[Wiskey]

Okay, as many of you know I currently have a 125G SPS tank,.. the only reason this tank ever ended up with water in it was a comedy skit worth of errors,.. the fact that it got lights and coral never should have happened, then I went SPS with it, which also never should have happed,.. For the last year it's been doing really well, but it's not a drilled tank, the hood is a lighting test rig, and the stand is less than nice,..

It's finally time to move my SPS reef into the 180G LeMar, low iron glass, Reef Ready tank that's been setup fresh water planted for the last 2 years.

I'm bringing in pictures from the origanal construction of this tank and stand to give you and idea where I am right now.

Whiskey

 

[JY13131]

Looks good!

 

[Wiskey]

Whiskey

 

[ScruffyRubicon]

I'll have to look at the pics later! The SPS will find places to grow!

 

[JY13131]

Are those your tools? I am impressed!!!

 

[Wiskey]

I ran out of varnish before the doors,.. that was later fixed

Never mind the dumpy Apartment,.. I had to pull allot of stuff back to get this tank in the door:

Whiskey

 

[Wiskey]

Whiskey

 

[drdude05]

I have long been wondering when you would come to your senses and turn that 180 into an SPS tank.

 

[drdude05]

Though you did have an impressive FW setup.

 

[Wiskey]

I can't post any new pictures right now,.. but last weekend I ripped down and cleaned up the tank for it to be setup reef. It now has about 250Lbs of Sillica sand in it and is other wise compleatly stripped. I plan to get some water in it before taking off on my vacation to let the sandbed setup a little, then set the system all the way up once I get back.

Sorry Patrick,.. I don't have pictures of the bags of sand yet,.. but I'll try and remember to get some tonight for you

I'll need to build a new hood for the MH of course, and transfer all the equiptment from the 125 over,.. Everything but the skimmer will be fine as is, but I would like to put some atinics on this tank too, or maybe 50/50's insted so I can cut the MH back to 8 hours to save power and heat.

Whiskey

 

[Wiskey]

I'll have to look at the pics later! The SPS will find places to grow!

Lol,.. Ya, they will find places to grow,.. I'm really excited about this new tank I think it will look spectacular with the 24" depth

Whiskey

 

[Wiskey]

Are those your tools? I am impressed!!!

I'm doing this in a friend's gerage,.. most of the tools are mine, but the big stuff like the table saw is his. I built all my other stands with a skill saw, and I was really loving that table saw for this one

Whiskey

 

[Wiskey]

I have long been wondering when you would come to your senses and turn that 180 into an SPS tank.

Lol,.. You and sharkbait both,.. It's going to be a pain,.. and I really hate to touch the 125 now that it's doing so well,.. but I'll like this tank much more,.. I'll LOVE not haveing to worry about that HOB overflow

Though you did have an impressive FW setup.

Thanks Drdude! It was the colmination of lots of toying around over the years with freshwater tanks,.. I hated to tear it down but I think it'll be worth it

I did setup a 25G FWP tank so I'm not out of freshwater totally,.. You can see details on that from the link in my sig

Whiskey

 

[crvz]

Whiskey, the freshwater setup is amazing, I can only imagine how good the reef will turn out! Can you tease us with some 125 gallon pics when you get the opportunity?

 

[Wiskey]

Whiskey, the freshwater setup is amazing, I can only imagine how good the reef will turn out! Can you tease us with some 125 gallon pics when you get the opportunity?

Thanks Crvz! The saltwater will be another world that's for sure I've been kicking around ideas for the hood all day,.. I think I want 2, 20" box fans above this tank for cooling,.. that should be more than enough air to cool the tank with the fans on low if I figure right.

Some shots from the 125? Okay, let me see what old pics I've got kicking around:

Whiskey

 

[crvz]

I've been kicking around ideas for the hood all day,.. I think I want 2, 20" box fans above this tank for cooling,.. that should be more than enough air to cool the tank with the fans on low if I figure right.

Whoa! That would be intense!! I'm sure you'd have no trouble with that.

I've got two of these fans on my 156, and they are plenty if you've got enough open space around the tank. My house right now is at 80, my lights have just kicked on, and the tank is at 78.1 degrees. The only draw back is that they have metal grills, which I decided to paint white with some rustoleum. Maybe not quite as nice as a couple box fans, but they do good work!

 

[bosscrab]

That was a pretty nice planted tank. What kind of lights are you swapping out/ adding and ,that clam looks huge.

 

[Wiskey]

Whoa! That would be intense!! I'm sure you'd have no trouble with that.

I've got two of these fans on my 156, and they are plenty if you've got enough open space around the tank. My house right now is at 80, my lights have just kicked on, and the tank is at 78.1 degrees. The only draw back is that they have metal grills, which I decided to paint white with some rustoleum. Maybe not quite as nice as a couple box fans, but they do good work!

I use one of those clip on fans on my 50G and it works quite well. I use the chepo version though. I'm testing one of the box fans over my 125G right now,.. there very quiet compaired to some other fans because they spin slower, the air volicty is not quite as good, but they do move allot of air.

My idea was to mount it right over the MH fixture on the left and right, and have it blow air straight down from the top, if the apartment AC ever goes out I can simply click those fans to "Hi" and let them rock trippling my cooling capablility.

These fans will be connected to a Rancho Temprature controller,.. I may even set it up Dual Stage so if the temp can't be controlled with the fans on low it will automatically kick them over to high.

This hood is going to be fairly complex I fear,.. I want doors to feed, the whole front to lift up for mounting frags and such, then I want the whole top to lift up with the lights and fans for major work.

Whiskey

 

[reefermike1]

i cant believe the 180 wasnt set up as the reef tank in the first place lol. gonna look awesome though. so what are the plans for te 125?

 

[Wiskey]

That was a pretty nice planted tank. What kind of lights are you swapping out/ adding and ,that clam looks huge.

Thanks Bosscrab. The lighting currently over this tank is 6*55W PC for the plants,.. I will be using for the SPS reef 3*250W XM10,000K with I think 3*55W PC atinics or 50/50's for dusk dawn. The PC's will come on for a few hours in the morning and shut off when the MH comes on,.. then come on again a few min before the MH shuts off and run for a couple more hours.

The PC's mainly will be just so I can enjoy the tank for a full 12-13 hours a day, and not have to run 750W MH lighting the whole time.

Whiskey