125-gallon Peaceful Reef

Due to acquisition of two Marineland 125-gallon tanks, my build plan has changed significantly.
Current plan is to have a 125-reef with a 125-sump with the main chamber for a macroalgae display.
Screenshot of 3D-model of current plan (2021-10-04 16:06):

Spoiler: Previous post updates

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QT Update 2021-11-23:

Stand painted 2021-11-13 (now in my dining room 2021-11-20):

Living room FOWLR is being transferred to the basement:

Now for 90-Display/75-sump FOWLR for my basement fish room:

Spoiler: Basement FOWLR 90-Display 75-Sump

Last Update as of 2021-03-17 10:38
Floor drilled for plumbing down to basement "fish room" (2021-03-16 20:30):

Current FOWLR and in-progress setup photo from this morning (2021-03-10):

Backdrop outdoor posters received for mangrove lagoon and 90-gallon reef (2021-03-08):

Current Fish Stocking List as of 2021-03-11 17:42
Current planned fish list:
90-gallon reef:
1X Fiji Bicolor Foxface (Siganus uspi)
2X Darwin Ocellaris Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)
2X Royal Gramma (Gramma loreto)
2X Sharknose Gobies (Elcatinus evelynae)
1X Rainsford's Goby (Amblygobius rainfordi)
1X Orangespotted Shrimp Goby (Amblyeleotris guttata)
1X Bristletooth Tomini Tang (Ctenochaetus tominiensis)
3X Yellowstriped Cardinalfish (Ostorhincus cyanosoma) or Seal's Cardinalfish (Ostorhincus sealei)
2X Scissortail Dartfish (Ptereleotris evides)
1X Melanurus Wrasse (Halichoerus melanurus)
1X Engineer Goby (Pholidichthys leucotaenia)

75-gallon mangrove lagoon:
1X Purple Tang (Zebrasoma xanthurum) [already in FOWLR]
1X Rectangle Triggerfish (Rhinecanthus rectangulus) [already in FOWLR]
1X Snowflake Eel (Echidna nebulosa) [already in FOWLR]
1X One Spot Foxface (Siganus unimaculatus)
1X Pink Streaked Wrasse (Pseudocheilinops ataenia)

~40-gallon Sump Refugium Section:
2X Janss' Pipefish (Doryrhamphus janssi)
2X Spotted Mandarinfish (Synchiropus picturatus)

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Planned layout (shorter stand will be standard rather than custom-built):

75-gallon mangrove lagoon and 90-gallon display are both drilled for Modular Marine 1200gph overflows (awaiting setup and installation). (2021-01-21)

Stand Frame finished and awaiting skin, trim, and countertop (2021-01-04):

UPDATES as of 2020-12-07 13:00
Modular Marine 1200GPH overflows shipping soon, fish list being revised and researched, materials for stand are in my shop waiting for fabrication, most equipment is sourced and on-hand for progress over holiday break

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ORIGINAL POST
After being introduced to keeping a marine aquarium with the acquisition of a 75-gallon FOWLR from a co-worker as detailed in my post in the Meet & Greet forum, I am just starting the planning phase of building a 90-gallon peaceful reef tank.
Since I am new, I am planning to start with more hardy fishes, corals, and invertebrates. Research is one thing I enjoy doing, so I will be careful and patient in the planning phase to reduce likelihood of wasted expense and failures when I am starting out.

I already have the tank (48 inches long, 18 inches wide, 25 inches deep) and stand with an open base design that should allow for a sump. There are no holes drilled in the aquarium for plumbing, so I will probably need overflow over the top, unless drilling through the glass is a consideration I take. A sump with a refugium is very likely to be included (30 to 55 gallons, not sure how to size the sump? ...is bigger better?).
80-lbs of dry rock, 40-lbs of Caribsea Arag-alive Fiji Pink, and 20-lbs of Caribsea Arag-alive Special Grade are on order so I can get rockscape and substrate ready to begin cycling in the next month or two. I am in no rush, but I would like to have the materials on hand when I am ready to start this tank, especially if there is any pre-setup processing I need to do.

