Our first SW tank - 180 gal build

[reefgirl189]

My apologies ahead of time, this may be a slow build. I'm a newb so feel free to offer some constructive critisism.

And now onto the main event...

This is where the tank is going. We plumbed in a drain for simple water changes, as you can see in the center of the tank space. And yes, that is my sad, sad looking Christmas tree. I've had it for 8 years now and I love it :biggrin: :

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_3537.jpg

Cutting and modifying the stand's legs so that she fits into the wall:
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_3540.jpg

Whipping together a quick stand base to raise the tank by 10". We did this so that the viewing level is more esthetically pleasing and also to have a 1 foot platform for us to do the upkeep. Also it just looks good and helps distribute the weight of this beast over a larger surface area.

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_3541.jpg

Baseboards removed:

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_3542.jpg

Fitting in the stand platform:

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_3543.jpg

Trying it on for size (that's nutella all over my kid's face. Haha, he loves the stuff!):

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_3544.jpg

[reefgirl189]

Newly modified stand going on her new platform:

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_3550.jpg

Got the tank on. It took two strong guys to lift this girl. Her dimensions are 6'X2'X2':

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_3551.jpg

Filling..:

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_3552.jpg

[reefgirl189]

More filling....:

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_3554.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_3555.jpg

Something that survived the 7 hour drive:

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_3556.jpg

[reefgirl189]

Something else that survived...:

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_3560.jpg

[Mrfish55]

Fits the space nice, the OSB under the tank concerns me, prone to swelling when wet, could cause a problem down the road. What are the plans for trim?

[intarsiabox]

I had some zoes on a rock that I had missed in a move and sat in the bottom of a rubbermaid tub for week. Threw it in the tank and a few days later they popped out again. Good luck on your tank build!

[Coralgurl]

Sweet!! Looks great so far! Adorable kid too btw!!

[reefgirl189]

Fits the space nice, the OSB under the tank concerns me, prone to swelling when wet, could cause a problem down the road. What are the plans for trim?

We're planning on this tank not leaking so hopefully the plywood will stay dry (haha!). On a more serious note, we are looking into a liner to put on the platform to protect again potential spills. This is extremely incomplete. We haven't even gotten the chance to put in the sump as the skimmer's pump is not working right now so we are waiting on parts. BTW Is it better to cycle the tank without a skimmer?

Our family friend is a Jman carpenter and he is fabbing up the cabinet/trim pieces for us. Planning to do a full piece that will frame in the tank like a picture frame would. I can't decide if I want a full canopy piece or not..

[sphelps]

Fits the space nice, the OSB under the tank concerns me, prone to swelling when wet, could cause a problem down the road. What are the plans for trim?

That's not OSB t's standard ply. The whole platform seems weird to me but I assume there's a reason and plan behind it so I'll stay tuned for now.

[reefgirl189]

I had some zoes on a rock that I had missed in a move and sat in the bottom of a rubbermaid tub for week. Threw it in the tank and a few days later they popped out again. Good luck on your tank build!

Weird how resiliant they are... I'm quite surprised acually. Maybe we will stick with only zoas now that I know I'll have a hard time killing them :biggrin:

[reefgirl189]

Sweet!! Looks great so far! Adorable kid too btw!!

Thanks, I made him from scratch!

[reefgirl189]

That's not OSB t's standard ply. The whole platform seems weird to me but I assume there's a reason and plan behind it so I'll stay tuned for now.

I was hesistant at first too but now I really like it. It was my husband's idea. It kind of matches our fireplace so it goes with the house decor. Plus it's making maintenance easier for me, I don't have to reposition a stepladder while cleaning.

[sphelps]

As far as spill protection you should consider something although it's difficult to add something properly with the tank already setup. Spills will happen, 100% for sure it's just a matter of when. That platform will prevent proper cleanup when the spill occurs as it will go behind it and be stuck underneath. I hope the idea of the platform wasn't related to floor protection.

[Mrfish55]

I was referring to the wood directly under the tank, not the platform the stand sits on, from the pics it looks to be OSB, in any case looks like you have put lots of thought into it.

[Lampshade]

Just give it a good weatherproof paint with a sealer, should keep everything happy. I think it will look great once finished, the tank fits so well in the wall having the whole stand and everything flush would have looked off unless it perfectly matched. The only thing that could be a pain is to check when your sitting down if you can see into the lights in the canopy. I used to have a tank beside my TV and i could see the bulbs, it was very distracting when watching TV. haha. Looks great though, good job so far.

[reefgirl189]

Tanks cleared up a bit..
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_3563.jpg

And the new NS Apex came in the mail today courtesy of concept aquatics:
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_3564.jpg

Looks like I wasn't the only one excited about the parcel:
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_3569.jpg

[reefgirl189]

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_3570.jpg
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_3571.jpg

Yeah, I'm one of those parents who shamelessly posts photos on my kid :)

And here's the sump getting ready to be hooked up:
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_3572.jpg

[reefgirl189]

As far as the platform being not very waterproof we are simply going to seal it and sillicone the edges to wall so that water can't run in behind it easily in the event of a spill.

Also our basement is unfinished so if need be we can access under the platform from the basement if all things go south with this platform.

