Nicks 220g Big Boy Build

Nick James

Active Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2016
Location
Niagara
I held off as long as I could. The 220 is in my garage. We went and picked it up this morning. Moving it landed my cousin in the emergency room, he put out his back bending to set it down. Still waiting to hear the damage, hoping he is alright.

I have a 48x24x18 with starphire glass front as my sump. I cleaned it up and need to build the baffles and dividers still. The tank is drilled through the bottom and has a corner overflow so i will have to cover the holes with glass and silicone unless someone has a better solution.

The 72x24x30 display will be in the main room of our basement rec room. It backs onto a large unfinished room which will house my sump, fish QT, coral QT, water mixing and making station, and fish only laundry tub. None of this stuff exists yet, I have to build it and will document the progress.

Next step, drill the tank for C2C bean animal overflow. Get glass measured and cut for overflow box and sump baffles. Frame stands, and move the DT down to the basement and on the stand.
 

Nick James

Active Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2016
Location
Niagara
Fish wish list:

Zoster Butterflyfish (Hemitaurichthys zoster)
Pair of Bellus Angelfish (Genicanthus bellus)
Magnificent Foxface
Pair of Clowns

Melanarus wrasse (Halichoeres melanurus)
Yellow Wrasse (Halichoeres chrysus)
Pink Wrasse (halichoeres trispilus)
Leopard Wrasse juvenile female
Red Head Solon Fairy Wrasse (Cirrhilabrus solorensis)
Mystery Wrasse (Pseudocheilinus ocellatus)

Tracey's Damselfish
Flame Angel or Potters Angel

5 Tangs

1)Yellow Eye Kole Tang (Ctenochaetus strigosus) OR
Tomini Tang (Ctenochaetus tominiensis) OR
Square tail Bristletooth Tang (Ctenochaetus truncatus)
2)White Cheek Tang (acanthuras nigricans) OR
Powder Blue Tang ((Acanthurus leucosternon)
3)Blonde Naso Tang (Naso lituratus)
4)Yellow Tang (Zebrasoma flavescens)
5)Pacific Blue (hippo) tang (Paracanthiras hepatus)

I am still doing research, but this is where my brain is at the moment.

Love to hear some insight or advice from experienced fish keepers.
 

nathan

Super Active Member
Website Affiliate
Joined
Mar 27, 2016
Location
sarnia
I held off as long as I could. The 220 is in my garage. We went and picked it up this morning. Moving it landed my cousin in the emergency room, he put out his back bending to set it down. Still waiting to hear the damage, hoping he is alright.

I have a 48x24x18 with starphire glass front as my sump. I cleaned it up and need to build the baffles and dividers still. The tank is drilled through the bottom and has a corner overflow so i will have to cover the holes with glass and silicone unless someone has a better solution.

The 72x24x30 display will be in the main room of our basement rec room. It backs onto a large unfinished room which will house my sump, fish QT, coral QT, water mixing and making station, and fish only laundry tub. None of this stuff exists yet, I have to build it and will document the progress.

Next step, drill the tank for C2C bean animal overflow. Get glass measured and cut for overflow box and sump baffles. Frame stands, and move the DT down to the basement and on the stand.
The hell with his back I hope the tank is ok!!......lol just kidding hope he is ok!!
 

AdInfinitum

Super Active Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2012
Location
Thorndale, Ontario
IME that wrasse collection will not work out long term (mix of sizes and aggression levels) and of course will not be invert friendly.

Consider using the hole/s in the sump for external returns or drains or feeds for other items....like an external skimmer running a pressure rated pump or......
 

Nick James

Active Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2016
Location
Niagara
IME that wrasse collection will not work out long term (mix of sizes and aggression levels) and of course will not be invert friendly.

Consider using the hole/s in the sump for external returns or drains or feeds for other items....like an external skimmer running a pressure rated pump or......

Is there a particular wrasse that would have more aggression or is it because of the three halichoeres?
 

AdInfinitum

Super Active Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2012
Location
Thorndale, Ontario
Add the tangs all together or in groups with the yellow and the Acanthurus choice last as they will forevermore be bastards to new additions.

Don't fall into the Newb trap of thinking your tank is big, it's really just the right size for the population that most people want to put into a 75gal, once the fish grow a bit...
It's a great size for a nice population of small or medium fish but not in the size range for keeping larger species happy for the long run... Remember that if you are a successful fish keeper they will all be in your care for 10+++ years. Make your choices based on that....not I will have this for a while then get other ones that I really want. And obviously it will not all go as planned...but you still must plan...
 

