265 Gallon Build (First Ever)

jm23

jm23

Active member
Well I brought home my first tank today. A used, but in great condition 265 gallon perfecto reef ready (85"L x 24"W x 30"H). I have read too many threads to count and feel confident to start the hands on learning process. First let me say thanks to everyone who has shared all their knowledge and first hand experiences and second thanks in advanced for answering a thousand questions I am sure I still have.

Well lets get started...

First mistake I made was not taking the glass tops off the tank when it was in the trailer driving it home. I opened the trailer to find a tank full of shattered glass :doh: , but thankfully the DT wasn't scratched and I probably wasn't going to use them anyway. Still a heart sinking feeling to initially see.

The wife thinks the stand that came with the tank is hideous, so we agreed on a new tank stand design. I am going to build a bookshelf under the tank and put the plumbing through the wall and into the laundry room. I think this will look pretty sharp and make the area where the tank is feel more open. If anyone has seen this done before can you send me a photo as I would like to see other designs.

So here are the plans:

265 gallon tank (2 corner overflows 1-1/2" pvc)
Acrylic Sump
DIY Led Lights (RapidLED?)
2x QuietOne 5000 (Enough flow? I was thinking about one on a closed loop and one for the return from the sump. Thoughts?)
Skimmer (Ideas? Unlike some on this forum my budget is limited)
2x Koralia 850 gph powerheads
2x Heaters (Which ones would you suggest?)
DIY Kalkwasser Reactor
Apex reef controler
DIY Tank Stand

What else am I forgetting?

As far as the inside of the tank goes:

SSB, White (Which type that will allow for gobies and other critters, but is still good for siphoning)
LR
Mixed reef (only a few SPS)
As much livestock as is manageable.

I will give a list of livestock later, so that you can give your input.

Well the journey begins...
 
Welcome glad to have ya gonna be a sweet build i plumbed my tank from 1st floor to bsmnt if that helps at all pretty easy only thing i would say is draw it out first then make holes wouldnt want to do it twice other than that we will need some more info what will your tank be fish only fowlr softie sps lps ?? this will help with reccomendatios for equipment best word of advice i can give is do it right the first time it might take a while to get all the right equipment but will save you tons of head ache and money in long run looking fowars to this build and pics
 
Welcome to the reef! That broken glass probably took several hours off your life. Sounds like a monster and an awesome project. We need pics!

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
 
Skimmer and limited budget don't belong on the same line of your post. Definitely budget this as one of your most costly items. You are going to want a good quality skimmer from a reputable company. If you can buy used to save money that helps, but be aware you forego any warranties as a 2nd owner and should assume the manufacturer will be generous to cover any problems if they arise. Super reef octopus, JNS, Warner Marine are all great choices with modern designs. I personally love my Warner marine mf201 which is designed to keep micro bubbles in the skimmer, I have it sitting only a few inches away from my return pump, with no sort of bubble trap between, and no bubbles make it back up to the display. The mf201 should work well on your system since it can pull over 1200lph of air, but there is also a mf251 that utilizes a pair of pumps for even more air input.
 
I would say save the money on the koralias and just do a closed loop with a mag18 or something, and then use the money you saved and get a better skimmer! If you are going to do a loop, then don't bother with powerheads, that's what the closed loop is meant to do.
 
And for the sump return, I'd say the quietone5000 is overkill. You don't want the sump return to be used for flow. Get a smaller one, something around 900gph, and you'll thank yourself. And then there's some more cash for a good skimmer!
 
I updated my location...Tinley Park, IL. The Koralias and Quietone 5000's came with the tank, thank you for the suggestions though. In regards to a close loop, I have 4 drilled holes total split between my 2 corner overflows. So, would I one output to sump and input to tank from closed loop on one side and input from sump and output from closed loop on the other?

Lunacris, yes I am going to do it right the first time, I have learned that lesson in other areas of life. Plus if I got a nano tank to start, I don't think my wife would let me upgrade. I showed her how much room the tank would take up in our family room before I bought it, but when she saw it the first time she kinda went :faint2: . In regards to the type of corals, I do want a mixed reef tank, a little of everything, but starting out slow with just one type until I know I can keep them alive. Not sure which coral I will start with (suggestions...).

I just don't understand how these skimmer companies charge so much for a fancy piece of acrylic with a pump, but yes I am planning on getting a good skimmer for my size tank. I am looking for a used one as replacement pumps are readily available, so if anyone knows of anyone selling a used one at a good price please let me know.

Here are some pics (nothing fancy, but you asked):
View attachment 4809View attachment 4810View attachment 4811View attachment 4812View attachment 4813

The stand is upside down in the picture. I am making adjustable shelving , but the shelves are killing me with all the angles and none of the right tools (notice only one shelf is complete). I should be done assembling the stand tomorrow if all goes well. The tank still has some of that darn broken glass in it. The LR (drying out) that came with the tank has some really beautiful pieces.

Well that is all for now...
 
Hello and welcome aboard...that's one heck of a beast, but in no time, you'll have it up and running. :)
 
A couple of things you need to think about are running some type of phosphate control(gfo for example), and I would recommend running carbon as well. As far as heaters I recommend the jagers. They are not very expensive, and the only ones I have ever had that are reliable over time. Also, if you are going to have corals you will need RODI water, and a lot of it for that tank. You should consider buying a unit from either BRS, or Spectra pure. The one thing you can pass on is the controller. I would love to have one, and someday will make the investment, but it is not a necessity. I would spend my money on these other items first.

Good luck
 
Frankfish said:
A couple of things you need to think about are running some type of phosphate control(gfo for example), and I would recommend running carbon as well. As far as heaters I recommend the jagers. They are not very expensive, and the only ones I have ever had that are reliable over time. Also, if you are going to have corals you will need RODI water, and a lot of it for that tank. You should consider buying a unit from either BRS, or Spectra pure. The one thing you can pass on is the controller. I would love to have one, and someday will make the investment, but it is not a necessity. I would spend my money on these other items first.
Good luck
Click to expand...

RO/DI is on the list, the wife likes the idea of having pure drinking water (using the drinking water kit of course). Thanks for the recommendation on carbon and the heaters, I will look into those. The controller is somewhat of a necessity with DIY LED if I want them to be able to dim, I am sure there are cheaper dimmers out there though.

Ok, so this question will sound completely noob, but do heaters have a temperature control in them? Say once the water hits 79 degrees they shut off? This is something everyone talks about getting your temperature figured out before you get corals, but they never talk about how. Thanks.
 
jm23 said:
Ok, so this question will sound completely noob, but do heaters have a temperature control in them? Say once the water hits 79 degrees they shut off? This is something everyone talks about getting your temperature figured out before you get corals, but they never talk about how. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Great question. The answer is yes, but with caution. Reason being is that when a heater fails, it usually fails in the "on" position which will result in a big bowl of fish soup. All controllers have settings and probes to manage heaters. They will cut off the supply of electricity to the heater so you never need to worry about it. The Apex will cover this.
 
Jon, it was good to meet you yesterday. I hope that skimmer works out for you. I wish i had had the chance to use it. I look forward to seeing your tank up and running!

out of curiosity, what's wrong with the ASM, that he needed to get a good deal on it?
 
capysolo said:
Jon, it was good to meet you yesterday. I hope that skimmer works out for you. I wish i had had the chance to use it. I look forward to seeing your tank up and running!

out of curiosity, what's wrong with the ASM, that he needed to get a good deal on it?
Click to expand...

Thanks again Mark.
 
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