180 Gallon Mixed Reef Living Room Build

[backdraft_reefer]

Super nice build

Thank you!

 

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Been a few days since an update. Got some more things done on the tank and took some pics of some coral. Everything is settling in nicely. Corals are coloring back up and some have even started to show some growth into the new rock. I’m have to constantly test my parameters and dial in the 2 part dosing since there is no coralline algae in the new tank yet. I added the auto feeder to the tank to feed once a day. Overall tank is looking great!

P.S. I got the word that the custom panels for the stand will be installed on October 28th

Here is some eye candy

 

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Waking up to the moon lights still on starts my day off right! Tank is doing great. Added a few snails for cuc and my urchin out of my frag tank. I’ve been trying to decide weather I want to stick with filter socks or move toward filter cups with floss. Currently, I have one filter cup to see how quickly it captures detritus as opposed to the filter socks. I started doing this about 3 weeks ago and must say, I really love not the idea of just swapping the floss. The floss also seems to catch more than the socks. So last night I order two more filter cups from Marine Depot and will place them all in service for a few weeks to see if I want to make the switch for good. Let me know if there are any pros/cons that I can expect by going this route.

 

[backdraft_reefer]

Keeping the updates coming. Worked on a bunch of smaller projects for the tank this week. I got my second Dos set up to dose mag and KZ trace element complex. I decided to keep the same dosing regiment from my previous tank because of the success I had with it. I also switched over to filter cups using floss instead of socks. So far, I find it much easier to use than having to clean the socks every few weeks. The only issues I see with this is making sure to switch the floss every 2-3 days because they filter so much out. Additionally, my Nyos 220 skimmer working like a champ! I am use the BRS space saver container as a waste container. It sits perfectly behind my ATO container. Lastly, I am hoping my custom stand panels will be installed next week. I’ll be posting a lot of pics!!

 

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Came home from a long 48 hour shift this morning and found that the stand lights had been delivered. It took about an hour an half, but I got them mounted and all the wires organized. It’s perfect timing since the custom panels will be installed on Tuesday

 

[MrWheelock]

Looks top notch! Great work

 

[backdraft_reefer]

Looks top notch! Great work

Thank you!

 

[KrustyKrab305]

Great job on your build. Your setup looks awesome.

 

[backdraft_reefer]

Great job on your build. Your setup looks awesome.

Thanks! I’ll keep the updates coming!

 

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They are finally in!!! After patiently waiting for almost two months, the panels for the stand are in and installed! Big shout out to James and Mike of Inspired Closets in Charleston, SC for the amazing work they did. The tank had five panels total surrounding the stand. They are matched to some cabinets I had installed a few months ago in my kitchen. I would HIGHLY recommend this company for any closet, cabinet, or (in this case at least) aquarium stand design needs. They are extremely professional and are detailed oriented. As the pictures show below, the front three panels are standard white while the side two are glass. I did this for two reasons:

1. Maintenance. I purposely placed all reserviours on the outside of the main Geosreef sump. This allows me to manually check all my levels without opening any doors. My ATO container, calcium, alkalinity, magnesium, trace elements, skim waste container, and CO2 reactor are all visible from one of the sides.

2. It looks cool!!! I love showing off my tank to anyone, but to another reef nerd, I know they want to actively see the sump and what runs the tank. This is a great and easy way to show the sump and all the filtration. To add style, I choose stand lights under the tank that can change colors. I think this adds extra flare to the entire system and makes it more enjoyable to everyone!

Below are pics of the entire install process and the finished product.
Let me know what you think!!

 

[lilchris_357]

This is one of the sweetest systems ive seen in a long time. That cabinet is awesome. I will be following.

 

[backdraft_reefer]

This is one of the sweetest systems ive seen in a long time. That cabinet is awesome. I will be following.

Thank you! I’ll keep the updates coming!

