Orchard Coral's 75 Gallon

[silent1mezzo]

I guess it's time for me to create my own build thread. This will be my fourth reef tank over the last 10 years (third if you don't sound one crashing and then restarting from scratch) and I've been keeping fish for almost 20 years now. I recently just purchased a used 75-gallon tank with a 40-gallon breeder sump and I'm excited to transfer over my existing 30g reef tank into it eventually.

Update
2023-07-28 Tank in final place
2023-07-11 Aquascape
2023-08-12 Tank Transfer
2023-08-30 New Fish (Blue Tang, Foxface, Royal Gramma)

Hardware
75-gallon reef ready seapora tank
40-gallon breeder sump with the fiji cube sump kit.
2 AI prime 16HD lights
2 noopsyche k7 v3
Tunze osmolator nano ATO
Inkbird heater controller, dual 250w heaters
RODI setup

Pumps:
* 2x Jebao DCP-3500 return
* Jebao SOW-8
* AI Nero 3
* 2x AI Nero 7

Stocking
* 2 Ocellaris Clownfish (transferred from existing office)
* Some sort of school of 5 or 6, chromis or firefish?
* Eventually I'd like a mandarin, I've always wanted one but not for the first year or two.
* What else should I put in here? I'd love a larger fish but not sure what would work well.

Plan
* Clean up office to get ready for the new tank lol
* Clean the 75 gallon, stand and sump, repaint stand.
* Leak test
* Move tank downstairs to resting place, fill with sand, create most of the rock structure
* Transfer over rocks, existing live stock and coral, move over equipment from existing tank
* Test params, lots of water changes early on
* Enjoy

Questions
* Do I need another light on this tank?
* More powerheads?
* Is the Tunze nano ATO enough for ~100 gallons of water?

Aquascape
Here's my current thinking for the aquascape. Would love to hear people's thoughts. The idea is that the left side will be fairly low down, Hammer and Torches in the back, with a zoa garden in the front. Then on the right side I want to create some sort of overhang, have SPS on top and other encrusting LPS on the bottom. Then I've got a favia colony and GSP rock that I want to put in the middle. Goal is to have a lot of negative space to allow for fish swimming while still providing places to hide on the right.

Existing Tank
It's a 30g display with a 10g sump, approximately 2 years old. Going to transfer livestock and some of the rocks to the sump/display tank of the new one.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Can't wait to see everything in the 75 gallon!

 

[silent1mezzo]

Should I add a nero 5 or nero 7 to the tank?

 

[Lebowski_]

Should I add a nero 5 or nero 7 to the tank?

I didn't realize this, but their lowest setting is approx 30% of their max flow according to their help team. So 1200gph for the 7, 900 for the 5.

Personally, with your layout plan, I think a 5 would be fine located high on the right side, but a 7 would give you some options long term. You just might not really use much of the full potential of the 7 in a tank your size, and I know that bothers people. I had a 3 in my 15g cube and most of the time it was set below 10%.

 

[Stephen8169301]

Tank is looking good!

 

[silent1mezzo]

I didn't realize this, but their lowest setting is approx 30% of their max flow according to their help team. So 1200gph for the 7, 900 for the 5.

Personally, with your layout plan, I think a 5 would be fine located high on the right side, but a 7 would give you some options long term. You just might not really use much of the full potential of the 7 in a tank your size, and I know that bothers people. I had a 3 in my 15g cube and most of the time it was set below 10%.

That makes sense. The Nero 3 in my 30 and it's on random between 30% and 80%. Super torn on the 5 vs 7

 

[Lebowski_]

That makes sense. The Nero 3 in my 30 and it's on random between 30% and 80%. Super torn on the 5 vs 7

If money wasn't an hurdle, I'd go 7 and run it at a lower %.

 

[silent1mezzo]

Progress:

Tank and sump have been moved to the office, I still need to prep and paint the wall it's going on but at least I can finish wood filling, sanding and painting the stand.

Wood filling progress. The goal is to have this be pretty seamless, painted with gloss white cabinet paint.


And then the tank in the office next to the existing tank. Finally seeing the size difference and it's crazy.

If money wasn't an hurdle, I'd go 7 and run it at a lower %.

Nero 7 purchased!

 

[silent1mezzo]

The previous owners had foam underneath the tank, is this necessary?

 

[silent1mezzo]

Here's an update on the rock work. This is the left, euphyllia/zoa island. Lots of room for fish to hide and surface area for coral

 

[silent1mezzo]

Some shots of the existing tank. These will be transfered over to the 75 once cycled.

WWC AOI zoa and dragon soul favia

SPS zone, purple bonsai, WWC over the rainbow, montipora stellata

Zoa garden in the making, got some sunny D's, BEBB, rastas and I can't remember the orange one right now lol

 

[Drewe]

Following! I’ve got a 75 too. Used to be a standard 48x18 but we had to move it like 6ft to the left and decided to get the Innovative Marine 75. Once you get used to more than 12" of depth you will never be able to go back. Congrats!

Regarding the foam under the tank, it's really unnecessary if the tank is rimmed like yours. The weight of the tank will be on the rim, not the bottom panel as is the case with rimless tanks. As long as it's as level as you can get it and it's not resting on anything like a screw head you're good to ditch to foam IMO

 

[silent1mezzo]

Following! I’ve got a 75 too. Used to be a standard 48x18 but we had to move it like 6ft to the left and decided to get the Innovative Marine 75. Once you get used to more than 12" of depth you will never be able to go back. Congrats!

Regarding the foam under the tank, it's really unnecessary if the tank is rimmed like yours. The weight of the tank will be on the rim, not the bottom panel as is the case with rimless tanks. As long as it's as level as you can get it and it's not resting on anything like a screw head you're good to ditch to foam IMO

Amazing thank you! I was going back and forth whether to include the foam or not. It's ugly and I've never done it before for a rimmed tank so I wasn't sure.

 

[silent1mezzo]

Final scape on the right side

And all together. Hoping this will give a good varied height with space for fish to swim and coral to grow

 

[Lebowski_]

I like it

 

[silent1mezzo]

Here are a few different options in the tank. Thoughts?

Option 1

Option 2

Option 3

 

[Lebowski_]

I vote option 3. Two nice high shelves for some sticks, then a lower island for some par variation.

 

[silent1mezzo]

If money wasn't an hurdle, I'd go 7 and run it at a lower %.

So, long story short, I now have 2 nero 7's to run in this tank Going to run two returns rated at 900gph as well so flow shouldn't be a problem

 

[silent1mezzo]

Not a tonne of progress on the 75, still waiting to paint the wall behind it. Hoping to have that done in a week, then I can move the tank down and get it wet. All of the equipment is here except the lights.

Here's a shot of the current tank

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Not a tonne of progress on the 75, still waiting to paint the wall behind it. Hoping to have that done in a week, then I can move the tank down and get it wet. All of the equipment is here except the lights.

Here's a shot of the current tank

Can't wait to see the wall painted!