SChrisEV's 185g 60l x 30d x 24h

[+SChrisEV]

For the last year I have been kicking around upgrading from my 92g display to something in the 180 - 200g range. That time has finally come! I'm planning the same basic setup as I have now, a mixed reef, I just wanted more room. The 92g corner tank was great, and building the stand was a challenge, but also a lot of fun. This time I wanted a straight glass tank, but I wanted something with some depth for aquascaping, I also did not want a tank that was too tall do ensure good light penetration to the bottom, the dimensions of this tank seemed to fit the bill well.

I've been thinking a good bit about a closed loop system to help with flow as well as keep power heads off the glass, as sexy as the vortex are, there is still nothing "natural" looking about them. My original plan was to buy a new tank with a PVC bottom to make this task a little easier, but instead I've purchased a used tank from members her on ARC. The tank is 3/4" glass.... the thought of drilling that for the closed loop is less than appealing, so I'm still noodling on this. Decisions will be made soon.

I'm planning on a metal stand to maximize strength as well as the area I have under the tank. I spoiled myself with my current stand. My 92g my tank sits on a stand that could hold a 60l x 36d tank, so I really had a lot of room underneath. That is something I am planning on this time as well.

[+SChrisEV]

This is rough, but attached are sketchup's of the basic idea of the stand, and canopy.

The frame of the stand will be metal, but built in two parts. The reason… exterior doors are usually not much wider than 30”. Interior doors can be thinner! The idea is I can use the area behind the stand for ATO reservoir, Dosing liquids and pumps, etc. and still be very easy to get to clean and fill, maximizing my space underneath.

The frame:

Rough look for the finished product design:

I'll sheet the top (where the tank sits) from the front to the back, approximately 40" deep, 30 for the tank, 10" at the back. Access to the underside will be through doors for day to day, but the entire skirt will come off to really get in and do bigger maintenance etc.

What are your thoughts on this, having the extra area behind? Part of me really likes the extra space, then I think about the extra work and cost, not to mention the tank will then site 40+" off the wall.

Updated pic of the stand in progress. Almost done, some small modification that the welder is going to do. It would be finished, but the rain is causing him delays. It's in two pieces that will be attached with some bolts. The upright part along the back is 12" wide, not a lot of extra but will provide a total of 42" front to back under the stand, plus a 12" shelf, or two if I choose behind the tank. My plan is a custom built ATO container that sits behind the tank on one side. Easy access to fill and clean, should provide about 20g of top off water.

I will likely attached the canopy to the top of the back part as well for some added stability for the canopy.

3/13/2015 - Stand Update: Yesterday was a good day for the stand. I picked it up from the welder in the morning, dropping it off to be coated, then picked it up and brought it some around 5:00pm! I've attached a few pics, I went with Line X, for this application Line X or Rhino coat both seem like they would have done great. The only real reason I went with Line X was the shop said they could get it in and done ASAP, and the price seemed fair.

Sorry the first pic is so blurry

The stand looks pretty cool on it's own. Very manly. LOL At least in the garage, in the house it would look pretty out of place. It's time to pick my finish material. I'm leaning heavily toward african mahogany like I did my previous stand, I like the grain pattern, and it stains very nice. Next pics should be my progress on that.

[+SChrisEV]

Reserved for Equipment / layout

[+SChrisEV]

Reserved for "Tall ya later"

[+SChrisEV]

As of 7/16/2015:

Fish / Inverts

1 - Yellow Tang

1 - Clown Tang

2 - Bonded Black & White Ocellaris Clownfish

1 - Six line Wrasse

2 - Red Head Solon Fairy Wrasse, 1 mail 1 female, hoping they pair up.

1 - Blue spot jawfish

1 - Potters Leopard Wrasse

3 - Bartlett's Anthias

3 - Black Axil Chromis

1 - Tiger Pistol Shrimp

1 - Randall's Shrimp Goby (Has not paired with the pistol yet)

1 - Midas Blenny

2 - Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp

2 - Blood Red Fire Shrimp

1 - Banded Coral Shrimp

1 - Red Serpant Star (I've had this guy for years now, he is a trooper)

1 - Tiger Tail Sea Cucumber

1 - Blue Tuxedo Urchin

1 - Emerald Crab

1 - Fighting Conch

1 - Sherman RBTA

Snails etc. sorry they don't get full billing.

Ordered by waiting on stock: Yellow Belly Regal Blue Tang

I'm also looking for a smaller Purple Tang.

With the paired shrimp they have babies on a somewhat regular basis so a nice natural food source. If the wrasses and clowns would get busy my fish would be fat all the time!

