My DIY Coral Prop Tank

[flyingarmy]

Just wanted some opinions and advice on my design for a coral prop tank I want to build. I am going to make it out of 2X8s and line it with sealed sheets of acrylic. Everything will be in the 55GAL Sump, skimmer, media, LR/LS, refugium, heater and kalk doser. I will definitely have ot have a TO system since this will be an open toped tank. As for lighting I plan on upgrading to MH Pendants, but I have 2 46" PC right now that I could use. The closed loop will help with flow and not create any additional heat. I have a chiller that I might add to it if needed, but this will be in a basement room so I doubt even in the summenr months I will need it. I am going to use plastic eggcrate as racks and BAF plugs/disks for the frags. Any ideas or suggestions would help! Thanks in advance.

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[frewl]

What about using the marine epoxy instead of the acrylic? Might be easier but messier. and if you make it white then it could help utilize the light by reflecting it. I'm not really sure how much that would help but it would cut down on the shaded spots if the sides were white when you switch to MH's.

 

[flyingarmy]

Interesting Idea..I'll have to check on the costs and see how comparable they would be. But you are right white would reflect light more and cover some of the low light areas. Thanks Frewl!!!

 

[flyingarmy]

Anyone know where to get Marine epoxy? I updated a few things also, added some ball valves and a check valve and split the sump/refugium light.

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[cgill311]

Looks really good. What software did you use to create the design?

 

[flyingarmy]

CGill311;35140 wrote: Looks really good. What software did you use to create the design?

Google sketch-up...free download just takes a little getting use to is all!

 

[george]

You could use PVC lining instead of acrylic. You'd get an all-white interior too.

 

[nishant3789]

i think clear side panels would be nice, although itd be a pain to scrub em. i think you could go with more powerful lights too. what are you planning on fragging? nice design though
nishant

 

[flyingarmy]

I have a 10K 150W MH light I think I will add in the center to help grow SPS frags. That would give the prop tank a total of 410W of light which is above the calculated requirement per gal.

<u><span style="color: #008000;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Volume and Weight</span></span></u>

Your aquarium can hold 75.324 gallons of Water. If we assume the water level in your aquarium is 1 inch below the top then the total gallons would be 62.551.

<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #008000;"><u>Lighting</u></span></span></span>
You will need 150.6 watts of lighting for plants with low light requirements, 225.9 watts for Plants with medium light requirements and 301.2 watts for plants with high light requirements.

<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #008000;"><u>Heater</u></span></span></span>
You are going to need a heater (s) with a total capacity of 376.6 watts (Double this if you are in a cold room or basement)

<span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="color: #008000;"><u>Filtering</u></span></span></span>
You will need a filter with a flow capacity between 301.2 and 527.2 gallons per hour.

 

[flyingarmy]

Quick question: Would you use all 6K+ daylight bulbs in the PC or use the sunpaq day/act bulbs? I know different coral like different types of light and maybe using a more diverse spectrum would aide in coral growth. Any suggestions/opinions?

 

[kwl1763]

Is there a reason your using PCs instead of T5s? T5s with good reflectors are much more efficient. I like the idea of a single MH in the middle for SPS. What else are you going to prop here? I would suggest sticking to a few species. the more you get the more chemical warfare that at a minimum slows growth. Calfo has written a ton on this and is very much a proponent of a single species prop setup.

Anyway one other sugestion might me to get a light mover. Then you could have half your bulbs and have it rotate back and forth over the tank. Saves money and works great. Obviously it's not ideal in a display but it's perfect for propegation.

 

[flyingarmy]

I am going to use PC's since I already have what I need. Might upgrade to T5's later on. Looking to do mostly LPS and some SPS, hence the MH in the center. Anyone know of any simple DIY plans for a light mover? Thanks in advance! BTW who or what is Calfo?