Smite's 180 gallon

Smite

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After completing our flooring install it was time to upgrade to a "large" tank. I'm excited to get this build rolling. My tank and stand will be delivered in the next week or two and plumbing is on the way from BRS. I've wanted a tank with a larger water volume for some time now. I'm looking forward to the added water volume as well as being able to keep more useful fish in the tang department.

TANK

MODE AQUARIUM
6X2X2 Eurobraced
Fitted with Modular Marine's 2400 GPH external overflow. 3 x 1.5" drains/ 2 x 1" returns
STAND
Steel stand design and built by Ocean Marine Sales. Willie is a great guy and works out of Covina, Ca
Powder coated Grey
3/4" plywood on top and floor of stand for sump
Sump
Make is unknown. I believe it would be a "triton" style sump. I've never cared for socks or keeping a extremely clean sump area. As long as it functions its purpose its good, and this fits that bill. 40x20x16". Drain on the right, return in the middle, and refugium on left. It had a built in ATO that I converted to a refugium I plan to feed of my manifold. From there it flows to what was originally the refugium that I plan to repurpose as a frag display section. Skimmer section is on the right shared with the drain section. I believe this will allow for more pods ect to make it to the display.
MANIFOLD will feed refugium, carbon reactor, calcium reactor with a future for chiller if need and a easy water change valve for draining sump area. I plan to feed the manifold off a sicce pump (not sure on gph yet) and separate from the return pump and plumbing.
FLOW
Return pump will be M1 vectra. Between its adjustability and the gate valve on the bean animal I hope to dial this thing nice and quiet
GYRE xf150 - Plan to have this mounted vertically to the back wall, flowing across it to keep debris from settling in the back.
mp40wqd x2 on back wall but may swap them for some neptune WAV pumps
I'll probably be testing out a few different pumps including jebao OW on this tank.
LIGHTING
Radion G3 Pros x4. I've had success with these lights on my last build so I'll stick with them. I plan to build a wall mounted "floating" canopy and will probably add some t5 supplementation.
FILTRATION
I've had roughly 200# curing/cycling for a month now. I'm expecting another mini cycle after I aquascape but hoping this will speed up the process. I've been adding Dr.Tims ammonia every few days and adding different types of bottle bacteria including Fritz, Dr.Tims and Brightwells MB7
1-1.5" Special Grade reef sand bed
For added filtration I'll be adding marine pure blocks to the sump area
Skimmer is a Reef Octopus Elite 150 INT
BRS Carbon Reactor
Chaeto in Fuge
DOSING
I will probably start off with B-Ionic 2 part but eventually I plan to set up my GEO 6x18 Calcium reactor
CONTROL
Apex Classic for all
Tunze 3150 ATO

My plan for the tank will be SPS dominant reef but I do love zoanthids, clams and anemones.
Fish will be wrasse and tang dominant with a pair of clowns and possibly some anthias.

My receptacles on the wall had old non-grounded wiring. I've replaced them with 2 dedicated 20A circuits. They be on GFCI breakers. I have 2 quads behind the tank and I've added another that will be in the floating canopy where I plan to hide all drivers and power supplies for the radions. This way I have no wires running down to the tank and everything is controlled wirelessly. I've also ran cat5 to where my control section will be for apex fusion.

Not much to take pictures of but I'll update once everything arrives.
 

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Well, this sounds like it's going to be awesome. Signing up to follow this one for sure.
 
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There was a pretty big communication error between myself and the stand builder. The build was done over the phone and 100% verbal. That being said Willie has amazing customer service and agreed to fix it for me.
I wanted and open front and there was a brace placed in the middle. I thought that I could make it work, but once I got home my sump would not slide into the stand. The fix will be 2 supports added 14" in from each side and removing the middle, then powder coating again. Not my original plan but I think I'll be able to repurpose the space for a controller display.

Here is a picture of the stand/daughters jungle gym before I returned it to be altered. The build quality is great and Willie told me I'll have it back before the weekend, just in time to have my tank delivered.

Stand is 72x24x38" tall. This will put the top of glass at 62"
20181012_194639.jpg


Here is a quick picture of the sump/refugium. Still needs a good bath. I'm trying to decide whether I want to add a cover on the drain side to quiet/reduce splashing.


20181014_082740.jpg


The window film is a heavy frost with a high privacy rating. I plan to replace the black back tint of the display with this. To me black makes a tank look smaller front to back. If the frost is heavy enough to block the plumbing (hopefully with sched 80 on a grey wall) I think it will give a more open feel and make coral pop out. I love when people use similar looks on planted tanks.

