Dallas' 500L Reef

[dallasg]

Sketch up, design and road ahead




Tank 1200x800x500 12mm glass with 2 sides starphire, 2 sides viewable

Sump is 750x350x350, with 700x120x400 RO chamber

Stand is 50mm square tube, 850mm high clad in 18mm ply painted black with one side having a glass window, there will be a built in waterproof cupboard for the electrics and power station which will be 2 x 105A deep cycle batteries with an Ellies 600w/1000VA inverter.

Skimmer: Reef Octopus Bubble Blaster Skimmer with a Bubble Plate 3000-INT – bubble blaster 3000 pump

Filtration: Zeolith Reactor Reef Octopus ZF-140 with OTP2000 pump, Filter sock and ZeoVit Blue bottles. Carbon I will run on a Reef Octopus Phosphate reactor powered by a OTP500 pump. Reef Octopus Calcium Reactor fed via my return pump.

Temp Control: Jager 300w heater, Haelia 500A chiller controlled by a Digital Thermostat controller with temp probe

Lighting: Silver Ceiling 8 x 54w T5 unit, with geiseman globes ( Aqua-pink, actinic, midday, actinic+), I will however upgrade to KZ New gen & KZ Fiji Purple T5’s

Flow: 2 x Vortech MP40W ES mounted on the back pane, with a Atman return 3500Lph

This tank is now going to go full ZeoVit, I will be assembling the stand and new plumbing this week, with the aim of getting water in this weekend, that’s the plan anyway. The one thing I like about ZeoVit is that it keeps my sump simple, small and clean.
While I have been debating my lighting I have decided not to use LED just yet, I feel that the light spectrum still needs some massaging, more on this later. So now I am going to keep my T5’s (432w), with KZ New Gen and Fiji Purple. I will be using Reefers Best Salt which allows me to do a 5% water change every 2 weeks which keeps a nice balance of maintenance vs laziness since I never did water changes before in any of my tanks

At the best of times I have A.D.D. when it comes to tanks, but I think this is going to have to be it for at least a year, well that’s my goal. The only add-on I would do is the reef angel controller which I am currently looking at building.

I am planning to aqua-scape using the Iwagumi way, inspired by the minimalistic scaping of ADEE’s tank and Yano from ZeoVit.com. The bonus is less rock in the tank, so more flow for the vast Colonies I plan to grow J

My Fish Stocking list will be my Favourite 5 I have had for ages:
15cm Yellow Belly Regal Angel (Paracanthurus hepatus var.)
16cm Vlamingii Tang (Naso vlamingii)
10cm Sailfin Tang (Zebrasoma veliferum)
Long-nose Hawkfish (Oxycirrhites typus)
Lemarck Angel (Genicanthus lamarck)

While I am still out on what I will keep, I know it will only be the rare and sought after, while in the past I have been an impulse buyer with way to many fish in my tank, I am now going to be more selective with the only planned additions so far being some black percs and a pair of Spotbreast Angelfish (Genicanthus melanospilos) and a pair of Bellus Angelfish (Genicanthus bellus)

As for Corals, this will be SPS dominated with odd scatterings of brains, blasto’s and Scolys. Namely:
Echinophyllia sp. (chalice)
Acanthophyllia deshayesiana (meat coral)
avites pentagona (war coral)
Favites bestae (Christmas favia)
Scolymia sp.
Blastomussa sps.
Acanthastrea echinata
Acropora sps.
Montipora sps.


That’s it for now, until my next rambling…

PS. I don’t have a super-dopper camera as I am rather buying Acro’s and new globes
But I will be adding some videos and the like as often as I can during the build, of course once the tank is stocked I will have to post regularly on the Blue-Bottle tank.

The next post will have pics of the equipment and setup

[Manic]

You sure it is 10mm because I'm sure when I built it I used 12mm. Looks good though.

[dallasg]

Originally Posted by Manic

You sure it is 10mm because I'm sure when I built it I used 12mm. Looks good though.

thanks, typo

[erratiC]

Tagging along... sounds like fun!

[chikaboo]

When are you planning to introduce the blue bottles? And who's gonna test how potent the sting is?

[Perky pets]

Originally Posted by chikaboo

When are you planning to introduce the blue bottles? And who's gonna test how potent the sting is?

I must have sped read this , i was still thinking about fire extinguisher or nos bottles ha ha ha - but you get that after a few brandy's !

A few more brandys and a incentive and i might test it !

Sounds like a awesome project - will follow this one
What about a black light to bring out extra iridescence of the blue bottles ?

[dallasg]

Hehe blue bottles = zeovit bottles
Hence the "

Maybe i should change the thread subject

[belindamotion]

Originally Posted by dallasg

Hehe blue bottles = zeovit bottles..

I thought so also..!! Until I saw the Blue Bottle post..

This tank is now going to go full ZeoVit

[Perky pets]

Originally Posted by dallasg

Hehe blue bottles = zeovit bottles
Hence the "

Maybe i should change the thread subject

ha ha ha , im putting the drink down now...

[student]

sounds great!
tagging along for this one!

[bothal08]

nice size tank man

[RUAN]

Looking awesome I am tagging along.......

[toppdogg]

sound good Dallas
+ 1 tagging

[mandarinman]

Good looking! Out of my budget zone! Will enjoy following this thread

[Adee]

Well thought out Dallas, following closley.

[dallasg]

Thanks all!

Trying not too over focus on details

[bothal08]

ive figured out that plans normally change as the tank unfolds...so just go with the flow

[dallasg]

I agree! While i normally do that, this time i am trying to reach a specific goal

[jaquesdp08]

no pics no water in the tank yet ?

[dallasg]

nope, i decided to change a few things, and also moved the tank so now i am ready to start with the RO