Through Wall 200 Gallon Construction Project

[ReefTankENG]

10/2024 Ventilation: Most of builds I have seen had some sort of air flow / ventilation to reduce moisture / smell build up in the enclosure. I added a variable speed ventilation fan (basically a bathroom fan) to vent out of the cabinets like a bathroom. None of the cabinet door are "sealed" so there are plenty of gaps for fresh air to enter the system.
The air outflow port from inside the hood

Cutting the drywall are crown molding to have the fan in the attic and vent the air outside

Up in the attic

Patched back-up prior to painting

The variable speed control to the left of the vortech controls

 

[ThisIsTheWay]

Just found this build, absolutely amazing. Following along for the rest of the journey :D

 

[ReefTankENG]

11/2024: Tangs! Adding my "final" addition of fish. Unicorn, Chocolate Mimic, and Blue Hippo.
Here are the Unicorn and Chocolate with the Redsea Sailfin. The neon green birdsnest coral has been growing like crazy as well as the stylo. Also added a rainbow birdsnest, red digitata monipora, anacropora, and neon green candycane.

You can barely see the little blue hippo. Added a green / white torch on the "low outside island". There was too much flow on the top of this island for the frogspawn - it did not make it. I think because of the long narrow tank with power heads limited to the edges, there is no good way to limit the flow over this island without having dead spots in other places. So, I think I will need to switch to SPS's here - the paly's are doing fine though

 

[ReefTankENG]

12/2024z: Ich!! I got back from a few days away and my chocolate mimic had a "beard" of white spots and all of the tangs were covered in it. You can't really see it from the pictures, but it was there. I thought my unicorn was OK, but then it went all "camo" and then I could see them all. I did a bunch of research and found a bunch of thread on R2R and decided to live with it. I couldn't imagine going through the process to irradiate it. So, I bought two cleaner shrimp, a 57 watts UV sterilizer, and fed them seaweed everyday with AminoOmega. About a year later I still have it. My tangs have tripled in size and I still always see a spot or two on them.
The chocolate was the worst, but he pulled through

I really enjoyed the cleaner fish and the initial "car wash" through the tunnel the first few weeks of their introduction

They do love their sushi seaweed from Publix

UV Sterilizer in the sump. If I thought of this initially, I would have had it plumbed in permanently. Now it processes about 25 - 50% of the flow into the sump. It seems to be keeping every in check

 

[ReefTankENG]

12/2024 Finished the left door. With the tangs doing better I finally finished the last doors on the left side

With lights on

I still had not had the real "ugly phase" phase of the tank. But the algae is coming.
Some pics of the tank at this time. Started to see some bleaching at the bottom of the anacropora - first sign of sps trouble

 

[JumboShrimp]

Ta-DA!

A masterpiece of cabinetry. Time to sit back and enjoy, no?

 

[ReefTankENG]

oh yeah... just got to finish the trim

 

[ReefTankENG]

03/2025: Finally added the trim and crown molding.

Hade the auto feeders set-up like this. But most of it was going down the overflow

3D printed some shelving and integrated it into a EHEIM Feeding Station to get all the dry food underwater

Also put some 3D prints to cover gaps in the screens around the feeders. Lost a two Midas Goby that died on top of the screen. Not sure how they got there. But since these have been on, I've had the current one for over a year.

 

[JumboShrimp]

So beautiful... Stay Ich free, and you're home free, my good man!

 

[TheWB]

Just found this thread and read the whole thing. Incredible. Great job. Following along.

 

[Jimbo327]

Wonderful craftsmanship! You got some great skills.

 

[ReefTankENG]

So beautiful... Stay Ich free, and you're home free, my good man!

Thanks! But “Ich free” is tough. I’m living the “controlled Ich” life