My 72g build

[Stacef]

Ok, after this weekend, we will be setting up our 72g acyrlic bowfront as a Reef. Currently it is freshwater.

We are ordering 60lbs of LR, already have 26lbs
We are ordering 60lbs of LS, possibly taking the 30 we have now and adding that too?

Currently I have a Bak-Pak2. We are going to have a sump/fuge. We are thinking 55g. The Bak-Pak2 would be in the sump, hanging on the side.

We want to drill the tank, what size bulkheads do I get? Would 2 be enough? I already have a sump plan figured out. Just need to figure out the overflow.

Here's my sump plans (minus the siphon overflow..we will be drilling)--

[Octoman]

Those are some nice looking tree sponges you've got there in the 'fuge!

Why are you using two return pumps instead of one?

I would recommend plumbing the fuge from the tank overflow (tee off the main overflow drain pipe and use a ball valve to control flow) rather than the return pump(s).

As far as overflow bulkhead size, how much flow are you planning to run through your return pumps to the DT?

[glampka]

Stace,
Check out Glass-Holes.com dope aquarium stuff for the overflow. They sell complete kits that you can match to the flow you want. The kit even includes the drill bit. They will also custom make one for you. I like them because they are much thinner than most. Check out the videos on their website.

That looks like a roadmap with all those arrows for flow.......

[Stacef]

Thanks both of you!!

Ok here's a thought. The 55g will not fit under our tank. So, we are thinking, we can use our current 20g for a fuge, and get another 20g for a sump and just hook them together. BUT--This is the dilema, Currently we are using the 20g. We have to keep this tank full with our fish and corals in it until the 72g is cycled.

So...Can we wait until after it cycles to add a fuge? Will it cause another cycle? We cannot have a recycle with everything.

Next question...The sand that is in our current 20, it about 9 months of being in the tank, and we take that put it into the fuge? This will cause a mini cycle won't it??? Let me know your thoughts of how you would do all this.

Here's it broke down simply, currently we have a 20g Reef, which will be used for a fuge for our 72g when it's cycled. How do you make this happen without a lapse of each other. Thanks!!

[Stacef]

Really? 10 hours later and no response? Wait!!! it's 4th of July, nevermind!!

[NCguy]

Ok..Here's what I would do...Go ahead and get another 20 gallon going as a sump. After your tank has cycled add your fish and corals to the 72 but not all at one time.Add a couple then wait a few days...check your water..add a couple more...and so on. This will give your system time to adjust to the new bioload. Once everything has been added,your 20g holding tank can now become your fuge. Don't stir up the sand,just add some chaeto and a light and you're all set.

[fatman]

I use glass-holes for the vast majority of my tanks, with a Calfo over flow if the tank is a custom made tank without European bracing or plastic trim. I always use two bulkheads in my overflows with each sized large enough to handle the entire flow needed. This provides redundancy against one bulk head being blocked as well as making the overflows virtually noise free. If possible always feed your skimmer from the overflow directly. If using a HOB skimmer, hang it where it gets its water from its own little compartment and run the overflow directly into that compartment and let it overflow into the excess water into the sump, This will insure the skimmer gets straight raw water skimmed from the display tanks surface. Be sure to flow the water from the skimmer into the sump not the skimmer feed compartment.

[Octoman]

Stace,

I see no problem in adding the fuge after the 72 cycles. However, I would not recommend adding the sand as is. You should use a cup or two to seed the sand in the DT and keep a cup to seed the fuge, but the rest should either be discarded or rinsed clean before reuse. You don't want to risk introducing nasties into the water from the old sand.

The only things I can think of that would cause another cycle with the fuge is if you added uncured live rock or live sand when you hook it up.

