210 Mixed Reef

[rrasco]

Over the last few weeks I've done lots of planning, selling old tanks, making room, and looking for a new tank. I got tired of waiting for a used tank, so I bought a new standard 210. This is as the tank sits now, but it won't be this lonely for long, I've already begun construction on the stand and have big plans for this tank. 3d model of stand is below.

Here is the plan:

Livestock - I am planning an SPS island on one side of the tank, my frogspawn will get a large dedicated grow area, and then a zoa and mushroom garden with mixed softies spread out through the rest of the tank. I have an ocellaris pair and I want to add a tang. I'm open to other fish suggestions after that.

Equipment - Coast to coast overflow with the bean method to keep it quiet and safe, A DIY LED fixture with 3 pendulums mounted on a modular mounting rail so I can add supplemental lighting if necessary. The lighting fixture will hang from the roof and have a pulley system or something to allow me to adjust the height based on lighting needs and maintenance access; intended to be above the ceiling and out of view. This is still just a concept I am working on. I have a reeflo dart to drive my return lines. I want to T off the main return and drill two return holes for locline inside the coast to coast. Then I want to T off each return with locline as well, effectively making 4 locline returns that will peak over the top of the coast to coast providing lots of flow configuration options. There will also of course be an ATO system piped through the wall to the fish room directly behind the display tank. Premix salt will also go here with dedicated plumbing. To top it off the tank will be controlled by a DIY arduino. I will update this thread as I complete stages of the build so this is just the beginning, stay tuned.

I'm open to all criticism. I'd rather hear it now than after I implement something wrong.

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[dzfish17]

Congrats on the new tank. There is nothing more fun than setting up a new tank... especially a big tank. I would definitely add a group of anthias to the fish list... a royal gramma too.

[rrasco]

Thanks. The build is definitely the best part to me....I love picking out equipment and designing these things. The anthias look awesome...how many should I add?

[hobogato]

glad you decided to go with the 210, look forward to following the progress

[Robb in Austin]

Big tank build thread? Check.

In Texas? Check.

And a Red Wings fan? Check, check, check.

Subscribed.

[rrasco]

I finished the stand, pictures will come once the tank is on it. I had to touch up the paint on the top of the doors and the tank still needs to be drilled, so no point in moving it yet.

I received my order from glass holes today, it had my return kits, bulkheads and elbows for a bean overflow, and the hole saws to make it all happen. The returns will be drilled into the overflow and angled over the top of the weir. They will not go where they are in the pictures (obviously), they will be positioned a few inches towards the outside of the braces so they clear the top of the weir and the braces. I am hoping I get enough flow out of this setup to avoid the used of powerheads, but I doubt I will be that lucky. There should be around 600gph per return outlet. I'm playing that one by ear.

I am hoping to drill and paint the tank this weekend and move it onto the stand. We'll see what happens with it being Christmas though.

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[rrasco]

Finished drilling the tank last night. It was really easy, just took a lot of patience. My glass holes bit wore down after the first two holes for the 1.5" bulkhead, but I persevered and got through it, no pun intended. The return holes were short work after that.

I decided to place the drains on one side so I can reach them, although symmetrically, I would have been happier with them in the middle, but that would not have been very functional.

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[rrasco]

Moved the tank onto the stand tonight. Just as I thought, the stand isn't perfect and I need to figure out how to shim the trim between the tank and stand. I never end up with straight lumber. I'm undecided on using styrofoam to correct the issue due to mixed opinions on using it for tanks with trim.

The stand was hard to get a good picture because it's black, kept getting spotting on the lens. The side panels are removable so I can get the sump out. Originally I was going to put them on hinges but decided to screw them in for added support. I already screwed in the right side, but the left side is awaiting the sump before I clamp it down.

I put the bulkheads in to make sure everything fits. I am thinking I am going to have to alter my return setup, which was highly anticipated. My thought is to add an elbow and a standpipe to get the returns up, and then I'll go straight out over the overflow. I ordered the glass today for the overflow, I just need to go pick it up.

