I might be jumping the gun a little bit on this build thread since I don't yet have everything I need to actually start building this setup; but the tank is finally in the house after a few months on order so I figured I'd start this up to document the build and progression of this tank. I had build threads on Canreef and Reef Central for my 120 gallon mixed reef back in the day, but this forum seems much more active than either of those so I'm moving over here for the new build. As a bit of background, I set up my first saltwater tank 10 years ago. It was a 120G mixed reef and was fairly successful. That tank was restarted about 5 years ago when we moved homes and the tank suffered a bad crash when a heater cracked wiping out nearly everything in a mater of days. I also lost my T5 fixture around then and converted over to an LED fixture. I haven't really been able to keep SPS successfully since then. I never could quite get that light dialed in properly and then started to get lazy with the tank as a result. The stand has started to show signs of rot recently and we decided to take the opportunity to move the tank off of our main floor and into the basement. This will make tank maintenance easier, and not require me to hijack the main floor bathroom to make RODI water and the kitchen sink for water changes. It was my wife that actually suggested upgrading to a bigger tank so that we could house more tangs, so we measured up the space and decided on a 6 foot 180G tank.
The build started by clearing a space and getting a flooring contractor to come in and remove the carpet and replace with a commercial grade vinyl tile. We were very happy with how it turned out!
After the floor was done, we ordered the tank, steel stand, and sump. All were custom and were built in Calgary, Alberta. The tank is euro braced and drilled for a Ghost Overflow. It will be plumbed using a bean animal configuration. There are holes for two 3/4 inch bulkheads for the returns in each corner. I'm really happy with how it turned out and quite excited not to have a big overflow box in the aquarium.
The sump is 75 gallons (actual water volume will be less) and has two 7 inch filter sock holders, an 18 gallon refugium, a skimmer section and return section.
I will be using the rock in my 120g tank, and I have another 40lbs of rock that has been curing in a rubbermaid trash can for about 3 months.
I also had to replace my old quarantine tank, as when I pulled it out of storage all the trim broke off! Here is the new setup, which is strangely enough located inside the basement bathroom.
I have been gathering gear since Black Friday. One of our goals with this new tank was to be able to get back into SPS, be able to have more fish, and to set ourselves up for success by automating things where we can since we are away quite a bit in the summers. With that in mind, here is a list of the gear I'm putting together to run the tank:
Lighting: Aquatic Life T5 Hybrid with 3 Kessil A360X Tuna Blue LEDs with a wifi dongle (will probably bump this up to 4 eventually)
Flow: 2 MP40ES models from my 120g (will adjust as necessary once I see what they do in the tank)
Return pump: Neptune COR20
Skimmer: Bubble Magus Curve 7 from my 120g (this tank is at the upper end of what this skimmer is rated for so I may upgrade it once the bioload becomes heavier but I'm deferring that for now)
Controller: Neptune APEX EL with an autofeeder and a WXM Module to control the MP40s
Dosing: Kamoer F4 wifi 4 head dosing pump
ATO: Tunze Osmolator 3155
Heaters: TBD but I'm guessing I'll need about 500-600 Watts worth
Refugium lighting : TBD but looking at the AI Fuge light. I have time to make this decision as it will be awhile before there are enough nutrients to really need the fuge running.
I also purchased a couple Brute 44 gallon trash cans and will be building a proper saltwater mixing station in my basement. I have an old Quiet One 3000 pump that was my first return pump on the 120g but I quickly removed it as I found it didn't restart reliably when power was interrupted. That doesn't really matter for a saltwater mixing station though so I figured I'd save some cash and use it. I am strongly considering running some RO lines up the wall and through the ceiling between the tank and the saltwater mixing station before I hang my lighting or put water into the 180g so that I'm set up for for an AWC system. Eventually I plan to purchase a Neptune DOS for this purpose but figured I'd spend that money on getting livestock into the tank right now and implement the AWC later in the summer before camping season starts.