This is my initial fish list based on preliminary research, and recommendations for additions, subtractions, or changes are appreciated.
Listed in approximate order of preference:
2 of Black and White Ocellaris Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris)
1 of Purple Tang (Zebrasoma xanthurum) [I already have this ~4-inch fish that will be transferred over from my 75-gallon]
1 of Kole Yellow Eye Tang (Ctenochaetus strigosus) or 1 of Bristletooth Tomini Tang (Ctenochaetus tominiensis)
1 of Foxface Lo (Siganus vulpinus) or 1 of Bicolor Foxface (Siganus uspi) or 1 of One Spot Foxface (Siganus unimaculatus)
1-2 of Engineer Goby (Pholidichthys leucotaenia)
2-3 of Chalk Bass (Serranus tortugarum)
2-3 of Neon Goby (Elcatinus oceanops)
2-4 of Yellowstriped Cardinalfish (Ostorhincus cyanosoma)
2 of Blue/Green Black-axil Chromis (Chromis sp.) or 2 of Yellowtail Damselfish (Chrysiptera parasema) or 2 of Blue Sapphire Damselfish (Chrysiptera cf. springeri)

Some items on this list are probably not subject to change. My favorite fish is the Black and White Ocellaris Clownfish, especially paired symbiotically with Rose Bubble-Tip Anemones. These two fish along with RBTA are surely on my list.
The Purple Tang came with the 75-gallon tank I got and is one of my most favorite fish, so I would like him to be in the 90-gallon reef (at least until he may grow too large?).
Fish from the genus Siganus I find particularly striking and interesting, so one will likely be included.
The Engineer Goby is one of my favorites also for its coloration and resemblance to an eel. I am not sure if it is better to include two or only one.
The Chalk Bass is my favorite small fish and would like to include more than one.
The other fish are just considerations for different colors or interests if they can be added without overcrowding the tank or overloading the biosystem.
I really like eels, and my 75-gallon aquarium came with a ~11-inch Snowflake Eel, but it seems they are not good to add to a 90-gallon reef. Since I also have triggerfish that are not compatible with the reef, I will probably leave the 75-gallon as a FOWLR in addition to the 90-gallon reef aquarium.

Does this seem way too heavy a bio-load for a 90-gallon tank (probably with a 30-to-55-gallon sump)? Should I remove fish or can I add fish (either more quantity or more types) to the list? What sequence should I add the fish to best aid success?

I am not really sure which corals to include, so I am open to suggestions. I want hardy beginner corals at the start and will see where I head from here in the future.
My initial research has me considering the following, though much more research and recommendations are needed before adding any:
Mushroom Anemones, branching Sinularia, Porites, Leather, Acropora (maybe too difficult?), Star Polyps, Euphyllia (especially ancora)
Corals are one category where I am very open to recommendations.

Other invertebrates, such as hermit crabs, snails, shrimp, starfish, urchins, conchs will be included for clean-up, though I am also very open to suggestions in this area and will refine considerations as I make a more specific plan for the fishes and corals that are to be included.

Thanks in advance for any recommendations, especially initial reactions to my considerations. I know this is broad right now, but I will get more specific in considerations and schedule as I progress in my research. I have been reading a lot about reefing and marine aquariums online and in books and will continue to do so in conjunction with recommendations on R2R for a practical education towards a successful reef.

Current Aquascape awaiting cementing (2020-12-07):

Cemented Aquascape (2021-01-23):

33-gallon Brute can ready for pre-cycling rock, sand, and aquascape (2021-01-23):

Aquascape start-cycle in progress (2021-01-28):

Kind Regards,
Soren

 

[Soren]

I need to block out some time to make progress on this build so it is not just an added stress...

The stand fabricator took a new job recently and has not finished the stand. I can't really complain, because he's doing it as a favor for me and charging only for material at his purchase cost a few years ago. This is the first step in making progress on the build, though, so I hope he has time soon.

The rest of the fish in the quarantines seem to be doing fine despite my concerns with the recent deaths. Tonight I plan to do a water change after completion of the first PraziPro dose time-frame and have to decide whether to follow procedure and do dose 2 on PraziPro or to skip it to limit other risks such as low oxygen and pH... I definitely need to take some time to improve my quarantine and hospital setup so that I am prepared to respond to situations that arise.

My FOWLR is being neglected a fair bit right now due to other focuses. Saturday morning is cleaning day for the excessive hair algae and cyanobacteria as well as cleaning the canister filters (I do try to do this at least every 5-6 weeks). My purple tang is obviously stressed and hides all the time, but I don't really know the primary causes. I'm sure the messy tank and lack of other active fish adds to this. The only fish that is out and swimming most of the time is my green chromis (which is now the only other fish...). This morning I discoverd my eel dead and dried up behind the tank... I knew this was a risk since my screen lids did not cover the back 2" of the tank due to HOB equipment. I planned to address this issue while moving the FOWLR occupants to the basement tank, but this setup has had no recent progress and now it is too late to prevent the eel from escaping since he already did...

