Zoso2142
Community Member
Hey everyone been posting about this build under my 75 gallon build thread but decided since Im at the point of moving everyone from the 75 over I should make a thread for the upgrade tank.
Back in November I scored an older 180 for free off fb marketplace with nothing wrong not even a small scratch (that I could find)
First thing I did was cleaned it leak tested in the basement for over a month. Then started painting the back and sidewall while waiting for my external overflow box to arrive from modular marine.
Was nervous about drilling the tank but it was a eh if it doesnt work no big deal since the tank was free
but it went well and straightforward.
I then started taking down my 125 mbuna cichlid tank to move out of the location for the 180 and ended up trading one of the fx6 for a sump and a bunch of filter socks.
^ The sump in the repurposed entertainment stand.
After Christmas I started fabricating the stand out of 2x2 1/8" tubing. Making gussets out of extra tubing I had instead of cutting gussets out of plate. Since this tank is in the kitchen overlooking my living room and ensuring "its not going anywhere"
Cleaned the welds and frame up to where my perfectionist side was happy I painted it with 3 coats of enamel paint. Then moved it to its final place.
Was going to place tank on it same day but didnt feel like moving it back up 2 flights of atairs from the basement and settled on moving it into the living room to double check the painted glass.
While inspecting paint and touching it up I decided "f it" Ima reseal it so I dont have a problem a year down the road.
Fast forward another week and finally got enough energy to move it up the last 10 steps and set it on the stand. I mean it definitely wasn't me putting it off I was definitely just making sure the silicone had plenty of time to dry/cure
Then started working on the plumbing and filling the tank with rodi water.
After about another 2 weeks I added the dry rock that I had cleaned and cured.
I added salt and adjusted salinity to start mini cycling it. Now the rocks are where I want them and I added sand around them. The spots with no sand is because Ima transfer some rocks from the 75 over and want them on the bottom. Also went over the light mounting options 100 times before deciding to hang them using 3D printed brackets... definitely wasnt because I overlooked how tight to the wall I had placed the tank and cant move it now to accommodate the brackets.
Got ahold of a local glass company pricing out custom panes to make sliding lids for the top. Ended up being cheaper then buying marineland 180 gallon lids and came out beautifully.
That brings us to today where I have to get them to cut one of the panes corners better since instead of them cutting a square out of it they clipped the corner off and it doesnt quite fit with how Im running my return line.
Hoping to start moving the rocks and the residents of the 75 gallon Thursday and have everything wrapped by Monday.
Back in November I scored an older 180 for free off fb marketplace with nothing wrong not even a small scratch (that I could find)
First thing I did was cleaned it leak tested in the basement for over a month. Then started painting the back and sidewall while waiting for my external overflow box to arrive from modular marine.
Was nervous about drilling the tank but it was a eh if it doesnt work no big deal since the tank was free
but it went well and straightforward.I then started taking down my 125 mbuna cichlid tank to move out of the location for the 180 and ended up trading one of the fx6 for a sump and a bunch of filter socks.
^ The sump in the repurposed entertainment stand.
After Christmas I started fabricating the stand out of 2x2 1/8" tubing. Making gussets out of extra tubing I had instead of cutting gussets out of plate. Since this tank is in the kitchen overlooking my living room and ensuring "its not going anywhere"
Cleaned the welds and frame up to where my perfectionist side was happy I painted it with 3 coats of enamel paint. Then moved it to its final place.
Was going to place tank on it same day but didnt feel like moving it back up 2 flights of atairs from the basement and settled on moving it into the living room to double check the painted glass.
While inspecting paint and touching it up I decided "f it" Ima reseal it so I dont have a problem a year down the road.
Fast forward another week and finally got enough energy to move it up the last 10 steps and set it on the stand. I mean it definitely wasn't me putting it off I was definitely just making sure the silicone had plenty of time to dry/cure
Then started working on the plumbing and filling the tank with rodi water.
After about another 2 weeks I added the dry rock that I had cleaned and cured.
I added salt and adjusted salinity to start mini cycling it. Now the rocks are where I want them and I added sand around them. The spots with no sand is because Ima transfer some rocks from the 75 over and want them on the bottom. Also went over the light mounting options 100 times before deciding to hang them using 3D printed brackets... definitely wasnt because I overlooked how tight to the wall I had placed the tank and cant move it now to accommodate the brackets.
Got ahold of a local glass company pricing out custom panes to make sliding lids for the top. Ended up being cheaper then buying marineland 180 gallon lids and came out beautifully.
That brings us to today where I have to get them to cut one of the panes corners better since instead of them cutting a square out of it they clipped the corner off and it doesnt quite fit with how Im running my return line.
Hoping to start moving the rocks and the residents of the 75 gallon Thursday and have everything wrapped by Monday.
I finally solved it. No matter how long I made the inlet to the pump or exit it still made a horrendous noise just slighty less. I have been searching for almost 2 months through the forums when I stumbled across a post where someone recommended to plumb it before the ro membrane. I just got done doing that and VIOLA no more noise its quiter then a church mouse. Apparently due to how ridgid the 1/4" tubing is it was transferring enough vibration to the plumbing in the house which is 100% copper you could hear it throughout it.
