# Danny Tanner's Reef Build



## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer

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## CuzIsaidSo

What happened to the exo setup?


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## Ægir

speakyourmind said:


> Hey Im planning a lo-tech 75 gallon soft reef that will have no sump. I am getting the best (or one of the best) HOB skimmers on the market the Deltec MCE-600 and in general dont want to deal with a sump.
> 
> Anyways my main concern is can I have an Automatic Top off without a sump? Is there any other type of ways that I can stay on top of top-offs other than manually do it?


An ATO will be easy to setup, you will just have to pump into the tank instead of the sump, and have your float switch in the tank...

Go with a sump its so much easier... what are your hold backs? You can run a HOB skimmer on a sump


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer

About the sump, Im just reluctant to build one. I hear that I will have to tweak a lot of things to get it working nice and quietly. The tank is on the upper level close to a bunch of rooms. I understand sump is the way to go but I want something that will be plug and play.

The main reason though is, I have an acquaintance who has the best looking 75 g reef I have ever seen. No Sump but he is using that same deltec that i will buy. everything looks nice and clean too, unlike the other sumpless reefs with a whole bunch of crap hanging off the back wall.


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## Ægir

speakyourmind said:


> About the sump, Im just reluctant to build one. I hear that I will have to tweak a lot of things to get it working nice and quietly. The tank is on the upper level close to a bunch of rooms. I understand sump is the way to go but I want something that will be plug and play.
> 
> The main reason though is, I have an acquaintance who has the best looking 75 g reef I have ever seen. No Sump but he is using that same deltec that i will buy. everything looks nice and clean too, unlike the other sumpless reefs with a whole bunch of crap hanging off the back wall.


Dont be reluctant to build one, its so easy and provides so many benefits (system volume, filtration, hiding things etc)

You could run 750 GPH through one with no noise easily... and still run your same skimmer (provided your sump was tall enough)

Either way you can setup an ATO and everything, its just different.


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## His Majesty

im not a huge fan of sumps either. i totaly see their benefits i just dont fancy them much.

you can very easily run your 75g with a skimmer only and keep it neat and clean with no problems.


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer

His Majesty said:


> im not a huge fan of sumps either. i totaly see their benefits i just dont fancy them much.
> 
> you can very easily run your 75g with a skimmer only and keep it neat and clean with no problems.


Thats what I want to do, keep it very neat and clean. I understand sump is the way to go, but I kind of want to have one of those Tank Of the Month stunning reefs and be able to say this is sumpless to boot haha.

Anyways the progess so far is.

I bought a refractomer and R/0 unit. I need to get 2 50 gallon drums (one to hold saltwater, one to hold fresh R/0 water for top offs and things) to set up a mixing station in the basement now. I also have a pretty sexy custom stand.


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer

Im pretty stocked to do this. So much room for Stuff. Also lets me own one of those yellow tangs that I have always admired but never have had the tank to house.


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## CLUSTER ONE

If your seeing clutter on the back wall for somebody with a sump they probably arn't doing something right.

Benefits of a sump: 
extra water volume
hides heaters and cords
overflow box looks better then hob or cannister intakes.
holds a ton more media
can add a refuge
hide skimmer

Its true sumps can be a bit loud, but if you have it plumbed right it shouldn't be very loud

I still suggest building a sump. For rather cheap you can get a tank drilled and put some baffels in another tank. It would also good if you could do a large sump then even add a little frag tank section to it as you don't want some small frags falling into the LR and dieing


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## xeloR

sym,

the deltec mce600 is one kick ass skimmer man! i had one on my 34 gallon solana and it was amazing.

that skimmer with a sh*t load of live rock and you should be good.

i also recommend running a sump though, if you do, you can get a cheaper in sump skimmer that will do the job, plus you would have more water volume= more stable.

looking forward to seeing the progress- watch your money fly out of your wallet


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer

haha xelor you had one? Wow talk about overkill on a 34 solana LOL. isnt it rated for 190 gallon tanks or 120 gallon heavy stocked?

How much did you pay?


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## xeloR

also, the tunze osmolator ato will work cherry on whatever way you configure your set up

a good skimmer is the heart of your whole system IMO man. i think it was around 500 or so from MD.


