Siwelk's 30g 'Reef Theatre'

[siwelk]

Well, after a 4 year hiatus from my short-lived FOWLR days, I've decided to dive back into the hobby headfirst this time. I've been researching these forums as well as those over on RC for a few months now, trying to absorb all I possibly can to prepare myself for my aquatic journey thats about to take flight. I've been trying to refamiliarize myself with the various concepts and ideas that encompass all that is reefkeeping. After weeks of staying glued to my computer monitor and going over hundreds of proposals in my head, I decided to take the plunge and went to my LFS to see about a new tank. I spent a great deal of time trying to decide on which size of tank would best suit me. After all there are a lot of things that factor into choosing the most vital pice of aquatic equipment. I knew that I wanted something somewhere between "nano" and "in-wall." Something big enough to be a centerpiece display as well as easily manageable in terms of time and money (although I know money will soon be a thing of the past.) I really started to like the dimensions of the breeder tanks but didn't want to be just another "40 breeder." So I started looking around for a 30 breeder, after a couple unsuccessful weeks I convinced myself that I didn't want a tank that was only 12" high (I'd really like to do a triple pillar style of aquascaping). So when I wandered into my LFS during their Halloween sale I decided on a Perfecto 30g tank (36"x12"x16") and matching stand for $175. Now as excited as I am I brought the tank home and put it in my office closet to collect dust until next summer. *sigh*

 

I'll be moving in July and I didn't want to have to tear down a tank and move everything right away. So I chose to suffer and start piecing my system together month-to-month. Turns out this can be a lot easier on the wallet though! I also wanted to take my time and do evertying right the first time around. I should have plenty of time to research each stage of my build and hopefully, make less mistakes. Buuuut, in the meantime I started to setup a new TOm Deco 3 to appease me while I'm at my desk. And hopfully serve as a small breeding ground for some rics and shrooms that I can migrate to my new tank in time.

 

I realize this will be a slow-going thread buy I'd like to share my build however far my DOB is away. I also want to concentrate most of my questions, ideas, and plans in one thread to keep my information a little more organized and easier to navigate. I welcome all who wish to tag along and would be very interested in any comments/suggestions/criticisms along the way. I know I can't leave without any pics so heres a few of my tank and stand and the few pieces of equipment I've gathered thus far. I'll also list my proposed equipment and livestock, so it can be critiqued at will. Thanks!

 

Disclaimer: I am in no way a professional photographer so I aplogize for the amateur picture taking skills. I'm also using my gf's 6MP sony cybershot DSC-H2, so please forgive me.

 

 

TANK: Perfecto 30g (36"x12"x16") and matching stand. I painted the back black with Rustoleum Textured spray paint. I thought it might hold up better than regular spray paint with any plumbing or equipment brushing up against it behind the tank.

 

 

 

 

Mag7 return (from the classifieds section )

 

 

 

ER CS5-2 (also classifieds section, on RC...still needs cleaned up a bit)

 

 

 

Skimmer and pump in 10g sump...will be replacing with 15H.

 

 

 

 

I got bored yesterday so I went to Home Depot and got $25 of pvc pipe and fittings to try a return manifold design I had in mind. I think it turned out pretty good. It's all 3/4" piping with 1/2" reducer elbows coming off of the corners and will be fed by a Mag7. I really like how its sits. Its mostly hidden by the bracing. I will be painting the manifold black with Krylon Fusion spray paint once I decide if its going to be permanent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I think I may leave the plumbing exposed once it's painted black. I think it might give it a cool "industrial" look. Once my lights arrive Ill be swapping out the leg mounts and getting the hanging kit.

 

 

Equipment

 

-30g Perfecto tank (36"x12"x16")

-Black Perfecto stand

-EuroReef CS5-2 skimmer

-Mag7 return pump

-DIY 3/4" 4 output return manifold

-36" Nova Extreme Pro T5HO 6x39w fixture - should be arriving from drsfostersmith.com any day now

 

 

Proposed Equipment

 

-herbie style overflow

-15H sump w/ chaeto

-5g RDSB bucket

-150w heater

-2x hydor koralia 3s

-TLF Phosban reactor

-ATO from autotopoff.com or tunze

-2x American DJ powerstrips

-API test kits

-custom water sensor overflow with auto-pump cut-off & alarm

-refractometer

-2x 10g reservoirs for RO/DI water and saltwater storage

-reef crystals salt

 

