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):
1633381998455.png


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
QT Update 2021-11-23:
1637708990704.png


Stand painted 2021-11-13 (now in my dining room 2021-11-20):
1637101517926.png


Living room FOWLR is being transferred to the basement:
1637101589123.png


Now for 90-Display/75-sump FOWLR for my basement fish room:
Last Update as of 2021-03-17 10:38
Floor drilled for plumbing down to basement "fish room" (2021-03-16 20:30):
20210317_075944_E.jpg


Current FOWLR and in-progress setup photo from this morning (2021-03-10):
1615389109043.png


Backdrop outdoor posters received for mangrove lagoon and 90-gallon reef (2021-03-08):
1615302006600.png


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)


Planned layout (shorter stand will be standard rather than custom-built):
90-Reef_02-01.png

1607367517683.png




75-gallon mangrove lagoon and 90-gallon display are both drilled for Modular Marine 1200gph overflows (awaiting setup and installation). (2021-01-21)
20210119_202617.jpg


Stand Frame finished and awaiting skin, trim, and countertop (2021-01-04):
90G_Stand_02.jpg
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



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):
1607367614903.png


Cemented Aquascape (2021-01-23):
20210123_150617.jpg


33-gallon Brute can ready for pre-cycling rock, sand, and aquascape (2021-01-23):
20210123_150636.jpg


Aquascape start-cycle in progress (2021-01-28):
1612277606848.png

Kind Regards,
Soren
 
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Hey.... me too!
well except for that "College-educated" part. and the agricultural part. don't do that. and that "small company" part.
I work for a company under the former FCA umbrella, now since the merger with Peugeot called... well, I forgot. :rolleyes:
and that chemistry and plumbing and electrical stuff. not so much that either.

love nature, animals (sometimes on a plate next to mashed potatoes) and the tank is an extension for me from my past days scuba diving.

I started working summers at my dad's design shop at 14. went to college for a year, because mom thought as she put it "I should take advantage of the fact my parents could afford to send me to college.". I can still remember my dad's eye's rolling up in his head as he knew I would take "full advantage". what a party! after one year I decided against going back. I liked getting a pay check too much. so I been in automotive design full time since then. (1979)

mostly doing robotic welding and riveting tools now.
first aluminum ford f150 & f250... did a lot of the tooling on the bodyside.
latest Jeep Wrangler & Jeep cherokee bodysides.
Tesla Model 3 floor pan assembly. way cool job. 3 robots with lasers, simultaneously welding it together.
company I work for patented my designs on that one. I got a "nice job".:cool:

so yea.... me too.:p
Very interesting! These days, it's not much of an option not to go to college and complete a degree, even though it seemed that every time I applied for an internship I was told they wanted real experience! Maybe I just did not pursue it hard enough, but I never worked an engineering-related internship through college. My work experiences are much more farm-related before graduating from college (and some after college due to my love for it).

The small company suits me fine, though it has its own stresses different from a large company. I'm pretty sure I have extremely little interest in working for a large corporation, unless I just really needed a job.

My interests are usually too broad to learn much towards mastery, but I enjoy trying to be a jack-of-all-trades. Chemistry is interesting if it's not very in-depth, just basic-level. Plumbing and electrical aspects are fun for me to design for my reef setup, but I have little interest in having an occupation in these fields. I'll have enough to satiate at least part of my curiosity between the reef and doing my own house work!

...and I agree with the love of nature and animals (sometimes next to the mashed potatoes)! While growing up, I always had an interest in hunting, but my mother would not allow it. One of her uncles was killed by his son in a hunting accident (hit in the leg and bled out before help could arrive), so she could not stand the thought of her children taking the same risk. A few years ago, I bought my first rifles (initiated for defense of the farm against coyotes). I have no land to call my own for hunting, and I have had other focuses for my time recently, but I hope to be able to hunt some day (deer and pheasant are obvious options for central Illinois). I also acquired a caplock rifle at an auction that prompted an interest in traditional black-powder rifles, which in turn prompted the acquisition of a flintlock rifle as well. I enjoy the slower pace of black powder, the history, and the possibility of using them for deer hunting (all typical rifle hunting in Illinois is illegal due mostly to Chicago... except for coyotes, everything is legal against them up to Howitzer cannons! ...well, maybe not really, but you probably get the picture).
I hope some day to be able to taste pheasant, as I still have never had it to this day!