Anyone use extruded aluminum to frame a canopy? I'm thinking of going that route if I try to make it moveable for heavy maintenance.
 
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Stand is back and my girl MayDay seems approve!


All I've got is a rough idea but I'm pretty sure this will be where the sump sits. Right now I'm thinking CARX , UV and GAC reactors to the left with a side door for maintenance on the side panel. The panel to the front left will be sectioned into a small cabinet with several shallow shelves to hold food and supplements. Right side will be sectioned off for dry equipment. Apex, power strips ect. I do want a cabinet with just the display and other controllers for easy access that will have access from the front right and also help hide some of the wiring behind. That''ll be my "junk drawer". I don't plan on having things TOO neat and tied up back there. I want to easily unplug something and maintenance it without cutting zip ties ect. This time around I do plan to label my power strips and cords with a label maker.




I need some input on my live rock. I've been cooking/seeding it for the last month. Dosing Dr.tims ammonia and different types of bottled bacteria to get the kind of pre-cycled. They tubs they are in are covered and I see some type of algae, but also possibly mold? It looks black under my garage lighting. They are temp and salinity stable and zero out ammonia quickly. I'm worried they had a little fungus or mold before I put them in water, I assumed it would die off but hasn't.

I'm trying to decide whether to ride it out or muriatic acid wash the rocks and start the cycle over in the tank. Thoughts? I can try and get pictures tomorrow. I also want to check phosphates and nitrates tomorrow as well.


Thats pretty much it for now. Tank arrives tomorrow, sometime around noon so then I'll be able to update with some pictures. Very excited to see this tank.


image.png
 
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Well the tank has been delayed for 4-5 weeks. Hopefully not any longer with kiddo #2 due in 10(+-) weeks! Seems to be a theme. Looking back, I was on the same time line with my 1st daughter and my 100g build. My reef tanks have always been projects that allow me to relax and focus :)

I've sectioned off the stand with 1/2" plywood with a few layers of Killz.

Left side is pretty much dedicated to my GEO 618 calcium reactor. It's old but I'm so excited to knock the dust off this thing! I had such great success with this setup. I found that my Co2 tank was expired and the regulator was completely rusted out. Good excuse to get a new setup. I've heard great things about Alan Le's builds and look forward to receiving mine. This side will more than likely hold my GAC reactor as well as a dosing pump for amminos.
20181104_141042.jpg

Middle is dedicated to the sump/refugium. Drains will be on the right in the skimmer section, flow to the middle where my return will split (or a second manifold dedicated pump) will feed the left side refugium that will drain to the frag tank and back to the middle return section. I'm undecided on whether to try and feed everything off my M1 vectra or feed the manifold off a separate pump. I plan to have the frag tank lit by a AI Prime HD and refugium will more than likely be a cheapo grow light or finnex planted + light. The plank that connects the two cabinets is meant to strap my manifold too and the back side will have 1.5" pvc 2 hole straps to act as a hidden raceway from reactor cabinet>sump>electrical cabinet. I hope this acts as a low cost channel that hides the cords while letting me easily remove equipment for maintenance. It is also going to have my Vecton V2 400 UV sterilizer.
20181104_183243.jpg

Right side will be a electrical/control cabinet. I probably have some shelves for food and supplements as well. I will probably get some type of cable management raceway in there as well to keep it clean and zip tie free. On the front top section of this cabinet I'd love to create a transparent door to let me see my apex display. Like a mini device cabinet for a TV stand is what I picture.

20181104_141006.jpg


I've added 8' of LED rope lighting to the inside of the top steel brace for a little light. Had some fun playing with the multiple colors it offers. Also got my mat/pad 3m sprayed to the top 3/4 plywood so it looks clean and won't move when I go to set the tank.
20181104_143200.jpg


I'm starting to look into ideas for my floating canopy. I'm leaning towards building a frame to mount my radions that acts as a slide for a removable skin. I have 4 g3 Pros for now. Not sure if I need a 5th.
 
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Got the email my tank was ready today! Picked it up and luckily my neighbor was able to help me get it on the stand. BUuuuuuut I realized I forgot my dang modular marine overflow box at the manufacturer! Man so bummed, was all geared up to get this thing plumbed. Hopefully they'll ship it out to me or be able to meet me on the weekend.

20181212_184729 by matthew schueneman

Overall very happy with the build on this tank. Everything is level and clean.

I'm not a fan of the black background and am thinking of using some privacy window film on the back pane instead. My only concern is it may be too transparent, curious if anyone knows if I could double it up to achieve a more frosted look? Really don't want to try to move the tank outside to paint the back, thing was pretty heavy.
 

