500+ gallon Build

This is the living room area in question... the blue tape on the room is a 8'x3' footprint.

 

View attachment 66113

 

Above is my latest concept design...

Here are the stats:
Display Tank: 96"x 48"x30"(32") = 600 gallons
Refugium Under tank: 96"x48"x15"(18") = 300 gallons
Sump: 48"x48"x15"(18") = 150 gallons

The above are water volume calculations: The actual display tank will 32" deep but obviously won't be filled to the brim. The refugium and sump will be 18" deep.

Total water volume will be 1050 gallons. Now, THAT's an aquarium!!!

I ended up with an equipment cabinet next to the tank. I still have the option of the equipment room on the opposite side of the wall and can always add that if needed later.

Comments on this overall design greatly appreciated. Next it to start doing detailed design on the each major component. Display Tank, Stand/Refugium, Hood, Sump/Cabinet.

 

Looks like your ideas are starting to come together looks really good.

Why did you decide not to do the equipment room?

 

Well... I couldn't bring myself to "waste" all the room under the tank. 48" storage would be cluttered and hard to manage...

I also really wanted to "maximize" total water volume. Everything I have read indicates that the larger the total water volume the more "buffer" you have and the easier it is the maintain the tank. I also really like the idea of a BIG refugium... with LOTS of live rock and chaeto. The volume under the tank is just perfect for a very large, shallow refugium.

Once I concluded the refugium was under the tank, my debate became does the equipment sump go next to the tank in the living room... or behind the tank in my utility room... I have it designed so that I can do it either way. The difference is that I would have a 48"x48" footprint in the living room and I would something like a 72"x30" footprint in the utility room. It can work either way. I am not fully decided on that aspect yet.

 

One thing you might consider: having a fuge that large, with chaeto, you should be able to control nitrates and phosphates without the DSB. Also, the message I've got is to pick either DSB/live rock, or macro for the fuge. I'm not entirely clear on the reason, but the experts seem to agree on this.

 

I did a bunch of reading and concluded on a large fuge and not doing DSB. I did not see anything saying live rock or chaeto... not both. If you have any links on that topic, I'd be interested in reading.

Thus... 2" sand bed is the conclusion.

I was thinking a fairly large amount of live rock and chaeto.... but if the experts disagree... I am open to listening to opinions... that's why I come to 3reef.... to hear those opinions and learn and improve.

M

 

By the way, I am thinking "gyre" flow.... vertical divider. With a 4 foot tank front to back, I have the room for a island in the middle and then to create circular flow alternative around the island. Doing more reading there... but that's my current plan. Also have an idea for creating some flow from the inside buried part of the island out to clean out detritus from accumulating in the island core. We shall see.... it is an evolving concept.

M

 

I came to that conclusion from watching the Julian Sprung debate. That seemed to be the one area they agreed on. They were more specifically talking about chaeto and DSB being conflicting and didn't specify rock necessarily if i remember right. I can't seem to get a link from my phone to the YouTube debate.