I've also never been scuba-diving (kind of rare in central Illinois, though my local community college apparently offered a class on it, or so I was told), but I would definitely be interested, and even more-so after getting into the reefing hobby.

Robotics is another area in which I have a fascination (though no time to apply it, since it is beyond my current occupation's level of needs). What you do sounds very interesting to me, both in the tasks and the products you get to work with! I hope your "nice job" came along with a "nice paycheck" at least!

Whew, long response, but I am at least text-walling on my own build thread this time!

"Spider conch, spider conch, ...!" ;)

DSC_0008 (1024x683).jpg
Lovely little hat! ...or is that his Sherriff's badge? Excellent photography as always, Simon!
 

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Very interesting! These days, it's not much of an option not to go to college and complete a degree, even though it seemed that every time I applied for an internship I was told they wanted real experience! Maybe I just did not pursue it hard enough, but I never worked an engineering-related internship through college. My work experiences are much more farm-related before graduating from college (and some after college due to my love for it).

The small company suits me fine, though it has its own stresses different from a large company. I'm pretty sure I have extremely little interest in working for a large corporation, unless I just really needed a job.

My interests are usually too broad to learn much towards mastery, but I enjoy trying to be a jack-of-all-trades. Chemistry is interesting if it's not very in-depth, just basic-level. Plumbing and electrical aspects are fun for me to design for my reef setup, but I have little interest in having an occupation in these fields. I'll have enough to satiate at least part of my curiosity between the reef and doing my own house work!

...and I agree with the love of nature and animals (sometimes next to the mashed potatoes)! While growing up, I always had an interest in hunting, but my mother would not allow it. One of her uncles was killed by his son in a hunting accident (hit in the leg and bled out before help could arrive), so she could not stand the thought of her children taking the same risk. A few years ago, I bought my first rifles (initiated for defense of the farm against coyotes). I have no land to call my own for hunting, and I have had other focuses for my time recently, but I hope to be able to hunt some day (deer and pheasant are obvious options for central Illinois). I also acquired a caplock rifle at an auction that prompted an interest in traditional black-powder rifles, which in turn prompted the acquisition of a flintlock rifle as well. I enjoy the slower pace of black powder, the history, and the possibility of using them for deer hunting (all typical rifle hunting in Illinois is illegal due mostly to Chicago... except for coyotes, everything is legal against them up to Howitzer cannons! ...well, maybe not really, but you probably get the picture).
I hope some day to be able to taste pheasant, as I still have never had it to this day!

I've also never been scuba-diving (kind of rare in central Illinois, though my local community college apparently offered a class on it, or so I was told), but I would definitely be interested, and even more-so after getting into the reefing hobby.

Robotics is another area in which I have a fascination (though no time to apply it, since it is beyond my current occupation's level of needs). What you do sounds very interesting to me, both in the tasks and the products you get to work with! I hope your "nice job" came along with a "nice paycheck" at least!

Whew, long response, but I am at least text-walling on my own build thread this time!


Lovely little hat! ...or is that his Sherriff's badge? Excellent photography as always, Simon!

I'm highly compensated. :cool:
pays for my hobbies, reefing, hunting, guitars, sometime wood sculptor.
put a Hawkins 50cal kit together long ago. I've never shot it. again with the chemistry and precise measurements of black powder. I got kicked from chemistry in 8th grade for a tragic (epic?) experiment. never went back.:oops:
 

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I'm highly compensated. :cool:
pays for my hobbies, reefing, hunting, guitars, sometime wood sculptor.
put a Hawkins 50cal kit together long ago. I've never shot it. again with the chemistry and precise measurements of black powder. I got kicked from chemistry in 8th grade for a tragic (epic?) experiment. never went back.:oops:

I threatened to take the chemistry teacher in to the prep room to show her I wasn't a "stupid little boy" aged 17, that was my last chemistry lesson! ;)
 
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I'm highly compensated. :cool:
pays for my hobbies, reefing, hunting, guitars, sometime wood sculptor.
put a Hawkins 50cal kit together long ago. I've never shot it. again with the chemistry and precise measurements of black powder. I got kicked from chemistry in 8th grade for a tragic (epic?) experiment. never went back.:oops:
The auction black-powder rifle is a Thompson/Center 50cal Hawkins. It is very fun for me to shoot. The second one is a Lyman 50cal Great Plains flintlock. I got it to have a caplock/flintlock pair for my own personal history lesson and experience.

It's a good thing for me with my varied interests that I have a head for numbers and details, though hands-on experience is still much preferred!

WAIT..WAIT...FOXY...SPBLAMMM..TOO...:D
WP_20160809_007.jpg
Nice job sticking to spblamming according to my personal preferences! I love your magnificent foxface and purple tang, and the dark red plating montipora is one of my most favorite corals. Oh, and I also particularly like that dark red mushroom, too.
 
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That is a magnificent fox face! :)

DSC_0020 (1024x683).jpg

that's Lo
IMG_3518.jpg

And this hits the spot.
14C0D174-BBF8-498F-9682-04C26FAF2152.jpeg

What are you all trying to do, make my decision on which foxface even harder?!? :p
I think bicolor is still my favorite, but:
Magnificent is just magnificent!
Lo is definitely not low on the list!
Onespot is spot on for my considerations!

We'll see if I can ever make a decision! (other than to upgrade tank size/number and have them all!)
My plan is already being reconsidered for the inclusion of a foxface in the mangrove lagoon as well as a foxface in the 90-reef...
 

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What are you all trying to do, make my decision on which foxface even harder?!? :p
I think bicolor is still my favorite, but:
Magnificent is just magnificent!
Lo is definitely not low on the list!
Onespot is spot on for my considerations!

We'll see if I can ever make a decision! (other than to upgrade tank size/number and have them all!)
My plan is already being reconsidered for the inclusion of a foxface in the mangrove lagoon as well as a foxface in the 90-reef...
If you love a bi-color. Go BI one.

Sorry, crap pic. He hates phones.
5991D58B-E56C-46A1-8201-070A2C69DA98.jpeg
 
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If you love a bi-color. Go BI one.

Sorry, crap pic. He hates phones.
5991D58B-E56C-46A1-8201-070A2C69DA98.jpeg
Yeah, it's going to be hard for me to be persuaded otherwise. Though it is hard to pick an absolute favorite fish, the bicolor foxface is certainly one of my personal strongest contenders!

Now I will just have to see if I can add to or rearrange my bioload to include another foxface in the mangrove lagoon after all this persuasion!
 
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After recent spblamm pictures causing me to consider adding a foxface to the mangrove lagoon, I have edited my fish list.

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)

I'm still not sure if this is too much or not, but I will save a few additions until last and add the fishes in a series of introductions to monitor for possible issues.

Input or suggestions on fish list are much appreciated!
 
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Have you seriously researched the engineer goby, the sand to the right is over 7 inches deep?! ;)

DSC_0008 (1024x683).jpg
Oh, I am familiar (from research) with the amount of sand they can move! I have no qualms with a deeper sand bed as long as my aquascape is tall enough to not get buried or have the caves blocked off. Thanks for inspiration!
 
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Another small update: I got my floor drilled for plumbing lines down to my basement "fish room" for draining and returning.
Behind 75-gallon mangrove lagoon stand:
1615992619418.png
1615992661587.png


In basement to drain sink:
1615992691389.png
1615992721320.png
1615992747980.png


The return line will be a 20' hose with quick disconnects that connects just below the floor above and down to the pump in my saltwater storage bin.

Also, for fun, here's a video of the current 75-gallon FOWLR focusing on my eel:
 
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