 

Proposed Livestock

 

-Rock & Sand-

 

-30lbs mixed deco and premium corraline rock from FloridaLiveRock.com (formerly GulfView)

-10-15lb hand-picked tonga kaelini from Premium Aquatics (glad I'm only an hour away)

-40lbs Nature's Ocean Bio-Active Reef Sand

 

-CUC-

 

~20 blue leg hermits

~5 scarlet reef hermits

~3 halloween hermits

~10 astrea snails

~5 nassarius snails

~5 turbo snails

 

-Coral-

 

-assorted rics, zoas, and shrooms to start

-assorted softies (leathers, kenya tree, etc)

-some LPS after maybe 6 months (trumpet, candy cane, brain, bubble, frogspawn, hammer)

-SPS after a year if everything goes well (montipora, birdsnest, acropora)

 

-Fish & Inverts-

 

1- pair of black and white ocellaris (tank-raised)

1- Yashia White Ray shrimp goby & banded pistol shrimp

1- Vampire Pseudochromis

1- Dwarf Eibli Angel (maybe?)

2- Peppermint shrimp

1- Camel shrimp

2- Porcelin crabs

 

 

 

 

This is all subject to change so any advice/discussion is welcome. I often am second-guessing myself and would appreciate any input. Thanks!!

 

 

P.S.

 

Halloween crab pumping iron in my Deco 3

 

[dorgan]

Very kewl, I believe my tank is exactly the same size. I have just started buying hardware for it and hope to possible start building the stand this up coming weekend. I will be taking pictures as well throughout the process.

[siwelk]

its always nice to find people who are building a tank with the same dimensions...ill be following your thread as well. good luck with your build.

[siwelk]

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthre...71#post11363871

 

^ check out my new lights

[PurpleUP]

Nice to see you getting the system prepared. Will you be drilling for the overflow?

[siwelk]

i will not be drilling...im going to go with a Lifereef and this custom water sensor alarm that will prevent any flooding in the rare event that it would lose siphon. granted if i had an AGA from the beginning i would have it drilled at the bottom for a durso and overflow but i dont mind working with what ive got. im sure the Lifereef will prove to be just as reliable.

[MiamiTank]

again very nice tank Siwelk! its Devtech from RC

[siwelk]

hey, thanks for the comments over there. i need to get a new FTS of my Deco once i clean it up a bit.

[PurpleUP]

i will not be drilling...im going to go with a Lifereef and this custom water sensor alarm that will prevent any flooding in the rare event that it would lose siphon. granted if i had an AGA from the beginning i would have it drilled at the bottom for a durso and overflow but i dont mind working with what ive got. im sure the Lifereef will prove to be just as reliable.

 

Oh so you bought your Lifereef and water sensor alarm BEFORE you bought your AGA. I don't know, you might want to reconsider while you still can. Might be cheaper and completely worry free if you go ahead and drill. Like you said, you 2nd guess yourself alot. hehe.

[siwelk]

No i dont already have the lifereef and water sensor alarm. what i meant was that when i bought my tank i wasnt aware that it was tempered and consequently undrillable. i didnt know at the time of purchase that i would be wanting to drill it later. when i found out that my tank was tempered it was too late to return it to my LFS (who deals with perfecto only) rather than try to sell the tank now and find an AGA with the same dimensions just to drill a single hole im just going to go with what i have. im not worried about the lifereef as they have a great reputation for reliability. i think most people run into problems with HOB overflows because they think they can just throw them on without much planning. with the proper foresight and design (along with my water sensor alarm fail-safe) i think that the lifereef will prove to be just as effective and reliable as having the tank drilled.

[siwelk]

went to home depot today and got some more pvc fittings and some primer and cement. came home and put the tank in the tub to get a general idea of how much flow i could expect out of the mag7 driven manifold. i wanted to see if how things looked before i started cementing it together. due to the cramped space i wasnt really able to plumb it well enough to get a good idea of the flow so i guess ill just wait a while until i get more equipment so i can plumb it completely and then decide whether or not to keep the design permanently.im not really sure how you use the RC head loss calc. when implementing a manifold design. do you add up all the length of the perimeter manifold and input that for horizontal length?? im not sure but what i plugged in got me roughly 400gph. which would be about 100gph from each output. keep in mind this is not for a CL. this is just my sump return so im looking for low flow. i thought the manifold design would be a good way to allow the mag7 to run wide open, yet reduce enough flow to efficiently filter my water in my sump and RDSB. also, the manifold should allow for decent surface agitation resulting in less scum as well as good gas exchange and it allows me to introduce freshly skimmed and filtered water to all corners of the tank.

