75 gallon mixed reef medium budget build

[Drewe]

My current tank is a 75 gallon mixed reef. Originally a 29 gallon super budget softie build from around 4 years ago has morphed into a medium budget 75 gallon living room display tank.

I've had fresh water tanks since I was 10 years old. I'm pushing 30 now and realizing that there have been very few moments in my life where I haven't had a tank of some sort.

The current iteration of this tank has been up and running for 14 months, give or take.

This tank used to be softie/leather dominated but as my budget/career has gotten larger and higher paying I began to transition into SPS and LPS. Instead of black boxes I now have kessils. Instead of manual top offs I have an ATO. Instead of of HOB filtration I now have a sump. Instead of 25% water changes I now have 10% water changes, a skimmer, refugium and filter socks.

We're planning on moving this tank about 6 feet to the left in the coming weeks, expecting it to be a full day affair. I'm using this opportunity to call the move a "reset" of sort. There is nothing wrong with the tank parasite wise, no weird issues with parameters, but there are some aquascape and inhabitant changes that I would like to make during the move.

Parameters:
SG - 1.025-1.026
Nitrate: 5
Phosphate: 0.04
Calcium: 450
Alkalinity: 8-9

I test alkalinity at least 3 times per week, lately once a day. Nitrate gets tested once a week along with phosphates. Magnesium gets tested once a month or so and it's always around 1300ppm. Calcium rarely gets tested as I believe alkalinity is far more important.

I have an apex for monitoring and control and when I decide that the tank will majorly benefit with auto-testing I'll invest in a Trident.
For dosing I keep it simple. Kalkwasser in the ATO for maintaining levels and 2 part only if alkalinity strays.

Livestock:
Pair of Saddleback clowns (had for 3.5 years)
3 blue/green chromis (1 year)
Yellow Eyed Cole Tang (2.5 years)

Coral:
Purple stylophora
Green hammer
Black/purple torch
Several monti caps
Birds nest
Zoanthids
Several lepto frags
Candy Canes
Poccilipora
stray xenia, GSP, invasive bright green palys

All the coral I have has grown from little frags over the last 12-18 months.



Equipment:

Two Kessil A360s

Eshopps S cone 150 skimmer

Jebao return pump

Jebao powerheads x3

20 gallon long DIY sump

Amazon special par26 refugium light



I got super busy with work and home renovations that the tank suffered a bit over the past 4 months, losing a few SPS including a decently large orange digi colony.



It is my intention to use this build thread and subsequent updates as a bit of a journal as well as to give myself motivation to keep the tank clean and in tip top shape for myself and my wife to enjoy.

 

[blaxsun]

Good luck with the tank relocation!

 

[Fishfreak2009]

75 gallons are great tanks. They are the perfect size for a smaller display that still gives you room for more than 2 or 3 little fish.

 

[Drewe]

75 gallons are great tanks. They are the perfect size for a smaller display that still gives you room for more than 2 or 3 little fish.

Thank you! We considered upgrading to a 120 instead of just moving the tank over a few feet but we're planning on moving to have more room for an eventual kid within the next 2 years and will likely upgrade then.

 

[Drewe]

In preparation for the tank move I went ahead and replumbed the overflow.

The fish in this tank have seen everything from a power filter and HOB skimmer, to a DIY PVC overflow to an Eshopps HOB. It was using a Pf-800 but I was suffering from occasional noise issues. I upgraded to a Pf-1000 which has two 1" bulkheads instead of a single.

I'm running it as a Herbie style with one of the drains at full siphon and the other as the emergency. Completely silent and definitely higher flow, but I didn't need the flow, just a nice to have I suppose.

 

[Drewe]

A Birdsnest frag I've had for awhile on the frag rack has finally grown out enough to not look completely silly on the live rock.

 

[aquaman3680]

Great looking tank! Good luck with the move!

 

[Drewe]

Thought I'd post some photos I took tonight about an hour before lights out

Pest xenia is being trimmed this weekend. I was hoping the BTA there would hold it back but it's done nothing at all.

 

[Drewe]

Had to show a buddy of mine a video of my filtration setup and thought I'd update this thread.

Super simple and super duper budget. Water drains to the sock, goes through the skimmer and then onto refugium powered by a super budget PAR26(?) Amazon special light.

The light and refugium is perfectly capable of keeping my nitrates around where I want them (10ish, no more than 20) but it's definitely not capable of preventing algae growth in the DT. Would probably need a designer light for that, this Amazon one can't keep up with multiple A360s on the tank.

Almost time to trim the chaeto too

 

[MUB]

Any updates on your tank? How are the lights performing?

 

[Drewe]

Any updates on your tank? How are the lights performing?

I can type up an update and get some photos up tomorrow. Tank is running great and the lights are performing as expected!

Dealing with a xenia outbreak and a bit of bubble algae but other than that everything is growing and happy