well I talked to Mike the flow master today and have finally gotten the final tank design to Andy at MRC. Good thing since the front and I believe the sides are cut and ready to begin....

Anyway, instead of the external weir I'm going to go back to the internal overflow and coast to coast troughs. Slight difference though. It will be a singe center overflow with coast to coast's running into them. The center over flow will be a 7"x7" and drilled at the bottom with a single 1 1/2" drain. The troughs will each be ~14" leaving 6" of the back wall at the end of the trough for the returns.