180 Gallon Build

[thejtl]

Thanks Matty. Yeah, it was a bit of work, but the tank looks cleaner now. Some of the paint was irregular and it was bugging me. The back doesn't seem to look like the back of the tank now. It blends in more now and it looks like there's more of a 3 dimensional feel to the tank.

Pretty cool.

Noobtosalty: I'm not QTing at this point. I don't have the space for the QT tank right now and in this case the yellow and the foxface were both at the LFS for several weeks, so I was able to watch them pretty good. I buy from that store pretty regularly, so I have reasonable confidence in what they stock and their conditions. Until I set up this tank I was buying all my water from them, so I know what their water quality was like.

In the future, when this tank is more established and there's more at stake, I'm going to set up a QT, but it's too far down the list right now.

 

[thejtl]

The latest video:

http://youtu.be/3ELoRJOL0XY

 

[thejtl]

Added some new rock yesterday. Here are some pic:



<a href="http://s1032.photobucket.com/albums/a401/thejtl/?action=view&current=DSC_2164.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a401/thejtl/DSC_2164.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>



<a href="http://s1032.photobucket.com/albums/a401/thejtl/?action=view&current=DSC_2171.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a401/thejtl/DSC_2171.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>



<a href="http://s1032.photobucket.com/albums/a401/thejtl/?action=view&current=DSC_2169.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a401/thejtl/DSC_2169.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>



<a href="http://s1032.photobucket.com/albums/a401/thejtl/?action=view&current=DSC_2166.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a401/thejtl/DSC_2166.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket"></a>

 

[Lilmatty5dimes]

Very nice. Looks a lot better with all that rock.

 

[thejtl]

Thanks! Still gonna add more, but it definitely looks fuller and more complete.

 

[thejtl]

Haven't updated this in a bit, but I thought I'd throw up a couple pics. It was kind cool to go back and look at where I started with this tank just a couple months ago.

I got the 3rd AI for my lighting set up yesterday. A local shop had them on sale, so I grabbed one. Could only get it in white, but eventually I'm going to build a false wall to enclose the tank. Starting plans now.

Anyway, here's what the tank looks like today after a little bit of re-scaping.

<a href="http://s1032.photobucket.com/albums/a401/thejtl/?action=view&current=20120930_212123-1.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a401/thejtl/20120930_212123-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Uploaded from the Photobucket Android App"></a>

Here's a shot from my relaxing chair:

<a href="http://s1032.photobucket.com/albums/a401/thejtl/?action=view&current=20120929_2225230.jpg" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a401/thejtl/20120929_2225230.jpg" border="0" alt="Uploaded from the Photobucket Android App"></a>

 

[Lilmatty5dimes]

Wow the new rockscaping looks great. Your relaxing chair is fricking awesome. Great job.

 

[thejtl]

Six month or so UPDATE!

Six month or so UPDATE!

Well, talking about tanks today got me thinking I hadn't thrown up any new picks or done much of an update in a while. My nitrate went crazy there for a while and I've spent the last couple months bringing the down. In many ways I feel like the problem has brought me and my tank closer together. We understand each other now. I am the tank's *****. Plain and simple.<br />
<br />
Another cool thing is in dealing with that problem I've kind of gone to the next level in my understanding of how this stuff works, but also the next level in how to set this tank up for maximum ease of care and have found the equipment that I hope will help me keep it rocking to the next level: a full-on healthy, thriving reef tank. <br />
<br />
I also got my DIY chops sharpened a little as I built an algae scrubber. I've never really done as much DIY stuff in any other hobby as I've done in this one. It's kinda fun.<br />
<br />
So all in all, things are going good...<br />
<br />
Here are some of the latest pics:<br />
<br />
Full Tank Glory<br />
<img alt="" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a401/thejtl/DSC_3105_zpsee2d1041.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<br />
ATO System<br />
<img alt="" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a401/thejtl/DSC_3097_zpsd476e802.jpg" /><br />
<br />
Apex hookups and DIY algae scrubber<br />
<img alt="" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a401/thejtl/DSC_3107_zpsaa9bd58e.jpg" /><br />
<br />
Water change system<br />
<img alt="" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a401/thejtl/DSC_3110_zpscd3a365a.jpg" /><br />
<br />
And now the pretty stuff:<br />
<img alt="" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a401/thejtl/DSC_3132_zpsb5a9ca22.jpg" /><br />
<br />
<img alt="" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a401/thejtl/DSC_3129_zpsdae0adbb.jpg" /><br />
<img alt="" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a401/thejtl/DSC_3120_zpsd9fc6a4a.jpg" /><br />
<img alt="" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a401/thejtl/DSC_3123_zps4154ff70.jpg" /><img alt="" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a401/thejtl/DSC_3113_zps57845c8e.jpg" /><img alt="" src="http://i1032.photobucket.com/albums/a401/thejtl/DSC_3089_zpse813d422.jpg" /><br />
<br />

 

[blue98ls1]

Looks great! I'm doing the exact, same thing right now. Going from a 75g mixed reef to a 180g. I plan on taking months to do the transition, but I'm also getting everything together and running first.

 

[thejtl]

Yeah, I went fast when I started but have learned to slow down. Thanks for the kind words. Can't wait to see yours when is up.