Jman's 310 Upgrade!

[jman930]

Well I've been lurking at everyone else's builds so I figured I’d do my own build thread!

I’ll be upgrading to a planet aquarium 310 (96”x30”x25”) with matching white stand and canopy. Tank should be here Wednesday and I’ll update this post with more info then.

here are some teaser pictures:

 

[Dmitri]

Very nice tank! Following!

 

[phi79]

This will be an epic build

 

[kullas]

Very nice.

 

[DankTank]

I just about to order that same aquarium from them!

 

[Tanster2]

I love the dimensions. Not so deep that you struggle to do work in it. Can't wait to see updates from this one

 

[jman930]

Ask and you shale receive!

so as an update:

I have completely broken down the old tank. needs a lot of cleaning but thats to be expected.

As for the new tank where should we start....hmm....product list?

lights: 4 x 26 AI hydras (non HD) and a single 52 (also non HD). mostly have LPS and softies so these lights will change as I decide to move into SPS

"wave makers": 2 x fx250's on one side of the tank pushing towards the overflow and 2 x MP40's on the overflow side pushing towards the opposite side. I also have a couple MP10's that I might try high up or down low for detritus suspension/surface agitation (if I can get them to stay on the glass)

pumps: 2 x ecotec vectras. one goes directly to the DT and the other goes through the 1/2 HP chiller before going into the DT. both with check valves.

sump: icecap 48xl reef sump. I decided to go with function rather than flashy on this build. this sump has a built in 15 gallon ATO reservoir, a passive refugium, and plenty of space for all the "things".



controller: Apex of course. classic model though. I dont have a reason to upgrade to the new one until I get into SPS and spring for a trident system. I have the WMX, AMW, FMM, LSM, modules for the unit. including also a DOS system and the ATK auto top off. couple of EB8's as well.

Fuge LED: Kessil H380. works great for the macro.

UV: aqua ultraviolet 57 watt

skimmer: Skimz sv253 with reef octopus 6" waste collector


fish list next?

9" blonde nasso
9" Fowleri tang
8" regal tang
6"yellow tang
4" purple tang
couple of perc clowns
cleaner wrasse
leopard wrasse
yellow watchman
diamond goby


next update will be when the tank is in the house!

 

[jman930]

so tank was delivered today!! thats the good news

bad news....

the stand overlaps the bulkhead holes



They are going to send someone out to modify the stand and provide documentation that the tank will still be under the 5 year warranty even though the stand was modified.

Here are the pictures of the tank! its not in its final spot yet because they will have to take the tank off the stand to modify it.

 

[fishyfishy]

Oh man. That is sweet looking. Very clean

 

[kullas]

Looks good. Lots and lots of water

 

[jman930]

Need some advice on mounting the LEDs in this canopy. My first thought was to get some 80/20 and create a rail system that allows for a “full range” of movement (left right front back) but there is only about 11” of usable space between the top of the canopy and the water line. Using the 15 series t slot would leave my hydra 26’s ~5-6” off the water. This would for sure create a hot spot.

Should I just mount them using a wire and hooks to keep them higher off the water but reduce mobility?

picture for reference.

 

[hiimsean]

How many fixtures are you using? I don’t think full range of movement would be necessary to tell you the truth. If you want something that will slid in and out easily (I could see being more beneficial than left to right) you could using something like drawer rollers that will extend out of the hood for easy removal or maintenance.

 

[jman930]

starting out with just 4 of the hydra 26's. not really looking to do maintenance but easy removal would be nice in the event of an inevitable upgrade. On my old canopy I simply drilled holes through it and ran the #10-32 screws down through a big washer and into the hydra. that worked well but couldn't really move them if there was a reason to.

 

[chattreef]

Gorgeous stand and the tank dimensions are perfect!

 

[ZapataInc]

Hey @jman930 You can use this. If only side to side movement is ok with you you can mount one of these to the top and then just use some T-Nuts to attach the hydras to. If you want both x and y movement then i would suggest adding 2 of them front to back then attaching your side to side rail with some L Fasteners. Then just attaching the lights to the T-nuts. If that doesnt make sense let me know and I can draw it up in SolidWorks.

 

[jman930]

So as an update. Premier aquatics as of right now still hasn’t sent me the letter from the manufacturer that my warranty will still be 100% valid after the stand has been modified. Tempted to say just send me a new stand as I have already had the tank for almost 2 weeks now and have been unable to move forward with it.

also I decided to get a pair of 48” aquatic life t5 hybrid fixtures to resolve my LED mounting issue and provide some much needed diffused light.

to “mount” those I used 12 gauge L brackets and a couple 96” aluminum square tubes. This allowed me to build a shelf for the fixture to sit on securely. I’ll possibly modify this later to allow for better maintenance for bulb replacement. As of now though after watching some BRS videos on how long T5 bulbs last it might be 12-18 months or longer before I have to actually replace the bulbs.

I’ll post pictures later.

 

[jman930]

Update

the stand was modified to allow for the bulkheads to be installed. Got the plumbing dry fitted. Then I got to putting in rock and sand! Give me thoughts on how I did!

 

[kullas]

Congrats on getting the mod done. Rocks are looking good

 

[jman930]

Plumbing is glued and started to add the water. With a 75gpd rodi unit I should have water flowing into the sump by Friday at the latest!

 

[jman930]

Update

tank has water flowing through the sump! I have a couple 1 drip every 30 seconds leaks on the drain lines but they drip into the sump so not worried about them. They will likely get stopped with salt creep eventually. I almost have everything connected that’s needed except for the lights. I was off by about 2” on making my light rails for the aquatic life t5 hybrids to sit on. It’s kind of a good thing because now I’m going to make a Home Depot run and put the fixtures on drawer rails so I can pull them out easily for bulb replacement. I also nerded our and put a sump cam so I can remotely refill my ato.