First Reef tank build!!!

[quarterpastgone]

This is my first reef tank but not my first aquarium. My wife and I desided to put a reef tank together this go around since the fish are more active, colorful and it is a main stay in our great room. This will be how we got to where we are and I will then go to where we are at. So here goes nothing.

 

[quarterpastgone]

This is the stand build about two and half years ago.

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I will have more of the completed stand later, got to love photo bucket works when it wants.

 

[dball711]

Looking good, first reef tank but not your first tank stand...

 

[quarterpastgone]

Actually this was my first stand build. The final product will be with me for some time for sure.

 

[quarterpastgone]

All stained up and cleared, canopy was a short-lived part of the stand just never did like it.

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The day after we moved to our new house and got it put in place

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[quarterpastgone]

Well ager research and looking at this 75g tank next to my TV I decided that I need a different tank
to make the tank more of a center piece so off to my LFS and ordere3d a new 110g tank to start form scratch and Synergy Reef shadow over flow, really like my hard woods so three drains was very appealing to me for redundancy.

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Fitting and drilled tank, Was very nervous but it all went smooth.

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So with the tank looking like it belongs in the room and is not dwarfed any longer it was time to start the search and options for the sump and pluming for all this. Also calculate the approximant weight of the tank and mathematically the floor could do it with the tank crossed three joist I went and got the stuff to give me piece of mind.

 

[quarterpastgone]

So with any project you end up doing extra to make life easier for yourself when ever possible, in my case that was cutting the basement wall out and putting a door in to make plumbing easier since after my research and 20 tall would in no way fit all the stuff I need for a reef tank. Here is door in place, the supports in place, dug ledge in crawl space to fill in flow to make it usable and pluming run.

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Cut steps into the ledge so no ladder would be needed.

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[quarterpastgone]

This is one thing that has been on by bucket list for a long time so I wanted to do it right and even a little over done on some stuff.

So this is where the sump will be and water mixing station also.

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I got my sump in from Synergy Reef and on the stand/bench.

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For those that are wonder there is a constant drop in the horizontal piping the whole way exept in the basement for 4 ft. Final pictures fro the day with the new light and plug in and working

All the lights off the basement and the sump LEDs on

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with Flash on

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[quarterpastgone]

So what would be the best way to leak test the tank with all the pluming going under the crawl space to check the over flow. All I see is just hooking it up and running it so find any leaks if their is any. Input would greatly appreciated in this matter.

 

[quarterpastgone]

After the weekend of long hours on the tank and 5 trips to Lowes the RO system is up, Sump fully plumbed, Dehumidifier/RO/ HVAC drain plumbed and functioning.

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Easy fill pipe for salt water.

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Here is the fish room all setup.

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Return line on the back of the tank.

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Water in the sump and Tank

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[dapperjman]

Looks great! You definitely post plenty of pictures - That's a good thing 😃

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[dball711]

In a word...Wow! Please keep the pictures and progress reports comming.

 

[dball711]

Quarterpastgone;1117019 wrote: So what would be the best way to leak test the tank with all the pluming going under the crawl space to check the over flow. All I see is just hooking it up and running it so find any leaks if their is any. Input would greatly appreciated in this matter.

You are on the right track, no easy out here. Need to inspect every connection/joint with water flowing.

 

[bcavalli]

Looks great! You put a ton of work into this project and it shows

 

[danh]

That's a crazy amount of plumbing. Nice job.

 

[zachxlutz]

Looks awesome. Well thought out and set up for success.


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[quarterpastgone]

Well her it is all filled and running for the first two day of its long life ahead, did find one leak in the pass-through at the crawl space door but that was it, forgot to put the O-ring back in union.

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Been letting skimmer break in and playing with the apex to get everything working, lots to learn their for sure. will be getting ATK to day for it since it have a lot high evaporation that fresh water did. For anyone that has WAVs what is a good placement of them in the tank and power setting?

 

[bhodges82]

You've definitely put in some work. I'm a little jealous of all the room you have for your equipment, I have to use a small closet under my stairs and my water station is outside,but it works. Your setup looks nice. What pump are you using to move all that water?


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[quarterpastgone]

I have an Abyzz A200, runs at 88% and 152watts. I am moving 720 gph with it. That is with 2-90, 6-45s 5-unions in 1" then to 1 tie to four 3/4 outlets .