Bkndsdl's 180 build!
- Thread starter Bkndsdl
- Start date
jmjohnson77
New member
Lookin' good! I can't wait to come by and see it stocked and running!!
13threefmaniac
New member
Sweet build. Cant wait to see it filled.
Bkndsdl
Member
I know it's been awhile, but I've been REALLY busy at work. I thought I wasn't going to have to go on sea trial of one of our vessels last week, but that didn't happen. So, Monday 8:30 I went out to the boat to spend 3 days at sea. Needless to say, I didn't get much done until later this week.
My little brothers and I got together last Friday and brought the tank home!
I was able to get the lights hung in the canopy. I made a frame out of scrap material and painted it with oil based paint. I then mounted the 4' vho's I had purchased from my brother after he took his tank down. They're temporary; that's why the pieces their mounted to aren't painted. The whole rack is suspended by sheet rubber 'straps' I cut and screwed in. The coralvue fans are mounted as well.
Next, I had to figure out how to hang the seios. I have two seio 1100's, and I modified the original hangers to put them on a swivel. The old tank's canopy had enough of a gap that I was able to hang the powerheads on the lip of the tank and set the canopy on top of them. Not so here. Besides, they were WAY short. So, I made these.
They hang off the canopy by a couple of screws; I made these slots with my drill so they would stay put. Also, I can move them around alot easier like this. Here's a crappy pic of the slots.
My little brothers and I got together last Friday and brought the tank home!
I was able to get the lights hung in the canopy. I made a frame out of scrap material and painted it with oil based paint. I then mounted the 4' vho's I had purchased from my brother after he took his tank down. They're temporary; that's why the pieces their mounted to aren't painted. The whole rack is suspended by sheet rubber 'straps' I cut and screwed in. The coralvue fans are mounted as well.
Next, I had to figure out how to hang the seios. I have two seio 1100's, and I modified the original hangers to put them on a swivel. The old tank's canopy had enough of a gap that I was able to hang the powerheads on the lip of the tank and set the canopy on top of them. Not so here. Besides, they were WAY short. So, I made these.
They hang off the canopy by a couple of screws; I made these slots with my drill so they would stay put. Also, I can move them around alot easier like this. Here's a crappy pic of the slots.
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Bkndsdl
Member
Big Day!
Big Day!
Last Saturday, I spent all day preparing. I had 150 gallons of saltwater made. Since I bought the tank, I had been hording all the sand I could find. I dried it and stored it in a tote. Saturday morning I put this sand in the tank. I had taken all the equipment out of the 90 except the lights and return pump. Finally, Saturday about 4:30, I was ready!
First thing to do was to get all the fish, coral and water out of the 90. I put the coral and fish in one tote, and put the live rock without coral on it in the 180. My plan was to get some water in the tank then add the rock, but I totally forgot about the sand. I put a few inches of water in the 180, then had to scoop the sand out of the 90 with a plastic pitcher and put it in a 5 gallon bucket. I then took that bucket to the 180 and poured it in.
Then, I took one of the 55 gallon drums that came with the tank. Earlier I cut the top out of it. I put this drum beside the tank and began carrying salt water from my shop and pouring it in this tank. Then I placed a pump in the drum and ran a hose from the pump into one of the overflows. This way, I would have minimum splatter of water on sand, and I would fill the sump at the same time. Man, those 7 gallon drums get h e a v y........my wife filled them in the shop, and I carried 2 at a time to the drum. I'm a lucky man to have a wife like her!!
I don't know who's happier, me or them!
Several hours and many gallons of water later, here's what I ended up with! I still have to move the sand from the 90 around to level out the sandbed, but that can wait!! WOOHOO!!!
Big Day!
Last Saturday, I spent all day preparing. I had 150 gallons of saltwater made. Since I bought the tank, I had been hording all the sand I could find. I dried it and stored it in a tote. Saturday morning I put this sand in the tank. I had taken all the equipment out of the 90 except the lights and return pump. Finally, Saturday about 4:30, I was ready!
First thing to do was to get all the fish, coral and water out of the 90. I put the coral and fish in one tote, and put the live rock without coral on it in the 180. My plan was to get some water in the tank then add the rock, but I totally forgot about the sand. I put a few inches of water in the 180, then had to scoop the sand out of the 90 with a plastic pitcher and put it in a 5 gallon bucket. I then took that bucket to the 180 and poured it in.
Then, I took one of the 55 gallon drums that came with the tank. Earlier I cut the top out of it. I put this drum beside the tank and began carrying salt water from my shop and pouring it in this tank. Then I placed a pump in the drum and ran a hose from the pump into one of the overflows. This way, I would have minimum splatter of water on sand, and I would fill the sump at the same time. Man, those 7 gallon drums get h e a v y........my wife filled them in the shop, and I carried 2 at a time to the drum. I'm a lucky man to have a wife like her!!
