Jeremy0322's 55 gallon build

Jeremy0322 · 03-20-2008, 12:00 AM

I am relatively new to reef keeping so this was my first tank that I have ever really seriously put effort into. I was able to find someone through craigslist selling a used tank with everything that I needed for around 400 dollars, and when I did I jumped on the opportunity. For the price I got the 55 gallon tank(normal dimensions), a stand, canopy, 100 lbs of live rock, a magnum 350 filter, an Excalibur protein skimmer, a few powerheads, a heater, some crappy test kits, and a power compact light fixture with old bulbs(getting new ones) that produces 260 watts, which will be a decent start.

I quickly learned that the setup he had was not the greatest. There was no sump, the condition of the rock was relatively bad, and the health of the fish that came with the system looked iffy. I took the fish back to the store(accept for the one clown fish that i really liked, hes in a temp tank right now) and began work on the main tank. I figured that I would do a sump for many reasons. So I ordered a drill bit from the internet and had my grandfather make me an overflow out of Lexan, since he works at a shop it was easy and free.

From there I decided to build a sump for it, and since I had a 20 gallon long tank laying around that was my best bet. So again I went to grandpa, and with his help getting me what I needed and ALOT of AGA silicone from the pet store, a sump was born.

The plumbing has not been completed because I do not have a return pump yet, but I am going to be using a Mag 9.5 for the return so that I can tee the line off into the fuge on the far left side of the sump. That will also house the two 200 watt stealth heaters and the protein skimmer that is surprisingly effective.

There was a little rigging in this picture so that it could still skim with the low water level, because at that point i didn't even have the return bulkhead in yet

Jeremy0322 · 03-20-2008, 12:10 AM

I was finally able to get the sand shipped here since money was kind of tight, my birthday is coming and since I am 19 i still get a ton for my b-day, so that will help finish it off. I put the rock in first the way I thought I liked it, and then added the sand, screwed in the bulkhead, and then ran a line into the bottom of the stand with an on/off valve. This gave me the ability to actually put water in the tank, and let the cycle begin.

You will notice the stand is still a little "rough" but that will be finished as soon as the tank is up and running, since that is priority one. Also, the rocks have been completely remodeled since than because I decided that I was not a fan of them, I will get pictures of the new setup as soon as I can borrow a camera again.

The last thing is more of a question of some sorts:
For the return I want to do something sort of like a vertical spray bad. I am figuring that my return pump will give me somewhere in the neighborhood of 600 gph coming back into the tank since that is what the overflow can handle. The large rocks on the right side has a cave behind it, the large rock with the hole in the center is one of the ways in. It is about 3 inches wide and 6 inches long, and I am afraid there is going to be little to no flow behind there. This was my hopeful solution...

A vertical spray bar to handle half the water from the return, the rest would be teed off right at the bulkhead and then shot in almost like a powerhead using loc-line. It would be about 16 inches long, drop straight down into the cave along the edge of the overflow, and have varying hole sizes. Will this idea work? Is there a better method to accomplish this? I am working on somewhat of a budget so cheap is good when it is possible. Thanks for the suggestions in advance.

tbittner · 03-20-2008, 12:10 AM

Great job and a really nice find on Craigslist! I would put the heaters in the high flow area though. The fuge should be low flow and I'm not sure the circulation would be enough through it for the heaters to keep ALL of the water at a stable temp.

Very minor thing though.

tbittner · 03-20-2008, 12:14 AM

Your idea would work great! Just make sure you drill a hole in the pipes coming from the return pump, just below the water line, so it breaks the siphon when the electric goes out. Otherwise, it would drain your tank, until the sump overflowed, and it would make quite the mess.

For your spray bar, just use PVC fittings and reducers to reduce it to 1/2" for the three outlets you have shown. That would work fine. Or if you have the money, buy a few of the locline spray nozzels.

CMG · 03-20-2008, 12:20 AM

Good looking tank. What kind of power heads are you using? looks like ones that start with a k and I cant pronounce. What size did u get? I am looking into getting some of those magnetic bad boys. They are super easy to hide in your rock as compared to my maxi jets.

Jeremy0322 · 03-20-2008, 12:23 AM

The part of the sump that will be the fuge is going to be the part on the far right. I am going to tee the return off into the fuge and then have it drain back into the center. The heaters are going to go into the return part of the sump(the middle section). And I am not sure what three outlets you are tanking about. I only have 2 holes, one is a drain and the other is the return. I was going to tee it off so that I could use the spray bar and a locline. Maybe i misunderstood what you said, sorry?

