Nikecivic's (Mike) 180 Gallon Build Thread

[nikecivic]

My name is Mike and I started with a 12 gallon nanocube in 2006 and eventually upgraded to a 135 gallon tank in 2008.

5 years later I decided to take down my 135 gallon tank and start fresh with a 180 gallon tank. I only have a wall for a 6' tank and I am upgrading with 6" deep. My current tank is 6' x 2' x 2' glass tank that was bought from Lurking. The stand is custom built by Crusty Old Shellback.

Tank was started with dry sand and dry rock. Also, I started the tank with D-D Salt. Total system volume is estimated at 200 gallons.



With doors open


Tank was started on January 12, 2014. On the 13th, Live Rock, Live Sand and Chaeto was added to the sump to aid with the cycle.



Right side of the Stand


Left side of the Stand


Equipment:
- Skimmer: Bubble King Mini 160 (on the second Red Dragon pump)
- Calcium Reactor: Korallin 1502
- Controller: Apex w/WXM
- Lighting: Ecotech Radion G1 w/TIR lenses
- Flow: (2) Ecotech MP40w (one w/ES upgrade) w/Battery Backup
- Supplemental Flow: (2) Jebao WP25
- Return Pump: Jebao DC12000
- Sump: converted Clear for Life 55 gallon acrylic tank
- Refugium Light: DIY Rapid LED fixture
- ATO: JBJ ATO w/Rio pump

Cables everywhere from all electrical equipment


Current livestock:
- Purple Tang
- Red Mandarin
- Yellow Tang
- Purple Firefish
- (2) Firefish
- Diamond Goby
- Chubby Black Clown paired with a Black Misbar Clown
- Flasher Wrasse

Planned livestock:
- Borbonius Anthias
- Squareback Anthias
- Leopard Wrasse

Planned Corals:
- Various Acropora and will be an SPS Dominant tank

Current picture of the Tank


Thanks for everyone here on MASVC and Reef Central for all the help and information for this hobby.

Special thanks to CrustyOldShellback for getting me into this hobby and building my stand! Thanks for looking and comments are welcome!

 

[slief]

Very nice! Looks very well thought out too.

 

[nikecivic]

Very nice! Looks very well thought out too.

Thanks! The tank was dry for 7 months for planning and waiting for the stand to be built.

 

[dodgerblew]

Looks great Mike and nice woodwork Ray

 

[nikecivic]

Looks great Mike and nice woodwork Ray

Thanks Rik! Ray put many hours (months) into the stand

 

[calistyle]

Great looking tank Mike!!

 

[m9dale06]

Very nice Set up i seen it in person.

 

[solitude127]

Right side of the Stand

What's the cup for?

Looks really nice and well thought out. I like the much extra space you have in the stand. Also, do you feel the BK Mini 160 will be enough for tank?

 

[Crusty Old Shellback]

Glad to see you started a thread. Looking good. Now we need to build a "cover" for the lights to match.

Thanks Rik.

I put almost 200 documented hours into the build trying to make it perfect for him and match his other furniture.

So when do the corals start going in?

And I still think you need a Majestic Angle as a show fish.

 

[dodgerblew]

Majestic angel and sps? You sure about that Ray?

 

[nikecivic]

Great looking tank Mike!!

Thanks cali!

Very nice Set up i seen it in person.

Thanks dale!

What's the cup for?

Looks really nice and well thought out. I like the much extra space you have in the stand. Also, do you feel the BK Mini 160 will be enough for tank?

I was holding a coral in the cup at the time. Thanks! I chose to have the height at 38" so I could have all the space in the stand. I guess I will be underskimming because I can't afford to buy a BK Mini 180

Glad to see you started a thread. Looking good. Now we need to build a "cover" for the lights to match.

Thanks Rik.

I put almost 200 documented hours into the build trying to make it perfect for him and match his other furniture.

So when do the corals start going in?

And I still think you need a Majestic Angle as a show fish.

No corals until next month. Just letting everthing settle in and stocking the fish.

Majestic angel and sps? You sure about that Ray?

I'm still not sure I want introduce an angel right now.

 

[Crusty Old Shellback]

If he puts him in now, and gets him to learn to eat from him, he'll probably be OK. Mine dosen't touch anything in the tank except what food I feed him. I'm on my 3rd healthy one now.

While I don't have all SPS, when my tank was thriving as a mixed reef, my Majestic didn't bother anything.

I also have a Niger trigger that dosen't bother my snails or anything else in the tank. Only eats pellets and frozen foods.

 

[hersheyb]

clean setup!

 

[nikecivic]

If he puts him in now, and gets him to learn to eat from him, he'll probably be OK. Mine dosen't touch anything in the tank except what food I feed him. I'm on my 3rd healthy one now.

While I don't have all SPS, when my tank was thriving as a mixed reef, my Majestic didn't bother anything.

I also have a Niger trigger that dosen't bother my snails or anything else in the tank. Only eats pellets and frozen foods.

I like anthias more than butterfly fish so I may not go with this suggestion. I don't plan to add much more fish so I'm going to be picky.

clean setup!

Thanks hersheyb!

 

[Crusty Old Shellback]

He's not a butterfly, he's an Angel.

I'll agree that Anthias would look cool, espically if you can find the really colorful ones like at Aquarium of the Pacific has.

Remember though that the square back anthias will loose it's square as it gets older and looks bland in color, or at least mine did.

A small school of Sunburst Anthias would look cool. And they don't get very big.

 

[nikecivic]

Update 4/2/14

Update 4/2/14

A few additions: Flame Angel, Blue Star Leopard Wrasse, Resplendent Anthias, Sunset Anthias & torch coral.

Blue Star Leopard Wrasse

Sunset Anthias

 

[GTboosted]

Nice build!
I also got a blue star female. Got it from rainbow 2 weeks ago. As soon as I added her to the DT she immediately dove into the sand. 7 days later she emerged so I quickly thawed some mysis and luckily she ate. Then I walked away and haven't seen her since. Lol

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

What's that lone coral in the middle? Frogspawn... Hammer?

 

[Crusty Old Shellback]

RTFQ!

It's a torch.

So much for his SPS tank.

So where's the purple tang I kept alive for you?

 

[nikecivic]

Nice build!
I also got a blue star female. Got it from rainbow 2 weeks ago. As soon as I added her to the DT she immediately dove into the sand. 7 days later she emerged so I quickly thawed some mysis and luckily she ate. Then I walked away and haven't seen her since. Lol

Thanks!, yeah it hid in the sand for a couple days but it comes out now.

What's that lone coral in the middle? Frogspawn... Hammer?

Yes its a torch coral to start out. I was hoping my clowns would start hosting it but no luck yet

RTFQ!

It's a torch.

So much for his SPS tank.

So where's the purple tang I kept alive for you?

Just taking it slow before I start adding SPS.

Purple Tang is swimming next to the right side island.