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Hi Audra, What's the latest on this project? Sorry I've been beyond distracted. I've spent the past two months installing a new workshop with a full table CNC for acrylic work, and am only now catching up on blogs again.

Regarding the 20" long overflow box, it's connected with two 1.5" bulkheads right? Should handle quite a bit of flow, but it is merely 20" wide of surface skimming on a tank that is 36" wide and 96" long. My own reef is 84" long and 36" wide, and my external overflow box has teeth spanning the 36" width.

Regarding the skimmer, what space do you have to work with in your sump? Or do you prefer an external model? The issue with external is *when* it overflows, the area around it gets wet. And if it overflow continuously, your ATO may add too much freshwater to the tank which would affect salinity until you or someone else notices.

So I've contacted Synergy about a larger overflow and I'm waiting to hear back from them. If the 20" is the largest they will go should I look at a different type of overflow? Should I have more water flowing through my sump that the 20" overflow would be able to provide? I've done some reading on various forums on flow through the sump and get so many opinions I'm not sure what's what.

I've been looking at different skimmers and came across Marcs review of the NYOS 300 and noticed that it was an in-sump skimmer which brought up a question for me in regards to an in-sump skimmer vs. an external skimmer. Is one better than the other or is it just a matter of personal preference. The tank will be starting out with 11 fish and several coral that will be transferred from the current tank and then I will slowly but surely add fish and corals. So eventually the bio-load will be on the heavy side. It seems that when I get to a tank this size I'm having a harder time finding a skimmer that will handle the bio-load I am planning on having. I would appreciate any suggestions on where to look.

Thanks so much!!

Hi Audra. As the sump will be under the tank I would suggest running just one l1 pump so you don't overwhelm the Synergy. The output size of the pump is one inch so you may need to install reducers at the 1.5 inch bulkheads on the back of the tank. Perhaps contact Synergy to see if they can make a larger overflow for you. Regarding the skimmer,It is rated at 550 gallons. If you plan on a light bioload this may be ok but if you are planning for large fish or many fish( a heavier bioload) then you may need to look for something rated twice that.Hth

Here is my fish room as I currently have it arranged.

[IMG][/IMG]

Thank you, brotherd!! So just to make sure I'm following, would each pump go to a return?

Yes, I'm planning on the sump being below the tank. I'm currently looking at a sump that is 71" x 30" 16" tall. I will attach a picture of my future fish room to help visualize my setup as soon as I figure out how to do that. I would really like the return pump(s) to be on the right out of the way. The overflow will be coming down to the left side of the sump. The protein skimmer I'm looking at is the Super Reef Octopus SRO-6000EXT 12" External Skimmer. The sump will have a refugium on the right-front end and I'll have some of the overflow going in there (I can't remember the percentage at the moment).

I'm very excited about this project. I've been caring for the 100 gallon I currently have for 6 1/2 years (can't believe it's been that long) and thought 100 gallons was so big. When I got to researching fish I realized it was big but not big enough for all the fish I wanted. When we were in the pre-planning stage our Preschool Director said she wanted big and so I ran with that

Thanks for the help!!
Audra

You could do two L1 pumps and control them through a Reeflink. Will the sump be under the tank or remotely located? And that tank size! Wow!

Watched the video, and it looks like some type of filterfeeding clam. But the mantle is very odd, I never would have recognized that from the picture.

I agree, it's all about making the right purchases right from the beginning so no money is wasted. Try to think of it as mini projects or stages you need to accomplish rather than trying to take on a massive build. When I did mine, I gutted the room and poured concrete, adding the french drain. That was the first most important project. I had to some some other things like reroute the pipes for the water heater, all part of the mini project. Next was framing the walls. After that, my project was the electrical. Later, sheetrock, tape & bedding, sanding and painting. Then ventilation. Then the aquarium stand. The sump & ATO. Then plumbing -- one section at a time (drains one day; returns the next day; manifold the third day).

By breaking it up, it's more doable.

Thanks a bunch for the input!! I was thinking the same thing. I like to have a lot of elbow room, but I think in this case I'll like the sink more.

I've been waiting for almost three years and I'm really excited that this project is finally becoming a reality!! But I have to admit that I am beginning to feel a bit overwhelmed with the project as far as picking the right equipment for this setup and if how I envision it in my mind is feasible. This is the first project I've planned so I want to make sure I get it right since there will be lots of kids enjoying it once it's all said and done.

