3000sf Reef Project
- Thread starter jbundas
- Start date
customclimates
Non-member
That is totally awesome.....Just the planning alone! Great spot under the stairs too.
FisherMan22
Non-member
That's just awesome!
Michael Mota
Non-member
Awesome!! is all I have to say.
Here's a decent exterior shot from almost a month ago:
Most of the work since then has been inside but there are steps leading up to the front door now and some additional touch-up work has been done on the outside.
As you come through the front door, your pretty much facing right at the tank. You can see the open front door through the tank in one of the inside the tank closet pictures. I'll see if I can find one taken just inside the front door. If not, I'll take on this weekend.
Most of the work since then has been inside but there are steps leading up to the front door now and some additional touch-up work has been done on the outside.
As you come through the front door, your pretty much facing right at the tank. You can see the open front door through the tank in one of the inside the tank closet pictures. I'll see if I can find one taken just inside the front door. If not, I'll take on this weekend.
deadhermitwalkin
Non-member
Nice design...Everything now a days is a cape or colonial setup. Very nice!
Thanks. Yeah, we wanted something a little different - more modern but not way out contemporary.
Here's a pic from just inside the front door taken earlier this month with Mike just finishing up the stone work on the fireplace. I figured it was a good idea not to have an expensive custom glass box sitting right next to a guy on scaffolding cutting rock.
The whole downstairs is open. That's the kitchen on the other side of the fireplace. I think you'll be able to see in the side of the tank from the kitchen depending on where you're standing.
Here's a pic from just inside the front door taken earlier this month with Mike just finishing up the stone work on the fireplace. I figured it was a good idea not to have an expensive custom glass box sitting right next to a guy on scaffolding cutting rock.
The whole downstairs is open. That's the kitchen on the other side of the fireplace. I think you'll be able to see in the side of the tank from the kitchen depending on where you're standing.
Wow... that house and tank are going to look awesome!
I have a very similiar setup... 120 built in with a fish room below it. I have tried a few different brands of return pumps, and will highly recommend the japanese motor Iwaki's. One thing to think about with your return pump is to determine what flowrate through your sump you want. I feed my skimmer via the overflow returning to the basement, and the fuge. I didn't want a lot of flow through either of those, so I sized my pump (Iwaki 55RLT) to provide around 400-500 GPH of flow through the system (it also feeds my frag tank, calcium reactor, and skimmer wet-neck too). Since you mentioned closed-loop holes for your tank, I would suggest using that for flow in the tank (meaning use that only.. don't plan on your return pump providing flow).
Good luck with it!! Awesome project so far
I have a very similiar setup... 120 built in with a fish room below it. I have tried a few different brands of return pumps, and will highly recommend the japanese motor Iwaki's. One thing to think about with your return pump is to determine what flowrate through your sump you want. I feed my skimmer via the overflow returning to the basement, and the fuge. I didn't want a lot of flow through either of those, so I sized my pump (Iwaki 55RLT) to provide around 400-500 GPH of flow through the system (it also feeds my frag tank, calcium reactor, and skimmer wet-neck too). Since you mentioned closed-loop holes for your tank, I would suggest using that for flow in the tank (meaning use that only.. don't plan on your return pump providing flow).
Good luck with it!! Awesome project so far
That's kind of what I was thinking - not looking to get a ton of flow out of the return pump(s), just enough to turn over the tank water and leave the circulation to the closed loop.
After seeing Eric's (can't recall last name, lives in north Nashua/Merrimack) tank with his sump in the basement, the water coming down through the tank drain had enough push and durso bubbles that the first section of his sump was practically working as a skimmer by itself. I think I'll try to feed the skimmer directly from the drain and either tap into the return or use an Aqualifter for the Ca reactor feed, effectively eliminating another pump in the basement. I like the idea of jamming the water skimmed from the top of the main tank directly into the skimmer as well.
I'll modify the schematic.
After seeing Eric's (can't recall last name, lives in north Nashua/Merrimack) tank with his sump in the basement, the water coming down through the tank drain had enough push and durso bubbles that the first section of his sump was practically working as a skimmer by itself. I think I'll try to feed the skimmer directly from the drain and either tap into the return or use an Aqualifter for the Ca reactor feed, effectively eliminating another pump in the basement. I like the idea of jamming the water skimmed from the top of the main tank directly into the skimmer as well.
I'll modify the schematic.
Sounds good. I live in Haverhill, and you are welcome to stop by to look at my setup if you want. I have my drain setup in a way that very few bubbles ever make it to the skimmer from the drain, because if they do, the bubbles are large and cause the skimmer to "burp", wrecking the foam column.
I think I may do that - come check out your setup that is. Here's an updated plan with the gravity fed skimmer:
I think I got the plumbing right for the cascade such that I can adjust the drain down flow through each tank and cut any of them off and still keep the rest running the same.
Check out the overflow thought though. I have 2 drain holes drilled in the external overflow. If I set one up lower in the overflow box to feed the skimmer I could keep the input to that standpipe/durso completely submerged preventing air from going down to the skimmer. You can adjust the flow with a valve to balance the skimmer and as long as the main return pump(s) are flowing more than that, the level in the overflow will fill up to the second higher durso feeding the cascade of auxiliary tanks. This also makes the sump much simpler since it's now only feeding the return.
Since the input to the EV skimmers is right on the top, this could work out pretty slick. If more push is needed to drive the skimmer, I could just put a fatter pipe feeding it so there'll be a heavier column of water pressing on the injector.
I think I got the plumbing right for the cascade such that I can adjust the drain down flow through each tank and cut any of them off and still keep the rest running the same.
Check out the overflow thought though. I have 2 drain holes drilled in the external overflow. If I set one up lower in the overflow box to feed the skimmer I could keep the input to that standpipe/durso completely submerged preventing air from going down to the skimmer. You can adjust the flow with a valve to balance the skimmer and as long as the main return pump(s) are flowing more than that, the level in the overflow will fill up to the second higher durso feeding the cascade of auxiliary tanks. This also makes the sump much simpler since it's now only feeding the return.
Since the input to the EV skimmers is right on the top, this could work out pretty slick. If more push is needed to drive the skimmer, I could just put a fatter pipe feeding it so there'll be a heavier column of water pressing on the injector.
The two drain holes setup will work great for feeding a skimmer. However, there is no chance of a drain being able to feed an AquaC EV240 (or any other skimmer of that type). You would need pressure in the vicinity of 10+ stories I bet to even get it going, and flow around 700 GPH. You'll need to pick a different skimmer (recirculating works really well for this application).
We had thought about doing the stone facing around the tank as well as the fireplace...then we got the cost, so just fireplace it is. That makes the focal point competition a little more fair anyway, although you really can't miss the tank as you come through the front door. Here's a pick taken from just outside the front door:
