My new 135 build!!

Jedi1199

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 16, 2021
Messages
4,597
Reaction score
10,229
Location
Mecred, CA.
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
As many of you know, I have a 55g mixed reef tank that I have been running for about 16 months. This is an exceptionally beautiful tank, and I am so very proud of what I have accomplished with it so far!

Unfortunately, as my experience and knowledge has increased, so has my desire to add inhabitants to expand my base. My 55g now has 16 fish and over 90 corals!!! I desperately need more space!

Today, I took a drive up to my nearest LFS and placed an order for a new 135g reef ready tank and stand. Also, ordered a new Eshopps R300 sump.

The new tank is an "Aquarium Masters" 135 with dual corner overflows. Stand is a stock prefab stand, unfinished. Sump as I said, will be a Gen 3 Eshopps R300. Identical to the Gen 4 AR300 for less than 1/5th the price!!

I have an old Bubble Magus curve 7 that I can use for the skimmer if I decide not to repurpose the current skimmer I have on the 55g.

The new tank is at least 2 weeks out, so I have time for acquiring the new items I will need. Probably going to have to add at LEAST one new A360X light, probably 2. I may be able to supplement with the old Wills 165's I have on hand.

Updates will be coming as the equipment arrives and I begin the transfer. I am so excited to begin this new build!!!
 
OP
OP
Jedi1199

Jedi1199

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 16, 2021
Messages
4,597
Reaction score
10,229
Location
Mecred, CA.
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
What excites me most about this new build is I will more than double my footprint! My 55 has 4 sq ft. The 135 is 9 sq ft!!!!! That is such a huge increase of space to place corals!

I can finally get the frags off the racks and actually place them where they can grow out!
 
OP
OP
Jedi1199

Jedi1199

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 16, 2021
Messages
4,597
Reaction score
10,229
Location
Mecred, CA.
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
BTW... the tank itself.. 135g standard, 1/2" glass, 72 x 18 x 22. Dual corner overflows. $700

Stand, standard 72 x 18 x 30.. $400

Sump, $100

Delivery charge $100

Compared to what people pay for some of the brand name rimless tanks, I am laughing all the way to the bank on this deal!!
 

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal

Just another girl who likes fish
View Badges
Joined
May 14, 2019
Messages
13,111
Reaction score
19,553
Location
Spring, Texas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
What excites me most about this new build is I will more than double my footprint! My 55 has 4 sq ft. The 135 is 9 sq ft!!!!! That is such a huge increase of space to place corals!

I can finally get the frags off the racks and actually place them where they can grow out!
What are the dimensions of the new tank?
 

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal

Just another girl who likes fish
View Badges
Joined
May 14, 2019
Messages
13,111
Reaction score
19,553
Location
Spring, Texas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
BTW... the tank itself.. 135g standard, 1/2" glass, 72 x 18 x 22. Dual corner overflows. $700

Stand, standard 72 x 18 x 30.. $400

Sump, $100

Delivery charge $100

Compared to what people pay for some of the brand name rimless tanks, I am laughing all the way to the bank on this deal!!
Ignore my last question, lol
 

blaxsun

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 15, 2020
Messages
26,709
Reaction score
31,131
Location
The Abyss
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
BTW... the tank itself.. 135g standard, 1/2" glass, 72 x 18 x 22. Dual corner overflows. $700

Stand, standard 72 x 18 x 30.. $400

Sump, $100

Delivery charge $100

Compared to what people pay for some of the brand name rimless tanks, I am laughing all the way to the bank on this deal!!
$1,300 is a great price. I paid more for my Red Sea, but it's also 200-gallons and thicker glass (3/4"). It was "plug and play" - which suits me just fine.
 
OP
OP
Jedi1199

Jedi1199

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 16, 2021
Messages
4,597
Reaction score
10,229
Location
Mecred, CA.
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Thank you Erin, For less than $100 and free shipping, I couldn't pass it up!!
@Erin1971Texas , It appears that I found a bogus site to buy my gen3 sump from. More of a bummer is I went back and ordered a 2nd one for a friend. I have yet to receive a tracking number for either one so I am really bummed about that. I will be contacting my CC company in the next day or so to either get the sump or a refund. We shall see how this goes.

On the positive side, my 2 new A360x TB lights are here and the Gen4 sump I ordered from another supplier arrived today! My LFS has the stand I ordered in the shop for 2 weeks now, just waiting for the tank itself to arrive.

I am thinking about asking my friend to give me a lift up to the LFS and get the stand home as I will have a couple weeks of sealing sanding and painting to do on it before I can get the tank wet. Rather get that project started sooner than later ya know?

The Eshopps AF300 gen 4 is a beast of a sump! The fuge chamber is 10 x 14. The return pump chamber is 6 x 14 (more than enough for the 2 pumps I have for it). And, the skimmer chamber is an enormous 13.5 x 16!!

Beyond that, the baffles between chambers are made from a non-transparent blue acrylic, so no worries about light overspill into the other chambers causing algal outbreaks.

Inputs are dual so it is ideal out of the box for my dual overflow setup. Large single 7" socks will make exchanging them far easier than several smaller ones (seriously!! why do sump builders do that???)

Included equipment is 2 drain hoses and the foam sponge tray that hangs between the fuge and return chambers.
 
Last edited:
OP
OP
Jedi1199

Jedi1199

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 16, 2021
Messages
4,597
Reaction score
10,229
Location
Mecred, CA.
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
$1,300 is a great price. I paid more for my Red Sea, but it's also 200-gallons and thicker glass (3/4"). It was "plug and play" - which suits me just fine.
I dare say you spent 4 or 5x as much for your tank, sump and stand than I did. I appreciate the allure of the newer rimless tanks, but I simply cannot justify the extreme uptick in cost.
 
OP
OP
Jedi1199

Jedi1199

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 16, 2021
Messages
4,597
Reaction score
10,229
Location
Mecred, CA.
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
$1,300 is a great price. I paid more for my Red Sea, but it's also 200-gallons and thicker glass (3/4"). It was "plug and play" - which suits me just fine.
I mean even if I have to eat the cost of the sumps I ordered from the bogus site, plus the retail price of the sump I DID get ($450) we are still talking about 700 + 400 + 100x2 (bogus sumps) + 450 for actual sump I have. That is $1700 +100 for delivery of tank and stand.. that is $1800 out the door for my new system. Pretty fair price IMO. add in the $1100 for the 2 new Kessil lights and I dare say I am STILL below your bare bottom price.
 

EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal

Just another girl who likes fish
View Badges
Joined
May 14, 2019
Messages
13,111
Reaction score
19,553
Location
Spring, Texas
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I mean even if I have to eat the cost of the sumps I ordered from the bogus site, plus the retail price of the sump I DID get ($450) we are still talking about 700 + 400 + 100x2 (bogus sumps) + 450 for actual sump I have. That is $1700 +100 for delivery of tank and stand.. that is $1800 out the door for my new system. Pretty fair price IMO. add in the $1100 for the 2 new Kessil lights and I dare say I am STILL below your bare bottom price.
It's not a contest
 
OP
OP
Jedi1199

Jedi1199

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 16, 2021
Messages
4,597
Reaction score
10,229
Location
Mecred, CA.
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
It's not a contest
True enough.. but I wish to make known something that seems to be a trend here. More money does NOT = a better tank. You spent $7000 on your tank, and however many thousands more on extra stuff.. and what did you get?

I guess, in a way, in my own mind, it actually IS a contest!! Can I achieve a beautiful tank for a fraction of the cost of what it seems most people think they need to spend?

If by doing so, I can help newbies understand that this hobby is best learned by experience, and not wallet size, then maybe I am helping improve the hobby as a whole.
 

blaxsun

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Dec 15, 2020
Messages
26,709
Reaction score
31,131
Location
The Abyss
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
True enough.. but I wish to make known something that seems to be a trend here. More money does NOT = a better tank. You spent $7000 on your tank, and however many thousands more on extra stuff.. and what did you get?

I guess, in a way, in my own mind, it actually IS a contest!! Can I achieve a beautiful tank for a fraction of the cost of what it seems most people think they need to spend?

If by doing so, I can help newbies understand that this hobby is best learned by experience, and not wallet size, then maybe I am helping improve the hobby as a whole.
Well, I indicated I paid more - but it wasn't $7000-ish more. The 200-gallon Red Sea 750XXL set me back about $3,500USD - which works out to about $17.50 per gallon. You paid about $10.00 per gallon for your setup.

