My 125 to 180 build thread

FishN00b83 · 09/02/2015, 05:30 AM

So my wife and I are expecting our first kid in November so we decided it was time to move into a house. we always said that when we did we would upgrade the current 125, but we really didn't know what size we wanted to go with. we moved in last Monday and decided a 180g would fit perfectly downstairs in the main part of the house.

I bought a AGA 180 and bought a 60" custom low profile overflow and had the LFS drill the tank. the overflow has 3 2" bulkheads that hold the two pieces together and has 3 1.5" drains for a bean animal. I had 2 1" returns drilled on either side of the overflow and I'll use lock line to get the flow up to the surface.

I am going to use everything from the 125 including the apex, 2 tunze 6105s, 3 ai sol blues, 2 eheim heaters, an eheim 1262 return pump, and a reef dynamics 180E skimmer. I have about 130 lbs of live rock in the 125 and I'm thinking of adding another 50 lbs of BRS reef saver rock (that's what the other rock is and it worked perfectly).

I bought a iron stand that the tank will sit on, but I am getting cinder blocks to raise the tank up a bit more. I plan on painting the iron stand with hurculiner and the back of the tank with chalkboard paint that I used on the old tank (it looked really good).

once the tank is up and running I plan on making a shell for the iron stand and canopy to match the kitchen.

the tank came last night so I figured it was time to start a build thread. I do have once question so far. I noticed that the overflow teeth are maybe a 1/4 inch under the trim of the tank (it looks like it now but in not 100% sure. will the water build up a bit on the teeth so the water level is not visable? I posted a few pictures below. I'll have more updates later on today.

screamingibis · 09/02/2015, 06:11 AM

Looks like a great job on your BA overflow. Did you order it build it?

FishN00b83 · 09/02/2015, 06:46 AM

I ordered it from Modular Marine on eBay. The guy was AWESOME to work with. He was very responsive and answered all my questions. Honestly I was a little nervous ordering something like this on eBay, but after communicating with him for a few days I pulled the trigger. He has a bunch of standard sized overflows that he makes, but he'll also do a custom one of any size. I definitely recommend him to anyone that's looking for a low profile/custom overflow.

alten78 · 09/02/2015, 11:09 AM

Man, you are having a kid and get a new house and build a new tank, we just had another one and the wife wants to sell my tank and Harley...I like your deal much better

FishN00b83 · 09/02/2015, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alten78

Man, you are having a kid and get a new house and build a new tank, we just had another one and the wife wants to sell my tank and Harley...I like your deal much better

lol I tried twice to be the responsible one and sell the tank but she wouldn't go for it. the megaflow overflows always bothered me so I was just going to get a drilled 125, but then we started talking about a 180 and it was decided when we saw the house. I'm hoping she stays this into it...I don't need her waking up one day telling me to get rid of this thing lol I'd freak out

bmullikin1 · 09/02/2015, 02:27 PM

nice, you will love this type of overflow, and the teeth level looks fine as level will rise depending on how much flow you put thru it, are you going to paint the back black, or you could use black vinal like i did, was easy and removable.

don_chuwish · 09/02/2015, 04:22 PM

Love the dimensions of a 180 - and that long overflow is great! I've been looking at Modular Marine's stuff on eBay so it's nice to read a good review.

FishN00b83 · 09/02/2015, 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bmullikin1

nice, you will love this type of overflow, and the teeth level looks fine as level will rise depending on how much flow you put thru it, are you going to paint the back black, or you could use black vinal like i did, was easy and removable.

that's good to hear, I was a little nervous about the water level. as for the back glass I'm going to use the chalkboard paint I used on my 125, it came out really nice.

Quote:

Originally Posted by don_chuwish

Love the dimensions of a 180 - and that long overflow is great! I've been looking at Modular Marine's stuff on eBay so it's nice to read a good review.

yeah the extra few inches really makes a difference, even when you look at it empty, I can't wait to fill it!

modular marine couldn't of been any better. I asked him a million and one questions and he made this for me real fast because I was moving.

FishN00b83 · 09/02/2015, 05:43 PM

the guy at ace recommended this 3M rubberized coating instead of the herculiner...and I will say this stuff went on awesome and looks/feels even better.

tanksfishtank · 09/02/2015, 06:00 PM

Having a baby and getting a new tank. Sounds like a good deal to me! Lol Good luck with the setup!

