New 1.8mt Tank

[Dillan]

Ok I want to bounce this off the brain tank

I will be putting in a 1.8 mt 820 lt tank next week this will be my 4th marine tank in my house.(1 nano, 1 quarantine, one 350 lt reef)

Now as a sump is so important an never really a feature of the tank due to plumbing pumps ect (not saying it never is) but I find that a sump is normally behind a wooden cabinet or remotely plumbed in a separate room.

Now my idea is to have a “standard sump” (skimmer, pellet, LR) in line with a 200lt fuge and 200lt (maybe more) mangrove the latter 2 will be visible and the first housed behind doors under the tank.

The DSB Fuge will have T5 lights and have all the macro algae and outcasts in it.

The mangrove sump will be placed against a floor to ceiling window and get morning to late afternoon sun, trying to create a tidal area with timing on pumps flooding a higher muddy area” with a 400w 650k MH for afternoon “sun”

The plumbing of these three units back to the tank will be my headache but I am sure will be possible loads of pumps pipes and wiring.

Will this be over kill to have a 800+lt tank with a 800lt sump area?

Am I wasting my time and money thinking of doing this?

I want the 1.8 DT to be a predator tank 3-4 bigger fish and that’s all, or should I go reef? I will have 2x 400W 14000k MH on this tank.

All just ideas at the moment I have bought most of the toys so its just the build ahead.

Ideas please


All ears

 

[butcherman]

1.8 DT to be a predator tank

predators are messy eaters and will need great fitration

Will this be over kill to have a 800+lt tank with a 800lt sump area?

the more water volume the better in my opinion

mangrove

unfortunatly mangroves are protected in SA and you might find it very hard to get any. I suggest looking at other options.

 

[Jayceew]

You can never go wrong with large filtration capacity, parameters changes a lot slower on larger water volume.

Predator tank means probably no reef, so it's up to you what you are looking for.

 

[Dillan]

1800Lx600Wx800H is the size of DT

 

[Renannchen]

Cant wait for this system.. The bigger the better

 

[Salie]

Waiting for some pics

 

[Dillan]

Pictures will take some time hardware going into the tank so far.

2 x Vertex Bio pellet reactors Uf20
ATI Skimmer rated for 1000 lts so may need a second one
3 x 400w Mh with 14000k
2 x Polario wavemakers 22000 lph
3 T5 lights for over sump

I hope to have the tank in its place by this time next week.

I will be at the coast the end of the month to haul back as much NSW to start the tank off as well as some sand for a DSB in second sump.

Still wanting to go predator

 

[Salie]

That is pretty deep Height, looking forward to see this one flourish

 

[Dillan]

The 42 000 k MH lighting should get down to the bottom but i do plan a deep sand bed in the tank as well

 

[Salie]

The 42 000 k MH lighting should get down to the bottom but i do plan a deep sand bed in the tank as well

Cool 400w MH will penetrate that height. 42 000 k MH? do you get those? thought they only go to 20 000k

 

[Gary Roebuck]

The 42 000 k MH lighting should get down to the bottom but i do plan a deep sand bed in the tank as well.

just a point... the colour temp (expressed in kelvin) is not cumulative ie:
3x 14k is still 14k, however the lumen ouput is cumulative ie:
3x 32'000lm = 96'000 lumens which will result in lux experienced on the working plain.
6'000k - 10'000k is referred to as natural daylight, from about 12'000k upwards u're light becomes very blue...:1cool:

 

[Dillan]

3x 14k is still 14k, however the lumen ouput is cumulative ie:

Thanks Gary yeah was just being silly with the multiplication of the 3 units

The 14 000 units will be fine for the depth as they came of a tank of the same depth that was perfect. May go for just the 2 if the can cover the 1.8mts and then a 650k over the 3 sump that will be planted , maybe not mangrove but planted for sure.

 

[Nemos Janitor]

If you are going predator and/or softy/predator then i would not bother with the costly 400w HM lights. I have the same size tank with T5 and there is less of a heat issue and no problems with coral growth. Here is a clip of the tank.

http://www.marineaquariumsa.com/showpost.php?p=631304&postcount=22

 

[Dillan]

if you are going predator and/or softy/predator then i would not bother with the costly 400w HM lights. I have the same size tank with T5 and there is less of a heat issue and no problems with coral growth. Here is a clip of the tank.

Thanks I have the lights already lol so would feel bad not using them lol, will put them up with T5 as well and then play it by feel as to what needs to be in the tank.

 

[blackghostknife]

Hi @Dillan

Man I cannot wait for this tank to be started.

 

[Dillan]

Ok tank arrived all in one piece in Bloemfontein after a road trip up to JNB yesterday to collect. Stand did not fit in my vehicle so had to truck that up and will get it today.

Took 8 people to load this bad boy into the back so going to use 10 to get it inside just need to cut down a fence and get a pallet stacker to my house to assist with the placement of the tank, I have 5cm either side of the tank so it will need to be a precision placing.

More pics in next week

 

[Damen]

haha told you handling the sucker would be tough. ope you happy with the tank.

 

[blackghostknife]

That is one big Tank!

 

[Dillan]

That is one big Tank!

LOL look at that monster sump

haha told you handling the sucker would be tough. ope you happy with the tank.

It was a mission as we first tried with 6 people but the tank was outside so it was hot and as soon as you got your hands on they got sweaty and slippy mmmm but next week will be fun getting it inside and set up, throwing a concrete base on Monday for it to stand on then the lights and last the tank

 

[Damen]

cool will deff watch this develop. all the best with the tank