240g Hap/Peacock setup...800 watts of Metal Halide light, DIY wetdry...PICS

NOLAGT

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Dec 5, 2007
2,346
16
68
Louisiana
Ok not fully setup yet but enough for me to go on and start the build thread. I plan to have water in it by the weekend...might not have the gravel in it yet...im trying to track down some 3M colorquartz S grade in black at a fair price. I have been posting some pics here and there so some of yall may have seen some of these.

Tank is a glasscages 240 long 8'x2'x2'. Stand was custom made by the people who did my kitchen cabinets. Wet-dry is made by me with common containers you find at Lowes. Because of the layout in the stand I decided to make 2 sumps the same and connect them with 1.5" PVC. Return pumps will be 2 mag18's...and im also running 2 xp3's for mech filtration. 35w UV to help with sickness and any green water that may want to take off due to the powerful light. I am going to try to run my dual 400w MH setup...had them already...if its too much ill go to T5's. I will have a slew of fans to help with heat...and a reefkeeper elite controller to run it all...

On to some pics...

Without the table in the way....




With the kitchen table in its spot...and how it looks compared to my kitchen cabinets...







The lights are two 400w bulbs (probably will be 15K) in some lumnarc reflectors. They are 20" x 20" and just sit on top of the canopy where I ahd them cut a big opening for them. These really spread the light out!




Here is the start of the plumbing. The 1.5" drain from the tank will split to two 1" runs that will go into the first garbage can that will have a combo of 100 and 200 micron filter socks. At the top of that garbage can i'll have two 1" bulkheads that will let the water flow into the next (lower) garbage can filled with scrubies and bio balls. Bottom of that can is cut out so the water will flow onto the mag 18 that will bring it back to the tank. One xp3 on the side. This setup will be mirrored on the other side of the stand and the two sumps will be connected.



Here is one of the overflows setup. That is a aqua silencer from champion lighting...basically like a stockman overflow. Then for the return off the mag18 will be 1 1/4" hose/pvc to the 1" bulkhead on the bottom of the tank. That 1" line goes to the 3/4" lockline adapter that splits to two 3/4" lockline runs with the flat tip. This part im not sure of...i'll see how much GPH I end up with once its up and running....might get changed a little.




For the "bio towers" I just took a 41qt garbage can...cut out the bottom...zip tied some egg crate...zip tied 3/4" PVC to the bottom to the water can flow. I was able to stuff around 150 scrubbies and 150 bio-balls in EACH bio tower. I found a plastic container that fits nicely in the top of the garbage can that has a lid. I cut the bottom off and ill put in some plastic pegboard for a drip plate. And the lid will keep it quiet!!













and where I stopped last night...playing in the sink :popcorn:

 
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Reactions: Kolossus

NSKIRK559

Candiru
MFK Member
Jan 2, 2009
559
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CA
That is going to be and awesome setup can't wait to see the whole thing done!
 

BigCountry

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Mar 6, 2009
726
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Charlotte, NC
Superior setup...can't wait to see bass in it.
:D
 

cassharper

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 16, 2007
1,628
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Mansfield, Texas
BigCountry;2944660; said:
Superior setup...can't wait to see bass in it.
:D
I'm just guessing since the second fish in the title is haplochromis he's probably talking about aulonocara sp. (peacock cichlids), not that over-rated game fish cichla sp.

--

But very nice tank, works awesomely with the already built in furniture.
 

NOLAGT

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Dec 5, 2007
2,346
16
68
Louisiana
Thanks everyone...I enjoyed reading all the great info on here and seeing other setups so I thought I would return the favor. I am not doing Pbass...all male peacocks like cassharper is talking about. I was going to do Pbass but since I could really only get 24" out the tank front to back with that table in the way I decided to wait till i do a tank in my office. Then I will have some big boys!
 

ettfettbranamn

Polypterus
MFK Member
Nov 26, 2007
3,471
130
96
sweden
I'll be keeping an eye on this one.
 

gotpiranha?

Fire Eel
MFK Member
Sep 11, 2005
1,233
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Lowell MA
Wow this is awesome.Cant wait to see it all up and running.
 

CJB

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Dec 20, 2008
113
1
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California
That is going to look great. It already looks good with nothing in it.

I really like the color temperature that the MH's give off. Pretty sweet.
 
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