Bent · 09/02/2015, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tanksfishtank

Having a baby and getting a new tank. Sounds like a good deal to me! Lol Good luck with the setup!

Exactly.

Secrets please. Spill it.

FishN00b83 · 09/03/2015, 06:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tanksfishtank

Having a baby and getting a new tank. Sounds like a good deal to me! Lol Good luck with the setup!

Thanks!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bent

Exactly.

Secrets please. Spill it.

Right before she got the ring I asked her when we’re about to have a baby, and get a house, can I upgrade my fish tank?…she said yes LOL

FishN00b83 · 09/03/2015, 06:20 AM

I have a couple of things I need to make decisions on pretty soon, this tank will be up very fast...

1) I have a 45g sump for my 125 right now and I was going to use it for the 180. The refugium had a hard time keeping up with the bioload but grew cheato like crazy. I’m thinking of taking that baffle down and doubling the size of the return (basically having a 2 section sump). In the refugiums place, I was thinking of doing an ATS lit on both sides…thoughts

2) With the bean animal overflow, does the difference in height between the full siphon and the non-emergency drain matter? Also the emergency height should be a little lower than the height of the external box?

Shawn O · 09/03/2015, 09:06 AM

I believe the 'siphon' should be a little lower than the 'open' channel to cause the siphon to start there rather than just splitting between the two pipes evenly. Emergency can't be above the o-flow box or the "emergency" will be water all over your floor and a pi**ed off wife.

FishN00b83 · 09/03/2015, 09:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shawn O

I believe the 'siphon' should be a little lower than the 'open' channel to cause the siphon to start there rather than just splitting between the two pipes evenly. Emergency can't be above the o-flow box or the "emergency" will be water all over your floor and a pi**ed off wife.

Side note, my name is Shawn, spelt the same way and my last initial is an O...nice to meet you! HAH

anyway, that's what I figured I just wanted to make sure. I know about the emergency drain needing to be below the overflow box top. my wife would probably change her mind very quickly if I started spraying water all over the new house LOL

FishN00b83 · 09/03/2015, 06:41 PM

so Home Depot didn't have cinder blocks...***?! I did talk to one of the guys there and he said I would have no problem at all putting the tank on bricks. what do you guys think of that? I bought 1.5" washers to level the tank but I'm unsure of the bricks.

Shawn O · 09/04/2015, 06:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FishN00b83

Side note, my name is Shawn, spelt the same way and my last initial is an O...nice to meet you! HAH

anyway, that's what I figured I just wanted to make sure. I know about the emergency drain needing to be below the overflow box top. my wife would probably change her mind very quickly if I started spraying water all over the new house LOL

Well hello S.O.

It would be rather ironic and humorous if I could say Shawn O was just a screen name and my actual initials were F.N. but this is not the case.

Yeah, wives can be rather picky about where water should be. Such is life.

FishN00b83 · 09/04/2015, 07:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shawn O

Well hello S.O.

It would be rather ironic and humorous if I could say Shawn O was just a screen name and my actual initials were F.N. but this is not the case.

LOL that would be funny

FishN00b83 · 09/04/2015, 07:39 AM

a few pictures of the tank painted...you can't see it in the pics but the reason I like the chalkboard paint is when it dries, it's not jet black. it has a blueish tint to it.

Shawn O · 09/04/2015, 08:05 AM

I like the drilling on that tank with the drains and returns. Going full internal o-flow or ghost?

FishN00b83 · 09/04/2015, 08:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shawn O

I like the drilling on that tank with the drains and returns. Going full internal o-flow or ghost?

it's a custom ghost overflow...60" long. I couldn't stand the giant overflow towers anymore and the internal overflows take up to much room for me. this was the only option. I wanted as much space as possible this time around.

FishN00b83 · 09/07/2015, 10:44 AM

tank is on the stand and the bulkheads are back in. i do have a little overhang on the right side front corner, but I can't seem to shift the tank at all. the rubberized coating really makes it impossible to shift it around AT ALL. is this little overhang an issue?

