90G Upgrade

[higgy2010]

So after starting out with a 14G cube, I've become addicted to this hobby. Within a few months, I added a 24G cube and a 40G breeder. Now, at the six-month mark, more or less, I'm looking to consolidate these.
I picked up a really clean, reef-ready 90G tank last Sunday from a fellow reefer (on another forum) at a great price. Now I'm ready to move up.
Based on my trial-and-error experience (with the fish I've lost over time) and a lot of forum reading, I'm leaning toward going bare bottom with this new tank. (Plus, I love experimenting.) I believe I will have enough flow to blow detritus off the bottom into the water colum, over the overflow and into the sump, which will have a DSB and refugium.
That's where I am right now. Work, school and a toddler may significantly slow down the build process, but this hobby is my decompression valve, so I'm committed.
Currently I'm leak-testing this and planning out the plumbing and the transfers, as well as furiously making RODI water. 90 gallons is a lot of water for me!
I'll begin posting pictures when I find some spare time.
Here's to a new adventure in reefkeeping :tea:

 

[Solus]

me and you are in the same boat buddy I just upgraded to a 90g cube and barely finished the plumbing sunday and it is now cycling with live rock and live sand

 

[iReefer]

nice Ian
let see some pix.

 

[adam1121]

Hey man, im on this site too haha. Im glad you like it. Have you started planning out your plumbing yet?

 

[higgy2010]

Hey, Adam! Love the tank, man. It's almost filled up with water now. I'll begin plumbing this weekend, hopefully if I have time.
Kimmy, good to see you buddy! The free frags you gave me look good, with the exception of the xenia that didn't survive.
Solus, you're way ahead of me. I need to move tanks around before I can even put this tank in place.
And here're some preliminary pictures:
Front shot, filling up with water

Side shot

Custom stand, picked up the same day

 

[adam1121]

How are you going to plumb it? just the standard way through the overflow?

 

[Solus]

90g long nice mines a cube

 

[halvc909]

Good start Ian... Nice oceanic tank...maybe try to get a nicer stand for it, I would build u one if u were a little closer to me

 

[adam1121]

Yeah....sorry about the stand haha. I stole it to use for my 72. i forgot to ask you what you were going to use for a stand as well. I coulda built you a steel one for cheap.

 

[higgy2010]

Standard plumbing, through the overflow. I'm going to implement your idea of the siphon effect on the drain line with a Y split. I have a bulkhead that appears to be of the same size as the drainage hole, but is actually a little smaller. So I plan to go to the LFS to find the bulkheads, plus plumbing parts from OSH

 

[adam1121]

Nice, post pics as you go. And test it before you put everthing in haha...preferably outside haha. Yeah....those gate valves were cheap at our osh compared to....everywhere haha.

 

[wickedfish]

Good start I'm tuned in, babies, and more babies. I had to add locks to my stand, my lil one is a nosey one. She's a reefer in training.

 

[higgy2010]

April 23 Update

I finally found the time to move the tank inside and did some housekeeping. Photo updates follow:

Stand in position

Tank and stand

GFCI - already paid off a few times over

 

[higgy2010]

April 23 Update (cont.)

Filled with Caribsea Seaflor Special Grade sand and saltwater

Plumbing: drain pipe (left) and return line

Ball valves for drain pipe (left) and return line

 

[higgy2010]

April 23 Update (cont.)

Water clears up after 3 days; temporary rock formation for cycling purpose

Test drive of aquascape

My 40G freshwater - some of the goldfish have been with me for 8 years

 

[higgy2010]

My pets

This a mated pair of maroon gold-stripe clownfish that is highly protective of and never leaves their home, a haddoni carpet anemone. They are currently housed in a 24G nanocube that will be used as a quarantine tank once the 90G tank is completely cycled.

 

[higgy2010]

After one week of having liverock in the tank, my ammonia has hovered at 0.25, down from its peak of 0.5, with nitrite remaining constant at 0.05 and nitrate at 0. Here's hoping for a short cycle! My corals don't like their temporary homes very much.