Alexjoha`s 180 gallon mixed reef system

[alexjoha]

Hi,
This tread will be off our Woha hawaii mixed reef tank.

The tank was started in March 2016,
The tank will have a neptune apex computer and i`m trying to automate everything on the tank since I work offshore and I am away for 2-3 weeks at a time..

Aquarium
576 liters Woha hawaii glass aquarium with synergy reef overflow
Sump 230L

Circulation
1x Ecotech Vectra L1
2x Ecotech VorTech MP40QD

Filtration
Nyos Quantum 220
LS: 55kg
Deltec FR 509 - Using Rowaphos and seachem matrix carbon
3x 10cm Filtersock 200 micron
Deltec 20W UV

Lighting
4x Ecotech Radion XR30w PRO G3

Other equipment
Smart ATO
Grotech NG III - balling+

Computer
1 x Neptune Apex base unit lab grade
3 x Apex Power bar
1 x ALD Advanced leak detection
2 x ALD-P2 leak prob
1 x WXM ecotech modul
1 x AFS Automatic feeder
2 x I/O break out box
1 x PM2 salinity modul
1 x PMK par modul

Fish
Comming...

Cleaning crew
4 x Nassarius distortus - Super Tongan Nassarius Snail
15 x Trochus sp - Banded Trochus Snail
2 x Turbo sp -Zebra Turbo Snai
1 x Astropecten polycanthus - Sand Sifting Sea Star

Corals
comming...

 

[alexjoha]

We found a used Woha Hawaii aquarium that had a good price locally that`s how it all started.
We had been planning to buy a new system as a divider between the living room and the lobby.

Pictures from the add below.

 

[alexjoha]

Finally got a trailer to get the tank back home.

The stand for the tank needed a lot of work and it needed new exterior plates to fit our vision of the tank placement

 

[alexjoha]

First off all we took some measurements of the tank and stand. Then used google sketch up to plan how the tank would look when finished.

 

[alexjoha]

A friend that works at a window factory helped me with the new plates for the tank.
they have a nice paint robot that scans the material and paints it and dries it afterword's.

Some of the smaller pieces we needed to do manually though :bounce1:

 

[alexjoha]

The metal frame had a lot of surface rust so I needed to wait for a sunny day to go outside and grind it.

After a good grinding I applied some anti rust primer and then black hammerite paint

 

[alexjoha]

Finally got the overflow box today and one more Ecotech Radion :bounce3:

The overflow box from synergy reef looks great and the build quality looks good too. :bounce3:

Hope it's as good as it looks, only problem is that the bulkheads are in US standard and the piping here locally in Norway is in metric mm.
so I have to use a good amount of glue. :headwallblue:

 

[alexjoha]

I have been back and forth on using the old sump that I got with the tank or not..
I ended up using it after I had cleaned it out and had a water leak test on it..

I'm still not satisfied with the sump since it's a bit to small but more on that later in the tread.
I mounted some float switches in the sump and made a snail guard and wave guard for them too.

 

[alexjoha]

Got some more parts in the mail
I ended up ordering an ecotech Vectra L1 return pump. It's way too strong for this tank but I like buying gear I can use down the road since I know that the larger tank syndrome will hit me again soon.
And you have the possibility to diel the Vectra pump down with the controller.
I also ordered some more balling+ salts from Deutschland

 

[alexjoha]

Finally time to move the old tank and get the stand for the new tank in place :celeb1:
Got some help from a Nabor and my GF. It took a few hours and a cloudy tank but we got it done :thumbsup:
Everything survived the move and is back to normal now. :thumbsup:
Finally we can imagine how this new tank will look, just need to drill the tank now for the new overflow. :hmm2:

 

[alexjoha]

Got some friends over to lift the tank outside. :bounce3:
The drilling of the two 60mm holes took a long time since I got the drill from eBay probably not the best drill bit.. But it did the job. :bounce2:
I "œstole" my GF`s yoga math since I hadn't planned for the tank to be ready that fast. :crazy1:
Guess I have to get here a new one :bounce3:

 

[alexjoha]

Well then I needed to cut out the old overflow box and plug the holes in the bottom of the tank.
The synergy reef overflow went in like a dream and I got the clear pvc piping mounted to it.

The membrane valve finally came in the mail to

Got the 2 return nozzles mounted to. Soon time for water :bounce2:

 

[alexjoha]

First water in the tank! And after a few days the aqua scaping started :fun2:
Not to Shure if it's going to stay like this or if I'm going to do changes to it.. But the tank will just stay like this until its finished cycling

 

[alexjoha]

I got myself a nice chair to have by the aquarium too and yes it's RED!
But I think it looks cool there will be a few weeks until next update now since I'm offshore
Happy reefing!

 

[Sphack]

Nice looking setup. I like the clean look. Subscribed.

 

[alexjoha]

Thx :fun4:

I`ll keep you guys updated when i install the apex and change out the sump.
have to get that done when I come back home. Have a problem with the volume of the sump. The synergy reef overflow box isn't totally leak free on the inside overflow box so the level in the tank will drop down to the lowest part of the bulkhead.

Synergy reef means that this is normal.. Can't understand that it should be normal what if the foot print of the tank is large.. Then you will need an insane sump to handle the water volume from the main display.

In my case I need to handel more or less 125L (31 gallon) of backflow from the tank before it stops..