Jeremy0322 · 03-20-2008, 12:27 AM

And I have two Koralia 1's right now and an Aquaclear 70, all of which are putting out 400 gph. I dont like the aquaclear though, and am contemplating buying a Koralia 2 because they have nice, dispersed flow, and dont look completely ugly

tbittner · 03-20-2008, 12:36 AM

Ahhh, I see now. It's a pipe with a bunch of holes drilled into it. I was looking at the three arrows.

For your sump, you have the bubble trap (three pieces of baffles) installed between the fuge and the return. That isn't where you need that. You need the bubble trap between the skimmer and the return pump. Otherwise, you'll end up with a lot of micro bubbles being blown into the tank.

You don't want to put the heaters in the return section. The heaters have to be completely submerged all the time. The water level in the return section will fall with evaporation and rise when you top off your system. Put them in the far left section. If the heaters aren't submerged with enough water, they could explode.

Jeremy0322 · 03-20-2008, 12:39 AM

From left to right it goes fuge, return, skimmer section. I am going to take the drain line, tee it off, and then set it in the far left section of the sump. Then I will be able to control the flow better through the fuge so that I can get more flow through the skimmer and less flow through the fuge. So, the bubble trap is between the skimmer section and the return section, the return is just in the middle. I have seen it done this way many times and it seems like the best move for what i need. And I didnt realize the heaters were as long as they were, so I may need to hide one in the tank and then think of somewhere else to hide the other one in the sump, I have not really thought about that one yet.

elliottb · 03-20-2008, 10:10 AM

Jooks good so far Jeremy! I really like all the coralline on your rockwork.

Oh, and welcome to RS.

glampka · 03-20-2008, 10:49 AM

Looking good Jeremy. One thing I noticed on your stand though - maybe it's just the picture but it looks like there is a huge bow in the support board. If there is, you should have the crown on top so that the weight of the tank/water will flatten it out.

Jeremy0322 · 03-20-2008, 12:17 PM

You scared me for a second, but its just the picture. I confirmed with a level, so its all good.

Dentoid · 03-20-2008, 12:34 PM

Nice job Jeremy! I like your idea with the return spray bar. I don't know if I would perforate it randomly like swiss cheese though. I don't know that you need it spraying towards the glass.

glampka · 03-20-2008, 01:17 PM

Does grandpa want to make another overflow?

Jeremy0322 · 03-20-2008, 01:55 PM

I could ask him and see what he could do for you. This was out of scrap lexan at the end of the month though and I do not know when he will be able to get it done. If not you may have to buy the material, and with that it may be easier to find a shop around you and have them do it, but i will definitely ask for you.

And, I did a water test on my sump today to see if it will hold all the water from when the power goes out and it is going to be really close, so i think i am going to have to 90 the pipe up, and then tee it off so that I can make the hole up higher to kill the siphon. This should be a blast.

And I am going to make the holes in the directions so that it hits the rocks and not the glass, but i thought the different sized holes would create a randomized pattern.

03-20-2008, 12:00 AM	#1 (permalink)
Jeremy0322 Ricordea Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 180 View Gallery Karma Komment	Jeremy0322's 55 gallon build I am relatively new to reef keeping so this was my first tank that I have ever really seriously put effort into. I was able to find someone through craigslist selling a used tank with everything that I needed for around 400 dollars, and when I did I jumped on the opportunity. For the price I got the 55 gallon tank(normal dimensions), a stand, canopy, 100 lbs of live rock, a magnum 350 filter, an Excalibur protein skimmer, a few powerheads, a heater, some crappy test kits, and a power compact light fixture with old bulbs(getting new ones) that produces 260 watts, which will be a decent start. I quickly learned that the setup he had was not the greatest. There was no sump, the condition of the rock was relatively bad, and the health of the fish that came with the system looked iffy. I took the fish back to the store(accept for the one clown fish that i really liked, hes in a temp tank right now) and began work on the main tank. I figured that I would do a sump for many reasons. So I ordered a drill bit from the internet and had my grandfather make me an overflow out of Lexan, since he works at a shop it was easy and free. From there I decided to build a sump for it, and since I had a 20 gallon long tank laying around that was my best bet. So again I went to grandpa, and with his help getting me what I needed and ALOT of AGA silicone from the pet store, a sump was born. The plumbing has not been completed because I do not have a return pump yet, but I am going to be using a Mag 9.5 for the return so that I can tee the line off into the fuge on the far left side of the sump. That will also house the two 200 watt stealth heaters and the protein skimmer that is surprisingly effective. There was a little rigging in this picture so that it could still skim with the low water level, because at that point i didn't even have the return bulkhead in yet

