RTMA
DIY Fanatic
Hey Guys,
Some of you have seen the holding tank situation in person, and maybe my 75 build. And / or my DIY 48” 72 Cree Led fixture build with CAT based drivers & Hydra project.
This will be the running log of my In wall 180 SPS build.
Current Holding tanks (this is the SPS one):
The SPS are growing into each other so I need to pick up the pace on the 180.
Now on to the good stuff:
Here is an update on the 180.
Equipment:
Acrylic 4' x 3' tank with external overflow.
Reeflo Snapper 18 with 1" Seaswirl and custom Manifold to feed Reactors.
Lighting:
8020.net Quickframe Light rack with Stanley sliding door mounts
Bluewave 7 powered Lumenbright housed 250 watt MH (Radiums)
28 Cree XP-E royal Blue LED strips
(2) 48" Hellolights Retrofits running ATI 420nm Pure Actinics
Filtration:
Super Reef Octopus XP2000 EXT with a BubbleBlaster 2000 pump
Nextreef MR1 Reactor
BRS Reactor
Custom 40" x 18" Advanced Acrylic sump
Flow
1" Seaswirl on Snapper 18
1 Vortech MP40W ES
(2) Tunze 6045 on 1/2" Seawirls.
Blood, Sweat and Tears (some of joy)
The tank has been framed out and the light rack has been built (sans cooling)
Drywall still needs to be completed. As does the rest of the room.
--------------------------------------
The light Rack was built using 8020.net Quickframe with 3/8" black acrylic and aluminum rivets.
My Inspiration was Glass Reef's light rack found here
Once the rack was built I placed the two Lumenbright Mini Wide reflectors in the center 16" boxes. The reflectors sit inside the recesses and are easy to remove for cleaning.
Installed on the rack are two Hellolights 48" retros with clip on reflectors. I was initially going to use VHOs, but T5s last longer and should work well with the ATI 420nm Pure Actinic bulbs.
Also installed on the rack are two 36" LED strips running Royal Blue XP-Es on Meanwell (Mean Well LPC-35-700 ) 700ma drivers. All equipment was purchased from RapidLeds and using their 1.1" heatsinks. My current LED fixture has custom CAT based drivers and dimming and at this point I didn't really see the need in dimming the blues so choose a simple driver that will run the RBs at 700ma for longer life and cooler running. The drivers were mounted on the acrylic base plates riveted into the frame.
I mounted the whole fixture on a Stanley sliding door rail system that allows me to pull the fixture back behind the tank for easy maintenance and allow me full access above the tank.
Here it is pulled all the way back inside the fish room
LEDs & T5s Running on the tank.
From the front - sorry for the dirty tank, it has lots of drywall dust and residue from water testing.
Using my PAR meter, well over 500 par on my sandbed without water. So I am expecting at least 100 par there on the edges. I don't think I'm going to have any lighting issues.
Although I plan on running Radiums, I am using two new Plusrite 20K bulbs ($37 shipped for both!) and I'm actually impressed with the color and par. Life expectancy not withstanding. The HQI Blue Wave 7 ballast is pretty quiet and runs pretty cool - The Ushio 10Ks put out a ton more PAR but they are too red for my tastes. My current LED fixture is a 1:1 RB to Cool white fixture and a 10K look. The corals are growing very quickly, but I no longer need fast growth so are focusing on color rendition for the 180.
---------------------
Most of the plumbing is still to be completed. I plan on a Beananimal silent and failsafe drain system. You can see the start of it in some of the pics.
I also plan on building a manifold system to feed the tank as well as two or three reactors and possibly a frag tank when I get there.
I looked far and wide for a skimmer to replace my NAC 7 which is a pretty darn good skimmer with a Swabbie, I wanted something larger for the 230-40 total water volume. I found a used SRO xp2000 ext in the for sale forum and picked it up. This should be a great match, once I get my swabbie modified for this skimmer. I'll be using that and the Avast Locker that I used on my 75 and currently in use on my holding tanks.
Topoff will be controlled with my Reefkeeper Elite and fed through an Avast K1 Stirrer which is currently running on my holding tanks.
Disregard the clutter
In this pic you can also see the RANCO humidistat which turns on an Air King ventilation fan to pump the humid air out of the house.
I'm also thinking about feeding the skimmer directly from the overflow box, valving it so that it is a constant gravity feed without breaking the main siphon. That will have to tinkered with. If not then I will either get a smaller 400 gph pump to feed the skimmer from the overflow chamber of my sump or plumbed off my return.
Rock
I have about 100 pounds of live rock (maybe more) from my holding tank and some curing. A majority of the rock is the Pukani type. I'm removing the phophates by cooking it in a rubbermade with heat and flow and bi monthly water changes / gfo method.
Stocking and stuff.
Current Livestock.
Yellow Tang
Coral Beauty
Sixline Wrasse
Borbonious Anthias
Bellus Angel
Sustainable Aquatics Black Ice Clown & Doni's Reef Picasso mated pair
Pistol Shrimp
Here they are spawning near thier RBTA (which just split on Sunday)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Planned Livestock
Coral Beauty (does not pick at corals and I have had him for about 3 years)
Borboniouis Anthias
Bellus Angel
Clown Pair
Yet to procure:
Another Borbonious Anthias
Trio of Ventralis Anthias
Some sort of Shrimp Goby to pair with my Pistol (my Yasha died).
Some sort of Jawfish
Some Trio of Flasher wrasses
At this point I am planning on going tang-less but we'll see. Lots of smaller fish vs a few bigger ones. The tank is 180 but still only 4' long. Maybe a Kole tang, but my last one was aggressive in the 75.
The sixline and yellow tang will have to be relocated.
