# New 300 gallon high tech high light planted Discus tank - Build Journal



## rbarn

So, bought a new house and always wanted a massive multi-100 gallon tank.
Plan is a 300 gallon 96" long X 24" deep X 31" high tank done up with all the bells and whistles.

I am doing lots of remodeling so I had the contractor run a cold water line to under the tank and a drain will go out an exterior wall next to the tank and drain into the back yard. Water changes will be constant and automatic. Trying to make the tank as hands off and self supporting as possible. All I should have to do is vac out the fish poop a couple of times a week, replace filter media once a month and change out Co2 tanks.

*Lighting: *
(2x) 48" Corrallife Aqualight Pro hybrid lights each with twin 150W MH lamps, twin 96W PC fluorescent lamps and 3 1watt lunar lights

*Controller:*
Reef Keeper Elite NET - full PH control and Co2 injection. Heaters, Chiller, UV light - the works

*Filtration:*
Custom homemade acrylic sump with constant drip water exchange system

*Tank scape:*
Sand bottom with mineralized top soil sub base, with wood and some nice swords for plants.
Wont quite be a biotope, but wont be a crazy super planted tank either. 
Shooting for a look similar to the award winning ADG discus tank.

Couple of months of build time. So watch for a slew of updates and build pics.

Stand is framed - Will be finished out to look like nice built book case eventually.
Ultra strong with 2x6 supports and a doubled up 2X10 header running over the front opening.


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## VadimShevchuk

Wow this is going to be nice! I am wondering why did you go with the top two light choices that produce Alot of heat when you already live in Texas?


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## zachary908

This is going to be amazing.

The tank is going to be 31" tall, that's probably part of the reason the OP went with MH lighting.


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## rbarn

It's going to be a high light setup so I need the MH's. They wont be on all the time. Nice thing about those particular lights is each kind of lamp has its own switch, so you can set up timers to run the 96W fluorescents all the time with the MH's kicking on mid-day for a "noon" daylight spike.

Chiller will take care of any heat issues.

Water comes out of the tap at like 95* down here in the summer, so tank cooling and temperature stabilization takes some planning.


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## 150EH

Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet Dude, whats under that floor???? This going to be a good one, I almost bought some of the reef kepper stuff and it's really cool, but deceided not to go so high tech, I think one review suggested it wasn't good for high wattage lighting but everything else was fine. Nice light, what about a reactor for C02, CarbonDoser EXT5000, I got one they work good.

Now the big question, that's a $1400 light, tank $ 3k, can I borrow some cash???

Good luck and keep the pics coming.


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## rbarn

It's sitting directly on the slab foundation. So no worries on the weight.

The lights run about $900 a pop at MarineDepot, but I already have one that I'm pulling off my 110 gallon that just got decommissioned.

Co2 reactor will be incorporated into the sump so that Co2 gets sucked up at pump pick-up and shot into the tank. I've found this works awesome and doesnt require an additional reactor chamber taking up precious space.

Havent gotten the bid back for the Starfire tank yet, but its going to be one of the cheaper things..... All the contractor work running drains, water lines, extra electrical circuits and building a custom bookshelf stand is by far the most expensive part of the project. Whole project is going to top out somewhere around $20k when its all added up

The reef keeper elite is definitely overkill. I've actually run very successful high tech tank with just the simple Aqua Jr. controller.


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## 150EH

Hey, there was no photo with that reply!

Very cool tank!


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## jkan0228

Subscribed!!


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## hydrophyte

This will be a Texas-sized tank.


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## IWANNAGOFAST

wow...900 each for those lights and they run PC lighting? Why not LEDs? Or at least t5ho's?

For 1800 you could build the ultimate fixture, or buy one of the prebuilt fixtures out on the market.

For like 200 bucks less you could have this 
http://www.marinedepot.com/Maxspect...g_System_-Maxspect-0M11111-FILTFILDPO-vi.html

3 fixtures, full controllability, sunrise/sunset, cloud cover. 

Sure that's a reef fixture with a lot of blue but that's just an example. For the kind of money you plan to spend you could have an LED fixture that'll blow the MH/PC fixture out of the water. 

They draw so much less power than MH/PC, you'll be running almost 1000 watts of lighting over your tank w/ the fixture you're planning to use, each module in that fixture I linked pulls 60w.
And since they don't put off so much heat, you won't have to run your chiller as much, meaning your electricity bill will be even lower.

I know it's your decision to make in the end but I hope I provided you with a little bit of info on what else is out there!


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## rbarn

I already have one of these lights and I like it. So I am sticking with what I know works. I dont think LED lights would give me the bottom tank light intensity I need anyway.

This is the lamp I'm using
http://www.marinedepot.com/Coralife...life-ES53502-FILTFIMHMPMDMLM6-ES53506-vi.html

And my power bill is going to be insane anyway. Another 1,000 watts here or there isnt going to matter. ..... I see some solar panels and maybe a wind turbine in my future.


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## 150EH

I've been using PC lighting for so long it would be hard for me to use anything else, I still use the wpg rule. Those are nice fixtures are you running 2 of them on the tank?

Deep tanks need a little more juice in the lighting department so the MH will come in handy for a hour or 2 each day, if you need a boost for growth or to keep the Discus warm. I have always had good luck trying to copy natures lighting with a sunrise, to full power, back to half like cloud cover, then lights out at lunch for an hour, then back thru the routine til night. Some might think it's nuts, but it allows you to have light in the morning for feeding etc, the break in the middle of the day is what the plants seem to really do well with, and then you have extra viewing into the evening when it's time to relax, then don't forget the lunar cycle, I love to see the loaches feeding at night and I think it may help with breeding as well.

I would like to learn about the LED lights, less heat, less power consumption, and longer lasting is the big thing, maybe on the next build.


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## rbarn

Decided to do just one of the of 48" CFL / MH combo fixture in the center and then run banks of T5's on either side of it.


Sump design is finished. I have a limited amount of vertical room but gobs of horizontal space so this one is set-up for lots of cross flow. This set-up is whisper quiet when dialed in just right with flow rates on the two feeds from the the overflow boxes. The up flow design ensures good and full flow thru the filter and bio media with minimum amount of water agitation to help maintain Co2 levels for the Ph and plant health. It will also have a sealed top to trap and concentrate any Co2 that does out gas in the sump.


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## jkan0228

Dang, that is a pretty good looking sump. How do you plan to construct it?


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## rbarn

Acrylic


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## tetra73

150EH said:


> Sweeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeet Dude, whats under that floor???? This going to be a good one, I almost bought some of the reef kepper stuff and it's really cool, but deceided not to go so high tech, I think one review suggested it wasn't good for high wattage lighting but everything else was fine. Nice light, what about a reactor for C02, CarbonDoser EXT5000, I got one they work good.
> 
> Now the big question, that's a $1400 light, tank $ 3k, can I borrow some cash???
> 
> Good luck and keep the pics coming.


Hehehehe...wondering how much substrates one would need and how much???


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## 150EH

Well he's going to need about 500 pounds of substrate at 4" deep, but MTS is mostly work then add sand to cap or what ever, but I have a feeling there's laborer that will be learning how to make MTS.

Acrylic sump would be the way to go and you have a nice big opening in the stand, any room on the other side of that wall?

I'm guessing you've got a big ole header in that stand, steel, or something?


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## rbarn

150EH said:


> I'm guessing you've got a big ole header in that stand, steel, or something?



There is a doubled up 2 X 10 header/beam running over that opening. Tanker supplier agreed to honor tank warranty after inspecting it.

It's not hard to make MTS. Just lay some clean dirt with no ferts or s.foam in it on a big trash bag laid out. Wet and flip it once day and leave in sun to cook. Just have to be patient. Takes a week or two of messing with it for about 5 mins a day and nice spot on back deck to lay it out on. It's easy to tell when its done because it loses all of the fresh dirt smell and turns into kind of a crumbly sand texture.


Got plans back from tank builder. Was really expensive. Was little over $4k for tank, but does include delivery, install, and tax. (no small chunk of change at 8.25%)
Wont be ready until late October 

:icon_sad:












Cabinet maker finished layout on surrounding bookcase. Should look really nice. Total project cost is going to push $25k after its all said and done :icon_eek:


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## Yellow Jacket

We are building very similar tanks and cabinetry, etc.

Mine has been two years in the make and still no tank. Hopefully by Christmas!

What is the PVC crossbracing?


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## rbarn

Yellow Jacket said:


> What is the PVC crossbracing?



Thats the top opening cross braces on the tank.


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## Yellow Jacket

They will be covered by the light enclosure?


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## rbarn

Correct


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## 150EH

Looks like a good plan and I can't wait to see it come together, so don't forget the camera when your checking the progress.


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## monkeyfish

Subscribed, going to live vicariously through this thread. A huge discus tank is like a dream!

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk


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## rbarn

Just wait'n on the tank. _Supposed_ to be ready in 3 weeks ......


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## 150EH

Any word on the tank yet?


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## rbarn

150EH said:


> Any word on the tank yet?


Gets delivered and installed next Wednesday Nov 2.

Local supplier that ordered it for me has it in hand and said it turned out really nice. She is painting the sides and back black for me so it will show up at the house ready to go.

Cant wait to see an 8' tank with Starfire glass front.


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## 150EH

Sweeeeet, or like you say down there, YAAAAAWHOOOOOOOOOO, I can't wait to see it and I knew it was getting close, they kept their schedule promise pretty good.


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## 150EH

Anything going on, tommorrow is a week late I hope it all goes well and I'm excited to see this tank, my birthday is the 13th so use that if need to light a fire under their a$$e$.


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## aXio

Yeah lets see this tank!


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## londonloco

subscribed, I'm loving this project....


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## fuzz_16

^^ ditto cant wait to see it with fish in it


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## rbarn

Houston ......... We have a tank !!!! ......... finally :hihi:

Sight delay on delivery due to truck breaking that had the lift gate. Such is life.


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## jkan0228

Dang that is one sexy tank!  Hopefully you will be providing more pictures yes? :biggrin:

What are the dimensions?


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## rbarn

96x31x24

four holes per overflow box to fit 1" pipe bulkheads + one more 1" bulk head hole in center of tank for a main drain.

Decided to go back with my original lighting plan with dual 48" Corral life fixtures with 150W MH and 96w PC's

Lots of build pics to come.


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## haddaj04

Can't wait to see this come along!


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## 150EH

It looks really nice but after the room is finished you need a shot with someone laying on the floor to get some scale, that's a sweet tank.

Are the braces in the center just paranoia setting in or do they stay?

Your painter has some extra cutting in to do.

Oh, one last thing, get your step ladder and your tongs ready, I've been tong'n so long I'm ready for the tong rodeo.


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## cheeman

subscribed


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## rbarn

150EH said:


> Are the braces in the center just paranoia setting in or do they stay?
> 
> 
> Oh, one last thing, get your step ladder and your tongs ready, I've been tong'n so long I'm ready for the tong rodeo.



Braces in middle stay. It ended being a two door front so figured might as well add a little more strength. Better safe than sorry.

I've had a deep tank before. Dreading the landscaping.


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## Byakuya

Subbed! Found this thread at the right time! love big tank projects!

Can't wait to see the layout!

Any idea on aquascaping yet?


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## 150EH

We are getting restless out here in cyber space, we need pics, could you send a blanket it's cold too.


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## rbarn

150EH said:


> We are getting restless out here in cyber space, we need pics, could you send a blanket it's cold too.


You dont even want to know how big a pain in my back it was to plumb out the underside of this tank. Literally. Ugh, I hope I dont have to do that again. Turned out really nice though. Everything tucked up tight to the bottom of the aquarium with 1.5" pipe with long sweep elbows everywhere. Get some picks of it up tomorrow for yall to see.

Ordered (2) W.Lim Wave 1/15 hp 3,000 gph pumps and a pond sized W. Lim 40W UV sterilizer capable of flowing 4,000+gph. I will put about 1,000 gph through it. One pump will be for tank circulation and valved back and the other pump will pull off of and return to the sump and circulate thru micron filters and bio-filters.

Lim Wave Series I pump its the 1/15hp version. This guys pumps are ultra quiet and ultra energy efficient. Pulls less than 150 watts each.

Lim Wave UV - the 40W version

Changed my sump plan to a multi filter sock design too. Will get the sump fabricated this weekend. I have all the acrylic and welding solvent here and ready to go.

I _think _this is fail safe. The main siphon should never back up. If the filter bags clog the water level will rise until it overflows into filter pad section. If filter pads clog the water level will rise until it overflows into the main pick up chamber and bypass all filters.

It has 2 emergency drains that can each handle full pump load individually. 
This is called a "BeanAnimal" standpipe system from the guys over at reefcentral.
http://www.beananimal.com/projects/silent-and-fail-safe-aquarium-overflow-system.aspx

System should never have to be shut down for cleaning since the filter bags will pull out from the top while water is flowing down through them.


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## 150EH

Looks good Big R, it always pays to play with the reef guys when planing a sump, I hope you used plenty of unions and some of those $80 back flow fittings, I just did a intake/outlet for 2 canisters, reactor, & heaters but it was all soft tubing before it hit the wye's and it took better than a half day, now I just have plumbing the drain and intake to the RO/DI system which means I'll have to move almost everything on the left side of the garage, so I feel you pain brother.

But you gotta be having fun, this is the only time men like to shop, tool, car, bike, tank, and there's nothing more fun than laying pipe!

BTW sweet plan on the sump and I like saving money on electric too, I have read that guys site before and he has some good ideas.


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## rbarn

No unions, but I tried to incorporate clean out openings at some critical turns and kept all the turns nice and big. Should be able to snake it from one end to other if I ever had to. Also ran 1.5" pipe off of 1" bulkheads on the tank itself. So I'm really going to be having to try hard to clog this system.

Lucked out and figured out you can get 1.5" flexible PVC pipe from pool supply warehouse that they use in hot-tub installs. Saved the day in a couple of spots that would been a headache to get just right with pure hard lines.


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## 150EH

It's nice to have some give in the line anyway, I don't think you can really kick inch and a half and break it but I wouldn't want to find out with 300 gallons of water above it.


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## Sd760

monkeyfish said:


> Subscribed, going to live vicariously through this thread. A huge discus tank is like a dream!
> 
> Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk


Totally in the same boat


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## fusiongt

I know it's jumping ahead but how many discus are you planning for this beast? Ah I can't wait to see more progress. Photos please =)


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## rbarn

The "Y" split is the return from the pump. I wanted to make sure flow was even on both outlets.


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## 150EH

It looks great and don't even worry about clean outs, you could take a garden hose and wash the substrate down the drain with no problems. 

Just some tips and you may have already thought of these, now is the time to paint everything white underneath and install a light, it was the best thing I ever did under my stand. Plus it's hard to tell from the photos but you might need a power strip in case your outlets get buried by the sump, I just made one out of boxes and outlets on a piece of plywood but I saw some nice ones with 3 inches or so between each outlet so you could have all the timers you like.

Half of that was wasted words, I forgot your going ReefKeeper so outlets and timers won't be one of your problems.


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## rbarn

Change of plans for the lighting.

Had nice long talk with Ike at Ecoxotic. After hanging up I went online and ordered 3x of their new elliptical 12k White 100W Cannon lights and 4x of their 48" 24W Stunner strips with a 12k/Magenta combo. The magenta is to add in some of the reds missing in the 12k 100W lights. Thinking of ordering some of the RGB strips too that you can adjust to any color for highlighting. Like some blueish/green light to make the plants pop a little or some yellow if the 12k lighting is a little too harsh. All fixtures are infinitely dimmable and controllable through the Neptune Apex controller I am going to use. 

*Not cheap* at about $2,500 for lights. 

Will cut my power consumption in half. and reduce heat output down to nothing compared the MH's I was going to use.













Top one. - double strip of them spaced out a little and running length of tank


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## 150EH

Are you sure.


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## Ozydego

I like the idea of the LEDS.... what are the light comparisons though to the MH?, the magenta... seems more for saltwater rather than Discus... planted tanks usually err on the Blue side I thought... maybe intead of the magenta, double up the RGB to tune it more effectively without having to "tune" out the magenta... Just a thought, playing devil's advocate....


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## rbarn

150EH said:


> Are you sure.


Hope so, they have my money.





Ozydego said:


> I like the idea of the LEDS.... what are the light comparisons though to the MH?, the magenta... seems more for saltwater rather than Discus... planted tanks usually err on the Blue side I thought... maybe intead of the magenta, double up the RGB to tune it more effectively without having to "tune" out the magenta... Just a thought, playing devil's advocate....


It's hard to compare against MH's - probably like a 250w MH.

The magenta is strictly to give the plants some red spectrum light. I will use the RGB accent lights to get the visual color balance I want and that is pleasing to the eye.

Ecoxotic tech that called me back said they have had great success with the white 12k 100w Cannon lights in freshwater set-ups. Only suggestion he had has was that some people were adding the magenta to help some of the red stem plants.


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## Retrogamer82

This....... is....... so....... baller..... :icon_eek:


Nice job on laying everything out so plainly. Even I can follow it :biggrin:.

Subscribed.


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## plantbrain

rbarn said:


> Lim Wave Series I pump its the 1/15hp version. This guys pumps are ultra quiet and ultra energy efficient. Pulls less than 150 watts each.
> 
> Lim Wave UV - the 40W version
> 
> Changed my sump plan to a multi filter sock design too. Will get the sump fabricated this weekend. I have all the acrylic and welding solvent here and ready to go.
> 
> I _think _this is fail safe. The main siphon should never back up. If the filter bags clog the water level will rise until it overflows into filter pad section. If filter pads clog the water level will rise until it overflows into the main pick up chamber and bypass all filters.
> 
> It has 2 emergency drains that can each handle full pump load individually.
> This is called a "BeanAnimal" standpipe system from the guys over at reefcentral.
> http://www.beananimal.com/projects/silent-and-fail-safe-aquarium-overflow-system.aspx
> 
> System should never have to be shut down for cleaning since the filter bags will pull out from the top while water is flowing down through them.


You should be okay with the sump design.
The 5% or less side will not cause much issue.
the wet/dry section make sure to have it sealed ...particularly for where the top enters that free fall and tower section. I would suggest having the Dry tower section right where the water comes in but higher than the sump overall, then from there.....have the water fall genetly into the filter bags.
Then post chem media bags/sponge filters(more biomedia) at 30ppi 4" blocks from Swisstropicals.