03-20-2008, 12:10 AM	#2 (permalink)
Jeremy0322 Ricordea Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 180 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Jeremy0322's 55 gallon build I was finally able to get the sand shipped here since money was kind of tight, my birthday is coming and since I am 19 i still get a ton for my b-day, so that will help finish it off. I put the rock in first the way I thought I liked it, and then added the sand, screwed in the bulkhead, and then ran a line into the bottom of the stand with an on/off valve. This gave me the ability to actually put water in the tank, and let the cycle begin. You will notice the stand is still a little "rough" but that will be finished as soon as the tank is up and running, since that is priority one. Also, the rocks have been completely remodeled since than because I decided that I was not a fan of them, I will get pictures of the new setup as soon as I can borrow a camera again. The last thing is more of a question of some sorts: For the return I want to do something sort of like a vertical spray bad. I am figuring that my return pump will give me somewhere in the neighborhood of 600 gph coming back into the tank since that is what the overflow can handle. The large rocks on the right side has a cave behind it, the large rock with the hole in the center is one of the ways in. It is about 3 inches wide and 6 inches long, and I am afraid there is going to be little to no flow behind there. This was my hopeful solution... A vertical spray bar to handle half the water from the return, the rest would be teed off right at the bulkhead and then shot in almost like a powerhead using loc-line. It would be about 16 inches long, drop straight down into the cave along the edge of the overflow, and have varying hole sizes. Will this idea work? Is there a better method to accomplish this? I am working on somewhat of a budget so cheap is good when it is possible. Thanks for the suggestions in advance.

03-20-2008, 12:10 AM	#3 (permalink)
tbittner Watch this Ma! Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Northern VA Posts: 5,562 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Jeremy0322's 55 gallon build Great job and a really nice find on Craigslist! I would put the heaters in the high flow area though. The fuge should be low flow and I'm not sure the circulation would be enough through it for the heaters to keep ALL of the water at a stable temp. Very minor thing though. __________________ Terry 150g predator tank full of killers. Soon to be upgraded to a 360g. 450g reef 300g sump.

03-20-2008, 12:14 AM	#4 (permalink)
tbittner Watch this Ma! Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Northern VA Posts: 5,562 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Jeremy0322's 55 gallon build Your idea would work great! Just make sure you drill a hole in the pipes coming from the return pump, just below the water line, so it breaks the siphon when the electric goes out. Otherwise, it would drain your tank, until the sump overflowed, and it would make quite the mess. For your spray bar, just use PVC fittings and reducers to reduce it to 1/2" for the three outlets you have shown. That would work fine. Or if you have the money, buy a few of the locline spray nozzels. __________________ Terry 150g predator tank full of killers. Soon to be upgraded to a 360g. 450g reef 300g sump.

03-20-2008, 12:20 AM	#5 (permalink)
CMG Torch coral Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Sonoma County, CA Posts: 586 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Jeremy0322's 55 gallon build Good looking tank. What kind of power heads are you using? looks like ones that start with a k and I cant pronounce. What size did u get? I am looking into getting some of those magnetic bad boys. They are super easy to hide in your rock as compared to my maxi jets. __________________ My Chronical: http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/...wlr-setup.html 40g, Purple Dartfish (squirley), Banggai Cardinal (Spot), 3 sand sifting snails, 3 nerite snails and a golden banded shrimp (Batman).

03-20-2008, 12:23 AM	#6 (permalink)
Jeremy0322 Ricordea Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 180 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Jeremy0322's 55 gallon build The part of the sump that will be the fuge is going to be the part on the far right. I am going to tee the return off into the fuge and then have it drain back into the center. The heaters are going to go into the return part of the sump(the middle section). And I am not sure what three outlets you are tanking about. I only have 2 holes, one is a drain and the other is the return. I was going to tee it off so that I could use the spray bar and a locline. Maybe i misunderstood what you said, sorry?

