My "hey what's another tank" 72 bow reef build.

[southerntnreefer]

Got word from lfs, my SB reef 45 wifi is in. Heading up this weekend to get it. This will allow me to fully measure for a custom canopy.

Now brings the question, so I go Apex EL, Reef Angel Star, or wait for Coralvue Hydros Control 4 to launch.

 

[southerntnreefer]

The next steps are in from my @MarineDepot order. Short of taking a week to go the 4 hours from Atlanta to me, ( I account extra busy black Friday and me choosing the free shipping) everything looks good, and I'll gladly be ordering again as they carry brands I'll be using that my normal place doesn't.

I'll assemble the skimmer tomorrow and dry fit it since I won't be heading to the LFS. My SB reef 45 Extreme wifi came in with some frame damage from shipping, so a new one will be coming to replace it, so no trip to go pick it up.

This is why I shop small. Same place where I got the tank and stand and sump.

Now I have something to look forward to for the next couple weeks on a hopefully intact 45 Extreme wifi coming home!

After the holidays, I'll get a ice cap 2k on order,a doser on order, find a ato resivoir and make my final choices on aquarium control. That should be everything gear wise for this build.

Getting the light in and here will allow me to measure to see if a canopy will work, and measure my needs for a local furniture builder.

 

[Paulie069]

So for years I had a 90 gallon reef. Used tank, overflow box, diy sump, beautiful, bit slowly became a maintenance nightmare etc.

Here's a photo of said tank

Safe to say I loved it, but some poor fish choices and we'll learning and growing as a reefer lead to some changes. I had also bought a 125 for the basement, and a 32 for my wife for her to have her own reef. She also wanted large angels, so the 125 was for grow out.

That tank downstairs tormented me for a while, as fish only sometimes can just be harder than actual reefs. When company bonus came around, we had enough left in the slush to upgrade that the a 220, so I took down the 90, moved remaining coral to the 32 ( I had lost quite a bit due to fish or one thing or another in the learning process.) All fish went to the 220. Fast forward many months, and my wife can see that I miss "feeding" I still am filling in her reef, but those corals are her choices.

So with that said, she decided to take me to our local LFS over the weekend, and order me a aqueon 72 bow front reef ready tank and stand for Christmas. ( She also let me buy a shark so she's totally a keeper!) It gets picked up today. Now i still have most of my hear from the 90, so fleshing this out will be super easy. I do need to renovate the living room before I can get wet, but expect lots of talks of building out the sump area for long term success, a couple orders that do need to be made for a few things I re used on the 220, but this one will be built from everything that 90 and the 32 has taught me.

More photos later. Tank is due to come in today, so I'll head to lfs after to pick up. We get our stuff from a local small shop, so we get it at cost plus freight, as he doesn't have room to store it.

Stay tuned!!

That’s awesome bro good luck. Wish I had back up like my wife not interested in my hobby

 

[southerntnreefer]

That’s awesome bro good luck. Wish I had back up like my wife not interested in my hobby

Thanks man! She ends up spending more than me. It's something we can enjoy together
She wants a pro looking build, which we all know doesn't come cheap, so as long as she's into it, I'm ready to do it!

 

[Paulie069]

Thanks man! She ends up spending more than me. It's something we can enjoy together
She wants a pro looking build, which we all know doesn't come cheap, so as long as she's into it, I'm ready to do it!

Much luck

 

[southerntnreefer]

Much luck

Thanks! I'm annoying her though with all my research for aquarium controllers and dosers right now.

 

[Paulie069]

Thanks! I'm annoying her though with all my research for aquarium controllers and dosers right now.

Doing same. Not coral or reef Seahorses

 

[southerntnreefer]

Doing same. Not coral or reef Seahorses

Jealous!! I'm tempted every day by seahorses!

 

[southerntnreefer]

So I was bad and just ordered it to ask for forgiveness later. I can't continue my build until this is in so I can see how much space I have. Sprung for the UPS shipping as I had a 5 dollar reward from @MarineDepot. Once it's in. I'll plan out some false walls for doser and controller

 

[southerntnreefer]

The ato resivoir came today, and I've dry fitted it under the stand. Gives me.room for a power/ controller section, and a place for a dosing pump and my bottles I already have.

After Christmas I'll likely look at getting the controller on order.

 

[Paulie069]

The ato resivoir came today, and I've dry fitted it under the stand. Gives me.room for a power/ controller section, and a place for a dosing pump and my bottles I already have.

After Christmas I'll likely look at getting the controller on order.

Looks complicated I got one of those gimmicks that hang on back of tank

 

[southerntnreefer]

Looks complicated I got one of those gimmicks that hang on back of tank

Naw this one isn't really. I love the slide out drawer to fill it. Keeps me from having to get too far under the tank, and will reduce spills. Quite happy with it.

 

[Paulie069]

Naw this one isn't really. I love the slide out drawer to fill it. Keeps me from having to get too far under the tank, and will reduce spills. Quite happy with it.

Sweet good luck. And u should do seahorses they always put a smile on my face even on bad days

 

[southerntnreefer]

Sweet good luck. And u should do seahorses they always put a smile on my face even on bad days

This one will be full reef. Might do seahorses in anothee tank tho

 

[Paulie069]

This one will be full reef. Might do seahorses in anothee tank tho

I have two seahorse tanks one downstairs in family room with 10 horses and one in my bedroom also with 10 horses

 

[southerntnreefer]

Finally got off my lazy behind! Hey it's the holidays!!! And put together my curve 5, and got the filter cups in the sump. Ordered a doser and dosing container off here last night, so once that gets here I'll plan that placement. Now just down to a controller of some kind and a Gyre I need to purchase. Still waiting on my replacement light too, but with holiday shipping it doesn't worry me. Likely going with a reef angel star for this build, as I am an avid lover of open source and tinkering. For gyre I'll do ice cap 2k just released.

 

[southerntnreefer]

auto dosing pump and resivoir I ordered on here came today! Thanks to fellow reefer @Doostur !!!
Here's a few photos of the gear before I start dry fitting it to the stand seeing what room I have left for other gear.

Still no word on my light, but i gotta go to LFS on Sunday for phyto for my wife's rank so ill check on again then.

 

[southerntnreefer]

Welp time to rethink dosing pump placement. There's a little adjustment thing on the ato tank to get the drawer out for cleaning, so I'll have to cut a piece of plywood to level it all to put it here. Also fit in the 3 bay resivoir for dosing,

Overall I'm super happy. Have just enough room for the power box of the controller, and potentially a tunze macro reactor if I go that way, or can find a super deal.

Super stoked! Here's some dry fit photos. Still got to get rodi lines, and such but once I get the back board cut and painted, and placed for all controllers.

 

[southerntnreefer]

Update on the build, Photos to come when they actually get here, but due to unforseen issues with my other light company purchase, i have ordered my plan B lights from my same LFS. 2 AI Hydra 32s will light this build. Now to find a custom canopy builder.

 

[southerntnreefer]

It's been a fun game with lights. The hydras finally got to my lfs yesterday, after a lovely heated discussion he had with his shipping company, as they had been sitting in a warehouse since Monday... That being said, they are home!! Next up will be powerheads. I'm down to a pair of powerheads, and a fuge light. Thinking a tunze fuge light, and a pair of Nero 5s. For control. Considering just picking up a used apex Jr and a secondary EB8. Need a small bit of control, and don't need or want trident

Photos!!