Hello everyone...I tend to not have tons of time and have been meaning to start a thread for my new setup. After a year of planning (not actual time spent
), my setup is becoming a reality...
Thru the fortuitous and generousity of fellow reefers, i have acquired some bigger tanks for less expense
Setup:
1. 120 gallon starfire cube (diy canopy and stand by previous owner)
The plan is for this tank to contain a indopacific lagoon biotope (may put seahorses in, but plan to let the DSB thrive a bit, with lots of inverts, and several types of seagrass.
http://forestalsfish.com/pics/Tanks/120cube/day1.jpg
(this is day one, looks worse now with cyano outbreak from curing LR, but my camera is on fritz)
Lighting right now is 400 w MH (6600K) and 2 55 watt actinics
DSB ~5-6 inches deep
tank has central overflow with 2" drain to pvc/flex to 100 gallon rubbermaid sump.
http://forestalsfish.com/pics/Tanks/...ning/drain.jpg
2. 100 Gallon sump - 5 inch DSB; currently 100 pounds fiji LR mostly cured now, and chaeto/caulerpa for macro growout/harvest. Lighting is 3 175 w MH and 2 72" VHO actinics (one MH overlaps, used for some plants
)
http://forestalsfish.com/pics/Tanks/...ning/sump2.jpg http://forestalsfish.com/pics/Tanks/.../liverock2.jpg
plan once system is up and running is to place light diffuser in top 6 inches of water for frag growout.
skimmer on sump...putting out tons of yuck as LR is curing.
automatic FW topoff using a float valve and 50 gallon drum filled with RO/DIwater and powerhead hooked to float valve...
water returned from internal diy acrylic box and mag18 (1850 gph) pump with 1" pvc and gate valve to control flow back to 120 cube.
http://forestalsfish.com/pics/Tanks/...flowreturn.jpg
(note pic not including final 100 g tub)
inside sump is tunze 6080 for flow.
3. 150 Gallon - currently empty, but will be filling tomorrow.
http://www.forestalsfish.com/pics/Tanks/emptytank.jpg
Plan for this tank is to house a indo-pacific backreef biotope with a BTA and colony of tomato clowns, a wrasse or two, DSB of 3-4", some bits of seagrass, my regal blue tang (hippo) and Kole tang...i plan to have some LR but not stuffed full, to give some better options for aquascaping...
sand bed/cleanup crew/LR/plants will be only life for several months as with cube tank, to get fully estblished..
tank is located next to cube, perpendicular, so back reef and lagoon are next to each other, but allowing for different stocking options..
closed loop with mag drive pump for 2 lower back bulkheads...
diy overflow to sump and will use a mag pump within the sump for return/gate valve...not as much flow as return to cube...
perhaps a tunze in this tank as well for better flow...depends on how well the closed loop works in practice...
lighting is not purchased yet, but plan one end 400 watt MH , 2 175's with actinics