My 180 gallon reef tank plumbing build

[Rusty Heap]

I know several people on here have reef tanks, and want to share my awesome 180 glass tank build, for any suggestions from you other large reef tank owners.

I've been piecing parts together the last 5-6 years, going to be my dream tank after doing saltwater reefs for over 25 years!


-72" x 24 x 24" All Glass tank on a welded steel stand.

-Tank drilled with four 1-1/2" holes on the bottom to be a closed loop system at about 2100 gph for tank circulation using a Reeflo Dart pump. Flow exits are the steerable joints for direction flow control.

-Tank has a "coast to coast" overflow along the top of the rear wall, twin 1 1/2" overflows feeding down to a 40 gallonsump / refugium, then back up to the tank at about 750 gallon per hour using a Mag 7 or 9.5 sump pump.

- Sump intake goes through a 200 micro filter sock, then to the protein skimmer compartment, through a sand/plant refugium zone, then through a bubble trap into the return Mag9.5 to the tank.

- Triple 250 watt metal halides enclosed in a suspended overhead hood (simulated by the box in these pics). Tank will have folding glass lids in the three top zones.


I'm just finishing up design and all the valves, union disconnects, 45 and 90 elbows. Ultraflex pipe is bloody expensive. Going to be be a fun build from an engineering points.

I'm upgrading from a 135 tank that is 15 years old, but this new 180 with closed loop flow and coast to coast overflow is going to be a challenge to "get it right the first time"

I'M HONESTLY REALLY OPEN TO ANY SUGGESTIONS from experienced reefers, if you've jumped off the deep end of the pier!



This is my existing 135 gallon reef, gotta tear this one down and set up the new 180 in same spot, livestock will be in large water tubs in the meantime.








I'm estimating about 2700-2800 pounds wet and will shore up crawlspace floor beams with this 180................so Lets Dive on into the pool:

[aschen]

dumb question Ive always wondered


What regulates the height of water in the sump and what prevents the water from siphoning out if the pump quits?

Good luck this the project

[Hugh R]

Wow! and I thought my 50 gallon non-reef tank was impressive. How do you seal the joints in the glass?



In earthquake county, I hold my tank against the wall with plastic coated steel cables top and bottom that you can barely see, attached to turnbuckles through the wall to my atrium.

[Hugh R]

[McLovin]

That seems like a lot of pipes coming out of the bottom of the tank.

If one of those connections, or single line connected to one of those, springs a leak when you're not home, isn't that going to empty 180 gallons of saltwater into your house??

Maybe things are different in aquariums these days (I used to love em in the past), but I would want the only holes in the structure to be up very high, near the waterline.

[pavulon]

check valves?

Saltwater aquariums rock!!

Originally Posted by aschen

dumb question Ive always wondered


What regulates the height of water in the sump and what prevents the water from siphoning out if the pump quits?

Good luck this the project

[Les Paul]

You will be cleaning that filter sock every 3 days. I have a 125 with 2 and get a week before cleaning. And how do you intend to clean it. You need really really good pressure to blow that crap out.

[cstreit]

I had the same question about the bottom drains. When I did reefs we just used skimmer boxes to prevent drainage in the event of power loss,