Greetings R2R from Boise, ID! :)

[jeneratesomefun]

Hello R2R friends!

I figured it's finally time to make a forum ID and make myself known rather than lurking in the background and watching! :wink:

I've previously had saltwater tanks 7 and 10+ years ago, and finally decided to "dive" back in a little over a year ago. I like to compare it to gambling in the sense of you can't just go small... The bigger the better! We went this last round from an old 12g nano cube we've always had to 55g to now my beastly baby/home vacation - 180g! Below are some specs:

180g tank/55g sump/refugium
Reef Dynamics INS80
3 EcoTech Radions
2 EcoTech MP60s
1 micro-managing girl!:loco:

Seems like a low-key setup... But working from home leaves me seriously hands on (and believe it or not, I really enjoy handling the extra maintenance!).

Of course, with my job comes lots of travel... Since setting up our 180, I recently did an extended trip and left it in the care of family... Alas I lost a couple prized possessions *cry*.... I'm now in the stages of planning out an automated system to prevent any further heartache. I hope to learn much while planning this from the R2R family! :smile:

In the meantime here are a couple tank shots to share I took during my cleaning today (Sorry bad quality - they're only phone pics... Which sadly are WAY better than my old Olympus!). I look forward to getting to know many of you! eace:

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Great tank and welcome to R2R!!

 

[Rob&Gab]

WELCOME! Nice setup. i like the scape. cant wait too see some more pictures and more about your setup. Hows that sump looking? ! you have it underneath or in a different room ?

 

[Reefing Madness]

 

[jeneratesomefun]

WELCOME! Nice setup. i like the scape. cant wait too see some more pictures and more about your setup. Hows that sump looking? ! you have it underneath or in a different room ?

Thanks all!

Rob - More pictures and details on my 180 here: https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/large-aquariums-180g/160148-jeneratesomefuns-180g.html

Sumps under the tank, and I always get asked how/why is it so clean?! When I do water changes i'll every so often siphon from the sump and clean the glass. I don't keep sand because I have no partitions, but some extra LR rubble is scattered about for my feathery Caulerpa to attach to. I have a few snails (Nassarius and Cerith) down there as well for any extra detritus that may settle. I've seen a lot of back and forth on the use of filter socks, and save for the couple hours that they're off when washing, or if they're overflowing during a trip, they're *always* on and I love it.

I really wanted the tank to be a focal point/easily viewable in our home, and to do that there really wasn't anywhere else I could put the equipment out of sight save for underneath. (I'm sorry I guess that's a lie. I *Could* rework the wall and pull another tank into my office (Too soon to reveal that I *drool* over that thought? :angel - but my husband has veto'd me numerous times.... I'll behave. For now.

IDEALLY I would like to work such a system up that would include a long, shallow sump/lagoon type tank which would be supported on the wall over/behind my desk (envisioning a pipefish/Seahorse haven), and have that plumbed into the 180, as well as a secondary reef tank in the office (softie tank... Yumas/Palys/Zoas).

If you have any ideas on how to hatch my evil plan, I mean, convince the husband... Er, bring him to the salty side... Do share. :xd: