The Puget Sound Aquarium Society

Hello all,

This thread will document the build that I have been dreaming about for the last 25 years!

Many thanks goes out to the members of PSAS for talking to me on the phone and allowing me into your homes to see your setups! Without ALL of you, I would still be trying to figure everything out! And a very special thank you goes out to my wife who has been putting up with my non stop jabber about the system I am about to build!

I have spent countless hours researching and coming up with the following equipment list, your input is as always, greatly appreciated.

My plans for the system are to be mainly LPS and Softies! Maybe a SPS here or there!

I am going to have a 2 inch sandbed and will be using approximately 80 lbs of rock from Marco Rocks and another 20 - 50 lbs of live rock!

I will be posting pictures as soon as I have something to take a picture of other than my blank wall!


Ok on to my equipment plans!

Tank
180 Gallon 72*24*24 built by Matt with CFI

Sump/Refugium
Not sure of the final dimensions yet, but this is being built by Matt with CFI

RO/DI
http://www.airwaterice.com/product/1...TDS-Meter.html
with booster pump as I have low water pressure.

Lighting
My lighting will be LED, I am getting 1 master and 2 slaves from the following:
http://pacificsunusa.com/?page_id=129
I cant wait for these guys to come in!

Skimmer
Matt with CFI is going to build me a killer ATB Medium Cone Clone using a Eheim 1262 as the pump!

Return Pump
I will be using a Eheim 1262 as my return

In tank Flow
Right now I will be using 2 Tunze 6100's with the multicontroller for flow, I can always add 1 or 2 more down the road as needed.

Heaters
I will be using either Via Aqua 300W Titanium x 2 or Finnex with a Ranco dual stage Controller

ATO
I will be purchasing this in the next couple of weeks and have not really decided who I am going to go with.

Thanks for stoppin in and if anyone wants to come up North or come down South, you are more than welcome!

Sounds like it will be a sweet system. Matt does awesome work, you will not be disappointed there!

For the ATO I use a Tsunami, which came highly recommended from Barrier Reef (it is what they use) I have never had any problems with it (except when I forget to turn it on after a water change, but you cannot expect anything to compensate for user error )

Thanks Kris!!! I will be taking pictures of the build and am excited to see the end product of Matts work!

Yes, I have been looking at the Tsunami as well as the one from ATO

Jeff

RO/DI unit arrived today!


I have also got the frame of the stand built and will get it skinned as time allows this week.

This Kreg Pocket screw Jig is sweet!

Coming along nicely....

Thanks Duane!

It's definately a slow build, but will be well worth the wait!

Yeah pictures!! The best part of a build thread!

Hey,

Looks great so far! I'm in the process of a similiar build ( 225 gallon), I was wondering if you decided to go with the Finnex heating elements or not, as I just bought a pair of 500W and wasn't sure of the quality and what not. Do you think 600W will he sufficient? I was told a minimum of 1000W for our tank size?

Thanks,
Andrew

Thanks Andrew!

I ended up going with the Via Aqua 300W heaters, they should be coming in this next week as they have been on back order. Let me know what you think of the Finnex heaters after you have used them for awhile, I am sure that that wattage will be fine for your system!

Have you got a build thread going?

Jeff

More PICTURES!!!

What Timing!

I just got done skinning the stand and cutting out the doors



Top put on and 3 coats of Polycrylic


Front of Stand


This end I made so that I can have a recessed equipment/control panel


Next up is to put the trim work on, Stain, and then 3 coats of Polycrylic

Ok got more work done on the stand this week! Added the trim work, stained and applied 3 coats of Polycrylic. All that is left to do on the stand is get the doors ordered, which I will do this next week.

Next up is to run 2 dedicated 20 amp circuits. Thanks goes out to Kendog from RF coming out to help me with this this coming weekend.

Well got home from my business trip last night and wanted to get my American DJ strips mounted in the stand.

My heaters arrived yesterday and I found out my LED's will be in towards mid week next week as well as my 2 water storage tanks.

Tomorrow I will be running the 2 dedicated 20 amp circuits.

Great looking stand Jeff.

I'm so glad Ken is able to get out there to run those circuits for you. He's a great guy and Im happy he's back into the hobby and is a neighbor of mine.

Honestly I was feeling guilty about not making it out there, but I have alot of spring yard work calling my name. My wife has ordered a garden for this year. The rototiller kicked my butt today.

Thanks Duane!

I am looking forward to meeting Ken tomorrow as well and can tell from the couple of times I have talked to him that he is a great guy!

I don't envy you on the rotatiller thing! I had to do my father in laws garden a few years back and it definately kicked mine! LOL