Planet 155 Build

[seandanekind]

Hey all - I ordered a slightly customized Planet Mega Matrix 155 from Matt's Corals a few months back, and I'm finally setting it up.

48.5" x 30.5" x 25"
Rimless + Armored Seams + Low Lead Glass + External Overflow + Modern style stand in White.

I didn't ask for the Armored Seams (I didn't know it was an option), but Planet apparently added them because I asked to delete the partial perimeter bracing (3"-ish glass that is usually on the far left & right sides running front to back).

I just got some of the Carib Sea LifeRock from Matt's. Forrest + Arch + Cave. I cut a piece of 1/4" PVC sheet for the base, and just started experimenting with aquascaping. It looks better in person, but needs some tweaking (see photos).

The wall behind the tank is the utility room, so sump + most of the equipment will be in there. That wall was the same orangish-yellow as the wall next to it with the TV. I'm super-happy that I painted it charcoal grey (with a hint of blue)

I'm still debating the lights. It's going to be a mixed reef. I currently have an old pair of Marineland Advanced LED lights over it in the attached photos. Clearly not using those once the Corals are in there...

I have a Kessil A360x with the 35 degree reflector over my Red Sea 170 upstairs, and love how high the light is above the tank, and that I can (see last photo). Also that I positioned it to maximally fill the tank with light, and ZERO light spill.

So, I'm thinking about 2-3 A500's over this. Kessil won't sell their slick white colored trackmount units to hobbyists (only for zoos apparently), so I may buy some A500x's, paint them and do a DIY track system for a super clean look.

And then I'm a super nerd, so thinking of mounting them on a pivot and getting gimbal style servo motors controlled by a Raspberry Pi to pan the lighting around the tank and combat shadows while keeping the sharp contract + shimmer. I did something similar like 15 years ago in my old 400 gallon with Light Rail movers, and grew some stunning & huge monti caps with just 2x250w double ended halides over a 400 gallon tank (82" x 42" x 26")

Left side looks migh better in person. Depth perception on these photos sucks. The front photo (above) gives you a better idea how the closest rock juts out toward you

Right side looks kinda like a blob of rock. The photo doesn't really give any depth perception, but this side needs the most help.

bad pic of the Red Sea 170, but you get the idea on the lighting

 

[seandanekind]

Here's a much better pic of the Red Sea 170. The kessil is on a 2 ft chain below a shelf with the power cord weaved into the chain for aesthetics. The tank is mostly RBTA's and a harem of occelaris with a few other occupants.

Anyway, the point was that I really like when the lighting fits the room

 

[seandanekind]

Debating the lights, I mocked up some photos:

The ceiling is 21.5" above the rim of the tank. Assuming that's like 23" above the water line (testing that later this week when I finish plumbing). The tank soffit is about a 5" drop.

2x Radion XR30's. I would probably do 3 perpendicular instead of 2 parallel, but this simulates the mounting height.

3x Kessils on guide rails with 35 degree reflectors (probably need 3x A500x's or 6x A360x's for this tank). So given mounting hardware, Kessil A360's should be about 5-ish inches (roughly equal to the soffit), putting the lens about 18" above the water.

& a really bad mock of 3x Orphek Atlantic Icon's (couldn't find a good pic of these at the needed angle )

I like high mounted lights, with minimalist, or a slick looking unit, so I'm leaning Kessil or Orphek.

Any other ideas???

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Following along! You can't go wrong with either light choice!

 

[seandanekind]

First Fill Water Test:

It's plumbed temporarily into a 20 gal tank/sump in the stand with an old Eheim Hobby pump, Squared to the wall, Leveled, and First Fill to check for leaks.

I had to tighten a few bulkheads, etc. I found a possible leak in the external overflow box - it appears to be the acrylic seams. Possibly bumped around during shipping?? I lowered the water level and will inspect it tomorrow... I have some acrylic cement, so I may just fix it rather than wait for a replacement.