It's hard to get around the filter bags and the wet/dry tower iissue without loosing gas. One guy used a separate pump and sent the water to a wet/dry sealed tower. You can sponge filter the snot out of the water and then run a post Nu Clear or Large canister pleated filter after the same section if you want that micron filtration.

Then have the wet/dry at the 1st stage, then sponge/chem media, then the heater/CO2 etc...then the post cartridge micron filter.

They make some nicer larger ones for bigger tanks also than nu clear etc.

I'm less inclined to use those LED's.
3 W crees spread out over the entire spread is better IME and most reef folks deal with these issues also.


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## rbarn

Thanks for the tips on the sump. The sump plan is morphing a little, so stay tuned. I will most definitely be trying to keep water agitation down to a minimum and putting a sealing lid on the sump to keep Co2 loss to a minimum. I have a great idea for a simple in sump Co2 reactor too.




plantbrain said:


> I'm less inclined to use those LED's.
> 3 W crees spread out over the entire spread is better IME and most reef folks deal with these issues also.


I wrestled back and forth with that. Read couple of good artcls that reviewed these Cannon lights and they also said a bank of 10 - 3W cree's is much more efficient and offered better spread, but could not find an off the shelf unit I liked and just didnt feel like going DIY or waiting on a custom unit to be built. I even saw your post on having access to a good custom light builder in Chico.

Talked with Ike at Ecoxotic for a while on the phone. Very knowledgeable and informative. Nothing like a competent and helpful tech to close a sale.


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## 150EH

You need to take a look at this, it's a prototype that he is working on and meant to sit inside another tank/sump but it's not been tested. You may have to join this forum to view the page, I'm not quite sure.


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## rbarn

I had a buddy run the calculations for pathogen killing not just algae, but true microbe killing exposure on my 40W UV. And I will need to cut flow in half or run 2 in parallel and I should get good pathogen exposure. He said he ran the numbers with 60% bulb efficiency too. I will order 1 or 2 more of same UV and add them to the system.


So I had my cartridge filters show up and learning they need a high pressure pump to work right I was scratching my head on what to do with them. Decided they would make excellent moving bed bio filters with a little modifying. Going to run 3 or 4 in parallel. I think it should work well.











Start off with empty filter housing. This is nothing but a Pentair LifeGuard RTL pool filter cartridge housing. They come in 3 sizes.










Cut some slots in the top of exit tube that is normally inside the cartridge filter and wedge a piece of plastic egg crate in there to block it off. I also drilled a bunch of holes in the side of the tube open the flow some more and give it a more random flow. Trimmed out the bottom of a cheap pool skimmer basket and enlarged the holes some with a drill to create a bottom plate for the media to rest on.










Had a big bag of W.Lim sinking bio media left over from the koi pond project so that worked out perfect.


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## 150EH

Looks good to me so far, can't wait for UPS to come again!


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## rbarn




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## 150EH

It's taking shape and with the end panels you won't have to worry about the right end getting algae from strong sun light all day.

That's quite a hack in the lower right side of that cabinet to allow for the drain but I guess it wont matter once it gets screwed to the wall.

Edit: Are the insides of the plywood finished in any way or else you will see plywood when the lights come on, I went back to look at the tank and it looks like it may have a black background and on the sides as well but it's hard to tell from the photo.


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## rbarn

Yes, painted black back and sides.


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## rbarn

Tested well water today with the water filter sales rep.

TDS - 1,100 - wow
PH - 7.5
Carbonate Hardness - 13 grains per gallon - wow liquid rock
Iron - 0.5 ppm - not super high, but not low either

Looking into a whole house 300-500 gpd RO system now with softner and iron filter.


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## 150EH

Here near the Chesapeake the water is awful, I have seen new houses with whole 12 by 16 rooms devoted to water conditioning and well tanks the size of School house boilers.

I took my own samples in their bottles following their suggestions but after installing the new softener myself the water comes out fairly clean, were are supposed to use the iron salt pellets with regular pellets 1:2 ratio and every quarter I'll chuck in a couple of bags of salt crystals to get the resin sparkley clean and it works, I can get my gH to come back at zero but I'm sure the TDS is still a little high.

We use Brita filters for water, every shower head has a built in culligan filter, but the fish are the only ones getting RO?


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## MoeBetta

I love RO drinking water. That's going to be a nice setup you'll have.


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## wastedtime

Omg.. this is a stunning tank.. I cant wait to see this finished ... Subscribed !!!


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## Booger

1,100 TDS? You might want to verify with your own meter (which you're going to need anyway with an RO setup). That seems unbelievably high.


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## seahunter

Very nice build! I only have one question. What are you going to do about evaporation? I had a system with about the same amount of water(180g display, 120g sump and 77g refugium. total 377g) The evaporation and humidity was unbelievable!


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## rbarn

It will have constant drip of fresh water into the tank. 10-15% of total tank volume per day.


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## jkan0228

Damn..... How much gph do those both of those beasts pump?! Are the 4 white canisters just used to store media?


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## rbarn

jkan0228 said:


> Damn..... How much gph do those both of those beasts pump?! Are the 4 white canisters just used to store media?



Yes, those white canisters are my media chambers. Look back a few post on how I am modifying them into bio filters. They will be plumbed in parallel.
The pumps are rated at 3,000 gph with zero head. With the friction loss and head pressure they will be running about 1,500-2,000 gph each.
One pump is strictly for tank circulation and the other will be on closed loop off the sump pumping through the UV, chiller and bio chambers.
Just waiting on the digital flow meters that will be plumbed into each circuit to start the install. No more guess work on much water I am moving, just look at the digital readout.


Flow chart for the pumps


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## Ozydego

Is the chiller going to be as necessary now that you are going with LEDs? I know the halogens would have made it a must...


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## rbarn

Ozydego said:


> Is the chiller going to be as necessary now that you are going with LEDs? I know the halogens would have made it a must...



Maybe not, I did size down from a 1/3hp chiller to the 1/5hp pictured. Saved me about $500 I have discounted off the cost of the LED's.

It was on cyber Monday sale too at Marine Depot. $575 shipped. Great deal.


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## jkan0228

Also that your discus will be at the high 70's and low 80's. It probably won't be necessary. Unless you live on the equator... Lol


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## rbarn

jkan0228 said:


> Unless you live on the equator... Lol



This is Texas........ water comes out of the tap at 90 degrees down here in the summer. Nothing like a refreshing glass of warm water to cool you down.


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## jkan0228

rbarn said:


> This is Texas........ water comes out of the tap at 90 degrees down here in the summer. Nothing like a refreshing glass of warm water to cool you down.


Haha true dat. Is this in your basement? 

You probably won't need the chiller for a few months though.


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## rbarn

It's the main den/living room.


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## beastoise

Just wondering where in Texas you live? I'm almost in mexico all the way down here lol and yet our water still comes out cool 70s all year long. Build looks like it's going great btw, can't wait to see this come to fruition roud:.


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## seahunter

rbarn said:


> It will have constant drip of fresh water into the tank. 10-15% of total tank volume per day.



I wasn't talking about top off.. I'm talking about the humidity that's going to build in the house..


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## rbarn

seahunter said:


> I wasn't talking about top off.. I'm talking about the humidity that's going to build in the house..


Wont be as bad as you think. Heating and A/C system will handle it.


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## BDoss1985

My water here in NW Louisiana comes out in the 90s all summer long, im poor so I let my water sit in 5gal buckets till it's cooled off and I do weekly WCs in 3 50g that way lol. 

Great looking build man, ready to see it in action.


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## seahunter

rbarn said:


> Wont be as bad as you think. Heating and A/C system will handle it.


Hope so bud.. I thought the same and had major issues...


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## 150EH

Man you are crack'n the frik'n whip, get'r done. Man it looks good and all your goodies are lined up and ready to get wet, more, more, more.

With a nice place like that I know there's gotta be a Mrs. rBarn and I would hate to see what you had to buy her to keep the peace over the fish tank. I showed my wife a beautiful Riparium that I thought looked elegant and sophisticated, so I had the idea of adding one to the living room but what do you think she said when I got her to take a looks at it "it looks like someone forgot to fill their tank all the way up" then she just spun and walked away, I guarantee the look on my face was priceless. But that's OK because one day while we are riding down the the Harley I'll just crack the throttle, look in the mirror and smile.


----------



## rbarn

Gave the ole' ball and chain the boot a few years ago. This is for the bachelor pad.

Last of the plumbing parts I have been waiting for showed up today.
$1,000 bucks in digital flow meters. One big one for each of the returns off the two pumps and the smaller 1" pipe one will go on the chiller bypass circuit so I know how much flow it is getting.


----------



## jkan0228

1000$ for those?! I could setup a tank with that....


----------



## rbarn

It's all relative on a $25,000 tank install ..................


----------



## 150EH

I think you are going to set an all time record for most elaborate set up, we are always seeing DIY even some of the nicest set ups will cut a corner here or there so it's cool to see a set up that is "going all out" with no expense spared, nice.


----------



## cheeman

150EH said:


> I think you are going to set an all time record for most elaborate set up, we are always seeing DIY even some of the nicest set ups will cut a corner here or there so it's cool to see a set up that is "going all out" with no expense spared, nice.


I agree. Are you looking for a roommate!! lol. cant wait and at the rate your going we wont have to long


----------



## tbarabash

May I ask what you do to have these unlimited amounts of money haha.

I am soooooooooooooooooooooooo jealous!! Can't wait to see this up and running and to see it scaped haha


----------



## rbarn

Trim carpenter did a really nice job. Ready for some stain.


----------



## catchandrelease

Looks awesome, first thread that has interested me enough to subscribe.
Make sure they give those built-ins a good clearcoat otherwise the humidity may warp the gables and face of the main unit.


----------



## jkan0228

Damn... That's one hell of a carpenter....


----------



## rbarn

Thanks, I have also started in earnest on getting the plumbing run through the walls and out to the "pump room"


----------



## Daximus

Holy s*%t. That's awesome. I can't wait to see how this turns out. I can't wait until I move and I can build a setup like that. 

If you ever pass through Kansas let me know, I have some orphaned Discus you can toss in there, lol.


----------



## 150EH

Yes it looks nice and it's even better when you start with good stock, it going to be one of the best ever for me anyway.

If those 90's are glued you might lose a little more cabinet but that's no big deal.


----------



## diwu13

Good choice on the carpenter for the trims and doors. But the base and supports that you built is awesome as well! So if you have a seperate pump room what will be going in all the cabinets and stuff under the tank?


----------



## rbarn

The sump and all the piping will fill up most of the space under the tank.


----------



## mountaindew

Impressive setup your working on.
Looks like good quality material, equipment and craftsmanship.
The only suggestion I have is to keep plumbing as simple as possible and make it all easy to service. It will add cost to the project by adding true unions and valves, but long term you will be happy you did it.
Just my 2 cents worth, and it comes from long term experience with built in systems.
mD


----------



## diwu13

rbarn said:


> The sump and all the piping will fill up most of the space under the tank.


Ah I see. So will you be building a closet in the other room for the equipment or something?


----------



## rbarn

Slowly but surely. Hoping that was the hard part. Sumps are done, just need to build a platform out in the sunroom to start setting everything on.


----------



## 150EH

I looks good and those little templates work good at hiding holes and keeping the plumbing neat. When your finished a little caulk will help keep the critters from finding their way into the house.


----------



## rbarn

Thanks, pretty big headache trying to get everything lined up all at once while working on it by myself. Everything will be re-insulated and sealed.

So you know what's what......


4x 2" lines for intake and returns for 2 pumps
1x 2" empty line for running Co2 tubes, RO tubes and controller cables.
2x 1" lines for cold water feed and return from storage tank.

With a drain line running under all that and out an exterior wall right there.


----------



## 150EH

It sounds like you have a good plan and didn't forget anything, any idea on the size of your storage tank?


----------



## diwu13

rbarn said:


>


What will go on the empty side of those "Y" connections? Like, what will stay inside the house and not in the sunroom?


----------



## rbarn

Those are clean out ports. Will have threaded plugs capping them off.
Everything is out in the sun room except for the sump under the tank.


----------



## diwu13

Your planning is exceptional sir. *bows*

Any plans for concealing the bend in the other room? Perhaps like a "fake" cabinet or something?


----------



## rbarn

Everything will be hidden eventually.............

Bookcase is stained and I got the pump platform finished and in place. This is the final layout for everything as well. I think I have all the routing worked out in my head pretty good.


----------



## lauraleellbp

It's stunning empty, I can't wait to see it with fish and plants in there! roud:


----------



## 150EH

All that gear looks bad a$$ and fun to play with, man it just keeps piling up. It stinks that in Texas you need an air conditioner for your warm water tank, does that work both ways as a chiller and heater so you just set it to 84 degrees and walk away?

The stain looks good and matches the rest of the room nicely.


----------



## diwu13

150EH said:


> The stain looks good and matches the rest of the room nicely.


Wow very much so. Looks like it came built with the house. Perfectly matches the cross beams and window/door frames!


----------



## The Gipper

your finish carpentry skills are excellent, nice work!


----------



## dewalltheway

WOW!!!!:drool: :drool: :drool:

Nice work! Awesome job so far and very organized and neat. The whole bookcase is great! Can't wait to see this thing up and running.


----------



## rbarn

The Gipper said:


> your finish carpentry skills are excellent, nice work!



LOL, I hired someone to do the cabinetry work. After seeing how he made it though, I could have easily done it myself with a couple of proper power tools, like a planer.


----------



## Booger

Are you having Senske over to do the initial scape?


----------



## rbarn

Booger said:


> Are you having Senske over to do the initial scape?



If the guys from ADG would ever return the multiple messages I have left I was thinking about it ................... Guess I'll just wing it.


----------



## sssnel

That is absolutely beautiful, wish I could get hubby to allow me the same...


----------



## VadimShevchuk

Beautiful tank and top quality build! Definitively a "Texas" sized build.


----------



## Chaos_Being

:eek5:  :icon_eek:

Ok, I am definitely looking forwards to seeing this one filled.


----------



## ChadRamsey

Absolutely insane. 

Bravo, great job so far.

subscribed!

i WAS content with my 75g UNTIL this thread!:eek5:


----------



## catchandrelease

The only thing that would make it look better is water in the tank. That wall looks like it was part of the original blueprints, looks awesome.


----------



## ua hua

Most people would put a 70" flatscreen T.V. in the center of a built-in like that but much more enjoyment will come from that beauty. Looking forward to seeing it filled. You don't cut any corners with your projects that is for sure. Anymore progress on the pond project? I want to see some nice koi pictures in that beautiful pond.


----------



## rbarn

Bit of a slow down with the holiday distractions, but still making some progress.

Have most of the pump room sub-assemblies glued together and pressure tested for leaks. Rigged up an adapter to clamp on to each modular part, then pressurize it up to 20+ psi which is 5-10 times the psi it will be operating at (pumps wont even make over 7psi) and sprayed all glued joints with soapy water. Should not have any leak surprises this way.


----------



## !shadow!

rbarn said:


> If the guys from ADG would ever return the multiple messages I have left I was thinking about it ................... Guess I'll just wing it.


Just read everything and have to say i'm very much impressed. With that kind of money why not just get Mr Takashi amano himself to scape it and you can die happy :hihi:


----------



## rbarn

Starting final assembly


----------



## diwu13

AW! Just a little too large for the platform


----------



## rbarn

diwu13 said:


> AW! Just a little too large for the platform



Yep, gotta make the platform about 6-8" wider. :icon_roll
Really had to pack it in there from side to side too, to make the turns out of the wall with the sweep elbows on to the pump intakes.
It all just barely fits


----------



## diwu13

At least this build/fix will be much easier compared to everything else you've done haha. You can just hide the extra bit with more of that black waterproof material?


----------



## CL

One of the most impressive builds that I have ever seen on this forum! Keep up the good work!


----------



## 150EH

I hope to stop by with a wheel barrow and a pair of pipe cutters, that would be 4 or 5 K rolling out of the back yard but most folks/thieves wouldn't think to steal a filter system. I'm guessing your area is very rural and there is no need to worry about equipment walking away, I've been to the rural areas of TX and there's not much to see but I've read some of the big cities there have problems with crime, big time.

All the equipment looks really good, are you planing a enclosure to keep it out of view or the sun/heat, etc?


----------



## diwu13

150EH said:


> I hope to stop by with a wheel barrow and a pair of pipe cutters, that would be 4 or 5 K rolling out of the back yard but most folks/thieves wouldn't think to steal a filter system.


Haha! :icon_eek:


----------



## aaronbrown

I'm so jealous, i just found and finished reading the thread. If i where ever to win the lottery i want a tank like yours you have put alot of time and thought into building this tank how long have you been planning this tank.


----------



## rbarn

Pump flow control bypass plumbing


----------



## kwheeler91

Are you a plumber? Just asking because that looks complicated.


----------



## rbarn

It's not rocket science, but definitely been tedious and time consuming. Just trying to take my time and think everything through as much as possible to make a system that will last 20 years and allow for ultimate in control and maintainability


----------



## sick lid

Nice to see such effort put into making the mechanics as much of a visual treat as the display. Your patience and vision is admirable.
Looking forward to a fps (full plumbing shot  ) . The pumps push into the filters? or pull?


----------



## 150EH

rbarn this is obviously not your first time doing this, the detail gives it away, so do you have photos from any previous systems you've had prior to this build?

BTW what is the purpose of the pump by-pass, is it so you can remove one pump for service and let the other pump handle both sides?


----------



## green_valley

WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW.....
This is amazing.............
WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW...........

The plumbing system seems very complicated.


----------



## rbarn

First time for anything this complicated. Thats why it is taking a long time. Trying to not get in a rush and do everything perfect.

Just done the standard 90 and 60 gallon stuff on previous tanks but, have been dreaming up a tank like this in my head for a decade or more, so I had a pretty good idea of what I wanted to accomplish for a "built in" long term tank.




150EH said:


> BTW what is the purpose of the pump by-pass, is it so you can remove one pump for service and let the other pump handle both sides?


