ReeferMike's 180 gallon come-back build

[ReeferMike]

Here we go with a build that's going to be pretty much from scratch. I currently have very little equipment and no fish or coral to start this off with. So this should be a fun build, hopefully, and with a little luck, we'll all be able to watch it go from concept to completion, from infancy to maturity.

A little background about me, and about this tank in particular: I've spent many years in this hobby along with long hours and thousands of dollars. Due to personal reasons, around 2010, I sold/gave away everything I had and completely went on hiatus... Up until now... but lets back-track a little bit.

About 20 or so years ago I was just a kid. My dad and uncle both bought aquarims and ventured into saltwater, and then into reef-keeping. My dad bought a 90 gallon, and my uncle bought a 180. Both Clarity Plus acrylic aquariums. For years after that as a kid watched both of these aquariums grow into incredible displays. I remember bio-balls, wet/dry filters, VHO lighting, crushed coral substrate with ug filters...etc.. etc. long story short, knowing this tank was a big part of why, when I was 18, I bought my first very own aquarium, and by 22 was a full blown reefer. Skip to the present..

My uncle now owns and operates 2 different businesses... He works from morning to night 7 days a week... I honestly don't know how he does it but I have to give him a lot of credit. He asked me about a year ago if he decided to get rid of the tank if I'd be interested... which my reply was yes of course, but I was right in process of house-hunting and getting ready to move, so I wasn't quite ready for it. Now were all nice and settled in our new house, and he asked me about it again... So..... After all the childhood years of drooling over this tank....In my best evil villain impersonation.... ITS MINE!! ALL MINE!!! MUAHAHAHAHA!!!!

So now that I'm officially a blogger... Lets get down to buisness...

Heres a few pics of what I'm working with. Here's a pic of the tank as it was when I went to pick it up. It had been sitting stagnant in FW for who knows how long. Note the stand and canopy... I remember helping my grandfater in his garage build it...


loaded up ready to go


And here it is after a little elbow-grease... thats a little better... cleaned up really well for as old as it is.


And thats as far as its gone so far. So my current to do list is as follows:

-Im going to have to move a doorway in my family room in order to accommodate the tank. The location will be pretty cool, the door I'm moving will go into a fish room behind it for a refugium, prop tank and whatever else.

-I plan to modify the tank itself quite a bit... I want to install overflows and a spraybar type cls, and also modify the top bracing a bit for easier access and to improve the aesthetics of it.

- I also want to re-finish the stand and canopy, just to make it pretty basically.

So I've got alot of work ahead of me before this thing sees water again, and I plan to take pics and upgrade this thread every step of the way.... so stay tuned!