Pre-build planning-400ish gallon tank

Thinking about this more, I really don't know that two hammerheads would be enough flow to make me 100% happy. Currently thinking something along these lines:

3x glass-holes dart overflow boxes each with a pair of 2" drainage bulkheads.

1x Reeflow Sequence 9000 for return and to run any needed accessories.

2x Reeflo Sequence 9000 each hooked to an OM-8 way with 2-3 static outputs running front to back of the tank

That would give me something like 15,000GPH turnover after head loss for the closed loop system which is close to 40x turnover PLUS the return. Still looking into a wavebox or something similar, but the only one I have thus far that seems to get good reviews in the Tunze and it is only rated to 300G so adding one PLUS the extension is a little cost prohibitive.

Thoughts?

EDIT: You really think a pair of waveboxes would provide enough flow without anything else to keep a variety of corals happy? I tend to keep very mixed reef but focus heavily on SPS and LPS

 

Well cost prohibitive how? Even with the extension it would be much cheaper than the closed loop
And yes, the one with the extension would be plenty of flow IMHO. I did tons of research and asking around on those things, and am still wanting one sometime in the future for my 200 long, and was only going to run one of them with my tank.

 

The waveboxes would be easier (and may be cheaper) than the closed loop, but if I were sinking this kind of cash into a tank, I wouldn't do anything but a closed loop. Just something about boxes and cords hanging down inside a tank that I find unnatractive. The 2 9000's on the OM's would be great.

 

Well, I was not planning on running the waveboxes as a stand alone solution but did want some sort of wave generator in the tank. Looking at it from that angle, the $1100 for the pair was a lil outside what I can spend.

 

So after thinking on this for a long while and the input from everybody here I have decided on this equipment, some of which was already mentioned:

96"x36"x30" Three sided viewable plywood/glass hybrid. This I decided on this for ease of construction and setting it up for the closed loop and so with what I save over building an all glass tank I can use Starphire. Going to with with 1/2" glass for the project.

3x glass-holes dart overflow boxes each with a pair of 2" drainage bulkheads.

1x Reeflow Sequence 9000 for return and to run any needed accessories.

2x Reeflo Sequence 9000 each hooked to an OM-8 way split along the back with 3 returns coming up from the bottom of the tank for rockwork flow and additional surface turbulence.

External coast to coast overflow with 6x 2" drains

1x Reeflow Sequence 9000 for return and to run any needed accessories.

2x Reeflo Sequence 9000 each hooked to an OM-8 way with 2-3 static outputs running front to back of the tank

75g sump with a 29g refugium. (already own the tanks )
EDIT: Thinking about it, if I have room I will probably pick up a 150g stock tank for the sump, run the 75g as a fuge/macro tank. The 20g tall in storage should make a wonderful remote DSB, leaving me to run the 29g as a QT/hospital tank. The 20g long will make a nice frag tank, probably end up adding a second or a pair of 30/40 breeders to supplement it.

4x Hamilton 1000w MH's running 20k(either Ushio or Coralvue) bulbs supplemented with 4x 48" 2 bulb Tek T5 retro's with an equal split of Actinic+ and superblue

Reefkeeper Elite V2 controlling everything

Ozotech 200mg/hr ozone unit w/ dryer

Octopus 6.5" dual chamber calc reactor with kalkwasser drip into seperate overflow container

Probably going to go with a CoralVue skimmer to be different either the 10" 2 pump or 12" 3 pump, whatever the budget allows.

Also have a design for a semi-auto water change system. Two 55g drums plumbed into the system for a two ball valve change.

I am looking into building a wavemaker into the system. I have successfully built a couple syphon-style and want to attempt it on a larger scale for this. That is a final space dependent project, though. If budget allows I may just drop a Tunze box in and call it quits.

Forgetting a number things im sure, but this is looking like a pretty good rough draft thanks to all the input.

 

sick sick sick... cant wait

 

Wish me luck, I am checking out two places after work Thursday.

Funny enough, if they happen to have no suitable space for a project like this I think my fiance might get a report they are just plain awful

EDIT:
P.S. Any of you CT cats want to give me a hand on the build once it is under way? I am never above bribing with pizza and cold beer.

 

Sounds like a great build idea!

but I strongly would deter you from using 1000w MH lights. They really don't need to be used, almost at all in reefing. On a tank 36" or less 250's will work just fine. Taller than 36 to around 5 foot the 400s work great. Even 6 foot tall tanks apparently don't need 100w halides. Jeff Turner from ORA gave a presentation to our club a couple years back. He is the main dude at ORA that designs, builds, sets up, and maintains large custom tanks for home and business. He showed us a plethora of crazy tanks and he said on no occasion would he use 100w halides since a 400w setup with a very good reflector will do the same, if not better job as the 1000w lights.

I don't know whether you re doing 30" or 36" tall, but, either case 400s will be more than adequate, if it is only 30", 250s will be fine. Now if you have a solar panel array that you could have run all the 100w lights on and not pay any $$ to the utility Co, then by all means go ahead.

 

Funny, I was actually just about to post some musing on that lighting topic. I already have 2 400w halides sitting in storage from my 150. I was considering just running the ballasts/bulbs, picking up an extra 1-2 and tossing on Lumenarc or Lumenmax reflectors. Still going to run the T5's mostly for actenic and supplemental lighting but you are right it would save a TON in long term costs. I seriously doubt I will go any higher then 36", right now 30" is the plan if for ease of use then any other reason.

The other thing that has been bouncing around is going acrylic vs starphire. The pricing for 1/2"-3/4" glass vs acrylic is pretty close, and it may just be personal paranoia but acrylic makes me feel a lot safer. The biggest concern that I need to read more into is bonding the windows to the tank, as I know acrylic and silicone is a no-go.

 

http://www.fnzas.org.nz/uploads/media/GlassThicknessCE.xls
here is a glass calc for sizing (The pricing for 1/2"-3/4" glass vs acrylic is pretty close)
sounded like you havnt decided what size your looking at this might help...