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer

Okay so Im going to grab a reef ready 75 g tank tomorrow then.

I'm just going to go with a 40-50 g rubbermaid sump, and make a few baffles out of something and hookup a compartment for a skimmer and a fuge.

Okay so the general understanding is that if a power outage happens all of the water that hits the overflow in the main tank should be able to be compensated in the sump correct? Sounds simple enough but why do I still feel nervous haha.

Also guys what sort of background color do you recommend?

I was thinking maybe Caribbean light blue, black, dark blue, or a very dark purple? What do you guys think?

I also changed the title of the thread and will track this build in this thread instead of making a new one.


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## Trigga

black or sky blue


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer

Leaning towards black, will show coraline better on the back wall. I think aqua blue is really played out though in a SW tank.


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## Guest

I had a 65g, no sump. Tank did great.

However, Danny Tanner, it doesn't take a pair of witty twins (you should know) to figure out that a sump is less hassle and more win than you imagine at this step. I will only say this once.

Heres a shot of the tank at one point or another (no sump)


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## redbellyman21

dont forget that you dont need to build anything.. u can literally use rubbermaid sump and use plastic bins to make sections... anything over 40g almost demands a sump... no hob can turn a sw tank over 10x over 40 gallons...


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## Ægir

redbellyman21 said:


> dont forget that you dont need to build anything.. u can literally use rubbermaid sump and use plastic bins to make sections... anything over 40g almost demands a sump... *no hob can turn a sw tank over 10x* over 40 gallons...


Its also not about turnover, they arent designed for saltwater... the rule of saltwater is EXPORT waste, not trap and break down like fresh water. Sponges, filter floss, any of that needs to be cleaned weekly at max (if not every other day in most cases) otherwise it becomes an accident waiting to happen. I completely removed all of that from my system, other than a filter sock to break up the drain inlet which i change every 3 days max.

The first install (the narrow tank) i took over had been having problems for 2 or 3 years... it would run great and then 6+ months later literally self destruct and kill everything. The causes were sponges and filter floss, weak skimmer, and poor turnover... The tank would run until the media became saturated with waste, and then everything would spike through the roof... which cost them thousands of dollars in the long run

After adding 10x the sump turnover it had (from a weak 400 gals to 4000), beefing up the skimmer, adding a wet dry tower (and proper media!) they had no fish losses (from water quality, 2 from a mean undulated trigger) after almost 2 years of solid running.

I would find a used tank on craigs list or something over using a rubbermaid storage container... they can become brittle over time and will have to be replaced in the future. The rubbermaid stock tanks are great, but i dont think they make them smaller than 100 gals? And i can almost guarantee it will be silent (or nearly) and far less noisy than taking a pee, or a HOB filter falling a few inches.


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## redbellyman21

Ægir said:


> dont forget that you dont need to build anything.. u can literally use rubbermaid sump and use plastic bins to make sections... anything over 40g almost demands a sump... *no hob can turn a sw tank over 10x* over 40 gallons...


Its also not about turnover, they arent designed for saltwater... the rule of saltwater is EXPORT waste, not trap and break down like fresh water. Sponges, filter floss, any of that needs to be cleaned weekly at max (if not every other day in most cases) otherwise it becomes an accident waiting to happen. I completely removed all of that from my system, other than a filter sock to break up the drain inlet which i change every 3 days max.

The first install (the narrow tank) i took over had been having problems for 2 or 3 years... it would run great and then 6+ months later literally self destruct and kill everything. The causes were sponges and filter floss, weak skimmer, and poor turnover... The tank would run until the media became saturated with waste, and then everything would spike through the roof... which cost them thousands of dollars in the long run

After adding 10x the sump turnover it had (from a weak 400 gals to 4000), beefing up the skimmer, adding a wet dry tower (and proper media!) they had no fish losses (from water quality, 2 from a mean undulated trigger) after almost 2 years of solid running.

I would find a used tank on craigs list or something over using a rubbermaid storage container... they can become brittle over time and will have to be replaced in the future. The rubbermaid stock tanks are great, but i dont think they make them smaller than 100 gals? And i can almost guarantee it will be silent (or nearly) and far less noisy than taking a pee, or a HOB filter falling a few inches.
[/quote]

agreed I was just trying to appeal to cheap side..


