bstreep's (Bill's) 215 FO Rebuild...
Here are some o f the ideas/parameters I’m looking at. I'm looking at a late fall/winter time frame:
Primary item to DO RIGHT, is from Mamma. NO MORE WATER SPILLS. We are soon going to replace our carpeting (it’s way ugly – original with the house from 25 years ago). We’ve been waiting for 1) kids to grow up and leave – they are both in their late 20s now and 2) our last dogs to go. Our last dog passed away a few months ago, BUT our daughter who works for me just sold her house, and is moving in for a bit until she finds a new one. She has 2 dogs… So… new carpeting is coming soon. We had only 1 big leak in the past 2 years. That was from “ice maker tubing” becoming brittle from being exposed to VHO lights. So, we want to be prepared for this. I have a giant sheet of pond liner. I’m thinking of wrapping the stand with it, to make a “pond” about 6” deep. I’ll put a 12v bilge pump, with a 12v AGM battery to supply power. That way it still operates when the power goes off. We have a wet bar drain right next to the tank so it can go into there. I’ll also cover the side walls and “front” of the stand with pond liner, so that any water that overflows will also end up under the stand, in the “emergency sump”.
Number 2 is minimal maintenance. We are never here on weekends. I want this to be a quick cleaning of the glass every few days, feeding of fish (2 fish feeders), and once a month an hour or so. That’s it. That’s what it HAS to be.
Lighting: This is easy. I have 2 x 72” VHOs. I’ll put 14K bulbs in them. That’s 340 wats, and really enough lighting for the tank.
Filtration: I’ve spent a whole lot of time thinking about this. When it was set up as a reef tank, I had a chiller plumbed outside. Those plumbing lines are still there – up above the tank, and between our 1st and second story, to the outside deck. So, I’ll leave the Hiatt filtration I have (replace the tribase carbon). I’ll add a sump with space for my old Ace-built beckett skimmer. This is fed via a Calfo overflow on the end of the tank. I’ll probably put my old 1700gph return pump on this – it works fine. This will also allow me to use my ozone generator, if I choose to (I liked ozone on my reef tank). Today, both of my in-tank drains and returns are at the bottom of the tank, and are fed by a single 1250gph pump, that also has the Hiatt inline. This is a pair of closed loops, fed by a single pump. I’ll separate those like before, each with it’s own 1250gph pump (I have these). I’ll also plumb in my old UV sterilizer – I think I still have that. In addition, I’m thinking of locating an Algae Turf Scrubber (ATS) outside. Since I have the aforementioned plumbing in place, I can take advantage of “free” sunlight for growing the algae. But here’s the problem. I need it to drain back. The only way this will work is if I place the bottom of the ATS above my first/second story line. Hmm. Up in the air! That should make for some fun cleaning… Any thoughts on this? I’ll feed it from the sump, and return it to the display.
Circulation: Well, I’ll have 1250gph x 2 on the closed loops. 1750 gph on return pump, probably 500gph (I have no idea) on the algae turf scrubber. Then, I have 2 2600gph Seios, with black acrylic “Ace Built” boxes. I’m thinking the right thing to do with these is to run them to a UPS. This way, when the power goes out, they still run.
Water Changes: Most folks know I’m a fan of BIG water changes. My old reef tank had a 30 gallon changing container under it. Problem was that it was awkward to get too, and I’m not sure that’s big enough! So, I’m thinking 50-55 gallons, again outside on the deck. This time when I run tubing to it through the top of the tank, I’ll cover the tubing. I’ll then pump the water up to the ATS return, to flow back to the tank.
Inside: I’m thinking of going white Starboard, rather than sand. Not sure. Anyone know how well Starboard does on the bottom? Does it get dirty and hard to clean? If so, I might go with just a wisp of white sand. Or, maybe black sand. Not sure.
Live Rock: Not in my tank. I’ll be looking for DEAD rock. Lots of it. I want it stone cold dead before it goes in. I don’t care if takes a long time to establish the tank, I don’t want anyone else’s (my own included) pests going into the tank.
Clean-up crew: Not sure here. I’m thinking about some fish that like to eat snails and crabs. So not sure what else. Maybe starfish? My old tank had thousands of tiny brittle stars. They were kind of cool. Any thoughts?
Fish: OK, this is where it gets fun. Have to haves: My favorite angelfish is a Rock Beauty. Very hard to get to eat (they only eat sponges in the wild), but I’ve been successful before. Like to have: Marine Betta (And, no, it’s pronounced “bet-ah”, it’s NOT “bay-tuh” – that’s a greek letter, not a fish). A puffer of some sort. They are just so comical. Maybe a boxfish, but they are poisonous when they die. Flame Hawk. Very cool and fun fish. Angler? Dwarf angel: maybe a Flame, maybe a lemon peel. Might also try an additional large angel, probably another Emperor, maybe a rare one. The Rock Beauty is a Holacanthus angel, a different genus. My last one was from the Red Sea, I think. Tangs: Hmm. I just don’t know. They are such a pain in the tail. A school of yellows are nice, but they have no personality. I love Kole Eyes. Maybe. Won’t do a Sohal again. Just way too mean. I mean, evil mean. I’d love to do an Achilles, but they are hard to keep, and can be as nasty as a Sohal. So, not sure here. Maybe a Powder Blue. Loved my old one. Sohal killed it. One shot. My pair of clowns I’ve had forever would go in. OK, I’ll step over the line here: The RBTAs will likely go in the tank too – I can’t give them up! Harlequin Tusk – yeah. Maybe some wrasses, but likely not with a bare bottom. Butterfly fish: Latticed Butterfly, Copperband, maybe Racoon. Maybe a pair of Manderins. Any other thoughts would be appreciated. It has to be a cool fish with personality. NO LIONFISH or other poisonous ones. No “saltwater Oscars” either (groupers, sharks, eels, etc.).
Quarantine: I think I need to do this. As otherwise noted, I want no introduced pests, if I can help it. I’m thinking something that will fit under the stand, would need to be less than 24” long, so it goes sideways. A 15 or 20 tall would be great, if I can find one. This way I can use tank water as feed water (not circulating back to the tank, obviously). I think a 10g is too small – but whatever I can get.
Bill
215g FOWLR... and anemones, GSP, gorgonians... carp, that isn't FO!
"I killed my first SW Fish in 1971..."
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And hes' Back in SW. 
Originally Posted by alton