 

 

 

 

 

 

btw, that union isnt permanent. that was just put there to plumb for the bathtub test. the finished design will have a ball valve before the union.

[dorgan]

What is the purpose of a sump, and can I get by without one (being that i have the same dimsions on my tank)

[Matty1124]

i think you are losing your flow with all those 90 degree elbows, try and get some of them out of there by using a 45 degree before you get to your T and raise your T up some so its over teh top of the tank (will eliminate 4 90degre elbows right there)... also you dont need to have the middle pipe in the front just make the to front exits your end points

[siwelk]

a sump basically allows you to do a couple things:

 

1) you can use a sump as a place to put a skimmer, heater, ATO, fuge, return pump.

 

2) it allows you to increase water volume, which makes your system a little easier to maintain stable water parameters.

 

3) it gives you a place to add saltwater, supplements, and additives rather than directly in the display.

 

i would say thats its entirely possible to get by without one, but they can make things a lot easier. they allow you to expand your system by giving you a place to add new equipment and the extra water volume helps keep things in check.

 

 

 

i think you are losing your flow with all those 90 degree elbows, try and get some of them out of there by using a 45 degree before you get to your T and raise your T up some so its over teh top of the tank (will eliminate 4 90degre elbows right there)... also you dont need to have the middle pipe in the front just make the to front exits your end points

 

i agree that the 90s are the culprit to the restrictive flow. you have very good ideas on how to resolve this, however im purposely shooting for low flow through my sump. i dont want more thank 10x flow in order to maximize skimmer and DSB benefits. i will give your ideas some thought though, as i may end up changing things around a bit if im not getting the flow i desire. thanks for the input.

[siwelk]

the more i look at it, i may experiment with removing the front pipe and replacing the front fittings with 90s instead of the split reducing 90s that are there now. nothings permanent. this is why i have 8 months left before i can really get things going....wow, i just realized that if i count back to when i got my first piece of equipment (my tank) it will be almost exactly 9 months until i get to start cycling. its like im in my reef gestation period.

 

 

 

quick experiment with mounting the lights on top of the manifold.

 

 

they actually sit surprisingly well. im gonna fit them with a couple zip ties for good measure. i originally wanted to hang the light but this could be an option now too.

[Matty1124]

are you planning on having extra flow in your tank? im setting up a low flow fuge/sump on a 29g (which like you, i have been building and planning for about 6 months now, last stretch is to build a light enclosure) im going to do a spray bar for my return, aimed down , and im going to do 3 or 4 koriola nanos in the corners where you have your returns

[siwelk]

yes, i plan on having about 1700gph via in-tank powerheads. im shooting for 2000gph or 40x turnover in the display. probaly gonna try it with two hydor koralia 3s placed at opposite ends of the tank. ill be waiting for the new shipment in April though, since theyve been having the 2s and 3s recalled recently. the koralias plus the return should give me about 2000gph i believe.

[siwelk]

well i have good news i suppose. ive recently been weighing the pros and cons of moving when my lease expires this summer and today ive decided that the cons have triumphed, therefore my ETA for cycling has been lifted from its previous August 2008 constraint. now i still have the $$ constraint, but it looks safe to say that we could be looking at a spring '08 blossoming reef tank.

 

the funny thing is that one of the main reasons for not moving was because i have a closet in my office that ive been wanting to use to build my tank into. its has built in shelving and the clothes hanging fixture is almost too perfect to hang my light from, also the dimensions of the closet are ideal to keep my tank and house my RO/DI water and premixed saltwater reservoirs, as well as keeping all my other equipment. once its finished the tank should appear to be built into the wall. im on my way to home depot now to start pricing all the wood and hardware to make it happen. once i get the digi camera back from my gf (who jacked it from me yesterday while i was sleeping) ill post some pics of the closet to give you guys a better idea.