As it stands right now, I am still waiting on my ghost overflow to show up along with my ATO and some of the valves for the plumbing. It will probably be at least 2 weeks before I can start plumbing this thing. Now I need to start thinking about how I might skin this stand, and at a bare minimum what wood (and paint) I might want to add in the back and right side so that I can secure my plumbing and mount my electrical stuff. I plan to magnet mount plywood to the inside frame for these purposes, and will magnet mount something more finished to the outside, I'm just not sure what yet and whether it might have doors built in or just have 3 removable 2 foot panels across the front.
The build started by clearing a space and getting a flooring contractor to come in and remove the carpet and replace with a commercial grade vinyl tile. We were very happy with how it turned out!
After the floor was done, we ordered the tank, steel stand, and sump. All were custom and were built in Calgary, Alberta. The tank is euro braced and drilled for a Ghost Overflow. It will be plumbed using a bean animal configuration. There are holes for two 3/4 inch bulkheads for the returns in each corner. I'm really happy with how it turned out and quite excited not to have a big overflow box in the aquarium.
The sump is 75 gallons (actual water volume will be less) and has two 7 inch filter sock holders, an 18 gallon refugium, a skimmer section and return section.
I will be using the rock in my 120g tank, and I have another 40lbs of rock that has been curing in a rubbermaid trash can for about 3 months.
I also had to replace my old quarantine tank, as when I pulled it out of storage all the trim broke off! Here is the new setup, which is strangely enough located inside the basement bathroom.
I have been gathering gear since Black Friday. One of our goals with this new tank was to be able to get back into SPS, be able to have more fish, and to set ourselves up for success by automating things where we can since we are away quite a bit in the summers. With that in mind, here is a list of the gear I'm putting together to run the tank:
Lighting: Aquatic Life T5 Hybrid with 3 Kessil A360X Tuna Blue LEDs with a wifi dongle (will probably bump this up to 4 eventually)
Flow: 2 MP40ES models from my 120g (will adjust as necessary once I see what they do in the tank)
Return pump: Neptune COR20
Skimmer: Bubble Magus Curve 7 from my 120g (this tank is at the upper end of what this skimmer is rated for so I may upgrade it once the bioload becomes heavier but I'm deferring that for now)
Controller: Neptune APEX EL with an autofeeder and a WXM Module to control the MP40s
Dosing: Kamoer F4 wifi 4 head dosing pump
ATO: Tunze Osmolator 3155
Heaters: TBD but I'm guessing I'll need about 500-600 Watts worth
Refugium lighting : TBD but looking at the AI Fuge light. I have time to make this decision as it will be awhile before there are enough nutrients to really need the fuge running.
I also purchased a couple Brute 44 gallon trash cans and will be building a proper saltwater mixing station in my basement. I have an old Quiet One 3000 pump that was my first return pump on the 120g but I quickly removed it as I found it didn't restart reliably when power was interrupted. That doesn't really matter for a saltwater mixing station though so I figured I'd save some cash and use it. I am strongly considering running some RO lines up the wall and through the ceiling between the tank and the saltwater mixing station before I hang my lighting or put water into the 180g so that I'm set up for for an AWC system. Eventually I plan to purchase a Neptune DOS for this purpose but figured I'd spend that money on getting livestock into the tank right now and implement the AWC later in the summer before camping season starts.
As it stands right now, I am still waiting on my ghost overflow to show up along with my ATO and some of the valves for the plumbing. It will probably be at least 2 weeks before I can start plumbing this thing. Now I need to start thinking about how I might skin this stand, and at a bare minimum what wood (and paint) I might want to add in the back and right side so that I can secure my plumbing and mount my electrical stuff. I plan to magnet mount plywood to the inside frame for these purposes, and will magnet mount something more finished to the outside, I'm just not sure what yet and whether it might have doors built in or just have 3 removable 2 foot panels across the front.