75 gallon mixed reef medium budget build

Drewe · Feb 25, 2022

Scroll to bottom of page for updates on tank transfer to IM 75 INT…

My current tank is a 75 gallon mixed reef. Originally a 29 gallon super budget softie build from around 4 years ago has morphed into a medium budget 75 gallon living room display tank.

I've had fresh water tanks since I was 10 years old. I'm pushing 30 now and realizing that there have been very few moments in my life where I haven't had a tank of some sort.

The current iteration of this tank has been up and running for 14 months, give or take.

This tank used to be softie/leather dominated but as my budget/career has gotten larger and higher paying I began to transition into SPS and LPS. Instead of black boxes I now have kessils. Instead of manual top offs I have an ATO. Instead of of HOB filtration I now have a sump. Instead of 25% water changes I now have 10% water changes, a skimmer, refugium and filter socks.

We're planning on moving this tank about 6 feet to the left in the coming weeks, expecting it to be a full day affair. I'm using this opportunity to call the move a "reset" of sort. There is nothing wrong with the tank parasite wise, no weird issues with parameters, but there are some aquascape and inhabitant changes that I would like to make during the move.

Parameters:
SG - 1.025-1.026
Nitrate: 5
Phosphate: 0.04
Calcium: 450
Alkalinity: 8-9

I test alkalinity at least 3 times per week, lately once a day. Nitrate gets tested once a week along with phosphates. Magnesium gets tested once a month or so and it's always around 1300ppm. Calcium rarely gets tested as I believe alkalinity is far more important.

I have an apex for monitoring and control and when I decide that the tank will majorly benefit with auto-testing I'll invest in a Trident.
For dosing I keep it simple. Kalkwasser in the ATO for maintaining levels and 2 part only if alkalinity strays.

Livestock:
Pair of Saddleback clowns (had for 3.5 years)
3 blue/green chromis (1 year)
Yellow Eyed Cole Tang (2.5 years)

Coral:
Purple stylophora
Green hammer
Black/purple torch
Several monti caps
Birds nest
Zoanthids
Several lepto frags
Candy Canes
Poccilipora
stray xenia, GSP, invasive bright green palys

All the coral I have has grown from little frags over the last 12-18 months.

Equipment:

Two Kessil A360s

Eshopps S cone 150 skimmer

Jebao return pump

Jebao powerheads x3

20 gallon long DIY sump

Amazon special par26 refugium light

I got super busy with work and home renovations that the tank suffered a bit over the past 4 months, losing a few SPS including a decently large orange digi colony.

It is my intention to use this build thread and subsequent updates as a bit of a journal as well as to give myself motivation to keep the tank clean and in tip top shape for myself and my wife to enjoy.

blaxsun · Feb 26, 2022

Good luck with the tank relocation!

Fishfreak2009 · Feb 26, 2022

75 gallons are great tanks. They are the perfect size for a smaller display that still gives you room for more than 2 or 3 little fish.

Drewe · Feb 26, 2022

Fishfreak2009 said:
75 gallons are great tanks. They are the perfect size for a smaller display that still gives you room for more than 2 or 3 little fish.

Thank you! We considered upgrading to a 120 instead of just moving the tank over a few feet but we're planning on moving to have more room for an eventual kid within the next 2 years and will likely upgrade then.

Drewe · Feb 26, 2022

In preparation for the tank move I went ahead and replumbed the overflow.

The fish in this tank have seen everything from a power filter and HOB skimmer, to a DIY PVC overflow to an Eshopps HOB. It was using a Pf-800 but I was suffering from occasional noise issues. I upgraded to a Pf-1000 which has two 1" bulkheads instead of a single.

I'm running it as a Herbie style with one of the drains at full siphon and the other as the emergency. Completely silent and definitely higher flow, but I didn't need the flow, just a nice to have I suppose.

Drewe · Feb 27, 2022

A Birdsnest frag I've had for awhile on the frag rack has finally grown out enough to not look completely silly on the live rock.

aquaman3680 · Feb 27, 2022

Great looking tank! Good luck with the move!

Drewe · Mar 10, 2022

Thought I'd post some photos I took tonight about an hour before lights out

Pest xenia is being trimmed this weekend. I was hoping the BTA there would hold it back but it's done nothing at all.

