ShoreReefers IM 200EXT

ShoreReefer · May 4, 2024

Good morning reefing family. This build started in my head last year when I was contemplating which route I should take for an upgrade. After careful consideration I decided to upgrade from a 72x18x22 second hand tank to a brand new Innovative Marine 200EXT. The price and the dimensions are really what drove me to settling on this tank. Here are a few pictures of my current 4 year old setup. Now was the hard part of convincing my better half that an upgrade was needed. She hated the buckets and equipment next to the stand and the bottles on top of the canopy creating clutter so I promised to build a cabinet next to the stand.
Believe it or not the dogs were extremely helpful in convincing the better half that now is a good time for an upgrade. You see we have 2 dogs (65lb Sato dog and 95lb Chocolate Lab) as well as engineered hardwood floor on our first floor slab which have become extremely scratched up because of their nails. We have decided to replace the engineered hardwood with a luxury vinyl plank which means breaking the current tank down, taking up and replacing the floor and putting the tank back up so what better time for an upgrade! That coupled with a promotion at work and a nice pay increase and she finally said yes . Which leads to this morning’s confirmed order of a brand new tank.
I also went back and forth in my head deciding if I should just get the tank and stand and use my existing sump and return pumps or the complete package. This was especially tough to decide because I was able to install a filter roller in my current setup which I don’t believe you can in the new sump. After careful deliberation I went with the complete package because I liked the idea of the larger sump than I currently have, a new return pump and all of the included plumbing.

ShoreReefer · May 4, 2024

The tank arrived yesterday and man is it a beauty! The sump appears darn near as big as my 120 lol. I do have to wait some time though because we’re still getting estimates on the new flooring, the tank arrived about a month ahead of schedule. It was crated very well with no signs of damage to the tank or sump.

ShoreReefer · May 4, 2024

For equipment I’m moving much of the current equipment from the 120 to the 200.
Current equipment:
Neptune Apex controller with
EB832x2
DOSx2
Trident
and Auto fish feeder
Icecap ATS
Maxpect Gyre XF350 with controller x2 (new)
MP40x2 (putting on back wall of tank)
Mighty Jet DC XL return pump (included with tank package)
Nuvo RFS sump (included with tank package)
Reef Octopus 150 skimmer
Reefi Uno 2.0x3
Aquatic Life 60” T5 hybrid
I am currently dosing the BRS 2 part balling method and supplementing with the reef moonshiners method.
Since I can’t install a filter roller I plan on using filter floss in the beginning and eventually only using the skimmer and ATS for mechanical filtration.

ShoreReefer · May 6, 2024

Today I ordered the 8020 rails for my light. I was able to find a photo that best depicts how I’m going to be mounting the T5 hybrid fixture. It will be similar to this and will be bolted to the stand instead of the wall.
In other news the 2 yellow tangs I got from the local fish store have settled in nicely into the biocube and are awaiting their new home. I’m just nervous because the last 2 YT’s I got from biota both perished within a week. I didn’t see any bullying but I suspect my sailfin tang was the culprit. Now I’ll be adding everything into the 200 at once including either a purple tang or gem tang, I haven’t yet decided.
Can anyone tell me what coral this is that I have? I got it a few years ago from WWC and can’t remember the name. It really wasn’t really that spectacular in my tank but I started dosing 25ML of acropower once a week and boy have the colors started to pop. I will try to take another picture tomorrow under white lights.

ShoreReefer · May 19, 2024

Moving day! Time to move this bad boy to its temporary location in the dining room. I’ve been dreading this day for a long time.

ShoreReefer · May 19, 2024

So we ended up completely pivoting from our original plan of placing the new tank where the old one currently is. We are now putting the tank in a separate smaller room off of the kitchen where the floors are not going to be replaced so I put the stand together today along with putting together the light rack. This is so much easier than trying to move the current tank and then waiting for the floors to be replaced to install the new one. Now the fun begins of getting a few hands to help bring the beast in. Excuse the mess on the table, we had to empty the hutch to move into the family room for the time being. A lot of changes!

ShoreReefer · May 28, 2024

With the help of 2 friends, a pallet jack, and a lift cart, the tank is in place and plumbed. Tonight I start filling it, this is the wife’s last chance to veto the new location

ShoreReefer · Jun 4, 2024

It was a long day on Sunday but the transfer is finally about 90% complete. All that’s left to do is set up the DOS and install the MP40’s on the back wall. Once that is complete then it’ll be time to clean the old system and list it for sale.

ShoreReefer · Jun 4, 2024

I added a purple tang today, she is big and gorgeous!

ShoreReefer · Jun 5, 2024

Learning how to upload to YouTube

Gumbies R Us · Jun 5, 2024

ShoreReefer said:
It was a long day on Sunday but the transfer is finally about 90% complete. All that’s left to do is set up the DOS and install the MP40’s on the back wall. Once that is complete then it’ll be time to clean the old system and list it for sale.

Glad the transfer is going smooth!

ShoreReefer · Jun 5, 2024

Gumbies R Us said:
Glad the transfer is going smooth!

Thank you! It was a very stressful day for sure.

ShoreReefer · Jun 7, 2024

My current fish stock list:
1xClarkii Clown
2xOcellaris Clown
1xBangai Cardinal
3xGreen Chromis
3xLyretail Anthia
2xBiota Yellow Tang
1xHippo Tang
1xSailfin Tang
1xPurple Tang
1xCoral Beauty

Looking to add a few more fish, which would be recommended? It is bare bottom so somewhat limited, I am thinking of adding a flame hawkish.

ShoreReefer · Jun 14, 2024

Almost 2 weeks after the upgrade and so far I’ve only lost my SBB Princess Peach Frogspawn. It never really looked happy in the new tank and despite moving it a few times it finally perished. I’m absolutely loving the clarity of the low iron glass compared to the old marineland.
So far the 5 tangs seem to be getting along but the Clarkaii clown has now evicted the Ocellaris clowns from their anemone.

ShoreReefer · Jun 18, 2024

Add my torch I just got 2 months ago to my DOA’s. Tonight I finally hooked up my ATO, boy is this evaporating a lot of water! I upgraded to a 7 gallon ATO reservoir to a 15 gallon so hopefully I’ll just have to fill it once per week in the winter time. All fish seem to be getting along and I’m happy for that except for the clowns but my wife keeps yelling at the Clarkaii. To be honest this is the first time she’s engaging with the tank so I’m happy haha

ShoreReefer · Jun 23, 2024

we went to RAP NY today and had a great time! So many corals to choose from and it was neat to see the new gear coming out. If I wasn’t so invested in the Neptune gear I’d seriously look into the Hydros line, I love the look of their equipment. I’ve never owned a clam before and picked up a maxima clam from @PacificEastAquaculture. My daughter enjoyed being splashed by the large clam that kept spitting at her lol. I also picked up a torch and octospawn from @SBB Corals where he honored the gift card I won from 2 live sales ago. He had some really great looking coral as well.
Over the weekend I was able to turn the middle section of the sump into a frag tank.

ShoreReefer · Jun 25, 2024

Colors are popping tonight. I’m just over the 3 week mark and I think I’ll send out an ICP test this week. Tested my PO4 and NO3 the other night and nutrients are kinda all over the place.
6/21
PO4-.04
NO3-3
6/25
P04-.01
N03-0
Used with a Hannah checker. The only change was started dosing Phyto on 6/23 60ML/day for the new maxima clam. It may be eating up some of the nutrients.