1st Build thread 75G to 180G peninsula

Rsoxreefer87 · May 2, 2021

I am new to the site and really enjoy build threads so I figured I would do one of my own. I currently have 75 gallon that has been running for about 8 months. About a month ago my wife wanted to open up our living room by removing some walls which somehow enabled me to pitch a peninsula tank as a room divider. Much to my surprise she was on board. I have ordered a 180 gallon mega matrix from planet aquarium through my LFS and it is supposed to ship on Cinco de mayo. I was hoping to be ready to install as soon as I picked it up but it's not looking good, I work alot and have three kids hard to find the time. I will be framing a room in my garage underneath the tank to house my sump, quarantine, and future frag tanks which will also help with floor support.

Rsoxreefer87 · May 2, 2021

I ran out of 2x4s so I can't finish the stands inside the equipment room. The display tank is going to be designed to hopefully match the look of a tank that Mr. Saltwater tank did that was a 561 gallon peninsula. I plan to use my 75 for the sump and refugium and will have a 40 breeder frag tank with 40 breeder sump, I do not want the systems to be tied together. I purchased a vectra M2 today from a fellow R2R member which will be my return for the DT. I am going to keep my RO 202S and I will be running 3 hydra 32s with 4 80w T5s. I am planning to go bare bottom to be able to ramp up my flow for a 6 foot push since I don't intend to have equipment on the other side, I want to use 2 MP 40's with two Gyre 330s or 350s. The aqauscape is going to be 3 islands and I may bridge two together not sure yet. I attached a picture of the 561 gallon peninsula that I'm basing the stand and canopy design, he uses piano hinges for the canopy which seems like an awesome idea.

Rsoxreefer87 · May 9, 2021

Got the sheetrock hung on the walls today prior to mother's day duties. I am hoping to get the electrical work in the ceiling done today as well so I can hang the ceilings and start taping and mudding.

HD_Reefer · May 9, 2021

******!! Following

Bo. · May 9, 2021

Off to a great start!

Rsoxreefer87 · May 13, 2021

Not really where I want to be by now. I did get the light legs up in the ceiling for my 6" wafer lights. Pulled all the old anchors out of the block wall and patched the holes so I can seal and paint the block tomorrow. I also got the ceilings hung to night and my shoulders are fried, do not recommend hanging ceilings alone. My goal tomorrow is to have tape and first coat done on the drywall and block painted. I just found out today that my tank isn't shipping until the 24th now and I'm actually ok with that because I haven't built the stand yet. Lumber prices are insane! No fun pictures yet but progress. I guess I should take a few pictures of my current tank.

Rsoxreefer87 · May 16, 2021

Semi productive weekend. The block has been painted and I only have one more coat of sheetrock mud before I can paint the ceiling and walls, hopefully tomorrow. Then I'm going to install the fish tank sub panel, lights, and outlets ( and TV). I hope to have the stands in the fish room and the DT stand done by the next weekend.

I need to get the stands done so I can get my spare 40 breeders up and running so I can transfer my current DT to the 40s because I intend to use my 75 as a sump and fuge. Once the DT is online the 40s will become frag and grow out tanks.

I'm pretty much have all of my equipment planned by I am having problems deciding on my lighting. I currently run 2 Hydra 32s over a 75 on a WWC program and was planning on getting a 3rd plus 6 T5s. Now for some reason I am starting to think I want metal halides and T5s. The only problem is I am going to have an enclosed canopy to achieve the built in look my wife wants and I am concerned about heat and don't want to run a chiller. I think I'm going to stick with my original plan but I can't get halides out of my head.

mattgsa · May 19, 2021

Having remodeled a house by removing walls, I know exactly what you are going through. It's a lot of work and always takes longer than expected. Can't wait to see the new tank. Planet Aquariums does a really good job on their tanks.

