Gooy's 180gallon display build thread = Wife unhappy!

[gooyferret]

Hello everyone,

Well the time has come for 2 things!

#1. Upgrade from a 125gallon to 180gallon display.
#2. Really make the wife really unhappy..haha

So to start im going to be running mostly all the same equipment for the system at the beginning..and that is:

3 - 250watt MH's with 20k bulbs
40gal breeder for sump.
Return pump = Mag12
MSX200 skimmer
2 Maxijet 1200 w/ mods in display

I will be trying to transfer everything from my 125 to the 180 gallon in the same day. How do you guys recommend me to do the transfer?

I have currently about 200lbs or more of LR in the 125 dispaly right now with many sps, lps, and some softies. Approx about 5" deep sandbed.

Livestock to be moved to 180:
Blue tang
Kole tang
Foxface rabbit fish
2 clowns
2 chromis
1 mandrin

The tank now (125gallon) has been setup for over a year, alot of people have said not to move the sandbed. Whats your guys and gals thoughts on that? I was thinking of just taking some of it about 30% and put in the new tank then add the other slowly. Do you think my pod population will remain high to not affect the mandrin?

Pictures will be coming for the build of the new 180 very soon and any advice is appreciated!

P.S. The wife does know about the build but i was suppose to have my current setup sold, good for me the tanks were on sale and I bought it already! :thumbsup:

 

[str8leg]

You are a brave man... A happy tested once again...lol good luck.

 

[steelhead77]

I did the exact same move 2 months ago today (Jan. 14). I managed to do it in one day with the help of my son and a friend. The 180 went in the same spot as my 9 month old 125. I reused all of the sand plus added another 40 lbs for a total of about 120 lbs. I also reused about 80% of the water from the 125.

Here's what I did:

Several days before, I mixed up about 80 gallons of new water to supplement the original water. I had about 160 lbs of live rock in the 125 with some large-ish pieces, 8 or 10 fishes and the typical LPS, SPS, softies etc.

I bought 10 18 gallon rubbermaid totes and used them to hold all of my water, rock, corals and fish. The sand I put in 5 gallon buckets and did NOT rinse it. Once you get most of the water and rock out, the fish are easy to catch. Finish emptying the water, then take a scoopful of sand in your hand and smell it. If it smells like the beach, you can re-use it. If it smells like sulfer, do NOT reuse it. Take some scoops from several areas in the tank and smell it, at a year old, it should be fine. I used a new plastic dustpan to scoop the sand out, it worked great.

I put a heater and airstone in with the fish and prized corals, but did not worry about the rock and I did not use any powerheads in the totes.

Once you start, move fast. But no matter what, you're still looking at 8-9 hours of hard work. Because of all the sediment floating around the new tank, I just placed the rock in and did not worry about aquascaping until the next day after everthing settled out.

BTW, my wife was HIGHLY skeptical and very much against the upgrade, but now that it's done, she is very happy with it. It's nice to have that extra 6 inches of sand in front.

Good luck, have fun and happy reefing.

 

[gooyferret]

Steel thanks for the ideas, that was pretty close to what i was planning only difference is my new tank will be about 10' away from my 125gallon so i dont need to worry about moving into tubs, just going to add about 80 gallons new saltwater to the 180gal, then transfer water from 125 and put my corals in my frag tank and couple tubs if i have to.

Would i be fine to reuse my sand should i move all of it at one time or just some of it? Or is it better to use new sand and use some of the old to seed, then over a couple weeks just add the old sand??

TIA!

 

[NYDiesel]

Good luck with the move.Id love to hear people thoughts also on moving the sand.My LFS said to drain all the way down to sand,push sand to one side and let water collect on the other side and you should be fine.Minimal ammonia spike.More thoughts?

 

[gooyferret]

Well I finally had time today to get some pictures of everything getting put together. I will be moving everything to the new tank tommorrow. Heres the pictures so far and much more to come.

Well tommorrow i will have more pictures with everything in the tank here is my current setup that i will be tearing down to transfer everything.

Any suggestions on the move of everything or anything else would be great! :biggrin:

I have not yet painted the back of the tank black yet but will be done over the weekend after the move of everything else.

