Refreshed 150g

[nerses818]

So I set up my tank about 5 years ago when I was in high school, did well for a time but never really thrived. After some time it eventually got neglected and then the losses started coming as a result which led to a period of just doing enough to keep the few fish remaining healthy but i knew that eventually I would either have to bite the bullet and put in the work or give up; cuz staying in this uncertain limbo wasn't working clearly.

Well so I eventually decided to bite the bullet a few months ago and made a decision. A new job position which led to some more disposable income also proved to be quite the motivator lol. So I had a new extra large sump built by advanced acrylics to increase water volume and give myself a decent fuge section. Removed about 2 inches of excess sand that was proving to be a nutrient sink. Set up a rodi filter and a complete water change station with a stenner pump to do auto water changes throughout the day as need be or to have enough water on hand for an emergency water change. Switched my lighting from metal halides to some wide angle gen 3 radions. Added more flow and rescaped rockwork to allow for less dead spots. And I'm glad to say it's starting to finally pay off. Still working on getting the nitrates and phosphates down to lower levels. Ur the gfo I started running should help with that and the fuge along with biopellets is bringing nitrate down week by week. So I thought I'd update with a new thread instead of just reading everyone else's for a change lol. Been adding corals again recently and even the sps is showing good polyp extension. Got some good orders in thanks to the legendary corals live sale and wwc live sales this weekend so the tank should look different in a week or so, will try to get updated pics as the corals fill in and as I figure out this photography situation. Here's a current fts. Sorry for quality taken with phone, ordered some gel filters to see if I can get some better quality pics soon. Enjoy! Hard work seems to be paying off

150g tank 60x24x24
Sump 48x16x16
Aquamaxx cone s2 skimmer
Fluval sp6 return pump
2 ecotech radion gen 3 with wide angle lenses
2 mp40
1 maxspect gyre xf230
Aquamaxx biopellet reactor
2 avast marine mr5 media reactors(gfo and carbon)
Reef octopus skimmate locker
Aquamedic dosing pump (soon to be set up)

Livestock
1 2.5ft snowflake eel(absolute biggest snowflake I've seen)
1 yellow tang
1 scopas tang
1 hippo tang
1 six line wrasse
2 occelaris clowns
1 chocolate domino clownfish
1 phantom clownfish
1 male green bird wrasse
1 orange anthias female
1 niger trigger
1 flame angel and purple tang to be added tomorrow

 

[Elementalj]

So I set up my tank about 5 years ago when I was in high school, did well for a time but never really thrived. After some time it eventually got neglected and then the losses started coming as a result which led to a period of just doing enough to keep the few fish remaining healthy but i knew that eventually I would either have to bite the bullet and put in the work or give up; cuz staying in this uncertain limbo wasn't working clearly.

Well so I eventually decided to bite the bullet a few months ago and made a decision. A new job position which led to some more disposable income also proved to be quite the motivator lol. So I had a new extra large sump built by advanced acrylics to increase water volume and give myself a decent fuge section. Removed about 2 inches of excess sand that was proving to be a nutrient sink. Set up a rodi filter and a complete water change station with a stenner pump to do auto water changes throughout the day as need be or to have enough water on hand for an emergency water change. Switched my lighting from metal halides to some wide angle gen 3 radions. Added more flow and rescaped rockwork to allow for less dead spots. And I'm glad to say it's starting to finally pay off. Still working on getting the nitrates and phosphates down to lower levels. Ur the gfo I started running should help with that and the fuge along with biopellets is bringing nitrate down week by week. So I thought I'd update with a new thread instead of just reading everyone else's for a change lol. Been adding corals again recently and even the sps is showing good polyp extension. Got some good orders in thanks to the legendary corals live sale and wwc live sales this weekend so the tank should look different in a week or so, will try to get updated pics as the corals fill in and as I figure out this photography situation. Here's a current fts. Sorry for quality taken with phone, ordered some gel filters to see if I can get some better quality pics soon. Enjoy! Hard work seems to be paying off

150g tank 60x24x24
Sump 48x16x16
Aquamaxx cone s2 skimmer
Fluval sp6 return pump
2 ecotech radion gen 3 with wide angle lenses
2 mp40
1 maxspect gyre xf230
Aquamaxx biopellet reactor
2 avast marine mr5 media reactors(gfo and carbon)
Reef octopus skimmate locker
Aquamedic dosing pump (soon to be set up)

Livestock
1 2.5ft snowflake eel(absolute biggest snowflake I've seen)
1 yellow tang
1 scopas tang
1 hippo tang
1 six line wrasse
2 occelaris clowns
1 chocolate domino clownfish
1 phantom clownfish
1 male green bird wrasse
1 orange anthias female
1 niger trigger
1 flame angel and purple tang to be added tomorrow

Looking real good!