[siwelk]

well after spending a few hours in home depot trying to figure out a cost-effective but cool way to build my tank into my closet, ive come up with a couple ideas. once i get the digi camera back this week ill post some pics so everyone can help me make a decision. the ulitmate decision really depends on wether or not i need to move from a 15H sump to a larger 20H, 20L, or 29g. if i have to get a larger one, ill be building a custom stand inside the closet and the whole thing will probably end up turning into a closet makeover never-ending and always spending DIY project. if i can keep the stand i have now and use the 15H, im looking at a rod and curtain set up that should give it a "night at the theatre" feel

[da1001]

the funny thing is that one of the main reasons for not moving was because i have a closet in my office that ive been wanting to use to build my tank into. its has built in shelving and the clothes hanging fixture is almost too perfect to hang my light from, also the dimensions of the closet are ideal to keep my tank and house my RO/DI water and premixed saltwater reservoirs, as well as keeping all my other equipment. once its finished the tank should appear to be built into the wall. im on my way to home depot now to start pricing all the wood and hardware to make it happen. once i get the digi camera back from my gf (who jacked it from me yesterday while i was sleeping) ill post some pics of the closet to give you guys a better idea.

 

I can just imagine someone coming over to visit, and your girlfriend explaining that she cant seem to get you to come out of the closet.

[siwelk]

I can just imagine someone coming over to visit, and your girlfriend explaining that she cant seem to get you to come out of the closet.

 

 

haha, im afraid thats already started. she likes that i have a hobby that keeps me occupied and out of trouble, but she still rips on me constantly and like to call me "fishboy" now

[siwelk]

i wish i had the digi cam so i could post a few new pics. hopefully ill get a new one for xmas so i can stop having to borrow my gf's...even though i got it for her. ive been pretty busy lately and dont have much to update other than the new curtains im putting in. i tested the curtains ability to keep the light in before i sent them off to be cut. the heavy fabric allowed very little light to escape. when i fit-tested them i really liked the look it gave. almost like an aquarium theatre. im looking forward to the final product.

 

i also spoke to Jeff from Lifereef about an overflow with custom dimensions to fit over my pvc plumbing on the back of the tank. he responded quickly and was great to deal with. im still trying to decide on the nano prefilter or the slimline 600gph prefilter. i know that im only looking for 300-400gph through the sump and im concerned that with the 600gph overflow i wont have enough velocity going through the U-tube to keep air bubbles from accumulationg. im also afraid that if i went with the nano (400gph) it would limit me too much in terms of flow in the future. i do like the smaller dimensions of the nano prefilter though. it takes up considerably less room inside my tank than the 600gph one. also the custom dimensions i need raise the price from $119 to $149. now i need to decide if its worth the extra 30 bucks to keep the plumbing or if i should save my $ and move the "T" down to make room for the prefilter.

 

lastly, ive been thinking about going with Marco rock instead of FloridaLiveRock.com. i really like the Marco rock, and i dont have to worry about pests. its also extremely porous, cheap and great looking once covered in coralline. i have an specific aquascaping in mind which consists of 3 pillars connected to each other with boomerang shaped pieces of tonga shelf, creating bridges or stairways between the pillars. im thinking about getting 25lbs of marco rock and some hand-picked kaelini shelf from PA to make the bridges and also seed the marcorock. im thinking about picking up the marcorock soon so i can get it curing and it will be ready to go in the tank with the PA kaelini to kickstart my tanks cycle.

 

 

i guess thats all for now. i promise not to update again unless i have pics.

[siwelk]

well i got the digi cam back today so ill update a few pics. nothing fancy, just to give you an idea of the tank placement. the closet i had originally planned on using was in my office and had 3 built-in shelves on the left hand side. i decided to relocate to the closet in the living area to maximize viewing. this closet does not have shelves other than the top one, so i will either be making some or putting in some sort of free-standing shelving. the closet rod i got at HD. it expands from 6' to 10'. ill be putting that up when i get my curtains back and ill update with a few pics once everything is in its final place.

 

 

 

 

 

 

from the corner of the living room between the couch and loveseat for reference.

 

[da1001]

That is primo stuff there! I am in the process of getting all the other animals corraled and my weight bench dismantled so I can actually move around in the spare bedroom, Also getting the stand painted then I should have a setup similar to yours. Keep up the awesome pics

[siwelk]

funny story...

