200 Gallon 4'x4' cube SPS reef build

Home

Community

    Forums
    FAQ
    Content
    Gallery
    Reviews
    Surveys
    Topics

Members

    Private Messages
    Your Account
    Profile
    Members List

Statistics

Files & Links

Downloads
Web Links

News

News
Submit News

Other

    Advertising
    Shout Box
    Site Map
    Recommend Us
    Feedback
    Legal Notices

Good morning
Anonymous

Online:

Member(s):
01. morris3473
02. MoveOn

Guest(s):
03. Guest
04. Guest
05. Guest
06. Guest
07. Guest
08. Guest
09. Guest
10. Guest
11. Guest
12. Guest
13. Guest
14. Guest
15. Guest
16. Guest
17. Guest
18. Guest
19. Guest
20. Guest
21. Guest
22. Guest
23. Guest
24. Guest
25. Guest
26. Guest
27. Guest

Most Ever Online:

Guest(s): 464

Member(s): 16

Total: 480

Forums:

Posts: 316,356

Topics: 27,313

Helooooo

Finally got to build a biggie. Got the necessary FSI and budget approvals from the home minister.
So wanted to get some comments and views on few areas.

Tank was originally planned as a 4x4x2 but had to reduce the size by a few inches to make sure the tank comes inside the lift and home door.
Final tank dimensions 45"x45"x22", not drilled but has eurobrace.

Due to being influenced by LFS that i dont have enough space inside my cabinet, i skipped the sump and now regretting every moment especially since i have a 3-4 inch eurobrace.
It is quiet painfull as most of the HOB equipment will not fit due to eurobrace!!

Have not yet setup the lights and will wait for the initial cycle first. This should be short as i seeded with live rock from previous tank and the new live rock was not sitting dry for more than a few hours and even that time i kept it wet with salt water.
live rock is put on a eggcrate shelf to maximise sandbed space availabiltty.

Any ideas or examples of someone using branch shaped live rock [something like the famous tonga branch] ONLY to create an aquascape?
Also, how much flow would be needed assuming SPS dominated but some LPS also is to be kept.

Cheers
Ranjith

It's really a huge tank Ranjith, Could you show us some tank pics... Thumb Up

ya figuring out how to add pics. forgot as it has been a while

Some pics. clicked in a rush. more to come later.

Some more

Had to move delicate items of my existing livestock as i have only one chiller and is terribly hot now in summer. Drinking

Water is only 10 days old.

Looks good, Keep updating.

Regards,

Any ideas on aquascaping folks????
Idea is to replicate a patch reef.

Nice.... upload some sump pics too.... keep us updated..

Nanomania
I don't have a sump. Reason isentilned in first post Sad

Kindly post a picture of the front view and an update on HOB skimmer and Light used?

Regards
govindsj

Good Looking tank in making...

Hello
Will post more pics tomorrow.
Here is details of the lights and skimmer

Light currently is just a temp one. Using one aqua illumination LED module.
It is nOt enough to cover the tank area. Light is running 12 hours since I have mOved sOme of my corals from the other tank.
I know is risky but no choice as I have only one chiller and is damn hot now.

Future lights are 4x maxspect mazarra modules. Already got them.
Will add reviews of the lights and pics of them when I finish with the sand bed addition.
Using caribsea argalive Fiji pink. Did not get any good dry sand here of known brand.
Thus had to settle for this even though is bit more expensive.

Initially had tried seachem pearl beach dry. Was horrible and this returned it for this one.
Just added half of the sand tonight and waiting for it to cleanup.

Skimmer I used is not a HOB one. Is a deltec TS 1060.
Had to make a stand using eggcrate and PVC pipes to place the skimmer at required water level.
Initial feeling of the skimmer is that is built solid!!
There is no big setup to be done and is pretty much plug and play.
There is a Provided compartment for carbon or other media between skimmer return and final exit to tank.
Is rated for 1000liters with heavy stocking. So should handle 200 gallons of SPS Smile

)

Hardly been 48 hours since I set it up and is drawing thick dry foam already.
I have been through many brands of skimmer from the home made coke bottle version, weipro, aquaC, reef octopus and many others. This one seems the best hands down. Horray for German engineering Smile

)

What is not visible is the canister filter. Since I don't have a sump and connected refugium, I planned to do two things
1. Fill a canister with good live rock only and let it become a sort of refugium.
I guess I will have to do a bit of maintenance since this. Luke be come a settling place for crud and detritus.
But then, would e the same I guess in the standard refugium as well.
Feed to the canister is pre filtered with sponge which I can easily reach and. Lean out in weekly maintanance.

Canister is the Fluval G6. I selected it because the media chambers can easily taken out without opening the canister. So no huge water spillage. Can just change the carbon cartridge which accepts normal bulk activate loose carbon media.

2. Plan to do monthly water changes of around 100 liters from a disconnects live rock only container in the cabinet.
Since this is monthly, should have loads of time for pods to be cultivated.

Thats really good mate and the mazarra LED's is one of the best additions......

Am also having a SPS tank and would like to give you a few suggestions
For your rock work, since its going to be an SPS tank make sure that your rocks are rigid because in my tank a rock slipped while i was pasting my sps and rammed most of my sps.
Now i have made a PVC frame and drilled the LR and tied them to the frame and now its looks great and rigid.
And for your sump you can try to place it in the balcony because sump with refugium is really needed.
And for water changes i suggest you to do a little more than 100 liters since you dont have a sump maybe you can tackle the bioload this way. Mine is 500 liter tank and sump is 120 liter tank, I do WC of 200 liters every third week.

Hope this will help you Smile

All the best

WOW! can't wait to see some more snaps... Amazing!