I don't know who's happier, me or them!
Several hours and many gallons of water later, here's what I ended up with! I still have to move the sand from the 90 around to level out the sandbed, but that can wait!! WOOHOO!!!
Bkndsdl
Member
....well, I goofed. I just kinda recapped my thread, and realized I left something out. I said I was going to build a side cabinet that would hold my electronics and a water change tank. What I failed to mention was, the steps that this would happen in. I wanted to get the tank set up and running, then sell the 90, THEN build the side cabinet. That's why you don't see it yet.......
Another minor foul-up is the powerheads; they're too low. I'll have to recut the slots and raise them up some. I may move them around a bit too. At least it's up and running, though.
Another minor foul-up is the powerheads; they're too low. I'll have to recut the slots and raise them up some. I may move them around a bit too. At least it's up and running, though.
Bkndsdl
Member
Just thought I'd update.
I am very, very pleased with this skimmer. It takes out some really funky stuff. I empty it about once every week, and I almost gag at the smell everytime. I don't think I'll have any problem with this skimmer keeping up with just about any bioload with this tank.
Speaking of bioload, I've added a yellow tang, a powder blue tang, a french angel, and about 75 to 100 lbs of live rock. My boss broke down his 300 gallon, and to reward me with my help he gave me some rock, all the sand, and the powder blue and french angel. Not to mention all the snails, hermits, and brittle stars.......there must be about 10 or so brittle stars! I put some in my fuge, along with a few snails and crabs.
I got the calcium reactor going, but it's been touch and go. The top took forever to get it to seal. Now, I'm trying to get it set just right, and I'm pushing the water out trying to drive it enough to react with the media.....and, it's still leaking at the top. I've bought a new cap (the 2nd I've bought), and I'm going to drill and tap the JG fittings instead of trying to pvc glue them in. I'm also going to try to make the ph probe fit in the reactor; I think this is part of my problem. Other than that, everything's working fine.
I added two of the maxijet mod kits; I bought two of everything from ReefGeek for $145 shipped. These things churn out some water! I like them so much I'm selling the two Seio 1100's and am going to buy two more of the mods to replace them. I'll never have an issue with not enough flow, I can tell ya that.
Here's a full tank shot as of yesterday; you can see the all the tangs and the angel in this shot.
I am very, very pleased with this skimmer. It takes out some really funky stuff. I empty it about once every week, and I almost gag at the smell everytime. I don't think I'll have any problem with this skimmer keeping up with just about any bioload with this tank.
Speaking of bioload, I've added a yellow tang, a powder blue tang, a french angel, and about 75 to 100 lbs of live rock. My boss broke down his 300 gallon, and to reward me with my help he gave me some rock, all the sand, and the powder blue and french angel. Not to mention all the snails, hermits, and brittle stars.......there must be about 10 or so brittle stars! I put some in my fuge, along with a few snails and crabs.
I got the calcium reactor going, but it's been touch and go. The top took forever to get it to seal. Now, I'm trying to get it set just right, and I'm pushing the water out trying to drive it enough to react with the media.....and, it's still leaking at the top. I've bought a new cap (the 2nd I've bought), and I'm going to drill and tap the JG fittings instead of trying to pvc glue them in. I'm also going to try to make the ph probe fit in the reactor; I think this is part of my problem. Other than that, everything's working fine.
I added two of the maxijet mod kits; I bought two of everything from ReefGeek for $145 shipped. These things churn out some water! I like them so much I'm selling the two Seio 1100's and am going to buy two more of the mods to replace them. I'll never have an issue with not enough flow, I can tell ya that.
Here's a full tank shot as of yesterday; you can see the all the tangs and the angel in this shot.
Bkndsdl
Member
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13833914#post13833914 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tbar
It's very nice Good QA
Thanks!
Thanks, thi7b. I have a MAG 12 for the return, running through 3/4" lines. The drains to the sump are 1". I thought long and hard about drilling out the 3/4" lines to make them 1-1/2" drains and use the 1" as returns, but the flow through the sump is just right. Glad I didn't go that way. The return pump is a bit of overkill; it would run just fine on a MAG 9.5.
Bkndsdl
Member
Nope, just one. The line that drops down into the sumps' left side is the feed to the fuge. The line comes from the return pump, which is in the center section of the sump.
I'm not using a tee for the overflow lines; they are separate, due to the fact that in the future I'll be adding the water change tank, and I want to be able to direct the flow of one overflow to that tank.
