Master Disaster 180gl on the Floor and 125 Rebuild!

[asonitez]

Hi!
As you guys can See I've been asking lots of questions and now I am finally prepped to start my build of a 125 after my disaster. I have almost everything I need so this will hopefully go fast! This build started from Disaster though.

The Disaster #1
I purchased a 180 Gallon custom built tank from a Guy in my area. Non Reef Ready. Strange dimensions too 56" long 24" deep 30 Inches High! I got the whole thing for 500 bucks.

I lived on the 9th floor. But we got it moved in somehow.

I got right to setting it up. Mixed my salt water added my rock and one day while waiting for my Fiance to get off work I noticed the overflow sounded weird. (CPR Overflow) Heading out to the living room I was greeted to about 60 gallons of water on the floor and the rest POURING out of the tank. I got Electrocuted Quickly donned some gloves and Boots yanked wires out of sockets and Literally had a break down as I emptied a 180 Gallon tank as fast as I could. While emptying the tank I sprained an ankle and my back and I completely ruined my hardwood floors on the 9th Floor of my apartment building. $600 later and a contractor to come our and redo my damaged warped floors. (no pics)

The Disaster #2

The guy that built the tank came out stripped out the silicone inside of the tank realized the back wall had popped a seam b/c of water pressure. We Resealed the tank and Braced the back with lots of Wood/silicone and about 50 screws. I filled it up and YAY no leaks for 1 whole month with FW! So I set it up! It looked like this in its prime!

I Started Stocking it

 

[asonitez]

Re: My Master Disaster 180 and Will to Keep Reefing 125

THEN IT POPPED THE SAME EXACT SEAM!
The after-math...

I decided to Quit!


I Abandoned the Tank, My Lease was up and so I moved to a bigger apartment. I was so fedup and angry. I had lost everything almost. All of my Fish went into that small 55 Gallon Qurantine tank. I lost 80% of my corals. SPS all RTN'ed and died. Frags got lost. Rock was moved out into bins and W/E inverts I could save made it into the 55 gallon with the fish. It took me almost 7 hours of cleaning mopping emptying to Clean the mess. My floors all warped again. When I moved I got back no security deposit really. Well I lie. I got back 72$. After we moved I was pretty depressed and turned off of reefing. I had lost close to 1200 dollars in corals, some expensive fish, and I had damaged some electronics due to shorting out etc.

As you all probably know once a reefer always a reefer. Thursday afternoon acting on a tip from my LFS owner I was able to secure a 125 Gallon RR AGA in pristine condition with a Custom Stand for 325 dollars. So Alas my adventure begins again. !!!!!

 

[asonitez]

My Equip List
Lighting -

IceCap Pendants w/ 14 Phoenix 250w HQI Bulbs on IceCap Ballasts Bought @ IceCap's Headquarters in NJ
Skimmer - MSX250 bought
Controller - ReefKeeper 2
Ozone -Coralife O3 controller & 500mg/hr Ozone Generator w/ Dryer

Return- Mag12

Circulation - 4X Hydor Koralia 4's (Too much?)

Rock - 180lbs of Cured Fiji & Kaelini

Here is the new Stand when I got it It was built like a rock but being the 3rd owner even after the second owner only had it for 1 week he started a REALLY half-assed attempt at painting over the previously WHITE stand a glossy black. It did not go well.

 

[asonitez]

Protecting the new tank!!!!

 

[asonitez]

First I needed to Work up some nerve!

Whip out the Furniture refinishing tools!

Take it apart

 

[asonitez]

I sanded with a Extremely Rough 60 Grit Sandpaper

Then I smoothed it out with 220 and threw on a coat of primer.

I lightly Sanded the Primered stand with the 220 grit paper and started putting on light coats of paint.


3 Coats of paint with 1 day between each coat later - Stand Finished OOOOOO YEAAAAA

 

[asonitez]

Nano while u wait!

 

[ds4x4]

kudos to you for still going after two disasters with the 180.. stands looking good.. keep em coming! that nano will only hold them at bay for a short while haha

 

[mnat]

This just goes to show you this hobby is an addiction. Great job on the stand, and will be looking foward to following this thread as we will be upgrading in the next year.

 

[asonitez]

While waiting and waiting and searching and searching that nano tank was really doted upon. I did water changes weekly. Wiped it down alot and tested like crazy lol. It Looks great and all I used in it was rubble rock lol. However, with the new big tank coming I am almost sure that I might loose interest in the smaller tank. I'm thinking it would make a great all in one frag tank.

What I'm really thinking of doing is that nano can fit under the stand. I would put it ontop of a stand elevating it above the sump. Then I would drill the back of it put in a bulkhead and make a pvc overflow into the fuge section of my sump. Stick some eggcrate in there and I have a perfect Hospital or Frag Tank.

 

[Dave]

Sorry to hear about the disasters, but glad you plunged back in.

I hope the guy who built your old tank at the very least gave you your money back.

Keep the pics coming as you progress.

 

[JRWOHLER]

Keep up good work getting back on the horse. Hope it all works out looks good so far.

 

[Nickjr000]

What's in the shotglass?

 

[asonitez]

lol. well I had this little red shroom that was having trouble attaching to a piece of LR for the longest time. Kept getting blown around. So I dropped in a shot glass and some rubble rock and its started attaching and cloning itself.


has anyone ever used that live sand sold on Ebay?


http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=250491184058&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

It looks great nice color its alive cheap and dosen't look like it will cloud the water like normal sand will!

heres a video of it on Youtoob

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lW490_iGq_I

 

[asonitez]

Finally got my YoYo hangers in the mail from the Bay! 40 Bucks shipped 2 day priority! I haven't figured out how they "work" yet but they seem like they will fit the bill. Yes there are Pics!

AND. I took a Trip to my LFS to see how my critters were doing. I decided to give all of my Big fish from my previous tank to my LFS to put in their display tank. In return I will get Babies for each of them and some other stuff. All the fish in my 125 will be Teeny Tiny Babies!

L shaped tank couple hundred gallons

Heh. The Tank isnt even on the stand yet. Last night I did put the glass into the doors!

 

[JRWOHLER]

I can help you with both of them actually.

Those are the same hangers as I got originally from Catalina Aquarium, I ended up donating them to the frag swap because I didn't use them.
I put 4 bolts hangers into the ceiling and used a crimper to make loops in the wire that came with the fixture.

In any case the directions he provided me were just to tie the wire to the string very easy as I recall. You can ask them to send you a copy of the instructions by the way Jim will send them.

The sand looks great but be warned that it does contain silicates, I asked because I was concerned about that.

FYI Drs Foster and Smith has the best shipping for sand you will find as it goes by dollar amount not weight.

 

[asonitez]

I can help you with both of them actually.

Those are the same hangers as I got originally from Catalina Aquarium, I ended up donating them to the frag swap because I didn't use them.
I put 4 bolts hangers into the ceiling and used a crimper to make loops in the wire that came with the fixture.

In any case the directions he provided me were just to tie the wire to the string very easy as I recall. You can ask them to send you a copy of the instructions by the way Jim will send them.

The sand looks great but be warned that it does contain silicates, I asked because I was concerned about that.

FYI Drs Foster and Smith has the best shipping for sand you will find as it goes by dollar amount not weight.

I was worried too JR but after reading this article I am a lot less worried about Silicates. http://www.reefs.org/library/article/r_toonen9.html

 

[JRWOHLER]

That is a pretty good article. I am the ultimate parnoid reefer. I am refering to aquariums there . I would say that using this sand may give you some problems, probably not, but will it have all the benefits of carbonate sands? It was really tempting when I saw it. I went with a more traditional sand. Let me know how it goes if you get it.

 

[ds4x4]

^ i see what you did there... Foster/smith is the way to go with sand or Marco rocks. Dont get the OOLite! trust me it is wayyy to fine and any sand sifting fish or burrowing fish will throw clouds into the water column

 

[JRWOHLER]

I got the OOlite sand ;D...I don't think it is bad after a little while.