Mariner M180 new build

[VBDispensary]

Hi, I’m new to the site. I’ve been in the hobby since childhood and salt water since the 80s and from under gravel filters through to wet/dry. I had a custom 180 mixed reef that failed a couple years ago. Now I’m back and just bought the M180. Building the stand was amazing. Every single piece and peg or dowel fit like a glove. Excellent. Leveling 8 legs is the only hard part. I’m done with the underneath and will post my pics and explan my setup. I’m only waiting for my LFS to come back and put the tank on the stand. I’m keeping the filter socks, I have my 2 temp heater probes on each side of the entrance to the skimmer chamber. I have a Simplicity 240 skimmer propped up on a Rubbermaid container for the drain line. I have 1 heater in there at the bottom of the baffle wall and also a MDC3500 pump that sends water out the back to my UV and chiller and back into the return chamber. In the return chamber I have an MDC8500 main pump, the 2nd heater just under the baffle wall along with the return from the chiller and the ATO sensor. I’m keeping the refugium dark and cryptic with bio blocks and eventually live rock rubble etc. The last cabinet has my 20gal high ATO reservoir on one side and my main power strips mounted vertical. Last, outside on the right is my UV and Chiller, also I a dedicated 20 amp GFI that feeds the power strips. My controllers are mounted high on the right in the sump cabinet. I’m happy to accept comments and criticisms and any suggestions or questions. See attached

 

[VBDispensary]

Update. Tank is on stand and base rock is in with my old coral skeletons. They will slowly disappear as I add live rock and grow my own coral again. Next I’m going to rinse my dry special grade aragonite and add it while tank starts filling. When full I’ll start pumps and heaters and when ready I’ll begin a slow gradual salt mix in the sump. Once parameters are correct, I’ll add the live sand and live rock and begin the cycle.

 

[Rocco's Reef]

Hmmm... I might have get a 20 high for my ato... currently running a 15g IM ato and if I fill it too high it siphons off into my sump until the water gets lower in the ato. Looking good!

 

[VBDispensary]

Rocco, I got you bro. I bought a 20 gal hi Imagitarium brand tank on sale at Petco for $40. Fits perfectly. I think you might have your ATO hose end too far into your return chamber or you don’t have a check valve or siphon break in line. I have inserted a small piece of pex tube into the end of the ato hose and it sits perfectly in the small hole in back corner of return chamber. Just make sure it doesn’t extend below the the weir to prevent back flow if sump overflow from main pump failure. Hope this helps!
VB

 

[Rocco's Reef]

Rocco, I got you bro. I bought a 20 gal hi Imagitarium brand tank on sale at Petco for $40. Fits perfectly. I think you might have your ATO hose end too far into your return chamber or you don’t have a check valve or siphon break in line. I have inserted a small piece of pex tube into the end of the ato hose and it sits perfectly in the small hole in back corner of return chamber. Just make sure it doesn’t extend below the the weir to prevent back flow if sump overflow from main pump failure. Hope this helps!
VB

Thanks! I’m picking up a 20 high after work today and I actually have a siphon break being delivered today as well. I have my outlet tube pretty much parallel with the top of the sump and it’s angled into my return chamber but it’s still sitting too low if I fill up the ato to the top. Either way the extra 5 gallons for such a big tank will be nice! I can use the current one on my qt tank I guess.

 

[VBDispensary]

Hey, anyone with the M180-
I'm looking to get lids for it and my overflow box seems to be off center!
When I measure from left edge of the eurobrace glass to the left edge of the overflow I get 25 5/8" and from the right side I get 25 7/8". Can anyone confirm theirs is the same or do I have an anomaly? I reached out to eshopps and waiting to hear back. It's almost 3/8" difference when measured from the edges of the tank itself to the overflow. Ugh! I dont want lids that dont line up.

 

[FirstSalt24]

Hello. I have a M180 as well. 9 weeks into my setup. I will go and measure mine tonight to see if I have the same issue, although my ordered lid fits perfectly.

I ordered my lid from Toplids: https://toplids.com/products/eshopp...N59_svFAQ0BngHj-PDJfhWRmkV4DWaflxfmvoCkDKlZjj

 

[VBDispensary]

I wound up ordering from ClearView lids, and mentioned my concerns. Haven’t heard back yet as I only ordered last week. Weird that my overflow is 1/4” difference between the Eurobrace and either side. I spoke to eshopps and emailed them pics of me holding tape measure and they looking into it. Either I have an anomaly or they better check quality control on production lines. Otherwise I love it. Quiet and everything went together perfectly.

 

[BoxH]

Hi, I’m new to the site. I’ve been in the hobby since childhood and salt water since the 80s and from under gravel filters through to wet/dry. I had a custom 180 mixed reef that failed a couple years ago. Now I’m back and just bought the M180. Building the stand was amazing. Every single piece and peg or dowel fit like a glove. Excellent. Leveling 8 legs is the only hard part. I’m done with the underneath and will post my pics and explan my setup. I’m only waiting for my LFS to come back and put the tank on the stand. I’m keeping the filter socks, I have my 2 temp heater probes on each side of the entrance to the skimmer chamber. I have a Simplicity 240 skimmer propped up on a Rubbermaid container for the drain line. I have 1 heater in there at the bottom of the baffle wall and also a MDC3500 pump that sends water out the back to my UV and chiller and back into the return chamber. In the return chamber I have an MDC8500 main pump, the 2nd heater just under the baffle wall along with the return from the chiller and the ATO sensor. I’m keeping the refugium dark and cryptic with bio blocks and eventually live rock rubble etc. The last cabinet has my 20gal high ATO reservoir on one side and my main power strips mounted vertical. Last, outside on the right is my UV and Chiller, also I a dedicated 20 amp GFI that feeds the power strips. My controllers are mounted high on the right in the sump cabinet. I’m happy to accept comments and criticisms and any suggestions or questions. See attached

Looking forward to seeing this come together

 

[VBDispensary]

Here’s where I’m at today. On 7/15 I went to my LFS which happens to be a place called Frag Farm. They sell beautiful coral online. Anyway , I bought 11 lbs of live rock rubble from the bottom of his curing rock tank. It ripped my fingers up fishing around the bottom. I placed it in in macaroni colander in my fuge with 6 bio blocks. The next day I got a shipment from Gulf live rock for 20 lbs of decorative rock and 1 lb each of live sand and GLR grunge. Almost 2 weeks since, my nitrites are almost zero, nitrates about 10 and been steady. Everything was brown a couple days ago, something is cleaning up the diatoms at night but I don’t know what. I’ll take it! Also just discovered my first hitchhiker- starfish. See attached