I've been considering limiting my marine setups to just the 125-125 and quarantines and not keeping a FOWLR now that I have no triggerfish and my eel died, but I already purchased a butterflyfish that would likely not go well with a reef tank with corals... I also really like snowflake eels and would enjoy buying a small one and raising it out. We'll see what is reasonable for me to properly care for.
I don't want to end up with too much and just neglect all or some of the tanks. I've got some time to decide, since I can keep the butterflyfish in a 40-gallon quarantine for a while yet. Maybe I will just limit my freshwater tanks a bit more to keep maintenance time available for the basement FOWLR, though the freshwater tanks seem to be running on very low maintenance right now while still looking nice (except for my cool-water tank with the weather loaches; there are 4 weather loaches at ~5" each, which seems to be too much for a 40-gallon tank since they make such a mess).

At least I can enjoy watching my fish in the quarantines. The red stop light cardinals were even out and shoaling this morning for the first time in my QT. I like this better than when they are hiding all the time, though it is kind of interesting to see how well they can hug a small hole in the rocks to stay completely still and "hidden", though bright red stands out a fair bit on light orangish-pink rocks.

Knowing there will be negatives, I'll just balance them with positives and keep on going.

 

[Soren]

Set-backs are hard...
This morning I found my ~4.5" purple tang dead in my FOWLR. I had planned this Saturday morning for tank maintenance and water change, but I was not soon enough... now my FOWLR only contains the 3"-diameter toadstool leather coral and one ~2.5" green chromis. I may not be replacing the purple tang directly, since costs are so high and there is still aggression risk. I'll probably just stick with foxfaces and the Tomini tang. The decision-making is a bit easier without the purple tang, but it is still disappointing that it died (and probably due to my limited maintenance? ...no other issues seem obvious).

This may set my plans to not have a basement FOWLR, though I already have an Auriga butterflyfish that is not reef-compatible. It will probably end up going into my macroalgae sump.

I just don't know that I have enough time and motivation to try to both set up and keep a 125-125 reef while also maintaining a 90-75 FOWLR now that I have no triggerfish or eel. Maybe sometime in the future I will have my maintenance schedule set up for my 125-125 reef and can consider the second setup again.

Somehow I'll try to hold on while making no progress and dealing with set-backs...

 

[Soren]

I'm starting to think that, while I make progress on the 125-125 build and maintain my fish in the QT's, I should focus my hobby efforts towards some house plants to help freshen the air in my house and to keep something for interesting excitement to avoid wanting to just buy more fish yet. After these recent losses, I am feeling both a strong urge to buy some replacement/additional fish to keep the excitement while also feeling a dread of just losing more lives and money to issues.

I thought I could be patient in this hobby to take things slowly, but recent events will certainly put this to the test!
Until I finish my house remodel and have more time to do things even more properly, I definitely think I need to take this hobby slowly so I don't just burn out over losses and want to quit.

 

[Soren]

I think I am starting to formulate a plan:
Since my FOWLR is now basically empty, my QT fish that have been observed for a while will be moved to the FOWLR in my living room as a QT. Since there is sand and live rock and a toadstool leather coral, I won't be able to dose copper or other non-reef-safe medications to this tank. As medications (either by disease appearance or prophylactic prevention) are needed, I will use the basement QT's as potential hospital tanks for medicating.

The worst risk I run is that I introduce Cryptocaryon or Amyloodinium to the FOWLR (which now basically does not matter, since the fish that will be added have already been in QT together and there is essentially no livestock at risk in the tank other than the toadstool) and have to remove the fish back to the current basement QT's. It is likely that none of the sand, rocks, or equipment from the FOWLR will be used on my 125-125 build except the lights and skimmer, which will be thoroughly cleaned before reuse, so there is very minimal risk to this plan.

There are a few distinct advantages to this plan:
1. The 75g FOWLR/QT will look nicer and be more enjoyable to maintain.
2. The 75g is on a stand at a good viewing height as opposed to the 40g QT's in my basement that are nearly on the floor on their respective stand bottom shelves.
3. The 75g is in my living room where the air should be fresher.
4. 75g is more water volume for stability and live rock will help with this as well.
5. Instead of viewing the 75g as a stress on my plans/time/schedule until I get it moved, it becomes my active QT with fish and therefore keeps my interest and attention better and will receive more maintenance. This is the primary reason it was neglected in the first place, since I just needed to water-seal the stand in the basement before making this transfer but I have pushed this lower on my list of priorities.

I know where some of my time on Saturday will be spent! In order to free the space in my living room for the 125-125 build, I will probably still eventually transfer the 75g down to the basement and may even set up the 90-75 system as an elaborate observational QT until my main build is finished and I empty the basement system.

