SupraSaltyReefer: Advanced Acrylics 160P - House of Tangs & more...

[SupraSaltyReefer]

It's that time again to upgrade tanks! My ELOS 120XL was an amazing setup but I wanted to consolidate my 120XL and AA 60G frag tank and go bigger so I decided to move my tank to the garage to give my fishes more room to swim. John at Advanced Acrylics did an amazing job this time around and was very responsive. He finished the tank in record time within 3 weeks! Tank turned out beautifully and exactly as we discussed!

Follow my tank journey here and on my socials if you want the latest updates!
Instagram: SupraSaltyReefer
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@suprasaltyreefer?si=COVLeQFveEpUx2FG

Previous tank journals:
Red Sea Reefer 250 and Reefer XL525: https://www.bareefers.org/forum/threads/my-ocean-in-a-glass-box.22260/#post-325681
Crystal Dynamics 90G: https://www.bareefers.org/forum/threads/mr2kieu-crystal-dynamics-aquarium-90g-lagoon.30507/
ELOS 120XL: https://www.bareefers.org/forum/threads/suprasaltyreefer-elos-120xl-and-then-some.33672/ and https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/suprasaltyreefer-elos-120xl-and-more.975355/

Tank specs:

• Custom Advanced Acrylics 160G Peninsula
  • Dimensions: 71" x 30" x 17.25"
  • 3/4" cell cast acrylic all around
  • Eurobraced and beveled edges
  • Gloss White bottom and Gloss White overflow weir wall
  • Coast to coast internal overflow to maximize surface skimming
  • Three 1" bulkhead drain hole and two 3/4" bulkhead return holes
  • Museum quality polished with rounded edges and a 3 step hand polish

Stand / Rack:

• Modified Dewalt Yellow 4-Tier Steel Garage rack
  • Dimensions: 77"W x 72"H x 24"D

Lighting: Work in progress....

• 5X Ecotech Marine XR15 G6 Blue with XR15 Diffusers and XR15 RMS Slides
• EcoTech Marine Multi-Light RMS Track 70.5" hung with XR717 RMS Hanging Kit

Sump & Filtration:

• Red Sea Peninsula 650 V3 sump
  • Dimensions: 38.26" x 20.23" x 16.02"
  • 10mm thick glass
  • Water Volume: 35 gallons

Inside the sump: Work in progress....

• Return Pumps: Ecotech Marine Vectra M2 and Vectra S2
• Fleece Roller: ReefMat 1200
• Protein Skimmer: Reef Octopus Elite 220 INT with Avast Marine Works Davy Jones' Skimmate Locker - Medium
• Auto Top Off: Red Sea ReefATO+
• UV Sterilizer: Aqua Ultraviolet - Classic 57 Watt - White
• Dosing Pump: Red Sea ReefDose 4
• Heater: Innovative Marine Helio 1000w PTC Smart Heater
• (Maybe) Heater back up: Bulk Reef Supply 300W Titanium Heater Element connected to Ink Bird ITC-306A
• Refugium Light: Kessil A360X Refugium LED Grow Light
• Bio Filter Media: Sera Siporax, EcoSystem Aquarium Miracle Mud Refugium Media 10lbs

Flow: Work in progress....

• 1x Aquaillumination Orbit 4 Cross-Flow Gyre

Controller: Work in progress.... (Might be switching to Hydros)

• Neptune Systems A2 Apex Controller
• 2x Energy Bar 832
• 1x Temperature Probe
• 1x Salinity Probe
• 1x pH Probe
• 1x ORP Probe

Misc. Equipment:

Livestock:

• Fishs:
• Inverts:

Corals List:
LPS:
Softies:
Anemones:
Supplements:

TO BE CONTINUED.......

11/18/2024: Delivery Day!
Combined shipping with a few other local reefers so it reduced the price of our tanks.

Pallet was huge at 92" long!

Isn't she a beauty!!!

 

[Johnd651]

Following along. Looking at very similar tank dimensions, just not peninsula.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

This is going to be a fun build to watch! Following along!

 

[SupraSaltyReefer]

This is going to be a fun build to watch! Following along!

