Hello to RC - My tank and new 150 build

Gilbert46

New member
Hi guys. Since I'm still consider myself a newb I'll keep my post here. My current tank is a 55g 18 months old. I had moved into a 90 gallon oceanic for 2 days before it leaked (I wanted to replace my hardwood floors anyways), and moved back into my 55. I am in the process of building a 150 mixed reef.

My 55 is equipped with an odyssea 4x54 pro, 20 gallon fuge/sump with a reef octopus 150 recirculating skimmer, koralia 2 and 3 with 600gph through sump, with a 3'' sand bed, 80lbs rock, softies and some lps. I've made so many mistake I cant even count, but the tank is beautiful and healthy, no detectable nitrates. I was overstocked but a 12 hour power outage took care of that :(

My 150 is well under way. I got a particle board stand with the tank which I replaced with a oak stand I ordered on ebay and built and finished myself. I have 3 koralia 4's and a pan-world 150 for return from a 40 gallon sump/fuge and a deltec pf500 reactor, 2 little fish media reactors for GFO and carbon. I will be using my recirc skimmer on the 150 till I upgrade to a reef octopus cone skimmer. Next major purchase is set to be a neptune apex controller. Lights are current 2x250 14k + 4x54 t5ho actinic. I've been sitting on another 150lbs base rock for 3 months total now to go with the 80lbs LR in tank and enough sand for a 3'' bed with a 6'' bed in the sump. Stand is done, next week or so the plumbing goes together and a tap water leak test in the garage.

After the 150g is running fairly well I have this crazy idea to make the 55 into a fuge type tank, with the t5 mounted high off the top and growing mangroves out the top kinda like a planted FW tank. Next I'll try my hand at building a frag tank.

Anyways here is a vid of my current tank and some pics of my 150 build progress.

Positive criticism is always welcome.

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In those vids - 5 chromis, 1 ocellaris clown, foxface, coral beauty, lawnmower blenny, six-line wrasse, baby 1'' blue tang, 2 cleaner shrimp, 15 hermits, 30 nassarius snails.

Yowsers I know, learning as I go. The tang went into hiding when I moved my tank and never came out, foxface died during power outage. I never did have a nutrient problem thanks to a huge fuge, throwing away a softball size chunk of cheato every other week, and my xenia seemed to enjoy it. I'm at a much more reasonable load now, ironically the chaeto and xenia have almost stopped growing and the frogspawn has grown 6 new heads.
 
great job!
i really like how you setup your 55 but as for the pulsating xenias they will take over your tank unless you trim constantly i have to trim all the time and they just grow like weeds
i liked them @ 1st but now they are starting to really get to be a pain!
they try to choke out everything they can they will not even start to touch my new tank i will leave them in the sump for fragging but thats it

anyways great job so far on your new upgrade keep us all posted i will tag along:thumbsup:
 
Great you started your own build thread. the 55 gal would make a great refugium although mangroves are a little over rated in their ability to uptake nitrates and phosphates from the water column. They grow so very slow. No comparison to having chaeto macro algae
 
Great you started your own build thread. the 55 gal would make a great refugium although mangroves are a little over rated in their ability to uptake nitrates and phosphates from the water column. They grow so very slow. No comparison to having chaeto macro algae


Thanks. My sump is a 40 breeder with 1/2 as a fuge, i grow chaeto in that for export and will relocate most of my xenia to the fuge as well. I've also debated a HOB fuge to drain back passivly for pods and such. The 55 would actually be a stand alone tank without a sump or skimmer, basically a brackish water type ecosystem with mangroves and a sand/silt substrate. I havnt been able to find much information on a tank like that so I think I may just for for it once the 150 is reasonable stable. It would be cool to recreate that tropical swamp type scene without the humidity or mosquitos.

Thanks, the tang was cute, but skiddish. She went into hiding when I moved my tank. I week later I lost power for half the day and sadly that did her in along with my foxface "Cap'Mo" He was my favorite. I guess a move followed by loss of heat and circulation is too much back to back.

Thanks for the input guys.
 
I've got everything to plumb the return and overflows over the next couple days. What do you guys use to support the weight of the plumbing. I dont wanna leave everything handing off the bulkheads and I haven't been able to find anything in the searches.

The Iwaki wmd40rxlt I got second hand has bad bearings and is god aweful loud, the little giant I bought for my first tank is too small. I picked up a panworld 55 and set it up on my test tank, thing is strong and near silent !

Cant wait for the initial setup and leak test.
 
I use zip ties to support the drain hoses. You want to avoid metal pipe hangers in that damp and salt creep area. Spaflex is easier and quieter than rigid PVC.
 
Are you kidding? That's better than porn for reef geeks. You can start an album in you profile with everything on your build.
 
Here's what going on, along with some tank shots since the new setup wont look good for quite a while. Plumbing, sump, tank, cooking LR, and my salty friends.
 

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more pics
 

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Plumbing is mostly done, I need a few more 1 1/2 elbows to drop into the sump and I didn't finish building the manifold, so its stopped at the ball valve on the return. Any input is appreciated. I used unions on all 3 major plumbing lines so I can separate the tank from the stand/sump when its time to move after water testing. Should see water this Saturday of possible later next week when I am done with my work schedule.
 

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nice work its looking really good
the only thing is ive heard of those check valves not always working or failing altogether you could run the loc line alittle above the water lvl and back into the tank with a small hole drilled out right above the water lvl and on the bottom of the loc line
melev did this in his tank he had some pics of it i will go and see if i can find them again to show you what i meant
 
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