 

[Soren]

I made some progress on the FOWLR clean-up and transfer over the weekend.

The fish got moved to my QT. I'm starting to wonder if it is actually a chromis or if it is actually a different damsel, such as a ternate damsel.

The rock with the toadstool got moved to a temporary bucket along with the mangroves. I added a grow light on a timer for the mangroves. The toadstool leather looks pretty sad right now, but I've seen the polyps coming out and have a reasonable confidence that it will recover fine once in my tank in the basement.

Basement QT/FOWLR Transfer Tank is in process on being set up.

I have to have this transfer done this week so the living room is clear for the 125-125 stand that I am picking up on Saturday now that it is primed and painted.

...and the QT/FW setups and my basement fish room looking somewhat cluttered:

That is all for now, but I hope to have build updates in the near future!

 

[Soren]

A bit more progress:
Even after all the discussion about custom aquariums (both acrylic and/or glass) for smaller QT compartments, I found 5-1/2-gallon standard glass aquariums on sale around $13 each, so I got 6 for my small QT's for better individual observation. I hope to have them up and running tonight since a LiveAquaria order for a few fish (scissortail dartfish x3, sharknose cleaner goby x1, firefish x3, black-axil chromis x4) should be arriving tomorrow or Wednesday.

For this LA order, I added the sharknose cleaner goby to have a 3rd to increase my chances for a male and a female for possible breeding opportunities to maintain a few in my tank, hopefully over years, but I discovered one of my first pair dead in the QT this morning with no apparent reason for death... I'll have to look into this this evening.

The stand for this 125-125 build is now at my house in my dining room until I move the remainder of my FOWLR down into my basement and open the space for this build. Additional reinforcement is being added to my floor under the stand to prevent concentrated loads on leveling feet from punching through my floor.
Since my employers also own a kitchen-remodeling business that operates from the same office building, I spoke with them about a countertop and will be receiving a "free" fake stone countertop from their past-job left-overs. My only cost will be for the time to cut to my requested dimensions. I can't complain about that!

Once these steps are accomplished, I need to drill the reef 125 for overflow and start plumbing!

With a 4-day weekend, I hope to make some more progress on this build at the end of the week, though most of my time will be spent on higher priorities.

...oh, and my Fiji foxfaces are showing some domination struggle every once in a while. Nothing major, but one chases the other a bit until the second flares its fins. The spin a circle or two, then go about their business. Hopefully I have a male and female and they successfully pair, but I don't know how likely this is and may end up buying 1 or 2 more to give better chances for a successful pairing. This will probably wait until they are in the 125 reef to allow them to settle into their new home first.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Cool update.

Is breeding a long term plan of yours?

 

[Soren]

Cool update.

Is breeding a long term plan of yours?

Oh, yes, breeding is in my long-term plans, but mostly just for sustainability and/or interest.
For fish like cleaner gobies with a short lifespan, I'd like to breed to maintain population (and because I think it would be interesting).
I'll probably try to breed and raise some clownfish, but this would mainly just be for interest's sake, since I won't have the dedication for a business or to compete with others...

My long-term dream is to breed Fiji foxies, but this is pretty far-fetched and improbable right now based on my experiences and that I have not read of them being successfully captive-bred by anyone yet. I'll consider this pursuit once I've weathered the hobby for years and have gained much more experience while still holding interest...

These are all secondary dreams to just keeping and maintaining a decent reef, though, since replacement cost is not that high relative to the likely costs of successful breeding.

I'd love to have the time and money to experiment with breeding at a larger scale, but I am too busy with work and other expenses, and I'm not going to quit my job over it.

 

[Soren]

Update:
Almost all fish died in my 1st QT yesterday due to some unknown cause. Survivors (for now) are only 2 stoplight cardinalfish.
Fish that died included 2 sharknose gobies, 1 scissortail dartfish, 2 stoplight cardinalfish, 1 chromis/damsel from the FOWLR, and 1 Auriga butterflyfish...
I found the butterflyfish sorely distressed after the other deaths before it finally died, so I transferred it and the remaining stoplight cardinalfish to the 2nd QT with my other fish before realizing this would directly cross-contaminate if disease was present... so now all fish are potentially exposed.

Current 2nd QT (ignore salt-streak runs everywhere...):

I plan this evening to transfer the 2nd QT fish over to the 75-gallon in my basement that is bare-bottom with only sponge filters and resin fake rocks so I can start copper and follow more specifically the QT methods as detailed by Humblefish and Jay Hemdal.