[scherzo]

Looks good so far.

You could just trim out the entire setup and make it look like an in-wall setup. Then the lights would be covered and you wouldn't see the bulbs from a sitting position. It would look more like a fireplace... Or more like a fishy place?

As others have said, pairing and sealing the base would be a good idea before you setup the sump. You could just do it up white to match your baseboard and continue your base boards from your wall and around the base you built to add to the built in look.

[reefgirl189]

Awesome day. I don't have enough clearance to empty the Vertex IN250 protein skimmer's cup with the sump being on the platform. So we are modifying the sump and dropping it inside of the platform. This is a pain in the ass but it will probably look cool.

Also decided to "upgrade" the sump and go with something a bit bigger. This one is a 50 gallon tank going off of it's dimensions. We are going to do a DIY 80 gallon sump with 4 chambers (chambers are called baffles?), so that we can have a refugium and protein skimmer each with their own dedicated area. This new sump is going to be 5'X18"X18". We'll build it on Xmas holidays if we have the time. Acrylic most likely as for some reason everyone in my local area wants to sell used 50+ gallon tanks for $350 or more. Just the tank, no hardware. Pricey!

Also going to be dropping by the hardware store tomorrow to pick up some sealer for the platform. Thanks for the tips and suggestions everyone.

Tank is cycling well. Got our initial ammonia spike yesterday (3 PPM). The existing zoas don't seem too thrilled but they are still kicking.

Started to plan the cabinetry but that's going to be a surprise for you guys until I post the pics. We have a really great idea for easy access to underneath the tank.

Thanks to all who are following along on my learning journey and as always, please add your constructive critism. It's easier and cheaper for me to learn from your mistakes and not my own ;)

[The Grizz]

Looks cool where you have it set up but the only real concern I have is with the way you have the tank sitting on 2 pieces of plywood instead of 1 solid piece & the fact that you do not have any styrofoam under the tank. If by any chance there is a spill & the water soaks into one of the edges under the tank it could crack the bottom.

[fishoholic]

Looks good so far!

[fishytime]

^agreed^.......have you worked with acrylic before?.....if not I wouldnt make something that needs to hold water your first attempt......working with acrylic is not easy and if you dont get it right she will eventually blow....

[reefgirl189]

^agreed^.......have you worked with acrylic before?.....if not I wouldnt make something that needs to hold water your first attempt......working with acrylic is not easy and if you dont get it right she will eventually blow....

I actually have worked with acrylic before. I've also built a glass tank from the ground up. That one was my 125 gal FW. I had it running for 5 years before I took it down and sold it. Never had a single leak and neither did the buyer to the best of my knowledge. I was pretty proud of that one as I was only 15 when I built it. It was a basic box with no overflows though so it was pretty easy.

I'd honestly rather buy a nice used tank to convert but I can't find anything that will work in my space so we'll see. If Santa doesn't bring a HO Refugium for us then we will see about making one.

[reefgirl189]

Looks cool where you have it set up but the only real concern I have is with the way you have the tank sitting on 2 pieces of plywood instead of 1 solid piece & the fact that you do not have any styrofoam under the tank. If by any chance there is a spill & the water soaks into one of the edges under the tank it could crack the bottom.

The guy who built the platform is a Master Carpenter. He knew what it would be supporting. I'm confident in his abilites. This thing is solid. Yes we will be looking into sealing the stand but the reason we had to set it up so quick is because we only had the weekend to get it up and running or risk waiting another two or three weeks until the husband and his friends were off to help put it up on the stand for us. I don't have any regrets and I'm not concerned but I appreciate everyone else looking out for our best interests.

[Hustler]

Looks like a great build and awesome rock work.... Love the hitch hikers....I got lucky there too :)
Salt is a fun hobby...... Cant wait for the stress to stop and the beauty to begin LOL

[The Grizz]

I was not referring to the platform I was referring to the plywood between the tank and the stand. Should have been one piece of good plywood at least 3/4" thick with atleast 1/2" of styrofoam between the plywood and tank. I hope don't have a panel break or crack, I have seen it many time.

Cant wait for the stress to stop

You will grow very old waiting for that day.

[ensquire]

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/18798128/IMG_3550edit.jpg

This is the plywood the Grizz is referring to. This should all be one solid piece of Plywood not osb of mdf. If this gets any moisture at all it will expand and possibly crack your tank. Also there should be a half inch piece of rigid styrofoam between the plywood and tank.
I agree that the platform it sits on looks well built and solid and with a little silicone and sealer will be very moisture resistant.

[reefgirl189]

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/18798128/IMG_3550edit.jpg

This is the plywood the Grizz is referring to. This should all be one solid piece of Plywood not osb of mdf. If this gets any moisture at all it will expand and possibly crack your tank. Also there should be a half inch piece of rigid styrofoam between the plywood and tank.
I agree that the platform it sits on looks well built and solid and with a little silicone and sealer will be very moisture resistant.

Oh, now I see what you are referring to. That came with the tank. Perhaps we should have put something else between the tank and stand. It was bone dry and had no swelling so it looked good to us, but I can see what Grizz meant about one piece being safer. If you are reffering to the base of the tank (platform), that is one piece of 3/4".

