Large tank setup with limited sump space

[Eric1]

i have never had a saltwater tank before but just purchased a house that has a 400 gallon tank. Pics included. The issue is it only has about 30 wide space for a sump under it. My goal is to have the most ultra low maintenance setup that I can but will it be possible with limited area under the tank? The tank itself is approx 10 feet long x 3ft tall x 2ft wide. Any recommendations for setup in a unique scenario like this? Note: there is a drain built into the base of the tank that drains outside but no water lines connected and not really any way to get water lines to the tank.

 

[JohnnyReef]

Do you have a basement? If so, you could set your sump up down there. Not sure thats something your willing to do. makes for less of a mess when working on it and will give you more space than what you currently have there.

 

[Eric1]

Unfortunately no basements in Oklahoma. I basically have room for a 60 gallon sump with a 400 gallon tanks. And to make it worse it is very vertical or cube shaped sump vs elongated.

 

[mjlash22]

If you do have a basement (hard to tell from the pics), I would drill through the floor in the cabinet area and create a nice size sump in the basement. You will still need to figure out a sleek way to plumb the tank to get into/under the stand/cabinet.

 

[Zack K]

You could run a sump into a nearby closet, have a fancy piece of furniture next to the tank to hode the sump in. Gotta be creative. Sounds like a challenge. On top of that. That “stand” looks SCARY. Not enough support for my liking.

-Zack, who doesn’t like 400g of water on the floow

 

[MSB123]

+1 With Zack! Stand doesn't look good, espically considering its used

 

[Eric1]

+1 With Zack! Stand doesn't look good, espically considering its used

Actually, in the pic you can see 4 steel I beams In the 4 corners of the cabinet. Then running under the entire length of the tank is a 1-inch thick steel plate.

So it is most everyone’s opinion that a 60 gallon sump is inadequate for this size tank? The previous owner had someone come twice monthly to clean and do water changes so I am assuming he was very reliant on water changes vs a ULM mentality.

 

[goatcorals]

You can do it with 60g sump but ULM would be easier with larger.

I’d love a 6’ 125 on a tank that size just because it’s so much easier with all the room. First choice build a new surround for the tank and plumb up multiple sump chambers, with big skimmer/fuge/frag sections.

If you do the 60, don’t need bioballs obviously. I think Skimmer, return pump, refugium. May need to put your return pump under the skimmer depending on depth or you could run return pump external above sump.

I have a 40 gallon sump on a 200 with no problems, and 30 wouldn’t be any different at the depths I run.

 

[Zack K]

This appears to be a remnant of a Fresh water tank. That is how he got away with sick a small sump. If you want a reef, well, a bigger sump is probably going to benefit you greatly.
-Zack,

 

[Eric1]

This appears to be a remnant of a Fresh water tank. That is how he got away with sick a small sump. If you want a reef, well, a bigger sump is probably going to benefit you greatly.
-Zack,

The story I heard is the house almost sold to someone else that wanted fresh water instead of salt so original owner had his aquarium guy set it up for fresh water and he took all his good rock etc to his new house where he set up another tank. Well, the deal fell through and then I bought it. The tank slowly started getting dirty so I drained the tank until I figure out what to do with it.

Depending on how much the wife will let me spend, LOL, I like the idea of separate self contained areas connected by plumbing that could be installed on either side of those I-beams. Not sure if that type of setup is possible. Then I would just need to figure out how to make the floor cut out where the concrete foundation has been removed around the original surround look right.

 

[Sorcha2]

That is a really cool tank. A few options would be instead of doing your macro algae outside the tank in a refugium you could put it in the display and only use the sump for equipment. You could do either mixed in with corals like some of the sea horse tanks you see or do one side ornamental macro algae fading off to sand in the middle with corals on the other end. Another option once you decied on stocking if you want heavy algea grazers is to hide a tank in your rockwork to use as a refugium or to put up a fine mesh to partion part of the tank off for macros. There are some really pretty macros and you could do a very cool scape including them.

 

[Sorcha2]

Oh I just had a thought. It's so long you could do a whole mini reef with a reef wall on the left side to hide that tube tapering down through a back reef all the way to a lagoon style set up on the right. Then you could have any sort of creatures other than predators and hide those tubes.

 

[Eric1]

I like that idea! When you say “hide those tubes” I see how you would hide one of them on the far left or right but how would you hide them all? Also, I definitely won’t start with SPS since I have heard they are the mos picky but do you think I will have enough flow since I only have the two return outlets in those middle tubes? Since it is a tank that floats in the room and you can walk on all sides I can’t really stick wave action jets on the sides of the tank or anything? I think the original owner just had a FO tank.

Along those same lines, as far as lighting there is currently no lighting except for 3 halogen can lights in the ceiling above the tank and all the glass windows you see in the pics (no direct sun will hit the tank due to large overhangs outside though). Do you think that is enough for a softie tank at least at first? Or could I change the bulbs to something better but not have to rig up a lighting system that attaches to the ceiling and hovers over the tank? Trying to keep the minimalist aesthetic and still have a cool reef tank. May not be possible, though.

 

[Eric1]

That is a really cool tank. A few options would be instead of doing your macro algae outside the tank in a refugium you could put it in the display and only use the sump for equipment. You could do either mixed in with corals like some of the sea horse tanks you see or do one side ornamental macro algae fading off to sand in the middle with corals on the other end. Another option once you decied on stocking if you want heavy algea grazers is to hide a tank in your rockwork to use as a refugium or to put up a fine mesh to partion part of the tank off for macros. There are some really pretty macros and you could do a very cool scape including them.

I looked at dragons breath yesterday and it seems really cool. I am not sure with my current lighting (or lack there of) they would be able to grow fast enough to act like an in-tank refugium, though. But maybe, I really have no clue. Something to ponder.

 

[Sorcha2]

I looked at dragons breath yesterday and it seems really cool. I am not sure with my current lighting (or lack there of) they would be able to grow fast enough to act like an in-tank refugium, though. But maybe, I really have no clue. Something to ponder.

It looks like you have a wall of windows on the one side so you might get almost enough light to grow algea on that one side depending on how your house is oriented and where it's located. You could see if you can borrow a par meter and check.

 

[Zack K]

How far away are the lights form the top of the tank? You could do something like so with kessils. https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/narrow-lens-led-options-for-mounting-high-above-tank.351156/
Or you can take a low profile light and mount it form the ceiling. I don’t think the lights you have now are sufficient enough. IMO

-Zack

 

[Eric1]

C

How far away are the lights form the top of the tank? You could do something like so with kessils. https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/narrow-lens-led-options-for-mounting-high-above-tank.351156/
Or you can take a low profile light and mount it form the ceiling. I don’t think the lights you have now are sufficient enough. IMO

-Zack

Celing is 36 inches from top of tank which is 36 inches deep