Drewe · Mar 21, 2022

Had to show a buddy of mine a video of my filtration setup and thought I'd update this thread.

Super simple and super duper budget. Water drains to the sock, goes through the skimmer and then onto refugium powered by a super budget PAR26(?) Amazon special light.

The light and refugium is perfectly capable of keeping my nitrates around where I want them (10ish, no more than 20) but it's definitely not capable of preventing algae growth in the DT. Would probably need a designer light for that, this Amazon one can't keep up with multiple A360s on the tank.

Almost time to trim the chaeto too

MUB · Oct 11, 2022

Any updates on your tank? How are the lights performing?

Drewe · Oct 11, 2022

MUB said:
Any updates on your tank? How are the lights performing?

I can type up an update and get some photos up tomorrow. Tank is running great and the lights are performing as expected!

Dealing with a xenia outbreak and a bit of bubble algae but other than that everything is growing and happy

Drewe · Jun 10, 2023

Just a quick update here - we're finally moving this tank! Except we're actually swapping it with a 75 INT. I've got some new dry marco rock cycling in a brute. Most of the equipment is staying the same, but I'm changing the way dosing works. Going to be using All for Reef on a single head pump.

The reason I'm cycling new rock is because I'm tired of pulling Xenia off of rocks every 3 days to keep it from smothering stuff. I'm also still going to be using a 20 gallon DIY sump, but I bought another 20 long and a new baffle kit to change the dimensions a little bit. A bit smaller of a refugium and more room in the skimmer chamber so I can fit a reactor if I want down the line. Pics coming once the stand is built and I'm setting up the plumbing.

Drewe · Jun 12, 2023

Got this bad boy inside...somehow. Anyone have any ideas on how to lift this thing up from the ground and onto the stand? Weighs about 200lbs according to Innovative Marine. It's difficult to even get fingers under it. My wife and I got it inside with the help of a dolly but it was a struggle. Worried about damage to the seams if we pick it up wrong.

Jim Gomoll · Jun 12, 2023

Planning on moving soon. Watched many videos. Seen and suggested you get a set of suction cup lifters.
Amazon has many options.

Drewe · Jun 12, 2023

Jim Gomoll said:
Planning on moving soon. Watched many videos. Seen and suggested you get a set of suction cup lifters.
Amazon has many options.

I saw those! Have you used them? They really sketch me out lol

Drewe · Jun 17, 2023

Almost ready to go up…..

I opted for the non-reef ready plumbing system and sump but IM has sent me the already assembled plumbing anyway, but no sump. Unfortunately the instructions that came with it are tailored to their prebuilt sump product. it’s going to take some of my white collar desk job plumbing expertise to reverse engineer it to get it to work with my sump.

I did go to Lowe’s and buy plumbing supplies already so I have that in case I scrap the preassembled pieces.

Please ignore the mess - the entire downstairs portion of my house is filled with brute buckets mixing water and rocks. Wife is thrilled about this part btw.

I’ve had new rocks cycling in a brute for 2 months with bacteria and ghost feeding. It’s showing nitrates so I’m going to assume it’s good to go.

Thanks to @Jim Gomoll for the suction cup suggestion! We tested them on a 60 gallon tank for freshwater and I’m confident they’ll hold.

Drewe · Jun 17, 2023

Having to get VERY creative with the plumbing that was sent with this. I’m half tempted to just scrap it and DIY it.

Drewe · Jun 17, 2023

Plumbing mostly done and leak tested on the drains. No leaks first go! Not bad. I'm tempted to spray paint those E drains before I glue them into a union just for appearances sake but seeing as the cabinet is closed most of the time it seems pointless. The return tubing has been trimmed and I added an elbow to point to down.

Got some water in and will finish tomorrow moving livestock over. Apex and all equipment except for powerheads (still in with livestock) has been moved over. Cord management is going to be a challenge over the coming weeks in such a small space but I've got some ideas.

Drewe · Jun 18, 2023

most of the colonies are moved over...have 4 more in a bucket with heat and flow while I figure out where to put them all! Water is still a bit cloudy and part of my aquascape came apart when I took it out of the cycling bucket after 2 months. Have to figure that one out. Gonna be hard to glue it back together wet. Fish seem fine if not a little skittish. They are at least eating as normal and polyps are out on everything save for a few ticked off heads on the hammer.

More later!