43.6 Gallons of soon to be sticks and flowers!

braaap · Jul 22, 2015

Welcome to my reef journal. This is my first custom tank so I'm pretty excited. Also my first tank with a sump. So double excited. In over 15 years of reef keeping I've never had a sump. Too lazy and cheap I guess.

Anyways.

Tank. 36x20x14 Low Iron with center overflow. Using the Herbie method for my overflow. Here is a sketchup the builder did.

Equipment list.

(2) Ecotech Radion XR30W Gen 2 with wide lenses
(2) EcoTech Vortech MP10wQD
(1) Cobalt Neo-Therm 150watt heater
Full Apex with (2) EB8s and WXM for MP10 and Radion control
Elos Osmo ATO
Jebao 4 head doser
Reef Flakes Sand
Sump - Trigger Ruby 30 with Jebao DCT8000 return
Sump light - AI Nano.
Skimmer - Vertex Omega 130

My plan with this tank is to do SPS and zoas. No idea on fish except I want a Bluespot Jawfish and will most likely be hated by the Tang Police.

I'm currently finishing the basement remodel where the tank is going. Carpet will be here this weekend and I'll get it in on the 29th.

Current state of the tank.

It's future location before I gutted all the old carpet out. I put a ceiling, and walls into this room. Previous owners had just carpet through most of the basement and a few walls up. Didn't plan on replacing the carpet this soon as it was in not too bad shape but I never want to move this tank again. haha

Electrical compartment built into left side of stand.

Radions mounted and sump in. Most of the plumbing is done here too.

Picture of the stand mid build so you can see the compartment. The stand is 34inches tall. Had to keep it short so my wife could view from the top of the tank.

retiredsailor · Jul 22, 2015

Looks very promising.

braaap · Jul 22, 2015

retiredsailor said:
Looks very promising.

Thanks! I'm excited for it. Thursday of next week it should have water in it. Weekend of the 1st-2nd at the latest.

Paulday · Jul 22, 2015

Like the flat screen for them to watch finding nemo

braaap · Jul 22, 2015

Paulday said:
Like the flat screen for them to watch finding nemo

haha. Ya and below that is the cubby for the fireplace. Once the remodel is done I'll reinstall that along with the mantle I'm building to surround it.

retiredsailor · Jul 22, 2015

Are you building the stand from scratch? It's looking real good so far.

brady · Jul 22, 2015

Wow, looking great! Who ever built that stand did a really good job...nice and clean, plan out perfectly!
Was just wondering why using the wide lenses on the radions....thought the tank is at 36" long with two of these would be more then enough...
Will tag along....nice build with great equipment btw...

braaap · Jul 22, 2015

retiredsailor said:
Are you building the stand from scratch? It's looking real good so far.

Yes. Built it all from scratch.

Few build pics. Totally done now.

Day I got the tank.

brady said:
Wow, looking great! Who ever built that stand did a really good job...nice and clean, plan out perfectly!
Was just wondering why using the wide lenses on the radions....thought the tank is at 36" long with two of these would be more then enough...
Will tag along....nice build with great equipment btw...

Thanks! I built it. I've been putting this entire setup together for just over 3 months now. Tank took 9 weeks from time I paid until it was in my garage.

Using the wide lenses for more blend of the colors. Without them it looked like a disco ball.

brady · Jul 23, 2015

braaap said:
Using the wide lenses for more blend of the colors. Without them it looked like a disco ball

Glad to know...will look more into it.... it might be okay if my tank is deeper...
Wow...amazing...I'm sure will be excited to see that thing gets wet... you probably already been thinking of what to house in there

braaap · Jul 23, 2015

brady said:
Glad to know...will look more into it.... it might be okay if my tank is deeper...
Wow...amazing...I'm sure will be excited to see that thing gets wet... you probably already been thinking of what to house in there

Lots SPS and Zoanthids mainly. Pair of clowns and a kole tang and that is probably it.

revhtree · Jul 23, 2015

Great build so far!

NicksMixedReef · Jul 23, 2015

Cool build! And good ideas

braaap · Jul 23, 2015

revhtree said:
Great build so far!

Thanks Revhtree!

NicksMixedReef said:
Cool build! And good ideas

Thank you!

D_Hernandez · Jul 23, 2015

Nice Work!!

braaap · Jul 25, 2015

D_Hernandez said:
Nice Work!!

Thanks a lot!

braaap · Jul 29, 2015

Wet Water.

brady · Jul 29, 2015

Finally! Will tag along, I'm sure it'll be amazing once stocked up.

braaap · Jul 29, 2015

brady said:
Finally! Will tag along, I'm sure it'll be amazing once stocked up.

haha. I had the tank in and wet 5 mins after they finished the room. Had to install the piece of trim on the wall and caulk it first though.

Super excited to get it stocked. I have a few nice frags and colonies waiting at a friends.

brady · Jul 31, 2015

braaap said:
I have a few nice frags and colonies waiting at a friends.

It's always nice to have livestock waiting to be added...will give you a reason to get things done

Hope your wife will not suspect that you're cheating 'cause I'm sure you'll be sneaking out of bed just to check out your tank at night LOL.....

braaap · Jul 31, 2015

brady said:
It's always nice to have livestock waiting to be added...will give you a reason to get things done
Hope your wife will not suspect that you're cheating 'cause I'm sure you'll be sneaking out of bed just to check out your tank at night LOL.....

I cheated with the tank all night last night. Wife is out of town for a week.

After I got it filled I added the salt to the return section of the sump. I'm up to 1.023 right now. I'll get it to .025 tonight when I get home and then set up the ATO and place all the rock in the tank until she gets home to build the scape. I let her do that part.