Anyway!

New update:

Got the sump dropped down, working well without the skimmer while the tank cycles and the apex controller installed. The apex wasn't easy to put together but it was much easier than I thought it would be. Working off of a Mac to configure it ended up being very simple, although the web interface is the same regardless of your operating system. Now in the morning I will tackle how to get iphone access to it.

[Hawkaholic]

Looks good so far guys...loving the rock work!! I will be following along but it seems so weird lol.

[reefgirl189]

Dropped the sump in but the wire mess is driving me crazy. Getting a different sump built and will clean up and organize the mess once it's installed.

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_3584.jpg

The utility room:
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_3586.jpg

Mixing salt water. I have two of these. Both have a eheim 250 W and a maxijet 900:
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_3588.jpg

Also since these photos I've hooked up the ATO and hooked up the iphone aspect of the Apex but I have yet to figure out how to access the controls from outside of the house via iphone.

[reefgirl189]

Added a few things:

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_3707.jpg from bayside corals
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_3705.jpg from bayside corals
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_3704.jpg from bayside corals
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_3703.jpg
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_3701.jpg from bayside corals

[reefgirl189]

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_3716.jpg
Kenya tree is from thereefshoppe.
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_3714.jpg
Unfortunately this peppermint shrimp didn't make the drive up. I threw him in as a snack for the hermits and snails I got from Kelly. There were two other PPMS and I figured they would decide not to die on me if they saw what happened to their amigo after his demise. So far the trick has worked!
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_3787.jpg GSP from the reef shoppe.
The feather duster rock:
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_3786.jpg My PPMS love them more than the aiptasias unfortunately.

[AquaticFinatic]

[QUOTE=The Grizz;662263]I was not referring to the platform I was referring to the plywood between the tank and the stand. Should have been one piece of good plywood at least 3/4" thick with atleast 1/2" of styrofoam between the plywood and tank. I hope don't have a panel break or crack, I have seen it many time.

I hate to be a party pooper but this tank is doomed is it not? I think grizz is right here. You should have taken the time to put some foam under your tank. I think it's only a matter of time before she lets go but hey it's your choice. Sorry for the negativity but apart from that it's looking good and best of luck with it.

[reefgirl189]

Cool well we are moving in less than a year so let's hope it can hang on until then.

[Skimmerking]

Cool well we are moving in less than a year so let's hope it can hang on until then.
that could end up being a very expensive decision lets hope your luck hangs in there.

[Corbin]

that could end up being a very expensive decision lets hope your luck hangs in there.

Ive never put foam under a single tank ive had in the last 12 years ive been in the hobby, even big ones. they usually all just sit on hard wood - never harmed anything, you guys are just paranoid.

[Lampshade]

Ive never put foam under a single tank ive had in the last 12 years ive been in the hobby, even big ones. they usually all just sit on hard wood - never harmed anything, you guys are just paranoid.

I agree, your stand would have to have some serious defects to cause problems. I've seen just as many tanks break on foam as on wood. As long as you still have the plastic trim thing around the tank still you should be fine.

[lockrookie]

i also wouldnt worry too much i dont have foam under my 5 foot 90 and it is fine. the main cause of a break is if a floor shifts due to weather change and if your stand doesnt shift properly with it it could cause a break..but a tank could break just caue of glass defect as well for no reason.

[Skimmerking]

Ive never put foam under a single tank ive had in the last 12 years ive been in the hobby, even big ones. they usually all just sit on hard wood - never harmed anything, you guys are just paranoid. not paranoid when you get a tank with the trim the bottom is tempered. however with her tank there isnt any trim and the bottom isnt tempered.

[Ryan]

Looks good! Cant wait to see this tank at full potential!

I have sealed wooden enclosures for my snakes with Varathane Diamond Coat. Its always held up well against split water dishes so I cant see why it wouldnt work with this. Its available at home depot and comes in many different shades.

How much room in there between the side walls and the glass? Same with the rear walls and the glass?

Just wondering if there is enough room for magnets for the powerheads is all.

[HaZRaTTy]

Thanks, I made him from scratch!

Just as I as going ask where I could buy one and how long it would take to train in Tank Maintence. I guess I'll have to talk to the Mrs.


Nice Tank,

I do see a few potential problems.

Access under your dropped in sump? I would like to say no tanks leak but Water spills ARE going to happen. I see you have hardwood floor I know for a fact that they don't like water. Without a way of cleaning the spill warping is going to happen.

Room around your tank for I think as Ryan stated Magnets for Cleaning or Powerheads. I guess there are always suction powerheads??¿¿

Good luck with your Tank!! Lots of Life and Enjoyment to come hopefully everything runs smoothly!!!:mrgreen:

[Corbin]

not paranoid when you get a tank with the trim the bottom is tempered. however with her tank there isnt any trim and the bottom isnt tempered.

Fair enough, i didnt think about that, i guess all my tanks have been the trim and tempered :lol:

[Reefie]

Nice build! It's going to look great, I love the whole "integrated into the house" look. If I had the space, I would do the same thing. Carrying over the walls' baseboards around the step that you made and maybe using drywall to cover the stand would look incredible with the "picture-frame" idea.