Some of you have seen the holding tank situation in person, and maybe my 75 build. And / or my DIY 48” 72 Cree Led fixture build with CAT based drivers & Hydra project.
This will be the running log of my In wall 180 SPS build.
Current Holding tanks (this is the SPS one):
The SPS are growing into each other so I need to pick up the pace on the 180.
Now on to the good stuff:
Here is an update on the 180.
Equipment:
Acrylic 4' x 3' tank with external overflow.
Reeflo Snapper 18 with 1" Seaswirl and custom Manifold to feed Reactors.
Lighting:
8020.net Quickframe Light rack with Stanley sliding door mounts
Bluewave 7 powered Lumenbright housed 250 watt MH (Radiums)
28 Cree XP-E royal Blue LED strips
(2) 48" Hellolights Retrofits running ATI 420nm Pure Actinics
Filtration:
Super Reef Octopus XP2000 EXT with a BubbleBlaster 2000 pump
Nextreef MR1 Reactor
BRS Reactor
Custom 40" x 18" Advanced Acrylic sump
Flow
1" Seaswirl on Snapper 18
1 Vortech MP40W ES
(2) Tunze 6045 on 1/2" Seawirls.
Blood, Sweat and Tears (some of joy)
The tank has been framed out and the light rack has been built (sans cooling)
Drywall still needs to be completed. As does the rest of the room.
--------------------------------------
The light Rack was built using 8020.net Quickframe with 3/8" black acrylic and aluminum rivets.
My Inspiration was Glass Reef's light rack found here
Once the rack was built I placed the two Lumenbright Mini Wide reflectors in the center 16" boxes. The reflectors sit inside the recesses and are easy to remove for cleaning.
Installed on the rack are two Hellolights 48" retros with clip on reflectors. I was initially going to use VHOs, but T5s last longer and should work well with the ATI 420nm Pure Actinic bulbs.
Also installed on the rack are two 36" LED strips running Royal Blue XP-Es on Meanwell (Mean Well LPC-35-700 ) 700ma drivers. All equipment was purchased from RapidLeds and using their 1.1" heatsinks. My current LED fixture has custom CAT based drivers and dimming and at this point I didn't really see the need in dimming the blues so choose a simple driver that will run the RBs at 700ma for longer life and cooler running. The drivers were mounted on the acrylic base plates riveted into the frame.
I mounted the whole fixture on a Stanley sliding door rail system that allows me to pull the fixture back behind the tank for easy maintenance and allow me full access above the tank.
Here it is pulled all the way back inside the fish room
LEDs & T5s Running on the tank.
From the front - sorry for the dirty tank, it has lots of drywall dust and residue from water testing.
Using my PAR meter, well over 500 par on my sandbed without water. So I am expecting at least 100 par there on the edges. I don't think I'm going to have any lighting issues.
Although I plan on running Radiums, I am using two new Plusrite 20K bulbs ($37 shipped for both!) and I'm actually impressed with the color and par. Life expectancy not withstanding. The HQI Blue Wave 7 ballast is pretty quiet and runs pretty cool - The Ushio 10Ks put out a ton more PAR but they are too red for my tastes. My current LED fixture is a 1:1 RB to Cool white fixture and a 10K look. The corals are growing very quickly, but I no longer need fast growth so are focusing on color rendition for the 180.
---------------------
Most of the plumbing is still to be completed. I plan on a Beananimal silent and failsafe drain system. You can see the start of it in some of the pics.
I also plan on building a manifold system to feed the tank as well as two or three reactors and possibly a frag tank when I get there.
I looked far and wide for a skimmer to replace my NAC 7 which is a pretty darn good skimmer with a Swabbie, I wanted something larger for the 230-40 total water volume. I found a used SRO xp2000 ext in the for sale forum and picked it up. This should be a great match, once I get my swabbie modified for this skimmer. I'll be using that and the Avast Locker that I used on my 75 and currently in use on my holding tanks.
Topoff will be controlled with my Reefkeeper Elite and fed through an Avast K1 Stirrer which is currently running on my holding tanks.
Disregard the clutter
In this pic you can also see the RANCO humidistat which turns on an Air King ventilation fan to pump the humid air out of the house.
I'm also thinking about feeding the skimmer directly from the overflow box, valving it so that it is a constant gravity feed without breaking the main siphon. That will have to tinkered with. If not then I will either get a smaller 400 gph pump to feed the skimmer from the overflow chamber of my sump or plumbed off my return.
Rock
I have about 100 pounds of live rock (maybe more) from my holding tank and some curing. A majority of the rock is the Pukani type. I'm removing the phophates by cooking it in a rubbermade with heat and flow and bi monthly water changes / gfo method.
Stocking and stuff.
Current Livestock.
Yellow Tang
Coral Beauty
Sixline Wrasse
Borbonious Anthias
Bellus Angel
Sustainable Aquatics Black Ice Clown & Doni's Reef Picasso mated pair
Pistol Shrimp
Here they are spawning near thier RBTA (which just split on Sunday)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Planned Livestock
Coral Beauty (does not pick at corals and I have had him for about 3 years)
Borboniouis Anthias
Bellus Angel
Clown Pair
Yet to procure:
Another Borbonious Anthias
Trio of Ventralis Anthias
Some sort of Shrimp Goby to pair with my Pistol (my Yasha died).
Some sort of Jawfish
Some Trio of Flasher wrasses
At this point I am planning on going tang-less but we'll see. Lots of smaller fish vs a few bigger ones. The tank is 180 but still only 4' long. Maybe a Kole tang, but my last one was aggressive in the 75.
The sixline and yellow tang will have to be relocated.
Last edited:
I'll be tagging along!
