New Tank 250gal

[Richard_Dicosimo]

Current tank


Main display 90 gal cross braced with overflow
Sump 70 gal
2 mag 18 closed loops
1 mag 5 return pump
1 400 watt metal halide
3 actinic
1 turbo floater skimmer rated to 500 gal tank
120lb of live rock in display
Custom built stand and canopy made by me
2 250 watt heaters
2 seio 1500’s

Current fish

1 bicolor dotty back 2”
1 bicolor blenny 2”
1 zebra goby 3.5”
1 spotted hawkfish 3”
2 hippo tangs 4”and5”
1 sailfin tang 3”
1 brown tang 4.5”
1 yellow foxface 5”
2 green chromis 1.5” each
2 gold banded maroon clowns Female3.5” Male 2.5”

I have some corals most of which I don’t know the scientific names for. The reason for my upgrade is the obvious overstocking of my current tank. Although even with the excessive amount of fish in the swimming area provided the only aggression in the tank comes from the female clowns.



The New Tank

- 250 gal Star fire 9’long x 2’wide x 18”high
- Dual overflow opposite of each other.
- Dual closed loop hammerheads on 2 ocean motion 4 ways.
- Tunze wave box.
- Coral life turbo twist 36watt UV sterilizer.
- Spectra pure 4 stage Ro/Di.
- 4 250 watt metal halide’s 1500k bulbs.
- Dual return pumps from sump 1 Te-7-md-hc little giant pump rated at 3500gal/hr and 1 te-5.5-md-sc little giant pump rated at 2100 gal/hr.
- 1 4-mdqx-sc little giant pump dedicated to pumping water to the UV sterilizer and then to the skimmer
- The skimmer is an Aqua Medic DUAL TURBO FLOATER 5000 with dual oceanrunner3500 pumps rated to 1250 gallon tank.
- R2 dual moonlight kit
- And the 2 heaters from my tank now @ 250watt’s


OK the story….. I bought the tank From Oceans in Calgary, great guys the tank WAS in awesome condition when I bought it. Ok a 9 foot tank and basement stairs don’t get along well, ok not a problem cut the tank apart and bring it down stairs. This works out good because I want to get the tank drilled and Garry tells me that it’s even easier to drill when the tank isn’t together. So we start cutting the tank apart….. Wow this SUCKS get the top bracing off, that sucked but it’s done. I wonder if there is an easier way to make this silicone cut easier?... I know LETS GET THE HEAT GUN………………………………………………….. long story short one of the 9 foot long front panels cracks MOTHER ……………..#$#@ ok ok.. call Garry hey Garry you know I install floors and I know lots of flooring company’s, think we can make a deal?

Ok so now it’s going to be about a week for a new front panel. Its ok my girlfriend’s dad and brother are going to be welding onto the stand for the tank and that won’t be ready for another weeks as well.

ITS OK US REEFERS ARE PATIENT people we don’t want our tanks setup virtually the same day we buy them right?............




Ok well anyways, the tank stand was only 32” high and I found that to be inconvenient and uncomfortable to look into, so I am having the height increased to 49”. This tank will be located along side the stairs into my basement and you will be able to look through the tank as you com down the stairs, into the living room. The tank stand and canopy have been designed in such a manor that all air in the canopy and stand is separate from the air in the rest of the house. I hope that this will cut down on heat and humidity in the house. Granted its not air tight there will be some leakage, but the Majority should be expelled. All equipment will be located under the stand with the exception of the skimmer (its taller then I am). I will have a refuge that will be fed off of the skimmer and then flow back into the sump. The lights are special… they are from bumper crop and I opted for the special reflectors that has each light in a boxed off vent able reflector so that all heat produced by the lights is immediately vented outside continuously for as long as the lights are on for. Over and above that I have a bathroom fan sucking air from my enclosed tank area straight to the outdoors.


I liked Fudge’s rock work so much I have tried to duplicate it but not with zip ties and PVC but instead I tried epoxying the rock together in interesting shapes. This is far more expensive then zip ties and PVC but I think that it will last longer? But who knows. So anyways I let about 40lbs of live rock dry completely before attempting and it actually turned out pretty good, 4 tubes of epoxy later.

Ok so I will upload now what pics I have thus far and will, continue this thread once I have a bit more accomplished.

Richard

[TheReefGeek]

Sounds like a good project, keep us updated.

[prosnow]

glad to see my "dori lynn" will now have alot more room to swim around

[prosnow]

post some pics of it set up already

[albert_dao]

For real Rich. The tank has been running for what? Ten thousand years now? Geez. LOL

[Chin_Lee]

Thats one story that I'm sure you will never forgot. I cannot imagine if that were to happen to me.... i would have quit right then.

[Joe Reefer]

[Richard_Dicosimo]

ok its been a LONG time since i have thought about this thread.
so updates, the skimmer sucks i wish i woulda bought something better, it has salt creep from the joints and is a semi pain in the ass!
i have just ordered a proflux and an entire zeovit system.
i need to make some minor adjustments to the lights.

girlfriend being a goof


the skimmer


pump end of the sump


the refuge area of the sump, has since been filled with the sand from the tank. the fine sand was clogging the ocean motions.


return area of the sump

[Richard_Dicosimo]

ocean motion mess of plumbing front half of tank


ocean motion mess back half of the tank


600 cubic f/min fan expelling heat and humidity 24/7 to the great outdoors


skimmer in action


uv sterilizer thats going to be turned off once i get my zeovit reactor

[Richard_Dicosimo]

my nice clean power center


first of 3 light hood pics. im not happy with how much room they take up and i want more atintic light so im going to be changing this a bit. but the good news is that the lights have burned in since these pics and dont look pee yellow anymore






full tank shot stand not yet complete