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That tank is a beauty. So glad it finally came in and we can get back to watching this one go together.
 
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Installed the privacy window film. I like it, might not be frosted enough but I'm hoping my schedule 80 pvc mixed with the light grey wall helps blend it in. Theres also more light behind the tank now than where it will rest so I think thats making it more transparent. Planted tanks seem to use this look and it helps make the plants pop and I think helps you not notice a "wall" behind everything. Hopefully it'll do the same for some sticks :)



 
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That tank is a beauty. So glad it finally came in and we can get back to watching this one go together.

following along, this looks like it will be a great build!

Thanks guys, hopefully I'll start to get some momentum now that the tank has arrived!
 
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So I wanted to start filling my tank for a leak test today. Leveled my tank/stand and found I have this small gap running the back right side of my tank. Tapers from 1/16" on back corner to middle of tank, and half way to front right corner. I'm not sure if this is an imperfection in the plywood or not. Should I start to fill it and observe or do I need to take some kind of other action?

Picture
 
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Got the rock work mostly complete. I may add more but I'm trying to keep a more open look and leave areas for tabling acropora to branch out. Not much rock to glass contact so flow should be great.

Picked up a xf250 gyre. So flow layout will be xf250 and xf150 on opposing sides with 2 mp40wqd on back wall. Pp8 somewhere in the mix on back wall also.

I've decided to just hang radions for now. Possibly mount drivers in crawl space above ceiling.
20181228_060142.jpg
20181228_060134.jpg
 

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That's a pretty sweet looking setup you have there. I love the regulator you have for your CaRx. One thing I might recommend is using the fine media in the secondary CaRx chamber. The reason is because it will provide more contact time to release the CO2 gas. Again just my suggestion. Awesome tank, good luck with the build.
 
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That's a pretty sweet looking setup you have there. I love the regulator you have for your CaRx. One thing I might recommend is using the fine media in the secondary CaRx chamber. The reason is because it will provide more contact time to release the CO2 gas. Again just my suggestion. Awesome tank, good luck with the build.

Thank you for the suggestion, that never occurred to me. I've always gone with course media to prevent clogging but will look into that if I have trouble with pH in the display. For now the reactor return line with go into my refugium where hopefully any co2 will be used by macroalgae.
 
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So tank has been cycled for the last week. I've added 3ppm of ammonia on several occasions and it zeroed out the next day on both ammonia and nitrite. I performed a large water change and brought my nitrates down to 5ppm.


I have 3 survivors from QT.

1 tomini tang 2"

1 mimic tang 3"

1 scopas tang 3"


They've been in QT with clear dividers and seem to ignore each other. I've been thinking of adding these guys first to my DT. One, to clear my QT and start getting some wrasse going in there. Two, because I'm worried about adding all three to a small 4x2x8" frag tank. Short height worries me about jumpers and small water volume with all my coral and 3 big poopers. Would it be a huge mistake to add 3 tangs as first addition? I'm not worried about a nutrient spike in DT, I'm worried about adding future fish (non-tangs) going forward and only having tangs with no distractions from one another.

In my frag tank I have
1 long nose hawkfish
2 clownfish
lawnmower blenny
bangaii
small redline? goby

My issue is my frag tank is packed and I'd need to pull everything to catch these guys. I was planning on moving them over once I start to move easier coral and anemones over.
 
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Small change to my rock work. Ugly stage of tank. Also added the 3 tangs that finished QT but I didn't want to throw in a 35g frag tank. Go ahead and turn the volume off since family showed up right when I was taking the clip. :) But do select 1080p




The arch doesn't look very natural but I think it will with different types high light tenuis ect growing on it in a few months-year. Its going to be a great par/high indirect flow area for sure. I have a tester piece of Bubble Gum Digitata just cause I have so many pieces of it in the frag tank. Seems happy for the last few days. Need to up my CUC for sure.
 
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My internet has been down for a week now. I swapped my lights to reef link right before and they are doing all kinds of crazy crap without the connection. Corals seem to be doing okay, hopefully they are strong enough to handle the random lighting.


I can't upload decemt pictures from my phone so I took a short video of the tank to show the layout. I'm slowly removing frag discs one I decide where I want color and how the piece reacts to the placement.


I think I'm going to ditch the mp40wqds and go with the tunze stream 3 to go along with the xf150/xf250 combo I have on each end.


Hard to believe all the coral I had in that frag tank took up so much room. So far everything has survived the transfer. The fish are extremely healthy and have settled in nicely now that the lawn mower stopped tagging others.


Check it out in 1080p

 
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