# My 180g is finally finished.



## masonv (Mar 27, 2011)

First off I would like to thank everyone from this forum for all the help I have gotten from everyone. You have all been a huge help to get this tank this far. THANK YOU! :thumb: 
The tank itself is a 180g reef ready double megaoverflow. I bought the tank, stand, 40g reefoctopus sump, and magdrive 7 pump for $625 off of CL. The previous owner had the tank set up as a reef tank, how he ran the system with a magdrive 7 I have no idea. I had to have glass tops made because I could not find any glass tops that would fit this tank. The glass cost $40, hinges $20, and 3 handles $5. Here is a list of all the equipment:
*Return pump*: *HY-DRIVE 210*; Very happy with this pump moves the water very well. With all the 90's I had to put into the return I believe I am running somewhere around 1200GPH, which is fine because that is what my overflows are rated for.
*Heaters*: *2 EHEIM 200W* They deep my tank at a steady temp. very happy!
*Heater Controller*: *RANCO ETCI-1R* ; This controller seems to do a great job, it reads 2 degrees lower then what the tank really is but that's totally fine.
*Lighting*: *BEAMSWORK Freshwater Bright LED Fixtures*; I went with 4 36" fixtures. I really could have gotten away with 2 fixtures, but I'm happy either way. With 2 fixtures on it is a very mellow lighting, not too dim, mellow. With 4 fixtures on it is nice and bright. The total wattage with all 4 fixtures on is 36w, amazing. 
*Bio-Media*: * Plastic Scrubbing pads*; I bought 96 for light $12, I also bought a few of those bathtub scrubbers as well. The ones you use on yourself not the bathtub.
*Mechanical Media*: I am using a combo of Blue Bonded pads and Micron filter pads. I am using a Rubbermaid tote as a drip tray.
*Substrate*: *PFS* $15 for a 50lbs bag
*Rocks*: *Field Rock*; I live in farm land so we have tons of rock piles from farmer picking rocks out of their fields
Alright here are some pictures of my setup:
Full tank shot with all 4 lights on, room light off, no flash on camera








Full tank shot with all 4 moonlights on, room light off, no flash on camera








With 2 fixtures on, room light on, no flash on camera








Pictures of tank with flash on camera
































Shots of under tank, and sump

























I have started my fishless cycle and just waiting for this to be complete so I can add my fish. I'm 3 days into the cycle and I just got 0 ammonia reading after dosing to 2-3ppm. I got a .5ppm nitrite reading. So hopefully all the filter pads from my other 2 days will help the process go quickly.
Let me know what you think with everything. I will be posting pictures of my fish when they arrives, whenever that may be :drooling:
Let me know what you think of my rocks work. There is maybe around 300lbs of rock in there!!!


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

Looks good....I bet you can't wait for fish. What are you going to do again? Mbuna?


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## masonv (Mar 27, 2011)

*13razorbackfan*
I would like to thank you for all your input you have given me through all this, THANK YOU!
Also, did you kind of notice my DIY bulkheads. They work wonderful. I am really happy they have worked out well. I really didn't get pictures taken of how I did them, but either way they look good.
Also I love my Beamswork lighting, when you finally get yours you will have no complaints. You can't beat the price and the low power use, you also can't beat how well they light, it's amazing!

For everyone who would like to know about my DIY bulkheads, here's a quick run down. My overflow holes would only support 1" drains and 3/4" returns. I wanted 1.25" drains and 1" returns. I basically did how the DIY article in the library says to do it, but instead of those fittings they show, I went with reduceing male fitting. So for my 1.25" drains I got 1.25" threaded x 1.5" slip. For my 1" returns I got 1" threaded x 1.25" slip. The gave me a larger rim for the seal to compress on the glass. Regular male fittings didn't give you much space for the seal to compress on. The reducing fitting work GREAT!


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## Deeda (Oct 12, 2012)

Looking very nice! Great write up on the equipment also.

You might want to add a sponge to the sump section just prior to the pump. This will help reduce the micro-bubbles and allow the pump to only receive water. The sponge will also prevent any small items from reaching your pump in the event fish get to the sump.

