So I took the opportunity to do some water tests and at least I can be happy because for once my dKH isn't low! Yay!

Temp: 81.9 (I fear we have another heater disaster pending, I'm watching this)
pH: 8.12
SG: 1.026
ORP: 329
dKH: 7
Nitrate: 0.02 (Elos)
Nitrate: 0
Nitrite: 0
Phosphates: 0.11

I figure the phosphates are leaching from the rock and feeding the GHA. I think of the 0.11 number more so as what is leeching out of the rocks, but not being used by the GHA. I was thinking of participating in Red Coral's Rent a Seahare program starting this afternoon. I also found that with some EXTREME force you can blow off the techni-colour algae. It doesn't seem like all is lost anymore.

At least you can find something good in all the tragedy you have had with this tank!

So I got a few quotes today from Bow Valley, were we got the glass for the 180g, for the big tank.

for 13x3x2 = $3K glass only, not low-iron, including holes & eurobrace
for 11x3x2 = $2K glass only, not low-iron, including holes & eurobrace.

We'd need to assemble it obviously, but they would deliver and help us get it into the basement.

Now I just need to make a cardboard or plywood dummy pane for the long side panels to make sure we can get this length of glass into the basement. LIke I mentioned earlier we would probably cover the glass and keep it away while we finalize reno decisions for the basement.

Did you consider the 11ft configuration as 11x4x2? I think that would be a great size, and I'd asumme similar price to the 13ftr. :smile: (just an idea. :wink: )

I think 11ft is small, but it will probably be what we go with if we can't fit the 13ft panes in the house. I like the lucky number 13!

What?????....going bigger....looking forward for that thread.

Trying, but there is a lot of work involved.

Is you big tank going to be all glass or plywood/glass?

The prices above are for all glass. We haven't yet priced out plywood. I think it will come down to a cost vs. time deal. Originally we wanted plywood/fiberglass to help save on the cost of the big tank, but with the option of glass being so affordable, we may not even need to look at fiberglass.

GARF.org will give you the plywood calcs

Ha..ha..what fun! For me, I like the 11' x 4' suggestion instead of the 13' x 3'. But of course, something like 13' x 6' would be even better! I would trade depth for length anytime until you get to a square tank.

Obviously, I went acrylic...have you considered that? Check with James at Envision and see what he could do. Things might jump sharply in price with panels over 10 feet (I can't remember...) James would build you a tank that won't fail, that's for sure.

13x6... that would be a monster... :mrgreen:

I like the idea of 4ft but I worry it will take away too much from the room. The tank's foot print will actually be 5.5ft from the back wall to the front of the tank, this accounts for the 2ft walkway behind the tank, and possibly a 0.5ft coast to coast overflow, plus the tank's 3ft depth.

So before I pull the trigger on this puppy and do something that can't be undone. I want to hear opinions on what I'm proposing;

- 13Lx3Dx2H tank eurobraced
- All glass tank? Probably
- Stainless steel stand build in 3? sections
- Clam & SPS dominated
- Busy with a variety of fish
- Returns & water movement done via various Ocean Motions 4 ways; 4 on each end, 12 on the back panel, 8 on the bottom
- Lighted with T5 & MHs
- Dosed with kalk. & Ca. reactors
- We'll skim, but with what, we don't know
- I'll run a 'fug, and will probably use the 180g as a sump.
- I also want to do a frag grow out tank that can be run inline, or offline
- Back up power provided by a generator
- Back up flow provided by 3-4? close surface mounted vortechs to oxygenate the water

Am I missing anything?

Are you planning to plumb an auto top-off system directly from your ro/di? Remember how Oregon Reef's ATO fudged his whole system while he was away? Might put some careful thought into that :)

Nope, the plan is to make RO/DI & Salt water elsewhere and then pump it in to the tank. No direct plumbing between the RO/DI system and the tank. Yeah I definitely don't want to have my system suffer that sort of disaster.

That was a tragedy, but it was caused by his skimmer pumping out the water, and the ATO refilling it, not by the ATO malfunctioning. Sadly, he's shut that entire system down, and dismantled the tank and removed all the equipment. He still has his coldwater tanks, and says he'll be back, bigger and badder eventually.

I was crushed to read that he'd shut down his system. I loved it and have taken some of his ideas to put into my next system. My favorite feature was the trench and all the little regal tangs swimming about.

I might be worried that the the tank would look a little squashed with the lengh vs. hight?

I might be inclined to go 30" tall. But I like tall tanks so I am biased :mrgreen:

13' seems extraordinarily long to me - my worry would be that it will make the the 3' depth feel narrow. Although you should be able to get some neat wave effects in a tank that long. I'm curious - what kind of glass thickness are we talking about here for 13' long? I'm guessing they've stepped it up because otherwise $1000 more for 2 more feet seems a bit disproportional.

11' or 13' - let's face it, either way would be spectacular though!

I can barely reach the bottom at 24", any higher and I'll have a problem. Although Kevin does have long arms.....hmm

So are we saying that 4ft deep would be a better choice room constraints aside?

