New 180 Build (Forced but FINALLY!!!)

[MoKan Reefer]

Tank finally cleared up once I got the uv sterilizer online so I finally got pics of how I plumbed the inside of the tank for the closed loop. You can see the bottom intake lines for the closed loop, 3/4" dual loc line for the bottom returns and 3/4" T's for the upper returns which I'll change out for more loc line once I get some extra money.

I put both sets of rock centralized in the tank so there's flow in front, behind, and all the way through and around.

 

[MoKan Reefer]

And got clearer pics of the entire setup finally

And some side action

 

[Roc83]

I'm using a external dart gold hybrid pump for the closed loop. The oceans motions director is great for the closed loop for varied flow.

Thanks, was pulling my hair out trying to decide.

 

[Roc83]

Setup looks nice

 

[MoKan Reefer]

Setting it up was a pain but worth it. Once I have the extra funds, I'm going to upgrade the pump for the closed loop to a vectra because they have controllability and different programs I can run with the closed loop. I'd recommend a vectra if you can afford it for sure

 

[Roc83]

Setting it up was a pain but worth it. Once I have the extra funds, I'm going to upgrade the pump for the closed loop to a vectra because they have controllability and different programs I can run with the closed loop. I'd recommend a vectra if you can afford it for sure

The funny thing about mine is that I have two intakes drilled inline with each other. Then it was plumbed into one 2" pipe. Since I have the option I was going to try to install 2 closed loops instead of having the two intakes going into one loop. But I don't know if this would be more beneficial or put to much flow in the tank.

 

[MoKan Reefer]

Well, you have to think about how much suction is going to be going through each intake for the closed loop honestly. I've already had ours suck a lawnmower blenny into one to never be seen again before I changed the strainers and suck both of my mandarins again the strainers killing 1. Thankfully I saw the other in time.

My only concern would be sucking fish to their deaths with too much suction. If you're only going to have large fish, I'd say maybe go for it but depending on the flow, it still may suck them to the intakes.

 

[Roc83]

Well, you have to think about how much suction is going to be going through each intake for the closed loop honestly. I've already had ours suck a lawnmower blenny into one to never be seen again before I changed the strainers and suck both of my mandarins again the strainers killing 1. Thankfully I saw the other in time.

My only concern would be sucking fish to their deaths with too much suction. If you're only going to have large fish, I'd say maybe go for it but depending on the flow, it still may suck them to the intakes.

Good advice, thank you. Are you using the low profile strainers?

 

[MoKan Reefer]

Nope. Not at the moment. Was too broke and in too much of a hurry to wait on shipping so I took 2 1" PVC plugs from Walmart and drilled a bunch of holes in them and plugged off the 45° elbows I have coming up for the intakes. Figure I'll swap them out for the low profile strainers once I have some time and extra cash.

Just figured I'd mention about the suction from those intakes. It's literally pulling all the water from those 1 or 2 holes so its alot of suction honestly. If I could have used the back top 2 holes as intakes and had the current intakes as returns I'd have rathered done that.

 

[Roc83]

Nope. Not at the moment. Was too broke and in too much of a hurry to wait on shipping so I took 2 1" PVC plugs from Walmart and drilled a bunch of holes in them and plugged off the 45° elbows I have coming up for the intakes. Figure I'll swap them out for the low profile strainers once I have some time and extra cash.

Just figured I'd mention about the suction from those intakes. It's literally pulling all the water from those 1 or 2 holes so its alot of suction honestly. If I could have used the back top 2 holes as intakes and had the current intakes as returns I'd have rathered done that.

I was inspecting my low profiles trying to figure how a blenny could fit down it, thought I would ask before installing them

 

[MoKan Reefer]

Well, the lawnmower was sucked in the day after setup when I was using some of the plastic netting over the inlets before I put the plugs on. Sucked in the net and fish unfortunately.

The biggest issue with closed loop is having a fish sucked to the inlets when it's done correctly

 

[MoKan Reefer]

Anywho, for the few following along on this build, here's the livestock so far:

Fish:
•Yellow Coris Wrasse
•Green Mandarin
•Scooter Blenny
•Blue Jaw Trigger
•2 x Tomini Tangs
•Naso Tang
•Blue Hippo Tang
•Purple Tang
•Majestic Foxface
•Mystery (Dispar?) Anthia
•Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
•Deer Cowrie
•2 x Fighting Conches
•2 x Tiger Conches
•Dwarf Hermits
•Nasarus Snail
•3 x Peppermint Shrimp
•Serpent Star
•Brittle Star

