IM 150 EXT soft coral lagoon and dartfish shoal

hart24601

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Starting my new build. Tank will not be here until late August but might as well get started.

here is my previous build - lots of info there! I will still use the downstairs Rubbermaid 150g stock tank sump.


Basically I got worn out of keeping sps and decided to try fowlr - maybe a couple softies eventually but mostly fish.

My friend found a couple used kessil a360x and wifi dongle for a good deal so I will use two to light the tank, while not a kessil fan for sps, fish only the shadows and glitter is great and will run them whiter for fish colors to be highlighted.

The 150 is 4’x3’ deep and 20” high. I think the 2 kessil high enough will be ok for fish only as their angle is so wide.

Since it’s not 6’ I won’t do any tangs except maybe a white tail bristletooth and am thinking it will be a butterfly fish tank with a goldflake angel centerpiece.

I set up a small tank and ordered the goldflake direct from biota that arrives today, I wanted to get one while I could and grow it out a couple months since they arrive so small instead of dumping direct into the tank once ready.

I am hoping to get most stock from dr reef and where I can’t will do ttm for new members except the goldflake since direct from biota

Will go old school with just 2 AC powerheads for around 20x turnover. Got a good deal on them and ac just runs forever and don’t really need fancy features for fish.

I don’t like sand in reef tanks, but will have some here with a sand sifting goby to keep it clean.

after having so many reefs I’m excited for the fish only!
 
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hart24601

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My proposed stocking list. Depending of course on what I can get.


Diamond goby for sand
White tail tang
Goldflake angel
Wrasse of some sort
Butterfly fish:
1-3 pearscale
Pakistani
Aruiga
Pereiwis
Teardrop
Black back
8 line

maybe a filefish too. Ignore the flame angel I decided to go with goldflake after I made the image comp. Same with the yellow tang, I just don’t feel comfortable putting one in a 4’x3’ tank. I know many people do, but I had similar size tangs in a 4’ tank and I didn’t think they appeared content with glass surfing up and down. The angel will make more use of the 3’ depth imo than the tangs that more like to dash.
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hart24601

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I ordered a reef mat 1200, it’s the 1st filter mat that seems like a polished system to me. I will use the legs and make a pvc stand for it in the sump. It comes today and excited to see how it works. I will temp run closed loop in sump since I have no tank yet but the sump still has chaeto and inverts.
 
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hart24601

hart24601

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Pearlscale Butterfly fish are beautiful— but I only had one at a time. I have no idea about multiples in a 150.

yeah it’s a bit of an unknown. I have read up on them and not a ton of info on multiple but from what I could see it sounds like they *should* be ok. If not I am totally ok giving the extras away if they don’t get along though. Fish well being is more important to me than trying to force them if don’t get along and I’m ok rehoming if needed.

Will see if this holds true from a care site:


This butterflyfish is prone to being shy if kept with other more aggressive tankmates, and it may then refuse to eat. More than one individual can be kept if they are introduced to the tank at the same time. They can also be housed with other butterflyfishes.

Smaller, non-aggressive fishes like cardinalfish, gobies, tilefish, sometimes other species butterflyfish, fairy basslets, fairy and flasher wrasses are good candidates as tank mates. Larger and rather territorial angelfish like Pomacanthus and Holacanthus can be kept together with this species. Also other angelfish like members of Centropyge, Apolemichthys, Genicanthus, Chaetodontoplus and Pygoplites also can be good tank mates.
 

Miami Reef

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This is so exciting!

What type of aquascape are you thinking? Do you use online images for inspiration? If so, I’d love to see what you’re thinking!

I think aquascaping is one of my favorite parts of having a tank. :D
 
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Yeah the scape will be a challenge as I always have allowed for stony coral growth so I need to alter my mindset. My friend just did an amazing scape so I will get some advise there and have started to look around for inspiration. The 3’ depth should give nice area for negative space and highlight depth but of course since it’s fish based their needs have to come first so I don’t want it to be minimal…. Yeah there is a lot to think about!

years ago I bought a couple ceramic really cool centerpiece but I don’t think that company is around now and the other I have seen are not all that neat.

I think the scape will be the hardest for me!
 

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My vote is a HNSA Aquascape!

Just kidding. I think the 3' depth will give you the opportunity to really play with the depth of your aquascape.
 
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hart24601

hart24601

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My vote is a HNSA Aquascape!