[Coralgurl]

Update?? What changes are you making??

[reefgirl189]

Okay time for a very big update...

We sold the tank, stand and sump for one simple reason: the noise. The dual dursos were obnoxiously loud and as this tank is on the main floor of the house and next to the TV, it wasn't something we could look over.

We did buy this unit to learn how to care of a reef without investing in all new equipment. I didn't want to be one of those people who bought everything brand new only to have to turn around and sell it all for a fraction of the cost because I wasn't really into the hobby. Turns out this hobby is going to be around for awhile and both of us really like it so now we aren't afraid of making investments into newer or better equipment.

So we bought a new tank and sump from a well known tank builder in Calgary and my BF decided to make the stand himself (with help from his welder friend). Everything turned out beautifully. We decided to go dual Herbie-style overflows for the new tank due to the noise reduction which was this style's claim to fame. For those of you who care to look it up, Herbie is a reefcentral member who designed the plumbing for his tank to be silent. I'm sure there are a few posts here on canreef about this style of drain and I will try to include some pics of it when I remember to take them however here is a link to the original herbie thread in the meantime:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=344892

Transfering everything over was difficult because it took much more time than I thought it would but here's how we did it:

We set up the new sump in our living room and filled it up with water from the DT, then moved all the LR into a brute rubbermaid with a heater and a powerhead. It barely fit. The livestock and the few corals we had moved into the sump and spent the next three days in there with a couple of powerheads and a heater. We set up the light over the sump for the corals and didn't have a single loss. Actually, that's not true - we found a fireworm (most likely species) living under the brain coral's base and BF killed him by stabbing him in his hole. Then we flushed out his severed remains with a turkey baster. Ever since fireworm died brain coral has been much happier.

We also saved about 60% of the water from the DT in rubbermaid containers but we ended up throwing out about 20% of it because it went stagnant as I didn't have enough powerheads for the number of containers we had the water in. So we ended up doing a massive waterchange in the process of transferring over tanks.

We set up the new stand on the platform, placed the one sheet of 3/4 in plywood on it, with a 1/2" piece of foam on top of that (foam was glued to underside of new tank courtesy of the tank builder). BF started to work on the plumbing and I began transferring everything into its new home.

That's when we decided to complicate things further and move the sump to the basement. Four major reasons why we did this:
1) Get the 80 gallon sump and its weight off of the main floor
2) Move the cords and mess out of the stand and clean it up.
3) Move the majority of the equipment to a new room which would be easier to access everything in.
4) We like to do everything the hard way

Anyways.. enough talk. Pics to follow shortly!

[reefgirl189]

Looks good! Cant wait to see this tank at full potential!

I have sealed wooden enclosures for my snakes with Varathane Diamond Coat. Its always held up well against split water dishes so I cant see why it wouldnt work with this. Its available at home depot and comes in many different shades.

How much room in there between the side walls and the glass? Same with the rear walls and the glass?

Just wondering if there is enough room for magnets for the powerheads is all.

Hey what kind of snakes do you have? I used to breed ball pythons and cornsnakes. I love snakes.

And as for the clearance behind the tank for magnets and such.. Yes, there is enough room on either side for a magnet for a Koralia or Tunze. I can't get a vortech powerhead unless I want to put it on the front pane of glass (no thanks). I also have just enough clearance to put cords behind and on the sides of the aquarium. It's very tight.

[reefgirl189]

Here's the new aquascape:

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_3976.jpg

And the new sump room. Not running yet as we are waiting for plumbing glue to cure after fixing one leak (Better safe than sorry):

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_3973.jpg

Our one lonely clownfish:

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_3970.jpg

And a FTS:

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_3956.jpg

[lockrookie]

looking great good job

[globaldesigns]

Looks Great, but I do have a concern, maybe someone else can validate.


http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_3973.jpg


It looks like you have ABS elbows (black parts at top of photo) with PVC piping. Is this so? I do not think you can glue those 2 together successfully, as the glues for each are different. Can anyone else validate my claim, if this is the case?

[reefgirl189]

Looks Great, but I do have a concern, maybe someone else can validate.



It looks like you have ABS elbows (black parts at top of photo) with PVC piping. Is this so? I do not think you can glue those 2 together successfully, as the glues for each are different. Can anyone else validate my claim, if this is the case?

You are right. ABS and PVC should generally not be used together however this is a non pressurized line and we used a cement that bonds to both plastics. It is safe in this case. We consulted a plumber friend of ours because our local plumbing supply store was sold out of the PVC fittings we needed and we didn't want to wait the extra 7-10 days to bring in the elbows.

[globaldesigns]

You are right. ABS and PVC should generally not be used together however this is a non pressurized line and we used a cement that bonds to both plastics. It is safe in this case. We consulted a plumber friend of ours because our local plumbing supply store was sold out of the PVC fittings we needed and we didn't want to wait the extra 7-10 days to bring in the elbows.

Cool, good to know. What glue do you use?

[Coralgurl]

That looks fantastic! Love the sump in the basement too. Fish list?

Btw, we just got a ball python, I do not love it....:twised:

[ensquire]

Cool, good to know. What glue do you use?

