Rock-n-Reef’s IM 112 Gallon Lagoon style build (or rather the 2020 Corona build!)

[rock-n-reef]

Tank builds are always the exciting part of this hobby. With each build we make mistakes, we learn, and when it’s time to upgrade, we try not to make the mistakes again. So here I’m upgrading my grow-out tank. The current one is an Innovative Marine Nuvo 40 gallon drilled with a modified stand and Skimz UP18 sump.

Why am I upgrading? As mentioned above, to correct some mistakes, the 40 gallon is too small to keep some fish that can help me in the tank maintenance, and… who doesn’t want to upgrade their tanks.

Tank selection: Innovative Marine 112 Gallon Lagoon style (35.4” L x 35.4” W x 19.7" H). I specifically chose this tank for the 36 inch (33 inch excluding the overflow chamber) front to back dimension. Which will give me plenty of aquascape options, and more room for the fish to swim around. The 19-inch height means, I can reach the bottom of the tank without much trouble. I really looked at the 150 gallon which adds about 12 inches to the length, but since the tank is going to be on the first floor I had to take the additional weight and floor load into consideration and settled with the 112!

June 16th – tank ordered (after a lot of deliberation on the internal overflow chamber design and if it would become a detritus trap. You can see my thread here with question on that. I will cover my feedback after I received this tank in a later post)

June 30th – the tank is here! Roadrunner freight delivered the crate. I would give an A for the packaging.

 

[rock-n-reef]

July 1st – APS stand assembled. Though I was skeptic looking at the aluminum profile load capacity at first, once it was put together, I can feel it is so sturdy. It can definitely take the weight of this tank and more.

In the background you can see the old 40 gallon nuvo. Plug : Watch out for a sale thread coming up in marketplace for this soon!

While I finish the stand assembly, the UPS gentleman is here for the next delivery! Sump. CWT 35. (31" L x 16" W x 16" H) The length is perfect to fit under the stand and the large center chamber should be able to accommodate a small skimmer and a algae turf scrubber (or maybe a bucket chaeto refugium!). Haven’t made up my mind on this yet.

 

[rock-n-reef]

I have a feel I overdid the lighting!

Using a Giesemann 36" Stellar T5 Hybrid. I really like the build quality of this stuff. Planning to run this with two Ecotech Radion Gen 3s that has been lying around. I would need to run this light high up from the surface, so as to not get hot spot. Which will also mean the 36” T5 fixture is going to spill plenty of light outside the tank. In retrospect, I should have gone with a 24” fixture for the 36 inch tank! (did I tell you – with each build we make mistakes).

Marked the ceiling joist and screwed the light hanging kit. And viola! the light is up!

 

[Jbissell1289]

Looks like an awesome start! Can’t wait to see coral in it!

 

[coralfishreef]

That is going to be so enjoyable with workable height and front to back depth on each side.

 

[CAPSLOCK]

I sense a really clean build coming up...

 

[absolutecarrot]

Wow this is gonna be a very cool build

 

[this is me]

Sweet! I love square footprint tank!
I never recommend same size light fixture as the tank. It's a PITA to get into the tank when you need to and/or massive wasted light outside the tank. The Stellar is a nice fixture. I have the 60" for my 84" tank.
Actually, I'm thinking of a floating canopy. So might not even use the Stellar.

If you can trade for a 24" Stellar, get the extension bar to make the fixture able to mount the LED verticle. It also makes the fixture more squarish. Perfect for a 36"x36" footprint tank.

 

[this is me]

I'm a bad influence but a 24" Stellar isn't much money.

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[rock-n-reef]

Looks like an awesome start! Can’t wait to see coral in it!

Thank you! me neither !

That is going to be so enjoyable with workable height and front to back depth on each side.

Thank you! The stand is 36" high. So the tank is at my shoulder height and looking good. I loving the 3 large viewable sides!

I sense a really clean build coming up...

Thank you!

Wow this is gonna be a very cool build

Thank you! Hope so!

 

[rock-n-reef]

Sweet! I love square footprint tank!