Flow control for the pump. The bypass feeds the outlet of the pump directly back into the inlet of the pump with a gate valve in between. Just turn the red wheel to increase or decrease how much flow the pump is putting out. Digital flow meters will let me dial in tank turn over rate to exactly what I want. No guessing. I will know exactly and be able to adjust flow up or down as the tank settles in.

I have been thinking of how I could tie both pumps together to do what you describe, but dont see a way to do it cleanly. Will probably just order a spare pump since they are both the same and have an extra sitting in the closet ready to swap out if (_when_) one ever fails.

Trying to research how to put flow monitors on the system as well that can alert the Apex controller if a pump does go down.


----------



## Retrogamer82

Any updates on this bad boy?


----------



## rbarn

I decided to go ahead and seal and climate control my pump room / sun room, so bit of a slow down trying to stay out of carpenter's way. Turned out nice. They mounted the custom windows this afternoon and the ductless air conditioner/heater gets installed first of next week. All it had in these openings before were some screen windows.

The painters have also had to refinish the clear coat on the bookcase trying to meet my demands for perfection on the finish. For as much as I am getting charged for it I am making them make it perfect .... even they have to do it 50 times. They are on re-sand and clear coat number 3 now.

I move into this house end of next week, so living there will speed up the process and amount of time I have to work on it in the evenings tremendously. This is just one of many projects I am trying to get completed, so I have many distractions.


----------



## ridewake210

Awesome thread right here


----------



## dantra

Come on guys didn't you know... everything is bigger in Texas! :biggrin:

Dan


----------



## !shadow!

^^what he said ain't no lie


----------



## madness

Awesome progress.

Not sure if enclosing the pumps and filters was a requirement in Texas (not sure you get freezes in that part?) but I am certain there will be times that you are very thankful that you had it done.


----------



## rbarn

They finally finished up the sunroom. Just needs some paint now. Ductless A/C-Heater install turned out nice too. They also finally managed to put the clear coat on the bookcase surrounding the aquarium without putting a huge run in it somewhere. Looks fantastic.

Got started on the new pump platform and getting it boxed in as well.


----------



## diwu13

How come you like the ductless AC system better than central heating/cooling? Is the main part of that house central or seperate AC units as well? I thought central was better due to it saving energy and cooling all rooms evenly.



>


Are you planning a cabinet to cover this stuff here?


----------



## rbarn

Yes it will be an enclosed cabinet with doors on the front and top that hinges up when completed.

This is an outdoor sun room, so there was no way to tap into the houses existing central HVAC system.


----------



## madness

Holy smokes the bookcase/tank stand looks awesome finished.


----------



## 150EH

Nice, progress is good and I know fish aren't the first thing on your mind but your getting closer now that all that high dollar gear won't have to suffer any weather extremes.

I think I'd make that inclosure to it all comes apart with clasps so it's extremely easy to work with, just a thought. You might have covered this before but are you going to inject C02?


----------



## rbarn

yes co2 injection


----------



## Fishies_in_Philly

wow!! what a build!! i'm not sure, but i don't think they had that much plumbing in the first space shuttle!!LOL


----------



## !shadow!

rbarn said:


> They finally finished up the sunroom. Just needs some paint now. Ductless A/C-Heater install turned out nice too. They also finally managed to put the clear coat on the bookcase surrounding the aquarium without putting a huge run in it somewhere. Looks fantastic.
> 
> Got started on the new pump platform and getting it boxed in as well.



wow they did a good job on that mini split system. Funny that you post pics of it since I did 3 of them on a single job we had this past monday except the ones I did were mitsubishi. Really nice systems when you don't got the room for reg a/c system also they're very quiet. I'm sure you'll be very happy with it.


----------



## rbarn

In case yall were wondering what the rest of this room looks like. This is the main den in the middle of the house.
They laid the carpet down yesterday. Box over the fireplace is for the flat screen. It will be stained to match as well.


----------



## diwu13

Oh. My. God. That looks amazing. What is that hole in the carpet?


----------



## rbarn

Its a brass plate hiding a couple of plug outlets.


----------



## 150EH

Now were talking, lets get a Texas sized water stain on that carpet!

It looks really nice but your going to need two sofas back to back or a large turntable.


----------



## 150EH

diwu13 said:


> Oh. My. God. That looks amazing. What is that hole in the carpet?


That's the emergency overflow, or maybe the sub-woofer?


----------



## crowconor

Wow, that is incredible.


----------



## diwu13

150EH said:


> It looks really nice but your going to need two sofas back to back or a large turntable.


Yea totally. I wouldn't know whether to watch the TV (when it gets installed) or the aquarium. How about sofas ON a turntable?


----------



## [email protected]

WoW that looks Amazing. Great Craftsmanship.


----------



## Craigthor

Just wondering if you had considered the Emporer Aquatics Smart HO UV systems when you were doing your planning for this build?

Also any updates?


----------



## Psionic

I just bumped into this thread. Will you be having tours going through your house? If so, I'll buy a ticket.


----------



## daphilster08

Fricken sweet tank, filtration and everything else about your work! Absolutely amazing! Update us with some pictures!


----------



## nanette37

yes, please update!


----------



## whitepapagold

Very cool!

BUT I have to say...

I would have put the flat screen above the tank, not the fireplace. (you could have used a heavy duty swing arm)

Thats what I did here and its brilliant! And they don't compete or interfere with each other surprisingly. 

During commercials all you do is look down a bit till the show comes back on! heheh

But my room is nowhere near as nice as yours! Really like it! The wood work is killer!


----------



## moonshinetheslacker

Just read through this entire thread. Very nice build, rbarn. I am impressed. Have you considered installing a vent, to blow the moisture out of that hood? I don't have any experience with tanks that run so warm, or are so large, but I would assume that the inside of that hood is going to be getting mighty humid. I couldn't tell from the picture of the hood being opened, if you have a wood back, or just drywall. If it's drywall, you 'may' have mold issues down the road.


----------



## rbarn

Yes it is getting a vent system to blow air out the top of the bookcase. I will have to custom fabricate something using large desktop computer case fans.


Trying to get moved in and everything else wrapped up around this house guys. Patience. When I get moved in here soon I will be able to work on it at night and it will go much faster. Getting close now. 6 month remodel. Lots of details to finish up.


----------



## moonshinetheslacker

I know all about remodels man. No worries. I have a 140 year old house that we've been fixing for about 4 years now. Trying to get everything "finished" (LOL!) within the next month. I work harder at home then I do at work. Nonetheless, forget the computer fan fabrication. Get a bathroom vent fan, and a timer. Play around with it for a couple days, and see how often, and for how long, the fan needs to turn on. Simple to purchase, simple to install, and relatively cheap. Computer fans would probably be cheaper, depending on how many you would need to purchase.

Good luck with the remodel. I know how stressful, and tiring it can be. I'd like to see pics of the rest of the place if you don't mind. I think we should have a non-aquarium related DIY section to show off our other projects.


----------



## rockwood

PC fans are MUCH MUCH MUCH quieter. Bathroom fans, not so much. You can get 200mm CPU fans now too and they move a huge amount of air, although 120mm's do too and they're much cheaper.


----------



## rbarn

rockwood said:


> PC fans are *MUCH MUCH MUCH quieter*. Bathroom fans, not so much. You can get 200mm CPU fans now too and they move a huge amount of air, although 120mm's do too and they're much cheaper.


Exactly. Trying to make this tank whisper quiet. No water gurgling, no fans, no pump hum.


----------



## Ozydego

a living picture frame.... the perfect wall


----------



## mclonghorn215

Any updates on this? Looks great so far.


----------



## VadimShevchuk

Updates?


----------



## JEden8

He disappeared! Can't wait to see this thing finished!


----------



## knuggs

From the looks of it he could put a flat screen on both walls


----------



## LB79

Is this chap a millionaire or something? Great job on the remodeling! I'll use that place as a blueprint for my house (with permission, of course).


----------



## zenche

hot dog. how did i miss this thread before. subscribed!


----------



## mot

This build is amazing...hoping for an update soon.


----------



## jcgd

The photos were all photoshopped. Rbarn is a hoax... ... ... Unless he posts an update and proves me wrong.


----------



## 150EH

I'm sure it's close to finished by now, but Mr. Barn probably has a load of southern belle's in the Bentley and is heading out for some fun in the sun, remember he said he lives the life of a single man. So we should see the update around November and I understand because the Harley just had an oil change, battery, and new a map loaded to the ECM so I won't be posting much either until the weather cools.


----------



## rbarn

Close 150EH -- ROFL - just got new hood in for the Mustang.

Told you guys I had a lot to do.............

So I got started in earnest on my "Bog Garden" where my water change water is going to end up. I'm on a septic tank, if I start dumping an extra 100-200 gallons of water every day in there its going to cause some_ issues _in the long run. And trust me you do NOT want _issues_ with your septic system. This is a lot of water to keep these discus happy, it's gotta go somewhere...... and I dont have the luxury of pouring it down the drain and letting the city deal with it.

My solution is a bog garden. It will just have some simple fountain or pond air bubbler to provide some circulation to keep mosquitoes from breeding. you can put all kinds of cool carnivorous bog plants in something like this too. Should look really cool in a couple of years.

This is the last big hurtle I need to get done before I start putting water in this tank. I have done enough aquariums to know the LAST thing I want to do is get in a rush to put water in this thing.


Luv'n the new tractor too


----------



## diwu13

Very well thought out idea for the waste water! I'd be very interested to get more pictures as this bog garden as it progresses. Will you be lining the bottom of the pond/garden with something to retain the water?


----------



## rbarn

diwu13 said:


> Very well thought out idea for the waste water! I'd be very interested to get more pictures as this bog garden as it progresses. Will you be lining the bottom of the pond/garden with something to retain the water?


No liner. Thats the whole point. It gives you an area to allow for natural slow seepage back into the ground. My soil is natural clay anyway that holds water. Stuff is this black sticky mud with consistency of tar, probably laid down in the bottom of a swamp a few thousand years ago. Even the backhoe is slow going through it.

They're big in runoff control these days in landscaping. Bog Garden - aka - Rain Garden.


----------



## 150EH

In Maryland you now have to capture all the water from any impermeable surface, like the roof, driveway, etc. and on a large house it can be quite expensive and can even dwarf the cost of a top notch septic system.


----------



## CL

Great idea with the bog garden. I can't wait to see how it turns out!


----------



## KookScape

Updates??!!


----------



## teddo10

Rbarn; i have had some big tanks, not as elaboratly equoped as yours ofcourse

















If you want to stock it with some nice fish, allow me to point you in the direction of my old friend, Discus Hans. He set up business in the states a few years back, but if you put that much effort in a tank, just have a look at his fish, you wont regret it.


----------



## JEden8

Any status updates? Anxious to see this up and running!


----------



## zzrguy

outstanding


----------



## moonshinetheslacker

4 months, no update! You must not realize how many of us are living vicariously through you!!!


----------



## Learner

moonshinetheslacker said:


> 4 months, no update! You must not realize how many of us are living vicariously through you!!!


2nd this!


----------



## FISTER_

W:drool::drool:W , now that's a setup.


----------



## Silmarwen

Learner said:


> 2nd this!


And third. I read through the whole thread before realizing that there was no proper conclusion yet, and was quite disappointed! I would love to see how this has come out, it looked amazing throughout the process.


----------



## Assassynation

I've been following this thread over 3 different forums... I cant wait to see it completed.

"Shot Over"


----------



## etgregoire

Does anyone know what happened to the OP? Just wondering if everything is okay... it's been a while!


----------



## bluestems

Lovely set up and house, all around. Beautiful job, rbarn! I would love it if my husband wanted to build a setup like this!

btw, here in Seattle, we call those 'rain gardens' Mosquito larvae takes ~48 hours to hatch. If you plan your substrate and plantings to rid any standing water within 2 days, you can avoid mosquito problems. 

Looking forward to seeing this completed!


----------



## rbarn

Sorry for no updates guys. Tank is still dry and empty. Been focusing on other projects and hobbies this past year so that I have time to dedicate to the inside tank when water does go in. (buying lots of new furniture, finishing the bog garden, put a supercharger on my Ford Raptor, blah, blah)

Back on it and starting on mounting the lighting system now. Watch for some more updates now.


My new Koi pond is what kept me busy this past year, but it is finally stabilized and self sustaining. Just waiting on the Koi to grow up now, cant wait till they are 2-3' long.

7' deep outdoor aquarium that stays crystal clear and clean. Took some tinkering and a few algae blooms, but it seems to have settled in nicely now with very little weekly maintenance.


----------



## kwheeler91

He lives!


----------



## rbarn

kwheeler91 said:


> He lives!


Spent the summer and fall building this :icon_eek:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhbURo4QYLY


Been wiring up LED power supplies and trying to figure out how to make a custom sliding track mount for the 100W LED pendant lights this weekend. Think I have it figured out now. Going to use window curtain tracks. Tried track lighting tracks but they were too flimsy


----------



## DeeJayA1

dope!


----------



## IWANNAGOFAST

man, this thread is like the longest teaser ever. Can't wait to see this thing up and running


----------



## kwheeler91

Haha dont kill yourself before you finish the tank build... But then go like hell! Plenty of desert to get wild in down there im sure.


----------



## kwheeler91

Nice job on the koi pond btw


----------



## bluestems

IWANNAGOFAST said:


> man, this thread is like the longest teaser ever. Can't wait to see this thing up and running


+1

Can't wait to see it filled! :icon_mrgr


----------



## zenche

bluestems said:


> +1
> 
> Can't wait to see it filled! :icon_mrgr


same here


----------



## mitchfish9

First time I opened this thread, and I read through the whole thing lol. Can't wait to see this project get going again!


----------



## crazydaz

> man, this thread is like the longest teaser ever.


^+1. I gave up following it after a year came and went. It was becoming too frustrating!


----------



## LyzzaRyzz

Dude. I am so insanely jealous of you. No holds barred for expenses, a three hundred gallon tank, a koi pond, bog garden, and all that land? Can I come live with you? 
I can only hope that one day i could have an eighth of what you have!


----------



## styxx

Subscribed. I'm impressed to say the least; I have to say that I'm pleased that you've decided to switch to the LED fixtures. Ever since I've switched to the ones for my 90P, I've been a convert and I've read a lot of great things about the ones you're using (I think Jeff Senske has used them?)...can't wait to see this bad boy filled, planted and stocked! Hope you're buying some really awesome couches and chairs to enjoy the fruits of your hard earned $$ for all of this!!!


----------



## driftwoodhunter

Amazing! I have to settle in and watch this one develop!


----------



## sublime

rbarn said:


> Spent the summer and fall building this :icon_eek:
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhbURo4QYLY
> 
> 
> Been wiring up LED power supplies and trying to figure out how to make a custom sliding track mount for the 100W LED pendant lights this weekend. Think I have it figured out now. Going to use window curtain tracks. Tried track lighting tracks but they were too flimsy


How much is it putting down at the wheels?


----------



## Airstreamin

sublime said:


> How much is it putting down at the wheels?


Was in the youtube notes:

Whipple supercharger
3.375 pulley
Ford Racing Cobra Jet dual 65mm throttle body
AFCO heat exchanger with dual 7" fans and Meziere water pump
Full stock exhaust
497rwhp / 469 rwtrq @ 5,700 rpm and 10.2 psi
Tuned by Fastlane - Houston, Tx. - 713-600-8600

Loving the tank build!


----------



## h4n

All i can say is WOW!!!! many nice project/build! even the Raptor!


----------



## driftwoodhunter

Really - he sounds like a very busy fellow - he's taking his time and getting exactly what he wants.


----------



## gt turbo

It took me two days to read through this thread trying to understand all the plumbing and marveling at no cost spared approach.

Subscribed, I'm waiting patiently on this.


----------



## rbarn

Thanks all. Some more progress.

I really wanted to mount the 100W LED's to a track mount so that I could easily fine tune their layout. Finally figured out to use window curtain track. Tracked down a local supplier and went picked up a couple of 12' sections of their heavy duty track.

This is the track used
http://www.curtain-tracks.com/hardw...0-extra-heavy-duty-curtain-track-12-feet.html

Then I used a 5/16 bolt with washer to slide into the track and mount the light bracket to. This puts the lights 18" above the water which is the minimum distance recommended by Ecoxotic.

There will be 3 of these lights plus 2 rows of magenta stunner strippers and 4 of the Ecoxotic 6,500k Panorma modules. I think I will add one more curtain track a few inches closer to the front of the tank too, to give me another mounting option to play with.


----------



## zenche

very clever! wish i was even the least bit handy, lol.


----------



## Meganne

nice to see a koi pond done right! NICE!


----------



## Assassynation

Neat Idea! Is that a stick holding the access door open? be careful not to break a finger... maybe install a couple hydrolics or spring mech to keep the door open free standing. Great setup and thats one sick raptor you have too!


----------



## NWA-Planted

Further proof i need to win the lottery!! You have more toys than i would know what to do with 

Now, on with the tank!!!!



Sent from a dark corner in my happy place


----------



## driftwoodhunter

I really like what you did with the lights...


----------



## rbarn

Assassynation said:


> maybe install a couple hydrolics or spring mech to keep the door open free standing.


it's on the list


----------



## zzrguy

Good to see progress.

Cool koi pond.

Pics of the Raptor would be nice too.


----------



## rbarn

Got the stunner strip lighting brackets finished. These need to be near the water and easily moved out of the way while doing tank maintenance so I needed some kind of hinged frame to mount them too.

These will be placed over opposite sides of the tank and the stunner strips extend out towards the center of the tank.

The stunner strip mounts are on hinges and will be able to be tilted and aimed towards the back of the tank and then locked in place. Still trying to figure out how to make them adjustable and stay at the angle you want.

The whole assembly is hinged at the back and will be mounted to the wall behind the tank and just above the water.


----------



## kwheeler91

Those are some serious led strips


----------



## rbarn

kwheeler91 said:


> Those are some serious led strips


4' 24W X 4 of them
http://www.ecoxotic.com/stunner-led-strips-24-watt.html

Magenta and 12k LED's. These put off a nice spike in the 650-700 red spectrum. emitted light color is like those purple grow bulb fluorescents


----------



## NWA-Planted

You using those as the primary lighting or for accenting?