Both choices have benefits. I really like the wide open area of the first one, but you don't have the sink option which is quite practical. The other choice gives you more room to see the frag tank from three sides though.

Either one is great! Can't wait to see more of this come to life.

Thanks a bunch for the input!! It is a huge help in trying to plan where I want everything to go. I will start a new blog. I've got a lot I need input on.

The way blogs work, you simply make a new blog entry. Your previous one will still exist. Just name each blog about the topic you want to discuss. Like this one could be "New plans, changing directions..." or similar.

When it comes to circuits, think where you want to plug things in. You'll want some up high for all lighting fixtures. You'll want some down low near the sump area. Another one over in the area where saltwater is being mixed, and another area for quarantine or a small frag tank. Be sure to have a couple of handy plugs for those occasions that you can reach quickly (like a dremel, test a light, etc).

My fishroom has six circuits. With the newer equipment we have now, we use less power than before but I still continue to try to avoid tripping breakers. One breaker should be for all the heaters all by themselves since you have such a large water volume to warm at night.

I love the idea of a walkboard and I'm including it in my plans. I know it's been a while since I originally posted so if it is better to start a new post let me know. I've seen others get "yelled" at for responding to an old board so I want to avoid that .

My aquarium plans have changed since my original posting. After a lot of building meetings I've been given an area that will be designated for the aquarium. The display tank is going to be 460 gallons (96"L x 31 1/2"D x 36 1/2"H). After a lot of jumping up and down on my part I have also convinced them of the importance of a fish room. My fish room is going to be about 145 ft2 which is a lot more than I dreamed they would give me. With this increase in space I am trying to incorporate a lot of things I've seen from other builds as well as things that I've thought would be "nice to have if I ever got my own fish room."

My most urgent task at the moment is to get my electrical needs to the architects. Unfortunately they haven't built many fish rooms and my electrical knowledge is severely lacking. So that doesn't make a good combination when it comes to planning. I have a basic idea of what equipment I will need for my setup but that is about it. As you mentioned above I will want multiple circuits. But when I have mentioned that the response I have gotten so far is a blank face. So I am hoping y'all can point me in the right direction on what exactly I need to tell them. Do I need to figure out exactly what equipment I will be using and figure out the power consumption? Could I estimate this since I haven't settled on the exact equipment?

Thank y'all so much!!
Audra

I just realized that I left out some information about my current setup that is probably important. I apologize for failing to give all the information.

I have only one overflow on the right side of the tank. My water drains into the "right sump" (a 29 gallon tank where my skimmer is) and the water runs over a piece of acrylic to a little pump that carries water to the "left sump". The water comes into the compartment where my chaeto is. It goes over a piece of acrylic where there is another little pump that takes the water back to the right sump where the water is returned to the display tank. I'm attempting to attach a quick/crude drawing of my current setup. Both "left sump" and "right sump" are 29 gallon tanks with about 4 inches at most between them and the both of them run from one end of the stand to the other.

To run the scenario above would I need two overflows or can it be accomplished with just the one that I have currently? I was going to put in two overflows originally but one problem after another led to the current setup. I have an Apex controller that sits behind the tank on the left side so if I were to put an overflow on the right as well and that would eliminate the place for my Apex to sit.

http://i1110.photobucket.com/albums/...udraMurphy/100 Gallon Current Setup.jpg

On the bright side I only need to deal with this setup for another year and a half or so. By then our new building will be built which means I will have a new aquarium and my very own fish room and I won't have to deal with these close quarters anymore.

Thank you so much for your help!!!

What you need is to drill both 29g aquariums on the panes that face each other. Then install bulkheads in each one and plumb them together to create a return zone in each one. These bulkheads should be installed low in the aquarium, with the center of each hole being 2.75" from the bottom of the tank. Use two 1" bulkheads. Drill these holes so they line up, or if you have a lack of space, drill one toward the front and the other toward the back. Connect the two tanks with PVC with elbows and pipe. It'll look like a Z basically, sort of. Hope that makes sense.

LEFT AQUARIUM --------- RIGHT AQUARIUM
Refugium | Return ------- Return | Skimmer

The two return zone will always be the same height because of the bulkheads being connected. An auto top off will help keep the return zone at a constant level. And now you can run your refugium and your skimmer. I did a video about drilling glass last month. Click the link: https://youtu.be/wGawHODIdi0

So sorry for not giving more information!! My protein skimmer is the only piece of equipment I currently have which is not running because I haven't been able to solve my fluctuating water level problem. My current maintenance schedule is water testing and water change every Saturday and I change about 15 gallons per week.

