James' IM EXT 150 Lagoon

james2662

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So I am finally building a new tank. Tank is ordered, though the original Black Friday order was the 100 EXT, it was lost and shipping and would have been late Feburary for a new one to ship. BRS has been great about it and let me upgrade and pay the difference for one IM had in stock. This is to be optimistic this one doesn't get lost.

I have an old thread about my 75 but I moved and wasnt able to move the tank itslef but I still have some rocks, mushrooms and the clowns that survive everything in a 29 gallon with a hang on filter and some power heads from old tank. Along with a bunch of the equipment. But on to the new.

I decided to go all in on the things that will increase the convenience of maintenance where possible and allow for expansion and add ons as needed as the tank grows.

Build list so far:
EXT 150 lagoon with APS stand
Fiji Cube advanced 30 (bought when expecting the 100. I still have the skimz sumpro 39 should I decide to go bigger now that it leaves room under the 150's stand.)
Apex El
2x DOS (auto water change and kalk reactor)
1x LDK leak detection and future sensors where needed
1x 0-10v module. Cant remeber name.
2x Cor-20 return and water station/back up
Extra EB832
Avast Marine Kalk stirrer
Vertex 130 skimmer (had already and it works to start with)
BRS 175 gallon/day 5 stage RODI with booster pump
48" ATI dimmable 6 bulb. Had already works to start with.
2x IceCap 4k with one controller and also the apex link cable.
2 skimz 9.0 dc power heads I already had
2x 55 gallon potable water tanks for water making station, sized and ordered for plan of the 100 ext. Will still work for now.
2x Klir 4" filter rollers with link cable for master slave configuration.
Tunze osmolator for ATO.
2 300 watt BRS heaters.

I am sure I missing few things on the list.

Tank plan:
Bare bottom, SPS dominate tank.
I have decided on Calcium reactor or 2 part when I start getting close to the limits of kalk.
I have already ran 2 new 20 amp circuits dedicated for the tank with GFCI/AFCI breakers.

Long term lighting ideas:
Keep ATI and supplement with one of the following: Orphek led strips, Kessils, ReefBright XHO strips.
2xReefBreeders 48" fixtures
Orphek all the way
Radions all the way
 
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james2662

james2662

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So I got tracking, the tank should be here by end of next week. I have to get one more plumbing price to finish salt mixing station, Lowe's trip tomorrow. Here is a pic of the sump as it sits everything I can connect or install now is done.

20210108_175049.jpg 20210108_175057.jpg
 
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james2662

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Salt mixing station done. I have added a "spigot" on the up pipe so that if I need one its there. Need to take an updated pic. I also have a one month old so I am splitting time.
20210109_184532.jpg
 
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james2662

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Progress of the stand. Still plenty of wire management to go. And I have to figure out best way to get help moving tank from garage into the house and on the stand, don't have many people close by to help. Lights are on to burn in new bulbs.
20210118_163250.jpg

Full front
20210118_163220.jpg

Apex & Control board. Side door behind it gives me access to the wires and such. Due to the wall it won't open all the way but plenty of room for that purpose.
20210118_163338.jpg

Full access on this end.
20210118_163607.jpg


Mixing station with spigot. I still have to put in R/O line bulk head for the saltwater barrel for the auto water change line.
 
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james2662

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So I have the ATO reservoir of a 5 gallon bucket set up to auto fill when it gets low, and the 2 DOSes mounted and connected to set up for auto water changes and kalk dosing pushing through the reactor.
20210126_175101.jpg

Today I also moved the mushroom rock and a branch over from the little hold over tank. I moved the bio block a few days ago. May or may not move more rock it had about 20lbs in it, they have been 'live' from being in my 75 and haven't been dry since so are 4 or so years old, may move and keep temporarily. Clowns and hermit to move later this week along with some Fritz on the way to help add bacterial diversity and ensure ammonia gets handled.
20210126_150441.jpg

And a current FTS as I went ahead and got 4 AI 32HDs and the mounting as the wife couldnt stand the T5 spillage. The cover pretty good and I can add another row later if I do fill out the back and front with more rock for sticks or add something else for shadow reduction when I get there.
20210126_172918.jpg

And a Side shot as that is also viewable so trying to make it interesting as well.
20210126_180011.jpg

It is a bit cloudy. I think it is a combo of rock dust and bacterial bloom. I have dosed some of the reef breeders bacteria powder as well. I know that is a lot of different bacteria, but I've had good luck in the past.
 
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james2662

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Figured I'd update this. New phone so images edited some. Seems to make it not so blue. Nitrates are 2.5 and where 5 but algae is starting so expected. Added a convict, powder brown and scopas last week. Tank had already tested as cycled as I had used live rock from the other tank and also added a bottle of fritz turbo at the same time just to ensure that there was enough bacterias. They are all looking good after a week and not bickering to much. Plenty of caves and nori to keep them happy. Also added an MP40 on the back to add flow below the gyres to keep everything suspended as there was some settling there. Its on reef crest during the day and lagoon mode at night.
20210204_173709.jpg

20210204_173328.jpg

New phone so cant find pic of the tang gang now. They are in the frontal fts just near the back left.
 
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james2662

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So found my first issue with the tank itself. I developed a leak on the right hand side return bulkhead. It was a small leak but it was fast enough I noticed the salt creep and an hour after cleaning it it was wet again and salt creep was back. I tightened it to the point I was going to risk anymore and so I took the water level down below the returns and found that water had gotten behind the black ABS(maybe pvc would have to go look at specs again) that is on the back wall of the tank. This allowed water between the ABS and rear glass and since the bulk head doesn't have a seal there it was leaking. I was able to fix it by moving the gasket to the outside of the tank and adding pvc thread seal to the nut so that it no longer leaks on the back of the tank... So far the left side hasn't done this but I will be ordering parts to do that side if it happens as I was lucky enough to have fittings on hand to redo the plumbing.
Over all still liking the tank and dimensions.
 
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james2662

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Going through the ugly stages. I did upgrade the skimmer to the Bubble King Mini 200. It is a little oversized but it is pulling the smelliest skim I have ever gotten out of a skimmer and no I only have to empty and clean once a week instead of every 2 days that the omega 130 was needing.
20210307_130942.jpg
20210307_130948.jpg
 

kenbennedy

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Hey I am looking at the INT and EXT 150 Lagoons, how quiet do you find the relatively small external overflow? Did you plumb your primary return with an open top (no additional bends/fittings)?
 

Cwentz758

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Hey I am looking at the INT and EXT 150 Lagoons, how quiet do you find the relatively small external overflow? Did you plumb your primary return with an open top (no additional bends/fittings)?
I have the 100 EXT and with the gate valve tuned right mines almost silent, I may get some small water trickle sound when my pumps do the wave in my tank if they’re up to high.
 

kenbennedy

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I have the 100 EXT and with the gate valve tuned right mines almost silent, I may get some small water trickle sound when my pumps do the wave in my tank if they’re up to high.
That's great to know. I was assuming the external returns would be louder without the standpipe style fittings.
 

steelythefez

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How are the Klir-4's working out with the fiji sump? I have a 100 ext on order and was thinking about a similar setup to save some room over the Trigger 34
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

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