FishN00b83 · 09/09/2015, 04:49 AM

I called a buddy over and we got the tank more on the stand. the corners are now supported. I did realize that the middle of the tank is not supported by the stand (front or back). here is a picture. I have 8 plastic shims I could use, I just want to make sure that's a good idea before I do it. do the make iron stand.s like this on purpose? here's a picture of the middle.

don_chuwish · 09/10/2015, 12:38 AM

Definitely shim the gaps, or even use some half inch styrofoam insulation all the way around to get every surface supported without any 'hot' spots of pressure.
I'm also concerned that the tank bottom trim has cross members at 1/3 and 2/3 but your stand doesn't. Probably not a big deal but just feels... off.

FishN00b83 · 09/10/2015, 05:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by don_chuwish

Definitely shim the gaps, or even use some half inch styrofoam insulation all the way around to get every surface supported without any 'hot' spots of pressure.
I'm also concerned that the tank bottom trim has cross members at 1/3 and 2/3 but your stand doesn't. Probably not a big deal but just feels... off.

yeah I have 3 shims in the front and 3 in the back, I figured it wouldn't hurt. I put them in just enough so they're touching, I didn't jam them in there. I didn't want to create more pressure points. I did read on multiple threads that iron stands do not touch the trim all the way around most of the time, and it's not that big of a concern.

as for the bracing 6 foot tanks have two braces, my 125 had the same thing. if you have two on the top, you'll have two on the bottom. I'm not concerned at all that the stand has just one.

09/02/2015, 05:30 AM	#1
FishN00b83 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Long Island Posts: 1,140	My 125 to 180 build thread So my wife and I are expecting our first kid in November so we decided it was time to move into a house. we always said that when we did we would upgrade the current 125, but we really didn't know what size we wanted to go with. we moved in last Monday and decided a 180g would fit perfectly downstairs in the main part of the house. I bought a AGA 180 and bought a 60" custom low profile overflow and had the LFS drill the tank. the overflow has 3 2" bulkheads that hold the two pieces together and has 3 1.5" drains for a bean animal. I had 2 1" returns drilled on either side of the overflow and I'll use lock line to get the flow up to the surface. I am going to use everything from the 125 including the apex, 2 tunze 6105s, 3 ai sol blues, 2 eheim heaters, an eheim 1262 return pump, and a reef dynamics 180E skimmer. I have about 130 lbs of live rock in the 125 and I'm thinking of adding another 50 lbs of BRS reef saver rock (that's what the other rock is and it worked perfectly). I bought a iron stand that the tank will sit on, but I am getting cinder blocks to raise the tank up a bit more. I plan on painting the iron stand with hurculiner and the back of the tank with chalkboard paint that I used on the old tank (it looked really good). once the tank is up and running I plan on making a shell for the iron stand and canopy to match the kitchen. the tank came last night so I figured it was time to start a build thread. I do have once question so far. I noticed that the overflow teeth are maybe a 1/4 inch under the trim of the tank (it looks like it now but in not 100% sure. will the water build up a bit on the teeth so the water level is not visable? I posted a few pictures below. I'll have more updates later on today. __________________ My 125 to 180 thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2525019

09/02/2015, 11:09 AM	#4
alten78 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Sheffield Lake, OH Posts: 1,231	Man, you are having a kid and get a new house and build a new tank, we just had another one and the wife wants to sell my tank and Harley...I like your deal much better __________________ When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Then find a person where life gave them vodka and have a party. ~ Ron White Current Tank Info: 120g SPS dominated

09/02/2015, 05:43 PM	#9
FishN00b83 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Long Island Posts: 1,140	the guy at ace recommended this 3M rubberized coating instead of the herculiner...and I will say this stuff went on awesome and looks/feels even better. __________________ My 125 to 180 thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2525019

09/03/2015, 06:20 AM	#13
FishN00b83 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Long Island Posts: 1,140	I have a couple of things I need to make decisions on pretty soon, this tank will be up very fast... 1) I have a 45g sump for my 125 right now and I was going to use it for the 180. The refugium had a hard time keeping up with the bioload but grew cheato like crazy. I’m thinking of taking that baffle down and doubling the size of the return (basically having a 2 section sump). In the refugiums place, I was thinking of doing an ATS lit on both sides…thoughts 2) With the bean animal overflow, does the difference in height between the full siphon and the non-emergency drain matter? Also the emergency height should be a little lower than the height of the external box? __________________ My 125 to 180 thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2525019

09/03/2015, 09:06 AM	#14
Shawn O Registered Member Join Date: May 2014 Location: People's Communist Republic of Massachusetts Posts: 1,474	I believe the 'siphon' should be a little lower than the 'open' channel to cause the siphon to start there rather than just splitting between the two pipes evenly. Emergency can't be above the o-flow box or the "emergency" will be water all over your floor and a pi**ed off wife. __________________ "55gal glass box full of water, rocks and some not-so-amused little fishes" 2x Occellaris, 1 Pajama, 1 Neon Dottyback. Current Tank Info: 55gal tank, sumpless, ReefOctopus Classic 90, Twin bulb T5.