Lights:
Daedalus8311 is selling 3 Kessil A500x Tuna Blue's... and I couldn't resist. We'll see how I like the coverage.

Sump & Filter:
I got a deal on a used Planet Tideline 36 Sump + Klir 7" fleece roller. I'm modifying it to take out the middle divider so I can fit a huge Reef Octopus Regal 300-S skimmer (also a used deal).

Power & Backup:
I'm mid-process getting a standby nat-gas generator (Kohler 20RCA) for 1/2 of my house. There will be a 4 breaker sub panel just for this tank, which should be way more than I need. That will all be installed by mid-November. That's going to cost more than the tank... but it's for way more than just the tank... And, I had a buddy in Cleveland that was out of power for over a week after a tornado earlier this year. I can't imagine that happening with an SPS heavy reef.

Monitoring & Control:
I have a Neptune Apex that I tried to use on my Red Sea 170, but really didn't have the space. Since I have the utility room immediately behind this tank, I'll have plenty of space to route everything.

A few well positioned Wyze cam's will help me look at the main display, and around the back room.

Chemistry / Dosing:
I have an old beast of a Calcium Reactor that needs a rebuild & cleaning, but is big enough for probably a 1000 gallon system. It's a Bermuda Aquatics (I assume they are defunct now) with a huge 8" diameter x 30" tall reaction chamber and a 4" diameter x 24" chamber for the effluent to pass thru & balance pH levels before entering the main system. I might as well re-use this.

That beast, plus a Neptune Trident + DOS pump (again, already have them) for 2-part dosing should easily cover it as the system matures.

Water Changes:
I have some spare 55 gallon food grade plastic drums. I'll probably just do some manuaI WC setup. I actually have another DOS pump, but honestly, would probably rather keep it simple.

Quarrantine:
I have a 40 breeder, old HOB skimmer, spare Tunze Osmolator, and a bunch of old Hydor Koralia's. It will need a suitable light, which I may try to find used

Refugium:
I may add a macroalgae tank in the back room once the tank is established. I probably won't need it with the monster skimmer, but I have an old 60 Cube laying around that I could drill.

Frags:
Far in the future, but I have another 40 breeder that I can tie into the main system. No ideal on lighting yet. I'll probably just buy a used Radion. And the previously mentioned bunch of old Hydor Koralia's or some Tunze Streams & AI Nero's I have lying around.

 

[seandanekind]

Leaking Overflow Update:
I ended up being busy today, so I just got to checking the external overflow. I took it off and tested it near my work table & utility sink.

Yep, there's a pinhole leak at the seam between 2 acrylic plates on the external overflow box (see arrow in the below pic). I have a video that shows it even more clearly as the drip builds at a rate of 1 drip every 10 seconds, but it's too big to upload (need to figure out how to edit or reduce resolution on a dang iPhone). It's really odd, as there appears to be a gap between the bottom plate and the left side plate. You can kind of wee it in the photo, as a small square just above the arrow tip, about 1/3 the size of the arrowhead.

I dried it out, found my WeldOn #4, and attempted to fill the hole. We'll check in the morning to see if it worked. If that fails, I have some WeldOn#16 and/or silicon I can slop on there while I wait for a replacement.

The good news is that the tank itself has no leaks at 75% full.

Sump Mod Update:
I also modded the sump earlier today to remove the center divider with one of those oscillating cutting tools. It was hard to do with the lip on the top of the sump, so I accidentally dug into the side & bottom in a few places. I sanded it, then found my Novis acrylic polishing kit and cleaned it up to a level I deem "acceptable for a sump". Currently leak testing in the garage...

 

[seandanekind]

Well. That overflow pinhole leak is fixed, but now I noticed a much slower one on the other side of the box. I'm starting to doubt the construction of that particular example.

Just called Matt's Corals. They're giving me a replacement that they have in their showroom. Excellent customer service!

 

[vandy]

Bummer about the overflow. How’s the sump holding up?