One other thing to think about is potential vibration in the hard piping from the pump. Hose from the pump to that 1st union will help with noise.


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## Tiktaalik Owner (Aug 17, 2009)

This setup makes me want African cichlids. The CA gang just doesn't appreciate the aesthetics of rocks. :lol:


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## cantrell00 (Oct 30, 2010)

How large is your sump (capacity in gallons)? And have you unplugged the pumps to make sure that the pumps won't siphon water out of the tank to the point that it overflows your sump?

The reason that I ask is because your return lines are pretty low in the tank. Assuming they are 6" below the surface, you could potentially siphon out close to 45 gallons of water before the siphone would break.

You may want to test that and make certain that it won't be a problem. Been there, done that & no fun at all.


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## JAyliffe (Feb 29, 2012)

The tank looks great! I can't wait to see the next batch of pics with fish in


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

masonv said:


> *13razorbackfan*
> I would like to thank you for all your input you have given me through all this, THANK YOU!
> Also, did you kind of notice my DIY bulkheads. They work wonderful. I am really happy they have worked out well. I really didn't get pictures taken of how I did them, but either way they look good.
> Also I love my Beamswork lighting, when you finally get yours you will have no complaints. You can't beat the price and the low power use, you also can't beat how well they light, it's amazing!
> ...


You are welcome....I saw the DIY stuff and looks good.


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## masonv (Mar 27, 2011)

*cantrell00*
Yeah I have tested that before I put anything in the tank, except water that is. I put 2 small holes in each of the return lines. The siphon breaks almost right away. Basically the only water that runs back to the sump is whatevers in the lines.


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## masonv (Mar 27, 2011)

*Deeda*


> You might want to add a sponge to the sump section just prior to the pump. This will help reduce the micro-bubbles and allow the pump to only receive water. The sponge will also prevent any small items from reaching your pump in the event fish get to the sump.


Yeah, that's what I'm going to do. I had a 100 micron cloth in there before but it got dirty so quick, even with just the sand and rocks in tanks so far. It might be the sand that is making it dirty, I washed the **** out of it though, took 2.5 hours to wash all the sand. Then what would happen was the pump chamber would get really low. If the water in the pump chamber is at a certain height it will create a little water tornado and suck air, but if the water is a little lower it won't do it.
I was looking online at the sponges some of the online sites have. I really don't want the sponge to collect a lot of stuff and make the middle chamber rise and the pump chamber fall. I was looking at getting a 12ppi sponge. Do you guys think that would stop air bubbles from entering the pump chamber.
Also I have some blue bonded filter, but I have take it from work, and I don't want to keep doing it. I also have that 100 micron filter pad stuff too. I just don't want to keep tanking the bonded filter stuff from work, and I can't find it anywhere in bulk for sale. Has anyone used pillow batting. I was thinking of using that but I don't know how well it works for filtering debri, will it just get dirty quickly like my micron filter does. If I need to polish my water I could always throw in my micron filter pad were the sponge goes for a day or too.
Any thought on the pillow batting would be nice


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## cantrell00 (Oct 30, 2010)

masonv said:


> *cantrell00*
> Yeah I have tested that before I put anything in the tank, except water that is. I put 2 small holes in each of the return lines. The siphon breaks almost right away. Basically the only water that runs back to the sump is whatevers in the lines.


Great.. Tanks looks great too!

I just wanted to pass on some advice about that. I learned the hard way!

I would routinely check those holes too. They have been known to fill with sludge & calcium deposits and reduce their effectiveness. You should be good to go.

Have you determined what you are stocking it with?


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## masonv (Mar 27, 2011)

*cantrell00*
I forgot to thank you as well, you have given me some helpful input in this whole build too. THANK YOU!
Here is my plan for my stocking list:
These I will be ordering online as 1"-1.5"
* Pseudotropheus elongatus "Chalosi"
* Metriaclima sp. "msobo"
* Pseudotropheus socolofi "Albino"
* Joanjohnsonae
* Pseudotropheus Elongatus Mpanga
These I am taking from my 75g to free room up in there:
* Pseudotropheus sp. acei "Ngara"


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## JimA (Nov 7, 2009)

Tank looks good! :thumb: I would break the long run of rock up, but thats me.