 

[backdraft_reefer]

Been working some overtime at the station, plus went out of town for a friend’s wedding, so I have not had much time to work on the tank. Good news is that everything is running great! Corals are growing and I already have coralline algae growing on the bottom ABS sheets. I ordered some more gear for the tank which I hope will be in later this week. I will post some updated pics before I leave for my big Europe trip later this month. In the meantime, here are some pics of the trip to Dallas/Fort Worth this weekend. I was not in town for very long, but did have some time to go to the Dallas World Aquarium. I will say, I absolutely loved it! While not the largest aquarium I have been to, the set up and rainforest feeling was fun and unique. Here are some pics

 

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Got some new gear earlier than expected!! I ordered a Apex controller and a Marine Depot controller board for the area next to the tank. After having some issues with my internet provider recently, I decided that have a analog controller as a back up for my tank was a necessity. I decided to mount it in the wall are next to the tank to make it controllable and viewable without removing any panels. So, I love the set up, however, I think I will order a second board to place under the first. I think this will add better visual harmony to the tank as well as give me space to place some buttons for the Avast Marine switchboard. I also like the idea of placing a dedicated IPad or Amazon fire on the board to control anything I need done without having to grab my phone or computer. Let me know what you guys think!

 

[mrvjames]

What did you use to hold your trim and door panels to the metal stand?

 

[backdraft_reefer]

What did you use to hold your trim and door panels to the metal stand?

The bottom trim is epoxied to the stand itself and the top trim is nailed to the plywood board that is under the stand. The panels themselves are attached using multiple earth magnets that are placed into the back. The company is Inspired Closets that custom built and installed all the pieces. They did a phenomenal job. Plus, everything is lifetime warranty. If anything breaks or falls, they will replace it. Here is a pic of the magnets on the back of the panels.

 

[backdraft_reefer]

Quick update, things are continuing to run very well. Corals are coloring up and growth is starting to increase. I came home yesterday morning to find my carpet anemone attempting to eat my urchin. At first I freaked out, but then realized that there was nothing I could do without causing further harm to both animals. The only thing I could do was to keep checking every few minutes and let nature take it’s coarse. Luckily, it all worked out. The anemone ended up letting go of the urchin and everything went back to normal. I think this is a good point to make that sometimes, we need to just let things in our tank happen, good or bad. Letting our tanks run as true ecosystems as opposed to display cages I believe is far more beneficial to the animals inside. Here are some pictures from the event. Sorry for the blueness, the lights had just come on and I did not want to light shock anything in the tank.

 

[backdraft_reefer]

Quick update: just got to Europe for my nice two week vacation. Spent the last few days packing and getting the tank set for me to be gone. My room mate will be watching it while I’m overseas. He has done this multiple times in the past, so I am very comfortable with him watching it. I did a small water change just before I left and got some good top down shots of clams and some corals. Hope you guys enjoy!

 

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Finally got around to do a new update! Been on vacation for the past few weeks in Europe. Tank faired pretty well with only some very minor issues. I did lose one small acro colony. However, after getting some new test reagents, I think I narrowed it down to my phosphates being extremely low. I ran my Hanna low range phosphate checker twice with different vials just to be sure. According to it, i have zero phosphate in my tank. This does explain why some of my corals have started pailing out. I think my first plan of action will be to add a few more fish. I do want one more tang (thinking lieutenant tang) and a few more anthias or chromis.

 

[backdraft_reefer]

BIG UPDATE:

Sorry for not updating the past few weeks. Life and work got crazy, but I got past it and back to normal The tank is doing great for the most part. I am losing two of my big acro colonies that I brought over from my old tank. Both are STNing and I feel it’s because of a massive alk swing my tank experienced a few days after coming home from Europe. Still trying to figure out what exactly caused it, but parameters have stabilized and Alk is steady around 10dkh.

Now here is the good news:

I no longer have to worry about power outages! I got a emergency generator installed into the entire house. This is great for all the hurricanes South Carolina has been affected by the past few years. No more worrying at work about how the tank will be when I come home days later! it was a GIANT investment, but I also believe in investing into my house for future sale. Check it out

Additionally, I ordered a fish food holder for my Apex AFS. The bracket is from @melev at Melevsreef. All I can say is wow! Mark really makes quality acrylic work and it looks and functions great! I highly recommend looking at his website and YouTube channel. I will definitely be making future orders from him. Here are some pics: