150 Gallon Fresh Start

Seek&Reef

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PRELUDE​

So I recently bought a setup from someone local who is moving and upgrading to a larger tank. He had the system running for a year. I ran into quite a few issues. First off we moved the tank and I did not clean the sand before setting it back up (rookie move). From that point, I ran into issues with high phosphates constantly. My Hannah ULR was pegging out at .90. This lead to a massive cyanobacteria problem. I mistakenly rushed into trying to get a refugium running, adding tons of CUC, and making decision after decision into fixing issues to get by. I finally decided that I was trying to make this tank into what I envisioned with a start that I wouldn't have done personally. I also was not happy with my choices in aquascaping already cycled wet rock. So I tore down my tank and sold all livestock to good homes. This was the tank and stand when I tore it down.
2.jpg


THE NEW Beginning
I asked my dad to help me with building a new stand. He makes tons of awesome furniture out of metal. So we started on this project the week of Christmas. We had a built-in bookshelf at my house that my wife graciously let me use as the new site for the tank. This is what it looked like before, it had shelves and cabinet doors but I forgot to take a picture before I took those off.
1.jpg


From here we did all the demo and ran two dedicated 20 amp GFI outlets. There was also lighting above that we removed and put an outlet up there as well for future tank lighting. We also cut holes in the back wall for fans to blow the humid air in the enclosed sump area into the garage.
3.jpg


We were now able to start the building process of the new stand and shelves. We used 2" square tubing 1/8" thickness for the entire metal framing. We then built the cabinet doors with wood trim and plywood since we wanted to paint instead of stain. The shelves we used stain grade glued wood and stained it dark to match the support beams of the house. For display tank and sump support, we used 3/4" plywood and the soft matting from BRS. I will just put all the progress pictures and if anyone has questions feel free to ask.
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The beauty of this build is that the garage is directly behind the back wall. I will be posting updates periodically. But the plan is to have PVC plumbing running from my RO and saltwater containers into the sump area that will be controllable via switch-controlled surge protectors in the sump area. I am also going to install a pump in my sump with PVC running into the garage where I have my drain for my ac unit. This will allow me to quickly perform top-offs and water changes.


Currently I have the following equipment:
  • 150 Gallon Aquarium 60"L x 24" D x 24"H
  • Triton 40 Gallon Sump
  • Jebao DC 15000 Return Pump
  • (2) Jebao RW-8 Wavemakers
  • Eheim Jager 300 watt Heater
  • Micmol G1 Aqua Air for 60" tank
  • Simplicity Protein Skimmer
  • 180lbs Caribsea Live Rock
  • Sand (unsure of brand and amount)
I am going to continue running the return pump, wavemakers, heater, skimmer, and possibly sand. I have purchased 100 lbs of dry rock so far from KP Aquatics and BRS. The plan is to purchase another 90 lbs in the next week or so and design an HNSA design aquascape. I will then cycle it already built in a tote (no bottle-bac) until I can purchase all my equipment.

The equipment I am wanting:
  • 48" Sunpower 6 bulb
  • (2) Icecap 2k Gyres
  • QT tank and equipment for Coral and Inverts
  • Tunze 3155 ATO
  • UV (undecided on brand/model)
After I have all of this and it's installed I will then order 15-30lbs of KP Aquatics Premium Live rock to seed my ecosystem. I will "quarantine" the live rock in my display with no sand or other rock for a month or two to minimize unwanted pests but keep quality flow and light on the rock. Once complete I will add my now cycled dry rock and sand and order some fish from TSM or Dr. Reef.

SUPER PUMPED FOR THIS!!!

Huge shout out to @brandon429 for all the advice he has given me the last month or two. 16.jpg
 

brandon429

why did you put a reef in that
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This build is going fantastic how neat to have a fabrication building attached!
 
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Seek&Reef

Seek&Reef

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Stocking List is finalized I think. Fish will be added in this order:
  1. Pair of Clowns - 1st
  2. Exquisite Fairy Wrasse - 2nd
  3. Yellow Wrasse - 2nd
  4. Melanurus Wrasse - 2nd
  5. Pair Watanabei Angels - 3rd
  6. Lavender Tang - 4th
  7. Tomini Tang - 4th
  8. Purple Tang - 5th LAST
 
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Seek&Reef

Seek&Reef

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Started the HNSA build. Measured tank and made cardboard copy. Marked 2" from glass and overflow with black tape and built PVC for reference and marked rule of thirds with yarn. Then started the build with BRS foundation pieces (2 large and 3 medium), 90 lbs KP Aquatics dry rock. I ended up using one large bottle of the BRS thick glue, 3 of the small spray accelerators, 1 bucket of the gray Marco cement, and two tubes of the 14oz aquasticks epoxy. Finished all the cement and epoxy last night. Waiting on the large bottle of Glue Masters ultra-thin to come in so I can cover the cement and epoxy joints with the glue and dry rock dust.

Company reviews so far:
  1. KP Aquatics Dry Rock - AMAZING rock. Happy to support KP any chance I get. Great company and customer service.
  2. BRS - Always get what you expect. We all know lol.
  3. Marco Foundation Rock - Solid rock, large pieces are way larger than medium. Will definitely always use those for complicated aquascapes
  4. Glue Masters - haven't received the product. The order shipped almost a week after ordering. They got back with me and were just backlogged. Completely understandable. Seem like good people/company.
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Seek&Reef

Seek&Reef

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Update 01/30/22​

The rock is in the tank and filled up!
Aquascape.jpg

Sump Floor View.jpg

Sump Equipment.jpg


I designed my system to make things super easy for maintenance. With the wall behind the tank being my garage and hot water heater closet it made things super convenient.
Switch Control Explained.jpg

7 Stage RODI
RO System.jpg

Mixing Layout.jpg

Mixing Station Plumbing Explained.jpg

Fan Explained.jpg

WC Pump Explained.jpg

Waste Water Explained.jpg
 
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Update 02/09/22​

Added roughly 100lbs of washed Caribsea Special Grade Dry(rinsed) and 20lbs of Caribsea Ocean Direct Original(not rinsed). I waited for 24 hours to clear up, then added the first dose of Aquaforest Lifesource. I saw the BRSTV videos of testing the "biome" of start-up tanks through @AquaBiomics. The Caribsea Ocean Direct and AF Lifesource really gave a good diversity alone, so I combined them till I can add even more diversity through KP Aquatics Aquacultured rock.

Once I can get my QT light in then I will order the KP rock and start the QT on it for unwanted hitchhikers. Then order my DT light and gyres, then finally the clown pair and beginner corals! Does anyone have a spare $2k;Facepalm? Only kidding... Kinda lol

Sand Added.jpg
 
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Update 02/22/22​

Looks like the tank has finally cycled. Nitrate is 40ppm, water change down to 25. Thinking about dosing phosphates as the dry rock is soaking all of it up.

KP Aquatics 15lbs premium in water is scheduled for today! Will post updates of those goodies
 

Freenow54

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PRELUDE​

So I recently bought a setup from someone local who is moving and upgrading to a larger tank. He had the system running for a year. I ran into quite a few issues. First off we moved the tank and I did not clean the sand before setting it back up (rookie move). From that point, I ran into issues with high phosphates constantly. My Hannah ULR was pegging out at .90. This lead to a massive cyanobacteria problem. I mistakenly rushed into trying to get a refugium running, adding tons of CUC, and making decision after decision into fixing issues to get by. I finally decided that I was trying to make this tank into what I envisioned with a start that I wouldn't have done personally. I also was not happy with my choices in aquascaping already cycled wet rock. So I tore down my tank and sold all livestock to good homes. This was the tank and stand when I tore it down.
2.jpg


THE NEW Beginning
I asked my dad to help me with building a new stand. He makes tons of awesome furniture out of metal. So we started on this project the week of Christmas. We had a built-in bookshelf at my house that my wife graciously let me use as the new site for the tank. This is what it looked like before, it had shelves and cabinet doors but I forgot to take a picture before I took those off.
1.jpg


From here we did all the demo and ran two dedicated 20 amp GFI outlets. There was also lighting above that we removed and put an outlet up there as well for future tank lighting. We also cut holes in the back wall for fans to blow the humid air in the enclosed sump area into the garage.
3.jpg


We were now able to start the building process of the new stand and shelves. We used 2" square tubing 1/8" thickness for the entire metal framing. We then built the cabinet doors with wood trim and plywood since we wanted to paint instead of stain. The shelves we used stain grade glued wood and stained it dark to match the support beams of the house. For display tank and sump support, we used 3/4" plywood and the soft matting from BRS. I will just put all the progress pictures and if anyone has questions feel free to ask.
5.jpg

7.jpg

8.jpg

9.jpg

10.jpg

11.jpg

13.jpg

14.jpg

15.jpg

18.jpg

17.jpg


The beauty of this build is that the garage is directly behind the back wall. I will be posting updates periodically. But the plan is to have PVC plumbing running from my RO and saltwater containers into the sump area that will be controllable via switch-controlled surge protectors in the sump area. I am also going to install a pump in my sump with PVC running into the garage where I have my drain for my ac unit. This will allow me to quickly perform top-offs and water changes.


Currently I have the following equipment:
  • 150 Gallon Aquarium 60"L x 24" D x 24"H
  • Triton 40 Gallon Sump
  • Jebao DC 15000 Return Pump
  • (2) Jebao RW-8 Wavemakers
  • Eheim Jager 300 watt Heater
  • Micmol G1 Aqua Air for 60" tank
  • Simplicity Protein Skimmer
  • 180lbs Caribsea Live Rock
  • Sand (unsure of brand and amount)
I am going to continue running the return pump, wavemakers, heater, skimmer, and possibly sand. I have purchased 100 lbs of dry rock so far from KP Aquatics and BRS. The plan is to purchase another 90 lbs in the next week or so and design an HNSA design aquascape. I will then cycle it already built in a tote (no bottle-bac) until I can purchase all my equipment.

