It has been awhile since I really updated my build thread, so I thought I would just start a new one as opposed to updating the old one that had gotten kind of long.
To recap the tank is a 220 gallon inwall (30W x 24T x 72L) starphire glass, and eurobraced. It has external overflows, and water flows from the overflows though two 1.5 inch durso stand pipes. One of the overflows goes directly into a filter sock, while the other diverts some of the water to gravity feeds my skimmer (DAS EX-2) with the remainder also passing through a filter sock.
This pick shows the plumbing coming from the overflows.
The sump is a 120 Gallon tank that I put three baffles in, and two bulkheads (1.5 inch and 2.0 inches). The 2" bulkhead goes to the return pump, a reeflow dart. The other bulkhead, is used to drain the sump for water changes, it is plumbed directly into my my waste water line.
An older picture of the sump, before it was plumbed into the system.
From the return pump water goes to a plumbing manifold that allows me to send water back to the tank, as well as a phosban reactor, a carbon reactor, and my chiller.
Also older pictures, but they should give you the general idea.
I just recently added a 1/2 Horsepower Tradewind Chiller. I wanted to avoid having the chiller vent directly into the tank room, so I built a large stand that basicly allows me to stick the exhaust end of the chiller out the window. I re-routed one of the return lines going from the plumbing manifold back to the tank in order to feed it. I have plenty of water moving through the chiller, and it has worked like a charm thus far (then again it has only been up and running for two weeks). You can see that everything is joined with ball valves and unions, so it is easy to disconnect it.
For lighting, I have two 250w MHs driven by Bluewave HQI ballasts on the old style luminarc reflectors. I am currently using Reeflux 10K SE blulbs, but have found them to be a little to yellow on the HQI ballasts. For supplemental lighting I have 2 36Inch VHO actinics, powered by an Icecap 660. The MH Reflectors are on pullies so I can lower and raise them as needed. I only run the two MH, as opposed to three, as my live rock is piled in two pillars (held together with acrylic rod) with one MH over each piller. I was going to use three, but it seemed a waste. If I find that I need it I can always add it very easily.
Here you can see the reflectors for the MH, the VHO run only along the front of the tank and would be behind the MH reflectors. This is a pic taken before I got them up and running.
Here is a shot of most of my fish room.
To recap the tank is a 220 gallon inwall (30W x 24T x 72L) starphire glass, and eurobraced. It has external overflows, and water flows from the overflows though two 1.5 inch durso stand pipes. One of the overflows goes directly into a filter sock, while the other diverts some of the water to gravity feeds my skimmer (DAS EX-2) with the remainder also passing through a filter sock.
This pick shows the plumbing coming from the overflows.
The sump is a 120 Gallon tank that I put three baffles in, and two bulkheads (1.5 inch and 2.0 inches). The 2" bulkhead goes to the return pump, a reeflow dart. The other bulkhead, is used to drain the sump for water changes, it is plumbed directly into my my waste water line.
An older picture of the sump, before it was plumbed into the system.
From the return pump water goes to a plumbing manifold that allows me to send water back to the tank, as well as a phosban reactor, a carbon reactor, and my chiller.
Also older pictures, but they should give you the general idea.
I just recently added a 1/2 Horsepower Tradewind Chiller. I wanted to avoid having the chiller vent directly into the tank room, so I built a large stand that basicly allows me to stick the exhaust end of the chiller out the window. I re-routed one of the return lines going from the plumbing manifold back to the tank in order to feed it. I have plenty of water moving through the chiller, and it has worked like a charm thus far (then again it has only been up and running for two weeks). You can see that everything is joined with ball valves and unions, so it is easy to disconnect it.
For lighting, I have two 250w MHs driven by Bluewave HQI ballasts on the old style luminarc reflectors. I am currently using Reeflux 10K SE blulbs, but have found them to be a little to yellow on the HQI ballasts. For supplemental lighting I have 2 36Inch VHO actinics, powered by an Icecap 660. The MH Reflectors are on pullies so I can lower and raise them as needed. I only run the two MH, as opposed to three, as my live rock is piled in two pillars (held together with acrylic rod) with one MH over each piller. I was going to use three, but it seemed a waste. If I find that I need it I can always add it very easily.
Here you can see the reflectors for the MH, the VHO run only along the front of the tank and would be behind the MH reflectors. This is a pic taken before I got them up and running.
Here is a shot of most of my fish room.
Last edited:
