SCA 150 Phoenix build..

[madcanary]

Going to try this build log thing since i started new after losing my 210 to a rear seal.
i told myself i would only do a tank if i did it the way i knew it should be done. rather than just doing it because it works ok.
so a little back ground I've been reefing currently 3 years i started on a 29 biocube, then a 76 oceanic half round, then a 120 then i moved to a 210 which lasted 2 weeks and i lost everything and a 12k insurance check to repair the house. i almost quit.
so this is the phoenix build....

so my equipment list

3x Ecotech GenIII pros.
4x Ecotech MP40QD
Skimz SV223 skimmer
small Avast marine spyglass
sicce pro 1900gph - i have a DC Reef Octopus 5500 but didn't have the correct fitting so i hooked up the syncra because i had it as a backup.
2x 200w Cobalt Aquatics Neotherms
Apex Gold with various modules.
3x 1" marinepure plate
SB Reef lights sprite (refigium version)

 

[madcanary]

So tank got ordered from SCA black friday special, Steve is a great guy to deal with so off to Lowes to stock up on wood. Im going to try build my own stand. daunting thought, my DIY skills are pretty much cut it with a chainsaw and either fix it with duct tape or screw it.
i found a thread with some plans that seemed pretty much the standard so off i went.. trying to figure out pictures standby lol

 

[madcanary]

So i think i figured out the pictures, i added a end cap for storing electronics and keeping them away from any possible water damage.

i also think ill leave the stand open that way i can look at it and i think it will inspire me to make the extra effort.
I didn't think about making the stand smaller so i could skin it and it look seamless so i used some filler and sanded it to give it a clean look before painting.
i used 2x6 for the lower frame and used 2x4 inside that way i had a tray in the bottom i calked this and painted with flex seal instant water protection..

 

[madcanary]

 

[madcanary]

Ok sorry for the first part been patchy i was learning the system and how to upload pictures.
ill get everything up to date so far as much as i can been as its late.
so tank arrived...

I was impressed by the build quality of this tank thick glass polished and beveled edges and nice uniform seams..
I had previously decided rather than stack a rock wall i wanted a more minimal scape and i messed around with driveway markers from lowes and came up with this.

i figured since i had issues keeping nutrients in my old tank i could go lighter on the LR and be ok. i decided to pre drill for frag plugs since i had a fair idea of what i wanted to go in the tank coral wise. i also wanted to have sand bed because i always had that one coral i could have because i had no space or it needed sand etc.
Tank level in place, for sand i use pure white aragonite sand from eBay, its big enough not to move around and i like the buffering ability. i used it on my 120 a year alter without any water changes or cleaning it still looked good.

plumbing the tank with a return, dry emergency and a full suction line, bean animal i think?i went on to install my synergy reef custom sump. i ran one of their stock sss34 sumps i liked it.i actually picked this new sump in a trade and it fit what i needed i think its a 65 gallon sump, its big enough to fit whatever i could need and plenty of space for water should i have a tank issue.
my first attempt at real plumbing went ok. few minor hiccups but we got there. i have previously tried plumbing but ended up throwing it in the yard and running spa flex.

Glad i went with the taller sump height, not only do i have lots of working room my house is open plan so my tank is behind the dining room table and is tall enough to be seen eveywhere.
i mounted and ran all my cable trying to keep it looking pretty, and kid safe.
i ran LED strip up top added all my equipment and fired her up.

Forgot to mention i got my fish order in from liveaquaria, first time I've order online but i have no LFS.
my list
Pair of clowns
orange shoulder
sailfin
kole yellow eye
royal grammar
caribbean blue

i started the cycle using Brightwell Aquatics MB7 and ghost feeding. cycle took 14 days i tested every second day and never really noticed anything major, i did 100% water change after 14 days and added my first round of fish.

Everyone was hiding.

went to a buddy about 2 hours away to pick up some starter corals and stopped by Atlantis Aquariums in Montgomery Alabama. nice store and really healthy tanks picked up a hippo, cleaner wrasse, solarensis and a cleaner shrimp.

those has to be one of my favorite pics at the time of taking i did use a gel filter but the picture came out true to actual. I'm using schwinns old radion schedule on this picture i used it on my old tank and got good growth results.

time to test PAR ratings at peak day time using a biotech BTM3300

i had to order another mp40 having a centre overflow messed up me using the smart cycle with ecoback. i ended up not liking the location of the controllers and with a vectra on the horizon it was time to think of something else.

still need to tidy wires but am no where close to been done moving and figuring everything out.

 

[dreed]

How do they say it? Do it right or do it right the second time. Looks like you got it down here bud. Nice setup. I'm searching tons of builds to get ready for my 125 in wall setup. You surely have a good plan with this one. Sorry for the road to it but hey, we live and learn. You wouldn't be where you are today with this if you didn't have the before.

Keep it up and good luck!

 

[davocean]

Ha, I remember this tank from the SCA FB page, only a reefer will remember someone for their plumbing!lol
I like the purple and grey.
Looks like you are off to a good start!

 

[madcanary]

How do they say it? Do it right or do it right the second time. Looks like you got it down here bud. Nice setup. I'm searching tons of builds to get ready for my 125 in wall setup. You surely have a good plan with this one. Sorry for the road to it but hey, we live and learn. You wouldn't be where you are today with this if you didn't have the before.

Keep it up and good luck!

Thanks! Yeah my last tank was pretty straightforward but it worked. I see a lot of people making he same errors time and time again I'm just trying to progress as a reefer and learn more.

 

[madcanary]

Ha, I remember this tank from the SCA FB page, only a reefer will remember someone for their plumbing!lol
I like the purple and grey.
Looks like you are off to a good start!

Lol, yeah I tried to make a statement with the plumbing wife made the choice of pvc I have to agree it looms pretty sharp. Happy wife, happy life...... bought another DOS lol.

 

[madcanary]

So I decided to switch from BRS 2-part and acropower and no water changes to the triton method. Ordered another DOS and a test kit. I mixed my tank with Reef Crystals so my Dkh is sitting around 10.6 still negligible nitrates or phosphates. I'm going to use Fritz RPM from now on seems more inline with the idealTriton parameters.

 

[timnem70]

Used RPM for a while. Really high Mag like 1520 but at least that cut down on dosing and kept pH and Alk. Stable

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[2015GaTor]

Not a bad way to spend a $12K insurance check.....very nice setup, very clean!

 

[rlhanks]

Get ready for the big rush of brown algae to cover everything, that happens on every one of my new tanks.

We must have been on the same order because the exact same tank arrived today. You couldn't beat that price delivered. Would always have wanted to go bigger but one, I don't have the room and two, this was more than the wife wanted to spend to begin with.

 

[madcanary]

Get ready for the big rush of brown algae to cover everything, that happens on every one of my new tanks.

We must have been on the same order because the exact same tank arrived today. You couldn't beat that price delivered. Would always have wanted to go bigger but one, I don't have the room and two, this was more than the wife wanted to spend to begin with.

actually my bloom wasn't too bad lasted about 3 days.

 

[rlhanks]

Nice. I set up a Xmas gift 12g Nano for my daughter. It has cycled and with the live rock in there it is ready. The whole thing was covered in brown algae all last week and now that is gone. clean up crabs and some nassarius snails take care of them.

Are you using the plumbing given to you with the 150? Are the holes in the bottom big enough? My thought was to use the pre-cut holes to run a closed loop and remove the black gaurd. Two of the holes on the bottom will run nozzles low in the tank and add two more high with holes drilled at the top. I'll use some lock-line type ends. Then add a coast to coast overflow on one side and drill the opposite side for my two penductors.

 

[madcanary]

The only thing I used was the line loc and the bulkheads. I run a herbie style overflow so it's completely silent and my 4 MP40's take care of supplemental flow. Ideally I would have liked an overflow but the cost increase for the thicker glass wasn't enough to sway me away with what I know works.


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[rlhanks]

Three months later, how's this coming along?

Funding for this hobby is supplied by our friends at Generous Motors