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## Sajacobs

Like others....
Wow!!! Sweet tank, very sweet car and I love the koi pond.

Subscribed.


----------



## rbarn

NWA-Planted said:


> You using those as the primary lighting or for accenting?
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


accent and color spectrum fill. the 100W cannons are decidedly lacking in the red spectrum needed for photosynthesis 

The 100W cannons are the main lights. I will also be adding a series of Ecoxotic 1watt LED modules in the 6,500k spectrum with 453blue accent.

I will be able to adjust brightness of the different fixtures independently until I get the right balance and PAR levels. I dont expect to be running these LED's much over 50%. With everything on dimmable power supplies I should end up with a nice bright white light with nice shimmer and the colors on the fish and plant should pop.


----------



## NWA-Planted

rbarn said:


> accent and color spectrum fill. the 100W cannons are decidedly lacking in the red spectrum needed for photosynthesis
> 
> The 100W cannons are the main lights. I will also be adding a series of Ecoxotic 1watt LED modules in the 6,500k spectrum with 453blue accent.
> 
> I will be able to adjust brightness of the different fixtures independently until I get the right balance and PAR levels. I dont expect to be running these LED's much over 50%. With everything on dimmable power supplies I should end up with a nice bright white light with nice shimmer and the colors on the fish and plant should pop.


*whistle* like everyone else can't wait to see this!!

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## 150EH

You could add rings, like hog rings and a dowel that is just slightly smaller than the rings to keep the lights angled separately in any direction, well back and forth anyway like a Venetian blind setup but independent.

If you fly me out to Texas I can be your full time helper! I guess I could just head south on the bike until I'm warm and then turn right?


----------



## DogFish

*WHAT???*

I just invested 20min. and NO DISCUS?

Dude, I'm all for takin' time & doing stuff right, but really? 

:hihi:


----------



## Conrad283

What an amazing build. The craftsmanship is top notch, and the planning is stunningly meticulous. Kudos.


----------



## BoxxerBoyDrew

FREAKIN AWESOME BUILD!!!!!!! 

I can't wait to see it finished either! You will have to let us come for a tour when you are done! I think this is the best HIGH END BUILD I have seen, period!

EXCITED to see it with plants and fish soon! Your pond is AWESOME TOO! I was wondering if you are planning to use some of the waste water to water your lawn and flower beds? Just saying because with the ferts and fish waste you have some built in lawn fertilizer! I use my water change water on our flower beds and the plants love it! Also you can use "T" Track for a hanging setup if needed. You can find it at Rocklers Wood working supplies online. I use it building my router table top and on some shop jigs too! It is pretty cheap, but strong, and they sell some nice plastic knobs and other adjustment pieces too!


Well Keep up the amazing build, have fun, and Be SAFE in that Awesome Ford!!!
Drew


----------



## styxx

DogFish said:


> *WHAT???*
> 
> I just invested 20min. and NO DISCUS?
> 
> Dude, I'm all for takin' time & doing stuff right, but really?
> 
> :hihi:


LOL. Well he obviously wants to make this highest ranked thread on TPT of All Time, by killing us with suspense, lol!! :biggrin: I know I can't wait to see what this masterpiece looks like once all set up and running. Those fish are going to be living in a paradise and won't know it!!


----------



## pearldanny

styxx said:


> LOL. Well he obviously wants to make this highest ranked thread on TPT of All Time, by killing us with suspense, lol!! :biggrin: I know I can't wait to see what this masterpiece looks like once all set up and running. Those fish are going to be living in a paradise and won't know it!!


Wish I had the time to make a beautiful tank like this

Sent from my HTC6435LVW using Tapatalk 2


----------



## rbarn

pearldanny said:


> Wish I had the time to make a beautiful tank like this


Me too.

Gonna be a long wait before you guys see fish. I plan on running the tank and filter system for 2+ weeks to check for leaks and stability before I ever put a single rock or stick in the tank, then it has to cycle, then the plants have to get established ..... then fish.


----------



## driftwoodhunter

rbarn said:


> Me too.


LOL

I don't mind the wait at all, but then again I have all low tech/low light tanks because I don't mind waiting to see plant growth, either. Anticipation makes the reward for the wait that much greater!


----------



## rbarn




----------



## Kitsune_Gem

...I have no words for the awesomeness of this thread..


----------



## !shadow!

i'm going to have to swing by when everything is said and done


----------



## 2wheelsx2

Did you have a look at the Kessil Amazon Sun pendants? Those look like they might get a better colour rendering than the Ecoxotic Cannons. But I guess you probably can't return those now that they are mounted.


----------



## rbarn

2wheelsx2 said:


> Did you have a look at the Kessil Amazon Sun pendants? Those look like they might get a better colour rendering than the Ecoxotic Cannons. But I guess you probably can't return those now that they are mounted.


I liked the optics of the 100W Ecoxotics and how they project a rectangular bar of light vs. a spot light.

I will be adding the magenta stunners and a row of 1w 6,700k LED's next to the cannons and then setting everything on dimmers to get the color balance and PAR levels just right.


----------



## 2wheelsx2

I think the Magentas will be good. I've been thinking that myself that these LED's all lack visible red/pink. When I do my cube I plan to use a Kessil mounted high (no CO2) and some magenta/pink LED's also to highlight the red plants and red fish.


----------



## Optix

not to be hateful or mean...but I would honestly LOL if you are a horrific aquascaper

but your woodworking ability is A+++ grade


----------



## NWA-Planted

Optix said:


> not to be hateful or mean...but I would honestly LOL if you are a horrific aquascaper
> 
> but your woodworking ability is A+++ grade


Sorry this made me laugh a little!!

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## rbarn

No worries, I already have a couple kick butt castles and sunken pirate ships all picked out and ready to go. Still cant decide on the pink and black or green and black gravel though.


----------



## scapegoat

rbarn said:


> Still cant decide on the pink and black or green and black gravel though.


mix them


----------



## Silmarwen

I vote pink and green. Forget the black, it'll only darken the whole scape. I mean, really.


----------



## rbarn

Lighting rack system is finished. Now just have to take it all back down so I can mount a piece of plywood along the back wall and fill it with power supplies, power strips and computer control modules.

The bottom racks hold the stunner strips and are hinged at the back. I will have a string coming down to hold them up near the 100w cannons.

The middle rack high up behind the cannons is where the row of Ecoxotic freshwater 1w LED modules will go. They are the 6,700k LED's with a few 453mm blues for accent. Hoping these will blend out the colors and not make the lighting so harsh and super white from the 12k cannons.


----------



## Conrad283

Optix said:


> not to be hateful or mean...but I would honestly LOL if you are a horrific aquascaper
> 
> but your woodworking ability is A+++ grade


----------



## rbarn

Wall-o-drivers












High voltage A/C connections will be made in the little individual junction boxes below each driver module. Low voltage side and dimmer controls will be made with automotive weather proof _Deutsch_ connectors


----------



## Assassynation

It's gettin good!


----------



## Saxtonhill

Wow! The Koi pond is great and the workmanship on the discus tank plumbing and setup is amazing---subscribed!


----------



## defender.TX

Seventeen pages and we don't even have water in the tank! I love when people take their time and do things right. All this extra work is going to really pay off down the road!


----------



## rbarn

defender.TX said:


> Seventeen pages and we don't even have water in the tank! I love when people take their time and do things right. All this extra work is going to really pay off down the road!



And only 17 more pages to go !!!! Wooo Whooo


----------



## magnum

Wow this is quite an impressive build. I know I'd be willing to make the drive to possibly see the finished product one day haha.


----------



## rbarn




----------



## Bettatail

read through 18 pages...:bounce:, it is a big accomplishment for me today

get Tom barr on the payroll, he will make a contemporary aquarium natural art in your tank for sure.


----------



## styxx

defender.TX said:


> Seventeen pages and we don't even have water in the tank! I love when people take their time and do things right. All this extra work is going to really pay off down the road!


It doesn't get any better than this my friends. Probably one of the most thorough (if not *the* most thorough) build threads I've ever read on TPT in the past 10 years. Truly Epic. :eek5:


----------



## zenche

yea..the amount of self-restraint shown here blows my mind. i don't think i have to the discipline to do something so thoroughly...too impatient.


----------



## !shadow!

zenche said:


> yea..the amount of self-restraint shown here blows my mind. i don't think i have to the discipline to do something so thoroughly...too impatient.


+1 kudos to the op.


----------



## rbarn

Change of plans for the pumps. I will be selling my 1/15hp pond pumps in favor of some high end pool pumps.

Was out messing around with my pool pumps today. They are high efficiency Pentair variable speed pumps. You can set them anywhere from 400rpm to 3,400rpm and they display exactly how much power in watts they are using on their lcd display.

At 3,000 rpm they are loud pool pumps blasting away and sucking 2,000 watts.

but when I dialed it down to 750rpms where I would run it on the aquarium* pumping 1,200 gph it was whisper quiet and pulling less than 120watts !!!!* :eek5:

This will also allow me to exactly fine tune how much water the pump is putting out. just simply push a button on the pump and speed it up or slow it down.

Insanely expensive at $900 a pop, and I'll need two, but the savings in electrical cost should offset it in a year or two.


----------



## Green_Flash

sounds like a sweet new toy. :red_mouth:drool:


----------



## styxx

Wow those are sweet! I love how it has the LCD control pad, pretty impressive power there and really when making expensive choices like this the silence factor is one that's hard to beat.


----------



## tippeecanoe

Holy MOLEY! Impressive to say the very least. Will continue to monitor and hope all turns out the best. Now how the heck do I subscribe to this thread? Never mind, I found the check box. :icon_smil


----------



## NWA-Planted

Ok not to be rude by any stretch but 900 a pump?? If your only going to be running 1200 gph, why wouldn't regular aquarium pumps work?

I can see wanting the flexibility etc just seems a little expensive for something your not fully using it's potential 

Just doing a quick search saw a pond pump that was 2100 gph using 70 watts, just curious as to the choice of pool pump. As stated earlier not trying to be rude or whatever just trying to understand i have been known to miss things 

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## styxx

NWA-Planted said:


> Ok not to be rude by any stretch but 900 a pump?? If your only going to be running 1200 gph, why wouldn't regular aquarium pumps work?
> 
> I can see wanting the flexibility etc just seems a little expensive for something your not fully using it's potential
> 
> Just doing a quick search saw a pond pump that was 2100 gph using 70 watts, just curious as to the choice of pool pump. As stated earlier not trying to be rude or whatever just trying to understand i have been known to miss things
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


Yes it is expensive, but a regular aquarium pump doesn't have the overhead power that this type does. So should he want to re-arrange his aquarium to a higher position, the more RPMs capable the pump the more head it can accommodate; moreover, with the higher RPM threshold, he could conceivably empty the entire tank in a dramatically short period of time, should a catastrophic failure occur. A 100 gallon aquarium could potentially be emptied by a 2100 GPH pump in less than a minute if my math is correct (at full throttle...someone can confirm my calculations?). And if you have a 100 gallon tank leaking into your living room, having that option is a life saver, IMHO. And these options aren't built into lower quality equipment (and I'm sure rBarn could point out other advantages as well that I haven't thought of). One really does "get what they pay" provided that they've done the requisite research.


----------



## crazydog64

User Control Panel > Left side "Edit Options" > "Number of posts to show per page" set at 40. Only 7 pages now


----------



## rbarn

NWA-Planted said:


> I can see wanting the flexibility


And there's your answer. 2 words. Variable speed.

I keep worrying the pond pumps I have now are not going to be up to snuff since there is no way to figure out what true head pressure will be after pumping through 15'+ of piping with all kinds of turns and then up 6' to the top of the tank.

These pumps will take all unknowns out of pump choice


as far as emergency tank draining, that is being done with a central drain in the bottom of the tank, outside of the overflow boxes, that will gravity drain out at full siphon if needed.


----------



## NWA-Planted

Ok, that does make more sense. 

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## lauraleellbp

You may have already done this, but if you want some feedback on those from fellow hobbyists, I'd recommend checking them out at www.koiphen.com; serious koi hobbyists REALLY know their stuff when it comes to pond equipment, with the bizillions of dollars they have invested in their livestock lol


----------



## rbarn

another change of plans for pumps.

Waveline DC 12000 brushless variable speed aquarium pump.

http://reefbuilders.com/2013/02/04/waveline-dc-6000-12000-pioneering-dc-pump-major-upgrade/

Talked to the guy at RLSS and the new DC6000/12000 come out in March. They are controlled by the APEX through the standard 0-10v controller output used for other pumps and LED dimming. definitely going with a pair of DC12000 now. These pumps have been shown to flow 1,000+gph on only 40-50 watts


----------



## defender.TX

Brushless pumps? My other hobby is RC Helicopters and anything brushless gets me all giddy :icon_smil.


----------



## NWA-Planted

Brushless = bad you know what!!!!

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


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## styxx

NWA-Planted said:


> Brushless = bad you know what!!!!
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


Yes, and sooo much smaller and high tech looking!


----------



## fishykid1

defender.TX said:


> Brushless pumps? My other hobby is RC Helicopters and anything brushless gets me all giddy :icon_smil.


I laughed at this. Brushless motors are the best :fish::fish: 

Nice tank!


----------



## kwheeler91

$250-350 beats $900.


----------



## Green_Flash

Those also look like fun to use and adjust.


----------



## rbarn

Calgon take me away ........... ugh


----------



## mrkookm

rbarn said:


> These pumps have been shown to flow 1,000+gph on only 40-50 watts


But at what head pressures? Do you have a link to the chart that shows the pump flow curve?


----------



## rbarn

mrkookm said:


> But at what head pressures? Do you have a link to the chart that shows the pump flow curve?


http://www.rlss.ca/#!dc-pump/vstc3=dc10000

http://www.beananimal.com/other/waveline-dc5000-variable-speed-dc-pump.aspx


----------



## FWKiller

defender.TX said:


> Brushless pumps? My other hobby is RC Helicopters and anything brushless gets me all giddy :icon_smil.


 +1

Loving this build, keep the updates coming!


----------



## mrkookm

rbarn said:


> http://www.rlss.ca/#!dc-pump/vstc3=dc10000
> 
> http://www.beananimal.com/other/waveline-dc5000-variable-speed-dc-pump.aspx


This is helpful! 

I have a Reeflo Blowhole BH100 which is a pressure rated pump that has an adjustable watt draw option as well and I do like that option. These Waveline's kinda remind me of it, but I like the options for controlability better on the Waves. The only thing that I would think hard about is rating 22ft rated pressure height. While it's a bit for most, for your application the flow is quickly going to drop by the time it goes through those 4 filters, UV, Chiller and then up to the tank. While lowering the watt draw is a very nice option that will have an impact on pressure performance so I don't believe you will even use that. 

If I was in your position I would use a higher pressure rated pump for the filtration and a flow bias pump for circulation. IMO you need to look at 30ft + head pumps minimum to drive the filtration side.


----------



## rbarn

Wire harness is done. The APEX controller, (2x) 8 outlet energy bar and LED dimming control module will be mounted in the empty space to the right. UPS is supposed to be here Monday with it.

The empty space in the center is reserved for a spot to mount an auto-feeder of some kind.


----------



## HunterX

I'm so jealous!  I have tank envy.


----------



## rbarn

So I've been trying to figure out how to put an alarm into the system that will detect flow. So if a pump ever fails the system will react properly and alert me.

Found these flow switches.










http://www.aquaticeco.com/subcategories/1214/In-Line-Flow-Switches
It's a got a little electrical contact switch that closes at 14gpm and opens back up at 6gpm or less. This can be wired into the Apex controller to see when the switch opens and closes and it can send me a text/email and if it is on the chiller/UV circuit it can turn off the equipment as well to keep anything from getting damaged.


----------



## NWA-Planted

Very nice touch!!

Wish i could borrow your income for a few months lol

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## rbarn

Apex and related modules are mounted. Think I'm going to make up a small 3 sided cover box for the wires under the Apex. Clean it up a little and hide stuff.

Ran out of Deutsch connectors to finish the dimming wiring, but thats pretty much it.

Boards will be painted white and I'll post some pics of it mounted above the aquarium in a few days.


----------



## defender.TX

God I'm such a sucker for great wire management. It always drove my wife nuts that I would spend an entire Saturday with zip-ties and double sided tape tidying up the wires all over the house. Then we had kids and there wasn't a single wire for them to play with and pull. All the sudden my skills are appreciated!

Seriously, awesome job on that.


----------



## Green_Flash

Is that an apex or vertex controller?


----------



## rbarn

Apex (they have new stickers now)


----------



## 150EH

Nice job!!!! I'm glad to see your back at it.


----------



## rbarn

Starting final install of lighting system. Sorry for the pink pics, using the magenta stunner strips as temporary work lights. I plan on mounting some 12" stunner strips in just straight 12k or 8k white dimmed to 5% for night lights, these will also serve as canopy lights at 100% triggered by a switch that the APEX will see when the door opens


----------



## thelub

You really seem to know what you're doing but I have to ask, aren't you concerned the moisture from the tank might hurt the electronics?


----------



## rbarn

thelub said:


> aren't you concerned the moisture from the tank might hurt the electronics?


It's getting a ventilation system equal to the rest of the build ..... keep watching.


----------



## thelub

roud: Ok I'll shutup and keep watching


----------



## GMYukonon24s

Nice build you have going there.


----------



## Green_Flash

rbarn said:


> Apex (they have new stickers now)


An ok, that explains it! lol


----------



## rbarn

While I'm waiting on some paint to dry lets talk venting. That is next on the list.

There was a gas fireplace that I took out where my plumbing is going through the walls. It's "chimney" vent was left in place to be reused as an aquarium vent. so the real hard part of running it through the attic and out the roof is done.




















I will route a 6" duct through the walls just over the water plumbing that will come out under the aquarium. There is a 2" gap behind the aquarium and the back wall that will be used as an air channel. Small computer fans will draw air in from the top and circulate air down the back of the aquarium where it will be picked up by the vent ducting and exhausted.

The whole system will be monitored by the Apex and turned on and off and speed of the main exhaust fan will be variable controlled by the Apex as well.
Simple switch home thermostats and humidistats will give me set it and forget it control of canopy temps and humidity.


Parts to use.