Thank you! Yes, absolutely loving this. Never had a tank larger than 24 inch front to back. So I'm digging this.

If you can trade for a 24" Stellar, get the extension bar to make the fixture able to mount the LED verticle. It also makes the fixture more squarish. Perfect for a 36"x36" footprint tank.

You read my mind. Have been thinking about this for a couple of days. Maybe will revisit this at some point!

I'm a bad influence but a 24" Stellar isn't much money.

 

[Zirky]

Man there is nothing I don’t like about this build. I almost bought a three foot square for my next tank. Please keep the updates coming.

 

[coralfishreef]

I have a feel I overdid the lighting!

Using a Giesemann 36" Stellar T5 Hybrid. I really like the build quality of this stuff. Planning to run this with two Ecotech Radion Gen 3s that has been lying around. I would need to run this light high up from the surface, so as to not get hot spot. Which will also mean the 36” T5 fixture is going to spill plenty of light outside the tank. In retrospect, I should have gone with a 24” fixture for the 36 inch tank! (did I tell you – with each build we make mistakes).

Marked the ceiling joist and screwed the light hanging kit. And viola! the light is up!

View attachment 145504

If the other tank wasn’t next to this one, maybe rotate the fixture 90 degrees so the cords faced the wall. May not be a stud directly above and the hanging kit cables for the 2 tanks in 2 different orientations would probably bother me.

 

[rock-n-reef]

If the other tank wasn’t next to this one, maybe rotate the fixture 90 degrees so the cords faced the wall. May not be a stud directly above and the hanging kit cables for the 2 tanks in 2 different orientations would probably bother me.

I get you. Hopefully I will be able to tuck away the cords nicely and run that through a cord channel so that it doesn't become an eye sore.

 

[rock-n-reef]

Time to move the tank (or to find out who your real friends are! ).

I had three friends come in to help move the tank couple of flights from the garage to the upstairs living room. Oh boy, this tank is heavy. Uses 15 mm glass for the bottom, and 12mm glass for all four sides and euro braces. You would need a minimum of three people to carry this tank. Having four just made it a bit easy.

 

[rock-n-reef]

With the tank in its place, its time to work on the plumbing and installing the gears!

Power heads – two Vortech MP 40s with battery backup packs

Return Pump – VarioS 6 DC pump

Controller – Neptune Apex

Auto top off – 5 gallon ATO container with Tunze RO Water Controller 8555 + regular RO float valve (backup) for direct water connection from RODI to ATO
Tunze Osmolator 3155 ATO for ATO container to sump return chamber

Dosing – BRS 1.1ml/min doser running Tropic Marine All-for-Reef

With the plumbing done, a quick water test! Hurray! no leaks (or at least until I noticed a slow drip in one of the ball valves)

With the ball valve tightened up, and quick clean-up for the picture time!

oh yep! the disco effect on the cabinet led does work! not sure if it will help color up the corals in the display or make it look cooler!

 

[Zirky]

I’m really liking this setup. Can’t wait to see the scape. I noticed you have different colors for your return and overflow. Was that deliberate?

 

[rock-n-reef]

I’m really liking this setup. Can’t wait to see the scape. I noticed you have different colors for your return and overflow. Was that deliberate?

Thank you! Nope! Using what I had from the previous build All schedule 80 fittings and pipe that you see are left over from an earlier build. And the schedule 40 white ones, I picked up from Home Depot for this build.

 

[Zirky]

Well it looks great. Enjoy the journey.

 

[rock-n-reef]

Finished setting up rest equipment in the cabinet. Given the sump is tucked away in the back and still having all the extra space under the cabinet, I was able to get most of it to fit under the cabinet and keep the outside clean.

Moved the skimmer and couple of marinepure blocks to the sump, and started draining the 40 gallon and moving the corals and fish to the new tank.

No aquascape yet. some of the frags are going to stay on the frag rack in the back for now. Also the euphyllias will stay in this tank temporarily. Will need to get this settled and think through the aquascape.