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[pjmiller33]

Hey, nice build so far. Don't go the foam route to level it though. Foam will flex which make it ok for acrylic but glass will not flex, but crack. I would get some wood shims from lowes or HD (usually in the door section). This should work well. Also if you needed more flow after you set it up, you could always add flow accelerators to your loclines. I just did it in my 210 with great results!

[rrasco]

Thanks. Yeah, I am going to make some small shims for it. They should hardly be noticeable, if at all.

[TheFishTeen]

Nice! This should be a great build. Since you are going the lock-line route, may I suggest using a flow accelerators? Heres a link for one http://www.marinedepot.com/Ista_Vortex_Water_Flow_Accelerators_MPT_Flexible_Ball_Socket_Tubing_Plumbing_Parts-Ista-AZ1711-FIFTFB-vi.html

Also, will you be using power heads, or just relying on the Dart for the whole tank?

[rrasco]

Nice! This should be a great build. Since you are going the lock-line route, may I suggest using a flow accelerators? Heres a link for one http://www.marinedepot.com/Ista_Vortex_Water_Flow_Accelerators_MPT_Flexible_Ball_Socket_Tubing_Plumbing_Parts-Ista-AZ1711-FIFTFB-vi.html

Also, will you be using power heads, or just relying on the Dart for the whole tank?

I have thought about using those accelerators, but do they connect to locline? I heard they have a loose connection.

I am hoping I can get away with the Dart for all my flow, but I think I'll end up with a power head or two. At a minimum, I will need one for under the overflow to keep the water moving behind the rocks. My built-in returns won't be effective in that part of the tank.

[rrasco]

I installed the coast to coast yesterday. I used Permatex RTV silicone. RTV has a higher tensile strength than GE 1. RTV is used to hold windshields in place. Good news is my locline return lines clear the coast to coast, I didn't think they were going to make it. I used masking tape to hold everything in place while I laid down the silicone. In hindsight, I would have taped off the edges of the seams so they would be cleaner as well. However, I was lazy and didn't do it since it was such a long seam. The only parts I taped off to keep clean were the seams that would be visible from the front of the tank. Oh well, that's what experience is for. I still think it came out good.

Oh, and I had these pieces of glass cut at 70-15/16"....which made it extremely hard to get them in place without getting stuck. I would probably go with 7/8" or less next time to make it easier.

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[palmer373]

How wide and tall is your overflow? Looks around 8" by 8" but not sure.

[rrasco]

It's 5" wide by 6" deep. I tried to minimize the real estate it took up.

[Ancient Moon]

Nice build. Subscribed.

[rrasco]

Received a few boxes from BRS today. I'm sure the UPS guy loves me now. 150lbs of fiji dry rock, 10lbs of rubble, and a Bubble Magus NAC9.

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[Robb in Austin]

:beer:

Nice delivery!

[abaralnek]

looking good,cant wait to see more..

[WaVe RiDeR]

tagging along!!

[rrasco]

Thanks guys.

I had to modify the stand to accommodate a last minute change in plans. I decided to use a 40 breeder for a sump instead of a 55. I didn't realize the 55 being so narrow would produce noise due to the flow rate I was going to use. The real problem was, I didn't design the stand to be able to fit a sump wider than 12". A 40 breeder is 18". I removed the two rear columns and replaced them with a wider column in the middle. This increased the span between columns allowing me to slide in the 40 breeder. I will be painting it and applying polyurethane over the next two days.

The best part was a certain retailer always seems to have $1/gallon when I need it. $40 for a 40 breeder? Okay! The 40 I have on hand is already drilled for a frag tank, so that one was out of the question as a sump.

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[Alaskan]

Cool build, will be along for the ride.

[rrasco]

Back of tank is painted.

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[Mrs. Music]

thank you for sharing the progress pictures. I love the black stand.

