I'll let the pictures do most of the talking as let's be honest that's what everyone wants to see anyways. 
This is my "dream tank" that has been in the back of my mind for over a decade when I first got into the hobby with a Biocube 30G. There has been a lot of planning that went into this and I decided to go for it after I moved into a house that I plan to be at for a while. It is meant to be a fully diverse reef tank with all kinds of corals, inverts, and fish.
Some mistakes I have made thus far that I want to warn others to be aware of:
When dry fitting PVC pipe make sure to twist it together all the way. Not doing so will throw off your measurements.
Double check all valves before gluing as well to make sure water will flow the way you intend to. I completely forgot one valve and ended having to splice a valve in the vinyl tubing which wasn't part of the plan.
Rinse sand before putting in tank or you will end up with a milky mess.
Install all sump cabinet lights before doing anything else down there. There is two reasons for this; 1. It's easier to work down there when you can see. 2. You don't have to worry about your lights getting wet.
Check for leaks not only in tank but in tank piping and fixing any before installing all your equipment. My overflow drain ended up having a minor leak and boy is it hell to work on.
This was a very strenuous setup but tonight I'm feeling good about the progress and feel like the most difficult parts are done.
The rocks were cycled for 4 months. I used 4 different bacteria products as I believe having thriving and diverse bacteria should be a key to success. Instant Ocean Biospira (was fully cycled in 2 days), Microbacter 7, and 2 different ones from Algae Barn.
The small tank is a brine shrimp hatchery to have some live food on hand for my fish. Specifically a Copperband Butterfly which I plan to be my first.
Side note: Reefbreeder's has excellent customer service with the owner responding to emails right away even on Sunday.
Aquaticlife also had exceptional customer service.
The Prostar Aquarium I think is amazing for the cost and a better option then Waterbox or Red Sea. Full disclosure I am dealing with a minor leak where the overflow connects to the first piping union but I think it should be fixable. Also this tank and cabinet comes shipped fully assembled and plumbed.
Ecotech has yet to respond to my email that was just sent a few days ago about a neccessary cable missing for the battery backup.
This is my "dream tank" that has been in the back of my mind for over a decade when I first got into the hobby with a Biocube 30G. There has been a lot of planning that went into this and I decided to go for it after I moved into a house that I plan to be at for a while. It is meant to be a fully diverse reef tank with all kinds of corals, inverts, and fish.
Some mistakes I have made thus far that I want to warn others to be aware of:
When dry fitting PVC pipe make sure to twist it together all the way. Not doing so will throw off your measurements.
Double check all valves before gluing as well to make sure water will flow the way you intend to. I completely forgot one valve and ended having to splice a valve in the vinyl tubing which wasn't part of the plan.
Rinse sand before putting in tank or you will end up with a milky mess.
Install all sump cabinet lights before doing anything else down there. There is two reasons for this; 1. It's easier to work down there when you can see. 2. You don't have to worry about your lights getting wet.
Check for leaks not only in tank but in tank piping and fixing any before installing all your equipment. My overflow drain ended up having a minor leak and boy is it hell to work on.
This was a very strenuous setup but tonight I'm feeling good about the progress and feel like the most difficult parts are done.
The rocks were cycled for 4 months. I used 4 different bacteria products as I believe having thriving and diverse bacteria should be a key to success. Instant Ocean Biospira (was fully cycled in 2 days), Microbacter 7, and 2 different ones from Algae Barn.
The small tank is a brine shrimp hatchery to have some live food on hand for my fish. Specifically a Copperband Butterfly which I plan to be my first.
Side note: Reefbreeder's has excellent customer service with the owner responding to emails right away even on Sunday.
Aquaticlife also had exceptional customer service.
The Prostar Aquarium I think is amazing for the cost and a better option then Waterbox or Red Sea. Full disclosure I am dealing with a minor leak where the overflow connects to the first piping union but I think it should be fixable. Also this tank and cabinet comes shipped fully assembled and plumbed.
Ecotech has yet to respond to my email that was just sent a few days ago about a neccessary cable missing for the battery backup.
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