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## cantrell00 (Oct 30, 2010)

masonv said:


> *cantrell00*
> I forgot to thank you as well, you have given me some helpful input in this whole build too. THANK YOU!
> Here is my plan for my stocking list:
> These I will be ordering online as 1"-1.5"
> ...


This is a very ambitious assortment that will have to be monitored closely as they mature. I really hope that it can be managed because it is an amazing array of fish...


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## masonv (Mar 27, 2011)

*cantrell00*


> This is a very ambitious assortment that will have to be monitored closely as they mature. I really hope that it can be managed because it is an amazing array of fish...


Do you see something wrong with the stock idea?


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## cantrell00 (Oct 30, 2010)

masonv said:


> *cantrell00*
> 
> 
> > This is a very ambitious assortment that will have to be monitored closely as they mature. I really hope that it can be managed because it is an amazing array of fish...
> ...


Most of them are more aggressive than most.. This is certainly true of the Msobo, Chalosi & Mpanga.. Socolofi are not really passive either. Not familiar with the johanjohnsonae.. Is that the same fish as exasperatus/textilus? Melanochromis right?


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## masonv (Mar 27, 2011)

*cantrell00*


> Most of them are more aggressive than most.. This is certainly true of the Msobo, Chalosi & Mpanga.. Socolofi are not really passive either. Not familiar with the johanjohnsonae.. Is that the same fish as exasperatus/textilus? Melanochromis right?


The Joanjohnsonae I believe is under Labidochromis now, I believe. At least under the profiles it is, and under the profiles says "Formerly Melanochromis". But yes it is the exasperatus/textilus.
With all of them I am hoping to have a 1m/6-7f.


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## masonv (Mar 27, 2011)

Pretty sure my tank is fully cycled. I had about 1.5-2ppm of nitrites last night. Checked it today and 0ammonia, 0 nitrites. I will add 2ppm of ammonia tonight and see what turns up tomorrow, but all and all I hope I can get my fish by this friday, depending if they have everything I want it stock( that is gonna be the tricky part)
I first dosed my tank just a week ago. I seeded the heck out of it though. I only ended up adding 2 doses of ammonia up to this point. My last tank took a month, but I didn't have nearly as much to seed my 75g!


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## masonv (Mar 27, 2011)

Well I ordered my fish yesterday, they will be in sometime today. I went with a little different stock list than I had originally planned. I ordered 12 of the following:
* Labidochromis sp. "Mbamba"
* Metriaclima sp. "Msobo"
* Metriaclima pyrsonotos "Albino Red Top Zebra"
* Pseudotropheus sp. "Elongatus Chailosi"

I hope to have pictures up by tonight or the latest tomorrow sometime.


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## cantrell00 (Oct 30, 2010)

Should be a quite active & colorful mix...

There may be risk of the Msobo & RT Albino Zebra's crossing, so if that concerns you - you may want to keep your eye on it..

Look forward to the pics...


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## masonv (Mar 27, 2011)

Sorry it took so long to get you guys some pictures. I took some videos instead because I don't have a good camera took take moving shots.
There is four of them I took. The first one will be of my 75g. The next three will be of my 180g. The 4th one is 2 "chailosi" battling it out already. They are about 2" maybe. 
It's crazy how they have taken to the tank. The first 3 hours the "chailosi" males started to find they're new territories to defend. Just today as well I noticed my first spawn I have ever, I have never seen one in my 75g. The "mbambas" have already started to bread. They are under 2" as well. This is crazy. Also the 2 "chailosi" I caught one video fighting that is the first big battle I have ever seen.
Tell me what you think!


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## 13razorbackfan (Sep 28, 2011)

The coloration of your rocks is simply amazing. The fish really pop off of them. Very good job....love the rocks.


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