Thanks Gumbies! Follow me on IG and YT for more up to date posts!

Instagram: SupraSaltyReefer
YouTube: https://youtube.com/@suprasaltyreefer?si=COVLeQFveEpUx2FG

 

[SupraSaltyReefer]

01/12/2025
Emptied the Advanced Acrylics 60G frag tank (48x24x12”) and started disassembling the plumbing and sump. Both are for sale still! Don't mind the messy garage, it's organized chaos lol

Advertised width of the rack is 24” wide, but if you add the shelf bars it's actually 26” wide. Since the tank is 30” I needed to add a 30” wide board between the shelf and tank. I bought a 3/4" 4' x 8' plywood from Home Depot and cut it down to 71.5" x 30.5". Gave it a extra 0.5" space for any discrepancies in measurement. Then sanded for smooth edges and no splinters!

I had to cut a notch out to make room for the internal overflow drain and return pipes. Terrible crooked cut but not bad for only using a circular saw.

The DeWalt rack came with this wire grid for the shelving so a few squares had to be cut and removed to make space. Bought a $12 bolt cutter from Harbor Freight for the job.

My rough calculations worked out and the holes for the pipes was not blocked by the shelf bars. Yayyy!

Harbor Freight Anti-Fatigue roll mat is always my go to for leveling mats for all my aquariums. It's 72" x 24" x 5/16" for $11. I needed two to cover the 30" width.

I usually screw it down as well so it doesn't move when I'm sliding the tank around on top.

This was roughly at midnight and I was anxious to get the tank on the rack so I decided to move the tank onto the rack myself. Don't try this with a glass tank! lol. Took a lot of maneuvering back and forth but managed to not crack the tank wheww! I've been recording this build so I can post the tank build to my YouTube channel!

Almost there! and before you ask, yes thats all reef stuff in those bins up top

and she's in place! Hallelujah!!!
Tank hangs about 3" in the rear and 1" on the front. Since I have a Aquarium Engineering MBA according to my calculations I should not have any issues with weight distribution lol

 

[Johnd651]

01/12/2025
Emptied the Advanced Acrylics 60G frag tank (48x24x12”) and started disassembling the plumbing and sump. Both are for sale still! Don't mind the messy garage, it's organized chaos lol

Advertised width of the rack is 24” wide, but if you add the shelf bars it's actually 26” wide. Since the tank is 30” I needed to add a 30” wide board between the shelf and tank. I bought a 3/4" 4' x 8' plywood from Home Depot and cut it down to 71.5" x 30.5". Gave it a extra 0.5" space for any discrepancies in measurement. Then sanded for smooth edges and no splinters!

I had to cut a notch out to make room for the internal overflow drain and return pipes. Terrible crooked cut but not bad for only using a circular saw.

The DeWalt rack came with this wire grid for the shelving so a few squares had to be cut and removed to make space. Bought a $12 bolt cutter from Harbor Freight for the job.

My rough calculations worked out and the holes for the pipes was not blocked by the shelf bars. Yayyy!

Harbor Freight Anti-Fatigue roll mat is always my go to for leveling mats for all my aquariums. It's 72" x 24" x 5/16" for $11. I needed two to cover the 30" width.

I usually screw it down as well so it doesn't move when I'm sliding the tank around on top.

This was roughly at midnight and I was anxious to get the tank on the rack so I decided to move the tank onto the rack myself. Don't try this with a glass tank! lol. Took a lot of maneuvering back and forth but managed to not crack the tank wheww! I've been recording this build so I can post the tank build to my YouTube channel!

Almost there! and before you ask, yes thats all reef stuff in those bins up top

and she's in place! Hallelujah!!!
Tank hangs about 3" in the rear and 1" on the front. Since I have a Aquarium Engineering MBA according to my calculations I should not have any issues with weight distribution lol

Lol. I have 6000 sq ft of barn space that would be great for a project like this...except it's not heated in Central NY.

Nice setup and I like the idea of the Dewalt shelving.

