My IM INT240 Mixed Reef Build - The last of a long journey

[oliver1812]

Hi and welcome to my first tank build thread.
I have really wanted to start this process for a while but was struggling to determine the best way to tell the story of the elusive Dream Tank.

I started my reefing journey years ago and like most exited the hobby when yellow tangs were $30 and re-entered the hobby when they were $800. It was nothing but sticker shock. From the tanks, to the lights, to the livestock...EVERYTHING. So I bought a used 150gal show tank (Fig1) built myself a DIY Sump with a baffle kit, drilled the tank myself and plumbed it all together. I had it up and running for almost a year and go the itch...I mean bad, really bad..Multi Tank Syndrome.
Bought a old school 30gal corner tank, drilled it, built a DIY 10gal sump plumbed it all together and let it run (Fig2).
Then I purchased a used 100gal system, internal overflow and came with a crystal sump.(Fig3)
Then I purchased a used fully setup 60gal cube, with skimmer, crystal sump, 2yr old live rock/sand, pair of clown fish and a boat load of mushrooms...all for $200...so I had to buy it.(Fig4)

Now all of these systems all went online within a 3 to 4 month time period. I know what you are thinking and you are correct, I think I mentioned I had MTS really bad. So all of these systems are all barely 6months old when my 150gal tank suddenly hit its stride and started growing coral. So in my brain I immediately was like "I need a bigger tank", but I need to get the biggest tank I can get and just be done and cure my MTS.

So I was on the hunt....found a used 300gal tank at one of my LFS. Only thing was that it had a small leak...to me no big deal, reseal the sucker and let her rip. I had a little experience resealing the 30gal corner after it sprung a small leak a few months into its use...no big deal..Right? Got the 300gal home, did a super quick reseal of all the corners, over built a DIY stand for it, put a trigger sump on it, set it up, leak tested it and filled it up with saltwater. (Fig5)
After a couple days of running the 300gal, broke down the 150gal system, which was now about a year plus old, added all the live rock and livestock to the 300gal system. I was instantly in love. It was a massive show tank that was tall and narrow which gave it the illusion of being even bigger than it actually was. Standing and looking at it was almost like being underwater. Until it leaked...LOL!! I emptied it, did another simple reseal and it leaked again...decided to ignore the small leak but the tank then decided to spring a larger leak. At this point wife is done with the tank...its broken down.

Now I need a new tank to house all of the livestock and live rock. I purchase a brand new Innovative Marine EXT200.(Fig6) I instantly hated it . The tank was gorgeous, brand new, all aluminum stand, custom sump and pre-plumbed and took me all of 30mins to make the connections..instant reef tank. My wife LOVED the tank, but to me it paled in comparison to the 300gal show tank. So I get the new 200gal tank setup and the livestock moved in but all I am thinking about is how much I want a 300gal tank.

About 10months later I cant stand it any longer, I promise my wife a trade, the 100gal system for a 300gal tank, she reluctantly agrees and I am on the hunt. Scour the web and about 5 LFS's and find a recently broke down 300gal system with PVC bottom, no leaks.....I jump on it. Move the 100gal system to my office to make room and get it installed and setup, leak tested for 24hrs (Fig7), fill it up with water, rock, livestock and start the run. Three days into it my wife hears a loud crack, we scramble and find that a side panel had cracked and the fish room is flooding...Again!!

It is at this point my wife puts her foot down and lets me know that I am no longer allowed to buy used tanks and I wholeheartedly agree, however I was given the greenlight to buy a new tank. But as we all know, tanks that are over 200gal usually land in the custom territory and those were not in my budget. By this time the IM EXT200 had now grown on me, the sump is one of the best I have seen, the size is just right for maint, the stand is outa this world and its a gorgeous reef system. So I went for the largest out of the box tank that I could find and landed on the Innovative Marine INT240.

This brings me to the build of the tank that will end all tanks for me...with this build I have cured my MTS and I am getting very excited about my reefing hobby settling in for the long haul.

Happy to have a space to share the experience with like minded hobbyist.....So lets begin the journey on the next post!!


Figure1


Figure2

Figure3

Figure4

MTS at its worst...

Figure5

Figure6

Figure7

 

[Liquid361]

Congratulations!!! Yeah, I learned awhile back that trying to only buy used and doing it in a less expensive way never went well for me. I know it does for some, but my luck always got me into trouble.I just ordered a CASE 2100 S2, a 280g system, that arrives next week. It’s been 8 years since I had a reef…. And the new tech is mindblowing, but not as much as the prices. I’m going 1st class all the way, which is gonna run me BIG money, but for me, it makes the hobby so much more enjoyable. Different strokes/different folks. Can’t wait to see what ya do!

 

[oliver1812]

So after all of the extra craziness associated with chasing my 300gal tank.

I settled on the Innovative Marine INT240 Reef System. The EXT200 Reef system that I had purchased close to a year earlier sold me on getting another one. If you are in the market for a new tank, ensure you give Innovative Marine Tanks a good look.