09/02/2015, 06:11 AM	#2
screamingibis Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2011 Location: Maysville, GA Posts: 375	Looks like a great job on your BA overflow. Did you order it build it?

09/02/2015, 06:46 AM	#3
FishN00b83 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Long Island Posts: 1,140	I ordered it from Modular Marine on eBay. The guy was AWESOME to work with. He was very responsive and answered all my questions. Honestly I was a little nervous ordering something like this on eBay, but after communicating with him for a few days I pulled the trigger. He has a bunch of standard sized overflows that he makes, but he'll also do a custom one of any size. I definitely recommend him to anyone that's looking for a low profile/custom overflow.

09/02/2015, 02:27 PM	#6
bmullikin1 Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: seminole florida Posts: 1,797	nice, you will love this type of overflow, and the teeth level looks fine as level will rise depending on how much flow you put thru it, are you going to paint the back black, or you could use black vinal like i did, was easy and removable.

09/02/2015, 04:22 PM	#7
don_chuwish Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 345	Love the dimensions of a 180 - and that long overflow is great! I've been looking at Modular Marine's stuff on eBay so it's nice to read a good review.

09/02/2015, 06:00 PM	#10
tanksfishtank Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Bettendorf, IA Posts: 335	Having a baby and getting a new tank. Sounds like a good deal to me! Lol Good luck with the setup!

09/03/2015, 06:41 PM	#16
FishN00b83 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Long Island Posts: 1,140	so Home Depot didn't have cinder blocks...***?! I did talk to one of the guys there and he said I would have no problem at all putting the tank on bricks. what do you guys think of that? I bought 1.5" washers to level the tank but I'm unsure of the bricks. __________________ My 125 to 180 thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2525019

09/04/2015, 07:39 AM	#19
FishN00b83 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Long Island Posts: 1,140	a few pictures of the tank painted...you can't see it in the pics but the reason I like the chalkboard paint is when it dries, it's not jet black. it has a blueish tint to it. __________________ My 125 to 180 thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2525019

09/04/2015, 08:05 AM	#20
Shawn O Registered Member Join Date: May 2014 Location: People's Communist Republic of Massachusetts Posts: 1,474	I like the drilling on that tank with the drains and returns. Going full internal o-flow or ghost? __________________ "55gal glass box full of water, rocks and some not-so-amused little fishes" 2x Occellaris, 1 Pajama, 1 Neon Dottyback. Current Tank Info: 55gal tank, sumpless, ReefOctopus Classic 90, Twin bulb T5.

09/07/2015, 10:44 AM	#22
FishN00b83 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Long Island Posts: 1,140	tank is on the stand and the bulkheads are back in. i do have a little overhang on the right side front corner, but I can't seem to shift the tank at all. the rubberized coating really makes it impossible to shift it around AT ALL. is this little overhang an issue? __________________ My 125 to 180 thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2525019

09/09/2015, 04:49 AM	#23
FishN00b83 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2013 Location: Long Island Posts: 1,140	I called a buddy over and we got the tank more on the stand. the corners are now supported. I did realize that the middle of the tank is not supported by the stand (front or back). here is a picture. I have 8 plastic shims I could use, I just want to make sure that's a good idea before I do it. do the make iron stand.s like this on purpose? here's a picture of the middle. __________________ My 125 to 180 thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2525019

09/10/2015, 12:38 AM	#24
don_chuwish Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Southern Oregon Posts: 345	Definitely shim the gaps, or even use some half inch styrofoam insulation all the way around to get every surface supported without any 'hot' spots of pressure. I'm also concerned that the tank bottom trim has cross members at 1/3 and 2/3 but your stand doesn't. Probably not a big deal but just feels... off. __________________ In transition... 120G redo.