Hoosier Daddy's 180 Gallon

[Hoosier daddy]

Yay, I finally get to join the Large reef tank club :celeb3:. Well I sold my 92 gallon Oceanic Bowfront last year with the intentions of building another tank in a few years. It seems like I can never really stay away that long cause this hobby is addicting :twitch:. Well, that and the fact that I came across this used 180 gallon reef ready set up for cheap didn't help. I got this tank a week ago from today. Over the weekend I decided to paint the back of the tank black as I do with most of my tanks. I really like the look it gives with the black. So I am still getting a few bits and pieces together to get it ready and I should be plumbing it here in the next few days. I am still figuring out what to do with my sump setup. Sorry for the bad cell pics.

Equipment:

Tank: 180g RR w/ cherry wood stand and canopy
Skimmer: SWC 180 Extreme Cone ( I am thinking about exchanging for the next size up)
Pump: Reeflo Hammerhead
Lights: 150w dimmable Evolution LED's (not yet ordered/ still debating)
Sump: 100g Rubbermaid Stock tank & 40g Refugium
Rock: Pukani


A few pics of what is taking place:

Tank when I got it home

Here it is after I painted the back glass black:

 

[Hoosier daddy]

basement Pump and sump area. I have the skimmer in the fuge tank. Not sure that is going to work. I think I will need it in the stock tank right?

Here is the 100g rubbermaid I am going with.

 

[Hoosier daddy]

Let me see if these pics are better. Taken with the new Iphone 4S.

Just installed my Durso's last night. I hate the way they stick up too high cause my mesh netting should be here to make my tops.

"Freakin laser beams" My little Weenis looked too funny in this pic .

 

[Hoosier daddy]

So I went ahead and ordered my Pukani Rock from BRS on Wednesday and UPS said it should be here on Monday. I also ordered two buckets of Red Sea Coral Pro Salt from Dr Foster's and a new heater. Now if I can finish my plumbing today I could get it scaped on Monday or Tuesday.

 

[pgr11]

Looks like things are starting out good. I love the stain on the stand. I just started my own venture into the big boy tanks and am building a 265 gal. I started a thread as well to show my progress and get ideas. My stand is still being built so im jealous that you get to start plumbing and scaping. That rubbermaid bin is great. I've seen some people make great sumps out of them. Keep up the good work

Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk

 

[poorguy]

It's looking good. Can't wait to see the final results.

 

[Hoosier daddy]

Update: Ok so I have aquascaped my tank. BRS sent me one huge pukani show piece rock so it was a no brainer how to scape that area . Plumbing is done and water is flowing .

I have (3) 3w LED 120 degree optics lights being made over in china as we speak. These have a digital controller that does moonlights, dims from 0-100% and back to 0%. I put a few random reds in it as well. All for the price of less than one EcoTech Radion. Can't wait to get these.

My SWC 180 cone skimmer is tearing it up right now and the tank has only been running for a few days. It is starting to stink. I also am picking up a Tunze 6212 Wave Box and I am ordering a Vortech MP40w ES. I actually had 2 MP40w but I sold them to get the wave box and to buy a new vortech ES. Oh yeah added a few raw shrimp to let the cycle begin. Now the waiting game.......A few pics.

 

[nebraskareef]

Looking good, any update?

 

[jbliss]

I love to see the meat a potatoes. Make you love the tank even more. Cant wait for the updates.

 

[jjk_reef00]

Isn't that hammerhead a little overkill? I would have went with something more energy efficient
Otherwise everything else looks good.

 

[Hoosier daddy]

Sorry guys I have been busy lately so I have not had a chance to update. So first update is I went ahead and bought an ADHI refugium and swapped it out with the cheesy homemade aquarium I was using. I like this fuge so much better. Got my vortech put on and added my Tunze Wavemaker. So flow is good. Pic of the fuge I added.

 

[Hoosier daddy]

I have been waiting for my lights to ship over from China and has taken about 5 weeks. So in the mean time I was using an 8 bulb T5 tek light so I could add some livestock after the tank cycled which was about two weeks ago. So far I have added (not all at once):

5 Blue Green Chromis'
1 XL Blue Hippo Tang
1 Md Yellow Tang
Mated Pair of Clowns
5 Firefish Goby's
1 Diamond Goby

2 Cleaner shrimp
12 Mexican Turbos
6 Hermits
12 Zoa frags (Radioactive dragon eyes, keds Reds, eagle eye zoas, green bay packers, a few others I am not sure about names)
Orange monti Cap
Purple Monti Cap
Neon Green Cap
Frogspawn
Green polyp Toadstool frag
Pulsing Red Sea Xenia

Pic with the tek Light:

 

[Hoosier daddy]

Pic of the skimmer doing some damge .

 

[Hoosier daddy]

Isn't that hammerhead a little overkill? I would have went with something more energy efficient
Otherwise everything else looks good.

I know it was prob overkill and I am beginning to wonder the same thing. Well I bought one that is a hybrid that has the barracuda head and I am beginning to wonder if I should swap them out. What do you guys think? I am not to saavy when it comes to pumps and what size to go with :facepalm:.

 

[Ldagger]

The first stand pic with the back open is confusing. I assume the stand is made for a 180?

 

[Hoosier daddy]

The first stand pic with the back open is confusing. I assume the stand is made for a 180?

That is when I just brought the tank home. I opened the stand doors to show under it. It had a brace that needed to be put back on since I took the fuge out from under it. It also has a matching canopy. Sorry for the confusion :spin1:.

 

[Ldagger]

cool. since you put that brace back on should be in good shape. I had a stand similar to that, which just had a big woodsheet nailed all the way around the back, just making sure if that was the case it was not missing and you didn't know : ) looking good.

 

[Hoosier daddy]

So my lights came in last week from china and I needed to mount them in the canopy cause I did not want any light spilling into the living room. So I used a 3" holesaw and drilled 3 holes per fixture on the top of my canopy to allow the fans to vent. Bought some L brackets with stainless steel screws.

I added a few random reds in my light to give it a purple look and went with a 2:1 blue to white ratio. I did 3w bulbs with 120 degree optics. However I am still getting used to learning the programming with these lights. Since the timers are all built in as well as the dimmers and moonlights. These are actually pretty slick lights. But.....the big But is that one of them, the blues are not working..../sigh.

So I am working with the compnay on getting a new one sent out or having this one fixed (2 year warranty). Not sure what is going to happen. My wife absolutely loves these lights on my tank. Hard to get a pic of the tank with them on since the light is so intense.

 

[nebraskareef]

Who built the fixtures? Can you PM me the details? I'm trying to decide who I want to go with.

Everything is looking good!

 

[Hoosier daddy]

Who built the fixtures? Can you PM me the details? I'm trying to decide who I want to go with.

Everything is looking good!

Thanks!!! I sent you a PM .