Custom Install, 400 gal system volume

[Ægir]

Hey guys, just wanted to share some pics of a custom install i am doing for a gentleman in Polson, MT. He ended up buying my 155 bowfront, skimmer, and sump and wanted some design ideas... This is what i came up with. I have spent 4 weekends working to get this thing up and running so far, and will update once things get more interesting... will be adding Ca reactor, lighting, and some other things soon.

155 gal bowfront
125 gal fuge/dsb/low flow area
150 gal rubbermaid sump
Precision Marine Bullet 3 skimmer
Reeflo snapper return pump
DA RKE controller
2x Vortech MP40w



Day 1






Tanks in, still buffing the top display


300lbs marco rocks

Archway


Starting to take shape


Adding water!


And that was a week or so ago... i am uploading more pics of progress and will update soon!

Ignore the wires and junk everywhere, it was fill up day and we needed every heater in the house... that will be cleaned up once its dialed in with all the equipment installed.

[charlie]

Hey, things look really nice, looks to be a good, clean install!!! Is this going to be a reef tank? If so, I am kind of wondering about the skimmer and whether it will handle a full blown reef. If you want to think about that, shoot me a PM, I have a dual Beckett skimmer that came off my 400 gallon system at home. Let me know.

Can't wait for more pics!!!

[Ægir]

Hey, things look really nice, looks to be a good, clean install!!! Is this going to be a reef tank? If so, I am kind of wondering about the skimmer and whether it will handle a full blown reef. If you want to think about that, shoot me a PM, I have a dual Beckett skimmer that came off my 400 gallon system at home. Let me know.

Can't wait for more pics!!!

Thanks man, things are kinda all over the place and will be totally cleaned up once all the equipment is in place... Going to hide all the cords, and neatly route things on the wall when i can see exactly whats there.

The top tank will become a reef tank, and we opted to put sand in the lower tank (theres atleast 6" in there now or about 400lbs) and keep the top tank bare for flow reasons. In the bottom tank will be the DSB, mangroves, and a single pillar of rock for anemones and clownfish possibly?

That skimmer will prob be upgraded in the future, but for now i think it can handle most things i can throw at it. Once another tank, or a few frag tanks are added to the system it may be necessary to beef things up. What type of skimmer do you have, and what pump?

This system will also be fully controllable (when needed) and can be monitored from online with multiple webcams.

Just got the UV, carbon/phosban reactors (2x two little fishes 550) up last weekend, and Ozone will be online shortly.



Heres another install i am working on, 150 gal display, 40 gal sump (PM redline 220 skimmer) and 40 gal fuge... extremely simple in comparison, and all under the stand. Both tanks are mid cycle and should see the first fish in a week or so.



Sump side


(sorry for the glare, lots of windows)


Thanks again!

[Ægir]

[charlie]

That skimmer will prob be upgraded in the future, but for now i think it can handle most things i can throw at it. Once another tank, or a few frag tanks are added to the system it may be necessary to beef things up. What type of skimmer do you have, and what pump?

It is a Barr Aquatics, I can get a pic if you want. I used to drive it with an Iwaki 100. 2000 gph, a 100gph per beckett.

[DevonM]

Looks good! I love my MP40s!

[Ægir]

Looks good! I love my MP40s!

Thanks man! Are yours the new EcoTech controllers?

We are thinking about adding a third in the back of the tank when things get going.... the flow right now with the 2 MP40Ws and the flow boosters on the returns (penductors, whatever you want to call them) i am really glad we didnt put any sand in the tank for sure!

[DevonM]

I'm using the older ones as I've probably had them for a year or two. They are synced and I run them at about half power.

[Ægir]

I'm using the older ones as I've probably had them for a year or two. They are synced and I run them at about half power.

Yeah, they are great for sure! Have you read anything about the new controllers? They have some pretty cool pre programed "cycles" for waste removal and replicating tidal surges.

I am pretty sure that you can sync up the older ones as slaves, with the new ones as the master and still run those features also.

As an update, i am up in polson right now and got the ozone hooked up yesterday... Going back tonight to do some fine tuning with the RKE controller, and getting ready to upgrade to the 2.0 firmware and start using the MyReef 2.0 software on my computer. You can read more about the program here: Digital Aquatics

I will post lots more pics tonight or tomorrow!

[DevonM]

I did take a look at the new controllers and their new battery backups I think. Not a whole lot changed but the design and a few cycles that i noticed.

I just found a cycle that my corals agreed with (reef surge I think) and let it go with the night cycle also turned on. My MP40s have the wireless driver so they are synced. What a great unit!

Looking forward to the updated pictures!

[DevonM]

Did you have bad water pressure? It looks like there's a RO Pump on the wall.

[charlie]

Did you have bad water pressure? It looks like there's a RO Pump on the wall.

same thing I got on my unit Dev.

[lostcreekreefer]

Me too...works much better with the booster pump!

[lostcreekreefer]

Going back tonight to do some fine tuning with the RKE controller, and getting ready to upgrade to the 2.0 firmware and start using the MyReef 2.0 software on my computer....

Aegir- Sometime it would be great to try & schedule a bit of time to go look at my setup; I've never been able to get the computer/software/RKE to see each other...it is all there & works, just no communication between the pieces of equipment
KevinD

[lostcreekreefer]

Aegir- Just checked out the DA link you listed...WELL!, this is certainly NOT the software that I have, it is a major update! A very NICE major update, to boot! Guess I'll do all the downloads & updates & see if the computer & RKE can be friends!
KevinD

[Ægir]

Did you have bad water pressure? It looks like there's a RO Pump on the wall.

Yeah, because the tank is in his garage theres no dedicated water line (yet), therefore when he needs water he has to hook the garden hose up (from across the yard)... it was running alright at about 50psi, and we decided to see if the booster pump helped, and it did, to about 90psi.

As for the RKE and computer thing... i spent last night trying to piggy back 2 routers (once again, because its in the garage) and boost his wireless connection out there, as well as have a dedicated router for the RKE, and cameras... after taking a few hours to pull a dedicated CAT5 line through conduit across the yard and into the house, and then across the house neatly to the existing router and modem i still cant get that secondary router to work... but i have had success plugging the net module directly into his main modem and getting it to work. If you arent dealing with all this extra crap it should be simple and straight forward.

You will have to get the new SID from the company first, you can send yours in and wait or spend 20$ to have one sent... after you have that we can update all the modules and the RKE to 2.0+ and use the new software.

I would like to stop by and check out your setup, regardless of helping you with the controller

[Ægir]

Some updated pics... Things moving along slowly.





Helping with water clarity already




Giant urchin... some of you may have seen it at Dans shop


Bottom tank, added a Yellow headed goby to sift some sand


Top tank, some algae growing


Shot of the mountains on the drive up


Thats about it for now... more next weekend when i get back.

[charlie]

Thanx for the update!!!!!

[metalhead]

Nice work! Really dig the rockwork on the bow-front!

[Sarmo]

I really like your rock work. how did you "hold" it together?

what are the Gobie and Urchin eating?