Corals:
•Huge Aussie Elegance
•Duncan
•Aussie purple/green tip torch
•Green Torch
•Red Cynaria
•Neon green/red/yellow/white welso
•Red/purple Lobo
•Rainbow Lobo
•Xenia
•Green Star Polyps
•Kryptonite Candy Canes
•Blue Trumpets
•ORA Birdsnests
•Green/Purple Acropora
•Purple Hammer
•Green Splatter Hammer
•Gold Tonga Torch
•Gold/White Tip Tonga Torch
•Christmas Favia
•Yellow/Red splattered Favia
•Purple/Green Favia
•Hollywood Stunner Chalices
•Devil's Hand
•Ironman Mushrooms
•Blue/Green Discosoma Mushroom
•Purple/Green Fuzzy Mushrooms
•Purple Monti
•Red/Blue Acans
•Gold Glitter Acans
•Ironman Acans
•Purple/Blue Acans
•Yellow/Red Acans
•Giant Red/Orange/White Acans
•Giant Orange/Green Acans
•Bicolor Frogspawn
•Green/Purple Tip Frogspawn
•Purple Skirt/Yellow Mini Blastos
•Purple Skirt/Green Blastos
•Yellow Gongipora
•Neon Green Acan Bowerbanki
•Red/Yellow War Coral
•Cabbage Corals
•Mystery Acan?
•Mystery Chalice
•Large Pink Sinularia Sp.
•Green Sinularia
•Hulk Green Lepto

 

[Roc83]

Anywho, for the few following along on this build, here's the livestock so far:

Fish:
•Yellow Coris Wrasse
•Green Mandarin
•Scooter Blenny
•Blue Jaw Trigger
•2 x Tomini Tangs
•Naso Tang
•Blue Hippo Tang
•Purple Tang
•Majestic Foxface
•Mystery (Dispar?) Anthia
•Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
•Deer Cowrie
•2 x Fighting Conches
•2 x Tiger Conches
•Dwarf Hermits
•Nasarus Snail
•3 x Peppermint Shrimp
•Serpent Star
•Brittle Star

Corals:
•Huge Aussie Elegance
•Duncan
•Aussie purple/green tip torch
•Green Torch
•Red Cynaria
•Neon green/red/yellow/white welso
•Red/purple Lobo
•Rainbow Lobo
•Xenia
•Green Star Polyps
•Kryptonite Candy Canes
•Blue Trumpets
•ORA Birdsnests
•Green/Purple Acropora
•Purple Hammer
•Green Splatter Hammer
•Gold Tonga Torch
•Gold/White Tip Tonga Torch
•Christmas Favia
•Yellow/Red splattered Favia
•Purple/Green Favia
•Hollywood Stunner Chalices
•Devil's Hand
•Ironman Mushrooms
•Blue/Green Discosoma Mushroom
•Purple/Green Fuzzy Mushrooms
•Purple Monti
•Red/Blue Acans
•Gold Glitter Acans
•Ironman Acans
•Purple/Blue Acans
•Yellow/Red Acans
•Giant Red/Orange/White Acans
•Giant Orange/Green Acans
•Bicolor Frogspawn
•Green/Purple Tip Frogspawn
•Purple Skirt/Yellow Mini Blastos
•Purple Skirt/Green Blastos
•Yellow Gongipora
•Neon Green Acan Bowerbanki
•Red/Yellow War Coral
•Cabbage Corals
•Mystery Acan?
•Mystery Chalice
•Large Pink Sinularia Sp.
•Green Sinularia
•Hulk Green Lepto

Impresive[emoji106]

 

[ScottR]

So all you lost was the shrimp? All fish and corals ok? Amazing!!!

 

[KirstenB]

You are amazing. I just hope and pray when this happens to me I can remember back to your story to give me strength and hope!

 

[MoKan Reefer]

So all you lost was the shrimp? All fish and corals ok? Amazing!!!

Yep. Completely surprised me. All the trouble, stress, and mess and only lost a shrimp.

The fish were just overjoyed to have a ton of extra room once they were placed in the 180. The corals were a bit of a mess and stressed for a few days but came out unscathed ultimately. Guaranteed we couldn't be that lucky again but glad it happened the way it did and that everything made it through.

 

[MoKan Reefer]

You are amazing. I just hope and pray when this happens to me I can remember back to your story to give me strength and hope!

It was definitely stressful. Not only it happening but hoping that everything would survive the mess after the fact! 3 days with coral in a trough and fish in less than a foot of water... I honestly think it stressed me more than the fish and coral thankfully lol.

My only advice is always have extra stuff you don't think you'll need lol. I almost threw that trough out a few years ago and had forgotten it existed in the garage. It definitely came in handy when everything happened though.

 

[ScottR]

Yep. Completely surprised me. All the trouble, stress, and mess and only lost a shrimp.

The fish were just overjoyed to have a ton of extra room once they were placed in the 180. The corals were a bit of a mess and stressed for a few days but came out unscathed ultimately. Guaranteed we couldn't be that lucky again but glad it happened the way it did and that everything made it through.

This is where experience comes in handy.

 

[MoKan Reefer]

This is true. In the about 15yrs I've been in this hobby, I've had 3 tanks spring leaks. I'd always had replacements prior but thankfully I had enough extra stuff laying around to make it through!

 

[MoKan Reefer]

Got some decent pics finally! And a new leopard wrasse!