[SPotter]

nice build! tagging along

[reefermad619]

Coming along nicely. You're making me want to get off my a$$ and finish my build! Are you going to leave the overflow clear, or line it with some acrylic?

[ecupcar]

Nice job on the coast 2 coast!

[rrasco]

Thanks.

Coming along nicely. You're making me want to get off my a$$ and finish my build! Are you going to leave the overflow clear, or line it with some acrylic?

I try to get one thing done everyday so I am always making process. It makes it hard waiting on stuff in the mail though. I've been thinking about the overflow color, as all my acrylic ones are black. I don't really have a lot of room in there to add anything and I don't think there is a paint I can use that can be exposed to the water, and if there is it may wear off. So I think it may just have to stay clear.

[rrasco]

Sump is built. Intake from tank is on left with skimmer. L is the return chamber. Drilled for 2" bulkhead to reeflo dart. Return will have a T to feed fuge on right which will overflow back into the return.

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[rrasco]

I have pretty much everything to build my LED fixture, although I am not in a hurry as I plan to do that while the tank is cycling. However, I wanted to see how my concept would look and make sure that the 60 degree optics would give me enough spread to cover the tank. I modeled the fixture and spread in Sketchup. The fixture will be 64"x10" and will be trimmed with a black laminate.

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Here are closer up models of the fixture. I will be using lamicoid to hide the wiring and then a 3/16" piece of acrylic or glass for a splash guard. I didn't model them, but will be using 1/8" standoffs to space the lamicoid and splash guard away from the heat sink. I am planning to hang this unit. I'm not even 100% sure I'm building it this way, but that's the best part about 3D modeling, you don't have to build it to see it.

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[rrasco]

Tested out the custom CAT4101 driver boards with a string of LEDs to make sure it worked. Test was a flying success. These things are so bright, there was no point in taking a picture with them on. Just take my word that they worked :) Here is the prototype.

http://www.rrasco.com/AquaticPics/210reef/IMAG0133.jpg

[Matt1351]

Nice set up

[rrasco]

Finally an update.

I plumbed the tank yesterday and gave the system a test run. Went pretty well. Spent a little time adjusting the overflow and need to make one adjustment to accommodate a leak (dang threaded pipe), shorten the sump intake pipes, and get the open channel cap threaded for an air line.

Great news is the stand held up like a champ. I knew it would, but I always get nervous that first time filling the tank.

And of course, more pictures.

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[rehab]

looking good so far man. Everything is coming togther nicely.

[Curl58]

Looking very nice.

[reefermad619]

You get the drain balanced out?

[rrasco]

Not yet. Hoping to get that done tonight.

[rrasco]

In the interim, I have been working on redesigning my LED rig. I found a similar rig as the one I was planning and the light spread didn't work as well as my renderings show. There was too much spot lighting for my likes. Having said that, I have decided to use channel instead of the heatsinks for a mounting surface to help spread the LEDs around. I am working on new renderings, but before I could do that, I wanted to come up with my array configuration. Here it is.

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[rrasco]

I had trouble getting the bean drains tuned in just right with a ball valve so I decided to swap it out for a gate valve to see if that provided the precision needed to dial in the siphon channel. I have not tested the system since installing the new valve.

I also picked up some LC to soak the BRS dry rock to take care of the phosphates before they become a problem in the DT. I don't have a hanna phosphate checker so I may just have to wing it or try to borrow one.

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[Jhuff]

The lights will work out well. I have Orphek led lights over a 300 gallon sps reef with very good results

[reefermad619]

I've found the double union ball valves turn much easier then the ball valves by them selves. Where did you pick up the gate valve from?

[rrasco]

I have a double union 2" that is hard to turn. My single union 1.5" is much easier. I got the gate valve from amazon. It's not a spears, but it should do.

[rrasco]

I finally made up my mind on how to build my LED fixture. I am going to build 3 independent units that will run off one power supply. Each fixture will be 18x19.75. Planning to order the aluminum and acrylic this week.

