I am in the process of building out a new 180 gallon Reef (72 x 24 x 24) in my Family room, all plumbing is through the floor to the basement - I used many references, but by far the best was NJRC's John S_323 - his pics and descriptions and design were just what I needed to finalize the basic construction and design.
I used the 3" PVC manifold concept (all returns come from here), the auto-water change connection to the main sewer line, 2" PVC for the tank drain and 1-1/2 Flex spa PVC for the tank return (to avoid sharp 90 degree turns and reduced flow) - the main pump is a Reeflo Barracuda with plenty of capacity (only using about 1/3 of it's full capacity for return to tank - plan on using the rest for the refugium, frag growout tank and the water powered accessories - phosphate, carbon, ozone, calcium and Kalkswasser reactors)
This is a work in progress - the tank and live rock (300 lbs) was acquired from another member - Joe Durnya - Sayerville - frags from Keith (BLSTRAVLER), Live sand from aquacticsrule - Florida (390 lbs) and oceanproacquatics - Chino, CA (100lbs) - There is about 420 lbs of sand in the main tank and the rest in the sump mangrove tank (located in the sump - has 70 lbs sand, 50 lbs rock, 20 mangroves, 12 red from Hawaii, 8 rare white mangroves, cheleto, marsh grass, assorted red algae. The live sand in the main tank is 6 to 8 inches deep (much deeper than the calculators will have you believe - they say 600 lbs for 6 inches - this is incorrect - about 400 lbs is 6 inches - maybe because the sand is very fine - like Caribsea Fiji Red - sand.. (The Florida is red, the CA is brownish white)
Skimmer tub is also part of the 100 gallon Rubbermaid sump - it is a Rubbermaid roughneck container purchased at home depot (20 gallon?) - and is used for the Euroreef CS 12-2 to maintain a 6 to 8 inch constant water level, the output of the skimmer is returned to the main sump and the overflow from the 180 gallon tank goes directly to the skimmer tub (through a large filter bag first). There is a low flow excess from the skimmer tub - this is directed to the mangrove tub via a 1-1/2 inch bulkhead from the skimmer tub to the mangrove/live rock/50 lbs live sand - tub as a Nitrate reducer - the output from the mangrove tub overflows via another 1-1/2 bulkhead to the main sump, the bulkhead has a gutter guard screen mesh over the output to the main sump to prevent pieces of coral rock, snails, hermits or mangrove leaves from getting into the suction line to the reeflow - even though there is a bulkhead coarse plastic fitting over the intake - I don't want anything to block the input to the pump.
The main sump came with a 1" bulkhead (way too small for the reeflo) so I added a second bulkhead - 2" and tied them together with a "Y" 2" Plumbing fitting - I spent almost $1,000 on plumbing fittings and pipes alone - after all is done I expect to return the excess fitting (about $400.00 worth) to Home Depot, Lowes and True Value if I can figure out which fittings go back to which store.. Most are male adapters, reducer bushings, couplers, elbows of all sorts, valves, unions, check valves etc... - went through 6 cans of PVC cement and primer.
Tank circulation is all Tunze 6100 and one Tunze Powerhead and Tunze Wavebox all connected through the wavebox controller and a 7095 Tunze Stream controller. Streams are running at 70% maximum power to prevent sandstorms. Approx half pound of Kent Carbon is running in main and sump until things settle down. Salt mix is Aquacraft Marinemix 2 part salt (love this salt) and from a person who makes his own salt, strontium, iodide and alkalinity mixes - Garry Elliot at Get Tanked Aquariums - high grade mixes at a very reasonable price (he is in Carlislie, PA) - Test kits are Salifert, Merck (Phosphate), Hach Spectrometer, Reef Status Mag, Borate., LaMotte Nitrate - Neptune AC3 Pro with expansion mod and Breakout box for PH, Temp, ORP, Conductivity and Dissolved Oxygen - the Neptune is controlling various devices - calcium/CO2, Ozone reactor, automatic evaporation w/Kalkswasser reactor.
New tank will be tested fully before any significant livestock is added - so far some snails and hermits added and a big urchin - but the tank has only been running a week
Lighting - Jury rigged my old Aquamedic 48 inch fixture (2 x 250 Watt AB -10K HQI and 1 - 150 Watt - AB - 20K HQI and 2 T-5 HO actinics that I added to the fixture along with Moonlights) with 2 Aquamedic Pendants - 250 Watt 14K Phoenix x 2 on either end - for a total of 4 x 250 Watt HQI (2 - 10K and 2 14K) and one 150 Watt 20K HQI with 2 48 inch T5-HO) May add a "used" 4 bulb T5 72 inch for more Blue (actinics) and dawn to dusk - I jury rigged because I wanted to use the old 48 inch fixture from the former 70 gallon reef and I want to upgrade the lighting to the PFO Solaris 72 inch - when they come out with the 400 Watt MH equivalent second generation LED lighting system hopefully later this year.
Otherwise - I may sell it all and buy the Aquamedics 72 inch 4 x 250 watt or 5 x 250 watt MH HQI with a mix of 10 and 20K AB bulbs - I like Aquamedics products.
Here are the PICS - don't mind the mess and the job is not complete - electronics and accessories are not in yet, neither is the frag growout or external large refugium (small refugium - mangrove tub is there) - the rest of it will be installed on the table you see with the "chop saw for PVC and wood cuttings) - I will also install a mini - laboratory for water tests, analysis (microscope and PC), and live photo, zoo - plankton and POD growout - I also want a seahorse aquarium - haven't decided where yet or how I will plumb it (connected to the main or separate for disease control)
Chris
NOTE: Description of Plumbing tie to main sanitary drain stack for water changes - see link to John S basement sump and my commentary -
http://www.njreefers.org/forums/index.php/topic,1926.msg27109.html#msg27109
I used the 3" PVC manifold concept (all returns come from here), the auto-water change connection to the main sewer line, 2" PVC for the tank drain and 1-1/2 Flex spa PVC for the tank return (to avoid sharp 90 degree turns and reduced flow) - the main pump is a Reeflo Barracuda with plenty of capacity (only using about 1/3 of it's full capacity for return to tank - plan on using the rest for the refugium, frag growout tank and the water powered accessories - phosphate, carbon, ozone, calcium and Kalkswasser reactors)
This is a work in progress - the tank and live rock (300 lbs) was acquired from another member - Joe Durnya - Sayerville - frags from Keith (BLSTRAVLER), Live sand from aquacticsrule - Florida (390 lbs) and oceanproacquatics - Chino, CA (100lbs) - There is about 420 lbs of sand in the main tank and the rest in the sump mangrove tank (located in the sump - has 70 lbs sand, 50 lbs rock, 20 mangroves, 12 red from Hawaii, 8 rare white mangroves, cheleto, marsh grass, assorted red algae. The live sand in the main tank is 6 to 8 inches deep (much deeper than the calculators will have you believe - they say 600 lbs for 6 inches - this is incorrect - about 400 lbs is 6 inches - maybe because the sand is very fine - like Caribsea Fiji Red - sand.. (The Florida is red, the CA is brownish white)
Skimmer tub is also part of the 100 gallon Rubbermaid sump - it is a Rubbermaid roughneck container purchased at home depot (20 gallon?) - and is used for the Euroreef CS 12-2 to maintain a 6 to 8 inch constant water level, the output of the skimmer is returned to the main sump and the overflow from the 180 gallon tank goes directly to the skimmer tub (through a large filter bag first). There is a low flow excess from the skimmer tub - this is directed to the mangrove tub via a 1-1/2 inch bulkhead from the skimmer tub to the mangrove/live rock/50 lbs live sand - tub as a Nitrate reducer - the output from the mangrove tub overflows via another 1-1/2 bulkhead to the main sump, the bulkhead has a gutter guard screen mesh over the output to the main sump to prevent pieces of coral rock, snails, hermits or mangrove leaves from getting into the suction line to the reeflow - even though there is a bulkhead coarse plastic fitting over the intake - I don't want anything to block the input to the pump.
The main sump came with a 1" bulkhead (way too small for the reeflo) so I added a second bulkhead - 2" and tied them together with a "Y" 2" Plumbing fitting - I spent almost $1,000 on plumbing fittings and pipes alone - after all is done I expect to return the excess fitting (about $400.00 worth) to Home Depot, Lowes and True Value if I can figure out which fittings go back to which store.. Most are male adapters, reducer bushings, couplers, elbows of all sorts, valves, unions, check valves etc... - went through 6 cans of PVC cement and primer.
Tank circulation is all Tunze 6100 and one Tunze Powerhead and Tunze Wavebox all connected through the wavebox controller and a 7095 Tunze Stream controller. Streams are running at 70% maximum power to prevent sandstorms. Approx half pound of Kent Carbon is running in main and sump until things settle down. Salt mix is Aquacraft Marinemix 2 part salt (love this salt) and from a person who makes his own salt, strontium, iodide and alkalinity mixes - Garry Elliot at Get Tanked Aquariums - high grade mixes at a very reasonable price (he is in Carlislie, PA) - Test kits are Salifert, Merck (Phosphate), Hach Spectrometer, Reef Status Mag, Borate., LaMotte Nitrate - Neptune AC3 Pro with expansion mod and Breakout box for PH, Temp, ORP, Conductivity and Dissolved Oxygen - the Neptune is controlling various devices - calcium/CO2, Ozone reactor, automatic evaporation w/Kalkswasser reactor.
New tank will be tested fully before any significant livestock is added - so far some snails and hermits added and a big urchin - but the tank has only been running a week
Lighting - Jury rigged my old Aquamedic 48 inch fixture (2 x 250 Watt AB -10K HQI and 1 - 150 Watt - AB - 20K HQI and 2 T-5 HO actinics that I added to the fixture along with Moonlights) with 2 Aquamedic Pendants - 250 Watt 14K Phoenix x 2 on either end - for a total of 4 x 250 Watt HQI (2 - 10K and 2 14K) and one 150 Watt 20K HQI with 2 48 inch T5-HO) May add a "used" 4 bulb T5 72 inch for more Blue (actinics) and dawn to dusk - I jury rigged because I wanted to use the old 48 inch fixture from the former 70 gallon reef and I want to upgrade the lighting to the PFO Solaris 72 inch - when they come out with the 400 Watt MH equivalent second generation LED lighting system hopefully later this year.
Otherwise - I may sell it all and buy the Aquamedics 72 inch 4 x 250 watt or 5 x 250 watt MH HQI with a mix of 10 and 20K AB bulbs - I like Aquamedics products.
Here are the PICS - don't mind the mess and the job is not complete - electronics and accessories are not in yet, neither is the frag growout or external large refugium (small refugium - mangrove tub is there) - the rest of it will be installed on the table you see with the "chop saw for PVC and wood cuttings) - I will also install a mini - laboratory for water tests, analysis (microscope and PC), and live photo, zoo - plankton and POD growout - I also want a seahorse aquarium - haven't decided where yet or how I will plumb it (connected to the main or separate for disease control)
Chris
NOTE: Description of Plumbing tie to main sanitary drain stack for water changes - see link to John S basement sump and my commentary -
http://www.njreefers.org/forums/index.php/topic,1926.msg27109.html#msg27109