Fantech FG-EC series inline fan with 0-10v variable speed input
http://residential.fantech.net/residential-products/inline-duct-fans/inline-exhaust-fans/#FR Series

Fantech silencer (optional)
http://residential.fantech.net/residential-products/kitchen/silencers/

Fantech backdraft check valve
http://residential.fantech.net/residential-products/kitchen/backdraft-dampers/


----------



## rbarn




----------



## lilhelper

I can't fathom an aquarium taking this long. It did take two years to build my 6000 gallon Koi pond though, but that was due to a large rock vein cross cutting our yard.

As an expert on Koi, I have wondered why you choose a lighter color for the bottom of the pond? It would make it difficult to see the colors of the Koi when viewed from above. As soon as the carpet algae kicks in, it'll darken right up.

Buy the book `kokugyo` for a better idea of koi quality. I fear you paid more than your liking for inferior quality koi. I can hook you up with some suppliers of the matsunosuke bloodline. I have a few of these Koi and after 8 years, they're still beautiful.


----------



## rbarn

lilhelper said:


> I fear you paid more than your liking for inferior quality koi.


$10 ? They're starter fish. I'll give em away after a few years and get some nice Japanese fish. I know Ron Goforth here in Houston for quality Koi.

The pond was a learning process. I would do many things different if done over .... oh well.


----------



## !shadow!

If you want to go even fancier on the t-stat you can always get a nice wi-fi one. I hear NEST makes em. Honeywell also makes quite a few nice ones, such as the 5000/6000 and 8000 series which are all touch screen but 8000 has much more advance options.


----------



## Rbp917

Not to hijack the thread, but what distinguishes koi?


----------



## rbarn

Rbp917 said:


> Not to hijack the thread, but what distinguishes koi?


body and fin shape and color patterning. The color pattern seems to be one of the biggest keys. A pure white koi with a perfect orange circle on it's forehead and nowhere else can sell for thousands of dollars.


----------



## II Knucklez II

amazing man! cant wait to see it finished!!!


----------



## rbarn

Picked up some gas lift shocks for a hatchback lid last night at Autozone. Try and get them mounted this weekend.

Little further on the wiring.


----------



## iter

Could you show us a picture of the LED Cannons turned on when you wire them? I'm curious to see its power .


----------



## bluestems

Rbp917 said:


> Not to hijack the thread, but what distinguishes koi?


Those that grant wishes are the most prized. 


Still looking forward to seeing this completed :thumbsup:


----------



## GDominy

That is some superb wiring. Nicely done.


----------



## Saxtonhill

rbarn said:


> Picked up some gas lift shocks for a hatchback lid last night at Autozone. Try and get them mounted this weekend.
> 
> Little further on the wiring.



I am in awe of your technical expertise!


----------



## rawalstrom

I know you're still quite a ways from stocking this tank, but what are you planning on using in there besides Discus? Are you going to do wilds?
I think some Altum Angels would be pretty neat in that giant tank.

Ryan


----------



## rbarn

I havent given much thought to fauna beyond discus.


----------



## mcfly84

I like the lighting setup really spectacular build. Subscribed too. I am curious about the ballast though, is the top going to be covered with glass? I know you'll have tons of evap in the hood part if it isn't and can the ballast take the humidity when the door is down? 

Sorry for playing captain hindsight.

I know you've already gotten your lights and all but did you happen to look at the Kessil LED's?


----------



## rbarn

mcfly84 said:


> I am curious about the ballast though, is the top going to be covered with glass? I know you'll have tons of evap in the hood part if it isn't and can the ballast take the humidity when the door is down?
> 
> Sorry for playing captain hindsight.


See post #300 one page back.


----------



## mcfly84

AHHH I see very clever indeed. lol I read almost all of em just not the one I was concerned about. Sorry


----------



## Retrogamer82

rbarn,

I have a dream that this tank will one day be a discus biotope. I know you have invested a lot in plant growing lights but you have also invested a lot into this being as maintenance free as possible. I love plants but you have the perfect setup for this.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AGLxozvhbSM

Just imagine that biotope setup with the fireplace crackling and Monday Night Football on TV.

You've helped me design my future living room.


----------



## rbarn

Retrogamer82 said:


> Just imagine that biotope setup



the plan is a quasi-biotope. I want something similar to the ADG set-up, but with anubias and java fern on the branches to make them look like the sunken branches of over hanging trees and maybe a few biotope correct swords planted in the substrate in the back corners. All low maintenance slow growing plants that require little to no trimming.

95% of the lighting wiring is done now. Will start booting up the Apex and trying to turn them on and control them this week.

Gas shocks I got for the door are WAY too strong. Going to have to do some looking around and trial and error to get shocks with just the right pressure. Found www.spdhardware.com, so going to give them a call and see what they recommend.


----------



## thelub

Maybe add some weight to your door?  Looking good!


----------



## antec

If you don't mind me asking, what do you do for a living?


----------



## !shadow!

My guess either some sort of engineer


----------



## horsedude

I reckon he's an astronaut like me when I'm sleeping  XD


----------



## rbarn

I sell heavy construction equipment ...... anyone want to buy a crane ? ..... I did sleep at a Holiday Inn Express once though.....


----------



## UDGags

I'll trade you some plants for a crane. Deal?


----------



## bluestems

Retrogamer82 said:


> rbarn,
> 
> I have a dream that this tank will one day be a discus biotope.


I had a dream it would some day be a tank filled with water and discus... 

This is the longest setup e-ver!


----------



## kwheeler91

bluestems said:


> I had a dream it would some day be a tank filled with water and discus...
> 
> This is the longest setup e-ver!


lol i second that notion


----------



## keep_on_keepin_on

defender.TX said:


> Seventeen pages and we don't even have water in the tank! I love when people take their time and do things right. All this extra work is going to really pay off down the road!


All this extra work is really honing in on my reading skills  and stressing my ADD to the max! Started this thread from post one & I am afraid what I may find as I get near the end. I am hoping for SOMETHING in that tank!


----------



## keep_on_keepin_on

made it to the end.............. subscribed and waiting...!!!!!


----------



## hunterlook

keep_on_keepin_on said:


> made it to the end.............. subscribed and waiting...!!!!!


Welcome to the end, we've been waiting for you


----------



## antec

I guess its done . . .


----------



## rbarn




----------



## 10gallonplanted

Two years later


----------



## rbarn

Oh yee with little patience ..... and it wont be 2 years until September ........ so there.

also very cool to stand there with my i-pad and turn the lights on/off or control anything on the tank. With lights full ON the Apex says they're pulling a little under 3amps (300watts+/-) and I should be able to dim them a lot when I get my PAR meter and do final light balancing with water in the tank


----------



## Assassynation

Is that a custom program? if not, how can I download one?


----------



## rbarn

It is the I-pad app for the Neptune Apex controller. You can download it for free from the Apple App Store but it will not do anything until it has an Apex controller to communicate with.

I've been playing with the dimming controlls today and have the brightness set at what looks to be high light freshwater levels and the lights are pulling 1.1 amps. .... How about* 0.4 watts per gallon* for a high light tank for LED efficiency.


----------



## Assassynation

That's how they get you!


----------



## Conrad283

What's left on the list before you fill'r up?


----------



## 2wheelsx2

I love that this build is well thought out and the OP is patient. For those who think it took like long time, just unsub from the thread and then look at it when it's finished and voila, you can see it all at once. I really don't understand the big deal.


----------



## Redtail84

This just made my morning.


----------



## somewhatshocked

Something about the driftwood makes the tank appear small in this photo...

Until you realize that's a Neptune on the wall and that the cabinet doors beneath the tank are huge!

Love watching the progression of this tank.



rbarn said:


>


----------



## rbarn

Little teaser with lights dimmed and balanced the way I think they will need to be.
Running 0.5 watts per gallon in this pic.


----------



## NWA-Planted

Rbarn aside from the extreme tech you have put in with this (which is incredible) this tank is coming along beautifully. I can't wait to see it finished out with the fishes swimming!!

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## iter

Have you started coming up with basic ideas for aquascaping?


----------



## tippeecanoe

I'd be very, VERY surprised if he didn't have a plan for the 'scape!


----------



## rbarn

Castle and pirate ships !!! maybe even a bubbling treasure chest and deep sea diver !


----------



## tippeecanoe

rbarn said:


> Castle and pirate ships !!! maybe even a bubbling treasure chest and deep sea diver !


LOL...and florescent pink gravel?


----------



## Clemsons2k

In for epic!

This entire project is a technical masterpiece. Kudos on the level of pantience you must have. My current project (fixing up a '95 LT1 Camaro) is taking me a couple months and I'm already crawling out of my skin wishing it was finished haha.


----------



## NWA-Planted

rbarn said:


> Castle and pirate ships !!! maybe even a bubbling treasure chest and deep sea diver !


Don't forget spongebob and fake Saltwater fish!!

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## iter

NWA-Planted said:


> Don't forget spongebob and fake Saltwater fish!!


And his pineapple house!!!


----------



## Green_Flash

Very nice! Love the clean wiring and setup! Great build to follow. 



rbarn said:


>


----------



## Bettatail

rbarn said:


> Castle and pirate ships !!! maybe even a bubbling treasure chest and deep sea diver !


that will be epic tank and epic failure.

put Tom barr on the payroll, let him decide what plants goes in the tank for the scape you feel most comfortable, he has multiple clients and dealing with large size planted tanks in years, true expert in this domain.


----------



## 06cummins

Really can't wait to see the finished product... Insanely good job on everything so far


----------



## UDGags

Might as well throw in a remote control submarine while were at it


----------



## rbarn

UDGags said:


> Might as well throw in a remote control submarine while were at it


hmmmmmmmm


----------



## mountaindew

High end fabrication "very nice"

imho I keep whats in the enclosed canopy to a absolute minimum.
I understand this is not always possible, nor easy.
Built in systems like this are in place for the long term. Over time moisture will damage and cause any electrical devices to have a much shorter life and or require more maintenance. Also my systems all require the canopy area to be cleaned from time to time " does not look like a quick wipe down operation there". 


Ideas to consider for this or future builds or rebuilds. 

Again 1st class work your doing

md


----------



## rbarn

mountaindew said:


> High end fabrication "very nice"
> 
> imho I keep whats in the enclosed canopy to a absolute minimum.
> I understand this is not always possible, nor easy.
> Built in systems like this are in place for the long term. Over time moisture will damage and cause any electrical devices to have a much shorter life and or require more maintenance. Also my systems all require the canopy area to be cleaned from time to time " does not look like a quick wipe down operation there".
> 
> 
> Ideas to consider for this or future builds or rebuilds.
> 
> Again 1st class work your doing
> 
> md



I guess its a good thing I used all water proof sealed electrical connectors and its getting a forced air ventilation system with temp and humidity monitoring and control then, uh ?


----------



## !shadow!

lol ^


----------



## du3ce

you need a big branch or stump in the tank, those puny branches do nothing in that big tank


----------



## Green_Flash

You should go down to the Amazon and pick some choice pieces yourself.


----------



## rbarn

du3ce said:


> you need a big branch or stump in the tank, those puny branches do nothing in that big tank


The castle and pirate ships should really fill it out nicely.


----------



## driftwoodhunter

Just so long as the submarine can navigate through them ok. (and put an underwater camera on the sub!)


----------



## rbarn

Teaser for all you A.D.D. sufferers 

This is the _basic_ theme I have cooking in my head right now - might change


----------



## lamiskool

haha cant wait for this thing to actually be filled....been waay to long, but hey patience does make perfect!


----------



## Wannaberooted

This is the art of perfection, and perfection takes time. I wouldn't rib you on how long it's taking even in jest. I'm looking forward to your final pictures.


----------



## mountaindew

rbarn said:


> I guess its a good thing I used all water proof sealed electrical connectors and its getting a forced air ventilation system with temp and humidity monitoring and control then, uh ?



Its hard to comment or convey ideas without offending the other person in forums.
I wanted to maybe help your design with some ideas and long term experience with built in aquarium systems. I didnt want you think its wrong or bad. 
Your doing a great job. enjoy 
uh?
md


----------



## Wolf19

Awesome work, can't wait to see the first fill.

....I don't see a remote controlled submarine in that diagram rbarn!


----------



## rbarn

mountaindew said:


> Its hard to comment or convey ideas without offending the other person in forums.


I wasnt offended. I was just bust'n your balls roud:


----------



## driftwoodhunter

I hope the sub is all steampunk & Captain Nemo looking...

The last words of Captain Nemo;
“God Almighty! Enough! Enough!” - Nemo

:hihi::hihi::hihi:


----------



## rbarn

Got the blower side of the vent system made this morning.

2 of these boxes will be on top of and outside the bookcase and will blower air into the canopy. I wanted to make sure I did not have a bunch of light shooting up through these holes and ruining the look so I made these baffled boxes.

Was a little worried the baffling would restrict air flow too much, but the air coming out is strong enough to blowout a lighter for 12" away, so I think it should be good. I used Silnex 120mm fans and they are absolutely dead silent. Can not hear them at all sitting right next to it.


This is how they will sit on top of the canopy, blowing air down into it.









This is the internal baffling


----------



## thelub

Such a pretty little box!


----------



## lilhelper

More developments


----------



## Saxtonhill

rbarn said:


> Teaser for all you A.D.D. sufferers
> 
> This is the _basic_ theme I have cooking in my head right now - might change


That is going to look great


----------



## rbarn

Plumbing and vent ducting through the walls. tore everything out and redid it in Schd 80. Stuff is not cheap. Making (2) 90* turns through (2) walls was a serious PITA to do by myself.


----------



## Virto

Why the change?


----------



## rbarn

Virto said:


> Why the change?


Just decided I might as well since everything else is over the top. No worries on leaks or broken pipes down the road.


----------



## Virto

Gotcha. I don't have big-tank experience, I hasn't considered the limits of PVC.


----------



## Knicolas

i cant believe i went thru 26 pages, and still havent seen water. what a great build, tho.


----------



## thelub

RBarn, I noticed you lurking and posting on ReefCentral. Are you considering converting to the dark side?


----------



## rbarn

Picked up my custom storage tank today. 36X24X24 with completely removable top for easy cleaning. 85 gallon











Making progress on the pump room cabinets





























Industrial grade bulkheads for the tank










Got the silencer in for the venting system. It was really loud without it. Silencer reduced noise by 90+%
I put this as "optional" on my original post about the venting system. I now say it is mandatory. DRAMATICALLY reduced noise levels.


----------



## NWA-Planted

The day you actually get water and fish in there is almost going to be anti climatic 

Looking great though!

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## thelub

I thought this build was going horribly slow, then I started reading build threads of similarly sized reef tanks. Comparatively, its right on schedule


----------



## 2wheelsx2

Yep, for the amount of technology and thought being put into it (never mind the $) it's moving right along. It's easy enough to throw an arowana in a 300 and call it good, but another to do a fully automated 300 gallon high tech planted tank.


----------



## John Simpson

insanely awesome build


----------



## zzrguy

Just let me know I have like 150 feet of garden hose I'll bring it o er and we can fill it up I'll even bring beer


----------



## rbarn

Purflow canister filter. Will be filled with 6" of 10 ppi filter foam and a single layer of blue filter floss.
there will be either 2 or 3 of these plumbed in parallel and will act as the mechanical prefilter for the closed loop circuit for the Bio/UV/Chiller




















2x high Purflo 25 micron cartridge filter. There will be 2 of these run in parallel on their own closed loop circuit using a high pressure PanWorld 200 pump


----------



## CL

Great build! I'm hoping you don't decide to do a reef because there are already plenty of reef tanks with this kind of thought put into them.

Not many freshwater planted tanks are done this way.


----------



## skoram

I believe he said he wanted to do discus with plants but not too heavily planted. Like everyone else, I can't wait to see the end result. The process of getting there is pretty damn interesting too though. It's like watching a suspenseful TV show.


----------



## rbarn

It's getting close guys. Hoping to put water in it and start testing for leaks in July


----------



## thelub

Closed loops. Reactors. Chillers. High end LED lights. Remote ventilation. Sounds like you're planning on a possible reef conversion down the road. :thumbsup:


----------



## clunkified

Insane!


----------



## synaethetic

Every time I stumble across this thread there are so many wonderful updates to see. The best things in life take time, you are doing a great job of planning it out and executing your ideas to see it come to life. Surely I speak for all of us when i say we can vicariously enjoy your build through this amazing journal. Can't wait to see you scape the tank and fill it!

Goodluck!


----------



## Mizuhuman

Wow. just read through 27 pages hoping to see the tank complete with fish and plants, but its not done yet. what a cliffhanger. My hat is off to you. your planning and patience is top notch. I could barely wait that long. Also, how did you learn to do all those wiring for the lighting and the plumbing work? Self taught or did someone teach you? 

Of course, subscribed


----------



## rbarn

Final sump design. Sent it off to the custom sump maker to get a quote and see if I want to just pay someone to make it or DIY it. I've made sumps before, but working with acrylic is a pain, especially on 5'+ long sump.


----------



## thelub

I like the overflow-into-the-sock idea. Do you think you really need 6 socks? It can't hurt, but is it necessary?


----------



## Green_Flash

Have you thought about a custom lifereef sump? Those are w/o socks and really highly recommended.


----------



## NWA-Planted

thelub said:


> I like the overflow-into-the-sock idea. Do you think you really need 6 socks? It can't hurt, but is it necessary?


From what I have seen, peace of mind has no price to him lol

I seriously can't wait to See this setup in operation
:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## Xirxes

I sincerely hope that you are hiring a qualified service to upkeep this system once it finally gets wet. From weekly sock changes/blasting, monthly sock bleaching, to weekly water changing, to multiple filter media replacement/ algae cleaning, weekly parameter testing and plant trimming, unless you are retired, you have established a full time position for yourself tank side.

If these systems are not up-kept, each and every one of them will become a nightmare (clogged filter parts bogging flow, unkept socks leaching waste back into system/overflowing, etc).

FWIW, please order yourself at least 24 socks, because having managed a muti-sock system for about 3 years, any less than 4 replacements per hole will be tedious at best.

If all of these parts are properly maintained though, you will have yourself a seriously magnificent setup. Reminds me of what they have setup for the large Amazon biotope at the Georgia aquarium.