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## Guest

Guys he doesn't want a sump. I agree that its a mistake but its not like it's a necessity.


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer

Progress.

Picked up a 75 G Marineland Perfecto Reef Ready w/ Overflow










Also grabbed a 50GPD RO/DI unit and also a Refractometer. I remember the days of using my old swing arm and buying jugs of R/O water every week haha, Never again.










Where I want the tank to sit










Close up of the stand. I love this stand, its a little bit higher up than your normal stands.










Motivation! One of the 75 G Reef tanks set-up and the LFS. I was in awe man, I cant wait to have this in my home.










And my first small problem







. I forgot the tank had a brace in the bottom blocking room for a sump? It doesnt look like it provides to much support in general should I remove it?










Next Steps :

Buy a few drums to set-up mixing station in the basement.

Hook up the Sump, and fill the tank!


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## JoeDizzleMPLS

Those center braces are really just to help prevent twisting and aren't 100% necessary on the bottom. You could remove the center brace and then use two braces, one on each side of your sump, or you could just take it out.


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## redbellyman21

agree with joe dizzle but are u planning on keeping a fish tank by the window? or is it just in the same hall? Since that is bad for tanks.. good for hair and other algaes!? I may be off but it looked like u wanted it on top of window... It can be done.. but definately block out the window... no sun light


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer

The back of the tank will be painted black or some sort of blue so no sun light will enter the tank and cause algae blooms. Thanks joe for the info on the brace I was thinking of removing the center brace and putting one of each end.

Im still not 100 percent on the location though redbellyman, I might move it to the mainfloor where more people will see it and where it wont be neglected. ill make a final decision before I fill her up.


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## redbellyman21

Danny Tanner said:


> Im still not 100 percent on the location though redbellyman, I might move it to the mainfloor where more people will see it and where it wont be neglected. ill make a final decision before I fill her up.


Very wise thinking... a great placement also aids in maintenance... well anxious for new news...


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## CLUSTER ONE

JoeDizzleMPLS said:


> Those center braces are really just to help prevent twisting and aren't 100% necessary on the bottom. You could remove the center brace and then use two braces, one on each side of your sump, or you could just take it out.


 I agree i would just take that center one out then replace the brace on either side of the sump just in case. 
Good choice with the sump. Planning to buy or build? You seem to be going with nice quality all around so i doubt you would want a nice reef then have a couple heaters and tubing sitting on the back wall


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer

Yeah sump is definitely the way to go, I want to have the aquarium in my home long term so Im not going to skimp out on anything. Im searching for already made sumps on kijiji if I dont find one I will pick up a 30 gallon and build one. Still kind of nervous about doing all the plumbing though!


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## Ægir

Danny Tanner said:


> Yeah sump is definitely the way to go, I want to have the aquarium in my home long term so Im not going to skimp out on anything. Im searching for already made sumps on kijiji if I dont find one I will pick up a 30 gallon and build one. Still kind of nervous about doing all the plumbing though!


Plumbing is easy and really fun! Once you decide how you are going to set it up, i would make a plumbing sketch for ya.

Find the biggest tank you can fit in that stand, you will like the extra room.


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer

I can fit a 30 or 40 B easy. Okay so heres how I want the sump? Is this way compatible with the corner overflow?

I want something simple like this, I just mocked this up on PAINT to try to help me figure out how sumps work a little better. So do I have the general understanding?


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## Ægir

Thats good, but this is better... By moving the skimmer near the drain, it will get the bulk of the waste directly. You could split your drain line to feed the fuge, but it would make more noise. You also want a standpipe in the overflow box, its simple to build and will be silent! If you tell me the size of the drain lines (bulkhead size) and return lines (from your pump) i can give you a close estimate of plumbing parts. Also, look into a 1" SCWD for the return line... they are simple and create more random current than a single return line... they are way cheaper than sea swirls too!










This is under a tight stand, you can see the skimmer (PM redline 220) and the drain behind it, baffles, and the pump return compartment on the right. This is a 40 gal tank i think?