75-gallon nearly ready for occupants with living room 75-gallon to be added as sump and plumbed later (ignore the clutter on the stand, I've been doing and am still doing electrical and plumbing work for these tanks):

I decided to use the 75-gallon instead of the 90-gallon in the basement, but this is the stand built for my original 90-75-75 build plan.

Since I found them on sale, I added 4 QT tanks of 5-1/2 gallons each with 2 more to be added if necessary. This was just in time (intentionally) for a fish delivery from Live Aquaria to use up credit from previous DOA's, though only half the order shipped today with the other half delayed.

5-1/2g QT's:

New Occupants (2 of 3 firefish - 2 survived, 1 DOA; 1 sharknose goby intended to increase chances for male-female pair with my first 2 but now my only 1 after others died...), one firefish is hiding behind the sponge filter:

Spoiler: DOA Firefish

My stand for the 125-125 build is finished and waiting in my dining room for build progress in the near future.

 

[Soren]

Another part of the LA fish delivery came today.
Contents were 4 Black-axil Chromis, which are now acclimated into my 5g-1 QT.
My, but I do think they are beautiful! (...though the pictures are not great...):

This shares a disappointment, though, since I found both firefish dead... they must have had a rough trip, since I did what I could for them, including ~1 hour acclimation by placing the bag contents in a bucket and adding tank water every ~10 minutes. Maybe it is always best to buy from an LFS instead of shipping...

 

[Goaway]

1000 words and no short way to say it.

I hate dealing with saltwater fish. Wrasse are a pita. I would love another color of firefish to add to the dt. I think they would get killed by the current couple.

This hobby can be exhausting
Hang in there!

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Another part of the LA fish delivery came today.
Contents were 4 Black-axil Chromis, which are now acclimated into my 5g-1 QT.
My, but I do think they are beautiful! (...though the pictures are not great...):

This shares a disappointment, though, since I found both firefish dead... they must have had a rough trip, since I did what I could for them, including ~1 hour acclimation by placing the bag contents in a bucket and adding tank water every ~10 minutes. Maybe it is always best to buy from an LFS instead of shipping...

Let LA know. They should be replacing all 3 right?

 

[Soren]

1000 words and no short way to say it.

I hate dealing with saltwater fish. Wrasse are a pita. I would love another color of firefish to add to the dt. I think they would get killed by the current couple.

This hobby can be exhausting
Hang in there!

Yep, I always have 1000 words to say as I over-explain everything.

Dealing with saltwater fish has been up and down for me. I was thrilled to see the beauty of the firefish in person, much the same as I am thrilled with the beauty of today's chromises, but the losses are disappointing to say the least. If I could attribute it to some error on my part, at least I could learn and improve rather than just guessing...

I will definitely still be hanging in here with this hobby!

Let LA know. They should be replacing all 3 right?

Yes, I should get credit through LA for all 3 (and start the cycle over again spending the credit along with more money to get free shipping like I usually do...).
I'd really like replacements instead of credit, but I don't know how to make such a request.
For some reason, the website fails when I try to submit the claim, but I sent an email about the issue and the deaths/stay-alive guarantee. I will also send an email requesting replacements instead of credit in case that would work.

I may try again after downsizing the image. Maybe it is too large when it is a raw photo from my DSLR camera?

 

[Goaway]

DSLR camera

The files are usually over 15mb. The sony a6000 takes up to 45 mb files. I always have to resize the photos to under 1mb

 

[Soren]

The files are usually over 15mb. The sony a6000 takes up to 45 mb files. I always have to resize the photos to under 1mb

Yes, my picture files are usually 7-8 MB each.

Edit: ...and the LA website claim service still fails out after uploading the image...

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Yes, my picture files are usually 7-8 MB each.

Edit: ...and the LA website claim service still fails out after uploading the image...

Holy cow

 

[fishguy242]

is there no pick up phone and call them anymore ??
real question...

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

is there no pick up phone and call them anymore ??
real question...

Nope. Have to do a claim through the website so far as I know.

 

[Goaway]

Yes, my picture files are usually 7-8 MB each.

Edit: ...and the LA website claim service still fails out after uploading the image...

They are no longer owned by petco, someone worse owns them. Forgot who.

 

[danieyella]

Another part of the LA fish delivery came today.
Contents were 4 Black-axil Chromis, which are now acclimated into my 5g-1 QT.
My, but I do think they are beautiful! (...though the pictures are not great...):

This shares a disappointment, though, since I found both firefish dead... they must have had a rough trip, since I did what I could for them, including ~1 hour acclimation by placing the bag contents in a bucket and adding tank water every ~10 minutes. Maybe it is always best to buy from an LFS instead of shipping...

Firefish do not ship well in my experience.