500 gallon reef system with basement fish room

[Rcs_12]

Live stock update
I have been busy adding fish while waiting on my cabinets and lights. I am up to 22 fish now.

Lawnmower blenny
2 Royal gramma
2 Banggai cardinals
4 exquisite fire fish
2 blue spot jawfish
2 Magnificent fox face
1 lyretail anthias
Copper band butterfly
Flame hawkfish
Blue face koi tang
Gem tang
Desjardini sailfin tang
Purple tang
White tail bristletooth tang
Naso blonde tang

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Live stock update
I have been busy adding fish while waiting on my cabinets and lights. I am up to 22 fish now.

Lawnmower blenny
2 Royal gramma
2 Banggai cardinals
4 exquisite fire fish
2 blue spot jawfish
2 Magnificent fox face
1 lyretail anthias
Copper band butterfly
Flame hawkfish
Blue face koi tang
Gem tang
Desjardini sailfin tang
Purple tang
White tail bristletooth tang
Naso blonde tang

Good list of fish!

 

[Rcs_12]

Now that I have the frag tank up and running I've started buying corals. Here are a few pictures of the first batch.

HG micromussa
A few different chalice
A few different acros

 

[Seancj]

Fantastic build! I'm watching closely as I am considering the hydro tube as well. Can you post a full tank shot?

 

[Rcs_12]

Thanks! Here is the most recent batch of pictures I have taken.

 

[ca1ore]

Hydrotube pumps look very interesting. I toyed with using a pair of the hydro wizards on my last big tank (a 450) but ultimately couldn’t justify the premium over the Vortech MP60. BTW, I looked at the product descriptions on the UniqueCorals website and there’s a quite amusing typo. Says ‘Creating true tidal flow patterns is not attainable’ …. I imagine ‘not’ should have been ‘now’.

 

[Snoopy 67]

Google is not your friend at translating German?

 

[lbacha]

These are the two bulkheads on the bottom of the tank with the covers on

Couple questions

Do the covers just go over the bulkheads?
What size bulkhead are you using?
Would you do the hole placement differently now that you have them?

I just ordered a tank with the same footprint but 25” tall. I was planning for 2 closed loops. I planned on the holes being down the centerline of the tank. The two end holes would be 12” from the sides and the rest would be spaced evenly between them so 24” apart. I was planning on using 2 Vectra L2’s with the inlets in the center of the tank and the outlets towards the ends. Now I’m thinking I like the idea of all 4 holes being I lets and outlets with the Hydro tube. Just wondering if my hole placement makes sense

Thanks Len

 

[Rcs_12]

Hydrotube pumps look very interesting. I toyed with using a pair of the hydro wizards on my last big tank (a 450) but ultimately couldn’t justify the premium over the Vortech MP60. BTW, I looked at the product descriptions on the UniqueCorals website and there’s a quite amusing typo. Says ‘Creating true tidal flow patterns is not attainable’ …. I imagine ‘not’ should have been ‘now’.

Hahahaha that's funny. I'm sure they'll figure it out eventually

 

[Rcs_12]

Google is not your friend at translating German?

I tried that without much luck. Although it never occurred to me to translate my post to German first and then post it on the forums. I always tried to post in English and would translate the very few responses I got.

 

[Rcs_12]

Couple questions

Do the covers just go over the bulkheads?
What size bulkhead are you using?
Would you do the hole placement differently now that you have them?

I just ordered a tank with the same footprint but 25” tall. I was planning for 2 closed loops. I planned on the holes being down the centerline of the tank. The two end holes would be 12” from the sides and the rest would be spaced evenly between them so 24” apart. I was planning on using 2 Vectra L2’s with the inlets in the center of the tank and the outlets towards the ends. Now I’m thinking I like the idea of all 4 holes being I lets and outlets with the Hydro tube. Just wondering if my hole placement makes sense

Thanks Len

I have the hydrotube 42s which use 2 inch pipe and bulkheads. The covers came with what I will call an adapter of sorts. It's a 2 inch long piece of pipe that slips in to the bulkhead. This pipe has a flat circular disc on top of it the same size as the entire bulkhead. The plastic cover with the angled hexagon pattern then slips over the flat part and around the rest of the bulk head. I don't have any pictures before I installed them unfortunately. I can try to explain it better if this explanation makes no sense.

I don't have any corals in the tank yet so it's hard to say if I should have placed the bulkheads in different places. I considered connecting the bulkheads in opposite corners of my tank in an X pattern but decided to go the easier route and run the lines straight down the length of the tank.

Being able to run the pumps in reverse and have both sides serve as intakes and outputs was what sold me on the hydro tube. I haven't played with it much yet but I have been able to create some interesting flow patterns so far using them.

