200 Gallon build

[JohnVH]

Starting new build soon. 200 Gal. 72x24x26

Sump in the basement (wife's idea, I love her) no more carrying water up the stairs.

Combining 2 tanks 70g and 120g into one.


Will be posting more as it comes together, it’s going to take awhile. Over the years starting with fresh water and then into the salt, I’ve learned a lot from mistakes along the way and how not to do things with this build.72"L x 24"W x 26"H
Apex Fusion
Apex DOS x1
Apex Wav's x2
Apex ATO
Apex Probe Holder
Apex Breakout Box
Apex 1" flow Sensor x1
Apex 1/2" flow Sensor x1
Jebao Dosing Pump x4
Maxspect Gyre XF250 x2
Maxspect Gyre XF250 Advanced Controller
IceCap Backup Battery x2
Aqua Illumination 26HD's x3
Evergrow Nova S2 90W LED Refugium Light
Aquatic Life T5 60" HO Hybrid 4x80W
Vertex 200i Omega Skimmer
AquaMaxx VSB 12000 DC Return Pump
Finnex 800W Deluxe Titanium Heater x2 for Backup
Jebao 8000 DCP (For Manifold this will change)
AquaMaxx Fluidized GFO and Carbon Filter Media Reactor - XXL
Sump 130 gal (5 Chamber)More to come as build continues.

 

[Ian]

Looking good @JohnVH! :D

I love seeing build progress threads :).

 

[SantaMonicaHelp]

Will this be updated in the future?

-Kamran

 

[JohnVH]

yes

 

[JohnVH]

Received some more stuff for the build. Got the last two AI Hydra 26's and a pair of the Neptune WAV's, planned on getting 4 (want something on the back wall for random flow) thought that 4 WAV's through the APEX could come up with some great flows to minimize dead spots. I have a Maxspect Gyre 150 on the 120 now, was thinking of picking up another with an upgraded dual controller to have a pair on the back wall. A pair of WAV's would cost a little more but with the Gyre's I would be able to add an Ice Cap or equivalent battery backup in the future.

Also picked up Neptune probe holder and the Neptune ATK, and for the return pump I decided to go with a Magnus 12000 VSB by Sunpole.
I definitely wanted an internal pump. It can push a ton of water and the sump will be directly below the tank in the basement no bends head height will be 11.5 ft.

Should be getting new pics of the tank soon it is also still evolving

Still have to design the sump and finish scraping wall paper and paint the living room



I am taking away my wife's favorite place to sit

 

[JohnVH]

Build update, well the living room finally got painted and some work in the basement for the new sump.

Before




After



New sump design. Sump is 125 gallon with 5 chambers. 1st chamber intake, 2nd chamber is the largest and will hold Skimmer and items for manifold as well as function as water change chamber for water changes (aprox. 40 gallon), 3rd chamber will be for Cheato Refugium (aprox. 30 gallon), 4th chamber planning on Marine Pure Balls (aprox. 15 gallon), 5th Chamber return.

 

[JohnVH]

The tank should be in the house within the next 2 weeks getting ready to go.


Revamped my RO/DI system



Have pretty much all I need.
So far equipment for the new build.
Apex Controller with:
-ATK
-DOS
-WAVs x2
-Breakout Box
-1" Flow Sensor
-Magnetic Probe Holder

800W Finnex Heater
will also have 1- 300W and 1-500W for backup



3 x AI 26HD's
I also picked up the Aquatic Life 61" T5 Hybrid fixture for the AI 26HD's w/ 2 80W ATI Blue Plus and 2 80W ATI Purple Plus bulbs to supplement the LED's. I was going to get a 4th AI 26HD but decided to go with the hybrid instead.

Vertex 200i Omega Skimmer
AquaMaxx VSB-12000 Return Pump w/ controller for Apex
Evergrow Nova S2 90W LED Refugium Light
2 x Maxspect Gyre XF250 Pumps w/ Advanced Controller
2 x IceCap Backup Battery
2 x Gate Valves and Unions
LocLine for return

Tank has Herbie style overflow.
Will post more when the tank comes and when the Sump is done.
Basement is done sump stand is built, teleposts are in all I need now is some PVC and Elbows and I will be ready to go.