You want your baffle height (the ones that touch the bottom) to be about the running level of your skimmer... if you are running a HOB skimmer, that wont be a problem, and you could move the baffle width (to the left of the drawing) to as little room as you need for your skimmer pump and return, and slide everything down giving you a larger fuge area.


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer

Hey Egir that doesnt look too complicated at all! I was tripping out for no reason. So as for the sump water level, I determine that right? So once I get everything running I just fill up the sump level to what I want? Also I got all the standpipes for the overflow with the tank it came with it. And yes I do want the return to be over the back. As for the SCWD thats a wavemaker right.

The tank came with this as for the return :


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## Ægir

Danny Tanner said:


> Hey Egir that doesnt look too complicated at all! I was tripping out for no reason. So as for the sump water level, I determine that right? So once I get everything running I just fill up the sump level to what I want? Also I got all the standpipes for the overflow with the tank it came with it. And yes I do want the return to be over the back. As for the SCWD thats a wavemaker right.
> 
> The tank came with this as for the return :


The SCWD is a water director (between 2 ports) that uses the flow of the pump to operate... they are like 90$ for the 1" model, and i just used 2 on my last install... great products. You can use those loc line returns (the pic you just posted) on the end for more directional flow... or theres a few other kick ass options.

Its really simple... the sump water level is determined by a few things... 1) baffle height... you can make your fuge baffle TALLER than the left 2 that TOUCH THE BOTTOM no problem... typically (the ones in the pic above are 7" tall) it would be about 2/3 of the tank or less tall, and your center baffle (the one up off the bottom) should be an inch below the top trim level. Your water level can be up in the tank as high as you want, you just need room for the backflow when the pump shuts off (residual water in the drain and return plumbing that gravity feeds back)

So, to determine your MAX running level you fill up the sump about 2/3, fire up your sump and return pump (to fill the lines, and get the drain flowing) and after a minute or two, un plug the pump. Then you fill your sump to just below that tall baffle (center one, off the bottom) and turn the pump on again... Wait a few min for it to stabilize, and with a piece of tape or a sharpie, mark the MAX level... if you have your pump on and the water is above that line, it will flood when the pump goes off.

The minimum height is the height of the LEFT baffles on the bottom of the tank... like i said, the fuge can be 2" taller no problems.

Thats all approximate, and if you told me tank dimensions and more about your skimmer i could help out.


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## Guest

Where you livin sym? I might be able to hook you up with a Koralia Im not using if it helps.


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer

Yo Danny I live in Rexdale. I have a bunch of Koralias lying around from a few months ago when I was going to build this tank but stopped since I wasnt high on funds like I am now (new job blap!). Thanks for the offer though man, appreciate it greatly.


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## CLUSTER ONE

Danny Tanner said:


> I can fit a 30 or 40 B easy. Okay so heres how I want the sump? Is this way compatible with the corner overflow?
> 
> I want something simple like this, I just mocked this up on PAINT to try to help me figure out how sumps work a little better. So do I have the general understanding?
> 
> View attachment 194113


Your design is ok, but edgirs design is better. A bubble trap should be after the skimmer generally too, not before it.


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer

I installed the standpipe and return pipe on the tank today. I used my advanced engineering and plumbing skills to screw in 2 plastic rings on the bottom of my tank







. This sump thing is not that hard at all, had no clue why I over thought this stuff. Tommorow Im going to pick up the rest of the plumbing parts and move on from there.


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer

Picked up all the plumbing I need and also got the return pump a mag 7 (700 gph). Tomorrow I will get the sump and look at lighting.

What do you guys think of the following :

There are a lot of high quality 4 bulb t5s with built in timers for around 500 new. Not bad imo, is a 4 bulb t5 sufficient for soft corals and few lps like frogspawn, hammer etc? Im not into hard corals and dont want to retrofit anything.

Let me know guys thanks.

Also the tank doesnt even have a drop of water in it yet and my wallet is definitely taking a beating lmao.


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## shiver905

Lighting is the fun part,

For a 75 id go with.
TEK T5ho Fixture. the 4 bulb model. (GREAT FIXTURE)
Make shure u include a Fiji Builb in your combo.

