Help me build my 180 please

Hello all. I am new to the site. I joined as I am currently upgrading my 90 reef to a 180. I have the stand framed, a double overflow 180, AI LEDs, and Caribsea indigo pacific black substrate. Other then that all I have are lots of ideas. I am going to do an SPS/clam tanks and welcome all ideas and experiences from equipment to livestock. I will try to keep build pics and specs updated. Any offering advice or ideas would greatly be appreciated. Thank.

 

Welcome

Welcome to 3reef a great place to learn and share

Maybe you should say the different things you want to use and get feed back that way. Upgrading from a 90 to 180 seems your not new to reef keeping, what products put a smile on your face?
What are your lights(watts),what pumps do you like? What kind of floooooo do you want? Refugium? ect...

For the record: I like Water Blaster Pumps and Gold Darts, Aqua Medic T500 SINGLE skimmer and OTHERS, Apollo Reef LEDS 12K,15K,20K(I have the 12k) and others, MHs for sure(always) 14,000K, Macro Rock, BRS, ect..

Say your ideas, we all have them!

Have Fun,

 

Nice to meet you. Thanks for the response as I am a new forum user. I usually only read them, but never have posted. I have been keeping tanks for 25 years plus. When I started wet/ drys were the greatest thing. Now too many choices. I have the main items purchased. 180 gallon dbl overflow tank, Aqua Iliim LEDs, vertex skimmer, and a magdrive pump. from there it gets confusing with all the choices today. Like which ATO to get, is a dosing pump needed, should I use my 75 gallon sump partially as a refugim, and what wavemaker should I use? ( I was looking at a seaswirl on my returns, but like the Ecotech setup). Thankfully livestock and rock do not change much except for what is available now compared to years ago. Back then a purple tang was the hot tang and sold for 300 or more.

I appreciate any suggestions and will update pics once I get water into thetank next week or so.

 

Easy Sump/Refugium

A sump/refugium works great, bigger the better gives you room to work
I like high flow systems myself but lots of reefer's do not. I also like drilled tanks, close loop with a open loop part too. My 300 build will flow 12,900 gph with a Rubbermaid 150 gallon sump/refugium, three pumps and two 5' x 8" bio towers and my soon to get T5000 skimmer/or.......SWC like these also. I can't pick between my two fav. pumps yet, these and the skimmer is all i need to flow water.

For....sure set up automated and add on as you learn or feel you need too. I vote water changes, limewater, and a top of the line sea salt with RODI. Prefilter to your sump, good skimmer, lights, and you have it made.

Reading: Martin A. Moe, Jr., Albert Thiel, John Tullock lots of info. here/

 

It's really not that complicated.... ATOs are pretty simple, a few differences, but same thing in the end... you can DIY with some switches, you can buy the same premade from ATO.com or JBJ stuff... or you can get a Tunze osmolator. Top shelf, very good, with good safety. But tons of each out there.

A fuge is a pretty simple setup with good bang for what it is. Nutrient export and pods to boot. Just put a cheap light over it. Fuges can be too big, and they can flow too much. Middle road usually is a safe place. Yuo generally want a fuge 1/10 the size of your display, and you generally want to turn over that ACTUAL fuge volume ten times an hour. 10g fuge for a 100g tank doing 100gph.

closed loops are not for everyone but are popular for some. Other than that, you are left with powerheads. Be careful calling them wave makers... not all make waves and very few actually run waves. You will void the warranty of just about all tanks doing so.

Of the power heads out there, as usual you can go cheap, you can go work hours like Korillia, or you can go Vortech. I'll tell you straight up, unapologetic Vortech fan boy. No you do not need all the fancy modes... can't even quantify for you how much better something will be with them, but the type of flow they put out is unbeatable. Powerheads are like garden hoses, Vortechs are like rivers. I'm not talking GPH, I'm talking broad diffused flow. If you don't have a problem with the price, you won't be disappointed in the product.

Sea swirls are good for returns, but not necessarily needed if you have Vortechs. You are good with lights and skimmer as long as they are properly sized. One step up in technology if you don't know... controllers. Those can be intimidating... but about an hour after you plug it in and start to program it you will wonder how you ever ran a tank without one. Seriously, do some home work, get a controller. Not for all the cool gee wizz features, but for the added safety and protection it gives your investment.

That should keep you busy. Welcome aboard.

 

Thanks for the feedback. Some good 411. I have a Sea-clear 20 gall acrylic sump which should be easily converted to the refugium w a small led. I like the Vortechs as well to move water. Looks like time to go shopping. DYI ATO w/ supplements sound good too.

Thanks for the great info. I just started the posts and already off in the right direction.

I need approximately 100 lb rock on top of my Fiji. Any experiences good or bad w Indo pacific Manado live rock?

 

Hello and welcome to 3reef

 

I think the Vortech wave makers are insane!

Last I read they were around 400 bucks but check them out!