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[rrasco]

I decided to re-evaluate my return plumbing. I am going to rebuild it to omit the 3/4 hoses and locline returns because I feel it is restricting the flow too much. I am going to go with 1.5" PVC up and over the back. I am debating whether I want to use a smaller 2nd return pump to feed the locline returns or not. Ideally I would like to use the holes for something, just not sure what at this point.

[pgaudreau]

I converted mine last weekend to the single high flow units on my 265. Huge difference in flow, I even installed a valve on top and had to turn it down. Sorry about the two louzy pictures, I just took them with my phone.

[rrasco]

Thanks for the input. I was considering moving to just one nozzle per line since they are going to be converted to a lower power pump.

As for the high flow nozzles, did they fit on the locline okay? I heard they can fit loose since they are not really locline. Just something I read, thus, I ask.

[pgaudreau]

Mine came on the locline hose in the box. I will swing by my lfs tomorrow an get you the brand. The fit was perfect, and they work great. I am also using two mp40's for flow on each side and one mp60 as my wave maker

[rrasco]

This weekend I rebuilt my return. Took pics, but they are still on the camera. The dart is now used just for feeding the fuge and the return which is 1.5" up and over the back. Flow is much better. I had a 900gph~ pump feeding the 3/4" locline returns, but it was useless, not much flow at all. Having said that, I decided to remove them and plug the bulkheads. They can be used with a lower power pump later on down the line, or something. Maybe if I sell the tank down the road (big maybe) someone can use them, or if I ever move to an internal pump and not the higher-powered dart. At any rate, I actually like the tank without the locline returns hanging over, it looks cleaner IMO. I tested the new plumbing and all was well, so that means next time I fill it up will be the real deal. Currently finishing the dry rock LC treatment before I can begin cycling.

Also received my two Koralia Magnum 8 powerheads this weekend. I'm thinking at 3250gph each they should provide sufficient flow for the tank.

On a side note, does anyone know how hot the reeflo dart should get? It's not super hot, but almost too warm to keep your hand on for awhile. I don't think it's overheating, but it's just hotter than I expected it to be.

[reefernutz]

Tagging along - I've been buying stuff for my 210 piecemeal and will be ready to get the tank in 2 months. Very interested to see how the C2C overflow does.

What made you choose a C2C over something like a glass holes?

[Wrench]

Nice build.

A note, however. That looks like a Bean Animal overflow setup to me. If it is, you will want to move your gate valve to the end of the pipe where it enters the sump. The way you have it now, it will be impossible to tune and will make noise.

[rrasco]

Tagging along - I've been buying stuff for my 210 piecemeal and will be ready to get the tank in 2 months. Very interested to see how the C2C overflow does.

What made you choose a C2C over something like a glass holes?

Bean sums it up best with this excerpt from his site:

Surface Renewal

An extreme example: Take two identical 40' wide ponds that are fed with the same amount of water, one with a 4' wide dam and the other with a 40' wide dam. It follows that for the same flow (lets say 100 gallons per minute) over the dam, that the narrow dam will have a very thick waterfall and the wide dam a very thin sheet of water cascading over it. Now place an oil slick over both ponds! It will take significantly longer for the 4' wide dam to clear the slick fro the pond. Why? Because much of the water flowing over the dam is from below the surface! Now apply this logic to your tank, but instead of an oil slick, understand that the surface of the water attracts organics from the tank. The logical conclusion? For any given flow rate, the wider the overflow, the better your skimmer and/or in sump filtration will work!

http://www.beananimal.com/projects/silent-and-fail-safe-aquarium-overflow-system.aspx

Nice build.

A note, however. That looks like a Bean Animal overflow setup to me. If it is, you will want to move your gate valve to the end of the pipe where it enters the sump. The way you have it now, it will be impossible to tune and will make noise.

It is a bean. I have already tested the system. It works wonderfully with the gate valve where it is. Thanks for the recommendation though.

[reefermad619]

Nice build.