Coral - I'm sure I'll forget some here

- Too many purple mushrooms

- Rock full of GSP - Trying to get it to ONLY go on back aquarium wall, once it does the rock is gone

- Neon Green Toad Stool

- Loan Star Leather

- Red Alveopora

- Green Dragon Eye Zoa

- Fire and Ice Zoa

- Purple Death Palys

- Tubbs Blue Zoa

- Rasta Zoa

- Everlasting Gobstopper Zoas

- Nuclear Green Zoa

- Blue Sympodium

- Sunny D Zoa

- Australian Big Polyp Blastomussa (red/brown outside / green center)

- Australian Big Polyp Blastomussa - red/orange

- Lone Star Cadaver Rash Chalice (RichardL's name)

- BamBam Zoa

- Utter Chaos Zoa

[+SChrisEV]

Reserved for Whatever I feel like.

[BornToHula]

The sketchup of the final product looks really great, are you building a cutout of the old man with the members only jacket as well? I like the idea of having the extra room in the back - the area underneath my tank is crammed packed with stuff and I wish I had that kind of extra space.

[nvrEnuf]

I put an "electrical" panel in my last build as a whim when I changed the center bracing....and it's the best thing I've done in years!

Controller and strips mounted just inside right door about 8 inches sub set. All wires on other side of "panel". I had no idea how much simpler this would make all the dialing in and adjusting of "moving in" to a new tank. Now, if I would just get around to labeling those darn strips....

[+SChrisEV]

I have an idea regarding the electrical, once I firm the idea up a bit I'll post the details.

[Gig 'em @ NDstructible]

Nice, looking forward to this build thread!

[+KimP]

I'm looking forward to seeing your build unfold. I love the dimensions, and you can never have too much room underneath!

[+SChrisEV]

Some pics added to this post for the stand!

[+SChrisEV]

The stand post had been updated. So far everything has turned out very well. The welder did a fantastic job, and did it very fast. If it has not been for the rain it would have only been a couple days from start to finish. He has done some other stand, and stand work (Ty gave me his name). He also does metal sculpting. I would highly recommend him from all perspectives; price, knowledge, speed of his work, and the finished product!

If you are looking it's Iron Heart Wlding.

[victoly]

dude. looks awesome so far!

[+SChrisEV]

Small stand update; I finally made it to the lumber yard yesterday. After seeing Dan and Megs 240 build I really gave walnut some thought, it’s very nice. But in the end I stuck with African Mahogany, I still really like the grain pattern etc. Between work and other things in life, I’m having to sneak in working on the stand here and there.

So I’ve been giving a lot of thought to building a custom DIY sump. I've never worked with acrylic so it sounds like a fun challenge. I mean compared to my last stand this one is a piece of cake… so I need some sort of a challenge LOL. With all the space under the stand I want to maximize its use, in sump water volume, sump usefulness, and storage. So below is a rough design of that I am thinking about. It is basically two “tanks” connected together with one or if suggested two bulk heads. While there are pretty large openings, about 28” wide, in the stand this design is larger than that. Also I have a support leg that I have to work around. The smaller (drain area) would be 14” wide by about 26” long, 16” tall. The larger area 16” wide, 38” long by 16” tall. The initial design:

This would give me about 42 gallons of water in the sump under operation, and would be able to hold about 67 gallons total in the event the return pump is off/failed.

What are your thought about the design, and for those of you who have worked with acrylic, and pointers etc.? Also what do you think about attaching the two with a bulkhead?

Thanks!

[+SChrisEV]

Made a few changes to the design. Added a weir to help keep frag chamber a constant height. Also moved the macro algae area so it is right before the return area. Figured this way pods will have more of a chance finding their way to the main display for a natural food source.

Also thinking about making the separator between the frag and the macro algae adjustable a little left to right. So I can grow/shrink the sections as needed. Not sure if this flexibility would actually be needed/waned.

What do you think?

[+SChrisEV]

The stand build is moving slow, mostly because other things are taking my time, I'm hoping to make some good progress this weekend. Yesterday I picked up two new fish, that are now in quarantine, waiting on the new tank to be ready! Sorry the pics are not very good, taken with my phone, bad lighting, and dirty glass (on the outside), I had to quickly put this QT together. I was expecting to bring home just the purple, but the sailfin wanted in on the party, so I felt the 10g I had set up and ready was not going to be big enough for a couple/few weeks time for the two.

So far they are buddies, one swims left the other follows, the other right, and again the other follows. They have both eaten well, the sailfin was a pig from the start then shortly after the purple followed suit, and both had big bellies from flake and veggie clip by the time the night arrived.

