Another Innovative Marine 200EXT build thread

[Blindzy]

Many thanks to @Bender and @Blindzy among others!

As long as you know that you are never moving so we don't need to take that beast back out of the basement!

 

[Dannyboy402]

Nice build! I can't wait to see more. I have the same tank!

 

[Varmette]

The tank is coming along great!! And I also don't want to be there if it ever needs to be removed from the basement!! lol

 

[Grallster]

Here is my 120 right before we hacked it up

 

[Grallster]

The aquascaping was challenging. We tried to make the base out of the new dry/live rock combo and then put the coral covered rocks from the 120 either on top, or to fill out the gaps. I think we did a good job. A cove on the left, a channel going diagonally off center, and then another cove on the right. We did a lot of rock mixing between the 3 tanks but it was fine since I quarantine all my fish and keep my tanks the same temp and salinity.
Since this was a tank upgrade, we basically had decently full tank when we were done.

 

[Ebob954]

Got my IM 200g up with fish last week. Long journey.

I ended up getting an Aquaeon 60g breeder to use as a sump and grabbed baffles off of an eBay seller.

Awesome idea. I love the IM tanks . I’ve had a bunch never an issue

 

[Grallster]

Part way through:

 

[Grallster]

Finished product:

 

[Grallster]

 

[Grallster]

That was a little over a month ago and haven’t done much with it since (was busy with vacation and such). I’ve only added a few more corals from my frag tank—mostly euphyllia.

I have noticed some snotty looking algae and what I think might be dinos on a few rocks—all of them on the newer dry rock. I’m guessing it will go to away as the tank matures. My nitrates and phosphates are low after the move so I’m trying to bump them up.

For flow I have the 2 return pumps and 2 Vortech MP40s and I’m having trouble with one Vortech moving sand and making a sand berm. I hate to turn the flow down because I believe the tank needs it. In the future, I think I will get another Vortech to split the flow up so that I can run them both slower.

 

[Grallster]

As far as fish go, the tank currently has the following:

Six line wrasse—the first fish in the tank. Literally flopped out into our hands while we were moving the rock that he was hiding in.
Male/female pair of lyretail anthias
Male/female pair of pink square anthias
Ocellaris clown
2 bangaii cardinalfish
Flame hawkish
Long nose hawkish
Male spotbreast angelfish
Female watanabi angelfish
Powder brown tang
Desjardani tang

Waiting in quarantine I have 2 more bangaiis and a majestic foxface.

 

[Grallster]

Forgot to post pics of the finished dry side and controller side.

 

[Kasrift]

Forgot to post pics of the finished dry side and controller side.

What did you use to create your controller box? It looks great.

 

[Grallster]

Thanks. 1/2” sanded poplar plywood.

 

[Grallster]

Forgot to post pics of the finished dry side and controller side.

What did you use to create your controller box? It looks great.

 

[Grallster]

I honestly meant to have the DJ board lower but didn’t account for the rail of the stand so…

 

[Grallster]

Updated pics:
Haven’t done much to the tank except add the foxface and bangaii.

 

[Grallster]

Thought I’d add a pic of the behind the wall top off and a couple frags that started to like the new tank.

 

[vittpsu21]

Any chance you could tell me Grall, how far off the wall your lights come in from the drywall? I am interested how much they come in from the mount + the actual light themselves

 

[Grallster]

Thought I’d post an update. Added a few more corals and a third vortech.