Kdrof's 180g Reef Tank Build
 

Hey All, I am new to the forum and inspired by many of your tanks. They are unbelievable. I started a marine tank 2 years ago and enjoyed it. I recently moved into my own place while going to college and wanted to start my own reef tank. I learned that this hobby takes patience and i cannot wait to learn alot from reading and talking to many of you. Yesterday i picked up my new tank that i had ordered to my LFS. I plan on converting my old 55 gallon tank into my sump.

Heres a few picks of my new reef ready tank
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0109.jpg

Pre-Drilled overflows
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0111.jpg

Lesson learned: Do not try to move tank out of truck with your father who has a broken ankle. Little heavy for me and half a dad :lolspin:
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0112.jpg

My dad and i are building a stand and canopy together. We are starting on it this week. I will post pics as we go. Sorry not much yet. Any tips or anything is greatly appreciated. Thanks a lot, Kevin

Get some more help when you need to move the tank lol
Welcome, keep the pics coming.

Tight squeeze in that 6' bed. Looking forward to following your build.

LEDs and Stand (Now were rollin'!)
 

Heres a little update. I just ordered my DIY LEDs and hope to get them in a few days and knock those out this weekend. I was originally thinking about buying a MH and T5 fixture but after pricing everything out (electric, heat, bulb replacement, and other costs), i decided to try my own LEDs. I will post how i did my whole layout.

I would like to say thanks to Mike at RapidLED(www.rapidled.com). :thumbsup: He was so much help with getting me up to speed on what i will need and helping with many questions i had. I have read many LED threads as well as tons of lighting threads and everybody has a different opinion. So i figured id go for it and try it! i am excited to do it myself. I will post my whole "How i did it" on here as well as the finished layout in a way that people that dont know to much about LEDs and what not can understand. A couple days ago i had no clue :lolspin:

Lastly, my dad and i are currently knocking out my tank stand as well. Should be finished by this weekend. I will get some pictures up of that too.

I am excited with the 500 dollars i saved by doing my LEDs by myself. I can now use that to get an aqua controller and run my lights with that. Do any of you have a neptune or any others and which are the best. Havent researched them to much because i thought it would be awhile...

Thanks all for looking. Tty Soon! :fish1:

Stand - Basically finished (PICS)
 

Today we basically finished the stand. We will put the black on tomorrow and finish up the doors. Here are some pictures:

Here is the Face frame (3/4" Oak):
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0141.jpg

Here is the rear frame (3/4" Oak):
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0151.jpg
[IMG]http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/i362/kdrof/IMG_0151.jpg[/IMG

Here is one of the biscuit that holds the face and rear frames together:
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0143.jpg

I dado'ed the edges to make the connection to the sides stronger:
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0147.jpg
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0148.jpg

I also dado'ed the bottom board on the face, rear, and sides so the floor will slide in for the sump.
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0149.jpg
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0153.jpg

Here is the inner side piece with the outer side piece behind it. Both 3/4". They will be 1.5" thick on each side.
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0159.jpg

Stand - Continued (PICS)
 

Here are the sides and the face connected and clamped:
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0141.jpg
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0154.jpg

Here is the inside front corner on the bottom. You can see where the floor will slide in:
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0157.jpg

This is the stand on its side and you can see the floor with its braces:
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0167.jpg
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0168.jpg


Right before paint:
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0169.jpg
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0170.jpg
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0171.jpg

You can see the white on the inside of the cabinet. I painted 2 part epoxy to seal the inside of the cabinet. It turned out like a hard plastic and will not let any evaporation, leaks, or spills soak into the wood. Also will make the inside of the cabinet easier to see in instead of black:
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0172.jpg

As i stated above, we are painting the black on the outside of the cabinet tomorrow. We are also finishing the doors and the molding around it.

Monday the move of the tank and stand from my dads garage is scheduled :)
He has all of his wood stuff there.. you get the point

Were getting there.. was hoping my LEDs would of showed up today. They said that they shipped Tuesday (USPS priority,... supposedly 2-3 days.. guess not:headwally:) I was wanting to start on them tomorrow.

I will post some pics of the stand finished and the tank on it after the move. Thanks for looking.

wow stand is looking really nice, good work. sucks the leds didnt come tho. keep the updates and pics coming:thumbsup:

Wow nice build thread! Very informative. Look forward to more updates for sure.