----------



## rbarn

Xirxes said:


> I sincerely hope that you are hiring a qualified service to upkeep this system once it finally gets wet. From weekly sock changes/blasting, monthly sock bleaching, to weekly water changing, to multiple filter media replacement/ algae cleaning, weekly parameter testing and plant trimming, unless you are retired, you have established a full time position for yourself tank side.
> 
> If these systems are not up-kept, each and every one of them will become a nightmare (clogged filter parts bogging flow, unkept socks leaching waste back into system/overflowing, etc).
> 
> FWIW, please order yourself at least 24 socks, because having managed a muti-sock system for about 3 years, any less than 4 replacements per hole will be tedious at best.
> 
> If all of these parts are properly maintained though, you will have yourself a seriously magnificent setup. Reminds me of what they have setup for the large Amazon biotope at the Georgia aquarium.



Maintenance should not be that bad. Takes about 2 mins to swap out filter socks and the canisters will be placed so they can be easily maintained as well. The filter socks should catch most of the waste and debris, so the other filters should only need cleaned twice a month and the large 25 micron filters probably every 6-8 weeks at most.

Everything will be monitored with pressure switches, flow switches and float switches to tell when something is starting to get clogged and Apex will send me a text/email telling me to clean the filter.

Water changes and fert dosing will all be hands off and automatic.

Tank cleaning will be done with a separate small pump to act as gravel vac and waste water will be dumped down a drain.

I dont expect to spend more than 1-2 hours a week on cleaning and maintenance.


----------



## rbarn

Final upgraded sump design with flush sitting filter socks, water change over flow box and top with recessed cut outs for lids to seal the whole thing


----------



## NWA-Planted

So the water change overflow, as you add water to the sump it fills and drains water, assuming I am looking at it correctly... That's quite ingenious!

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2


----------



## rbarn

NWA-Planted said:


> So the water change overflow, as you add water to the sump it fills and drains water, assuming I am looking at it correctly... That's quite ingenious!
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk 2



Correct. I will also route a 1" pipe in the sump so that all the new water being added is getting immediately sucked up by the return pump and sent to the tank. So all that can overflow is old water coming back from the tank. This should give me true 100% exchange.

The overflow box sets the water level in the sump. It is set 1" below the overflow of the previous chamber. This is also where evaporation water levels will fall on the whole system, so there will be float switch to turn on the water change pump if water levels ever fall too low from evap or pump start up.


----------



## thelub

Thats an interesting design for the water change system. A lot different than using a couple well placed ball valves and a tee.


----------



## Xirxes

i have used a similar design with tap water through a Carbon whole house canister to perform 100 gallons a day water change on a timer, with the drain being a 2" open bulkhead at top of the system.

This should work well, if your rodi unit can keep up with the demand of whatever timer you set (100GPD unit would really max out at 60 gallons or so safely on a daily basis, if the reservoir is that large).


----------



## trailsnale

hi rbarn,

fantastic project!

re the sump, will the middle compartment be a refugium or will you have bio media in there?
earlier you mentioned cannisters with media (and I'm guessing greater flow rates) so I assumed refugium here. If so, what flow rates are you thinking about?

thanks,


----------



## MyMonkey

Tagging along on this one. Nice setup! Can't wait to see it with water in it.


----------



## georgesd

This is like cool road trip. Getting there is half the fun!


----------



## pandacory

You are my hero. 

This build journal is getting added to my reference manual under the "it's ok to dream" section. 

If I had 1/2 your patience I would have spent 1/4 of the amount of $ I have on botched projects.


----------



## rbarn

trailsnale said:


> re the sump, will the middle compartment be a refugium or will you have bio media in there?
> earlier you mentioned cannisters with media (and I'm guessing greater flow rates) so I assumed refugium here. If so, what flow rates are you thinking about?


Correct the middle sump area is for a refugium. Going to experiment with reverse light cycles, see if I can keep night time O2 levels up. It could also act as an isolation, but not a full quarantine area if I ever needed to get a fish out of the main tank for a short time.

Flow through the tank/sump is planned on being 4x/hr - so that should be about 1200 gph.





pandacory said:


> If I had 1/2 your patience I would have spent 1/4 of the amount of $ I have on botched projects.


I've done enough tanks to have learned my lesson, especially on a tank this large. 



I was just going to "wing it" and try and start building the cabinets (I'm not a wood worker), but figured it would be better to have an actual build design pre-done to catch any flaws or clearance issues.

I figure I will sit down and model the entire pump room in SketchUp, to make sure my pipe routing plan will work too.

Everything is exactly to scale


----------



## rbarn




----------



## thelub

I think this would be worthy of build thread in the 'big tank' section on RC :hihi:


----------



## Kai808

Wow, I remember this thread back in 2011 and just stumbled on it again. Great build and Nice to see you're still updating this thread. How is your bog doing? Does it also get water from your Koi pond?


----------



## Dina-Angel

Is there an estimate when the first water drops will hit the tank?

Awesome set-up so far!


----------



## rbarn

Looks like everything should fit nicely.
Going to try and figure out piping layout now.


----------



## fishboy199413

Very cool. Is that a smaller tank? If so what is it for?


----------



## rbarn

fishboy199413 said:


> If so what is it for?


QT tank.


----------



## rbarn

This is going to take forever to build .................... might not have water in it this summer.


----------



## pandacory

Is there any concern associated with the tank outflow entering at the bottom of the sump?

My experience with sumps is limited, but I have noticed that when the down pipe extends too far into the water column inside the sump (entering from top) the siphon has trouble forming because of the air bubble it has to push through the water. 

This water path reminds me of a separator.


----------



## thelub

That's plumbing fit for a reef tank! 

I'm sure you have it all sorted out, but why do you have a ball valve and a gate valve in line?


----------



## rbarn

Gate valve is to adjust full siphon flow. Ball valve is so I can close the pipe without screwing up the gate valve's adjustment.


Pumps were a bear to make fit. Ended up having separate them vertically to make fit.

Really glad I took the time to do this. I would have had some very frustrating surprises when I started to build this thing. Have had to make countless small adjustments and pipe rerouting that would never have been caught until lots of work had already been done.


----------



## @[email protected]

fit for a reef? my dad has a reef, and ive looked at tons; and i can say that plumbing surpasses 90% of reefs. thats public aquarium type plumbing.


----------



## NWA-Planted

Geezus....

Sent from... The BEYOND via tapatalk


----------



## thelub

rbarn said:


> Gate valve is to adjust full siphon flow. Ball valve is so I can close the pipe without screwing up the gate valve's adjustment.


Makes sense, although it is more expensive initially, I can see it relieve a lot of hassle down the road.

I'd be interested to see labels on all those devices and see what you have planned.


----------



## trailsnale

thelub said:


> makes sense, although it is more expensive initially, i can see it relieve a lot of hassle down the road.
> 
> *i'd be interested to see labels on all those devices and see what you have planned.*


*
*

+1


----------



## ahabion

All this for a betta?


----------



## rbarn

Just need to figure out how to run the waste water drain line underneath all this now.


----------



## !shadow!

Well you can always use a condensation pump. I work in the a/c field and sometimes we run into situations where there is no slope for the condensation pump so we run a 3/8ths copper line to the outside(pretty flexible due to it's width) and the pump just takes out all the water out. something like this Little Giant VCMX-20ULST 554550 VCMX Series Automatic Condensate Removal Pump With Safety Switch (115 volts), 1/30 horsepower - Amazon.com with a built in float switch. This way you don't have to worry about how to run it since it doesn't really matter as long as there is a way out.


----------



## rbarn

I left myself room to do a 2" drop in slope on the drain line from one end of the cabinet to the other. It should drain ok.


----------



## trailsnale

hi rbarn,

what tipped the scales for you to include a refugium? curious b/c i'm in the planning stage of a 260 for altums or discus and plants. (or, the poor man's version of what you're doing!)


thanks,


----------



## rbarn

trailsnale said:


> hi rbarn,
> 
> what tipped the scales for you to include a refugium? curious b/c i'm in the planning stage of a 260 for altums or discus and plants. (or, the poor man's version of what you're doing!)
> 
> thanks,


It's an experimental area. I will experiment with a rufug, reverse light cycles, O2 levels and nitrate/phos. levels. It may or may not last and just end up as an empty space in the sump.


----------



## plantbrain

rbarn said:


> It's an experimental area. I will experiment with a rufug, reverse light cycles, O2 levels and nitrate/phos. levels. It may or may not last and just end up as an empty space in the sump.


Empty space is still evaporation reserve. Or a decent place to toss and hold cuttings while you sell them etc or fish, soak driftwood etc, add a UV for the green water, or another mechanical filter etc. 

If done right, even for a reef, you'll end up adding NO3/PO4 or more fish food etc.

Reverse cycles really do not work, as the CO2 is required for O2 addition and the gain is relatively small(100% vs 125-130% if you are a good grower). Emergent growth= no added O2, so you are stuck with adding CO2 no matter what and only for a small area vs the main tank. So you need to add lots of CO2 to both the refuge and the main tank for very little gain. That's not worth it no matter how it's sliced.

Reefs? A little bit for pH management but there's no CO2 added to the water, maybe just the Kalk/Ca reactor but then it's degassed prior to adding back to the main tank. 

If the tank was 100% non CO2, well, you could scheme a system that would do okay, but you'd need some space between the overlap for the best results.

I'd suggest a tray system with pots, much like those window herb gardens and see how plants fair with the crowns in the water in various dirts/sediments and then the rest above water.


----------



## rbarn

plantbrain said:


> I'd suggest a tray system with pots, much like those window herb gardens and see how plants fair with the crowns in the water in various dirts/sediments and then the rest above water.


Thats an interesting idea actually. This is going to be in a sun room, so I could do some kind of gravity self draining tray system above the sump and outside the cabinets, kind of like an aquaponics system.

Guy on reefcentral with an insane 1500gallon tank system did something similar with a little mangroove aquaponics system in his pump room.


----------



## Em85

nwa-planted said:


> geezus....
> 
> Sent from... The beyond via tapatalk


...


+1


----------



## defender.TX

You just don't see this kind of planning/prep work put into freshwater tanks very often. I really love how you are borrowing elements from the reefing community and incorporating them into this to deal with a high bioload system. And hey, if it ends up a reef in the end that would be cool too!


----------



## thelub

rbarn said:


> Thats an interesting idea actually. This is going to be in a sun room, so I could do some kind of gravity self draining tray system above the sump and outside the cabinets, kind of like an aquaponics system.
> 
> Guy on reefcentral with an insane 1500gallon tank system did something similar with a little mangroove aquaponics system in his pump room.


Are you referring to nineball's wall of mangrove? That setup is pretty killer.


----------



## rbarn

Figured this would help you guys get a better feel for my space constraints. 
My "pump room" is also a sun room off my master bedroom. It had to look like it was not a pump room and fit below the windows, so I had to get creative on how to do this layout.


----------



## ua hua

I love seeing all your sketch ups you do. It helps to visualize the plans. You must have spent some time over at reef central as most people don't put this much thought into their setup except for a few reefers. One that comes to mind is a fellow Texan like yourself, I can't remember his user name on RC but it has to be one of the most elaborate projects I have seen to date on that site. Anyone that needs a huge crane and builds part of their house around their aquarium is pretty serious about this hobby.

I think Tom has a very good idea for the space you had intended for the refugium. Plant trays for emergent growth would be a better plan than the refugium in my opinion. With that being said I don't know how much space you have under your cabinets that your sump is going into so that may be an issue.

And I really like the added touch in your sketch up of the guy checking his watch. Kind of a metaphor for this thread wouldn't you say...... Is it time yet????


----------



## rbarn

Bit of a slow down. 

Saving my pennies right now to add my latest over the top plan to the system. Going to be running a rotary drum filter in front of my sump. This will clean all trash out of the water down to 60 microns, it is completely hands off, self cleaning and self monitoring.

This is the shiznit in mechanical filtration.


----------



## ua hua

rbarn said:


> Bit of a slow down.
> 
> Saving my pennies right now to add my latest over the top plan to the system. Going to be running a rotary drum filter in front of my sump. This will clean all trash out of the water down to 60 microns, it is completely hands off, self cleaning and self monitoring.
> 
> This is the shiznit in mechanical filtration.


Wow. I have never seen anyone use one of those on an aquarium but I have seen them used on some koi ponds and also saw one behind the scenes at a zoo in their life support room. Those are usually quite large unless they make a smaller version but where would this go into your room?

Edit: Nevermind the size as I found some on Koi Acres that are smaller than the ones I have seen. A little pricey but what another couple grand.


----------



## crazymittens

thelub said:


> Are you referring to nineball's wall of mangrove? That setup is pretty killer.


Pretty killer is a terrible understatement. Pretty 'no expense spared/best of the best' is more like it. Guy drives a Bentley, too...a man of taste!

http://www.reefersparadise.com/smf/index.php?topic=314.0


----------



## rbarn

ua hua said:


> Wow. I have never seen anyone use one of those on an aquarium but I have seen them used on some koi ponds and also saw one behind the scenes at a zoo in their life support room. Those are usually quite large unless they make a smaller version but where would this go into your room?
> 
> Edit: Nevermind the size as I found some on Koi Acres that are smaller than the ones I have seen. A little pricey but what another couple grand.


They are made by Koi Collection out of Indonesia.
http://www.rotary-drum-filter.com/

They start at $2,500 and go up to $6,000. I tried thinking up a way to DIY it, but there is a lot of engineering and special parts involved to make it work right..... and these are the "cheap" ones. The pro-series all stainless steel aquaculture units start at $12-15,000 and go up from there.



dont mind the noise. It's a test rig sitting on saw horses, I imagine it's shaking pretty good from everything being loose. This is the KC 10. I am going to use the KC 15 which is slightly bigger.


----------



## revspeed

wow.....serious coinage


----------



## jagerlite

I just read all 30 pages in 1 sitting...COMPLETELY CAPTIVATED... keep it up!


----------



## ua hua

rbarn said:


> They are made by Koi Collection out of Indonesia.
> http://www.rotary-drum-filter.com/
> 
> They start at $2,500 and go up to $6,000. I tried thinking up a way to DIY it, but there is a lot of engineering and special parts involved to make it work right..... and these are the "cheap" ones. The pro-series all stainless steel aquaculture units start at $12-15,000 and go up from there.
> 
> 
> 
> dont mind the noise. It's a test rig sitting on saw horses, I imagine it's shaking pretty good from everything being loose. This is the KC 10. I am going to use the KC 15 which is slightly bigger.
> 
> Rotary Drum Filter (RDF) in action from Bridge Way Koi - YouTube


I sure would hope that it wouldn't be that loud. I don't know if I could listen to that all the time. The one I saw at the zoo was huge in comparison to that unit. I didn't notice it making a ton of noise but the whole life support room was quite noisy so maybe I just didn't notice.


----------



## crazymittens

rbarn, that's some really cool mechanical filtration...IIRC your fish room is 'outside' of the house, yes? So noise shouldn't be that big of an issue...?


----------



## zzrguy

Cad drawings, a filter room biult on to the house with heating and cool , custom cabinet for the tank, computer controlled lighting and filtration, two years in the making, and YouTube videos all for a fish tank. 

Thanks you have made my 29gal look like the gold fish bowl you win at the fair.


PS I do love following this tank. Can not wait to see it planted and fishes swing in it.


----------



## dewalltheway

I am very impressed with the build and all the planning & upfront work along with all the gadgets and filters and pumps, etc., but.....I have to ask.....is all that equipment necessary for a tropical fish tank or are you aiming for near zero maintenance? I understand Discus need good water quality, but there are plenty of setups that are running a canister filter and keep Discus just fine. Just was wondering the goal you had in mind with all the equipment.

Oh..btw..what sketchup software are you using for your renderings?


----------



## rbarn

dewalltheway said:


> I am very impressed with the build and all the planning & upfront work along with all the gadgets and filters and pumps, etc., but.....I have to ask.....is all that equipment necessary for a tropical fish tank or are you aiming for near zero maintenance? I understand Discus need good water quality, but there are plenty of setups that are running a canister filter and keep Discus just fine. Just was wondering the goal you had in mind with all the equipment.
> 
> Oh..btw..what sketchup software are you using for your renderings?


It's complete overkill and waste of money. End goal is zero maintenance, self monitoring 300 gallon aquarium that only takes the work of a 50 gallon to maintain and enjoy.

The software is Sketchup using it's own render engine. Basic freeware version.


----------



## crazymittens

Got a source for your PVC fitting models? I haven't had much luck finding good ones for my drawings.


----------



## R_Barber001

Try http://www.ferguson.com/


----------



## crazymittens

R_Barber001...that is a huge site, no clear 'download' section...guessing you need to register/log in?


----------



## R_Barber001

Not too sure my dad recommended it. I figured its worth looking into.


----------



## rbarn

crazymittens said:


> Got a source for your PVC fitting models? I haven't had much luck finding good ones for my drawings.


Sketchup as a "tool icon" on the main drawing screen that will search the web for models and download them directly into your open project.


----------



## Chronados

crazymittens said:


> Got a source for your PVC fitting models? I haven't had much luck finding good ones for my drawings.


McMaster-Carr provides free, detailed 3d models for all of their PVC components. Not sure about the compatibility with Sketchup, but they offer a ton of different formats.


----------



## crazymittens

Excellent info, thanks guys!


----------



## kryton2005

Woah, beautiful tank.


----------



## thelub

Have you gone reef yet rbarn?


----------



## crazymittens

BTW, there is a free Sketchup extension for plumbing fittings!


----------



## DogFish

Are you still procrastinating with this this??? Put some water in it already.

:hihi:


----------



## zetvi

Finally last page!


----------



## defender.TX

thelub said:


> Have you gone reef yet rbarn?


While I fully support anybody coming over to the dark side and rbarn's build is incredibly impressive, I don't think the setup at this point would be all that great for a reef conversion without a lot of extra work. Closed loop systems on a reef aren't really optimal, and he doesn't have the space in his "pump room" to support the kind of refugium/sump he would need for that size display.


----------



## samee

I want to know more about your rdf. How much was it? with shipping? Isnt 2000 gph overkill for your tank? Ive heard theres still maintenance of the filter. If the tumbler stops the good bacteria dries out and drowns and you will need an entire new one. Ive not read good things in my short search.