 

[SupraSaltyReefer]

01/15/2025 - Plumbing day

I hate plumbing the most since it takes so much time to plan. I usually draw out the design so I can make sure to order enough bulkheads, pvc pipes, fittings and valves. Ordered the 1" and 3/4" Red pvc pipes from Home Depot online since it was cheaper than BRS. Home Depot sells Formufit branded pvc pipes. For about $29 you get two 5ft pvc pipes for a total of 10ft and free shipping. BRS has the cheapest fittings and Spears valves I could find.

Using unions probably wasn't needed since the pipes goes straight down into the sump, but wanted to plan for the future in case I needed them.

I used Oatey Fusion pvc cement since it's a single step and no primer is needed. Drys clear too.

I'll be using a Ecotech Vectra M2 and S2 for my return pumps. Forgot to order new Vectra M2 3/4" barb fitting so luckily I had a 1" to 3/4" adaptor and extra union in the spare parts bin. I usually use a silicone tube as well since I heard it reduces vibration in the sump.

Ta-Daaa!!! Main plumbing is complete. Unions on all the 1" drains. Main drain has a Spears gate valve and will drain into the Red Sea Reefmat 1200. Both 3/4" returns has Cepex ball valves. Rear return is connected to the Vectra S2 and the front return is connected to the Vectra M2. UV is temporarily mounted, might relocated it later. I plan on using a MightyJet pump for it since I want a slow flow.

01/16/2025 - Leak test time
I let the plumbing dry for 24hrs. Time to fill her up everything and pray!

Loc-Line is kinda long so might shorten them a bit. Water flow is looking good and so far no leaks!!!

Temporary Internal overflow pipes. Will need to reconfigure and tweak the pumps it so there is no gurgling noise.

Reused my Red Sea 650P sump from my ELOS tank so I could have more water volume. No leaks in the pipes so I'm happy!

Time to drain and add sand and rocks! To be continued....

 

[SupraSaltyReefer]

01/17/2025 - Dirty sand
Over the past few years I’ve collected buckets upon buckets of sand from my previous tanks. I never throw them out because it’s Caribsea Special Grade sand that I’ve spent hundreds of dollars on. I believe it’s perfectly fine to reuse “old” sand as long as you rinse it out really really really well. This sand has been sitting outside for years in the sun and rain. As you can see it’s really dirty and brown and stinks!

Gotta love the Special Grade grain size.

More stinky dirty sand.

After about an hour and tons of water I ended up with five 5g buckets half full.

Getting ready pour in the sand. I had an extra 20lb bag of CaribSea Ocean Direct sand. Grain size was very fine so I decided to add a thin layer on top and towards the front of the tank for visual appeal.

Sand is in! Sand bed is pretty thin only about 1.5”-2”

Old Tonga branch structure I got from a buddy. Has also been sitting outside in the elements as well. I did however bleach it for a few days and rinsed it off and let it dry.

Time to get her wet! Using fresh new saltwater I mixed with Instant Ocean Purple lid buckets.

Tank is full! Now just heating up the water to 76 degrees with a BRS 300w heater and a 250w Eheim Jaeger heater.

Added a bottle of Brightwell Microbacter 7 for good measure. Surface agitation is good but still need to dial in the flow so the tank turn over is not so much. I’ll be moving over most of the rocks from my ELOS tank tomorrow. That should help with cycling the tank.

 

[SupraSaltyReefer]

01/22/2025- Unwrapping the House of Tangs!
First off, trying to make a video like those YouTube influencers is tough work! Props to them for taking the time to edit and upload videos.

Time to unwrap the tank, I like tangs so this was my reasoning to get a bigger tank and move the tank to the garage where I have space. I ended up combining my fishes from my ELOS tank, frag tank and QT tank. 2025 is off to a great start in consolidating 3 tanks into 1. Hopefully resulting in a lower PG&E bill hahaha

Secondly, Yes, I have a lot of Yellow tangs lol. Can you count how many? Some are wild, some are from Biota. Can you tell the difference? I wanted to recreate the feeling I had when I was snorkeling on the Big Island. It was a surreal experience swimming with them in the wild and being surrounded by hundreds. Enjoy!

Don't forget to Like, Subscribe and turn on notifications....lmaooo

 

[SupraSaltyReefer]

02/12/2025: Hawaii vibes…..