f3honda4me 180g transfer and build thread

[BoomCorals]

When I began my aquarium planning in our new home 3 years ago after we moved in, I had started with a small 20g long with a couple fish and coral. They were a few leftovers from my 75g and stock tank sump setup at our old home. Eventually tore that down with the plans to turn the room the tank was in into the fish room. Next came the reefer 170, which was just two months ago. With the 170 completed, I had been saving up and occasionally buying equipment used or at a discount in preperation for the eventual 180g which was the final/long term plan for our home.

Recently I came across an incredible deal from a fellow local wisconsin reef society member. It is about a 5-6 year old tank. 1 year ago he had a mass coral die off due to him being out of town and a tank crash, and so the tank has just a few small frags, but still has all the live rock and fish. The timing couldn't be more perfect as I have the space for the 180g, and with buying his setup it will save me $$$ buying his used setup. But since it's basically a FOWLR tank with some small frags, it gives me the chance to aquascape and do my own corals etc. So, I'm jumping on his deal and my 180g will become a reality over the next month or so - instead of sometime next year as originally planned.

The setup is coming with the following: 180g DT, 125g sump tank, 55g holding/mixing/rodi tank, jebao 15000 return pump, ATS with jebao 12000 pump, heaters, a black box LED I'll use for frag/qt, and a beastly reef octopus 200 series skimmer, jebao dosing pump, etc. The DT has a beautiful custom built true coast to coast overflow, a custom drain system that's a mix between a bean animal and modified herbie. It also comes with all the liverock, sand, and livestock including a large Desjardini Tang, Blue Hippo tang, Yellow Tang, Melanarus Wrasse, Green Birdsmouth Wrasse, Ocellaris clown, Coral Beauty, Blue Spotted watchman goby, yellow watchman goby, pajama cardinal, orbiculate cardinal, and a very pretty rose/orange/yellow BTA.

In addition, my existing reefer 170 appears to have ich on several fish, or at least some other kind of disease/bacteria. Nothing that is severely sick yet but I see the salt grain spots now on then on a couple of the fish, and my blenny flashes at the bottom. After the 180g is totally done and running, this will give me the opportunity to properly treat this livestock via TTM, and fallow everything else in a holding tank after the 180 move.

 

[BoomCorals]

Here is the overall plan:
- First steps are to prep my fish room, and get both brutes full of heated mixed saltwater.
- Next, pick up the 55g tank, along with any other equipment available. Also pick up all the live rock, coral, fish, etc. I'll be transporting all of this in buckets with lids or totes, as well as a couple livestock boxes I have from liveaquaria. I'd bring this all home, put the live rock into the 55g, fill it with the mixed saltwater, then acclimate and put the fish into the 55g along with the coral. I know some of the tangs are large, but this should be ok for the week or two they will be in this tank. I have eggcrate on the chance I'd have to separate any of the fish. This tank will have a 300g heater, a radion xr30w pro over the coral/anemone, and an MP40wqd.

This gives the current owner time to drain everything and break down the system and prep it for the big move.

- Next I have a professional moving company I'm hiring to move the big stuff. They will pick up the 180g, the DIY stand, the DIY top, and the 125g sump. I would also grab the rest of the gear at this time such as return pump, ATS, heaters, pvc/plumbing, etc. They will bring the big stuff to my place, and put the stand, DT, and 125g sump into their final spots.
- After this, I'll get the whole system plumbed through the wall to the fish room sump, add the sand to the DT, and begin filling the sump/DT with whatever premixed saltwater I have made up, and then continue making rodi/saltwater and adding it once it's ready. I'll have heaters and powerhead going right away to keep the water flowing and up to temp.
- Once full, salt mixed, and up to temp, I'll transfer my 2016 apex to the new system. Then I'll move over the liverock and then the fish/coral.

