90 gallon reef build. progress

[cheech]

Decided to post up the progress of my build. Wanted your thoughts on it.



1st off, here's the plan of the tanks and stand.




Here's the tank and stand setup. The tank is a custom size. Gives me about 90 gallons. I like the added height and depth it has, which is why I went this route.

I put about 2" of sand in there.



The sand I put has a diameter of .5 - 1.5 mm, which is a nice size grain. I personally like it more than the thicker grains.



Finally, here's the sump. Sump size is 22 wide, 20 deep, and 18 high. The middle area will be setup as a fuge. Has a 7" sandbed.

The return pump is a mag 9.5, (950 gph). I added a T, with a return back to the sump, so I can regulate flow to the main tank without restricting the water output from the pump.




Thats as far as I got so far, Any thoughts, suggestions, criticism?

Thanks

[mseepman]

Looking good so far. Is the sand in the fuge the same as the bag you are showing? Are you planning to seed the sand with some live-sand?

Lastly, how are you managing the flow accross the fuge? I looked at a center fuge but all the input I received suggested that my flow would be too great and so I put it on the side with a seperate pump (TOM125) providing some minor flow to it.

[mr_alberta]

Are you beefing up that stand? What's it made of? I don't know if I'd put 1000lbs of stuff on that Ikea looking shelf without some beefing up

[cheech]

Originally Posted by mseepman

Looking good so far. Is the sand in the fuge the same as the bag you are showing? Are you planning to seed the sand with some live-sand?

Lastly, how are you managing the flow accross the fuge? I looked at a center fuge but all the input I received suggested that my flow would be too great and so I put it on the side with a seperate pump (TOM125) providing some minor flow to it.

The live sand won't be disturbed much. I doubt I'll have a problem with too much flow... We'll see how it goes to startoff, but i doubt too much flow will be a problem . The sand used is in fact the same sand used in the main tank. I'm not sure whether I'll be seeding the sand. I'll grab a cup or two of sand I got in my work tank, and I'll place a couple of small pieces of live rock rubble. I'm figuring that thru time, this will be sufficient to properly seed the tank. What I could do, if it does become a problem, is add a ball valve on the 1 1/2" return pipe, and place the pump diverted pipe back to the return chamber (where the pump is) so there will be less flow in the fuge area. not sure if I wanna go that route though. we'll see how it turns out.

Originally Posted by mr_alberta

Are you beefing up that stand? What's it made of? I don't know if I'd put 1000lbs of stuff on that Ikea looking shelf without some beefing up

yeah, I was worried as well, but I won't have a problem. I built the stand purposely so it wouldn't have a center brace, so I have full access to the sump/fuge. The lateral pieces of wood are directly under the tank sides. They're 1 1/16" thick, and the top shelf is 2 1/4" thick. The weight from the top shelf is also distributed along the length of the stand, so the extra 2 lateral strips also will help balance the load.

[jasond]

I like the looks of it! Personally I dont think the stand looks like it is from ikea to me at all. Nice the stand is bigger than the tank for some extra space!

Keep us posted!

[Marlin65]

Your fuge should be 10% of your volume and 10% of your flow for it to be a true fuge. having a DSB you want good flow. so it depends on what you are trying to achieve.
It will be too much flow the way you have it now for a true fuge.
DSB you need to seed I don't think a bit of rubble will be enough.
If you use live rock and seed from your main you should be okay just remember you have a lot of sand at 7" it will take time. I would start with less and add sand slowly to let it become mature this takes time. You want a good diversity in your sand bed.
DSB can become lethal if they are not done right.
Just my 2 cents.
Other than that its a nice setup I like the size and sump.

[cheech]

I don't know what the definition of a "true fuge is", but I guess I'm using an alternative route. lol.

Provided I have enough flow thru the fuge to make the macro algae tumble in the water, I'll have accomplished what I'm trying to do.


I can adjust the flow, so I'll have to find a balance with the dsb and the macro algae.


I do agree with you on the DSB. I'll try to seed the tank with as many pieces of live rock, and with different live sands.


Thank you...