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FarmerTy's 215 build


FarmerTy

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Well, it's about time to start documenting my transition to the new 215-gallon tank. It'll be a slow transition as I don't want to rush anything with how sensitive SPS colonies can be.

This is what I'll be leaving behind, my 125-gallon long tank that has treated me so well the past 2.5-3 years.

Picture:

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Video:

http://youtu.be/GD7QrXICias

I started that tank with only frags of SPS 2" or smaller in length. Now that a lot of them have grown out into colonies, a new bigger tank was in order.

I first found a cheap 180-gallon tank that had been sitting in someone's backyard for the past 3 years and cleaned and resealed it.

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Then I came upon this bad boy, a 215-gallon tank that had a small leak on the front pane. Decided after my success sealing the 180, that I would go ahead and get the 215-gallon and repair it. The great thing about the 215-gallon is no middle brace (FINALLY!), overbuilt (3/4" glass), and was already drilled with overflows.

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Also got this awesome 2" steel stand from Dena on the club. The whole thing is rhinolined, including the bottom which is covered in plywood and rhinolined as well. I will modify it to fit the new tank and leave me about 6" behind the tank as a walking platform to work on the back area of the tank.

Stand is upside-down in the picture to prevent water collecting in plywood bottom:

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First off, I tried just repairing the internal silicone seam by cutting it out and resealing it with new silicone, leaving the internal seam (silicone sandwiched in between the glass) in place. I let it cure and filled it up with water to see if that would work.

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Well, it didn't so I knew the internal seam was more compromised than I thought. You can see in the second picture about where the leak was as the tank drained down to that spot.

Next step, complete front glass pane removal!

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I removed all of the silicone with a lot of elbow grease, a flat razor, and some of this magic stuff I found at Home Depot.

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I went ahead and ordered two fresh tubes of silicone for the reseal as I was going to generously lay it on this time around and not be so stingy with the silicone. I used Dow Corning 732 clear silicone on OffRoadDodge's recommendation.

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While awaiting the silicone to be delivered, I went ahead and moved my old 125-gallon out of the way. I drained the water and left about 4" of water and sand in the tank (plus the fish), emptied the sump, put all the coral in the 180-gallon temporarily, and then used a whole lot of leverage and a whole lot of positioning against the wall to push it to the side so that I can put the new 215-gallon in its place.

Corals all in the temp tank:

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My precious cargo all in one place!

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Other than a little phosphate spike, all was well and tank is pretty much back to its normal self.

After the move and carefully placing all the corals back:

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While all of this was happening, I had ordered a couple of things I would need to transition the 125-gal to the 215-gal.

Went with the Caribsea Reef grade sand:

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An additional 50lbs of dry live rock:

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A free 65-gal tank that I will use as a sump:

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Upgraded my Apex Lite to the full version:

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Ordered one more WP40 to go along with my current one:

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Also picked up two used Iwaki WMD40RXLT external pumps for my return pumps.

Most of my old equipment should transfer over:

-3x 250-watt MH

-1 blue LED strip

-150-watt refugium/frag tank light

-Korallin CaRX

-ASM G3 Skimmer (may look for a skimmer upgrade in the future or adding a 2nd one)

-my two clip-on fans from Wal-mart shifty.gif

-biopellet reactor

-GFO reactor

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Next steps:

-Reseal the 215-gal front glass pane

-clean out and add baffles to the sump

-drill sump for external pumps

-have stand modified by welder and rhinoline new portions

-cycle sand and dry live rock

-setup plumbing (probably do a manifold type setup since its all the rage)

The goal is to have my old tank continue to run and once the new one has cycled, plumb both systems together and allow the old tank to seed the new tank. Then, I will move the corals slowly over the span of a month... probably one MH setup at a time. Basically, move one MH setup to the new system, leave the other two with the old system, and move enough corals over that can transition with one MH setup. Then move the next MH setup over and some more corals and repeat.

I'll move the fish over last as it will be much easier to catch them and transfer them once the old tank is empty. I'll probably add my last two last tangs that I want to add at that time (powder blue and blonde naso tang) so that all the territorial issues will be eliminated as they will all the added at the same time. That means I might as well have a QT setup for now and go ahead and order the two tangs so they are ready to add once the transition is finalized.

