The biggest tank I could get down my basement steps build (315 gallons)

[SaracensRugby]

Ok, update time. Tank came in a couple weeks ago, very happy with it and the crate it came in. Had to figure out a good way to hang the lights, and didn't want to use drywall anchors for this heavy of a light. So, macguyvered a solution that lets me move it back and forth on the tank. Also had to create a new hanging kit to work with this, to make it easy to not only move the light, but take it off.
Took 4 of us with suction cups to move it down the stairs, a real pain with the 90 degree turn in the stairs, but 50 minutes later we were done. Made a sled out of plywood with 2x4 runners underneath it to slide the tank down the steps, and let gravity do most of the work on the way down. The bourbon was for after the heavy lifting....
Now, to set everything else up and get water in there. And create doors for the stand.

 

[lubeck]

Looks great! When is water getting in that bad boy.

 

[SaracensRugby]

Thanks @lubeck. Going to start putting in water tomorrow. I tell ya what, I did not appreciate how a 36" deep tank makes it really hard to reach things in the back. I had to get into the tank just to put the overflow on.

 

[lubeck]

Thanks @lubeck. Going to start putting in water tomorrow. I tell ya what, I did not appreciate how a 36" deep tank makes it really hard to reach things in the back. I had to get into the tank just to put the overflow on.

Invest in a stepladder . And long tongs

 

[lubeck]

Curious to see the lighting. How far apart are the kessil’s

 

[SaracensRugby]

Curious to see the lighting. How far apart are the kessil’s

Maybe less than 2 feet a part. I plan on using them with the T5s, as I was told by the previous owner they get drowned out by the MH. Putting those in did make it very hard to get the middle MH bulb out, you have to pull on the metal a little bit to get the glass to slide out now.

 

[SaracensRugby]

Ok, getting water in and got the rockscape to where I think I like it. Goal is to have plenty fo places for fish to cruise around, places to hide, and good places for coral to grow. Also left enough room on the sides and back to clean and see what's going on back there. Water a bit hazy due to addition of sand. Let me know your thoughts.

 

[Projects with Sam]

Looks great! what an awesome size tank!

 

[1000rrstunna]

Looks amazing so far man. Can’t wait to see more. Shot you a pm I’m local and looking to do the same size tank wondering a few things.

 

[1000rrstunna]

What overflow did you go with and are they loud? They only seem to want to work with their h20 and siphon stop returns. Do the returns blow air bubbles into the tank ? Anything you dislike I’m about to place my order and I know you are busy

 

[SaracensRugby]

Sorry for the delay bud. I went with their overflow. The overflow is loud right now, but I have only one return pump going so it’s at half the volume of water going through, and they are huge drain lines ( 1 1/2” I think). I am pretty sure if I did the durso style plumbing to add to the plumbing pieces they send with it in the overflow, it would be quiet. I am not worried about it really, figure it will be fine when 2nd return pump is going and I dial in the gate valves.
their returns blow air bubbles in the tank, but not to the point where the display is filled with bubbles or anything. You need to tilt them to the side, otherwise those air bubbles make noise. That drove me nuts. I may also take the returns off completely and just have an open hole for the water to come out. Reduce head pressure a little, and looks cleaner.

 

[SaracensRugby]

Ok, little update: the 10 anthias I got from another tank, but spent two days at LFS, I believe introduced Brook into my system. Lost: kole tang, 6 year old female clown, 6 year old royal gramma, 4 line wrasse, an anthia, Midas blenny, and maybe one more. Sucked, but now I have two separate QT tanks and every medication possible. All fish split up between both and doing well. Ammonia is a pain in the anthia QT, hopefully that gets better with the Dr Tim’s I just used.
finally got the doors made and on. Used some heavy duty drawer soft close sliders. Fairly happy with the results, won’t win awards but feels good to build this from scratch. Fallow period over August 13th, then we are back in business.

 

[Projects with Sam]

Ok, little update: the 10 anthias I got from another tank, but spent two days at LFS, I believe introduced Brook into my system. Lost: kole tang, 6 year old female clown, 6 year old royal gramma, 4 line wrasse, an anthia, Midas blenny, and maybe one more. Sucked, but now I have two separate QT tanks and every medication possible. All fish split up between both and doing well. Ammonia is a pain in the anthia QT, hopefully that gets better with the Dr Tim’s I just used.
finally got the doors made and on. Used some heavy duty drawer soft close sliders. Fairly happy with the results, won’t win awards but feels good to build this from scratch. Fallow period over August 13th, then we are back in business.

tank looks great! sorry bout your losses.

 

[FMF0331]

 

[SaracensRugby]

Last photo: made internal shelf/floor inside the cabinet, with tongue and groove cedar pieces left over from our pavilion build. Now I have a nice cedar smell under my tank, and it looks alright.

 

[1000rrstunna]

looking good brother! fish losses stink but it is what it is.

Just ordered mine today too 84x46x24 penninsula

 

[1000rrstunna]

So how are the overflows get them any quieter ? I talked to bob again today. I’m about ready to pull the trigger but overflow is still up in the air

 

[SaracensRugby]

Overflows are fine noise wise. I wish I went with a cost to coast style, I feel like it might pull in more floating "stuff", but not sure. Overall very happy with the tank. Not the current GHA though.

 

[blaxsun]

Sucks to hear about your fish...

 

[SaracensRugby]

Little update: overall happy with the tank and its quality. As you can see in the pics, there seems to be a fair amount of “stuff” floating in the tank. I have filter socks on, so not sure if this is a function of the overflows, my turnover rate, or big tanks. Lighting: very happy with the Spectra, although I did have to get a fan to blow across the top of the tank to keep temps stable. I also added 4 Orphek bars (blue plus and UV) to get some color pop. The t5 and small kessils in the fixture don’t give enough in that area. Which leads me to corals..
I have been fighting gha for about 4 months. Tried several natural means: toothbrush, hydrogen peroxide dips (worked on the rocks I dipped), and a couple of sea hares. I am left to fluco, so just dosed that yesterday. I am going to buy about $200 worth of cuc in about two weeks to better handle this once it’s cleaned up. I have had a handful of sticks, lost a few to a couple alk swings. A handful of chalice and favia doing fine (smaller), but going to wait 2 months until this gha is gone, and I am through what will probably be a cyano outbreak after.
Set up a coral/invert QT in a little 20 gallon, figure if I am going to qt my fish, mind as well go all the way. Put a couple baby clowns in there to keep it going.
Fish: have successfully qt’d the following: 10 lyretail anthias, with one transitioning to a male, a white tail bristletooth tang, a naso tang, and a Christmas wrasse. Right now I have another lyretail, and 4 different fairy wrasses. Orange back is one, and three others I forgot the names of. But will
Be good color additions to the tank. Future plans: get through the uglies and start adding corals in a serious manner. Maybe make a floating type canopy to hide the lighting some. Also get some mangroves and any interesting non-reef safe crabs or inverts for the 50 gallon Refugium. Despite the challenges, really enjoy the tank, as it is in my basement office so on my zoom calls, while I am tuning out, I can watch the fish. Cheers!
And yes, I’m not great at hiding wires.