Fishfreak2009's 240 Gallon Predator Build

[Fishfreak2009]

Figured I should start a build thread for this tank! I've been looking for a larger tank for my predator fish and other FOWLR fish, and I finally found this awesome 8'x2'x2' 240 gallon acrylic tank with built in dual overflows and a steel stand for an awesome price. Drove about 3 hrs each way to get it. Here's a quick pic of the tank as it sits empty in my garage.

We are remodeling our house currently, and are repairing and repainting the walls, and replacing the flooring through the whole house before putting up the new builds. Finally got our tax return this week, so picking up the new flooring this weekend to get this project started!

This tank is going to be set up with a sump, most likely a 4' 75 gallon, though if I can find a used 6' 125 gallon in decent shape I'd prefer to use that instead to make an even larger refugium. Filtration components will include an oversized skimmer, lots of rock, and a massive refugium, as that has worked well for me in all my other heavily stocked systems.

I've been steadily collecting fish for both this build and for my 180 gallon build (which is an upgrade for my heavily stocked 75 gallon mixed reef). The goal is to have pretty much all the fish done with quarantine and be able to move them in at once when the tank is finally put in place and filled.

Fish going in this system that are already in quarantine or growout include:

Broomtail wrasse (Cheilinus lunulatus)
Slippery Wrasse (Halichoeres bivittatus)
Koran Angel (Pomacanthus semicirculatus)
Cream Angel (Apolemichthys xanthurus)
Lemonpeel Angel (Centropyge flavissima)
Bannerfish (Heniochus acuminatus)
Pakistani Butterfly (Chaetodon collare)
Powder Blue Tang (Acanthurus leucosternon)
Powder Brown Tang (Acanthurus japonicus)
Sohal Tang (Acanthurus sohal)
Tenneti Tang (Acanthurus tenneti)
Purple Tang (Zebrasoma xanthurum)
Kenyan Hippo Tang (Paracanthus hepatus)
Harlequin Bass (Serranus tigrinus)
Neon Dottyback (Pseudochromis aldabraensis)
Aiptasia Filefish (Acreichthys tomentosus)
Verrucosus Trigger (Rhinecanthus verrucosus)
Niger Trigger (Odonus niger)
Mappa Puffer (Arothron mappa)
Zebra Moray Eel (Gymnomuraena zebra)
2 Clarkii Clownfish (Amphiprion clarkii)
3 Orange Line Chromis (Acanthochromis polyacanthus)

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Following along!!! Can't wait to see the progression of it!

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Picked up a few new guys for quarantine today!

Pomacanthus maculosus and Pygoplites diacanthus

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Well, this thread has been silent for a while, since life has been crazy.

We finally finished remodeling the living room, so I was able to get the tank in place.

Finally got the tank running! Still need to finish the decorative wood covering for the steel stand, fix the plumbing on the protein skimmer, hook up the refugium lighting, and get better lighting for the display than a single 4' led freshwater plant light, but hey, 1 thing at a time lol.

We did lose some fish from praziquantel resistant flukes, as well as a velvet outbreak taking out some of those previously pictured (thankfully while still in quarantine).

Tonight, we moved the fish and live rock over! Measured the zebra moray and he's officially hit 31" long!

The fish in the tank currently include:
1 Maculosus Angelfish (Pomacanthus maculosus)
1 Cream Angel (Apolemichthys xanthurus)
1 Jewel Damsel (Microspathodon chrysurus)
2 Orange Line Chromis (Acanthochromis polyacanthus)
2 Clark's Clownfish (Amphiprion clarkii)
1 Neon Dottyback (Pseudochromis aldabraensis)
1 Harlequin Basslet (Serranus tigrinus)
1 Broomtail Wrasse (Cheilinus lunulatus)
1 Slippery Wrasse (Halichoeres bivittatus)
1 Hardwick's Wrasse (Thalassoma hardwicke)
1 Picasso Triggerfish (Rhinecanthus aculeatus)
1 Niger Triggerfish (Odonus niger)
1 Aiptasia Filefish (Acreichthys tomentosus)
1 Vlamingii Tang (Naso vlamingii)
1 Chocolate Tang (Acanthurus pyroferus)
1 Sohal Tang (Acanthurus sohal)
1 Yellow Belly Hippo Tang (Paracanthus hepatus)
1 Zebra Moray Eel (Gymnomuraena zebra)

We do have a few more fish in quarantine, including:
1 Snowflake Moray Eel (Echidna nebulosa)
1 Black Tail Sergeant Major (Abudefduf sexfasciatus)
1 Foureye Butterflyfish (Chaetodon capistratus)
1 Popeye Catalufa (Pristigenys serrula)

 

[CasperOe]

Looking great to far! It's really hard not to get exited about a big build like this!

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Well, this thread has been silent for a while, since life has been crazy.

We finally finished remodeling the living room, so I was able to get the tank in place.

Finally got the tank running! Still need to finish the decorative wood covering for the steel stand, fix the plumbing on the protein skimmer, hook up the refugium lighting, and get better lighting for the display than a single 4' led freshwater plant light, but hey, 1 thing at a time lol.

We did lose some fish from praziquantel resistant flukes, as well as a velvet outbreak taking out some of those previously pictured (thankfully while still in quarantine).

Tonight, we moved the fish and live rock over! Measured the zebra moray and he's officially hit 31" long!

The fish in the tank currently include:
1 Maculosus Angelfish (Pomacanthus maculosus)
1 Cream Angel (Apolemichthys xanthurus)
1 Jewel Damsel (Microspathodon chrysurus)
2 Orange Line Chromis (Acanthochromis polyacanthus)
2 Clark's Clownfish (Amphiprion clarkii)
1 Neon Dottyback (Pseudochromis aldabraensis)
1 Harlequin Basslet (Serranus tigrinus)
1 Broomtail Wrasse (Cheilinus lunulatus)
1 Slippery Wrasse (Halichoeres bivittatus)
1 Hardwick's Wrasse (Thalassoma hardwicke)
1 Picasso Triggerfish (Rhinecanthus aculeatus)
1 Niger Triggerfish (Odonus niger)
1 Aiptasia Filefish (Acreichthys tomentosus)
1 Vlamingii Tang (Naso vlamingii)
1 Chocolate Tang (Acanthurus pyroferus)
1 Sohal Tang (Acanthurus sohal)
1 Yellow Belly Hippo Tang (Paracanthus hepatus)
1 Zebra Moray Eel (Gymnomuraena zebra)

We do have a few more fish in quarantine, including:
1 Snowflake Moray Eel (Echidna nebulosa)
1 Black Tail Sergeant Major (Abudefduf sexfasciatus)
1 Foureye Butterflyfish (Chaetodon capistratus)
1 Popeye Catalufa (Pristigenys serrula)

Tank looks great in there!

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Some quick snapshots from tonight!

 

[0MNSH1ZLLC]

Congrats! Awesome stock. Watch that Sohal…mine doesn’t tolerate any new fish in my 230 but it’s at least 10 inches.

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Congrats! Awesome stock. Watch that Sohal…mine doesn’t tolerate any new fish in my 230 but it’s at least 10 inches.

This guy is named Psycho from when I first got him. 2 months in solitary, then going in with a much larger established chocolate tang, the picasso trigger, and the maculosus angel really toned him down. Now he's a model citizen.

 

[Fishfreak2009]

 

[0MNSH1ZLLC]

This guy is named Psycho from when I first got him. 2 months in solitary, then going in with a much larger established chocolate tang, the picasso trigger, and the maculosus angel really toned him down. Now he's a model citizen.

Hope he stays that way for you, my buddy here was in mirror therapy for a few weeks…

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Food time? They always think it's food time lol. And the neon dottyback is absolutely fearless.

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Got an amazing pic of the maculosus angel, and a few other pretty halfway decent pics, along with a quick video.

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Snapped a few pics of the derpiest little guy in quarantine for this tank. Popeye Catalufa (Pristigenys serrula). He's become super bold, begging for food, and eating frozen mysis and brine from my hand.

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Added this 6" bad boy to quarantine today! Very excited to eventually get him into this system! Got him at a LFS for an amazing price

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Moved a bunch of fish over today. Other than a little chasing between damsels, overall going very well so far!



Stocklist is now at:
2 Clarkii Clownfish (Amphiprion clarkii)
1 Jewel Damsel (Microspathodon chrysurus)
2 Orange Line Chromis (Acanthochromis polyacanthus)
3 Green Chromis (Chromis viridis)
2 Blue Devil Damsel (Chrysiptera cyanea)
1 Ambon Damsel (Pomacentrus amboinensis)
1 Pink Damsel (Pomacentrus smithi)
1 Six-Striped Sergeant Major (Abudefduf sexfasciatus)
2 Green Spot Damsel (Neopomacentrus azysron)
3 Lyretail Damsel (Neopomacentrus cyanomos)
1 Cream Angel (Apolemichthys xanthurus)
1 Maculosus Angel (Pomacanthus maculosus)
1 Sohal Tang (Acanthurus sohal)
1 Chocolate Tang (Acanthurus pyroferus)
1 Yellow Belly Hippo Tang (Paracanthus hepatus)
1 Vlamingi Tang (Naso vlamingii)
1 Broomtail Wrasse (Cheilinus lunulatus)
1 Slippery Dick Wrasse (Halichoeres bivittatus)
1 Hardwick's Wrasse (Thalassoma hardwicke)
1 Secretive Wrasse (Pseudocheilinus evanidus)
1 Harlequin Basslet (Serranus tigrinus)
1 Aiptasia Filefish (Acreichthys tomentosus)
1 Picasso Triggerfish (Rhinecanthus aculeatus)
1 Niger Triggerfish (Odonus niger)
1 Yellow Belly Dogface Puffer (Arothron nigropunctatus)
1 Zebra Moray Eel (Gymnomuraena zebra)
1 Neon Dottyback (Pseudochromis aldabraensis)
1 Falco Hawkfish (Cirrhitichthys falco)

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Frozen hikari jumbo mysis kind of night

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Somebody came out to eat all the extra jumbo mysis off the bottom.

 

[Fishfreak2009]

Well, picked up a VERY fat 25" snowflake moray today from the LFS (Happy Birthday to me). Somebody traded him and a couple other fish in from a tank tear down (55 gallon) this morning, where he's lived the past 3 years.
Hopefully he enjoys life in the big tank, where he'll be more appropriately fed. Don't get me wrong, I like my reef fish nice and fat, but this guy was clearly very overfed.

Here's a few other quick pics:

 

[littlefoxx]

Did you do any bracing in the floor for this tank??