 

[gooyferret]

Well i transfered everything today and heres some more pictures. (water is a little cloudy so i will take some better pictures tommorrow)

My wife taking a picture of me working my butt off! :gay1:

Left side of tank:

Right side of tank:

FTS:

I will have to move a few pieces of rock and coral around to do some better aquascaping but so far my wife is happy with the look! Just need to get some cheap frags at the swap..... :beerchug:

 

[gooyferret]

Well the tank has cleared up and im ramping up for a frag swap tommorrow!! So the tank is full of frags around 50 or so. Here is some current shots of the tank, also my new skimmer that will be arriving tommorrow:

Super Reef Octopus xp-3000 Cone

FTS:

Center:

Right side:

The new skimmer is probably a little over kill but i didnt wanna get the xp2000 and not have it large enough either.

Im also picking up a calcium reactor and frags at the swap tommorrow!

Thanks for any input

 

[seesquared]

i have a 180 to and dealt with the transfer. Congrats on the upgrade! everything looks like it is doing great. I wouldn't add old sand at a later date, looks like you have plenty in there now. also i'm very jelous of your new skimmer, how do you like it so far? I'm in the market for a new one and am looking for input! keep up the good work !

 

[gooyferret]

i have a 180 to and dealt with the transfer. Congrats on the upgrade! everything looks like it is doing great. I wouldn't add old sand at a later date, looks like you have plenty in there now. also i'm very jelous of your new skimmer, how do you like it so far? I'm in the market for a new one and am looking for input! keep up the good work !

Well i just put the skimmer in today and its already pulling nog! This xp-3000 is a beast and now i know why its rated so high!! :fun2:

I will get some pictures of it in action, I have no doubt this could handle a 300-400 gallon tank with medium bioload.

 

[gooyferret]

Well i have the skimmer heres some pictures:

In 40gal breeder sump:

This thing is awesome so far starting pulling out doc after about 1 hour in the tank, and i like to skim dry.

 

[nanoreefbro]

Looks great so far!

 

[fasteddie99]

I dig the aquascape in the new tank. 180 is my dream tank, love the size. Do you know what pump that is in the skimmer? That thing is making some crazy skimate already.

 

[sbaddley]

Great aquascape--I like the bridge.

 

[gooyferret]

fasteddie99 I dig the aquascape in the new tank. 180 is my dream tank, love the size. Do you know what pump that is in the skimmer? That thing is making some crazy skimate already.

The pump on the skimmer is the BB-3000, skimmer is really ripping it up now the bubbles are literally waiting in line to go up the neck and im not kidding!

sbaddley Great aquascape--I like the bridge.

Thank you it took me about 3hrs or so to get the scaping but still not exactly how i want it to look yet. :twitch:

Im going to be goign to another persons house in town here maybe get some more frags will update pictures soon. I also still have to make the doors for the stand and paint the back of the tank one of these days. Wife has been keeping me busy and have to make her happy! :worried:

 

[bevoboy]

Nice setup. Where did you find that stand?

 

[gooyferret]

Nice setup. Where did you find that stand?

I didnt find the stand I built it!

It took me about 2 days to build, but still have to get the doors done been soon busy with work and the tank just havent had time maybe tommorrow...:idea:

I made my previous stand the same way and worked great and wife made me make it the same since she liked the first one! Im sure alot of you know how that goes! :love1: haha

Well skimmer is still breaking in a having to tweak just a bit everyday but is skimming dry (the way i like it)

Trying to get the wife talked into letting me setup the frag tank again she is really being a you know what about that! Im working the magic though its a 24"x24"x12" frag tank that i would plumb into the main system.

 

[gooyferret]

Here is some updated pictures....sorry for the delay:

I will get some FTS, and other pictures today! Going to do that right now...

 

[gooyferret]

Left side:

Middle:

Right side:

Random pictures:

 

[gooyferret]

Just want also to get some advice. What do you guys think would work good in the circled areas on the left side of my tank??? Im going to be running zoos/palys in to fill the gaps, but need to fill these spots. Ricordeas, lps, or sps are all welcome....Just let me know what you think!