EricGRIT's 90 to 180 Move/Upgrade

[EricGRIT]

Hey all! I've been lurking here for about two or three years and I'm finally starting up my first build thread. My fiancee and I are in the process of buying our first house so we have decided to make some changes to our tanks when we move!

Currently, we have the following tanks setup.

Saltwater Mixed Reef:
90 gallon Marineland Corner-Flo
40 gallon breeder sump
48" 6x54w Tek Elite
Mag 9.5 return
Reef Octopus NWB-150 skimmer
JNS Alpha 2 biopellet reactor
BRS media reactor with carbon and GFO
Vortech MP40wes Circulation Pump
Koralia circulation pump

Freshwater Planted Discus:
75 gallon Marineland
CO2 injection

Freshwater grow-out:
55 gallon with a bunch of silver dollars and random fish.


So, we have decided to get rid of all these tanks (excluding the livestock/rock/equipment from the saltwater) and upgrade to a single 180 gallon Marineland Corner-Flo tank. Less tanks means less maintenance (at least less individual steps ) and hopefully more enjoyment of the final product in our soon to be bar room.

Here's what I'm planning for the 180 gallon:
- 180 gallon Marineland reef ready tank
- Stand will be built into the wall - Inspiration: http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e141/mermail/sub/barbertank_zps6d653191.jpg
- Both pre-drilled holes in corner-flo's will be used as overflow, returns will be over the back
- Sump and fish room will be in a separate room on the other side of the wall the tank is against.
- Two 40 gallon breeders as the sump(s). One as a refugium and/or place to house extra live rock and one which will hold equipment. I already have two 40 breeders so I can save some money here.
- Two WP40 Jebao wavemakers.

Return pump may just be my Mag 9.5. Any reason that this would definitely not be enough flow through the sump? I will supplement display tank flow with circulation pumps.

Skimmer is undecided. Any suggestions?

Lighting is my big issue right now. I have the 48" Tek Elite and an extra 4 bulb 24" Tek light which would fit the 180 nicely together but I'm not sure how that would look as a final product. Maybe LPS on the 4 bulb side and SPS up top on the 6 bulb side.

I'm also thinking about making the jump to LED, though that gets expensive fast. At the top of my list, if cash is no concern, are 3x Hydra Fifty Two fixtures. I could also go with 3x RapidLED Onyx or possibly even some Ebay lights if I'm feeling lucky. Any input here is greatly appreciated. Keeping the cost down would be great.

I'll update as I work on designs and such, just getting a start here!

 

[EricGRIT]

I will be updating with more recent pics, but I just dug up the pics of my DIY stand/canopy for the 90 gallon. First and only stand I've made so far and it has certainly given me an idea of what to expect when building for the 180.

 

[worm5406]

I am looking for a new skimmer too. I will throw you some ideas as I find them.

 

[EricGRIT]

Thanks Worm, I appreciate it.

Picked up my 180 gallon Marineland today and one of the seams has some air bubbles in it. I don't think they are so horrible that they will affect structural integrity, but they aren't super pretty (left front seam). I'll have pics soon, but would anyone say that *any* bubbles is cause for concern? The bubbles are probably 1/4 of the width of the glass (so ~1/8 inch) and there are many of them in about a one-foot section of the silicone. None that reach the edges, none that make me think it will leak as son as I fill it with water. Other three seams are perfect.

My 75 and 90 Marineland tanks are pretty much perfect, though I've read that some people think the bubbles aren't cause for concern. I took my flashlight to the glass checking for scratches before I took the tank from the store but totally forgot to check the seams .

 

[EricGRIT]

Pics of left and right side silicone. First two pics are of the bad left side, second two pics are of the good right side. Sorry for poor quality pics, I have the tank in storage at my parents while we move and totally forgot to take pics myself. Thankfully my parents were nice enough to get pics, just not perfect pics .

 

[EricGRIT]

So I've come to the conclusion that the bubbles are normal. Moving on!

Ordered 3x RapidLED dual Aurora dimmable fixtures. Will be controlling these through the Apex; I'm very excited to see what they can do. Hopefully these work better than my T5 setup.

Also ordered an Aquamaxx ConeS CO-3 skimmer.

 

[EricGRIT]

Updates! I've successfully setup a true ATO via the Apex on the 90 gallon, ready to use on the 180 when that goes in.

I received the Aurora kits from RapidLED and they are pretty snazzy (pics will come once completed). The most unexpected part of this DIY kit is just how many drivers I'll need. 4 channels on each fixture, so 12 drivers to mound on the wall. Also, each driver needs to be adjusted for amperage which I wasn't expected... took some time to get those all adjusted.

One question for LED folks - how hot do your LEDs themselves get? The Aurora uses the Radion TIR lens and I burned my finger when I touched the lens right at the LED output. Obviously the LEDs use heatsinks so they are going to produce heat, but should that much heat be at the lens? This is at 100% intensity.

Aquamaxx ConeS CO-3 on backorder still.

 

[michaum]

Air bubbles

Air bubbles

Pics of left and right side silicone. First two pics are of the bad left side, second two pics are of the good right side. Sorry for poor quality pics, I have the tank in storage at my parents while we move and totally forgot to take pics myself. Thankfully my parents were nice enough to get pics, just not perfect pics .

Hello i was wondering if you still have the tank if yes did the air bubbles got worse over the years?

Thanks for the reply back I know this is an old thread but i just stumbled on it while searching my tank issue like yours.