The equipment I am wanting:
  • 48" Sunpower 6 bulb
  • (2) Icecap 2k Gyres
  • QT tank and equipment for Coral and Inverts
  • Tunze 3155 ATO
  • UV (undecided on brand/model)
After I have all of this and it's installed I will then order 15-30lbs of KP Aquatics Premium Live rock to seed my ecosystem. I will "quarantine" the live rock in my display with no sand or other rock for a month or two to minimize unwanted pests but keep quality flow and light on the rock. Once complete I will add my now cycled dry rock and sand and order some fish from TSM or Dr. Reef.

SUPER PUMPED FOR THIS!!!

Huge shout out to @brandon429 for all the advice he has given me the last month or two. 16.jpg
Huge effort. Your dad must be happy. One suggestion if I may. I covered the inside of the bottom with plexiglass. glad I did makes cleanup a breeze, and protects at the same time. All that salt creep
 
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Seek&Reef

Seek&Reef

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Huge effort. Your dad must be happy. One suggestion if I may. I covered the inside of the bottom with plexiglass. glad I did makes cleanup a breeze, and protects at the same time. All that salt creep
That's not a bad idea! Next time I deep clean the sump I'll add some underneath!
 
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Seek&Reef

Seek&Reef

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Updated: 03/03/22​

I received the KP Rock. This stuff is gorgeous! It cycled in roughly 3 days with 3 30% water changes. Ammonia never got above .05ppm per Seachem badge.
IMG_4773.jpg


I QT'd it in a tote for a week just in case of mantis shrimp. I didn't want to risk a cracked 10-gallon Petco tank. Then moved it to my actual QT tank pictured below. I know it's not 10 feet from DT. However, it's in its own compartment in the stand with a divider that has an airtight seal. Best I can do with my house. We have nowhere to put another tank at the moment. Plus it's only for invert and coral as all fish will be bought from tsm, dr.reef, or marine collectors. On top of that I can pump water directly from the main tank to the qt tank and can pump wastewater from qt down the drain. So simplicity of water changes and stable parameters is my utmost important goal. It is also run off of my gravity-fed drip ato that supplies the DT.
QT Tank Location.jpg


The KP rock came with all sorts of goodies. I've found (5) micro brittle stars, pods, sponges, spionid worms, feather dusters, coralline, and a select few things I have yet to ID. I've moved 4 of the known 5 stars to the display as it is cycled now. The only things I have found on the live rock I've removed so far is a dead worm, a scale worm, some of the more invasive macroalgae, & bubble algae. I am taking the rock out every 4-5 days and going over it with a magnifying glass to remove select things. Once I am content with it, I will ad it to the display. Fish will not be added to the system till April 10th at the earliest. This will be 45 days for fish parasite qt.

Again I HIGHLY recommend KP Aquatics. They are some of the nicest people and provide a service for our hobby that is on the decline due to the surge of popularity in "sterile" "pest-free" dry rock. Next time someone says they bought "live" rock from a lfs that is just soaked rock, I may have to invite them to my house and hand them a magnifying glass to look at my KP rock :cool:
 
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Seek&Reef

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Update 03/07/2022​

I performed my "surgery" on the rock for the second time this weekend and found a few more things. First was a tiny micro-brittle star. Bringing my total to 6. Then a tiny pyramid-type snail, and lastly a CRAB! I was so pumped. Granted he is not a good crab. But he now resides in my sump with an extra rock for him to hide in. Unfortunately, I have found tons of some sort of Botryocladia (red bubble algae). I have not let it grow long enough to see if it grows out or grows along the rocks. Neither are welcome in my display so it was exterminated. I also found one strand of green macro that had the fern-type blades. I've left a lot of the green algae on the rocks but that one was exterminated in fear of bryopsis.

I ordered my CUC from reefcleaners and it should arrive this week. Bitter sweet as I am not wanting to restart my fallow time period for the KP rock. But welcome the help of the snails. I intentionally avoided hermits this go around and stuck with trochus, nassarius, astrea, nerite, and cerith snails. I also ordered a decorator crab for the sump. My 3 year old has claimed the sump and the rocks in the sump as his "tank". So figured I'd get him a little guy for down there lol.
 
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Update 03/15/22​

I discovered bryopsis on the rock and performed surgery on the rock and also sprayed 78degree Perrier soda on the holes of the rock with a 3ml syringe and 18g needle. Ended up flushing out another crab and mated pair of pistol shrimp(one with eggs). Then proceeded to add my clean-up crew to the qt tank minus the nassarious that went in the display tank for the sand. That night while critter hunting I spotted a 3-4" long fire worm that was caught and released into an undisclosed location ;) The following day I dosed 1 pill of ReefFlux into the 10g qt tank. Then spotted another molt of a tiny tiny crab. So time for more critter hunting
 

Mastering the art of locking and unlocking water pathways: What type of valves do you have on your aquarium plumbing?

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