Transition glue I do believe

[reefgirl189]

Transition glue I do believe

Something like that.. I don't know what kind ATM because we borrowed it from plumber friend - he took it when he left.

We also silliconed around the seams of the ABS-PVC just for extra insurance.

[reefgirl189]

That looks fantastic! Love the sump in the basement too. Fish list?

Btw, we just got a ball python, I do not love it....:twised:

WHAT? How could you not love a BP? What kind is he? He'll grow on you, there are beautiful and lazy animals. Like *most* snakes the bigger they get the better they get, and the funner they are to handle (exception would be an anaconda or Burmese python).

Fish list is very open..

So far I want a pair of clowns (have one true perc)
A Cobberband Butterfly (I hope I can keep one successfully)
A Purple Tang
A Yellow Tang
A Sailfin Tang (Can I even keep all these tangs together in one 180?)
and I'd love a clam - Maxima most likely - but I'm not sure I can keep one successfully as I am slowly going LED and dose prodibio. It's my understanding that clams need nitrates and right now mine are at zero.

Also I really love mandarins but I don't think I will have a healthy pod base if I have a CBB and mandarin in the same tank.

I'd love a miniature sea turtle but apparently you can't get them.

I also really like Flame Angels but I'm not sure how that would work in a reef set up. I don't want to be limited on what corals I can choose.

[Coralgurl]

Good start to fish list. I had a flame angel, he left the corals alone but I didn't have it long! Would love another one! Sea turtle - that'd be so cool! Can't remember if it was in this forum regarding a discussion on mini dolphins, penguins etc...

I have a clam and this is the one thing that's making me nervous about the transfer....mines happy and growing, I would give your tank more time and then go for it!

[reefgirl189]

Just thought I would clear something up for those of you thinking ABS to PVC is a good idea. Although it will work fine for a drain line it's better to choose one type and stick with it. You generally do not want to match ABS to PVS because it would not pass a plumbing inspection. Also you shouldn't be mixing and matching PVC and ABS for pressurized lines under any circumstances.

For a fish tank that's not going to be sold with your house - no biggie

For DIY renos - not a great idea.

[unclesalty]

Very nice looking tank and sump you have! I like the black backgrounds myself but I have to admit that blue one of yours looks awesome! I see you have done your skimmer research also!:biggrin:

[reef684]

Weird how resiliant they are... I'm quite surprised acually. Maybe we will stick with only zoas now that I know I'll have a hard time killing them :biggrin:



looks great. a lot of work that pays off

[reefgirl189]

Very nice looking tank and sump you have! I like the black backgrounds myself but I have to admit that blue one of yours looks awesome! I see you have done your skimmer research also!:biggrin:

Funny that you mention... we were [thisclose] to going with a black background for this tank but I ended up changing my mind at the last minute. I haven't regretted it in the slightest. The colour palette we'd chosen for our house is on the darker side and I felt that black background may have been a bit too dark. The blue brings out the color of the corals and fish almost as well as the black would.

As for the skimmer.... this is by far my favorite piece of equipment I'd purchased for this tank. I bought it gently used from another canreefer and luckily for me the gentleman who owned it before me (and the gentleman before him) took excellent care of it. It was pretty much brand new and I saved myself hundreds off of the retail price tag. I do not regret this purchase at all. There's a very good reason why these skimmers rarely show up for sale in canreef's classified section. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time I guess. It is a bit oversized for this 180 gal but at least I don't have to worry about adding too much livestock in the long run. It is kind of laughable that all it's skimming for ATM is one lonely clownfish and a few shrimp, :lol:, but at least my mind is at ease. We all know that means the world in reefkeeping!

[unclesalty]

Funny that you mention... we were [thisclose] to going with a black background for this tank but I ended up changing my mind at the last minute. I haven't regretted it in the slightest. The colour palette we'd chosen for our house is on the darker side and I felt that black background may have been a bit too dark. The blue brings out the color of the corals and fish almost as well as the black would.

As for the skimmer.... this is by far my favorite piece of equipment I'd purchased for this tank. I bought it gently used from another canreefer and luckily for me the gentleman who owned it before me (and the gentleman before him) took excellent care of it. It was pretty much brand new and I saved myself hundreds off of the retail price tag. I do not regret this purchase at all. There's a very good reason why these skimmers rarely show up for sale in canreef's classified section. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time I guess. It is a bit oversized for this 180 gal but at least I don't have to worry about adding too much livestock in the long run. It is kind of laughable that all it's skimming for ATM is one lonely clownfish and a few shrimp, :lol:, but at least my mind is at ease. We all know that means the world in reefkeeping!

I have to agree with you on the Super Marine being my favourite piece of equipment also although my Radions are close! Mine is the 200 model and presently doing an awesome job on my 120g before it gets put on my 180g. I was told by a few people that I wouldn't notice much of a difference over my Alpha cone but its a huge difference so it was money very well spent.

[reefgirl189]

Added a couple fish:

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_3986.jpg

And a sump picture:
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_3991.jpg

[reefgirl189]

Just a small update. We started getting the stand done. The door/stand cover is drying in the garage ATM.

