Zoner's 150G Mixed Reef Build Thread

[Zoner]

After getting out of the hobby about three years ago (I'd run 29 gallon and 75 gallon setups previously), I found I couldn't stay away from it anymore. Every time my wife and I would go scuba diving, the first thing I'd say when we hit the surface was "œI want a fish tank". I'd told myself that if I ever got back into the hobby, I'd go bigger and better and be smarter about the setup (wanted to avoid the whole Brute trashcan in the dining room thing again). After a couple months of researching things and changing my mind several times, I bit the bullet and put in an order at my LFS for a 150 gallon tank with custom stand and canopy. While waiting for the stand to be completed, I started work on the 55 gallon sump and refugium tank.

Sump/Refugium

I came across a member post for a tank breakdown sale and came away with a great deal on a bunch of nice looking live rock, which resided in totes in the garage for a few weeks until our setup arrived.

Live Rock in totes

After the tank and stand were finally in the house, I started the process of creating the in-stand plumbing system and tying it to the set up in the garage. I ordered a 55 gallon Roto-mold container for my water reservoir and created an RODI drip system to fill it. This connected through the wall to my auto-topoff in the sump return. Now I'll never need to haul water through the house, I can just pump it in and out straight through the wall, no hassle!

Plumbing Underneath

After all of the plumbing work was done, it was time to start the fun part!

Filling the tank for the first time

Wiring the lights

Rock work after initial setup

After allowing the tank to cycle, we began slowly adding livestock to the tank, starting off with the cleaner crew along with some chromis and clowns.

Hermits

Next up was the first round of coral frags. After several weeks, the tank seemed to really be coming along.

New Coral!

----------------------------------------------

Current Livestock
Fish
- 2 black oscellaris clowns
- 2 true percula clowns
- Emperor angel (changing)
- Queen angel (juvenile)
- Blue tang
- Yellow tang
- Black cap basslett
- 3 purple firefish
- Green clown goby
- Flame hawkfish
- Six line wrasse
- neon dottyback
- 2 green mandarin gobies
- Lawnmower blenny
- Yellow watchman gobie

Inverts
- 1 featherduster
- 1 coco worm
- blood shrimp
- 2 fighting conchs
- peppermint shrimp
- 2 serpent stars
- Blue linkia starfish
- strawberry crab
- sally lightfoot crab
- Mexican turbos
- Nassarius snails
- Margarita snails
- Cerith snails
- blue legged hermit crabs
- red legged hermit crabs
- emerald crabs

"¢ Display tank: 150 gallon Aqueon glass tank
"¢ Sump: 55-gallon AGA glass
"¢ Skimmer: Reef Octopus XP2000
"¢ Chiller: Artica 1/4 HP
"¢ Reservoirs: 55 gallon freshwater
"¢ Reactors: Rowa and Chemipure
"¢ Lighting: 6 Bulb 80W T5 w/ Ice Cap ballasts
"¢ Water circulation: 2 Vortech MP40W
"¢ Apex Aquacontroller

Pics of Coral, Fish, and changes to follow

 

[Zoner]

Fish

Fish

Clownfish

Queen Angel

Emperor Angel

Left Side of Tank (before any coral growth)

Right Side of Tank (before any coral growth)

The tank after about six months of growth

Right side of the tank about six months later

Left side six months later

"Canyon" in the middle of the tank

 

[BigMike80]

Looks great!!! I'll be following how you setup the sump/fuge since I want to do something similar (I'm still in the planning/dreaming phase till we get a place big enough for the tank we want).

 

[bagz727]

does your queen angel nip you corals?

 

[Zoner]

New Rock Work

New Rock Work

After having this setup for about six months, I decided that it was time to change up the rock work in the tank. The two islands design seemed too crowded and the whole look of the tank was a bit stale. I wanted something that was more of a showstopper. I've always liked the look of the bonsai-inspired tanks, so I focused on creating more of an open, sculptured design. I settled on the PVC and zip-tie approach for building the support structure for the rock work. After moving all of the corals and livestock to their temporary homes in storage totes in the garage, it was time to get to work.

Tank ready for the new rock work

The PVC skeleton

Building up the rock

Finished rock work

Filling it all back up

The new bonsai-inspired tank

More detailed structure, coral, and fish pics to follow!

 

[Zoner]

does your queen angel nip you corals?

For the most part I've gotten lucky. She leaves all of the SPS alone. Unfortunately, any type of brain corals, chalices, or zoos that get put in the tank she usually has picked clean within a day.

 

[Zoner]

Looks great!!! I'll be following how you setup the sump/fuge since I want to do something similar (I'm still in the planning/dreaming phase till we get a place big enough for the tank we want).

Thanks BigMike. I have some more shots of the sump setup somewhere, I just need to get around to posting them.

 

[reefermad619]

I think the new rockscape looks great, but I think it would POP more if you painted the back of the tank.

 

[LaOtIn]

+1 on painting back

the new rock work was certainly the best move, looks awesome

 

[birdman1979]

Your rock work looks superb. +1 on the black background.

 

[Ben_Im]

When I saw the initial rockscape I was thinking to myself "Ehhh, would've done it differently."

Then I saw the new rock work, and WOW. That looks incredible. Totally transformed the look of the tank. Excited to see the progress

 

[Zoner]

Thanks! Black background is coming soon. Just installed new led lights, pictures to come soon.