[fatman]

You might even consider using a little vinegar in the water to clean your old sand before using it in the new tank. It will actually etc the syrface and therefore remove any calcium carbonate hat attached to it along with phospahtes as part of the clcium crabonate precipitation process. I would consider using about a quart of the sand from you old tank, and then diluted vinegar wash and rinse well to reuse. Unless you can get aragonite sand cheaply, if so just throw it a way. Sixty pounds of live sandis to little to be really effective by itself. It would make a good topping however for a thicker layer of fine sugar sized sand.

[Stacef]

Thanks you guys!
The info on glass holes was very useful!

Tim I think I will take your advice, set up a 20g sump while the tank is cycling. Then when everything has gradually been added to the 72, take the LR from the current 20g and add that to the display tank of the 72. Then, just take the tank as is..not stirring up the sand, and make that the fuge. Being that the sump and fuge are two seperates, I will not have to worry about making baffles and such in the fuge section.

Mark-I will add a cup or two to the DT and leave the rest of the sand un touched in the fuge, Is this ok? Or just forget it, clean it and be safe?

LR will not be touching the water except for the initial set up, so no worries about that. I will be adding my current LR from my 20, but that is already cured and looking great!

[Stacef]

Originally Posted by fatman

You might even consider using a little vinegar in the water to clean your old sand before using it in the new tank. It will actually etc the syrface and therefore remove any calcium carbonate hat attached to it along with phospahtes as part of the clcium crabonate precipitation process. I would consider using about a quart of the sand from you old tank, and then diluted vinegar wash and rinse well to reuse. Unless you can get aragonite sand cheaply, if so just throw it a way. Sixty pounds of live sandis to little to be really effective by itself. It would make a good topping however for a thicker layer of fine sugar sized sand.

THanks so much!!! I will consider this.

[Stacef]

So it has officially began! The tank is up and running, we went and picked up 225lbs of LR, HQI lights, ordered another Koralia 4, skimmer, everything.
, have the rock all scaped, and now just waiting a little while.

**No one freak out**
This tank is a COMPLETELY cycled system that has been up for 2+ years. The water, rocks, sand everything...

So adding fish won't take long. I am not adding them today, we are waiting a little while to make sure nothing spikes due to the drive.

So here's the pics.

And for our great deals we got!!!! Here is is..

225 lbs of LR, and everything you see (minus the bowfront) Got some HUGGGEEE pieces
But.. plus a 75 & stand that I don't have pics of yet.





The new look!!! Looking pretty sad without lights, but there is some amazing coraline going on. And, there was some Aiptasia, but I got joe's juice and got every single one I found... (after the pics were taken I got them all)





The lights


The neat little board the Jeremy made, to go between the back of the stand and the wall. The timers and Power Squid will face the inside of the stand. This was made to keep the cats out from behind of the tank in the sump.

On the other side there is another, in which he wired a lightswitch to a power strip that all powerheads will be plugged into. Feeding time made easy!

[fatman]

It might seem petty for me to bring this up so late, but you did not say what size RO holding container you are using that you intend to use to directly feed your ATO system. With a large RO holding tank there is a possibility of a large amount of water getting pumped into your tank if a control misfunctions and allows the ATO pump to run continous. Well that depends also on the pumping rate of your tank also. I use a small container as an ATO and feed it from a Kalkwasser holding tank. It ffeds water to the ATOby gravity and is hooked up to a float shutoff, not a switch. I mut open a valve once a day to fill the ATO container. That way if the ATO pump runs continously the ATO container water only can feed the tank. Pumping just a few extra a few gallons in to the tank will likely not kill all your inhabitants, but pumping some large contaimners contents like 30 gallons into a tank would likely be much more devastating.
Wow, 225 pounds of live rock. That is like $1500 to $2000 retail or more in Alaska. Up here I would split that between four different 120 gallon tanks. But that is because I pay more for shipping up here than it cost for the rock down here. Lots and lots of Rock! That is great!

[glampka]

Looking good Stace!!

[Stacef]

fatman-- We do not have ATO set up yet. We are doing some research on it. As you have mentioned we do not want to run into a flood, so we are waiting until we know which kind we want, how they work, etc. Thanks for your concern!