Need advice / help building a 1345 Gallon system

[SaltwaterJim]

For the last year and a half Ive had a 120 gallon reef without a sump and always bought my water pre-mixed from skiptons so I don't have much experience with plumbing and operating a large system but just like many of you I've become addicted and have always wanted multiple tanks to enjoy.

Here's the plan for my basement fish room which consists of a finished room for the display tanks and an unfinished part of the basement for the sump, refugium's, mixing tanks, Laundry sink and a desk ........

4 - 20 gallon display tanks
2 - 90 gallon display tanks (Still to be purchased)
3 - 120 talll display tanks (Still need to purchase two )
1 - 125 gallon display tank
2 - 75 gallon refugiums
1 - 150 gallon sump (If you think I need a larger sump I can plumb another 150 into it)
2 - 150 gallon mixing tanks

1 - Reefkeeper Barracuda gold pump servicing the display tanks.
1 - mag 3 pump to circulate the mixing tanks.
1 - BRS 5 stage plus rodi unit
1 - Apex controller. (Still to be purchased )
? - Not sure yet what pumps to circulate the refugiums or to just use the display pump
? - Heater, skimmer, chiller are still undetermined.

I'm going broke allready and still don't have everything needed.

Skipton's will be making weekly service calls

If any of you have some free time and would like to help put it together or can stop by to simply give advise I would appreciate it.

Also if you have any equipment you are selling cheap or willing to donate that can be used in a system this size please contact me.
Thanks
Jim

 

[cstmpprl]

My 1 question is Why so big so fast? You need room to upgrade ::...If your going broke with purchasing the items you want, How will you afford to stock the tanks, never mind the electric bill and salt needed to keep the system running. We have a 120, 75, 65, 150 sump and a few small tanks and our electric bill is around 300.00 ( give or take 100) every month.. Take it slow is a good motto for saltwater tanks..

 

[sumpmonkey]

My 1 question is Why so big so fast? You need room to upgrade ::...If your going broke with purchasing the items you want, How will you afford to stock the tanks, never mind the electric bill and salt needed to keep the system running. We have a 120, 75, 65, 150 sump and a few small tanks and our electric bill is around 300.00 ( give or take 100) every month.. Take it slow is a good motto for saltwater tanks..

+ 1 to that talk about addicted

 

[gweston]

It may be easier to plan for expansion, but start with a more manageable upgrade.

I am moving from a 30 gallon tank to a 125 long. I want a 40 breeder secondary display, a frag tank, and possibly another tank for a mantis shrimp. I may eventually get there, but I am doing it in stages.

I am starting with the 125 display and a rather large sump system (~100gal). I'm going to set up the plumbing so I can plumb in the other tanks at a later time when I am ready for them. Because of this, I am better able to control the tank budget, and build the one I am working on right... rather than end up with multiple half finished tanks.

Even going slow and working on one tank.. it is costing more than I originally thought. But, it has been very manageable.

 

[CrazyCorals]

y not just one big tank instead of a whole bunch of small ones.....it would actually be cheaper too get one big tank than a crap load of small one....easier to maintain also.........

 

[Jocko]

Awe darn I was hoping it was a single 1345 gallon tank.

 

[dcforester1]

For the last year and a half Ive had a 120 gallon reef without a sump and always bought my water pre-mixed from skiptons so I don't have much experience with plumbing and operating a large system but just like many of you I've become addicted and have always wanted multiple tanks to enjoy.

Here's the plan for my basement fish room which consists of a finished room for the display tanks and an unfinished part of the basement for the sump, refugium's, mixing tanks, Laundry sink and a desk ........

4 - 20 gallon display tanks
2 - 90 gallon display tanks (Still to be purchased)
3 - 120 talll display tanks (Still need to purchase two )
1 - 125 gallon display tank
2 - 75 gallon refugiums
1 - 150 gallon sump (If you think I need a larger sump I can plumb another 150 into it)
2 - 150 gallon mixing tanks

1 - Reefkeeper Barracuda gold pump servicing the display tanks.
1 - mag 3 pump to circulate the mixing tanks.
1 - BRS 5 stage plus rodi unit
1 - Apex controller. (Still to be purchased )
? - Not sure yet what pumps to circulate the refugiums or to just use the display pump
? - Heater, skimmer, chiller are still undetermined.

I'm going broke allready and still don't have everything needed.

Skipton's will be making weekly service calls

If any of you have some free time and would like to help put it together or can stop by to simply give advise I would appreciate it.

Also if you have any equipment you are selling cheap or willing to donate that can be used in a system this size please contact me.
Thanks
Jim

I think everything looks like a go. I would just plumb in that second 150 sump, just to be sure.

Good Luck, your going to need it.

 

[Ray]

that is the way to grab the bull by the horns!!!
I had a system with 8 or 9 tanks running off 1 sump/pump, not hard to do but make sure you have enough power from your return pump or multiple pumps and more importantly your sump can contain all the water that is in your drains and return lines in case of a power outage

 

[Mike King]

From my experience of plumbing multiple tanks together.... you do not have enough gph flow from only one barracuda pump. You will need at least double that. add up all the water in the system including all your plumbing then figure out your linear feet of pipe. when you get those 2 numbers you then can start figuring out how powerful of a pump you need.. just guessing on how large a system you are plumbing and running many feet of pipe from the unfinished basement, I would have at least 10,000 gph @ 0' head pond pump. at your distance your actual gph will be about half the rating. just my 2 cents.

 

[Ray]

I would rather have less circulation flow (more time for the skimmer to work) and use powerheads for circulation in the tank

 

[JayM]

if you get 5x through the tank every hour, you're doing fine, and there should be closed loop or powerheads to augment flow. Moving water horizontally is much less expensive in terms of power used and heat generated.

Tanks can always be added/ I'd start slower, and leave time for getting your arms around the system as it expands.

I started with a 72, then went to an undertank sump/fuge, then added a 92 which went to a basement sump, then it all got tied together. But I didn't do it all at once.

 

[SaltwaterJim]

Thanks for all the advise.
I've decided to go a bit slower. So far I have setup a 200 gallon mixing station plumbed into the sump for water changes. A 120 gallon sump, a 125 display tank as well as a 75 gallon quarantine tank.

This week I'll be adding a 120 tall to the system and hopefully a 75 gallon refugium

I'm using the reeflow barracuda gold pump and will add another pump as the system grows. I'll also be using powerheads in each tank to help with flow

Yesterday I purchased a hurricane cat 2 skimmer which I beleive is a good start. If anyone is using this please let me know your experience with it.

I'm currently searching for a good 72 inch reef light if anyone has one for sale at a good price.

Thanks for all the help guy's
Jim

 

[MofoCorals]

Any pics?