A timer dose not mean squat, You can pick one up from home depo for <10$. - It should not be what makes a deal.

If your going T5ho, 
Look for the best reflectors. Thats where the quality and price comes in.

---

If you want to DIY a t5ho canopy, Id do Icecap reflectors.
----

If you go MH Id do 2 FishNeedIt 150 watt fixtures. (so you dont kill the centerbrace)
Save up for a few months then replace the bulbs with ushio 20k.

--

If you think ur cool, n your balling. 
Make yourelf a Led fixture with CrEEs.

By far he best option but the starting fee is alot.
But imagine.

More light then MH, 
Better color then T5ho
Less heat then MH.
ElectricBill? What Electric bill.

NO FREAKING BULB REPLACEMENT!!!!

Shiva


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer

Oh my LEDS, now that is a dream of mine. Do you guys know about the new MARINELAND reef LED fixtures that came out? They had them on display. Shiver, cluster, or egir you guys know anything about them?


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## shiver905

Danny Tanner said:


> Oh my LEDS, now that is a dream of mine. Do you guys know about the new MARINELAND reef LED fixtures that came out? They had them on display. Shiver, cluster, or egir you guys know anything about them?


Not shure about them.
But im 99% shure they dont use good LEDs.
Almost None of the mass Produced LED fixtures Use good LEDs
--

If you want something decent and easy to mount.
http://www.nanotuners.com/product_info.php?products_id=623&osCsid=934ff3o32oofta96oejk6007g3

get few of these and you could do a 75.

---
Or you could make your own, shouldnt run you over 400$.


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## Guest

Danny Tanner said:


> Oh my LEDS, now that is a dream of mine. Do you guys know about the new MARINELAND reef LED fixtures that came out? They had them on display. Shiver, cluster, or egir you guys know anything about them?


I've heard they aren't great at all, never used them first hand though.

Pics!

WE WANT PICCCCCSSSSS!


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## Ægir

shiver905 said:


> Oh my LEDS, now that is a dream of mine. Do you guys know about the new MARINELAND reef LED fixtures that came out? They had them on display. Shiver, cluster, or egir you guys know anything about them?


Not shure about them.
But im 99% shure they dont use good LEDs.
Almost None of the mass Produced LED fixtures Use good LEDs
--

If you want something decent and easy to mount.
http://www.nanotuners.com/product_info.php?products_id=623&osCsid=934ff3o32oofta96oejk6007g3

get few of these and you could do a 75.

---
Or you could make your own, shouldnt run you over 400$.
[/quote]

Those PAR38 LEDs are about the best you can directly buy without having to completely build your own fixture and do the solder work. They do have a few downsides (cluttered look having a bunch of them over your tank, with a track lighting system etc) and they are most likely going to change for the better REALLY soon. Currently they are using Cree XRE or XPE LEDs, which are the best on the market. BUT Cree just developed a new LED thats many times better at producing usable light, and i would imagine Evil will be putting those in the spotlights when they are available. You can read about them on the last page of the "Future of aquarium lighting" topic.

Both of the custom installs i have going at the moment want to incorporate these (9 over the 150 gal office tank, and 12 over the 155 bow), but if they are going to make that jump to the new leds its worth being in the dark for a while.

The one thing that really turned me on to those spotlights is at any time you need more or less light, you can adjust it... because its on a track lighting system, you can put light ANYWHERE you need it directly, and can add more PAR38s when you need them. I will post the sketchups of the aluminum hood i am designing, that would hold 2 tracks, and have a powder-coated face frame to cover the sides of all the spotlights.


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## Guest

Damn Aegir, those look awesome...I've never even seen them before.


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## shiver905

Ægir said:


> Oh my LEDS, now that is a dream of mine. Do you guys know about the new MARINELAND reef LED fixtures that came out? They had them on display. Shiver, cluster, or egir you guys know anything about them?


Not shure about them.
But im 99% shure they dont use good LEDs.
Almost None of the mass Produced LED fixtures Use good LEDs
--

If you want something decent and easy to mount.
http://www.nanotuners.com/product_info.php?products_id=623&osCsid=934ff3o32oofta96oejk6007g3

get few of these and you could do a 75.