I currently have 11 fish. They are: Lawnmower Blenny, Bartlett's Anthias, Rusty Angelfish, Ocellaris Clownfish (2), Clarkii Clownfish, Yellow Tang, Sailfin Tang, Yellow Angelfish, Starkii Damsel, and an Engineer Goby. I have one clam, a rainbow anemone, and an assortment of LPS and SPS corals, Serpent Sea Stars (2), Blue Tuxedo Sea Urchin, and snails and crabs.

When I was able to get the water level steady I was able to run my skimmer and got the nitrate and phosphate down (about half of what they are currently running) but I couldn't get the water to remain steady for longer than that and my skimmer would be very unhappy because the water would get to high or low.

So maybe if I can redo the setup down below, I can see how that change affects the nitrates and phosphates and then decide on biopellets and gfo from there.

simple answer is probably, without knowing how well stocked your tank is and if you are running any other equipment (biopellets, gfo) it is hard to give a hard "yes." People do run tanks with just a skimmer and no fuge with success. You may have to do more water changes depending on your current water change schedule though.

If you feel you have the time and energy to commit to a big system, go for it. Why shouldn't you enjoy such a project? If you know going in what it entails, and understand that bigger systems are both more forgiving and at the same time unforgiving, you'll be prepared to deal accordingly.

Forgiving: It takes a lot to mess up water parameters due to the volume.
Unforgiving: It takes a lot of product to correct an issue due to the volume.
Forgiving: If something dies, the system can handle it without a massive ammonia spike.
Unforgiving: Cleanup becomes exponentially more work.
Forgiving: Temperature tends to stay relatively stable.
Unforgiving: It takes a lot of power to raise the temperature of all the water after a decent power outage.

The 280g reef I ran was 72" x 30" x 30". That would be a good size that is doable. If you have a DSB, the tank really has about 24" of vertical water to reach down into. Even then I used tongs.

If you did get a 48" wide tank, you'll notice those times when you've got to really stretch. Heck, you might want some type of board to lay across the top of the tank for you to lie down on to reach in and arrange things. Mine is 36" wide and I work the front half from the front, then remove the walkboard and work from the back for the other half.

We are still in the planning phases of the building so I don't have an exact size of the area that the tank will be at but it will be a large room near the main entry of the new building. I had gone with 8' because I was thinking BIG but then also to allow more room for kids to stand around it. A 6' would also work just fine. I am wanting a deeper one than I have now which is about 18". I plan on having it viewable from three sides. It will be accessible only by me from the back side which will be my fish room. It will have a canopy on it which will also only be accessible from the back. There won't be any kind of access from the three sides. With my current tank I found rubberbands and bobby pins on a couple occasions but have since put a canopy and mesh netting on the top so I haven't found any more unwanted items in the aquarium.

I feed the fish daily and give the tank a good looking-over to make sure everyone is doing good and also make sure everything is running the way it should be. My weekly maintenance is all done on Saturdays. I test the water, clean the glass, do a water change, make sure everything is running properly. I currently have an APEX that I love. I have the leak detectors so that it can e-mail me if there is a problem. I am also in the process of adding float switches so that it can turn things off if the water gets too high, etc. I don't have those finished yet because I have more switches than brackets so I'm trying to figure out how to make a bracket to hold it in place. This gives me a little peace of mind since I can't be around my tank 24/7. I know it can't tell me everything that's going on but I love that it can give me some warning if there is water where there shouldn't be water or if the temperature or pH gets to high or low.

One reason for going big was the ability to put a larger variety of fish in the aquarium. The kids are always asking "Where's Dory?" So I would like to accommodate them with that. The underwater world is so fascinating to me. I would really love to have an aquarium large enough to have a large assortment of really interesting fish/coral/invertebrates in the aquarium keeping in mind that I need to make sure everything is as compatible as possible.

How much space do you have for the display tank? Is there a preference between a 6' aquarium and an 8' aquarium? Is it visible from the front only, or will it be viewed from two or three sides? Or even all four sides like an island? How will you access it to work on it? How will you protect it from people introducing stuff into the sump or tank accidentally?

Our club has a few 1000g tanks - which is amazing to me. I know my 400g is big, and they have tanks that are 2.5 times bigger than mine! It's mostly automated, but I do have manual tasks that I'll address as needed. How often will you be visiting the tank to check on it, work on it, etc?