Just kidding. I think the 3' depth will give you the opportunity to really play with the depth of your aquascape.
Just got the angel! You want me to keep the box for you to ship coral?
 

monkeyCmonkeyDo

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That's a lot of yellow fish. Don't forget to mix up some colors.
It will spread and even out any aggression. Can't say I've ever seen a school of butterfly in anyone's tanks lol. Right on. Do it! Lol.
D
 

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Starting my new build. Tank will not be here until late August but might as well get started.

here is my previous build - lots of info there! I will still use the downstairs Rubbermaid 150g stock tank sump.


Basically I got worn out of keeping sps and decided to try fowlr - maybe a couple softies eventually but mostly fish.

My friend found a couple used kessil a360x and wifi dongle for a good deal so I will use two to light the tank, while not a kessil fan for sps, fish only the shadows and glitter is great and will run them whiter for fish colors to be highlighted.

The 150 is 4’x3’ deep and 20” high. I think the 2 kessil high enough will be ok for fish only as their angle is so wide.

Since it’s not 6’ I won’t do any tangs except maybe a white tail bristletooth and am thinking it will be a butterfly fish tank with a goldflake angel centerpiece.

I set up a small tank and ordered the goldflake direct from biota that arrives today, I wanted to get one while I could and grow it out a couple months since they arrive so small instead of dumping direct into the tank once ready.

I am hoping to get most stock from dr reef and where I can’t will do ttm for new members except the goldflake since direct from biota

Will go old school with just 2 AC powerheads for around 20x turnover. Got a good deal on them and ac just runs forever and don’t really need fancy features for fish.

I don’t like sand in reef tanks, but will have some here with a sand sifting goby to keep it clean.

after having so many reefs I’m excited for the fish only!
Softies - My last tank before moving has 4 different colors of GSP, pink colored hairy mushroom, anthella, pulsing Xenia, and bubble tip nems - all pretty much invasive corals and they kept each other in check. Loved the look and my angels and copper banded butterfly didn't mess with any of the corals. I think these corals were also terrific consumers of waste. I like fish much more SPS. Have fun.
 
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hart24601

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That's a lot of yellow fish. Don't forget to mix up some colors.
It will spread and even out any aggression. Can't say I've ever seen a school of butterfly in anyone's tanks lol. Right on. Do it! Lol.
D
Good idea. Although I did eliminate the yellow tang for a white tail tang so the only pure yellow is the angel but the butterfly do have yellow areas. I will have to think on it, the species above are the lesser aggressive smaller butterflies (over say raccoon butterfly or more delicate ones like coral banded or long nose). Maybe I will swap out the wrasse for a red fairy.

Of course will depend on what I can get in a few months when the tank is ready to go.
 
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hart24601

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Softies - My last tank before moving has 4 different colors of GSP, pink colored hairy mushroom, anthella, pulsing Xenia, and bubble tip nems - all pretty much invasive corals and they kept each other in check. Loved the look and my angels and copper banded butterfly didn't mess with any of the corals. I think these corals were also terrific consumers of waste. I like fish much more SPS. Have fun.
Thanks! Will just sort of see how is goes and what they tolerate. I do have branching gsp in a pico that could try at some point too.

I have a big laundry basket of chaeto with h380 in the sump so with the reef mat nutrients should, hopefully, stay in check.
 

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I'm sorry. Your list looked mostly yellow. The picture collage does have a lot of white fish. I think that would be good with all the different markings on the fish. Really.love those pearlscales. Excited for u. Lol
D
 
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hart24601

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I'm sorry. Your list looked mostly yellow. The picture collage does have a lot of white fish. I think that would be good with all the different markings on the fish. Really.love those pearlscales. Excited for u. Lol
D
Thanks!! Yeah the pearlscale group if they get along I think will really make the tank pop with the goldflake
 
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hart24601

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So I got in the reefmat 1200 today, since I use a Rubbermaid sump I measured the depth and built a little pvc stand and cut starboard top with a little ledge so won’t fall off if bumped.

Reefmat is legit. Very nice and easy to use. The 1200 is big, but I have plenty of space and only $50 more so why not! More fleece so should last longer.
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hart24601

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Since I have no tank yet I have no drain so I hooked it up directly to my return that I will use, sicce sdc 7.0. It handles the flow 100% no problem which at 0 head is 1900gph.

it’s not pretty routing but I will keep it like this until I get the tank and install the drains, might as well filter the water in there but I’ll turn the pump down to save power.

overall an impressive bit of gear
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