---
Or you could make your own, shouldnt run you over 400$.
[/quote]

Those PAR38 LEDs are about the best you can directly buy without having to completely build your own fixture and do the solder work. They do have a few downsides (cluttered look having a bunch of them over your tank, with a track lighting system etc) and they are most likely going to change for the better REALLY soon. Currently they are using Cree XRE or XPE LEDs, which are the best on the market. BUT Cree just developed a new LED thats many times better at producing usable light, and i would imagine Evil will be putting those in the spotlights when they are available. You can read about them on the last page of the "Future of aquarium lighting" topic.

Both of the custom installs i have going at the moment want to incorporate these (9 over the 150 gal office tank, and 12 over the 155 bow), but if they are going to make that jump to the new leds its worth being in the dark for a while.

The one thing that really turned me on to those spotlights is at any time you need more or less light, you can adjust it... because its on a track lighting system, you can put light ANYWHERE you need it directly, and can add more PAR38s when you need them. I will post the sketchups of the aluminum hood i am designing, that would hold 2 tracks, and have a powder-coated face frame to cover the sides of all the spotlights.
[/quote]

The thing about Crees better LEDs is the fact that they dont have Royal blues in that line. To us thats VERY importaint.
From what I hear from Evil and others , Is the fact that the lower models are more then ample for our use.

But i do agree, They look cluttered unless you make/find some nice mounts. You can always hang them from your celing with the home depo wire/socket. Like 5$.

The bulbs themself are preety sexy. If you like the spotlight/pendent looking
fixtures with an open top- do the hope depo thing. I must say it would look clean.


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## CLUSTER ONE

Like said, they arnt the best leds. For reef, you want HO leds which can be liek 5$ each depending on how many you get. Generally people will buy some and wire them to a heatsink, but for a 75g, it would probably be mroe economical at least short term to go MH.


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## CLUSTER ONE

The evil lights would work, but you would need multiple for a 75g as each light only has 5 leds in it. I think evil used 4 lights over a 40b so that would be over 400$+ if you did that where you can get a mh fixure forhalf that


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## Ægir

CLUSTER ONE said:


> The evil lights would work, but you would need multiple for a 75g as each light only has 5 leds in it. I think evil used 4 lights over a 40b so that would be over 400$+ if you did that where you can get a mh fixure forhalf that


It will just over a year before the LEDS paid off... Power use (26W per PAR38) will quickly make that up.

If you figure a 250W halide, that you can get for 200$ (which is a steal with a good ballast and reflector) this is all ballpark and off the top of my head but:

10 hrs per day is approx 2.5 kwh use, or 75 per mo at .10 c/KWH (more like 13 or 14 prob depending on where you live)...

So basically at a little over one year (including a MH bulb replacement!) it would start saving you money, and you would have broke even. Or right about 2 years if you didnt add the bulb cost.

And none of that incorporates the heat (chillers, fans whatever else) from the halide, and how to keep it stable.


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## CLUSTER ONE

How effiecient are these leds (the evil66 ones) light wise? I would liek one for my 15g, but i dont really want to spend 200$ for 2. I may just try to wire myself some so replacements would be 5$ per led and not 100$ for the 5 led bulb. They look sleek though. The 40W of led light would be much more efficient too.


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## shiver905

20 something watts,

par to 250 watt MH at i think 14"


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer

Built the sump but now Im wondering where am I going to fit the damn heater. FML.


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## Ægir

Danny Tanner said:


> Built the sump but now Im wondering where am I going to fit the damn heater. FML.


Couple options, i am guessing its too long to put horizontal?

Get a couple (2 or 3) smaller heaters that will fit vertical, or an in-line heater?

Pics?


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer

Okay here is a few pics of the sump and progress. The sump is 35 gallons and I do not have space for a heater in sump. I will just have to use my spare hydor in line and attach it to the return line, no biggie.

Here we are, just a rough Mock up before I tighten, cement, and clamp everything :

Sump, 1st chamber inlet and skimmer, then bubble trap, then fuge chamber, then another bubble trap, and return pump chamber :










Another look at sump










Rough Mock-up to see if everything fits, minus skimmer










Inlet and return










Return to the tank, I thought it looked cool


















Problem! There lies a Vent in the stand. Will this cause any sort of issues?