A note, however. That looks like a Bean Animal overflow setup to me. If it is, you will want to move your gate valve to the end of the pipe where it enters the sump. The way you have it now, it will be impossible to tune and will make noise.

Nope. Valve placement is only a concern when the sump is not located in the stand. Let's say in a basement for example. Then the closer the valve is to the sump the better.

[rrasco]

Filled the tank this weekend. Finally the real waiting process has begun. Not sure I'm 100% happy with my rock work yet, but at least the tank can begin cycling. I tried to use water weld to build some rock structures but it didn't hold very well. Rock was a little damp, so maybe that is why. I planned to have a pillar on the right, but decided just to stack instead. We'll see how this works. I re-scaped my 29 probably 10 times before it was done cycling so I imagine something similar with this build. Thing will undoubtedly move one I start stocking the tank as well.

My focus will now move to finishing my LED rig and setting up my WC and salt mixing station for easier maintenance. I'll get some pics as soon as the water is cleared up, it was still a little murky yesterday.

[Dustin1300]

Subscribed. Looking great so far!

[rrasco]

Thanks!

[rrasco]

As promised, some eye candy. The water is much clearer now. Excuse the dirty glass, one of my cats didn't realize this was my new toy and not hers.

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[mhowe9]

Tagging along. ... Nice build. Good job

[reefermad619]

Nice going!

[rpjaws74]

nice set up...

[rrasco]

Thanks guys.

I had a minor set back yesterday as the used reeflo pump (snapper) I bought began leaking. Reeflo has great customer support and responded to emails within 30 minutes saying that the seals probably went and are $25 for a fix. While I intend to get some new seals, I decided to just get a new pump as well. I was a little concerned with how loud and warm my pump was getting so a new pump will give me something to benchmark it against. I plan to get two sets of seals so I can fix the used pump and keep it as a backup, as well as have a spare set of seals for the new pump should that time ever come.

Luckily the tank is only cycling and I have two koralia magnum 8s in there so it's still getting good flow. My new pump should be here today, also a reeflo snapper hybrid.

[rrasco]

Picked up my new pump at the LFS today. Then I promptly dropped it upside down in the parking lot. Scraped it up a little bit, but it was still in the original box so it's no worse for wear, just a little cosmetic scrape and a tiny dent from asphalt. It was just the rounded casing on top of the motor, I think there is a solenoid or something in there. I disassembled that part to make sure all was okay and it is. I do feel like a goof for doing that though.

[webersole]

Tagging along. Looking at starting a tank the same size and with a bean setup with C2C. Nice setup.

[llewoh05]

your build is coming along nicely. keep it up.

[rrasco]

Finally an update. Tank is still cycling. After 2 weeks I threw in a small damsel to provide some waste for the cycle instead of ghost feeding everyday. Since I can't do much to help the tank cycle, I moved onto my LED rig and my water change system.

I had a coworker weld together the aluminum channel and am now waiting on nylon screws and a tap to arrive from McMaster-Carr. At that point I will be tapping the channel for mounting my LEDs. I picked up an Arduino a few weeks ago and have been working on building the controller as well. Built an LCD shield with tactile buttons and RTC breakout yesterday. Hope to start working on some programming soon.

I also picked up some parts for my RODI system. Since I am running this from the laundry room in the kitchen to my fish room, I plan to use PVC conduit and run it through the attic. The PVC will keep anything from damaging the line and will also help corral any leaks that maybe occur, but I plan to use a single run, so that shouldn't be an issue. To finish it off I got a dual inline TDS meter and a float valve auto top off system from BRS. Hoping to get that installed this weekend so I can finally start making my own water.

If all goes well I will have more updates and pictures of the LED rig this weekend.

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[rrasco]

Ah ha! Looks like I can solder effectively enough.

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[Dustin1300]

Good job and love the ReefCentral comment on display;) Been a while since I played with a breadboard like that!

[rrasco]

My hardware came in so I finally began building the LED units. I managed to get one rigged up today and the test was a booming success. I need to clean this one up, get a few wire accessories and then build two more just like it.