Nice work. How are you planning on finishing off the top? My tank is solid glass on the bottom with no frame, so it needed a 'top'. Looks like yours has a frame, so are you leaving the top open? The sump will go in through the top, or can you fit it through the doors?

We purchased a sheet of birch that will sit on top behind the molding. I think it measures a half inch bigger than the stand for a little hang over. I will place sump in before. I believe I can get it in through the door if I had too. The tank will sit on the 4 sides under the sheet for more support. I also painted the bottom of the "top" with the same epoxy since that will still be part of the inside. I'll post some more pics at we go tomorrow.

I wish I had the water setup like you Michael. I will have to pump my water into a tipoff tank in the sump area of the stand. When we purchase our house I want a dedicated fish room and in wall tank. But until then... I think I can have a decent setup with a little less automation.. It will make me appreciate it more later. :). It will also help in a better understanding of my tank I believe. Hopefully putting in order next Saturday for pump, Rodi, powerhead, skimmer, rock etc. Were getting excited as it's comin along. I hear this is a very fun part of the process.

Thanks to all for looking. LEDs were shipped ups instead of USPS because of the heat sinks. O well, I'll start those late next week.

Bluefyre and delucs, thanks for the kind words as well. I appreciate any comments and suggestions

Also Michael... Another reason I decided on a balanced weight top is.. I read a thread a few weeks ago and a guys tank seals broke and water went all over and caused a huge headache... A lot of people suspected the tank had an uneven level to it which caused a seal to fail... Don't know if that is possible, nor do I personally want to find out :)

nice... look forward to the progress.

Nice. I love looking at new tanks.

I really liked "Made with Pride in America"

Nice to see american made tank, american tools "craftsman" and american truck "Dodge" (I like Ford though:spin1:)

Refreshing. Tagging along.

Thanks guys, I'll keep the pics coming.

Well, we got the stand and tank moved in today. I must say, it was a little heavy :D

Heres a few pics of it...

We primed it and painted with a black lacquer. I love how it came out and it matches our living room. The wood grain looks cool with the black i think..
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0179.jpg

here is a picture of the lid with the molding on the lid:
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0180.jpg
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0181.jpg

Heres a closer up pic:
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0182.jpg

Here is a shot of the side and you can see the wood grain:
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0190.jpg

And finally! The heavy tank up and on the stand... We are finishing the doors tomorrow and putting them on on wednesday...
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0183.jpg
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0184.jpg
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0191.jpg

This is a shot from right inside our front door... It will be nice to look at :D
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0192.jpg

Hope everybody likes it.. What do you think? Saved about 300 bucks making our own stand. I think with paint and all materials it ran me about 200 bucks...

Also, the wife is awesome and let us order our Super Reef Octopus Skimmer 3000 and Neptune Apex controller today... I sold her on the sale at Aquacave (10% off entire order)

I will get the sump finished this week hopefully. LEDs should arrive thursday and i would like to get those knocked out by saturday. Then we can start on the Canopy. We are going to order the rest needed next weekend to get this thing going. Also, yesterday we ordered 150lbs of Marco Rock because of their deal. Saved about 50 bucks and the free shipping is nice!

I will post pics as i continue and let me know if you have any questions on any of my build. I would love to help anyone i can. I have learned alot from reading and watching videos from everybody else. Sometimes its just easier to ask someone a quick question rather than researching for hours and not finding the exact answer...

Thanks for looking!

Ok, I see what you were talking about with the top. It came out very nice. You're going to really like the Apex. I've been playing with it and I'm impressed. Curt @ Neptune is excellent for support. One tip though, I'd watch the brightness levels on the display unit. I left mine at default and I think it burned up the backlight running wide open for a few months. Still under warranty, so they are taking care of it, but I'll turn the settings down when it comes back. Another suggestion. I put the SRO3000INT in a 55G tank that I was going to use for my sump (there is a picture in my build thread). It's *really* tight. I'd consider going bigger on the sump if you can. Your cabinet is 24" wide, so you could go to a 75G. I ended up getting Reef Savvy to build a sump for me, but a used 75G isn't too hard to find and would make a good sump upgrade. I would definitely consider it...

