New 180 gallon build

[Casual_reefkeeping]

Figured I'd start the new build thread early since the last one I started when I finished

Scored this used 180 corner flo and stand which will be going in my living room when I move next month.
Some parts coming:
-48" custom F Sump from Melevs Reef
-61" Aquatic Life T5 hybrid fixure that'll I'll move my 3 AI Hydra 52HDs into after the livestock move
-cantilever mount for the above fixture
-80lbs of dry caribsea special grade sand (learned my lesson on bare bottom)
-a second Sicce Syncra 5.0. One for each return, I'll setup the one and then move the other from the existing tank, or maybe buy another if the funds allow.

I think that's the bulk of it, and plumbing cf course. My plan. Is to reuse anything possible for the time being. Got some finer details to workout as I go, like do I keep using 5gal buckets for ATO reservoir or do I get fancy. Who knows?

 

[Casual_reefkeeping]

Wave makers to be reused is a pair of maxspect gyres, and a handful of hydor korlias. 3 smaller ones and I have another large one.

 

[Casual_reefkeeping]

Deliveries have started coming in, and I managed to finally get more Tropic Marin Pro Reef locally. I'm actually super excited for the cantilever mount for the T5 hybrid system

 

[Brooke24]

Deliveries have started coming in, and I managed to finally get more Tropic Marin Pro Reef locally. I'm actually super excited for the cantilever mount for the T5 hybrid system

Stocking ideas?

 

[Casual_reefkeeping]

Stocking ideas?

Well I'll be moving the existing livestock, I'll list below, but I have been thinking about taking the opportunity to add some other fish first to prevent aggression.

We'll be moving
Powder brown tang
Yellow eye kole tang
Blue throat trigger
Six line wrasse
Starry blenny
Pair of black clownfish
Chalk bass
Possibly my last blue fin damsel
4 chromis
Corris wrasse and bicolor blenny from frag tank

 

[Casual_reefkeeping]

Some rock I scored today, going to clean it up and add to the 120 to let it do its thing before moving the tank. Also getting ready to move the tank into the house, decided to do the floors first since that'll never happen after the tank is in. Next will be adding jacking columns to support the front load of the tank, rear of the tank is against a load bearing foundation wall.

 

[Casual_reefkeeping]

The tank is in place, t5 hybrid mounted

 

[Casual_reefkeeping]

Added some floor reinforcement as well due to the weight and age of the floor. 2 columns with a header, 4" concrete footings below my floor slab since it's very thin. We'll backfill later after we're confident in level/shims. Now we just need the sump from melevsreef. Hopefully by the end of the month this tank can be wet.

 

[lavoisier]

Tagging along. Nice project. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Casual_reefkeeping]

Tagging along. Nice project. Thanks for sharing.

Thanks. I didn't document anything with my first build and kinda regretted it so I'm hoping to be thorough this time. Should be interesting to move over rock and livestock, luckily both tanks will be running simultaneously.

 

[Casual_reefkeeping]

I realize it's been two months, life happens and there were some delays. The sump should now be two weeks out, and I finally built my mixing station. Now have saltwater mixed and will hopefully move the biocube today, then once the sump arrives plumb the tank quick and begin to fill.

 

[Casual_reefkeeping]

Update, life happens and some delays occured but that's okay! Sump is being built, and I used the delay to reinforce the stand to properly support the sump and CO2 cylinder, as well as side wall so I could cut it open to install the sump when it arrives. Progress looking good!

 

[Oldsman]

Nice update ! See your using the Kreg fastener system, very nice tool for making pocket holes . We used one for our deck railings and it worked fantastic.
Was your sump a kit you assemble ?

Jeff

 

[Casual_reefkeeping]

Nice update ! See your using the Kreg fastener system, very nice tool for making pocket holes . We used one for our deck railings and it worked fantastic.
Was your sump a kit you assemble ?

Jeff

Kreg is always great!

The sump is being built by Melev's Reef. Marc sent me some pictures as he built it this week and I gotta say I'm pretty excited. Left side will be filter socks and skimmer, right will be the fuge with returns in the center.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

The tank is in place, t5 hybrid mounted

Interested in your thoughts on this after it's been running a while.

 

[Casual_reefkeeping]

Interested in your thoughts on this after it's been running a while.

I have the same setup on my 120 that this is replacing, just shorter. 48" aquatic life t5 hybrid kit with 3 AI hydra 52hd. Going to move the hydras into this new 60" setup.

 

[Casual_reefkeeping]

Late night update from work, the sump arrived and fit right into the stand. I thought I would have to cut a side door in but didn't. Just took the one door off and the sump slid right in. Tomorrow I'll get the tank back on top and plumbed after I move my mixing station. I drylok painted the floor where the mixing station is going in the "fish room" part of the basement so I can move it and not worry when I finally do the whole basement. Adding a 20a GFCI circuit for mixing station and QT, I'll move the setup, then get water making and mixing while I plumb the tank.

 

[Casual_reefkeeping]

The tank is running, fish and corals moved! Going to write up a bit and try to add pictures if I can lower the quality due to the file size limits.

 

[Casual_reefkeeping]

The current rundown, top to bottom!

Lighting:
60" Aquatic Life T5 hybrid fixture with 3 blue plus and 1 actinic.
3 AquaIllumination Hydra 52HD, Saxby profile.
Mounted with he Aquatic Life cantilever mount.

Tank:
180 gallon, 24*24*72.
Approximately 200lbs of rock, mostly from dry rock sources, a few caribsea pieces like the Arch.
80lbs caribsea special grade sand.

Sump:
48" custom Melev's Reef acrylic sump, left side has 2 drains, flows to filter socks, skimmer section, heaters in a rack in the trap before the return. Right side has one valved drain for the refugium split from the right overflow, which flows left into the same return. Skimmer is eshoppes X-160.
Two Sicce syncra 5.0 pumps then feed the two returns individually.

Auxillaries:
Marine Technical Concepts mini cal Calcium Reactor, with Two Little Fishies media. 20lb CO2 tank for it. Added pressure switch for low pressure alert.

Avast Marine skimmate locker with pressure switch.

AutoAqua AWC as an ato.

Neptune Systems ApexEL, EB832, EB8, PM1 module for CaRx, and Harry's breakout switch box to integrate the magnetic door switches on the stand, and pressure switches to shut off the skimmer and alert low CO2.

Reef Moonshiners trace elements supplements.

Mixing Station:
Pair of white 55 gallon food grade drums.
Sicce syncra 3.0 for mixing.
Aquatic Life twist in RODI, modified to two stage membranes.
Gravity drains for RODI and saltwater to fill 5 gal buckets, with fittings to pump saltwater up to the tank.
Tropic Marin Pro Reef salt.

 

[Casual_reefkeeping]

Wow it's been a year and I've been slacking! I'll have to share more tomorrow, been focusing on YouTube but I've made a couple of sort of big changes. I switched over to kalkwasser, and I am following the ACI method for dosing it to pH. I am using a kalk stirrer, so not perfectly true to Chris' method. The calcium reactor is currently shut off completely, kalk is doing the job and I'm trying to see if that's why I have had high phosphates since the move.
The tank has been running for just over a year now, and 3 in it's previous location/build.

Small changes was to the mixing station. I was part of the Neptune Systems Insiders for the A3 beta, and because of the A3 I was able to move an FMM to my mixing station, and fished two lines up to the tank, one for kalk stirrer and the other for ato. So no more carrying buckets of ato water upstairs. Plus I then added a low sensor to kick on my RODI to refill that bin.