 

[nerses818]

Looking real good!

Thanks!

 

[Chrisfish]

Tanks looking really nice:)

 

[nerses818]

Tanks looking really nice:)

Thank you very much!

 

[nerses818]

Thank you legendary corals! Box was here first thing in the morning!

floating the bags as we speak.

 

[JMMJ13902]

Looks like you did your research well with that list of equipments :)

 

[nerses818]

Looks like you did your research well with that list of equipments :)

Thank you! It was a lot of research and a lot of trial and error really, I realized that when I choosed to skimp on certain equipment here an there I ended up losing in the long run either because it would break or there was more maintenance for me to do. So when I refreshed the tank I really wanted to get it to the point where there is as little maintenance for me to do on a regular basis so I don't get tired of working on the tank

 

[nerses818]

Some pics of the water change station and the stenner pump that allows me I do automated water changes

 

[nerses818]

Some of the new additions!

 

[john.m.cole3]

I love your tank dimesions. Did you buy it stock or custom and from where. I've bben wanting a 120 or a 150 for my next upgrade. I'm gonna follow this one for sure!

 

[nerses818]

I love your tank dimesions. Did you buy it stock or custom and from where. I've bben wanting a 120 or a 150 for my next upgrade. I'm gonna follow this one for sure!

Thanks! I personally like that the tank is 24" wide, it really gave me so much more room and adds a more depth to the tank in my opinion. Although I do regret not opting in for the starfire glass panels now. Will definitely not make that mistake if I upgrade in the future. I bought the tank stock. If I remember correctly the manufacturer is called Visio but I just purchased from a LFS in the area

 

[nerses818]

Sad to report that I lost my phantom clown today, poor guy was on the smaller side and he just ventured a little too close to my mp40 today and was pulled up against the power head. So him and got him off quickly but he never really recovered after that, lost him shortly afterwards. Will definitely look for a replacement designer clown in the future though. Maybe a bit larger specimen though

 

[nerses818]

Will try to get a few more pics up this weekend, expecting a delivery of 19 frags from the WWC live sale this week on Friday so hopefully can update with some decent quality pictures this weekend once everything has settled in.

Gfo and carbon have been running for a few days now and already phosphates are starting to fall.

Had an interesting thing happen in my refugium though, I added the cheato about a month or so ago and it grew like crazy and nearly quadrupled in size in about 2 weeks. However over the course of the last week it's rapidly begun to die off. Been removing the dead portions, but did find it to be a bit odd. Suspect that as the biopellets start to kick in maybe they are out competing the cheato for nutrients? What do u guys think?

 

[Petvit61]

How did adding the purple with established yellow tang go?

 

[nerses818]

How did adding the purple with established yellow tang go?

I kept the purple tang separate in the acclimation back for a few days just to monitor it first and make sure it was eating well and to give it time to recover from the stress of shipping. I released him into the tank today and there was an initial burst of aggressiveness by my scopas tang, but mainly it's been nipped fins I haven't seen any marks from the blades. Oddly the yellow who is the oldest tang doesn't care as much as my scopas. There's plenty of hiding spots for the purple tang so he's been slowly exploring the tank during this time that the other two seem to have left him alone. Every once in a while they will chase him away but for now at least it seems to be a cease fire. This is pretty similar to how things happened when I added my scopas to the tank about 3 years ago. The yellow nipped at him for a few days and then eventually left him alone. The purple tang is smaller than the other two so I would think it's pretty clear there won't be a shift in dominance, seems like it's mainly just them showing who's in charge. Nonetheless I will be monitoring the situation closely

 

[Petvit61]

Thanks, sounds good. Hope all goes well. I'm in the midst adding my purple to an established yellow and hippo and noticed a similar instance of initial aggression followed by a ceasefire. Hope it stays that way for both of our tanks!

 

[nerses818]

Thanks, sounds good. Hope all goes well. I'm in the midst adding my purple to an established yellow and hippo and noticed a similar instance of initial aggression followed by a ceasefire. Hope it stays that way for both of our tanks!

Likewise! I have a large hippo tang as well (about 5-6") he seems to be extremely docile actually. He's by far the largest and oldest tang in the tank. He just went up to the new guy investigated him then just swam away and hasn't went near him again

 

[nerses818]

Some updated pics now that the corals from my Black Friday shipments have arrived.

This is the bridge formation in the center of my rockwork. The goal is for it to be a euphyllia bridge with zoas to make up the majority of the supporting rocks under the bridge. Coming together nicely.

 

[nerses818]

One or two large flat plate designs in my rocks. These are where I hope to display future colonies of sps. So far the purple stylo red pocillopora wwc green slimer acro and the wwc grafted monti cap seem to be doing well.