In this pic you can kind of see our newest addition, a beautiful sailfin tang we got from another canreefer (Thank-you, he's fitting is very well)

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4103.jpg

Here's a blurry closeup pic:

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4088.jpg

[Coralgurl]

Wow, that looks so beautiful!! What a great set up! Love the sail fin, red coral had one I was keeping an eye on, but sold....:sad: how's the CBB doing?

[reefgirl189]

Wow, that looks so beautiful!! What a great set up! Love the sail fin, red coral had one I was keeping an eye on, but sold....:sad: how's the CBB doing?

Oh he's great! Couldn't be happier with him. He's my favorite fish. Ever since I was a little girl and I got a little national geographic copperband butterfly figurine from Dairy Queen, I've always wanted one. I just wish they would get along because then I would have about 10 of them :)

He eats mysis, bloodworms, mussels sometimes and plankton. I can't get him to eat pellets or flakes unfortunately but as long as he eats I am happy. Thanks for asking! :biggrin:

[reefgirl189]

Woke up at 6:30 AM on my only sleep in day this week. Great. So I took a few photos of what's been going on around here:

Painted the cabinetry for the stand and didn't like the color:
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4109.jpg

So I decided to paint it again with a bit more character:
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4128.jpg
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4127.jpg

Got a new RO/DI unit from BRS:
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4124.jpg


And here's a pic of the three amigos for fun. They just woke up in this pic. I guess I'm the rooster today :) :
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4131.jpg

[Coralgurl]

I'm gonna say it again, wow! That's beautiful, love the final look of the stand! You must be so happy with how it all turned out! I've been thinking of doing my stand lighter as well, haven't decided yet! I've also just got an ro unit, added a tds meter and water coming out is 0, going in is at 114.

Now to start loading it up with fish and corals! Your 3 amigos need some buddies!

[fishytime]

the stand does indeed look killer!.....love the "aged" look

[subman]

love that stand too! Im going to be starting mine soon for the 225

[subman]

how about some details on the cabinets? are they permanent or stuck on with Velcro/magnets. what wood did you use ect.

Also +1 on picking the right skimmer there is no better

[reefgirl189]

how about some details on the cabinets? are they permanent or stuck on with Velcro/magnets. what wood did you use ect.

Also +1 on picking the right skimmer there is no better

Thanks! The skimmer is still my favorite piece of equipment on this tank, although the radion is a close second.

As for the cabinetry:

It's one single piece of MDF. Took some moulding and glued it on to make the appearance of doors, drilled half way through on the back side and put 4 of these magnets in:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/10-Pcs-N42-1-5x1-4-Strong-NdFeB-Neodymium-Disk-Magnets-/310389070081?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4844a15901#ht_2104wt_1141

We used carpenter glue to make the magnets stay where they were supposed to and placed them strategically to all 4 sides of the metal stand for maximum safety:

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4142.jpg

These magnets are a bit overkill but I will rarely need to go under the main display because my sump is in the basement. I also have a little one who gets involved with everything so I wanted something strong enough to keep him out until he's old enough to understand not to hang off of the handles and risk having the whole piece come crashing down on his head. Safety first!

Anyway if anyone was interested in some of the magnets I have 5 left over. Hubby broke one testing the strength of them, it smashed into another magnet with such a force that is shattered. Watch your fingers when working with these!

After the magnets were in and the glue dry I painted the cabinetry. I wanted a cream color to go with our kitchen cabinets which are directly across from the tank. It didn't turn out a very nice color so I redid it by mixing a slightly different color out of the original cream paint by adding some leftover paint from the main walls in the house and brushed it on sparingly. I then mixed another darker color and cut it with water to make it spread not as thickly. Brushed that color on too, and you can see the final result turned out kind of rustic looking. I like it, I'm happy.

Total project cost for the cabinet piece was $65 not including the magnets or tools to cut it. The company that built our cabinets quoted us $700.00.

Here's how the tank looks in the room:

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4139.jpg

Now we just need to finish the fireplace and the rest of the neverending home projects :rolleyes:

[Reefie]

Looks GREAT! I love the rustic look, it compliments the rest of the room quite well.

[subman]

Thanks! The skimmer is still my favorite piece of equipment on this tank, although the radion is a close second.

As for the cabinetry:

It's one single piece of MDF. Took some moulding and glued it on to make the appearance of doors, drilled half way through on the back side and put 4 of these magnets in:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/10-Pcs-N42-1-5x1-4-Strong-NdFeB-Neodymium-Disk-Magnets-/310389070081?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4844a15901#ht_2104wt_1141

We used carpenter glue to m...............


That Is EXACTLY what I was planning!! Thanks for the post now I need to get to work (after skiing this week lol)
I don't think there is overkill for the magnets you don't want it falling down or sliding ect. stronger the better (just a little more dangerous)

how long did it take to get the magnets?

[HaZRaTTy]

I am jealous of the Purple Tang, and Copper.

Looks fantastic, glad you upgraded from your "In Floor Sump" to the basement route I think this will pay off greatly in the future, and have alot less head aches!!

