Todd's ~ 320 Gallon System- A New Biginning?

The first time I heard the 'pistol', I thought my stand was breaking or something!

I knew I had heard it, finally saw it.

Everyone says they pait up with Gobies- well I've had a full grown blue spotted watchman goby, and have never seen them together. Oh well

 

that is a very colorful pistol

 

I increased my DT flow im preparation of about to add a 40B to my system.
It's been alot of work, and I'll post the pics once it's done.

Here's a shot of my DT last night

 

sooo pretty!

 

very nice !

 

OK, my 40b is online, pretty much done, with coral in it.
This is my shortened version of that build- still pretty long though;

This was the 40B, drilled in the bottom near the corners for 1" bulkheads when I got it.
I used it for one of the holding tanks for my 125-180 transfer June 2014.
I've kept it upside down so dust wouldnt settle in it much:


I moved my 55g I used as a mixing container out from under the stairs where it's been since June, so I could use the space under the frag tank and get in and out of there easy:


After much thought on sound stand building principles, yet leaving the area open under the tank to get it there and also use it as storage area, I decided on a design trhat incorporated the existing walls and I build a frame for the bottom of the tank- that sits on the braced area attached to the walls:


In using sound principles- all four corners are directly loaded into an upright 2x4.
These 4 uprights are attached to the existing walls- so no racking/leaning/failure.


Based on my planning/estimates of space/height- I had to notch out the stairwell supports just a bit:



I had recently added my Marineland 5500 RP into my system to my 180-with a bypass that was eventually used to supply the 40b frag tank:



Here's the FT in it's spot- up higher than my sump- which is pretty high up to lessen head height to the DT upstairs.


This is how I plumbed the drains:


This is how it gets from the previous photo back up to the sump:


Passed the leak test for my upright joints and the bulkheads:


This is the redirected bypass over to the FT:



A Box of Coral was brought by/given to me by MIke M, this was the kindle to get me to finich this project enough to get water/corals in it.


Some of the coral in:



I spent at least 30minutes placing this fiberglass rod I had into ther existing steps to hang my lights from:


Well, without remaking the hangers, I coldn't use the fiberglass rod after all, and hung the lights from a screw:

 

Got the lights on and most of the coral in:




This is it so far, plumbed the drains a bit different so they're silent now:


The entire 40b addition is silent now,
And was done entirely from reused lumber I had around, the 40b I had lying around,
the RP and lights I had lying around also.
I also had almost all the pipe/tubing I used lying around,
I did buy a bunch of 90's, 45's, and a few couplings.

I'm very happy with it so far.
This gives me even more room in my 125 sump to grow more chaeto!

So now I have the 180DT, 125sump/fuge, and the 40b FT all on the same system.

 

Current 1/3 DT and FTS:

 

Well, I guess it's not that impressive- eye of the beholder sort of thing.
I'm just glad to have the drilled 40b I"ve had lying around for about a year online with the system.
A new place to grow out frags and corals.
And to reuse more wood, pipe sections, RP, lights, etc. Vs. letting them sit in a box in the basement.

 

looks great Todd..