----------



## kwheeler91

I say this in the best way possible... your crazy.


----------



## rbarn

samee said:


> I want to know more about your rdf. How much was it? with shipping? Isnt 2000 gph overkill for your tank? Ive heard theres still maintenance of the filter. If the tumbler stops the good bacteria dries out and drowns and you will need an entire new one. Ive not read good things in my short search.


No idea what you are talking about, there is no bio media in a drum filter. The only maintenance is to check the cleaning jet nozzles every now and then to make sure they arent clogged.





I've been saving up for my drum filter(s), I will order the one for the aquarium project next week.
The koi pond turned to crap from the overloaded filter system and it already has fish in it so it has had priority.
If it would stop raining now I could finish that project.


This one is rated for 8,000gph with 60 micron screen. I will probably only be running 4,000gph through it though.
It's big, very heavy and very well built. I can tell why these things cost so much.



















mud mud mud .... ugh












The new system will work like this.


----------



## rbarn

KC15 drum filter - 30 micron - self cleaning - 2,900gph max flow - (2x) 4" inlets and (2x) 4" outlets.





















The sight glasses are plumbed into both sides of the filter. As the filter becomes clogged the water level will rise in the sight glass on the right and will eventually trip a float switch which will tell the Apex to turn on the drum rotation motor and the jet pump for the cleaning spray nozzles for a set amount of time.





















Less than 2' cubed. Very compact and well built, probably weighs 50-60lbs











Built in internal overflow that is height adjustable in case the filter ever clogs and the cleaning cycle does not start.


----------



## georgesd

This could be a very dumb question, but here it goes anyway: what happens to the dirt when the filter self cleans?


----------



## crazymittens

IIRC, there is a waste-water line used to flush the filter during self-cleaning.


----------



## rbarn

correct, the light gray fitting on the side is the waste line.


----------



## doug6952

All I have to say is.... DAMN!!

Can't wait to see this filled and the Discus swimming around. Amazing job!


----------



## rbarn

tinkering around with the drum filter and opened it up to have a look inside.

this is the waste run off tray inside the drum that catches all the sprayed off goop.


----------



## Ashnic05

Nice! When I read through this a few months back I read that you were creating a bog that would hold the waste water run-off....is that still in the works?


----------



## thelub

Looks like that thing could double as a gold mining trommel :hihi:


----------



## AussieDIYFK

wow this thread just took me nearly 1 hr to skim read. are you Shure this is going to be a discus tank ? craziest epic build ive ever seen and cant wait to finally see it getting completed


----------



## rbarn

Yes, discus.

I am busy re-planning the pump room now. Stand by for a new sketchup rendering.

eliminating a couple of things, changing post drum filter sump design, simpler plumbing layout and switching back to a single Pentair i1 variable speed DC pool pump.

Went by ADG's show room / office last week to see if they had any nice scaping wood to sell. Had tons, but it was all separated out in piles to be used on in-house projects.


----------



## discoveringmypath

Wow is all I can say. I read through the majority of these 32 pages just waiting to see what the tank was going to look like filled up. You have one massive project here. 

When do you think it will get filled?

Did you plan for it to be this in-depth?

Good luck with the rest of it, I'll be following your progress.


----------



## rbarn

2 weeks


----------



## Phil Edwards

You must be getting really excited to be two weeks away from filling. I've been following your thread since you started it. It's been quite a journey of patience and detail. :thumbsup:


----------



## crazymittens

Two weeks!! Cannot wait - this thread and your hard work with planning inspired much of my builds.


----------



## rbarn

the sump will maintain proper level in the drum filter and provide for evap and pump start up. It is 48" X 20" X 18" tall.










Plumbing is much simpler now. Pump feeds a single manifold that will feed everything else. Each line will have a digital flow meter so I know exactly how much flow each loop will be running.










This is my Co2 reaction chamber design I have come up with. The full cross flow will be off the main pump and recirculate back to the sump.


----------



## AussieDIYFK

thats some serous filtration and i dont think you will need to do weekly water changes , looking forward to seeing this tank full of plants and discus. you will be needing to inject alot of co2 into it becouse of all the gas exchange from drum filter and wet/dry filter applications


----------



## rbarn

AussieDIYFK said:


> you will be needing to inject alot of co2 into it becouse of all the gas exchange from drum filter and wet/dry filter applications


Both will be sealed which will greatly reduce this


----------



## fishyboy

How do you intend to seal the drum filter with the large waste water tube going to the drain. It acts as a vent...


----------



## DTDPlanted

Most elaborate tank and thread I have ever seen! Simply amazing, I will join the throngs of TPTers waiting to see this thing finished. Should I just check back late 2014?  rbarn I think its safe to say with this much planning and detail you have MERMAID quality water in store for whatever ends up in this tank, LOL.


----------



## huntindawg

I just read this entire thread over the past hour or two...I don't know how long I've been reading but it's been awesome.

I love seeing this projects progression and the extreme attention to detail. This is the best setup for a planted tank that I have ever seen.


----------



## rbarn

fishyboy said:


> How do you intend to seal the drum filter with the large waste water tube going to the drain. It acts as a vent...


Not as much as you would think. The water is also not getting agitated inside the drum near as much as you would think either, even during the cleaning cycle. Especially at the much lower flow rates I will be running through it in relation to it's max flow rating.


----------



## kryton2005

2 weeks over yet?


----------



## rbarn

Brown truck dropped this off today

Been reading the instructions. Very neat pump.

3hp permanent magnet DC motor derated by attaching a 1hp impeller to it.
Infinite speed control from 450 to 3450 rpm
4 preset buttons that can be set at any speed you want
Built in clock/timer pump speed schedule programmer - (_it will automatically change pump speeds based on an internal timer_)
LCD display shows both pump speed and watts being used
ultra silent and cool running and power efficient


----------



## NWA-Planted

Still no water??? Your killing me rbarn. No way I could not have put water into this yet lol

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk


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## carpalstunna

Do you think this water will qualify as "holy water"? I think it should


----------



## rbarn

Happy ?


----------



## NWA-Planted

Touché... Lol thanks for the laugh I, needed that!

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk


----------



## samee

It looks half empty.


----------



## !shadow!

carpalstunna said:


> Do you think this water will qualify as "holy water"? I think it should





rbarn said:


> Happy ?



you guys are a handfull  lol


----------



## ua hua

rbarn said:


> Happy ?


You should fill it up with that cup one at a time just to prolong the suspense.


----------



## Green_Flash

Yay, wet water!


----------



## rbarn

ua hua said:


> You should fill it up with that cup one at a time just to prolong the suspense.


Since I have to fill it with R/O it will probably actually be about that quick, lol.

It will literally take 3-4 days to fill :icon_roll


----------



## huntindawg

rbarn said:


> Since I have to fill it with R/O it will probably actually be about that quick, lol.
> 
> It will literally take 3-4 days to fill :icon_roll


Bring on the caffeine and live stream the entire event of the filling of the water which will now be deemed Holy.


----------



## Discusdude7

I admire your patience.


----------



## DTDPlanted

rbarn said:


> Since I have to fill it with R/O it will probably actually be about that quick, lol.
> 
> It will literally take 3-4 days to fill :icon_roll


Do we have a fill date in sight? *praying to the planted tank gods, and Poseidon just in case*

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk


----------



## !shadow!

I think this thread is anticipated more than the release of the xbox 1 and ps4


----------



## rbarn

Got my venturi injector for the Co2 system today. Very nice piece made by Mazzei.

I have also figured out how to make the Apex controller work with the Pentair pump. I cant directly control pump speed, but I will be able to switch between the 4 programmable preset speeds using the Apex.


----------



## rbarn

Next on the list - automated water mixing for w/c reservoir. 

The problem:

I have well water so chlorines and chloromines are not an issue, but .... the water coming out of my well is like liquid rock, high in magnesium and calcium and insanely high iron levels. I've got to reduce this not so much for the fish, but to keep the hard water stains in check over time.


Solution:

Use a mix of mostly R/O water with just enough carbon filter only well water to re-mineralize it.
The problem with this is consistency and automation which is critical for me.

So after some searching around I found this neat gizmo. A TDS monitor and controller.








http://www.freshwatersystems.com/p-...control-dosinginjection-tdsec-controller.aspx


What it allows you to do is set a high and low set point for the TDS and it will activate relays accordingly.

1. I will have an overflow drain built into my water reservoir so any extra water added will just run off and no chance of flooding
2. R/O and straight well water will fill the reservoir at different flow rates to get the proper TDS close (this will take some experimenting)
3. The TDS controller will have it's sensor on a circulation pump in the reservoir
4. As the TDS controller reads the TDS it will open valves on separate water feed lines to the R/O or straight well water. If the TDS is too low it will add non-R/O water until TDS comes up to set point and add R/O only water if TDS is too high. All excess will just go down the over flow drain.


pre-filter plan

1st stg: 5 mic sediment filter
2nd stg: brim filled 20" big water filter housing - this will be plumbed up with a series of 3 way valves so it can be backwashed
3rd stg: another sediment filter (brim is a catalyst that precipitates out magnesium and iron, most will be trapped in the brim media, but some will pass through and need caught)
4th stg: mini-water softner made to fit in low cabinets for restaurant dishwashers
5th stg: 5 mic carbon block
6th stg: 0.5 mic carbon block
7th stg: 75gpd R/O membranes x2 with booster pump if needed (150gpd for a 300 gallon aquarium)

The brim filter and water softner should greatly extend membrane life

The "tap water" for mixing with R/O will be pulled off between stage 1 and 2 and then run through it's own series of carbon blocks


----------



## thelub

Geez. When you get bored of freshwater you'll pretty much be able to move directly to full blown reef. This is seriously an aquarium nerd's wet dream.


----------



## Legot

Wow! Those controllers are nowhere near as expensive as I thought they would be!


----------



## rbarn

Legot said:


> Wow! Those controllers are nowhere near as expensive as I thought they would be!


Fixed the link. 

They run from $145 to $300 depending on what options you want it do. True professional grade TDS meters made for commercial R/O units. A little expensive but light years better than those small battery powered ones. And they're small too. Only 3" X 3" and 4" deep

http://www.freshwatersystems.com/c-257-controllers.aspx


----------



## Deltad

omg, I read through 34 pages and still no water!?

Where in TX are you? I'm assuming Houston from some of your posts? I visit Houston often  hint* hint*

You should give a tour, I'll PAY to see that tank!


----------



## rbarn

Still no water. Pallet full of massive manzanita stumps is coming from Tom Barr this week or next. Stand by.


----------



## boxboy

I have to ask, what excatly do you do for a living? I am about to run out and get some new jobs lol
This build is amazing! But you NEED water


----------



## thelub

He tells a couple times in the thread ;-)


----------



## Saxtonhill

I admire your persistence. I look forward to seeing the manzanita branches and stumps that you picked out.


----------



## Thepokerkid227

Just spent 2 hours reading thru this thread and it delivers! Cannot wait to see it finished. The most well thought out tank build I have ever seen!


----------



## Dxpert

I just read the whole thread, fantastic work! 

Have you started with the apex programing yet? I would like to see your program once done, check out http://www.reeftronics.net for an easy way to share.

You might consider an auto doser for some liquid carbon, with such a large system and a huge amount of water movement you are bound to get a ton of co2 loss. Some Seachem flourish excel would allow you to run lower co2 bpm. http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/catalog/product/view/id/827/ this auto doser is easily controlled by the apex.

Have you checked out the new auto fish feeder by apex?

Last thought would be 2x ecotech radion LED's or 2x kessil a360's and hang them in between your 100w LEDs, although you don't need the extra light, having the control over the colour in the tank might really make your elusive fish pop! In the short term I would go with radios because they are supported by the new apex fusion (soon to be released)


----------



## mopani

just read 3 years in a good 45 mins, feel like I watched the original trilogy to star wars then get to this page and bam! An episode 1 disappointment. lol cant wait


----------



## zzrguy

I have three letters for you OCD.


----------



## rbarn

zzrguy said:


> I have three letters for you OCD.


More like A.D.D. ....... lol
Wood from Tom is missing in action with shipper for over a week now :icon_sad:




Dxpert said:


> You might consider an auto doser for some liquid carbon, with such a large system and a huge amount of water movement you are bound to get a ton of co2 loss. Some Seachem flourish excel would allow you to run lower co2 bpm. http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/catalog/product/view/id/827/ this auto doser is easily controlled by the apex.


running co2 at 15-20ppm and dosing Excel is part of the plan. I dont want to stress the fish with 30+ppm Co2


----------



## jo.jacques

This is a masterpiece, honestly.

Wow!


----------



## harilp

Is this my dream or Real 
Just amazing!!! 1000 :thumbup: For your project "AWESOME"

Sent from my Blackberry Playbook using Tapatalk2


----------



## jschwabe5

Awesome setup. Will you install a skimmer? And how is the venturi doing from Pentair? 


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


----------



## AussieDIYFK

any updates mate?


----------



## rbarn

Manzanita got lost in trucking twilight zone for a couple of weeks. Picked it up today and got busy laying it on the ground

Imagine this as the back of the tank between the two corner overflows. This is 5' X 2' pile of wood. About 5 pieces total


----------



## thelub

I'm having a hard time visualizing. It would much more helpful if it was in the tank :hihi:


----------



## plantbrain

they are fun pieces.........2 of them are really nice.


----------



## thelub

Great stuff. You hooked him up.


----------



## rbarn

thelub said:


> I'm having a hard time visualizing. It would much more helpful if it was in the tank :hihi:


Think fake 3D amazon background, but real.

Cutting all the branchy pieces off and turned stump upside down so the branches will now be the roots


----------



## FishStix

plantbrain said:


> they are fun pieces.........2 of them are really nice.


WoW, that nice, I will have to contact you in March once I get my new tank setup. That would fit nice in my 265.


----------



## izabella87

lovely pieces !


----------



## FishStix

I might have missed it, but I don't see what substrate you plan to use?


----------



## rbarn

You did, sand with mineralized top soil sub-layer

So I'm going for the riverbank / sub merged forest look. I took the big beautiful stump Tom sent and took a chainsaw to it. Smoothed back and top flat, broke off all the small branches and flipped it upside down, so it is now the bottom of tree growing down into the water. The other overflow corner is getting similar scaping. 

Going to cover the back glass with slim-line tan rock background panels and lots of java and annubias plants to blend it all together

From this 










To this


----------



## thelub

Love it


----------



## The Trigger

Awesome piece of wood. Very natural looking


----------



## Legot

The Trigger said:


> Awesome piece of wood. Very natural looking


I would hope so...


----------



## Xenaph

The wood will not fleet ?


----------



## rbarn

Xenaph said:


> The wood will not fleet ?


yes it floats. It will be glued to back glass and weighted somehow.....

This is just the first rough layout to get the major trimming and sizing right and know it all fits more or less.

Back and side glass will be covered in slimline background panels to help make look like the wood is growing out of the back. Probably wont cover the overflows though, leave those black


----------



## antec

You could attach weights to the ends at the bottom and fill the tank. The wood will begin to waterlogg and eventually stay at the bottom

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk


----------



## NWA-Planted

Coming along beautifully rbarn!

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk


----------



## Philosoraptor

Wow, that's really incredible. Can't wait to see it planted up!


----------



## NWA-Planted

Philosoraptor said:


> Wow, that's really incredible. Can't wait to see it planted up!


Let's not get our hopes to high, Let's start with seeing water 

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk


----------



## rbarn




----------



## antec

Just a thought, you may want to place egg crate on the bottom so that the weight of the wood is distributed over the while surface area rather than at one concentrated point. 

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk


----------



## NWA-Planted

antec said:


> Just a thought, you may want to place egg crate on the bottom so that the weight of the wood is distributed over the while surface area rather than at one concentrated point.
> 
> Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk


 Probably a mute point the glass on bottom is going to be super thick for that tank. Now any rocks I definitely agree. Also he mentioned glueing the in place 

Sent from my SM-P600 using Tapatalk


----------



## ua hua

NWA-Planted said:


> Let's not get our hopes to high, Let's start with seeing water
> 
> Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk


Funny but true. 

I have to admit I was a little worried when I saw you cut up that beautiful piece of wood but after seeing it in your tank it looks really good. One step closer in the right direction.


----------



## rbarn

antec said:


> Just a thought, you may want to place egg crate on the bottom so that the weight of the wood is distributed over the while surface area rather than at one concentrated point.
> 
> Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk


This is one of the best built tanks I have ever seen. Not sure what tank builder my LFS order it from. someone in Dallas I think

The bottom consists of - from the bottom up - 3/4" piece of furniture grade plywood, 1/16" thick dark gray composite plastic, 3/4" glass, and another 1/16" thick composite plastic layer.

The dark gray bottom you see in the tank is that top plastic layer

The overflow is made from 3/4" glass and then has the plastic baffle you see just as a cover.The top bracing is also all made from 3/4" glass and then covered in a one piece molded top plastic frame. Thing is built like a tank


----------



## thelub

That and the wood will never be heavy enough to be a problem for that glass. Maybe if it was a 300+lb rock that was sitting on one point on the glass, but not wood. The water will always alleviate some of the weight no matter how waterlogged it gets.


----------



## Zoidborg

Spent an hour reading through the thread, can't wait! Love all the water and decoration jokes too!


----------



## rbarn




----------



## NWA-Planted

That hardscape is looking fantastic!

Sent from my SCH-I535 using Tapatalk


----------



## Dxpert

Great progress! Are you getting close to filling it? How is the back room coming?


----------



## plantbrain

rbarn, slap some wood as steep as you can to hide those pesky overflows. 

The cork backing, the darker low grade cork works also quite well. You can glue 1/2 or clip it on to hide the overflows more also and make a fern or moss or anubias wall on the cork. This looks good and makes a nice effect. 

See my old old post on cork and the attachment method.

You can often attach the plants to the faux backgrounds also but then they look ugly afterwards if you pull the plants off.

I'd keep trying to add branches to the scape you have now and take your time there. You have spent a lot of $ and time on this, best to work and give equal weight to the scape. Let the ideas stew a bit.


