Lagoon-Backreef Setup

[forestal]

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

[forestal]

another pic for idea of arrangement:

[Travis]

Man, that's gonna be cooool! What were you afraid to take on a bigger project?

[forestal]

naw...not afraid...wife wouldnt let me... the stand for the 150 fits the sump and the tank...it was for a 400 gallon plywood tank...built/sealed..about to put the glass in and my wife said...um what happens when it leaks...ah well..we must keep our better halves happy...otherwise they won't let us keep doing this

[Travis]

I was being sarcastic LOL looks like you've got your hands full to me.

[forestal]

Updating...
got the 150 filled with 5 inch DSB, a few pounds of live rock and overflowing to sump with return at about 600 gph... a couple small powerheads...the return is as a underwater spray bar to diffuse the current...i still plan on doing a closed loop system, but no rush

put some turtle/manatee and shoal grass in from floridapets in the 120...its a bit mucky in there but also put a load of snails in..

now i let the system simmer a bit as i save up for lights for the 150 and more live rock

[forestal]

Wanted to update...got another 100#LR from fiji, nice looking stuf...in the 150...will scape later when i have time...

banded pipefish in the lagoon (120) is feeding and doing ok..(LFS rescue...couldnt resist)

have a manifold setup on the return to the 150 spreading out the flow...and since i was trying to tweak the overflow and it broke (aargh...why only at night? dumb question i guess)
i have 2 mag 901s setup one for draing 150 to sump and one going to 150 from sump...setup so if one drains too far, gets air and breaks siphon...so a bit noisy but will work for now until i fix the overflow i dropped, ugh...

flow in the sump and in the 150 and 120 is pretty good...thinking about putting the tunze 6080 in the 150, but i may not need to ...will see..
sorry pics stink...but i'm pooped
http://forestalsfish.com/pics/Tanks/...e/backreef.jpg
http://forestalsfish.com/pics/Tanks/120cube/lagoon.jpg

[Tarasco]

Nice set up, wish I had the time and space to do something similar.

[forestal]

Thanks Mike, slowly developing

[forestal]

update...as in my previous post, i have added the 80 pounds of live rock from the hex tank to the sump and 2 tanks, as well as the livestock...4 ocellaris clowns, some ghost and peppermint shrimp, snails, and 2 clown, 1 citron, and 1 neon goby, and 1 condy anemone...the rbta bit it dont know why...

i have a lot of corralline to scrape off the 120 cube, so wont show pic yet, but here is the sump and 150 in all their pseudo glory







couldnt get a good pic of the black sun polyps, will try again when i have more time

[forestal]

so the system is up for 5 months now, added a finnex skimmer rated for 300 gallons, addedaa chamber for carbon, and soon will be adding my UV filter.

i have lots of flow via tunze and manifold return and powerheads.

i have read a ton, but i want to make sure my sps will flourish.

i plan to do weekly 20-30 gallon water changes, am considering phosphate reactor,

i have switched from crystal seas salt to IO

what else should i do? i have tons of corralline growth and am not supplementing calcium, but will monitor its levels and kalk drip initially if needed.

[forestal]

skimmer:


120 cube, note the plethora of corralline on back wall

[forestal]

update:

livestock added over the last month to the 150 reef:
3 lyre tail anthias - eating well
3 yellow tangs
3 banghaii cardinals
green bta

no more fish, it is full, just growing out corals

also added a 1" maxima clam, from anothers tank, will see how it does, i am feeding with soda bottle and dts.

120 tank is now full with picasso trigger, volitans lion, and snowflake eel

60 hex tank has been hooked inline and will eventually (september) house 2-4 erectus seahorses.

i also plan to add more liverock when i can afford

my black sun coral is fully open now and seems to be slowly growing, almost died before, so i am excited
pics:

future seahorse tank:

[Witfull]

looking good!!

[forestal]

thanks, a few more pics