Here is my new tank when it was delivered to my garage.

 

[Liquid361]

I did seriously consider IM. I loved their systems, but just went with CADE. It’s already in route. IM makes terrific products! I’ve got nothing bad to say about the .

 

[oliver1812]

Congratulations!!! Yeah, I learned awhile back that trying to only buy used and doing it in a less expensive way never went well for me. I know it does for some, but my luck always got me into trouble.I just ordered a CASE 2100 S2, a 280g system, that arrives next week. It’s been 8 years since I had a reef…. And the new tech is mindblowing, but not as much as the prices. I’m going 1st class all the way, which is gonna run me BIG money, but for me, it makes the hobby so much more enjoyable. Different strokes/different folks. Can’t wait to see what ya do!

Hi and thanks for validating what my wife was telling me the entire time...

I really tried to do a huge tank on a budget but it never worked out for me as well. I am surprised aka super lucky, that I didn't cause significant damage to the front side of our home. We were home both times they leaked so we were able to quickly react and limit the damage.

I know I was super excited during the run up to my tank being delivered....so I am super excited for you as I know exactly how you feel. Keep me posted when you get it and start your thread.

 

[Liquid361]

Hi and thanks for validating what my wife was telling me the entire time...

I really tried to do a huge tank on a budget but it never worked out for me as well. I am surprised aka super lucky, that I didn't cause significant damage to the front side of our home. We were home both times they leaked so we were able to quickly react and limit the damage.

I know I was super excited during the run up to my tank being delivered....so I am super excited for you as I know exactly how you feel. Keep me posted when you get it and start your thread.

At the time, I lived in a downtown loft, 3rd floor. While I was out a Sunday evening, the tank exploded, dumping 150g of water/coral/fish into my small loft, into the lofts below mine, and my neighbors next to me. This resulted in around $60k worth of damage and my neighbors all HATED me, Servpro came out that night and spent 7 hours removing all the water and left us all with massive industrial dehumidifiers which ran 24/7 for a week or two. Neighbors stayed at hotels because the sound was so loud. I quietly sold my loft and bought a house… and thus ends the story of my last used tank.
I began a thread a few days ago… it’s always a blast to document our journeys.

 

[oliver1812]

I did seriously consider IM. I loved their systems, but just went with CADE. It’s already in route. IM makes terrific products! I’ve got nothing bad to say about the .

I looked at the CADE tanks at Aquashella, I had a chance to put my hands on the the tank they had out on display, it was beautiful and rimless, my wife saw that and said no. The leak trauma is real in our house.

The euro bracing that IM does on their tanks turned me off at first, but with the volume of water, I now appreciate the high level of safety and security.

 

[oliver1812]

At the time, I lived in a downtown loft, 3rd floor. While I was out a Sunday evening, the tank exploded, dumping 150g of water/coral/fish into my small loft, into the lofts below mine, and my neighbors next to me. This resulted in around $60k worth of damage and my neighbors all HATED me, Servpro came out that night and spent 7 hours removing all the water and left us all with massive industrial dehumidifiers which ran 24/7 for a week or two. Neighbors stayed at hotels because the sound was so loud. I quietly sold my loft and bought a house… and thus ends the story of my last used tank.
I began a thread a few days ago… it’s always a blast to document our journeys.

Wow!!! The stuff nightmares are made of. Dude, I hate that happened to you. I am sure my wife would have said that my reefing hobby days were over.

 

[Liquid361]

Wow!!! The stuff nightmares are made of. Dude, I hate that happened to you. I am sure my wife would have said that my reefing hobby days were over.

Yeah, I’m not married or I expect a wife would’ve said the same to me. I can deal with creating and suffering through my own disasters, but that I wrecked neighbors lofts… that I couldn’t tolerate. I felt so incredibly awful. I couldn’t get out of that loft fast enough. When I got home that night, I opened my door. All the circuits had blown so no power. I stood at that open door a solid 7 minutes, a very long time. I didn’t even know where to begin… what to do. When I finally stepped foot into the loft, at the point where I stopped, I watched a wave ripple all the way across the loft and back to me. It was absolutely my worst reefing nightmare come to life.

 

[oliver1812]

Yeah, I’m not married or I expect a wife would’ve said the same to me. I can deal with creating and suffering through my own disasters, but that I wrecked neighbors lofts… that I couldn’t tolerate. I felt so incredibly awful. I couldn’t get out of that loft fast enough. When I got home that night, I opened my door. All the circuits had blown so no power. I stood at that open door a solid 7 minutes, a very long time. I didn’t even know where to begin… what to do. When I finally stepped foot into the loft, at the point where I stopped, I wanted a wave ripple all the way across the loft and back to me. It was absolutely my worst reefing nightmare come to life.

Its funny how those situations affect the human brain. I did the same thing when the second 300 side panel cracked. Water was not drip leaking, it was pouring out of the side of the tank, and when I saw it I was so stunned I stood there frozen for like 30seconds. I distinctly remember having to shake myself out of the stupor and get to work unplugging things and grabbing pumps.