AdInfinitum

Super Active Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2012
Location
Thorndale, Ontario
Is there a particular wrasse that would have more aggression or is it because of the three halichoeres?
Bingo...but they are also my faves and I am happy to not have inverts to have them....consider the Radiant over one of the others in the family...absolutely breathtaking and far better tempered than Melanurus IME
 

Nick James

Active Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2016
Location
Niagara
Add the tangs all together or in groups with the yellow and the Acanthurus choice last as they will forevermore be bastards to new additions.

Don't fall into the Newb trap of thinking your tank is big, it's really just the right size for the population that most people want to put into a 75gal, once the fish grow a bit...
It's a great size for a nice population of small or medium fish but not in the size range for keeping larger species happy for the long run... Remember that if you are a successful fish keeper they will all be in your care for 10+++ years. Make your choices based on that....not I will have this for a while then get other ones that I really want. And obviously it will not all go as planned...but you still must plan...

Certainly agree. The list is what I have narrowed down from reading for the last year and from what I have observed in similar sized tank builds. I may only go with one halichoeres, and if I had my choose it would be the trisplus.

The tang list is a wish list of sorts. Not sure the best way to do it, as you said, they will be aggressive to new additions. But I really would like a leopard wrasse, and would want to wait a year before I addded on, but not that long without a tang or two.
 

Nick James

Active Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2016
Location
Niagara
Bingo...but they are also my faves and I am happy to not have inverts to have them....consider the Radiant over one of the others in the family...absolutely breathtaking and far better tempered than Melanurus IME

Looked it up, I'll have to read up on it some more, very nice looking wrasse.
 

Nick James

Active Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2016
Location
Niagara
I am assuming that this is going to be a fish focused build with corals as well? Rather than a coral focused build with fish as secondary or utilitarian additions....?

It is an everything focused build. With my current tank, the corals have been my focus. I'll be moving them into the 220 after it has matured enough. I really wanted to have certain fish, so it's hard to say which I will be more focused on. It will be an SPS dominant tank, based on what I am obsessed with now.
 

Nick James

Active Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2016
Location
Niagara
wow, love the list of tangs.. have you looked at the unicorn tang.. they are really neat...
hope that your cousins back is ok...

I have seen them, they get toooo big in my opinion. If my brother in law builds his 8-10ft tank in his future house I'll tell him to get one! ;)
 

AdInfinitum

Super Active Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2012
Location
Thorndale, Ontario
It is an everything focused build. With my current tank, the corals have been my focus. I'll be moving them into the 220 after it has matured enough. I really wanted to have certain fish, so it's hard to say which I will be more focused on. It will be an SPS dominant tank, based on what I am obsessed with now.
Hate to say it but in the beginning everybody thinks they can do that...but focusing on everything really means focusing on nothing.

It sounds like what you really want is a coral tank with a few favourite fish...very fair and doable....as the fish list expands and includes (for example) known SPS nippers like the Flame...each compromise lowers the odds of success with everything...
e.g. You really want to have a leopard wrasse but a hardcore SPS tank will almost inevitably require being nuked with interceptor at some point.... The guys that are truly successful know what they are willing to compromise and what they are not....pick a focus and build and populate around that.... Acknowledge that our miniature ecosystems involve trade offs....you can't have it all...so decide what you really want and make that happen.
 

Nick James

Active Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2016
Location
Niagara
I plan on having a permanent coral QT as well. My biocube experience has taught me the value in it. Month in QT with weekly dips in bayer is the plan.
 

Nick James

Active Member
Joined
Jan 11, 2016
Location
Niagara
.. and your right, corals will be the primary focus. I am still not set on a dwarf angel, it was actually a late addition to the list.
 

AdInfinitum

Super Active Member
Joined
Jan 12, 2012
Location
Thorndale, Ontario
I plan on having a permanent coral QT as well. My biocube experience has taught me the value in it. Month in QT with weekly dips in bayer is the plan.

QT so that nothing bad can possibly get into your system....but plan, build and prepare assuming that they will...because at some point they will...

...and then you will be ready and it will be nothing but a routine hiccup rather than time to exit the hobby....

Oh and BTW have you noticed that the guys with the huge ego's don't last very long in this hobby no matter how many dollars they spend trying to buy success.
 
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