Thanks guys.


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## Ægir

Looks good, one thing to consider your fuge is going to starve if its fed with skimmed water... it would be far more effective to split the drain and feed it that way with a ball valve to adjust the flow.... you can move your return pump to the center and go that route.

Also, you can buy caps for the heater banister, or just shut it most the way and call it good.... In the winter when you are heating the house you might want to watch it and see if it raises the temp much forcing warm air into the stand. The good news is if you have AC, you wont need a chiller prob









Keep up the good work man, everything looks good.


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## shiver905

looking good,

I can tell this is gunna be a beautiful tank.


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer

Thanks boys.

Also what if I stick a filter sock on the inlet and do fuge first is chamber 1, then skimmer chamber 2, and then return instead of splitting the drain??


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## shiver905

Filter Socks are great man.
It helps it from sounding like niagra falls, Good way of mech filtration.


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## shiver905

http://www.rapidled.com/servlet/StoreFront

Check this out for the lighting.


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer

Thats pretty wild shiver, but Im not good at DIY anything.


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer

Okay I just read that Skimmer/Fuge cannot be beside each other.

Im going to scrap the idea of a fuge and just fit the meanest skimmer I can in the sump for now and see how it goes, and just keep the sump for other equipment only. The fuge area is small anyways, and if down the road I encounter problems I will just hook up a 20 gallon spare that I have and make a display fuge with macro algae and plump it someway to the 75g.


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## shiver905

Sounds good,

Iv had a euroreef rs 80.
Great skimmer.

I Love the EuroReef serise skimmer.
You should look into it, bigger model obviously.


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer

Went to my trusty small reef store that I have always gone too and picked up this salt. Apparently it is only sold to small independent stores, every single batch is tested so you will never get a bad batch, and its "the perfect reef salt". The store owner said a wholesaler came in and bought 6 drums and every drum tested with identical results. I picked up a drum to give it a shot. You guys know anything about it? The owner said its a new line by seachem.


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## Grosse Gurke

Looking good man.


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer

Thanks Grosse







.

Im also looking at a LED fixture, Im going to run it by Egir and see what he says first in PM before I go out and buy.


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## shiver905

Danny Tanner said:


> Thanks Grosse
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> .
> 
> Im also looking at a LED fixture, Im going to run it by Egir and see what he says first in PM before I go out and buy.


Yo,
I found the best place to get led fixtures.
Great reviews.

http://www.stevesleds.com/

He has great prices and all costom made.


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer

Got a 6 bulb tek instead just waitin for the guy to deliver, thanks tho shiva.


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## CLUSTER ONE

shiver905 said:


> Thanks Grosse
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> .
> 
> Im also looking at a LED fixture, Im going to run it by Egir and see what he says first in PM before I go out and buy.


Yo,
I found the best place to get led fixtures.
Great reviews.

http://www.stevesleds.com/

He has great prices and all costom made.
[/quote]

What do you know about this guy. Ive seen the site before, but i gave up as its terrible to follow and i couldnt find any examples of builds and pricing.

Cant go wrong with a tek fixture either so you couldnt of made a bad choice.


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## shiver905

""""Lets pretend I have a 120 gallon tank. I want every type of coral to grow in it, so I have the option of getting 1, 400W MH light, or a Steve's LEDs retrofit kit. Using the LED Calculator 2.3 I find out exactly how many LEDs I should start with. It says I need 22 Midday Sun White and 22 Actinic Blues. I really like the idea of dimming on the drivers. I want meduim power fans and the heatsink needs to be 45 inches long to fit in my hood. I want 2 heatsinks. I also have some idea how to wire stuff up, I just don't want to solder.