Think you need a few more radions :mrgreen: $$

[Edmonton newbie]

sub man lee valley has the rare earth mags in stock all the time i have my 12lbs sledge hammer hanging in the shed with one for the last couple years no issues or signs that it wants to fall lol it takes a good pull to get it off the wall

[reefgirl189]

That Is EXACTLY what I was planning!! Thanks for the post now I need to get to work (after skiing this week lol)
I don't think there is overkill for the magnets you don't want it falling down or sliding ect. stronger the better (just a little more dangerous)

how long did it take to get the magnets?

I think it was less than a week from that seller but if you need some I have 5 left I'd sell for cheap. I thought we would need 6 or so magnets but after seeing how strong of a pull these guys have 4 is more than enough. I have to pull pretty darn hard to get the cabinet front off.

[reefgirl189]

I am jealous of the Purple Tang, and Copper.

Looks fantastic, glad you upgraded from your "In Floor Sump" to the basement route I think this will pay off greatly in the future, and have alot less head aches!!

Think you need a few more radions :mrgreen: $$

I totally agree. Not having to bend over and crawl underneath your tank to do maintenance is great.

What do you mean about the radion? Don't you think one is enough? I get a 6 foot spread with this baby! Haha yes more are on their way soon. For the record I'm getting by surprinsly well with only one of them. I might just get one more and leave it at two and save myself the extra money. We'll see.

My main priority with this tank now is increasing the flow. I'd noticed I have far too many dead spots for my liking. I've ordered a few more goodies that should be arriving within the week to help me with that problem.

[reefgirl189]

Got a present in the mail today:

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4183.jpg

[fishytime]

yaw yaw.....das tunze is guut:mrgreen:....I love mine for the pointability and they are near bullet proof!.......good choice

[reefgirl189]

Here are some tank shots. I'm only posting these on the condition that no one here is allowed to laugh at my photography skills:

Can't remember what this one is called but I have already seen some growth out of it:
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4184.jpg
Got this beauty from another canreefer (thanks for the trade Ron!):
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4176.jpg
Sunny Yellow Zoas:
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4175.jpg
Got this one free (lol wonder why? I still like it, it was one of my firsts :biggrin:):
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4174.jpg
Delightful Palythoa from Australia:
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4172.jpg
Candy Cane Coral:
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4168.jpg
Eagle Eye zoas and radioactive green zoas:
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4167.jpg

[reefgirl189]

I can't remember what these are called..? Armor of God or something...?
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4162.jpg
Midnight Blue Zoas:
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4157.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4158.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4156.jpg
Still one of my faves Green and Red Brain:
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4153.jpg

New clown has got it all figured out:
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4180.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4178.jpg

[reefgirl189]

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4150.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4144.jpg

[subman]

those pics are great! love the blue zoas when your ready frag those let me know!!!

[Casey8]

Got a present in the mail today:

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4183.jpg

NICE and TEASING ! I am so jealous ! Have to wait another 6 months or more before I can have it !

[reefgirl189]

Got something new again today... Just need some tyraps to hide the cord better..
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4199.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4200.jpg

[reefgirl189]

By the way after seeing two radions placed lengthwise on the 180 I will not be buying a third one. For the minimal amount of shadowing that can be seen on this tank in person (pictures display it much more), there is no need IMO. Unless I win the lottery and have money to burn or I decide to get serious with SPS I'm not going to be buying another one.

Sooo glad I just saved myself $800+ and didn't bite the bullet and buy two more.

And I hope that is that last piece of equipment that I will need for this tank.
Lord knows I've spent enough on it already :mrgreen:

Now it's time to sit back and enjoy and watch the corals grow :popcorn:

[Casey8]

You could have saved $1100, not $800 if you didn't buy that junky wavemaker. Believe me, I feel your pain.

[reefgirl189]

You could have saved $1100, not $800 if you didn't buy that junky wavemaker. Believe me, I feel your pain.

I know :( I bought a lottery ticket in hopes that my luck will be changing soon. :biggrin:

Some new pics:

I suck at taking FTS photos:
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4229.jpg

Black midas blenny from another canreefer. His name is Godzilla. I love this fish, so much character and fun to watch:

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4228.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4208.jpg

My favorite fish ever:

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4217.jpg

New tail spot blenny from another canreefer. I think the flash spooked him:

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4209.jpg
Here he is again in the background:
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4215.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4221.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4222.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4223.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4226.jpg

[reefgirl189]

Had a nice little surprise when I got home from Edmonton today. My new RBTA that I haven't even had for a month has split. So now there's a cute little RBTA about the size of a toonie and one twice its size. Seems like everything is having babies around here! There must be something in the water! :biggrin:

[Coralgurl]

Tank looks amazing!! Woooooww! your 2 radions should work great like that too. Nice corals and fish! I loooove your sailfin, great shot of him!!

Did I miss something?? Are you Expecting?? If so congrats!

[subman]

Great meeting you and your family today!
What did you end up bringing home from BWA? I saw a beautiful Acan then I had to chase my little terror around lol

[reefgirl189]

Tank looks amazing!! Woooooww! your 2 radions should work great like that too. Nice corals and fish! I loooove your sailfin, great shot of him!!

Did I miss something?? Are you Expecting?? If so congrats!