That's all I can think of at this point. I am sure there are things I am forgetting but that's going to be the general gameplan for now.

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Two things.

What is to become of the 180?

On the 215 stand, if it's not already done, I'd seal that plywood bottom. I used some marine grade stuff when I sealed the inside of my 75 stand(laquer? Can't remember right now but I'll check my build thread.)

Looking great so far.

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Two things.

What is to become of the 180?

On the 215 stand, if it's not already done, I'd seal that plywood bottom. I used some marine grade stuff when I sealed the inside of my 75 stand(laquer? Can't remember right now but I'll check my build thread.)

Looking great so far.

Hellmsman finish! The only marine grade finish at Home Depot :)

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Two things.

What is to become of the 180?

On the 215 stand, if it's not already done, I'd seal that plywood bottom. I used some marine grade stuff when I sealed the inside of my 75 stand(laquer? Can't remember right now but I'll check my build thread.)

Looking great so far.

Hellmsman finish! The only marine grade finish at Home Depot smile.png

wont the rhino coat take care of this?

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I would think the rhinolining would take care of it as well but maybe I wasn't clear in the build that the bottom plywood has been rhinolined with the stand. I know you really can't tell from the picture.

I was hoping nobody would bring up the 180g anymore. Dang you Robb!

After my successful tank sliding adventure to the other wall, I decided since I tackled moving a 1/4 full 125g and stand all by myself (foolish), that I could just as easily relocate an empty 180g to the garage by myself.

I ended up cracking the bottom pane and now it is just sitting in my garage as a testament to my stubborness and ego.

If anybody wants to tackle removing the bottom pane, and replacing either with a new one or a plywood bottom, feel free to PM me. The tank has served its purposes for me so I'll pass along to the next DIYer.

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There are unnecessary aquarium projects?

haha

Looking good, and if your old tank is any indicator, it will look much better when it is all done.

Do it Robb! I contemplated using the 180g as my sump until I cracked the bottom. If you take it away from me, you'll be saving me from an unnecessary project!

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I would think the rhinolining would take care of it as well but maybe I wasn't clear in the build that the bottom plywood has been rhinolined with the stand. I know you really can't tell from the picture.

I was hoping nobody would bring up the 180g anymore. Dang you Robb!

After my successful tank sliding adventure to the other wall, I decided since I tackled moving a 1/4 full 125g and stand all by myself (foolish), that I could just as easily relocate an empty 180g to the garage by myself.

I ended up cracking the bottom pane and now it is just sitting in my garage as a testament to my stubborness and ego.

If anybody wants to tackle removing the bottom pane, and replacing either with a new one or a plywood bottom, feel free to PM me. The tank has served its purposes for me so I'll pass along to the next DIYer.

just to clarify, i "like" how you told the story. not that you cracked your giant tank :).

hmmm, i wonder if someone could just glue and seal a thinner piece of glass to the top of the cracked one and have it work. probably depends on how bad the crack is, among other things.

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Well, got a taker on the broken 180g so hopefully my testament to my stubbornness will no longer be in the garage to haunt me.

Managed to squeeze in a little time on the tank this weekend.

Cleaned up the 65g sump and filled it up to test leak it.

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Got someone to modify the stand for me. Just need to rhinoline the new braces and joints and that's one more thing off the checklist.

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I also tricked a friend into helping me seal the tank by bribing him with fajitas and Cowboys football.

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Also got some great additions to the tank community from Reefer74. I am excited that everyone is getting along nicely and that hopefully my 215g won't look so empty once they all move over to the new tank.

Anthia

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Small Blue Hippo

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Geometric Pgymy Hawkfish

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Female green mandarin (to go with my male green mandarin)

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James, I was going to wait until the Austin Aquarium opens up and see what they charge first. I'll charge a comparable admission charge but with a nice bonus. On your way out, I will blindfold all guests and they can reach into the tank and grab one frag as a gift for coming by.

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