Here is how the above scenario would work out:
1) We choose the Level 2 kit, since no soldering is required.
$12.99 X 4 arrays = 
$51.96

2) We have a total of 44 LEDs.
44 X $2.15 (per LED) = 
$94.60

3) 44 LEDs requires 4 drivers 
4 X $16.99=
$67.96

4) Heatsinks
45inches X 2 heatsinks = 
7.5 feet=
$22.425

5) 2 heatsinks means 2 fans but they share a power plug
15.99 X 2 = $31.98 - $4.00 medium fan credit = 
$27.98

5) 400W power supply since we are using less than 10 drivers
$131.99

TOTAL - $396.92

This just happens to be the price of a decent 400W Metal Halide fixture, except you'll get higher quality light, brighter light, no bulb replacement, and 1/4th the energy usage by going with Steve's LEDs!!!""""

Priceing is in the website. Very bad website tho. A few ppl got there fixtures in. Great reviews.

As for the tek, Great fixture. What bulb combo you going with.


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## CLUSTER ONE

I saw that price breakdown, but its confusing to follow as it keeps talking about arrays and such that i dont even know how many leds are in an array so i dotn know how many arrays i would need. One line says 2.15 per led which seems very cheap for quality leds, but i emailed him for a quote. Do know of any pics of people with these fixtures?


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer

Got the TEK its 6 bulbs w/ individual reflectors. The bulb set-up from the guy is 4 actinic bulbs, one daylight, and one fiji purple. Anyone have a better bulb combo? I love the bluer look. The previous owner had it for 6 months and he had no problems with growing SPS even though I dont plan on getting into hard corals.

PICS.

Its Big!










Almost as big as the entire width of the tank.



















Actinics Only.


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## NakedSavage

Nice, eagerly awaiting pics of it with something in there


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## sapir

looks awesome already, cant wait to see it filled up and stocked. do us all a favor and hurry lol


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## shiver905

6 bulb, damnn.. 
how much did that run ya?


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## Guest

Very nice looking setup!

Shiver you can purchase them Here

and this is the sale pricing from that location:

&#149;Tek Light 24" (4 x T5HO) Combo (Bulbs Included) - $389.99
&#149;Tek Light 36" (4 x T5HO) Combo (Bulbs Included) - $394.99
&#149;Tek Light 48" (2 x T5HO) Combo (Bulbs Included) - $289.99
&#149;Tek Light 48" (4 x T5HO) Combo (Bulbs Included) - $409.99
&#149;Tek Light 48" (6 x T5HO) Combo (Bulbs Included) - $519.99
&#149;Tek Light 48" (8 x T5HO) Combo (Bulbs Included) - $619.99
&#149;Tek Light 60" (4 x T5HO) Combo (Bulbs Included) - $589.99
&#149;Tek Light 60" (6 x T5HO) Combo (Bulbs Included) - $789.99
&#149;Tek Light 60" (8 x T5HO) Combo (Bulbs Included) - $949.99

Not saying thats what DT paid but it gives you an idea


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## shiver905

Higher end fixtures do cost alot.

imma Fan Of the TEK, ATI, Current(highend)fixtures. 
All higher end with a price tag to prove it..

Great light tanner,


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## CLUSTER ONE

mops has them cheaper, but no bulbs so it would work out close


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## FEEFA

Awesome light DT, cant wait to see things complete I'm sure it will be beautiful


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer

Thanks folks. I got the fixture used from a guy for 400 bucks delivered who had to shut his tank down because he had a newborn son or something. Newborn sons are the number one cause of Saltwater Aquariums deaths in my province. Anyways the fixture is about 6 months old, 4 of the bulbs need to be replaced as their are a bit old.

This week Im going to fix the sump and get sand and water in hopefully.


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## shiver905

R u gunna update or what.


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer

I was renovating the office room on my main floor the last few weeks. I want to move the tank there. I just got to finish painting the floor moulding and move the tank in and then will continue the build.


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## FEEFA

Hurry up already! I'm anxious to see this thing full with those kick ass light on.


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## Guest

what specific corals and fish are you planning?

what about when you go to school? whos going to take care of it


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## CLUSTER ONE

Any progress?


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## shiver905

Ya man what the hell is goin on


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## Wide_Eyed_Wanderer

I might or might not continue this boys cant say for sure unfortunately , I really want to dump every last penny in my account on a challenger.


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## FEEFA

Dont do it! Especially not the 6 banger.

Get a sh*t box and keep your tank

At least set it up freshwater if anything


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## shiver905

Im going to drive a grandmas car till im 31..

then ball out.


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