180 project

[jer77]

I had a 180g tank with very nice stuff in it until the blizzard hit last year. I lost a lot, but promised to make an even better setup. I chose not to have the sump under the stand for convenience and less water spills around the tank. This tank is in a brand new basement with stuff that couldn't get wet. Here is the still dirty tank with the bare stand I built in the location where it would go.

I slowly filled the tank and cleaned it. I added the sand and rock while I was plumbing it.

I plumbed the tank in an unusual way I guess. I used both overflow bulkheads as drains and made an over the back manifold for the returns. The 1.5'' pipes feed an iwaki pump using a 1'' SQWD with flow acceleratorson the output. The main drain to the sump are two 1'' bulkheads. The overflows and drains can work with both full pump blastings. The overflows are a little over worked so on full flow there is some noise. The plumbing was some work though.

The sump area is in the garage from drilling though the wall and sending the drain through. The PanWorld pump is running with a separate fan mounted on the back. I have a Phosphate, carbon and biopellet reactors. I also have an Octopus 3000 external cone skimmer that's just awesome!

I'll have pics of the tank soon.

 

[cloakerpoked]

Wow, looks like quite a project for sure. Excited to see how it all turns out though for sure!

 

[SwitchedToLinux]

Is the 40 gal big enough to hold excess run off water?

You need a 100 gal Rubbermaid.

 

[jer77]

Is the 40 gal big enough to hold excess run off water?

You need a 100 gal Rubbermaid.

Ya a bigger sump would help. I have a 75g, but it doesn't have the baffles in it. It doesn't overflow if the water is at the right level, which it will be with an auto top off.

Here's my tank as of now, with the remaining live stuff from the blizzard:

My 2 big clams:

And my anemone I've kept alive for 10 years

 

[jer77]

I'm probably going to add a shallow frag tank above the sump. Nothing too big though, just like a 30g breeder. But more sump space is important too, so I may use this 55g I have too.

How big are other people's sumps on around 180g?

 

[ironwill723]

I have a 220g DT with a 90g sump in the basement.

 

[SwitchedToLinux]

Wow thats a 75 gallon tank? Is there no bracing on it? That skimmer is a monster. Lol....

I am sure that 75 would be ok, just put one baffle in it for a auto top off.

I have a 180 with a 100 gallon Rubbermaid container. I would like a external skimmer because my water lever fluctuates in it. Let me know how that skimmer works out for you. It seems people really like the performance of them.

 

[jer77]

Ya, I really like the bb pump on the skimmer and just the size of the cone.