If cost and any other issues aside, I would try for 4, yes. But I recognize that when reality kicks in sometimes we have to tailor our expectations, but it doesn't hurt to explore the possibilities in the meantime. Like maybe you could try for 4', then if you found out that was a no-go, but then if maybe you could find out that 3.5' was workable.. why not. 6" is 6" and the more depth you have the more 'scaping possibilities you get.

I'm sort of with you on the 24" length. I like the look of 30" tall tanks but it's a pain to reach in. With my 280 I already have a problem and I even built a catwalk to help in the matter. Oh, the sacrifices we make.. :lol: I guess I can live with wet armpit shirts.

You can always make the stand a little higher if the tank seems shallow at 24".

Tunze for water movement is great oppsion. Ocean mosions is good too if you don't have to drill holes in the tank. I would probly buy a second pump for back up, just in case.
What is your plan for lighting.

We expect we will go with MHs and T5s, however we are actively look into other options; all T5s, LEDs, solar lighting, etc.

Since you are renovating anyhow, it makes sense that you consider solar lighting... I can't remember what the thread was called, but I read somewhere about a project using 'sun-pipes' that may work well, though here in Canada I would think you would still need MH or a number of T5s for winter lighting.

P.S. Can't wait to see the build thread on this! Honestly, even 11' long is monstrous compared to just about anything I've seen, at least in someone's home. Xcaret in Mexico doesn't count :lol:

P.P.S. Thinking about lighting a tank of this size, LEDs might be an excellent choice as well for the power savings alone on something of this size could potentially outweigh the initial cost. Efficiency would be paramount if I had a tank of this size... Eheim pumps come to mind also.

Sadly solar tubes probably aren't going to be a realistic option. This tank is in our basement, and there is no logical way to put solar tubes there without giving up my kitchen, which obviously is not an option.

We think LEDs would be a good option, however the initial buy in, especially if you are making the entire fixtures yourselves, is quite high. To buy from the wholesaler its looking to be about $5 per white LED. We'll keep looking into it though and see what happens.

Wow....leave the seen for a few months and look what happens :)

Wet armpits aren't so bad once you get used to them. I deal with wet arm pits now, with the new tank I'll have to deal with a wet upper body! :mrgreen:


I vote for more depth, If I could go wider I would in a heart beat.

Alright well I finally have amassed enough cardboard to do some trial runs. Sunday, provided I do not get injured in my game on Saturday, I will do a cardboard mock-up of the proposed length and height (13x3) and we'll see how it goes. I'll also mark off what 11ft would be for comparison.

In regards to the 180g its still looking iffy, but its coming back. The cyano is still around, it never really left, even after 3 days of no lights. This cyano can't be beat by depleating the light. It seems the clean up crew did more for combating the cyano then turning off the lights did. Although turning the lights off was definitely worth the attempt.

I was over at Tony's on Tuesday and we saw all my pretty fish and clams. I am so excited to bring everything home again. I need to do some aquascaping sooner rather then later!

I'm sure you've seen this before, a tank that's just shy of 11 feet from RC

Here is the build thread also:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...5&pagenumber=1

http://i23.photobucket.com/albums/b3...8/IM000203.jpg

Nice find, I'll take a look at the build thread when I have a minute or three. I like it, now if we did that it'd be in wall, but that is the idea.

Quickie update:

- The seahare has been found, its alive, and still feels like a wet marshmallow. Its going back to RC this weekend.
- GHA is 90% gone thanks to the Urchin. That leaves the score at Urchin 1, Seahare -1 (for hiding)
- I added a masked rabbit fish to the tank, sweet, but shy little guy. I always wanted a pretty rabbit fish!
- I added two tester SPS, green polyp birds nest, and a piece of red cap on Saturday. So far, so good
- Added in a few more clean up crew members, hermits
- We're still waiting to hear about my job. Although they have been pilling me up with a lot of work lately, so here is hoping I'm here long term. I'm itching to start on the big tank.

Things are sounding good... Hope that your job pulls thru for you.

Good to hear the rabbit is doing well. Hopfully he isnt a wascally wabbit.:question:

He still seems scared. I'm excited to add more fish to the system, maybe it will help him loosen up a bit.

He was a fraidy cat at the store too.

Now he's a chicken in a bigger tank. :D He looks lonely too. I think once he gets some friends that he'll start to warm up.

Ooh, any pictures of said wascawy wabbit forthcoming? :)

(Some buddies may indeed help..)

I guess now that this tank is up and going, you'd be ready for that frag of Pagoda Cup I have for you???? :mrgreen:

Alright so a few photos;

The only in-tank survivors;
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...DSC_0217-1.jpg

Tester SPS;
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...a/DSC_0222.jpg

Masked Rabbitfish;
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...DSC_0234-2.jpg

Clean Up Crew enjoying Rabbitfish's meal;
http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...a/DSC_0236.jpg

Tony takes such awesome photos!

http://i21.photobucket.com/albums/b2...ika/clams1.jpg