03-20-2008, 12:27 AM	#7 (permalink)
Jeremy0322 Ricordea Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 180 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Jeremy0322's 55 gallon build And I have two Koralia 1's right now and an Aquaclear 70, all of which are putting out 400 gph. I dont like the aquaclear though, and am contemplating buying a Koralia 2 because they have nice, dispersed flow, and dont look completely ugly

03-20-2008, 12:36 AM	#8 (permalink)
tbittner Watch this Ma! Join Date: Jun 2007 Location: Northern VA Posts: 5,562 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Jeremy0322's 55 gallon build Ahhh, I see now. It's a pipe with a bunch of holes drilled into it. I was looking at the three arrows. For your sump, you have the bubble trap (three pieces of baffles) installed between the fuge and the return. That isn't where you need that. You need the bubble trap between the skimmer and the return pump. Otherwise, you'll end up with a lot of micro bubbles being blown into the tank. You don't want to put the heaters in the return section. The heaters have to be completely submerged all the time. The water level in the return section will fall with evaporation and rise when you top off your system. Put them in the far left section. If the heaters aren't submerged with enough water, they could explode. __________________ Terry 150g predator tank full of killers. Soon to be upgraded to a 360g. 450g reef 300g sump.

03-20-2008, 12:39 AM	#9 (permalink)
Jeremy0322 Ricordea Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 180 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Jeremy0322's 55 gallon build From left to right it goes fuge, return, skimmer section. I am going to take the drain line, tee it off, and then set it in the far left section of the sump. Then I will be able to control the flow better through the fuge so that I can get more flow through the skimmer and less flow through the fuge. So, the bubble trap is between the skimmer section and the return section, the return is just in the middle. I have seen it done this way many times and it seems like the best move for what i need. And I didnt realize the heaters were as long as they were, so I may need to hide one in the tank and then think of somewhere else to hide the other one in the sump, I have not really thought about that one yet.

03-20-2008, 10:10 AM	#10 (permalink)
elliottb Cabbage Leather Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: nj Posts: 356 View Gallery Karma Komment Add yours!	Re: Jeremy0322's 55 gallon build Jooks good so far Jeremy! I really like all the coralline on your rockwork. Oh, and welcome to RS. __________________ save a reef, frag a coral Friendship is like peeing on yourself: everyone can see it, but only you get the warm feeling that it brings. -someone- Anyone want to move? My tanks come with the home.... http://www.forsalebyowner.com/listing/18E85

03-20-2008, 10:49 AM	#11 (permalink)
glampka Achilles Tang Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Margaritaville Posts: 817 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Jeremy0322's 55 gallon build Looking good Jeremy. One thing I noticed on your stand though - maybe it's just the picture but it looks like there is a huge bow in the support board. If there is, you should have the crown on top so that the weight of the tank/water will flatten it out. __________________ We are the people our parents warned us about! JB 30 gal mixed reef 12 gal mixed Aquapod, 70 W MH 12 gal JBJ cube - mixed reef 12 gal Aquapod - work in progress

03-20-2008, 12:17 PM	#12 (permalink)
Jeremy0322 Ricordea Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 180 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Jeremy0322's 55 gallon build You scared me for a second, but its just the picture. I confirmed with a level, so its all good.

03-20-2008, 12:34 PM	#13 (permalink)
Dentoid Over Achiever Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Virginia Posts: 10,239 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Jeremy0322's 55 gallon build Nice job Jeremy! I like your idea with the return spray bar. I don't know if I would perforate it randomly like swiss cheese though. I don't know that you need it spraying towards the glass. __________________ Scott Dentoid's Reeforama

03-20-2008, 01:17 PM	#14 (permalink)
glampka Achilles Tang Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Margaritaville Posts: 817 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Jeremy0322's 55 gallon build Does grandpa want to make another overflow? __________________ We are the people our parents warned us about! JB 30 gal mixed reef 12 gal mixed Aquapod, 70 W MH 12 gal JBJ cube - mixed reef 12 gal Aquapod - work in progress

03-20-2008, 01:55 PM	#15 (permalink)
Jeremy0322 Ricordea Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Pennsylvania Posts: 180 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Jeremy0322's 55 gallon build I could ask him and see what he could do for you. This was out of scrap lexan at the end of the month though and I do not know when he will be able to get it done. If not you may have to buy the material, and with that it may be easier to find a shop around you and have them do it, but i will definitely ask for you. And, I did a water test on my sump today to see if it will hold all the water from when the power goes out and it is going to be really close, so i think i am going to have to 90 the pipe up, and then tee it off so that I can make the hole up higher to kill the siphon. This should be a blast. And I am going to make the holes in the directions so that it hits the rocks and not the glass, but i thought the different sized holes would create a randomized pattern.

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