Through Wall 200 Gallon Construction Project
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- Thread starter ReefTankENG
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ReefTankENG
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08/2024: Light installation. My lights are four (4) AI Hydra 32 HD. I got a SS cord kit, right sized bolts, and clips to make the hanging set-up. The eye-bolt were pre-positioned in the hood. The cord went through a flexible hole stopper and I use the tension in the cord to keep the light stable and level.
The mess on top of the hood that no one can see without a ladder.
After install. I also moved my Apex over from the old tank and started to populate the system.
The mess on top of the hood that no one can see without a ladder.
After install. I also moved my Apex over from the old tank and started to populate the system.
ReefMagicMan
Active Member
I have a 400 gallon with a cut out from the dining room that you can see the bulk of the aquarium
I'll pull this from one side and underneath
Also put automatic lines on the dining side so when the kitchen lights go on it doesn't disturb the fish after hours
You must have some building skills not everybody should tackle things like this
great job
I'll pull this from one side and underneath
Also put automatic lines on the dining side so when the kitchen lights go on it doesn't disturb the fish after hours
You must have some building skills not everybody should tackle things like this
great job
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ReefTankENG
Active Member
Thanks! My skill definitely increased dramatically with this project. I have my light schedule from 2pm to 11pm so I can enjoy the tank more on working days and so they don’t get disturbed during the busy evening hours
OP
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ReefTankENG
Active Member
Homemade Red Tide. Laughing with you-- not at you!
- yeah that was interesting
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ReefTankENG
Active Member
09/2024. Lights on and fish! 3 weeks with light out was a little quick, but all the levels checked out and I was getting excited to see this thing come together. I talked it over with my LFS (not a regular LFS, a reef LFS that basically requires you to pass a written exam before selling you anything) and we decided to give it a try. Started with 7 blue green chromis, 10 hermit crabs and 10 assorted snails. I was going to add more CUC every week as the bio load increased. Only blue lights at 10%.
6 out of the 7 died after 5 days. All the CUC survived and were obviously happy with the fish deaths. I'm not sure if it was the "red tide", cycling not really complete, or lack of food. I leaned towards lack of food. I was feeding dried food from an auto feeder to get the multiple times a day and supplementing with mysis. I work a lot and was not able manually feed often. The one chomis that survived was the one I saw that actually ate the dry food. With all that death and know measurable ammonia or nitrite I decided to try more a week later. This time with 4 female Lyretail Anthias and more CUC. Also worked on finishing that gap below the stand that showed all of the shims.... more wood, wood filler, sanding, and painting. Added cable organizers to hide most of the wire mess, put in the Trident and 5 gallon Kalc tank, installed old DOS for auto water changes.
Done with the construction of the center of the set-up. Still have to finish the outside cabinet doors and final trim. It was much harder to find motivation to do those once I had life an actual functioning system.
6 out of the 7 died after 5 days. All the CUC survived and were obviously happy with the fish deaths. I'm not sure if it was the "red tide", cycling not really complete, or lack of food. I leaned towards lack of food. I was feeding dried food from an auto feeder to get the multiple times a day and supplementing with mysis. I work a lot and was not able manually feed often. The one chomis that survived was the one I saw that actually ate the dry food. With all that death and know measurable ammonia or nitrite I decided to try more a week later. This time with 4 female Lyretail Anthias and more CUC. Also worked on finishing that gap below the stand that showed all of the shims.... more wood, wood filler, sanding, and painting. Added cable organizers to hide most of the wire mess, put in the Trident and 5 gallon Kalc tank, installed old DOS for auto water changes.
Done with the construction of the center of the set-up. Still have to finish the outside cabinet doors and final trim. It was much harder to find motivation to do those once I had life an actual functioning system.
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LFS makes you "pass a written exam before selling you anything." Got to love it! lol. (Did the exam-prep course tell you Chromis are famous for going from 12-to-2 the first week?) Your tank is beautiful, and something to be so proud of. Here's wishing the Anthias the best!
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ReefTankENG
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That was discussed :) But, $12 per fish is much easier to risk than $60. The second addition survived! I also added the Avast Plank freeze dried feeder that I think made the difference for survival.LFS makes you "pass a written exam before selling you anything." Got to love it! lol. (Did the exam-prep course tell you Chromis age famous for going from 12-to-2 the first week?) Your tank is beautiful, and something to be so proud of. Here's wishing the Anthias the best!
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ReefTankENG
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09/2024: Some moves from the old tank and more fish: A few weeks with no deaths and everything looking good, so I decided to add more fish and move over some corals. I wanted to move some corals from the old tank first. For moving my softies I literally used a chisel, crowbar, and a hammer to break off the rock it was attached to and then glued that to the new tank rocks.
*On the "low outside island" I attached some green palys and a golden hammer - I was thinking this would be my LPS and softy island.