 

[seandanekind]

Reef Update:

• Sump had a successful leak test... no issues.
• Got the replacement overflow from Matt's & no issues.
• Moved on to Water Test #3 on the tank, it passed easily & drained a few hours later.
• Added Dry (rinsed) Carib Sea Special Grade Sand, and just started adding RO water.
• I'll mix salt in the tank tomorrow, add some Dr Tim's bacteria, then let it settle for a few days before turning on the power heads again.

Other Tanks I worked on Saturday:

• I moved an old 60 Cube out of the way. It'll eventually be my Algae Refugium, draining directly into the Frag Tank... after I add an overflow.
• I played with an old 16 gallon cube for Freshwater shell dwellers, but I may put up a 46 Bowfront instead.
• I also finished moving & setting up my 150 Marineland Deep Dimension tank (7 yrs old, no leaks) for Wild Caught Tanganyikan Frontosa's that will go in there next week. I have longer term plans for this that may end up being an LPS+Softie reef that takes the water changes from the main reef ... but I have to move a few other freshwater tanks around before I can do that.

I'll have to put up a photo of the "Aquarium Gallery" once it's pretty... which will be soon, as I'm hosting a party next weekend... It's basically the 1st room in my basement under the foyer. You'll be able to stand at the bottom of the basement stairs and see a 220 gallon with Frontosa's (nearly adult F1's), 220 gallon with an Amazon community, 150 DD tank with the wild caught Frontosa F0 breeding group, 46 Bowfront with other Tanganyikan Cichlids, and the side view of the new 155 gallon reef tank in the next room. And ,there's a desk under the stairs & next to the 155. That may be where I start taking zoom calls on my work-from-home days with the aquariums in the background.


Question:
Has anyone tried to mount the cell phone photo filters to a webcam?
- I have a Wyze cam pointed directly at the 155 Reef, and it looks horrible with just the temporary Marineland Advanced LED on the tank. I can't imagine how bad it will look once the real & much brighter & bluer lights are added.

 

[seandanekind]

No big updates other than keeping Chocolate Chip Starfish in the big reef to feed to my Harlequin Shrimp in the smaller tank upstairs. Been busy with work (retail company at the holidays), and should start making better progress in January.

The tank is cycling oddly with a big ammonia spike + nitrates, but probably because I recently fed a cocktail shrimp to the starfish.

 

[seandanekind]

Nitrates dropped - finally. Adding some cleaning crew tonight. This weekend planning a water change before & setting up the lights & getting PAR measurements.

Then will start slowly adding fish & corals.

I should have pics of the finished lighting setup in the next week or so...

 

[seandanekind]

I finally found time to add the rail and temporarily mount 2 of the Kessil a500's with the 55 degree reflectors. I also tried the 35 degree reflector, which has zero light spill, but is definitely more spotlight-esque. I'll probably just use the 55's and lower them like 2 more inches.

I still have to finalize the way I mount the lights to the shuttles. I'm also considering using the Kessil ball head adapter so I can tilt them in from the corners - especially after adding the 3rd one in the rear-middle.

The plan is to add another rail kit about 8" behind the current rail, and put one more A500 in the center. Then push these a little wider, but angle them slightly in toward the tank. Then find some way to run the power wires thru the wall. Possibly wrap the wires in white to blend into the ceiling better.

Honestly, after seeing the spread of just 2 A500's on this tank... 3 is likely plenty of coverage, and the rails give me the flexibility to move them around over time. Once i have the whole light-show up, I'll rent the PAR meter from Matt's Corals to get some real data.

 

[polarbeard]

I finally found time to add the rail and temporarily mount 2 of the Kessil a500's with the 55 degree reflectors. I also tried the 35 degree reflector, which has zero light spill, but is definitely more spotlight-esque. I'll probably just use the 55's and lower them like 2 more inches.