 

so i was about to call up Jeff at Lifereef yesterday to place an order on a custom slimline 600gph prefilter when i started wishing i could just get my tank drilled. when i bought the tank a couple months ago i called the manufacturer (Perfecto/Marineland) to verify which, if any, of the sides were tempered. the lady i spoke to told me that all sides were tempered and that i couldn't drill it. i assumed she knew what she was talking about even though it seemed strange, and continued on to plan my tank build under the impression that i wouldn't be able to drill it. i figured that before i ordered the Lifereef id call Marineland and ask them again about my tank. i spoke to a guy that informed me that my 30g (36"x12"x16") was, in fact, not tempered on any side. soooo, long story short i now have to redesign my plumbing and see about a glass shop to do some drilling for me. i researched about different style overflows and tried to figure out where i wanted to put the internal overflow box. at first i decided that i would put a 3 sided internal overflow in the center of the back glass, and have the tank drilled for a durso style overflow with a 1" drain and 3/4" return. i planned to run the return up over the internal overlow and use a Y loc-line fitting with nozzles to provide surface agitation. i also wanted to plumb for a closed loop as well. the idea was to be able to use the return manifold i had already made.

 

then i found the Herbie method thread on RC, and decided this is what im going to use. it seems that this is the best method for a silent tank with no air bubbles. i figure ill use a 1" bulkead for the main drain and a 3/4" bulkhead for the emergency drain. ill also have an CL intake drilled and plumbed from the bottom of the back glass, through the internal overflow and out to a strainer intake inside the tank.

 

 

 

 

i wanted to keep all drilled holes within the confines of the internal overflow box. i plan to use a gate valve on the drain line to adjust the water level inside the internal overflow. the return will still be a mag7 throttled back and returned via two 1/2" PVC 90 elbows over the top of the tank. the return manifold will stay mostly as it was previously configured with the addition of 3/4" 45s off the split-T's in the corners instead of 1/2" reducing 90 elbows. id like to replace the flow of the two Koralis 3s i had planned on using, therefore id like to have a CL pump capable of pushing ~1700gph (one K3 = 850gph). i was thinking of using a mag18 to achieve this. id like to mount a stand behind the tank to hold the mag18 and plumb it up the the CL manifold with four 3/4" 45degree outputs. the CL plus the return from the sump should get me around 2000gph, or 40x turnover. this brings up a couple questions i have:

 

1) since both my return and CL manifold outputs are on the top of the water will there be enough flow created at the bottom of the tank? are the four 3/4" 45degree outputs going to be able to provide adequate flow in a 16" tall tank? (note: each CL output should be pushing ~ 400 gph). i want to use a CL to keep the clean look and if i have to add a PH for a dead spot it just defeats the purpose.

 

FWIW i plan to have a pillar style aquascape so the rockwork will be relatively open.

 

2) is there anything wrong with putting a ball valve on each of the sides of a "T" on the CL manifold?

 

 

 

 

sorry for the crappy sketches, i dont have any form of electronic artistic expression other than paint.

 

id like to be able to adjust the flow to each side of the CL manifold so i can get different ratios of flow per side. id like to also lower the flow a bit until i try to move on to SPS. i didnt know if there was any rule about restricting the output from a CL pump. if anyone can confirm/deny this please do.

 

even though i have to do some re-planning im still stoked that i can get the tank drilled and not have to mess with a HOB overflow to risk flooding. if anyone has any comments on other types of overflows please feel free to share them. i decided on the Herbie style due to its ability to make the overflow and drain whisper quiet and minimize microbubbles in the sump. everyone whos uses it says it works great. im also new to researching and implementing closed loops and manifolds so if anyone can offer any suggestions or alternatives id appreciate it. i dont have any confidence in working with acrylic so i thought about ordering a pre-made internal overflow from wetdryfilter.com

 

 

http://www.wetdryfilter.com/internal_overflow_boxes.htm

 

less than $100 shipped for your custom dimensions. seems kinda pricey but i dont see any good alternatives...at least locally. has anyone had any experience with these? i havent had a chance to do any reasearch on them yet. them seem to be of good quality. after i get my xmas shopping done today ill probably head over to HD to get some PVC fittings and bulkheads for the drain lines and new CL manifold. ill have to wait until after xmas to make arrangements to get my tank drilled at a local glass shop. when i inquired about possibly getting the tank drilled previously they quoted me at $10 per 1" hole. that sounds decent enough to me. ill be moving on with said plans after xmas, giving everyone time to chime in with any improvements or suggestions on my design. again, im a noob to the drilled tank scene so please forgive me for any oversights or complete ignorance. TIA.