Unfortunately the sailfin died a couple weeks ago. I still have no idea why. He just stopped eating and then got bloated and passed away. Everything else is flourishing ( and in some cases splitting :) lol ).

Yes we are expecting child #2 now. A couple months in and I was ready to be done with this pregnancy weeks ago, haha.

Great meeting you and your family today!
What did you end up bringing home from BWA? I saw a beautiful Acan then I had to chase my little terror around lol

Thanks, you too! I'm kind of glad I brought my little terror of my own otherwise my wallet would have been much emptier upon leaving. If I didn't have to chase a little guy I would have had much more time for shopping, lol.

We got a little royal gramma an acan and some zoas. I'll post pics once they settle in.

[reefgirl189]

I'm sorry, it's been a very long time since my last update. I've been incredibly overloaded with a hectic work schedule and the dogs. We recently got our show male back from his showing circuit in Oklahoma and I'm happy to say he's now a multi-champion with the AKC and UKC both on bench and show! Now we can finally let him relax and enjoy the good life for a few months.

So here's the update:

The new tank has been set up for over 6 months now.

I debated re-aquascaping a bit over the past few months but I'm over that now. I like all the caves and shady hiding spots and I think the fish appreciate them also.

I haven't been having huge success with corals and I'm a bit disappointed about that but I know where my problems lie. I need to get a better understanding of the dosing/water change relationship. I'm thinking about changing the salt I use also (currently using IO) as I find it's low on calcium and doing frequent water changes messes with the levels too often. I know stability is key so perhaps a better quality salt will help with that.

Some of the more recent additions (in the last 3 months) include:

Blue throat male and female trigger
Regal Tang
A new sailfin tang
3 sand sifting starfish
1 diamond goby (haven't seen him yet unfortunately, but he's only been in there since yesterday)
3 lyretail anthias

I haven't added any new corals lately for obvious reasons. I don't want to add to a problem I haven't fixed yet.

Here's plenty of pictures of the livestock though:
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4494.jpg
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4493.jpg
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4490.jpg
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4489.jpg
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4488.jpg
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4476.jpg
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4479.jpg
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4483.jpg
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4482.jpg
http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4491.jpg

[Rice Reef]

Looking good! Is that trigger reef safe? Been thinking about getty one...:biggrin:

[Coralgurl]

Does your hippo tang go after the triggers at all? Mine is brutal....

Love the new scape!

[reefgirl189]

Looking good! Is that trigger reef safe? Been thinking about getty one...:biggrin:

I have heard there's the odd one that pics at SPS but I haven't noticed any bad behaviours yet. The triggers are so fun to watch, I love the way they move through the water. I kinda wish I would have got a niger trigger instead but I think they are less reef compatible than the blue throats.

Does your hippo tang go after the triggers at all? Mine is brutal....

Love the new scape!

No, not at all. I'm very lucky in the fact that everyone gets along well in my tank. The one exception is the purple tang occasionally chases someone but that's kind of my fault as I shouldn't have added him first. He doesn't harass anyone often enough for it to be a problem though.

[reefgirl189]

Ok, I haven't tested my water in well over a month because I don't like to and I've been very busy. Things really weren't all that bad. Perhaps I should ignore my tank more often.

Calcium 440
Magnesium 1590 (whoa... should be 1320 ish)
Alk 6 or 7, kinda in between.
Ammonia 0 ppm
Nitrite 0 ppm
Nitrate 0 ppm
salinity 1.026
temp 78
pH 8.25

[reefgirl189]

Just found my new diamond goby shrivelled up dead on the floor. Poor guy :( I feel bad as I've been thinking about getting a screen top for months and never did anything about it.

[gregzz4]

:sad: Sorry to hear this

[reefgirl189]

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4767.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4768.jpg

http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4758.jpg

[Rice Reef]

Tank looks awesome! That third radion took away that spot light effect.:smile:
Corals are gonna like the extra radion too!

[Salt2Death]

Stunning set-up!


Sent Via The Pirate Ship...

[Coralgurl]

Love your tank as always, looks good! This is a great set up, love how it's in your living room to enjoy it, it's beautiful!

[ensquire]

Just one question. How high are your lights above the water?

[reefgirl189]

Just one question. How high are your lights above the water?

In this pic, very high... about 12" above the water. I had just gotten some new corals recently. I find it easier to just raise the light for a few days and gently lower it than to reprogram the radians. I normally prefer them at 7-8" above water.

[ensquire]

Thanks, I was just wondering if my lights were to high.

In this pic, very high... about 12" above the water. I had just gotten some new corals recently. I find it easier to just raise the light for a few days and gently lower it than to reprogram the radians. I normally prefer them at 7-8" above water.

[reefgirl189]

I'm a mom (again):

Found these in my sump today. There are many different sizes of them, I think they are clownfish babies. They would be a hybrid mix of Snow Onyx and a true perc/black ice hybrid. So basically they would be mutts... haha.


http://i203.photobucket.com/albums/aa293/christinadouma149/IMG_4959.jpg

[Leah]

Ohhh! Cool!

[The Guy]

Great looking set up, the lighting looks great in your DT. I run my AI's 12'' above the water all the time @ 60%, then it's not a PITA when I want to go in the tank for whatever.