*On the "center island" I attached some green palys and half of my sinularia (my clows host these, so I didn't want to move it all until they moved with it. - This will be my softy island.
*On the "high outside island" I put a candycane on the low edge. - I was thinking this would be my SPS and LPS island. I have never done SPS and figure this was the time to try, to put them on the top with the most light.
After everything seemed good for a week or so I moved over the clowns. I've had the orange one for like 6 years, his partner died along the way and I got the black one around 2 years ago.
I thought it was odd they didn't rush to their sinularia. But all returned to normal at night.
Things continued to go well so I added. 3 pajama cardinals, 4 more blue green chromis, a Midas goby, I moved some Zoas onto the center island, and added by first SPS (green bird's nest) to the top of the "high outside island"
Also added one of my favorite fishes that I was not successful keeping in my old tank - sand sifting goby. I talked with my LFS about it because I thought they need a 1 year old tank before adding. He said with a large tank like mine a lot of those rules don't apply... so I got one - and he is still holding strong!
*On the "low outside island" I attached some green palys and a golden hammer - I was thinking this would be my LPS and softy island.
*On the "center island" I attached some green palys and half of my sinularia (my clows host these, so I didn't want to move it all until they moved with it. - This will be my softy island.
*On the "high outside island" I put a candycane on the low edge. - I was thinking this would be my SPS and LPS island. I have never done SPS and figure this was the time to try, to put them on the top with the most light.
After everything seemed good for a week or so I moved over the clowns. I've had the orange one for like 6 years, his partner died along the way and I got the black one around 2 years ago.
I thought it was odd they didn't rush to their sinularia. But all returned to normal at night.
Things continued to go well so I added. 3 pajama cardinals, 4 more blue green chromis, a Midas goby, I moved some Zoas onto the center island, and added by first SPS (green bird's nest) to the top of the "high outside island"
Also added one of my favorite fishes that I was not successful keeping in my old tank - sand sifting goby. I talked with my LFS about it because I thought they need a 1 year old tank before adding. He said with a large tank like mine a lot of those rules don't apply... so I got one - and he is still holding strong!
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Fantastic update-- Thanks! 
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ReefTankENG
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09/2024 - 10/2024: Time to fully transition from the old tank. It was a 50 gallon sumpless tank I had going for 10 years. I started it with the birth of my 3rd daughter. I thought I would be bored on paternal leave for 2 weeks and was like "We should have a fish tank". My wife said "yeah, like one of the colorful ones" and I was like "yeah, I think they have corals". Then I started watching BRS on youtube and got hooked. I learned a lot on that tank! I gave it away to local guy who was very excited about starting his own.
Here it was after some corals and the clowns were removed
Getting ready for the full transition. Pain in the a*s catching them. The wrasse was the last one and I had to take out all the rocks and get him from the sand. I actually got paly juice in the eye during this. I almost went to the hospital because my eye swelled and was really red, but waited it out and everything was fine.
I took everything I did not transition to the tank to my LFS. They gave me some discounts and a stylo frag. I put it next to the bird's nest. From my old tank came a Flame Hawk, Yellow Coris Wrasse, Red Sea Sailfin Tang (little guy, I bought him knowing I was getting this bigger tank), and Copperband butterflyfish.
Also added a royal gramma, small foxface tang, tiny banggai cardinalfish and a frogspawn coral on the "low outer island".
Here it was after some corals and the clowns were removed
I took everything I did not transition to the tank to my LFS. They gave me some discounts and a stylo frag. I put it next to the bird's nest. From my old tank came a Flame Hawk, Yellow Coris Wrasse, Red Sea Sailfin Tang (little guy, I bought him knowing I was getting this bigger tank), and Copperband butterflyfish.
Also added a royal gramma, small foxface tang, tiny banggai cardinalfish and a frogspawn coral on the "low outer island".
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Quite the adventure!
OP
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ReefTankENG
Active Member
Thanks!
OP
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ReefTankENG
Active Member
Me neither... it just kind-of happened!
OP
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ReefTankENG
Active Member
Eye is fine! and the clowns still love their burrito
OP
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ReefTankENG
Active Member
10/2024: Right cabinet completion. Back to construction, it was harder to stay focused with all the new life. I decided to make it two separate doors - because I thought it might be cool, and I couldn't imagine trying to glue together something that big.
Test fit
Painted
Added some battery back-up for the vortech MP40's on the left side. Hurricanes came late this year. I have a generator, but would rather not have to start it and hook it up in the middle of the night. I figured this would get me through the night and let me do the heavy lifting in the morning.
Test fit
Painted
Added some battery back-up for the vortech MP40's on the left side. Hurricanes came late this year. I have a generator, but would rather not have to start it and hook it up in the middle of the night. I figured this would get me through the night and let me do the heavy lifting in the morning.
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