Larger tanks are more expensive (stand, shipping, delivery, etc.) so it's not exactly a straight comparison, either. There are other considerations, too - such as the 3-year extended warranty I get with my Red Sea, and the fact that Red Sea fully stands behind all their products. So it's never just a dollar-to-dollar comparison - especially when you factor in things like build quality, etc.

In the end, I'm glad you're happy with your setup. Those of us who own Cade, Red Sea and Waterbox tanks are also equally happy with our setups.
 
OP
OP
Jedi1199

Jedi1199

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 16, 2021
Messages
4,597
Reaction score
10,229
Location
Mecred, CA.
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Update!!

I just got an email from my LFS that both the tank and stand are finally in. Made a phone call to the driver and should have both here on Friday!! I am so super stoked to finally get this build going!!
 
OP
OP
Jedi1199

Jedi1199

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 16, 2021
Messages
4,597
Reaction score
10,229
Location
Mecred, CA.
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
OH YEAH BABY!!!!! The new tank and stand arrived a lil while ago. I feel so bad for the poor delivery guy who had to help me place the tank on the stand to ensure it fit correctly, then take it back off so I can deal with the unfinished stand next week.

SO, the new tank is actually 3/4 inch glass for all the main panels. 1/2 inch for the euro-bracing panel in the top center. The basic tank the store has is 1/2" glass so this is an unexpected upgrade!! Wheeee!!!!

Dual corner overflows are drilled out nicely and they included all of the plumbing parts needed. Well worth the extra $200 to get the "reef ready" tank upgrade!!! JUST the plumbing parts alone would have cost more if I had to buy them separately!!

Next weekend, I will be buying a couple tubes of painters caulk, a couple sanding sponges and primer and paint. I already have an air compressor and spray rig so I wont have to spring for that.

Figure a day to sand and caulk the raw material and cure time, then a day and a bit to seal, sand, seal, sand, paint, sand, paint, sand, and paint again.. then topcoat a couple coats of marine polyurethane... I should have the stand ready to go by end of the last day of my next weekend.

The following weekend, if all goes well will be tank transfer... Gotta remove all stock, rocks and water, then the sand and wash wash wash wash wash... Move the old tank and stand, place the new and then rebuild... Lots of work, but I am so super excited for this build!!!
 
OP
OP
Jedi1199

Jedi1199

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 16, 2021
Messages
4,597
Reaction score
10,229
Location
Mecred, CA.
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Ok folks.. I know you all want pictures so here goes...

20220610_192000.jpg
20220610_191928.jpg
20220610_191907.jpg
20220610_191856.jpg
 

Heather Kastory

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
May 5, 2021
Messages
169
Reaction score
155
Location
Mt dora
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
OH YEAH BABY!!!!! The new tank and stand arrived a lil while ago. I feel so bad for the poor delivery guy who had to help me place the tank on the stand to ensure it fit correctly, then take it back off so I can deal with the unfinished stand next week.

SO, the new tank is actually 3/4 inch glass for all the main panels. 1/2 inch for the euro-bracing panel in the top center. The basic tank the store has is 1/2" glass so this is an unexpected upgrade!! Wheeee!!!!

Dual corner overflows are drilled out nicely and they included all of the plumbing parts needed. Well worth the extra $200 to get the "reef ready" tank upgrade!!! JUST the plumbing parts alone would have cost more if I had to buy them separately!!

Next weekend, I will be buying a couple tubes of painters caulk, a couple sanding sponges and primer and paint. I already have an air compressor and spray rig so I wont have to spring for that.

Figure a day to sand and caulk the raw material and cure time, then a day and a bit to seal, sand, seal, sand, paint, sand, paint, sand, and paint again.. then topcoat a couple coats of marine polyurethane... I should have the stand ready to go by end of the last day of my next weekend.

The following weekend, if all goes well will be tank transfer... Gotta remove all stock, rocks and water, then the sand and wash wash wash wash wash... Move the old tank and stand, place the new and then rebuild... Lots of work, but I am so super excited for this build!!!
 

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

  • Ball valves.

    Votes: 75 51.7%
  • Gate valves.

    Votes: 74 51.0%
  • Check valves.

    Votes: 37 25.5%
  • None.

    Votes: 32 22.1%
  • Other.

    Votes: 9 6.2%
Back
Top