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## AussieDIYFK

that manzy looks real nice and shoud give a real sense of depth with plants in and discus.
i agree with tom about hiding the overflows. should look more natural and cover that back wall with attached plants such as crested and trident java ferns,
keep up the good work and excited to see the next steps into your high tech setup


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## rbarn

I'm going for more of a quasi-biotope / river bank look. I dont want a wall of plants everywhere. So plants, but not too many plants. About only the top 1/3 or so of there overflows should be visible after the dwarf amazon sword and/or java fern grow in in front of them.

Lots of work left, I think I have a good image in my mind of how it will turn out. The wood from Tom is perfect for what I was wanting to achieve.


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## pseudomugil

rbarn said:


> . Thing is built like a tank


lol, see what you did there

tank looks amazing, can't wait to see it filled and planted.


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## plantbrain

rbarn said:


> I'm going for more of a quasi-biotope / river bank look. I dont want a wall of plants everywhere. So plants, but not too many plants. About only the top 1/3 or so of there overflows should be visible after the dwarf amazon sword and/or java fern grow in in front of them.
> 
> Lots of work left, I think I have a good image in my mind of how it will turn out. The wood from Tom is perfect for what I was wanting to achieve.


Well, see where you are at after a few weeks, months, year or two. I have never liked the overflows in any tank I've ever done.


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## Matsnork

I just love it when people with the means to do so go absolutely nuts and build something spectacular. Lovely build and thanks for letting us take part of it. 

A few questions; 

Were you set on the classic enclosed aesthetics from the beginning when planning this, or were you at some point glancing at the more modernistic styles like ADA?

Why all this hardware for "only" 300g? How long will it take for the tank cycle with all that filtration and UV?


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## rbarn

plantbrain said:


> Well, see where you are at after a few weeks, months, year or two. I have never liked the overflows in any tank I've ever done.


Yeah, I kicked myself later for not doing an external overflow on the sides of the tank. it was a custom built to spec tank so could have done whatever I wanted. Just didnt think about it.

I'm going to do a terraced build up in front of the overflows about 1/3 of the way up and then plant either dwarf amazon sword or java fern on the top of that. Their leaves get about 8" long, so that should only leave the top 4" or so of overflow visible.





Matsnork said:


> A few questions;
> 
> Were you set on the classic enclosed aesthetics from the beginning when planning this, or were you at some point glancing at the more modernistic styles like ADA?
> 
> Why all this hardware for "only" 300g? How long will it take for the tank cycle with all that filtration and UV?



I always planned on it being in the bookcase. It had to look like part of the house and not just a box of water in the corner.

I would have put a larger tank, but the 300 gallon is what fit the space. The original plan was for a 96" X 36" X 30" tall 540 gallon, but 36" stuck out into the room too far. So I went with the 96" X 24" X 30" - 300 gallon. As I have been wrestling with the wood in the tank I'm kind of glad I could only fit a 300g. Reaching to the back of 36" tank would have been a maintenance headache in the long run.


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## mopani

still following this post by post, It will look awesome but can it live up the hype.. so close yet so far


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## Dxpert

Have you made any more progress? I'm excited to see that filter working.


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## andyl9063

hey rbarn,

I'm curious about your co2 setup with the discus.
I read somewhere you're only dosing 3/4 ppm of co2 correct to not stress the discus out.

You think that would be enough to sustain your highlight and plants?
I'm currently dosing about 3/4 ppm of co2 in my tank with discus. If I get past 3/4 ppm, the discus seems stress out.


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## rbarn

Not sure what you mean by 3/4 ppm

Plants like 30 ppm or more. This can stress fish.

I plan on somewhere around 15 ppm and then auto dose with Seachem Excel liquid carbon to keep the plants happy and algae at bay.


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## andyl9063

rbarn said:


> Not sure what you mean by 3/4 ppm
> 
> Plants like 30 ppm or more. This can stress fish.
> 
> I plan on somewhere around 15 ppm and then auto dose with Seachem Excel liquid carbon to keep the plants happy and algae at bay.


Sorry, I meant 1 full point in ph drop which means 30 ppm.
so in your case, half a point of ph. 

Isn't that a lot of excel to be dosing every time? You'll probably go through a lot of it then.


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## antec

Last time I remember, you wanted anubias only. Have you decided to to get other plants? Anubias can grow just fine with 15ppm without excel.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk


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## rbarn

andyl9063 said:


> Isn't that a lot of excel to be dosing every time? You'll probably go through a lot of it then.


It will take some experimenting to find the balance to keep the fish happy, plants happy and most efficient Co2/Excel levels.
and yes it will use a lot of Excel. i will be buying it in the 2 liter jug.



antec said:


> Last time I remember, you wanted anubias only. Have you decided to to get other plants? Anubias can grow just fine with 15ppm without excel.


Problem is algae grows even better at 15 ppm. Mostly anubias and java fern is the plan right now.


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## plantbrain

rbarn said:


> Not sure what you mean by 3/4 ppm
> 
> Plants like 30 ppm or more. This can stress fish.
> 
> I plan on somewhere around 15 ppm and then auto dose with Seachem Excel liquid carbon to keep the plants happy and algae at bay.


This does not work out.

Well, if you use low light.............

I run 45 ppm in client tanks with discus and pure reconstituted RO etc.
I run 55 and 70 ppm in my own tanks, and I've bred a lot of fish in those tanks............

Excel is not going to make up the difference in optimal plant growth. It's better than nothing, but it's no substitute for higher light tanks.
It will help non CO2 tanks a fair amount, but they already have low light.

Excel is a general biocide, fish do not like it either. It does not foster a good bacterial cycle either. I only rarely use it myself.

For smaller nano tanks, it's not a bad option, or where folks are scared or do not want/need CO2. I've tried it for several years on larger tanks to mitigate poor CO2, this does NOT WORK well.

FYI.


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## plantbrain

Here's a 450 Gallon tank I did with fairly low light, good CO2 and lots of water changes:











NOT my fish choice, but colorful to be sure. 
Your filter will be better and you have sump, this was all cansiter and water changes.


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## andyl9063

plantbrain said:


> This does not work out.
> 
> Well, if you use low light.............
> 
> I run 45 ppm in client tanks with discus and pure reconstituted RO etc.
> I run 55 and 70 ppm in my own tanks, and I've bred a lot of fish in those tanks............
> 
> Excel is not going to make up the difference in optimal plant growth. It's better than nothing, but it's no substitute for higher light tanks.
> It will help non CO2 tanks a fair amount, but they already have low light.
> 
> Excel is a general biocide, fish do not like it either. It does not foster a good bacterial cycle either. I only rarely use it myself.
> 
> For smaller nano tanks, it's not a bad option, or where folks are scared or do not want/need CO2. I've tried it for several years on larger tanks to mitigate poor CO2, this does NOT WORK well.
> 
> FYI.


45 ppm of co2 and the discus is not stressed ?


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## Cardinal's Keeper

andyl9063 said:


> 45 ppm of co2 and the discus is not stressed ?


probably had a higher o2 load as well. When using wet/dry or other methods you can increase o2 while also increasing co2.


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## rbarn

plantbrain said:


> This does not work out.
> 
> Well, if you use low light.............
> 
> I run 45 ppm in client tanks with discus and pure reconstituted RO etc.
> I run 55 and 70 ppm in my own tanks, and I've bred a lot of fish in those tanks............
> 
> Excel is not going to make up the difference in optimal plant growth. It's better than nothing, but it's no substitute for higher light tanks.
> It will help non CO2 tanks a fair amount, but they already have low light.
> 
> Excel is a general biocide, fish do not like it either. It does not foster a good bacterial cycle either. I only rarely use it myself.
> 
> For smaller nano tanks, it's not a bad option, or where folks are scared or do not want/need CO2. I've tried it for several years on larger tanks to mitigate poor CO2, this does NOT WORK well.
> 
> FYI.



Thanks ! roud:


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## andyl9063

Cardinal's Keeper said:


> probably had a higher o2 load as well. When using wet/dry or other methods you can increase o2 while also increasing co2.


if so, how can maintain equilibrium?
Say you're start pumping 45 ppm of co2, there's not a lot of o2. How can you provide enough level of o2 for the fish to not be stress?
Is it just more surface agitation?


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## Cardinal's Keeper

andyl9063 said:


> Is it just more surface agitation?


simple answer, yes.

The challenge is maintaining or more importantly measuring your o2 levels in relation to the higher co2 levels. He can correct me if I am wrong, but this is a graph of Tom's 180gln tank. Notice the o2, co2 and the lethal levels. With an increase in o2 , the amount of co2 that he is able to add is much higher than what is thought as *normal, until it hits its saturation point in that system. 

(Tom or anyone else please correct me if I have misstated something)


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## tomfromstlouis

rbarn said:


> ... yes it will use a lot of Excel. i will be buying it in the 2 liter jug...


 Metricide is 2.6% glutaraldehyde, stronger than excel, and can be bought in gallons.


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## Shris

...ahem...


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## FishStix

rbarn said:


> So, bought a new house and always wanted a massive multi-100 gallon tank.
> Plan is a 300 gallon 96" long X 24" deep X 31" high tank done up with all the bells and whistles.
> 
> I am doing lots of remodeling so I had the contractor run a cold water line to under the tank and a drain will go out an exterior wall next to the tank and drain into the back yard. Water changes will be constant and automatic. Trying to make the tank as hands off and self supporting as possible. All I should have to do is vac out the fish poop a couple of times a week, replace filter media once a month and change out Co2 tanks.
> 
> *Lighting: *
> (2x) 48" Corrallife Aqualight Pro hybrid lights each with twin 150W MH lamps, twin 96W PC fluorescent lamps and 3 1watt lunar lights
> 
> *Controller:*
> Reef Keeper Elite NET - full PH control and Co2 injection. Heaters, Chiller, UV light - the works
> 
> *Filtration:*
> Custom homemade acrylic sump with constant drip water exchange system
> 
> *Tank scape:*
> Sand bottom with mineralized top soil sub base, with wood and some nice swords for plants.
> Wont quite be a biotope, but wont be a crazy super planted tank either.
> Shooting for a look similar to the award winning ADG discus tank.
> 
> Couple of months of build time. So watch for a slew of updates and build pics.
> 
> Stand is framed - Will be finished out to look like nice built book case eventually.
> Ultra strong with 2x6 supports and a doubled up 2X10 header running over the front opening.


How tall is the stand your tank on? I know you have not filled the tank yet, but do you think it going to be easy to work on with it being 31". The reason I ask, is I am in debate with my wife about buying a 265, 84x24x30, and she thinks it will be a nightmare to work on. Stand going to be 34"

Thanks


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## rbarn

Nothing new guys, work getting in the way lately.




FishStix said:


> How tall is the stand your tank on? I know you have not filled the tank yet, but do you think it going to be easy to work on with it being 31". The reason I ask, is I am in debate with my wife about buying a 265, 84x24x30, and she thinks it will be a nightmare to work on. Stand going to be 34"
> 
> Thanks


You just need a good step ladder.
I got one of these and it works great so far just working on the construction phase.

and if it will fit get the 84X30X30 ..... I wish I had done the extra 6 inches front to back.


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## teddo10

OLd pic:
37641454_00005139 by Edvet, on Flickr
I still have and use this tank, it's a pain to work in. i can reach the front 1/3 easy, the next 1/3 just and the back 1/3 hardly, i have to use dive goggles to work there. Sometimes i have to stand in it. I love my tank, but you have to think before you do with these sizes.


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## ofird

rbarn said:


> Nothing new guys, work getting in the way lately.


Can you post a link to this one? Or the bigger one?


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## rbarn

ofird said:


> Can you post a link to this one? Or the bigger one?


They can be found at most good sized hardware stores. No need to special order.


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## aja31

Wow, read through all 3 years of this journal, what a ride.

I can't wait to see what it looks like done. 

I guess I haven't been dreaming big enough, my dream tank is only a 55g...


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## Devesh

This is one amazing build, looking forward to see the rest.


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## thelub

If I was a mod I'd remove the 'new' from the thread title


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## llayz

this is insane and awesome!! just spent 30 mins going through 39 pages.. TANK IS NOT FILLED?!?! haha I can't wait to see it done.. this has go to be the most expensive home planted tank ever..


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## Bercey

Anything new!?


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## maddmaxx

Interesting... ..... Just a lonely cup of water


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## 180g

i demand AN UPDATE. :icon_evil ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,ooops sorry bout dat. :icon_eek:


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## rbarn

So I haven't been completely slacking on the project. Had to divert to my koi pond because it was having issues and already has water and fish in it and needed a serious filter re-do.

Finally finished up my filter flush drain system out to the bog garden. Was a bit frustrating getting everything sloped just right to insure proper drainage, but I got there eventually. 100+ feet of drain with multiple clean-out ports for long term maintenance and clog prevention

Most of this is for servicing the koi pond filters, but the aquarium and R/O drain out to my bog garden is now finished. This was going to be a major delay for the aquarium anyway since this is where all it's waste water is going.




















Aquarium drain for tank flushing and R/O waste water run off will come out the brick wall and empty into the 4" pipe.












Must be about 100,000 tadpoles in my bog garden. all those little black specs are tadpoles 












Bog garden itself is doing nicely and I have started to edge it in large moss rock boulders


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## plantbrain

It'll be a happy bog.


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## thelub

Will those tadpoles control the mosquito population?


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## rbarn

thelub said:


> Will those tadpoles control the mosquito population?


No, but all the cool dragon flies buzzing around it do.


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## thelub

Good deal. That bog garden looks like a future mosquito farm.


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## rbarn

It's been like that for 2 years and haven't noticed them any worse. The plan was to back fill it with compost/peat, which I might still do, but I like what it is naturally evolving into as-is. I saw a 3' blue heron walking around in it last week hunting frogs. There are also all these cool blue and green dragon flies buzzing around it too. Little flying mosquito munching machines.


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## ua hua

Here I am getting all excited seeing that there's an update on your tank journal thinking its all done and filled with water. I know wishful thinking on my part. 

That is a very nice bog nonetheless. At least no one can say that you do stuff half a$$ed. What do you have for plants in the bog garden?


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## rbarn

I did not plant anything. I wanted to see what would naturally sprout up. What looks like Pickerel Weed has started growing out of it all on it's own. Seems to be really taking off now too. Has pretty clusters of white flowers.


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## ua hua

rbarn said:


> I did not plant anything. I wanted to see what would naturally sprout up. What looks like Pickerel Weed has started growing out of it all on it's own. Seems to be really taking off now too. Has pretty clusters of white flowers.


That's very cool. Do you have any plans to plant anything in it or are you just going to let nature do it for you? Some iris would look nice and would spread rather quickly. Lobelia cardinalis is another favorite of mine that can fill in and give you lots of color.

Pickerel weed usually has purple flowers although there is a white variety but I think you might have arrowhead in there by the looks of the remains of the flowers in the first picture.


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## MaxLaf

Okay, I'm off topic but could you please take a picture of your backyard? Looks pretty much like my dream house


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## EwDeg

As I read through this journal in one sitting, and saw many comments along the lines of "24 pages and no water?!" I thought to myself "there's sure to be water and fish on page 40." Heh, well here I sit amazed. Amazing build so far! Can't wait to see the discus!


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## AussieDIYFK

any updates mate 
as i really want to see this project finished?


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## NWA-Planted

For the love pf aquariums... is it done yet???

Sent from my SM-P600 using Tapatalk


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## lamiskool

NWA-Planted said:


> For the love pf aquariums... is it done yet???
> 
> Sent from my SM-P600 using Tapatalk


Highly doubt it lol, this man has the patience of a rock. Actually a good thing when it comes to planted tank keeping but unfortunately I dont have lmao


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## DGarone

My money, not to be mean, is that it won't happen for one reason or another.


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## thelub

It will happen, but he might go straight to a full blown reef instead of a planted setup


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## alemao420

Any progress? 
Props to the patience, dude started the tank back in 2011 and it is not done yet. I'm already going mad anxious reading the whole topic, I would've gone bananas if this were to be my tank.
Again major props for the build and stellar props to the patience.


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## Lilyth88

And here I thought I was bad. I started my 30 gallon in June and it still doesn't have water yet. I'd be going NUTS if I were this guy!


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## Dan110024

Well done on the attention to detail. Just when you think that you've thought of it all, you pull another trick from your bag. 

How are you going to combat a regular and accurate fresh water drip system? I don't have much/any experience in them, but I would think a more reliable solution would be a dosing pump hooked up to a fresh water source. That's how I've always envisioned a regular fresh water feed to be setup.


Not to go off topic here, but I got thinking about what would happen if work asked you to relocate for a few months while at a crucial time after filling. How would you respond to that? In our eyes, it might seem completely reasonable to decline the offer or push to stay where you are, but in other peoples/management eyes it might not look so good at all. After all this work and preparation, to fill it and have to maintain and watch it through the most crucial stage, I doubt it would be as easy as getting a family member or an inexperienced friend to look over it while you're gone.

When I say 'you', I mean the general/avid tank keeper.


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## Silmarwen

Just checking in. I'm bouncing with excitement--this is coming along so wonderfully!! It's possibly the longs thread (chronologically) I've ever followed, but it's so unbelievably worth it to see this slowly coming together. I'm glad you got a bit of water in it already, although it'd probably be more satisfying if it actually touched the bottom of the tank


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## lauraleellbp

Hey- we need an update and pics before everything starts closing down for the winter! 







(Can't believe summer is over in a week and a half- I'm Not Ready :icon_cry


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## AussieDIYFK

any news of late, would love to see this beast stocked and flourishing


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## Saxtonhill

Love the bog garden! Looking forward to updates


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## lamiskool

Wonder if this guys still around/if the tank is still being set up...havnt seen an update in a long time.


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## kwheeler91

Maybe he filled it and everything died. This threads so long I cant remember if the guy has ever kept discus before. Anyone know? Would be one hell of an expensive trial run lol. But seriously who in their right mind could stare at an empty tank that long? Especially one so large. Would have put some crappie in there in the beggining and had some nice sandwiches by the time anything tropical made its way in.


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## trailsnale

would love to know where this stands....


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## thelub

He was posting on ReefCentral for a while. I bet he went to the dark side with it before he even got fresh water in it.


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## FischAutoTechGarten

I followed his build over on Simply Discus too, but he stopped updating there years ago.


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