 

[Becky]

Looking good @JohnVH! Hope the rest of the build goes well :thumbsup:

 

[JohnVH]

Got the frame for the new build from my friend that built the tank. My wife said if its in the living room it has to look nice. It is very large, originally when the tank was built the sump was going to be in the stand but that changed to the sump going into the basement the wife's idea. A couple of trips to Home Depot and Lowes and basically winging it, I ended up with this ready to be sanded stained and finished and hardware. Tank is coming soon after that.

 

[JohnVH]

Stand is stained and ready, hopefully I'll have the tank on the stand within the next 2 weeks

 

[Becky]

Wow, that looks great! It blends in so nicely with everything else in the room too :)

 

[JohnVH]

THE NEW TANK IS HERE! THE NEW TANK IS HERE!

After over a year of planning and getting the room ready the tank is finally here. Still working on the sump but things should start to progress quickly.

 

[JohnVH]

Got the light assembled. Did not know initially how I was going to hang the lights. The mounting arms for the light are available but are a little pricey, especially in Canada they go from $100 - $130 a piece and for the 60 inch fixture they say you need 3 arms because they are only rated to hold 10 lbs each. Plus the fact that the light only comes with 2 mounting wires I would have to buy another set of 2 at another $60. So with tax I would have to shell out about $400 - $450. So I contacted an old neighbor that has the most AWESOME heated shop in his garage where he makes utility trailers. So I told him what I was looking for and in 2 days he made me the arms to mount the fixture to the cabinet for $50 out of 1 inch square steel tube (I gotta learn how to weld). 3 coats flat black Rust-Oleum rust spraypaint and good to go.

Like everything else for this build all acquired equipment over the last year and a half has been opened checked for damage and repacked and stored. Other than the AI 26 HD's LED's nothing been powered on or assembled. So that being said when I reopened and assembled the T5 Hybrid I did not account for the length of the Hanging kit wires which at the very minimum or shortest I could make them was 14 1/2 inches. I initially I only planned on having the mounting arms go 12 inches over the top of the tank. So the arms at their highest I could mount them was still not enough the light almost rested on the glass.

So I simply bypassed the adjustable slide cable and used bolt cutters to cut the eye bolt (I originally was also going to use a Carabiner on each side that would pretty much put the light into the water) and slid the wire connecting the 2 sides together and its at a good height should not have to adjust it.

Re-enforced inside the cabinet to accommodate the mounting arms

Next gonna finish the canopy.
Black Friday ordered large dual media reactor
http://www.reefsupplies.ca/online-s...-GFO-and-Carbon-Filter-Media-Reactor-XXL.html

Waiting on the sump.

 

[JohnVH]

Got the canopy initially done. Just have to sand, stain it and put the hardware on.
The Dual Media Reactor arrived along with a 3.8 liter box of MarinePure Bio-Balls.
Also ordered 36w UV Sterilizer as wells as a 1/2 inch flow sensor for the Apex to go with the UV and 1 more 3.8 liter box of MarinePure Bio-Balls. I have been slowly stocking up on Unions I think I have about 10 or 12 and about 40ft 1.5 in PVC and a bunch of 45's. Just have to finalize the Sump design and I can get it into place and finally cut a hole in the floor. I hope to have water in by XMAS.

 

[JohnVH]

The canopy is finished, now just getting the sump finalized.

 

[Becky]

Wow @JohnVH it's looking fantastic! :thumbsup:

 

[Loz]

Nice one you have taken a lot on but I’m sure you will be rewarded

 

[JohnVH]

The sump finally arrived. It's a BEAST and I think after helping me bring it in and down to the basement my neighbor doesn't ever want to see me again. After much apprehension I finally committed to cutting holes through the floor once the sump got situated. The equipment is finally coming out of the boxes and things are falling into place. Still have to dry fit everything and figure out water line and power layout.

 

[JohnVH]

Starting the plumbing should have water in it soon.

 

[JohnVH]

I had to move the flow meter into the basement it made way too much noise in the cabinet.

Manifold and sump are pretty much done. I had an accident plumbing the lines for the tank in an awkward area over the sump and dropped a ball valve and cracked the sump