I still have to finalize the way I mount the lights to the shuttles. I'm also considering using the Kessil ball head adapter so I can tilt them in from the corners - especially after adding the 3rd one in the rear-middle.

The plan is to add another rail kit about 8" behind the current rail, and put one more A500 in the center. Then push these a little wider, but angle them slightly in toward the tank. Then find some way to run the power wires thru the wall. Possibly wrap the wires in white to blend into the ceiling better.

Honestly, after seeing the spread of just 2 A500's on this tank... 3 is likely plenty of coverage, and the rails give me the flexibility to move them around over time. Once i have the whole light-show up, I'll rent the PAR meter from Matt's Corals to get some real data.

I really like your aquascape. It looks great.

 

[MCLFLN]

I'm considering a planet 155. Any updates?

 

[seandanekind]

Got crazy busy with work.

My only complaint is the water level in the rimless tank. If you order the weir, ask them to route the slots to your preferred level. It's like 1/2" from the rim by default, which would be fine on a covered tank, but I prefer more like 1" from the top on a rimless.

Since the overflows are totally custom made, I have to send it back for re-machining. I'm actually just building a jig to DIY with my router .

 

[seandanekind]

Here's a long overdue update:

Golf season is basically over here in Ohio, so having a little extra time, I finally finished the plumbing runs between the Tank & the Remote Sump (thru a wall & roughly 20 ft away).

There's a Tideline 36 Sump that I modified (took out the center divider) to fit the huge Reef Octopus 300 SSS Skimmer.

I'm currently running an Eheim Hobby Pump (1260 or 1262) for the return & debating if I get individual pumps for the accessories, or a Sequence Snapper and build a header with ball valves. I have the Snapper pump already, but I'm thinking that the multi-pump setup will be more flexible / controllable in the long run.

Being a total nerd, I added LED backlighting to the tank. It actually looks pretty good.


Currently Running Accessories:
* (2) Kessil A500x Tuna Blue
* (2) VorTech MP40's
* Neptune APEX
* Tunze Osmolator 3
* BRS Carbon reactor being run by a MaxiJet 1200
* Neptune FMM + level sensors for alerts
* 20 Gal QT tank
* Wyze Cam on main Display
* Wyze Cam on Sump
* Wyze Cam (Pan & Tilt) on the whole back room
* GoVee 9.8 ft Neon Rope LED (on back of tank pointed at the wall)

Plans for this weekend:
* Gyre XF330
* Add 7" Rollermat instead of the 1st filter sock
* Clean up the power lines & RO lines around the sump, mount accessories
* Plumb 2x 55 gallon drum for RO/DI storage & Saltwater mixing stations
* Neptune MXM module to control the VorTech's
* Battery Backup for the VorTech's
* 20 gal Cheato refugium + Grow Light on reverse light cycle.
* Route the Lighting wires along the ceiling & thru the wall. Wrap the cables in white sleeves

Future Accessories ( later this fall - I already have this, just need to set it up):
* APEX control of the Kessil's
* Neptune Trident
* Neptune DOS Pumps for Ca+ Alk Dosing
* 50 Breeder Frag Tank

Far Future Accessories:
* Lights & Powerheads for the frag tank
* Neptune Trident NP
* convert the 150 cube (Marineland Deep Dimension) into a 2nd Display tank & plumb system to take old water from the SPS reef for water changes.

 

[seandanekind]

Decided to switch up and try some different lighting. It appears the holiday pricing for AI is already in effect, so I swung by Matt's Corals and picked up 3 AI Hydra Edge 44 HD's.

I mounted them on my slide rail. I may get longer threaded rods to lower them a bit, but they're pretty darn good looking for the price. They have a very slight disco ball effect compared and maybe 80% of the shimmer -vs the Kessil's when in the blue settings. If you crank up the white for a 10K look, the disco ball is basically gone, and the shimmer looks near perfect. (though the photo actually looks more disco.. I think that's the algae that's growing in patches on the sand).a

Looking forward to the CORA Fragswap on the 23rd.