FroMan
Insane in the Brain
This thread is to document my progress on building a 180 gallon ecosystem. I've spent the last 4 years learning a ton on my 55 gallon tank w/ 40 gal sump. The engineer and scientist in me have been intrigued, engaged, and mystified by the biological organisms that live in the tank. For as much as I’ve learned about chemistry, physics, and biology I’m still amazed at how life forms function. If you *really* sit down that think about it… it is absolutely amazing what we are able to accomplish in our tanks. Sometimes I think we on RC are to “equipmentâ€Â, “supplementâ€Â, or â€Âtechnology†centric that we sometimes forget what is really going on in our glass boxes……
I'm enthralled at the ecosystem that is alive in my 55. I hope to build a more captivating 180 gallon tank.
I do want to thank some individuals that have been a major inspiration as I've lurked through their threads on RC. Melev, mpoletti, Cato, SunnyX, Weatherson and countless others. The more information we share with each other, the more successful we all can be. Thanks for sharing and documenting your successes and failures! I also wanted to thank the local CTARS members for their ideas and willingness to show and discuss their tanks (shark bait100, fitch4, hans1976, cato)
This was supposed to be a "spring time project". Unfortunately, completing my master's degree took a bit more time than I had anticipated along with those "fun life experiences" that bite you experience from time to time.
This story starts in late summer of 2008 at MACNA in Atlanta with the purchase of a Deltec APF600. I don’t remember the shop that I bought it from, but it was a very good price for the skimmer compared to retail pricing. I also enjoyed talking with the Deltec personnel. They were very helpful and knowledgeable about many different reef related topics.
Fast forward to the fall of 2008 the search for a tank begins! The original plan set out to buy an Oceanic w/ starphire glass. During that search I came across an awesome deal that Bob @ Cultured Aquatic Life here in CT had on an AGA 180 w/ dual mega overflows. Needless to say I couldn’t pass up the deal. The savings gave me fore flexibility with lighting and a controller
I drove down to pick it up. It *just* squeaked into the back of my Subaru with the passenger seat as far forward as it could go.
So progress on this build came to a screeching halt in late January as I was coordinating a group buy…..
There the tank sat in my garage for the last 6 months collecting saw dust from house projects, pollen from everything that bloomed this spring (and drove my sinus’ nuts), and to occasional spider web from time to time.
Even though the spring was, well, insane, I was able to pick up the rest of the equipment on my list…….
I'm enthralled at the ecosystem that is alive in my 55. I hope to build a more captivating 180 gallon tank.
I do want to thank some individuals that have been a major inspiration as I've lurked through their threads on RC. Melev, mpoletti, Cato, SunnyX, Weatherson and countless others. The more information we share with each other, the more successful we all can be. Thanks for sharing and documenting your successes and failures! I also wanted to thank the local CTARS members for their ideas and willingness to show and discuss their tanks (shark bait100, fitch4, hans1976, cato)
This was supposed to be a "spring time project". Unfortunately, completing my master's degree took a bit more time than I had anticipated along with those "fun life experiences" that bite you experience from time to time.
This story starts in late summer of 2008 at MACNA in Atlanta with the purchase of a Deltec APF600. I don’t remember the shop that I bought it from, but it was a very good price for the skimmer compared to retail pricing. I also enjoyed talking with the Deltec personnel. They were very helpful and knowledgeable about many different reef related topics.
Fast forward to the fall of 2008 the search for a tank begins! The original plan set out to buy an Oceanic w/ starphire glass. During that search I came across an awesome deal that Bob @ Cultured Aquatic Life here in CT had on an AGA 180 w/ dual mega overflows. Needless to say I couldn’t pass up the deal. The savings gave me fore flexibility with lighting and a controller
I drove down to pick it up. It *just* squeaked into the back of my Subaru with the passenger seat as far forward as it could go.
So progress on this build came to a screeching halt in late January as I was coordinating a group buy…..
There the tank sat in my garage for the last 6 months collecting saw dust from house projects, pollen from everything that bloomed this spring (and drove my sinus’ nuts), and to occasional spider web from time to time.
Even though the spring was, well, insane, I was able to pick up the rest of the equipment on my list…….
The used tank I had acquired for the sump had sprung a leak and I had no idea from where. 
