150 Gallon with Fish Closet Build

FloMotion

New member
Hey everyone,

It's been about a year and a half, but I'm back! I plan on taking this build slow because I want to do it right.

Here are some specs that I'm planning:
SPS dominant
150 gallon 6ft display tank
75 gallon sump
Three 20 gallon tank fish tank rack (QT, top off, mixing)
4 AI Hydra 26 + T5
Reef octopus ss150 (may need to upgrade)
2x RW 8
Eshopps 5 head dosing pump
Tunze osmolator
Apex controlled
Natural gas generator plumbed into my gas line
Return pump - DCP 8000


I'm sure I'm missing some info but I will be updating this thread frequently and need to get to work:rollface:

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Very nice. I put up a 150 myself and now 5 months later I wish I would have done a 120 or something else shorter. I am 6' and cant reach the bottom. Using tongs for everything is a bit of a PITA. I do love the viewing of the 150. It looks much bigger then a 150.
 
I hear ya, I'm definitely going to need a step ladder to get my hands in the display. Plus the fact that the stand is 44 inches high for viewing purposes.

I'm trying to figure out how to design the canopy to allow for easy access. I want to stay away from a floating canopy because I want the canopy to cover the black tank trim/brace.
 
Very nice! Are you going to do a canopy or leave the top open? What about sand or bare bottom and what are you doing for flow?
 
Very nice! Are you going to do a canopy or leave the top open? What about sand or bare bottom and what are you doing for flow?

Thanks! I'm definitely going to do a canopy. I just need to figure out how to Build it so the display is easily accessible. As far as flow, I have two RW 8s and I know I'll have to update these eventually. I also plan on adding four of these to the return of my display.


https://vividcreativeaquatics.com/shop/12in-random-flow-generator-rfg050/

I plan on putting sand in the display because I'd like to keep a wrasse or two.
 
Keep an eye on the flow requirements of those rfgs. Do you have 1/2" loc line or 3/4 on your returns?
 
Keep an eye on the flow requirements of those rfgs. Do you have 1/2" loc line or 3/4 on your returns?

Thanks for the heads up on the flow requirements! I didn't even see that. I have 3/4 loc-line but it splits and reduces down to two half inch on each return. I could use one half inch or three quarter inch RFG depending on my return pump needs (which I'm still trying to figure out.

I'm thinking I'm going to have roughly 200-220 gallons of total volume including sump and future frag tank. Not sure what size return I should be looking at... I've read that you should have 10 x turnover but I've also read that some people like to slow down the flow through the sump for more contact time with the protein skimmer
 
BTW when did Photobucket start charging for image sharing?

Is there another service that you all are using to embed images?
 
Thanks for the heads up on the flow requirements! I didn't even see that. I have 3/4 loc-line but it splits and reduces down to two half inch on each return. I could use one half inch or three quarter inch RFG depending on my return pump needs (which I'm still trying to figure out.

I'm thinking I'm going to have roughly 200-220 gallons of total volume including sump and future frag tank. Not sure what size return I should be looking at... I've read that you should have 10 x turnover but I've also read that some people like to slow down the flow through the sump for more contact time with the protein skimmer

The FAQ provides a full list of GPH requirements for the various RFG Nozzles - just look for the tab named: How Much Flow does hte RFG Need?"
https://vividcreativeaquatics.com/frequently-asked-questions/
 
I've got a mag9.5 and a dct6500 (72%) on my 125 and think it is a good amount of flow after head loss, etc. By my calculations I was barely in spec for 4 3/4 inc rfgs.

I looked at the penguin eductors years ago and ran into a need for a high flow pressure rated pump and didn't pick them up, but ive been considering these ones on this system for "free" extra flow
 
The fish room is starting to come together. I also started on the canopy over the weekend, but ran out of wood. I should be deciding on a return pump in the next couple days.

Quick question regarding Plumbing. Does everyone run their manifold off of their primary return pump or do you use a secondary pump to supply your manifold?

 
Canopy is built, just needs a few coats of paint.
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Finished painting and installed dock cleats as hardware for the magnetic front panels. I'm not a carpenter by any stretch of the imagination, but not bad if I do say so myself. :thumbsup:

gA0zTFW04JSaRID12
 

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