I am planning on doing a high salinity dip on the live rock either when I first get it or before going into DT in order to try and flush out any possible unwanted hitchhikers. The tank will have two MP40wqd and 3 radion XR30w. Once the DT is set up I'll tear down the reefer 170, and put the liverock/coral/inverts/sand/etc into the 55g to remain fallow there for 73 days. The fish will then go into QT tanks for TTM treatment. Eventually, the rock/coral/inverts and fish will all join the rest in the DT. I'll probably toss the sand from the 170.


For two weeks I will need to hold his existing stock in some holding tanks/buckets I have. The specific concern I have is he has about a 14" sailfin tang and a 14" hippo tang. The biggest holding tank I will have is a 55 gallon. So the only thought I have is to put both those tangs along with some of the live rock into the 55G. They will probably not be happy but I don't have much choice. Should I try to separate them with egg crate plastic as a divider? The rest of the live rock and smaller fish will go into a 20 long and/or 15 gallon rubbermaid bins, and 32 gallon brutes.
Here is a breakdown of where I think these fish will need to live for the two weeks until the DT arrives. Please let me know if you think any of these should be changed.

55g - live rock, small coral frags, and sailfin tang, hippo tang, yellow watchman goby, blue diamond goby
20 Long - live rock, small frags, melanarus wrasse, yellow tang, green birdsmouth wrasse
15 gal Rubbermaid bin 1 - live rock, ocellaris clown, orbiculate cardinal, pajama cardinal
15 gal Rubbermaid bin 2 - flame angel
32 gal rubbermaid - rest of live rock

Or should I maybe skip the 15 gallon bins and use two 32 gallon brutes? There will be a heater and powerhead in each of these.

 

[BoomCorals]

The first big move is this saturday. First, I built a cheap quick DIY LED light holder for QT tank, don't even have to glue the PVC. Cost was about $6.

Also, a local reef society member had a tank teardown sale, and I managed to pick up some amazing frags for dirt cheap. 4 beautiful SPS and a wilsoni LPS.


I'll be setting up an apex DOS for automated water changes, about 3 gallons per day.

 

[BoomCorals]

So the big move has happened and the fish are now here. After 1 night I am happy to report that all fish are alive and eating great today. Took us a couple hours to get everything loaded up into the SUV, but we had enough room for everything. 6 buckets, 2 bins, a huge blue bin full of gear, a 55g tank, and two coolers filled with coral and fish bags. After a temp acclimation and a short mixed water acclimation, everything went into the holding tanks. The 55g has most of the live rock, the two cardinals, and the two gobys. The 20L has some rock plus the melanarus wrasse, the yellow tang, and the ocellaris clown, along with all corals and the bubble tip anemone (gorgeous colors by the way). While it's a rather small tank for those fish normally, the 3 seem to get along well and no aggression thus far, and after their short stay they should be fine. Last is a huge blue bin, probably another 50g of water, with the sailfin tang, blue tang, coral beauty, and birdsmouth wrasse, plus live rock. So far today, no ammonia, so looking good.

Discovered that I was tripping the breakers with all the gear I had plugged in, so had to temporarily run some extension cords. Went to the hardware store today and picked up enough wire, outlets, gfci, etc to run two new 15A breaker circuits to my fish room with 3 outlets each including the GFCI.

After a LOT of back and forth, debating, doing math, etc, I decided to go the route of two MP60WQD pumps instead of the 3 MP40WQD pumps. The biggest factor was that I'd have to run the two side MP40WQD pumps rather high for this size of a tank. The MP60s have tremendously wide flow and can throw it farther than anything. I'll be selling my 3 MP40s soon. I managed to pick up two used MP60wes and ordered the QD driver for both already.

I also need to find a new frozen food that I can pick up closer to home at petco or pet world I think, as there aren't enough places near me that carry the current one I've been using.

 

[BoomCorals]

New toys today. This is 2 brand new MP60 wet sides, one new MP60 dry side, one used MP60 dry side, and two brand new MP60wqd drivers.

Also picked up the RODI upgrade with the 2nd membrane, so I should be able to get around 200gpd now.