500 gallon basement fish den

[rayn]

I don't envy the amount of buffing you have in front of you, but I do envy the tank!

Honestly I didn't think it was that bad. It didn't have deep scratches. That saying I don't know as if I want it to be my full time job.

Not sure what I'm doing with the other tank yet. If I can make it a wave tank again I may make it into a frag tank down the road.

 

[rayn]

Working on cleaning the tank I'm planning for the sump. The center brace was at some point cracked and fixed, but it has been filled since.


Slowly but surely.

 

[revhtree]

Looking good!

 

[rayn]

Thanks! I'm painfully slow on this right now as other projects have again taken precedence.

And I was told the other night the basement could sit that way for 6 months and "she" wouldn't care!

 

[Osteoclast]

I am sure you are but as a suggestion, I would carefully consider the inhabitants of the predator tank and the reef tank if you run them together. The size of some of the predator fish, their food input, and the waste produced may limit your coral options if you run them all in series. 240 gallons with large fish, sharks, rays, will require more skimming, carbon, GFO, etc. if you want your 120 an SPS tank. I have never done a combination like that but I would seek out others that have if you have not already.

It would be simpler in my view to make the large tank fish only but smaller species and more conventional in order to minimize phosphates and nitrates. The food fed to the fish is the major source of phosphate input as Randy Farley and others have written over the years. Larger fish need more obviously and that will likely require you to choose simpler more nutrient tolerant corals or go with a much larger skimmer. The larger 240 might overwhelm the 120 with nutrients. That maybe fine as long as your equipment can handle the higher load.

I have seen systems with SPS tanks and fish only tanks work, but the fish were large angels, tangs, etc.

Certainly you could run the predator tank on it's own circulation/filtration and that would take care of the nutrient issue. Or you could simplify the reef system. It might take some empirical trial and error.

But in any event good luck, I hope it continues well you have an interesting project.

 

[rayn]

Preds are messy for sure. I am debating this very issue with my setup.

I hadn't planned a sps tank for the reef, but maybe a few. I was thinking more lps there.

While it may seem a waste of space, the pred tank will have a limited number of occupants. I like the idea of a shark and or ray. Then maybe a lion to at least have something in the upper water column at times. If that doesn't add enough swimmers, maybe a angel or similar.

I'm taking my time and figuring it all out. I've put systems together before and then wished I had something different so careful planning is key here.

Thanks for the input.

 

[Osteoclast]

Great, good luck with your planning. It is amazing how a large system can look.

Btw the biggest surprise with my tank was the pump vibration noise, including returns, skimmer, and MP60s/40s on my tank. I ended up rerouting my main chiller return to the basement to reduce noise and also heat from the chiller and return pump. I have a second loop that runs from the main overflows to the sump and back. All the filtration is on this loop.

Humidity is also a big consideration. Not to bad in most basements espicially in your area but consider options as you continue your build.

 

[rayn]

Well over a month and nothing to show for it! Between work, side job, other side job, and working on the house I haven't gotten anything done on this system.

But tonight I did! Finally cleaning parts and figuring out the plumbing for the 120.

I'm starting to rethink the total combined system, and may go the multi system route. Will be easier to plumb and easier to maintain separately with my end goals.

 

[Lionfish Lair]

I agree. Don't make it too difficult. You're just too busy to be futzing around.

 

[rayn]

Hopefully someday it slows down for me, but money makes the tanks run!

 

[rayn]

Gotta love vinegar! Hour soak in a fairly concentrated five gallon bucket and the stuff just wiped right off. Clean heater, one of the pumps and bulkheads. Return pump is soaking in clean water overnight and I hope to get it cleaned yet today.

Figure out my sump and plumbing and in may have a running tank again soon!

 

[rayn]

I have a newsed pump coming now too! New to me, but slightly used. Reef octopus hy-7000. Hopefully it has enough flow for at least one of the tanks and maybe not so many power heads.

 

[rayn]

Here is the new beginning

March to October and I have nothing to show for it...till tonight!

Okay, whole new redesign on what we are doing. Wife has decided she wants a say this go around now and she is actually helping figure this thing out, usually she lets me just do my thing.

So she wants the 240 as a large reef tank now and I can use the 120 as a smaller pred tank. But she also gave me a room in the basement to use as a fish room! Room is 13 x 13. It will hold the 240, the 150, the QT tanks, and the mixing system.

I imagine this will still be a slow build, but it is something! Hopefully it won't be 6 months before my next update.

 

[jsker]

Slow and steady, wins the race.

 

[rayn]

Working on the fish room and enjoying a record!

 

[najer]

Classy!

 

[rayn]

240 is buffed and in place! It’s just dirty in this pic. Ended up having to move placement outside the fish room, so I now have a full 13 x 13 room for equipment!

 

[jackson2424]

Thanks! It may evolve a bit as I'm trying to figure out plumbing yet. I don't want to have to step over pipes.

Mabey you could raise the floor in that area so the pipes go under it.

 

[jsker]

240 is buffed and in place! It’s just dirty in this pic. Ended up having to move placement outside the fish room, so I now have a full 13 x 13 room for equipment!

That's a big one.

 

[Desgada]

Would there be an issue having a predator tank tied into your reef tank, the filtration would need to be pretty on point to handle the load so it doesnt effect the reef tank?

That was more of a question than anything. The layout looks pretty sweet, and as far as the layout goes the 40 could be a very nicely made frag tan if you are into that type of thing.