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I scored today! I just got a 190g all glass (so heavy 5 guys almost died moving it ) with a stand, return pump, and a used RO/DI unit. The system is new and totally unused! I was driving home and 1 block from my house a guy had a sign "190g tank and pumps only $500" so I turned around and drove to his house nearly giving myself whip lash mind you. It was there gleaming like a star, singing to me. I fell head over heels in love with the big beautiful buick of a tank . I guess there are things in life that are better big. Anyway, I know my wife wont share my excitement and I thought you all would! So, hurray! Go me! Thank you Jesus! (I'm pretty happy) I guess my tang will have some swimming room now...heck I could even swim with him...
Alright some pics... this is the tank from the back. Where it is in my apt right now makes it impossible to get a view from the front. I found this to be an odd overflow. It is a custom built all glass tank but I dont understand how the overflows work exactly. I am thinking of glueing some notched plastic to the inside of the overflows to be more of a surface skimming overflow. Anyone ever encountered something like this? this is the view of one of the overflows from above. Flat glass...a bit confusing to me. The inside of the overflow. It has 2 bulkheads for each overflow...why?
I think I may have gotten a bit over my head here as it was custom built and looking at it more closely (the overflows) it may have been done different from normal. It came with a little giant pump which looks to be unused as well. However I dont know the flow rate, it is a model 2-mdqx-sc 3000 rpm 131 watt pump...if anyone knows please inform me...I will be searching the web for an answer to the flow question. Flow is going to be a problem as the guy I got it from didnt remember or never knew the flow rate of the overflows. I still think its pretty awesome but I am getting a bit afraid I'm going to drown in the unknowns of the tank...
the big black bar which looks to be a vertical running down the middle of the tank in the first pic is really just a board leaning on the kitchen wall...
You're looking at another couple 100 bucks for a pump (or two).
You're gonna have to put teeth on that overflow. In a custom seahorse tank I had I didn't include teeth in the design. I think it was about a 2" gap on the back of the tank. A whole freaking 6" seahorse went over the falls. I couldn't believe it.
With a couple little fixes that will be an AWESOME tank.
Oh, and the large bulkhead was to drain to the sump and the smaller was the return. Pretty standard. You just need to make a cheap standpipe.
Ohhhhhh... that's a clear overflow. You should probable consider putting a black backround on that tank and then cut acrylic to cover the panels that are visible. You don't wanna have to see the standpipes and you certainly don't want a tank without one. Not with that kind of drop..... louder than niagra.
the answere to your two bulkheads question is something i can provide you with
I recently purchased a 180, much like your actually. The way he had it set up was with a durso (to the sump) most likely the bigger bulkhead, and then a return coming from the sump (the smaller bulkhead). Limits the "messiness" of the tank, means you can go right up against the wall (you don't need to run pipes behind), limits the amount of pipe, and just looks more proffessional.
If you do not get what i mean i can run out to my 180 (won't be setting up for a while) to snap some pics for ya.
And NEVER feel like you are over your head on any project. worst case scenario you wait a week or two to get your head wrapped around things. But all you have to do is ask an simple question, and you have a GREAT resource here in the good ppl of TR. And you will have your questions answered. We are here to ensure that you get through your journey happily, and safely.
SEAHORSE!!!!!!!!!!! u beat me while i was tryping :'(
so the smaller return hole needs to be fitted with a pvc pipe or flex tubing to run it back up to the top and into the tank? I was wondering how I was going to get a return line in, guess that fixes the problem.
How did you attach the aptly named "teeth" to your seahorse tank overlow? Would epoxy do the job, or aquarium silacone (sp) both? Would it be okay to use acryllic or do I need to stick with glass since the entire tank is glass?
you could most likely use acrylic and then weld-on to attach??
And the return should be fitted with a pvs pipe to the top of the overflow, and then loc-line at the top (you want to use as little as possible loc-line becuase it can be expensive (to your wallet, and your Flow)
speaking of niagra, i would HIGHLY reccomend you figure out a way to fit a durso in there, it will be quiter, and it wil add to your water volume. If you do make covers and paint it black, it will act as a place for beneficiall spnges to grow, a "dark, high flow fuge" if you will. Not saying it will replace a real fuge, but every little bit helps XD
I aslo reccomend painting the back black, it looks very clean once finished and makes colours stand out a bit more.
cool. I had to look up loc-line to figure out what it was but I have been worndering for some time what loc-line was. People have it in all their reef tanks yet my LFS doesnt carry it! Stupid LFS.
also I was on ebay and saw an 800GPH sub. pond pump (at 12ft lift) and was curious if the little giant 770 and the 800 gph together could do the job or if I should just sell the 770/keep as a back up and buy one big pump? If I should just buy one big one any ideas how big it may need to be?
Finally got my BIG tank 
) with a stand, return pump, and a used 
. I guess there are things in life that are better big. Anyway, I know my wife wont share my excitement and I thought you all would! So, hurray! Go me! Thank you Jesus! (I'm pretty happy) I guess my tang will have some swimming room now...heck I could even swim with him...
but your forgetting about pictures 
icon under their name to add to their reputation. 
this is the tank from the back. Where it is in my apt right now makes it impossible to get a view from the front.
I found this to be an odd overflow. It is a custom built all glass tank but I dont understand how the overflows work exactly. I am thinking of glueing some notched plastic to the inside of the overflows to be more of a surface skimming overflow. Anyone ever encountered something like this?
this is the view of one of the overflows from above. Flat glass...a bit confusing to me. 
The inside of the overflow. It has 2 bulkheads for each overflow...why?
