232 gallon build (1 Viewer)

[Bradlincoln]

Started this build August 4 2025. It’s a Glasscages custom 72”x26”x30” glass tank on a 40” tall red oak stand made by them as well.

I did the finish myself with a golden oak satin stain.


I decided that I would tile the floor under the tank so I would not have to ever replace it and also works well if you splash water when doing maintenance.

The tank has two 1” returns and four 1 1/2” drains. I used purple pvc and sch80 fittings. 2 drains go to my sump filter socks, 1 drain goes to my refugium, and 1 for an emergency drain.



I reused my 75 gallon sump from my previous tank.

I’m running a varios 8 return pump and a reef octopus reagal 250 skimmer.
2 icecap 4k gyres, 2 icecap 2k gyres, 2 octopulse 2’s, and an octopulse 4 for flow in the tank. I use a maxspect gyre 230 in the sump camber I dose into. I use a brs dual chamber reactor for carbon/ gfo.
Lighting consists of 4 radion XR30 G4 pro’s, 3 radion XR15 G6 blue’s, 2 66” blade grows. And a kessil h80 in the sump.


I have the tank fully automated by Apex and hydrous wave engine for the pumps which uses commands from apex for different flow patterns. I run 1 dos for auto water changes, and 4 others for Alk/Cal, Kalk/nopox, Red Sea trace A,B,C,D, top off water come right from my rodi unit and is controlled with a selinoid and a float valve for redundancy.


I originally planned on doing a mixed reef but I’m definitely leaning toward being SPS heavy. My fish load is pretty light right now so I’ve been adding some. As of now there’s:
A pair or blue mandarin’s
4 springri damsels
2 pajama cardinals
2 tomato clowns
Six line wrasse
Solar wrasse
Strawberry basset
4 chalk bass
Clown tang
Sailfin tang
Chocolate tang
Orange shoulder
Purple tang
Tomini tang
Powder brown tang
Copper band butterfly
Pair of lyre tail anthia

 

[Bradlincoln]

Newer picture of control.

 

[spsick]

What a setup!

 

[Bradlincoln]

What a setup!

It’s a work in progress. I get lazy when the tank is going well so automation makes sure everything gets done. I still do monthly manual testing and started ICP testing quarterly recently. I’ve been battling aptasia for about 8 months now and I’m still not winning.

 

[Varig]

Wow awesome, now I’m double sad I missed your meeting. Next time! I love that you’re also an aspiring stick head, though it seems like with a lot more success than me so far.

My only comment, I hope that FTS is old. Because I spy a two little fishies nori clip. And I swear from Ken’s meeting you promised to rip it out and make sure it’s not rusty. Right? Right?

It’s great to have you here Brad. I can’t wait to watch the tank grow out.

 

[Bradlincoln]

Wow awesome, now I’m double sad I missed your meeting. Next time! I love that you’re also an aspiring stick head, though it seems like with a lot more success than me so far.

My only comment, I hope that FTS is old. Because I spy a two little fishies nori clip. And I swear from Ken’s meeting you promised to rip it out and make sure it’s not rusty. Right? Right?

It’s great to have you here Brad. I can’t wait to watch the tank grow out.

There’s actually 2 of them still in there”” until I get a new way for nori they stay.
I am watching closely for signs, when I do my next icp i will see if any thing looks like a magnet. I also have recently had a varios 8 pump magnet swell and by watching how fast it happened I think it would become very noticeable very quickly. I kept the magnet in water and it did this in 3 weeks.

 

[Varig]

I get it. Mine was not obvious until I opened the case. I do think the suggesting of preemptively opening it and filling it all with epoxy was a good idea.

In any case, looking great Brad. Really gong to try to make it if you grace us with another meeting someday.