Your set up with all the bulkheads straight down middle seems like a legit idea and would certainly make hiding everything in the rocks easier. If you do go the vectra route, what's your plan as far as plumbing from the bulk heads? loc line?

 

[lbacha]

I have the hydrotube 42s which use 2 inch pipe and bulkheads. The covers came with what I will call an adapter of sorts. It's a 2 inch long piece of pipe that slips in to the bulkhead. This pipe has a flat circular disc on top of it the same size as the entire bulkhead. The plastic cover with the angled hexagon pattern then slips over the flat part and around the rest of the bulk head. I don't have any pictures before I installed them unfortunately. I can try to explain it better if this explanation makes no sense.

I don't have any corals in the tank yet so it's hard to say if I should have placed the bulkheads in different places. I considered connecting the bulkheads in opposite corners of my tank in an X pattern but decided to go the easier route and run the lines straight down the length of the tank.

Being able to run the pumps in reverse and have both sides serve as intakes and outputs was what sold me on the hydro tube. I haven't played with it much yet but I have been able to create some interesting flow patterns so far using them.

Your set up with all the bulkheads straight down middle seems like a legit idea and would certainly make hiding everything in the rocks easier. If you do go the vectra route, what's your plan as far as plumbing from the bulk heads? loc line?

I’m actually wondering if I could use 1 hydro tube to run the whole system. I would two bulkheads on each side connected so they would both be pulling or pushing water. I’m going with 1.5” bulkheads but based on how those covers look I could probably 3d print something similar if they don’t have ones that size.

If I went the vectra route I would need 2 and the two bulkheads on each side would be set up with the one closest to the end as the output and the one towards the middle as the intake. I would hard plumb them into the bulkheads but I actually think I can 3d print similar output covers to what you got from pants rei. I like the really low profile. The intakes would need to be a bit larger to ensure they do t get clogged (another perk of the hydro tube (it will self clear obstructions)

My hardscape is planned to be 2 parallel structures almost like ridges so the intake and outtake will be on either side of each structure. The picture shows the general idea (since this will be SPS dominate it won’t be a very high structure) the table is the exact footprint of the tank.

 

[Rcs_12]

I’m actually wondering if I could use 1 hydro tube to run the whole system. I would two bulkheads on each side connected so they would both be pulling or pushing water. I’m going with 1.5” bulkheads but based on how those covers look I could probably 3d print something similar if they don’t have ones that size.

If I went the vectra route I would need 2 and the two bulkheads on each side would be set up with the one closest to the end as the output and the one towards the middle as the intake. I would hard plumb them into the bulkheads but I actually think I can 3d print similar output covers to what you got from pants rei. I like the really low profile. The intakes would need to be a bit larger to ensure they do t get clogged (another perk of the hydro tube (it will self clear obstructions)

My hardscape is planned to be 2 parallel structures almost like ridges so the intake and outtake will be on either side of each structure. The picture shows the general idea (since this will be SPS dominate it won’t be a very high structure) the table is the exact footprint of the tank.

You could certainly plumb one hydrotube in the middle but I'm not sure how well it would work. You might want to go with the bigger hydrotube 63 if that's your plan. The covers I have are definitely 3d printed so if you're good with a 3d design program I'm sure you could make your own. The pumps are built to take 2 inch plumbing so you would have to reduce your pipe size down if you're using 1.5 inch bulkheads.

What are you going to do inside the tank to control the flow coming out of the bulkheads?

 

[lbacha]

I th

You could certainly plumb one hydrotube in the middle but I'm not sure how well it would work. You might want to go with the bigger hydrotube 63 if that's your plan. The covers I have are definitely 3d printed so if you're good with a 3d design program I'm sure you could make your own. The pumps are built to take 2 inch plumbing so you would have to reduce your pipe size down if you're using 1.5 inch bulkheads.

What are you going to do inside the tank to control the flow coming out of the bulkheads?

I think the 63 would be overkill and I would rather go with one then add a second if I need more flow. As for flow inside the tank I was going to use RFG’s on the 1.5” bulkheads on 45 degree fittings so I can adjust where the flow is directed. Those covers you have now have me thinking I will 3d print something more flush with the bottom. I plan on hiding the input and outputs with live rock. This tank will have a shallow sand bed as my wife like sand so the flow coming from the bottom will hopefully help keep it in place. I already plan on adding heavier rubble in places the same doesn’t want to stay in place just like a real reef

 

[Rcs_12]

Update time! I have finally gotten my custom cabinets built and installed. I was also able to hang my light above the tank now that the cabinets are in. I mounted the light inside the canopy using a pair of electric winches so I can raise it up out of my way when I need to work in the tank. I have the lights turned way down for now and will slowly increas them over the next month or so. Now it's time to fill it up with corals. I have a batch that are almost done with quarantine and will be going in the tank in the next few weeks once the lights are bright enough.