Rsoxreefer87 · May 19, 2021

It does. Having three small children trying to play under your feet while holding a full board of sheetrock over your head, grabbing the nail gun, and playing in the sheetrock mud because I called it mud, does not speed up the process. But its getting there. I'm actually glad it's dragging out a little, gives me time to think things through on this one. I'm stoked about the tank I should have it next weekend.

Young@Heart · May 26, 2021

Looks like you are off to a great start. My 180 Peninsula is a bit old and I don't have the room that you do, but yours sounds great and you are doing some of the things I wish I had been able to do. If you can show us some Pics of the build I think a lot of us would like to see that.

Rsoxreefer87 · May 30, 2021

Looks like the new tank is delayed again and is now supposed to ship on Tuesday, fingers crossed.

I ended up doing more work than I intended and changed out my electrical panel in lieu of adding a sub panel. This caused me to change out the garage lights and wiring due to it being one of the last circuits in my house that is aluminum wiring.

Now I have cabinets in the equipment room, still need to reinforce them and put tops on them. The majority of the electrical work is done. I ran 4 dedicated 20 amp circuits to the equipment room.

I am taking the kiddos to the park and then hopefully by tomorrow morning I will be able to get my 40 breeder set up in the room so I can start making my transfer. I am trading my fish to my LFS for store credit to use toward my future stock list. The 40 will hold my corals for now.

Rsoxreefer87 · Jul 24, 2021

So there has been very little progress since my last post due to the tank being delayed by more than 2 months. Well it showed up at my LFS on Thursday so I had to hit the go button, I figured the ship date was going to get pushed again. I did order 80 more pounds of BRS reef saver rock about a month ago, gave it a vinegar soak, RO soak and sundried it but haven't started cycling yet, wish I would have. Luckily I have another 80 lbs in my current setup. Got the stand built today, minus the plywood on top, I will install that tomorrow, and around noon myself and a small army are going to get the new tank....Stoked. I haven't broke down the other system yet like I wanted too but I did get a 40 breeder setup for the transfer/future frag tank just need to plumb it in to the existing 40 breeder sump that's currently on my 75 so I can turn the 75 into the new sump for the DT. I did have a f up and drilled the wrong size hole for my drain on the 40 breeder so I am now going with an 1 1/2" overflow, hopefully my Sicce 2 can keep up. I set up my old brute cans but will switch to vats hopefully next weekend.

Rsoxreefer87 · Jul 24, 2021

I used an overflow strainer on the holding/ future frag tank and have always had an external overflow box, hopefully I don't regret that. This is probably a rabbit hole but I'm really torn between bare bottom and sand, I'm looking for advice. I'm an sps guy but I like the aesthetics of sand, I'm worried the sand is going to go freaking nuts with the amount of flow I'm going to need to push 6 feet. I am planning to put a gyre on the end at the top of the water column.

Rsoxreefer87 · Jul 25, 2021

The tank is home!

Rsoxreefer87 · Aug 8, 2021

Made a little more progress this weekend, not as much as I'd like. Got a new puppy this weekend so add that to 3 kids under 7 and an elderly dog and you get slow as molasses.

I scored on 3 AI Hydra 32's from a local reefer this morning, I only needed 1 more but couldn't beat the deal.

I got another 40 breeder up and running to hold my current fish but I decided I didn't want them in the new tank so I gave them to my LFS for store credit. Which in turn enabled me to get a HMS mount.

I broke down the 75 and I am currently holding the few coral I have in the old 40 until I get the frag tank filled, I finished the plumbing tonight, will fill it tomorrow (fingers crossed). I used the sump from the 75 for the frag sump which has the fiji 40 breeder sump kit. I kept a few rocks, cheato, and bio blocks from the 75 to kick start the frag which should in turn kick start the 180. I bleached the rest of the rock I had in the 75 because I want a fresh start with the aquascape.

I have done anything with the new tank besides get it level. Once the 75 is drained and out of the house I will really be able to start putting work in on the 180, hopefully by this weekend.

I took a few pictures but the fish room is a mess. Need some some shelving .