135g SPS Reef

[Raidendex]

Hey, figured I'd make a post here as well in hopes of getting more feedback that would hopefully save me from making mistakes or at least making fewer of them as I build this up

I've had a number of freshwater and reef tanks over the years. However, last reef tank a 180g one was about 8 years ago now I did set up a freshwater 150g (5x2x2) about two years ago, but that's occupied by discus for now. I did come across a sale on a 135g cube recently (3x3x2), so decided to get it and set it up on second floor of my house.

This will probably be a somewhat prolonged build, mostly due to slowly buying parts, but hoping to get thing up and running with maybe some first corals in by the end of the year.

So to start I have a SCA 135g 3x3x2 rimless aquarium with center overflow. Here are some sketches of the stand design as well as some other hardware, things are not too detailed, as it's a bit annoying to sit there and draw all the pipes and tubes etc, but gives enough of an idea

Overall design. Going for a fairly simple design. I usually use 3/4 to skin outside and make doors, but will try hardwood this time. I'm thinking about 13/16 Canarywood boards, most of them will be 5" wide with few at 4". A small hood on top will hide auto feeders and return pump lines. I want to use two pumps for return, so it just makes it easier to use 3 holes in the overflow for drains and make returns external without trying to link two lines into one with valves, etc.

Stand design is fairly basic 2x4 with 2x6 cross beams. Made plenty of these before.

Stand is then skinned in 3/4 plywood on top, bottom, and back. Black thing on top is Styrofoam aquarium came with, so it will sit on that. A 200mm fan can be seen, this will intake air into the stand and it will be exhausted from some slits/holes around the stand (not pictured). I've done same thing with my freshwater setup and it keeps a nice breeze through the stand. Slot with green over it is an access port for various cords, etc. with some foam to keep it somewhat closed.

Next, hardwood skin is added. This will be permanently glued on providing further rigidity.

Doors will be glues together but simply friction fit plus probably some magnets to slot in place. Again something similar to how my current freshwater is set up, where I can simply remove the panel out of the way completely.

 

[Raidendex]

Next, the custom sump. Layout is somewhat unusual due to space. But middle back chamber is for the drains with 7" filter sock holder (I will probably not always run this). Followed to the left with skimmer chamber, then from left/middle refugium and ending with return pumps / heaters / dosing lines chamber on the right.

This will be first time for me to use an actual sump. Before I always used just a regular tank, so hopefully this will be an improvement, and also regular tanks do not really fit in this stand and provide decent amount of water anyways hehe.

This is how I imagine it with water in and approximate space for the skimmer as well as 3 drain lines and 2 return ones.

 

[hdsoftail1065]

Looks like a cool build, following along to watch the progress

 

[Raidendex]

As far as what I have been able to complete so far...

In the stairwell above landing I've added a shelf / floor for some reef related storage as well as 30g top off barrel.

This has a diagonal 2x6 resting on horizontal beams of the first floor and rest of the frame attached to studs with 3/4 plywood skinning top and bottom. With me on it, seems quite sturdy

The ugly blue inside is Pond Shield resin paint in cheapest color at the time lol, just to make things waterproof. To this area I have ran a 1" PVC pipe from the garage 55g barrel that takes in RO/DI water. It's probably only 10 or so feet of raise but about 40-50 feet of horizontal distance.

Speaking of the garage, this is where I am doing water filtration as well as some freshwater back up tanks for now.

I will probably convert one of the 20g tanks into saltwater QT / Hospital tank and leave other as same for freshwater.

55g barrel above on the left is being filtered by 3 stage seen at the top of the picture with just sediment and two carbon filters. This is used as source for ATO / AWC for my freshwater tank and currently ATO for the two 20g tanks below.

Bottom seven stage feeds 55g barrel on the right and its waste water going down the utility sink that is just plumbed to the lawn outside, so at least it's watering a small part of my lawn

Next to the barrels is Iwaki MD-55RLT pump to push water from here to the second floor to either refill 30g ATO barrel there or another 55g barrel for water changes. I will be doing water changes manually as thinking about setting up that automatically gave me too many red flags of things going wrong With freshwater it is so much easier, I simply pump 15 gallons of water to the lawn and ATO slowly refills the sump lol.

 

[nereefpat]

Nice. The sale SCA had on that specific tank was very tempting. I was seriously thinking about it as a replacement for my standard 125.

 

[Raidendex]

Aside from that only things I have purchased so far are LED Lit Refractometer, 150lbs of macro rock, and BRS 2 part stuff (Ca, Ash, Mag C and S). Rock and 2 part is still on the way. For two part I will also be adding Tropic Marin part C and their trace A and K for a hybrid balling method. Also will be using their Bio-Actif salt mix with potential further carbon dosing things from TM.

I will be running bare bottom, but will buy at least a bag of ocean direct sand for some bacteria seeding at start and if it form a thin enough layer I might just leave it in or take it out later.

In addition to whatever bacteria will come with sand I will probably add some other bac additives to better seed things and later on follow up with something like Galaxy Pods.

For hardware my picks are so far as follows:

Feeder x2	HYDROS WiFi Fish Feeder
Return Pump x2	Syncra ADV 5.5
Skimmer	Elite 150-INT 6" Super Cone
Sump Flow (already have)	Maxspect 4K Gyre
Sump Heater x2	Eheim Jager 300W
Tank Flow x2	Maxspect Gyre XF350 Cloud
Tank Light x4	Radion XR15 G6 Blue
Sump Light	AI Blade Refugium (maybe something more full specturm)

I am using several Hydros controllers so will continue with those. So far I have a list as follow, although will think about port need and maybe will tone it down a bit Garage already has XS and XP8 for the 20g tanks, so I will be using that to control Iwaki pump to push water upstairs as well.

Hydros X10 (This gives me 4 dosers)

Hydros XP8 (power outlets)

Hydros X4 (pH, sense ports, 0-10v)

Hydros XS (Extra sense ports for various water levels)

Hydros WaveEngine (Controls 3 Gyres, 0.10v)

 

[Raidendex]

Final picture for now of the tank itself when it was in the garage. Was a fun project on NY eve at 10pm to drag it up the stairs lol, but we did it Work first, then drink my stuff ! haha

 

[Raidendex]

Here is also my current discus tank

 

[hdsoftail1065]

Here is also my current discus tank

that looks great!

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Here is also my current discus tank

Great looking tank!

 

[ScottD]

I’m in the slow process of setting up a SCA 135 as well. I’ll be following along to see what you come up with on your build as I build mine.