These pictures show various intensities of the LEDs. Blues and whites are at the same level, but I did play with bringing the blues down and the whites up. I'll have the freedom to do whatever I want once they are on the tank, this was merely a functionality test. I only pushed them up to around 50% so they will get much brighter. Although, I don't ever intend to run them over 75% or so.

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[rrasco]

Today I cleaned up the wiring. Next up, two more units and then I will work on building the housings.

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[rrasco]

Well, the worst possible thing happened this week. I came home from work on Wednesday and the tank had a huge crack across the front. I'm not really sure what caused it, either the tank was defective or my stand caused it. No way to really know.

The worst part is the tank was covered under warranty up until the point I 'modified' it. While the LFS and the manufacturer agree that the modifications did not contribute to the failure, they are using it as a loophole to keep from having to replace the tank. Fun. FWIW, neither one cared it was on a DIY stand which I thought was a huge part of the warranty. Evidently not.

The more people I talk to, the more I evaluate the situation and the more I think about it the more I believe it was a tank defect. But like I said, I will probably never really know.

Either way, I'm majorly bummed and am now evaluating what I am going to do. Fix the tank and use it. Buy a new tank and reuse my stand, or get a whole new setup. I might end up getting a new DSA tank and stand so I have a warranty. Future is up in the air at this point.

After the emergency draining of the tank I continued to disassemble it. It had to be done one way or another. I had about 25 gallons of RODI on hand so I made some SW up real quick and tossed in some powerheads to keep the LR curing.

Damage to my house was not nearly as bad as I anticipated. Most of the water stayed on the tile, the parts that did make it to the carpet were pretty wet, but as the carpet meets the tile, my cats have already prepped the edges of the carpet to be pulled up from the tack board, so I just propped it up and shoved a floor fan under there to dry the carpet and padding to keep it from growing mold over the next few weeks. The only real loss was the tank and attachables like the internal overflow and misc plumbing pieces I have to cut to remove. Although, I can reuse the overflow if I remove it.

http://www.rrasco.com/AquaticPics/210reef/IMG_1084_sm.jpg
http://www.rrasco.com/AquaticPics/210reef/IMG_1093_sm.jpg

[TheFishTeen]

Ouch! Sorry to hear, i feel for you.

If it were up to me I would get a new tank, same size, keep the stand, and get the new tank reef ready so its warranted and you don't need to drill it.

One question though, did the tank hold water with the glass cracked?

[rrasco]

I'm definitely getting a new tank RR that has a warranty. Live and learn.

The tank did still hold water, marginally. You can see it leaking out the bottom left of the crack. I think since the glass was 1/2" it kind of held it in place. It was weird.

http://youtu.be/AgbOf2uzEpo

[smitch]

Eeeeek

Sorry for your set back. The tank was coming across nicely.

[rrasco]

That's all it is, a setback. There WILL be a replacement.

[Dustin1300]

Glad that the flood did not do any real damage and better it happened now rather than later:( I try to be a half cup full kind of guy but know it's easier said than done. Keep your head up, this hobby has its ups and DOWNS.

[heathersangels]

very nice

[rrasco]

Glad that the flood did not do any real damage and better it happened now rather than later:( I try to be a half cup full kind of guy but know it's easier said than done. Keep your head up, this hobby has its ups and DOWNS.

I've actually been pretty positive about this. Things could have been a lot worse and a lot more expensive. My house is okay for the most part and nobody got hurt so I can move on. Thanks for the positive reinforcement.

[Robb in Austin]

That sucks.

Can't wait to see the replacement.

[reefermad619]

This sucks! Sorry man.

[juny00605]

I finally made up my mind on how to build my LED fixture. I am going to build 3 independent units that will run off one power supply. Each fixture will be 18x19.75. Planning to order the aluminum and acrylic this week.

http://www.rrasco.com/AquaticPics/210reef/18x18-led-fixture-top.jpg
http://www.rrasco.com/AquaticPics/210reef/18x18-led-fixture-bottom.jpg

I like the design of the leds. Can you elavorate a little more, like measurements between the channel etc. I'm planning a led set up and I like that aproach.