I know I'll have to be careful, but I plan to add these two, and my existing yellow and chevron tangs to the 180 once it is ready for livestock. These two and the chevron are all about 3", the yellow is about 4.5". I'm most worried about the yellow and the purple together. I'm hoping adding them all at the same time in the new tank will help with no one having an existing territory.

[Reburn]

I've always read that a recipe for disaster is having more then one zebrasoma tang species per tank. I have also always heard that purples are big bullies and should always be added last after everyone else has been in the tank a while and established their territories.

I have no first hand experience just what I have been told by other refers here and abroad. I have been researching tangs as well for my new big build.

[+SChrisEV]

And here I am looking to have three in one.... I have also heard the same, and have also heard the opposite as well, as far as having only one zebrasoma tang in a tank. Actually Chris at Niko's currently has a desjardini (Actually I'm not sure if it is a desjardini or a regular sailfin, not that it matters for this discussion), and a purple in the store, and he said he had a yellow with them as well. He is not the only person that has told me the same. I know I'm taking a risk, and know there is a chance that when they reach some level of maturity I may need to pair them down to just one of the three. I am hope with acquitted space, and good feeding that that will be quite some time, if not ever. Time will tell.

[Reburn]

I want to apologize I wasn't trying to be negative or crush your dreams.

I was just simply passing a word of caution as I have heard it.

I hope it works. I really want a yellow and a purple in the same tank as well.

[+SChrisEV]

I did not take it negative at all. It's all good. What you said is true. I am hoping that having three will off set that some, also the yellow, the tamest (supposedly) of the three is the largest. I am prepared to rehome if needed.

[nvrEnuf]

There are plenty of vids of these tangs together and happy; I'd say a 180 is about minimum for 3-5 from what I've read/seen. You seem to have a good plan in place.

I'd also add I've read to be prepared to tear down the 'scape to trap and "contain" whomever may get too aggressive.

I myself haven't figgured out the recipe for multiple tangs in a tank. Luckily in a 90 3 "large" fish is plenty, so 1 tang will do have to do for now

[+SChrisEV]

Got a good bit done this weekend, Too me, after spending a number of hours Saturday and Sunday it does not look like much progress when looking at these pics, but as often the smaller things take lots of time.

This is just a facade, not supportive at all. The idea is the entire front and two side will be able to slide forward as one piece to have complete access. There will also be doors, still need to cut those out, so for day to day access there will be large doors. Also the sides will only got back about to the first upright. There will be full length doors to access the back "tower" of the stand. The top, behind the tank, will be where my ATO, dosing containers, and misc. Underneath there will be sump in most one one side, and the APEX mounted in a "water safe" cabinet to keep a nice separation between salt water and electronics!

A top "plate" will be place on the facade once it can be fit and cut tightly against the tank when it is places on the stand.

I hope to work more during the week, in the evenings, just need to figure out how to press the pause button on the other parts of life.

[+SChrisEV]

I have not been slacking, but it sure feels like it. As guess as far as the tank build is concerned I have been a bit. Finally got the stand in the house, the wood surround still has work, but all the layout, etc. is finished, I don't need the stand in the garage to finish it up!

Inside of the stand, top, bottom and sides painted a water proof dark brown, my daughter picked the color. My only input was dark so I could easily see any salt residue to deal with/clean as needed. These pics do not have the inside painted, oops took the pics too soon.

Stand in the house mostly naked

With the tank on it. The two glass tanks underneath are not staying, but that is the basic foot print that the sump will have. I love all the "empty" space on the right, great for storage etc.

I never really thought of my existing setup to be "small" but next to the new one, both stand and tank, it look pretty small. LOL

Thanks Vu for helping me lift the tank onto the stand!!

APEX "Box/cabinet", basic plumbing, and more work on the wood part of the stand is on the agenda next. I know I like to see pics for the build so I'll try and be good about detailed pics. Sump will be ready end of next week if all goes well.

[+SChrisEV]

So it will be at least a week until my sump is in place, and plumbed to cycle from the display. I need to make a LOT of saltwater to will this bad boy up, and I have some new Oceans Direct sand waiting in the wings... do you see an issues with me putting some new saltwater in the tank, maybe half full, adding the sand, and a power-head to keep the water circulating in the display? I also have some rock that has been curing for a month, so I'd love to get that into the tank sooner than later as well. No livestock, just water, sand and some rock.... any issues with out the total turnover?

If yes, maybe just the water, It is just going to take some time to make the water and conveniently (I could get creative) I can hold 50ish g of saltwater at a time.