Benzzz 67g Starphire Shallow Reef

[benzzz]

Hey, Just thought I would add my tank build to the forum.

Started this build in January 2011.  and still not finished lol.

I will add some pictures and catch everyone up to speed where it sits now.

Thanks for viewing and questions and comments are welcome.    :laugh:

 

[benzzz]

Started construction on framing and where the tank will sit.

 

[benzzz]

On to building the sump.

 

[Poseidon]

oh wow! really shallow, would love to see what this looks like finished,
this isnt a size ive seen before, is it custom made? looks very interesting.
ive been in this hobby long enough to know that regardless of the tank size or shape, it can look absolutely amazing

 

[benzzz]

is it custom made? looks very interesting.

Yes it was custom built. Not by me. I bought it off of another friend reefer for 400 bucks if I remember correctly.

 

[benzzz]

couple more pics.

Bio Balls were replaced with LR.

 

[curiousphil]

Cool looking tank.  How tall is it?  And is that a mini Bubble King skimmer?

 

[benzzz]

Sorry I forgot details.  People always want the pics first lol.

Tank is 72x18x12

Substrate : Caribsea Oolitic
Return Pump Eheim Internal 1262
100 lbs mixed LR
reef crystal salt
Bubble king mini replaced with Vertex Omega 150 Skimmer.
GFO and carbon canisters,
2 part BRS for now. Have Vertex Libra just need to hook it up
Live stock is 3 clowns approx 7 yrs old and a pj cardinal
cuc is trbo snails nassirus reef crabs and star fish.
looking to stock corals again after MArch when basement is finished.
Lighting: 8 HALO Par 38 LED 80 degree optics. 4 hooked up and 4 still in the box waiting to hook up lol

what did I forget?

 

[benzzz]

Cool looking tank.

Thank you

 

[benzzz]

First SW tank was a 65g in wall with a 40 breeder frag tank....

 

[curiousphil]

Sorry I forgot details.  People always want the pics first lol.

Tank is 72x18x12

Substrate : Caribsea Oolitic
Return Pump Eheim Internal 1262
100 lbs mixed LR
reef crystal salt
Bubble king mini replaced with Vertex Omega 150 Skimmer.
GFO and carbon canisters,
2 part BRS for now. Have Vertex Libra just need to hook it up
Live stock is 3 clowns approx 7 yrs old and a pj cardinal
cuc is trbo snails nassirus reef crabs and star fish.
looking to stock corals again after MArch when basement is finished.
Lighting: 8 HALO Par 38 LED 80 degree optics. 4 hooked up and 4 still in the box waiting to hook up lol

what did I forget?

Internal flow 

 

[benzzz]

Oh... that's where i hit the wall.....  See the problem I encountered was my Blue Line pump for my closed loop died... i have a couple cheap chinese power heads in there now. Problem I have is that it is so shallow and my choice of sand it tends to pick up and blow around easy.  Someone told me that after 6 weeks it should gain wait and settle... didn't happen.  I want to invest in a btter return pump more flow like around 10 + times. now I am around 6-7. sump can handle it i think and I have choices od Eco tech mp 10's Koralia's or Tunze.  Why don't I hook up the closed loop again with a new pump you ask? I don't know perhaps I should.  I will fill it eventually with mixed corals. something like my other two tanks pictured.

 

[curiousphil]

Aah gotcha.  Sounds like a pickle.

 

[Jewel]

Nice Pics, Keep em comin, We love pictures.

 

[benzzz]

So my morning was a little hectic if I can say. I was cleaning the cup for my skimmer and my elbow knocked the down pipe in the center of my tank underneath for the input for my closed loop. I was very surprised that it was loose enough to shift..... It shifted the bulkhead and started pouring into the sump below. Being that I have ooiliate sand, it was not resealing the rubber in the bulkhead against the glass inside the tank....  panic mode....
So had no choice but to shut down the system and drain the tank for repair.

 

[pulpfiction1]

bummer.i hope you get things back up soon

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[benzzz]

Thanks,

to finish my story. I went to see Ken at SUM and bought 3 new Bulkheads and replaced them all. we got chatting about the closed loop and i told him that my old BL pump died a couple years ago and i have been running pwoer heads in side the tank. I asked him what he had for selection and explained it is a shallow tank with sand bottom so I dont need a sand storm. He told me he had a new Blue Line 55hd @ 1100gph and 90 watts. He said price is 360.00. I was undecided so I bought a few other things and browsed around. I got thinking man I have everything tore apart and I really did like the look of not having any wires hanging over my tank and these stupid power heads were ugly.  I took the plunge. Bought the pump came out to just under 400...

So for the rest of the day I was working on gettting everything put back together and tank filled back up. Worked out well actually. I was missing a part needed to finish off the closed loop but mounted the new pump and called it a day. I then decided to research my new pump ........ Ummmm... This pump if I am correct was replaced with a Pan World (same company)  50PX-X. Pump I have was dicountinued in 2012......

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/pan-world-50px-x.html

Wow I dont know what to say at the price in the link above to the price I paid today........
Sorry for the long thread here lol.

I am not sure what to do. I haven't turned the pump on yet or ran water through it. I wanna take it back and show him what I could of bought it for....  Did he make a mistake? Not like I am a joe he don't know. Spent enough there to put 3 or 4 kids through college....    gonna think this one out a bit.

Thanks for letting me vent. 

 

[davesolo29]

I'd take it back.


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[pulpfiction1]

thats a pressure rated pump.a little over kill for a closed loop on that tank.

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[Jewel]

You sure his name isn't Tom and you went to ORG? I'd feel terrible, really this guy knows you. Does he trust you enough not to think you're gonna call him on it?