[TheFishTeen]

Good for you! Im impressed your setback didn't kill your enthusiasm. I have heard way too many stories of people having tank disasters and giving it all up. Its good to see someone with a strong heart for the hobby.

[rrasco]

I like the design of the leds. Can you elavorate a little more, like measurements between the channel etc. I'm planning a led set up and I like that aproach.

Sorry, didn't see this post this weekend. I'll have to get more precise measurements, but I think the channel was spaced about 2.5" each. They are even spacings front to back with about 1/2" give on the extreme front and back. If that makes sense. 1/2" space, channel, 2.5" space, channel, and so on until they were all in place and there was 1/2" at the end. The 1/2" on front/back was because I needed space for the wiring. Maybe I'll post some sketchup drawings later with dimensions so everyone has more of a definitive guide as to what I did. I'm really glad I made the whole rig modular as I might end up with a 48x24 tank after this, thus I can still use 2 of the 3 modules on that tank and re-purpose the 3rd.

Good for you! Im impressed your setback didn't kill your enthusiasm. I have heard way too many stories of people having tank disasters and giving it all up. Its good to see someone with a strong heart for the hobby.

Thanks. To be honest, that day I was so distraught I thought about just giving up, but that's not how I roll. I can see how people would make that decision after a disaster of this nature. It's also not so easy for me to just get out of the hobby, I have two 29s, a 40, two 55s, a 125, a 150, a broken 210 and several empties in my garage. And I just tore down a few tanks last month to make space in the fish room. I love fish and tanks and I can't imagine spending my time any other way.

[rrasco]

Awesome thread!

Thanks, I think. It did end with a bang.

[Dustin1300]

Thanks, I think. It did end with a bang.

Just a bump in the road, not an end!:headwallblue:

[rrasco]

Update! I am planning to order a DSA 105 NEO with stand and overflow. It's rimless and has dimensions of 48x24x21. This tank will have a warranty. I'm going to move the 210 to the garage for the meantime and get it fixed in the near future, where I will end up setting it up in the garage as a FOWLR or FW, undecided at this point. This way if it leaks or break, it all goes down my driveway and not in my house, and there won't be a whole lot to lose. The new tank has a nice footprint and I will still be able to use two of my LED units. Thankfully I built them modular for instances just like this and I can move the third unit over to a frag tank.

[rrasco]

Just put a down payment on the tank and stand. Tank will be available by tomorrow but the stands are out of stock so I have to wait a week or two.

http://www.rrasco.com/AquaticPics/105neo/Model%20NEO%20105%20PRO%20Black.jpg

[Robb in Austin]

Nice tank!

[rrasco]

New tank is home.

http://www.rrasco.com/AquaticPics/105neo/IMG_1115.JPG
http://www.rrasco.com/AquaticPics/105neo/IMG_1117.JPG
http://www.rrasco.com/AquaticPics/105neo/IMG_1121.JPG
http://www.rrasco.com/AquaticPics/105neo/IMG_1122.JPG
http://www.rrasco.com/AquaticPics/105neo/IMG_1123.JPG

[BigBoi5680]

This is going to be a nice build! Subscribed.

[rrasco]

I decided to start a new build thread, since this one is technically now in the wrong forum (it's under 180g now) and the title is no longer appropriate. I request you follow the rest of the build progress at it's new location:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2159196

[RicoJ]

Wanted to say that I loved this thread especially because I am about to go through the same build myself with a 225. Gonna take it slow and learn from you all.

Too bad that the front panel of the aquarium couldn't just be replaced.

[rrasco]

The front panel can be replaced. I am storing the tank until I get the time/money to get it fixed then I'm going to set it up in the garage with some kind of large FW fish.

[Braxibear]

Sucks about the crack, but I am following the new thread now!!