Tank Build! 180 Gallon Acro Tank

Hi all. Sorry for lack of activity but been busy with some bad thins lately. A divorce and a tank crash. But I pulled my head out my *** finally and I am upgrading my 120 gallon sps system.
I bought a new Marineland 180 gallon tank and stand a couple weeks ago.
My 120 decided to test me and I think crashed. 90% coral loss. My fish are perfectly healthy just lost coral. I have a few that I saved in Ray&Jens tank but lost the rest.

I think I have the problems figured out but not 100% just yet. Most problems started from alkalinity swing then more problems after that. Once I figure that all out I will update.

 

Enough of the negative stuff.
My plans for the system are pretty close to the same as the existing 120.
Metal halide lighting using 10k bulbs with t5 supplements.
2 Part dosing with BRS supplements
Basement sump system. Gonna change this up a little. I will add a 100 gallon stock tank full of existing live rock. Roughly 300 lbs. That will drain into a 70 gallon stock tank where filter equipment will be. ALSO, skimmer, carbon reactor, doser, Auto water changer, ATO, chiller, cooling fans.
I run a reef octopus SRO5000 skimmer.
A rev3 L2 Turbo's Aquatics Algae scrubber.
7 inch filter socks.
BRS Carbon reactor.
Jbj Artica 1/3hp chiller.
Small cooling fan.
40b frag tank.
Panworld 200ps return pump.
4 mp40s powerheads
ATI t5 light on frag tank.
Apex classic controller.
Tune ATO
Currently running biosea marine salt with 3 gallons a day automated water changes. I will be switching back to Aqua Vitro Salinity soon.
Going with all new dry rock in display and 2-3 inch heavy grain sand bed.
Going with less rock in display this time. Probably 3 or 4 island's this time.
Going to stock with any living acros I have and going to go with mostly classic type pieces. Like Oregon tort, green slimer, Hawkins, red planet and some colorful Aussie pieces that I can find. And of course a few oddball hard to find stuff.

 

In the next few weeks I hope to get 2nd sump going. Back ground for tank painted and fish moved to temp holding and 120 empty and gone. I will update with progress and pics soon.
I am on the lookout for nice large pieces of dry rock. And a 4 bulb 60 inch t5 retro kit with good ballasts. I have pretty much everything else in my hoard.

 

Indeed you do!!!!!

 

Let me know when u r ready for some sticks. I've got some nice ones cooking!

 

Sounds good. Thanks Matt.

 

Hoping to get a few things done over the weekend. Like add the 2nd sump and tear down 120 tank and stand and transfer rock and fish to temp holding. Probably some temporary plumbing.

 

On the new tank I have the back painted. Now I need to paint bottom and get some egg crate for inside bottom of tank.

 

Back and bottom painted. Egg crate cut and in. Just need to build sump standand plumbing sump. Then tear down 120 and move fish. Lots more to do.

 

I have a couple more braces to add but getting closer.

 

Working on sump.

 

One of last pics of my 120 while everything was alive.

 

Nice... is that a Vrolik's wrasse? Did he decimate your cleanup crew?

 

Cosmetus. Yes. He is pretty much the resident ******* of the tank. I haven't been able to add any live stock since I got him. Very aggressive. I am gonna trade him in and get some new fairy wrasses and maybe a Chinese pearl wrasse.

 

He would take hermits in his mouth and slam them on rocks until he could get ahold of them to eat them. All my peppermint shrimp and cleaner shrimp were also an expensive snack.

 

Haha, I keep finding myself tempted to try a wrasse from the Halichoeres family but stories like this have kept me at bay.

 

Glad to see you pushing forward. My tank is recovering and I still have a lot of the high end stuff I got from you. Let me know when your ready and I'll cut you a pack free of charge.

 

Yeah. They tear up your clean up crew pretty bad.

 

Thanks Bill. This is greatly appreciated.
It's gonna take more than a tank crash to keep me down long.

That and these fish tanks are good stress therapy for me. And probably just a little bit of an addiction.