Oh, and one other thing, if you're going to drill the 55G for external pumps, beware most of those are tempered. I busted one attempting to drill it only to find out it was tempered. Fortunately, I had picked it up used and didn't have much invested in it. I think the 75G's are usually not tempered, but you should try and check before drilling.

Ok thanks michael, when i get it later this week i will see if i can make my 55 work just because i had it laying around (free). Also, i just put some acryllic in it today... :(

Alright Guys! I got alot accomplished the past two days. My Neptune apex and SRO3000 Skimmer should be here in a few days. Also, i am picking up the pump and salt etc next week.

I had 150 lbs of boxes at my door thursday... It was my Marco Rock! I would recommend this to anyone. It is very porous and you definately get your moneys worth.

Here is the rock:
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0198.jpg
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0199.jpg
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0202.jpg
Little bit of rubble left..
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0203.jpg

Here is the aquascape.. Let me know what you think :)
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0220.jpg
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0221.jpg

I put the doors on. I dont really care for them. I want to router them... I am going to re-do them this week. But here they are just to make the living room look a little more pleasant for the time being...
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0217.jpg

DIY LEDs!
 

:spin2:So as stated earlier, i decided to create my own LED setup. I have a few pics right now. I will post more later. Also, if anybody needs any tips of white i used, how i did it... Post on here or send me a message. I wil be happy to help anyone. I am not the master electrician but could maybe help you. I had a hard time when i was researching on what to get, how many to get, and how to do it.

Here is a pic of what i ordered. Drivers, leds, optics, heatsinks, dimmer, etc..
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0205.jpg

Here is our kitchen table currently as i am working on them. It will be cleaned up later :D
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0213.jpg

Here is the blues lit up
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0214.jpg

Here is both white and blue on low
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0215.jpg

Turn em up!
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...IMG_0216-1.jpg

I will post more later of all of the equipment and the wiring layouts.

I hope to have water flowing by next weekend...

I also got the plumbing into the sump finished last night. I will post some pics of that later on... Thanks for looking!

Heres a little update. My Spectrapure 90GPD RODI came in today. I setup the waste tube from the RODI to go from my garage to a gutter outside the house. I have the clean water running into 3 brute cans where i can mix my salt there.

Should start putting water in tomorrow

Here are some pics of my sump layout.. Nothing crazy but should get the job done
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0223.jpg

Here is a pic of the overflows from underneath. Left tubing is the return and Gray is into the sump. The left side is setup the same way.
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0224.jpg

Here is a pic of the gray pipes coming into the sump with two valves to stop the flow..
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0225.jpg

Hopefully the pipes in will get rid of some bubbles. The pipe should sit halfway under the water level and air should scape out of the top. I also hope they are quiet
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0228.jpg

Hole drilled in the top to let air escape..
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0226.jpg

Here is the new skimmer that i placed in the sump as well. I got the reef octopus sro3000. I love that the cup comes right off and seals back on easy. My last skimmer i had to twist off.. Hopefully this skimmer will workout well. Seems like it has nice quality build to it.. not that i have had 50 skimmers to test with...
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0235.jpg

LEDs
 

I also finished up my LED fixture. I used some aluminum L-channel on each side length wise of my tank to mount the led heatsinks on. I had to send two drivers back because they were not working correctly. I did get a few pics of my leds without the optics. I will take more pics with the optics tonight. It made a nice difference and focused the light downward and not everywhere

The middle section with 24 leds is off until i get the replacement dimmers..
Here are just the whites
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0254.jpg

Here are just the blues
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0252.jpg

Here are blue and white. To tell you the truth, my camera couldnt pickup the spectrum of the light.. looks nicer in person
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0253.jpg

Here are 4 moonlights (1 on each side and 2 in the middle)
http://i1090.photobucket.com/albums/...f/IMG_0251.jpg

As i said above, i will post more pics with the optics tonight or tomorrow. The optics made a huge difference and turned out nice.

I also got the aqua controller setup and finished my dimming with the variable speed ports. That is awesome as well. I cannot wait to throw all of my pumps and stuff on it as well. I also got it setup into my home network and on set it up for access outside my home as well. very cool i must say.

I am also starting the canopy tomorrow and fixing my doors. Coming together!

Wow!!!