Starting ~800 Gallon Custom Reef Tank Build

[jd371]

I just stumbled upon this build and I must say it's quite an impressive undertaking. Kudos from a fellow Long Islander it's coming out great and looking forward to see it completed.

 

[saintsreturn]

Wow, love this build! thank you for sharing and great job on the preplanning! I am currently running ecotech battery back ups, but am really trying to talk the wife into a generac. In this area, we tend to deal more with rolling black outs and temporary power outages, but when i move back to Florida, it is a whole different animal.

 

[don_chuwish]

Is that swimming pool (sump) getting any compartmentation or staying wide open?

 

[ravi197699]

Wow, love this build! thank you for sharing and great job on the preplanning! I am currently running ecotech battery back ups, but am really trying to talk the wife into a generac. In this area, we tend to deal more with rolling black outs and temporary power outages, but when i move back to Florida, it is a whole different animal.

that is the first thing I did and have standby generator installed so that my family and tank is safe and don't deal with power outages.. I can't run 700 gallon tank at mercy of electric company...

 

[ravi197699]

Is that swimming pool (sump) getting any compartmentation or staying wide open?

This is aqua culture tank which is made to aqua culture facilities to grow fishes, more than half of the sump will be fill with rock that will be elevated by using FRP floor drain material so that detritus won't settle under the rocks and power heads will be installed on 3 sides that will come on during day to shake water vigorously, front of the sump will be refugium which is estimated 30" x 68" x 15" high, pretty decent size to grow cheato and macro algae.

 

[mch1984]

Just noticed this build and I'm glad I did before water goes in. Get to see it come to life. Looking great and that's an impressive size. Have you bought scuba gear yet to work on the tank once full J/k. ;Hilarious

 

[ravi197699]

Just noticed this build and I'm glad I did before water goes in. Get to see it come to life. Looking great and that's an impressive size. Have you bought scuba gear yet to work on the tank once full J/k. ;Hilarious

haha , I am worried about that part, I am thinking about solution about that as well but I know it will be challenging..

 

[mch1984]

haha , I am worried about that part, I am thinking about solution about that as well but I know it will be challenging..

Whatever the solution is, I'm sure it will be worth it. The 60" depth is going make for some amazing aquascape. Any plans with the scape yet? What Kind of rock or what kind of formation you are going with?

 

[ravi197699]

Whatever the solution is, I'm sure it will be worth it. The 60" depth is going make for some amazing aquascape. Any plans with the scape yet? What Kind of rock or what kind of formation you are going with?

I am going to have my rocks elevated and pillars are going to support the structure. picture below is what I have in my mind...

 

[mch1984]

That will look good in that size tank, looking forward to it.

 

[ravi197699]

I just stumbled upon this build and I must say it's quite an impressive undertaking. Kudos from a fellow Long Islander it's coming out great and looking forward to see it completed.

Thank you jd371, I am hoping to fill this thing with water by end of next month, getting my rock ready for aquascape.

 

[mch1984]

@ravi197699, do you have pictures or anything of your DIY skimmer? Would like to see more details on it. thanks

 

[ravi197699]

Thank you jd371, I am hoping to fill this thing with water by end of next month, getting my rock ready for aquascape.

there is thread on MR and RC will the pictures, I am going to modify the skimmer to run on 2" venturi that is 12" long, It will be driven by dolphin 7000 GPH pump..

 

[ravi197699]

Made some progress and my contractor finish the front of the tank and sunroom side of the tank, this weekend was beautiful and sunny and I was able to wash my rocks and separate out shelves, large pieces and small pieces of rock and separate out tonga branches which I want to use to elevate the rock structure so I don't loose the flow and don't accumulate detritus on the bottom of the tank, here are some of the pictures of the finished front and back of the tank and my rock, I think this should be enough for display and rest will go in the sump..

 

[jpas]

Looking awesome!!

Are you going to find a smaller sump tank that fits under there?

 

[ravi197699]

Not same sump is going to go stay, I will just add piece of wood to support the over hanging part, This sump was in plan and I wanted to have this sump stick out the stand for easy access to cheato/ macro algae/ frags and easy to hang lights over the sump..

 

[Ashish Patel]

This is great I love to live vicariously through some one else's major build. You have done a wonderful job so far.

its fun aint it

 

[Ashish Patel]

Man I love the way your tank was build. This is what I look for especially knowing how much pounding seams take on a yearly basis with the flow we provide. good luck aquascaping that beast, no easy task in a larger tank but I like it more functional than aesthetic. That minimalist won't work when sps corals are growing into each other and the sample you posted ( i think its from reefbuilders vid) is to aesthetically pleasing and I feel not enough space for new corals, hence why he mounts them on top of each other, lol good luck

 

[ravi197699]

Man I love the way your tank was build. This is what I look for especially knowing how much pounding seams take on a yearly basis with the flow we provide. good luck aquascaping that beast, no easy task in a larger tank but I like it more functional than aesthetic. That minimalist won't work when sps corals are growing into each other and the sample you posted ( i think its from reefbuilders vid) is to aesthetically pleasing and I feel not enough space for new corals, hence why he mounts them on top of each other, lol good luck

you are correct about the video Ashish, It will be fun when I start aquascaping this tank. I will post pictures when I start on that, So far I am working on building pillars for aquascape, I will be putting together tonga branches that will stick out on the sides of the aquascape for sps frags.. many more pictures to come...

 

[Zack33]

Just awesome! Love it, can't wait to see it get wet in a couple weeks!!!!