HHH’s 150 Gallon SPS Reef

happyhourhero · Mar 18, 2023

Welcome to the next chapter of my reef!

I first got into the hobby back in 2005 when I started a 58 gallon mixed reef while in college. I started with a box of Kaelini live rock from Premium Aquatics and some power compact lights and was pretty much hooked for good. I ran this tank for a couple of years and then one night my roommate had some people over and they dumped all the food I had into the tank while I was asleep and when I woke up, the tank looked like someone poured milk into it and almost everything was dead. I left the hobby for almost 10 years and got back into it when my wife suggested I try again.

I took over a hobby exit 56 gallon tank and took this path: 56 > 65 > 100 > renovated a house and left the hobby for about a year > 25 lagoon > built a shed that is now my office > 150 gallon. I traded my 25 gallon and some cash/frags for this tank from a local reefer who is moving and couldn’t take the big tank.

Current tank:
Red Sea Max 650-S
Coral Box Skimmer
Roller Mat
BRS titanium heater x2
ReefBreeders lights
Marinepure spheres from 25g

Livestock:
Rock sculpture from 25 gallon
2 new rock sculptures (Marco)
Powder brown
Foxface
2 YWG - 1 shrimp
Neon goby
Scopas tang
Carpenters flasher wrasse
Chalk bass
Blue jaw trigger

Corals:
Daisy cutters
Purple monsters
Halley Barry zoas
AOI
Sedcutions
Rastas
Laser lemon
Bam bams
Splatter hammer
Holo hammer
Yellow sub favia
Green goni
Red goni
Rainbow bernard
Psammacora
Anacropora
Litho
Lepto
Leptastrea
Grafted Digi
Rainbow monti
Yellow and blue cap (forget name)
Branching Cyphastrea
Skittles bomb Cyphastrea
Mini Maxi
Rock flower
Fire and Ice Digi

Acros:
Space Lazer
Green slimer
Amazing pink
BC Bonfire
BC Chem bomb 2
BC Bonsai Humilis
Garf Bonsai
Green milli
TCK Insane Milli
BC Snipers Blue
OG Oregon Tort
Cherry Bomb
Rainbow splice
TSA green bottlebrush
Pink Caddilac
BC Cricket Spine
Sassy Pearl Tenuis
Blue tipped stag
BC Blueberry Lemon
TSA Electric Blue

I took the cluster of acros from the 25 and made it the middle island. I used the same rock powder and thin super glue method to make the other 2 islands. I cut some frags of my favorite corals and placed a couple on the islands so hopefully in a year they will grow out nicely.

Here are a couple pics. We had tuff shed build a 12 x 16 and then we finished it. I reinforced the floors > ran power > added insulation > drywall > flooring > mini split unit for heat and air. I am currently building a deck and awning and once that it done, I’ll post some more pics.

blaxsun · Mar 18, 2023

Nice... a dedicated fish room!

Floyd- · Mar 23, 2023

Cant wait to see what happens with my old tank! Glad you are going to enjoy it.
The 25 lagoon is currently in a ugly phase, I hope to start a thread on that one also.

Gumbies R Us · Mar 23, 2023

happyhourhero said:
Welcome to the next chapter of my reef!

I first got into the hobby back in 2005 when I started a 58 gallon mixed reef while in college. I started with a box of Kaelini live rock from Premium Aquatics and some power compact lights and was pretty much hooked for good. I ran this tank for a couple of years and then one night my roommate had some people over and they dumped all the food I had into the tank while I was asleep and when I woke up, the tank looked like someone poured milk into it and almost everything was dead. I left the hobby for almost 10 years and got back into it when my wife suggested I try again.

I took over a hobby exit 56 gallon tank and took this path: 56 > 65 > 100 > renovated a house and left the hobby for about a year > 25 lagoon > built a shed that is now my office > 150 gallon. I traded my 25 gallon and some cash/frags for this tank from a local reefer who is moving and couldn’t take the big tank.

Current tank:
Red Sea Max 650-S
Coral Box Skimmer
Roller Mat
BRS titanium heater x2
ReefBreeders lights
Marinepure spheres from 25g

Livestock:
Rock sculpture from 25 gallon
2 new rock sculptures (Marco)
Powder brown
Foxface
2 YWG - 1 shrimp
Neon goby
Scopas tang
Carpenters flasher wrasse
Chalk bass
Blue jaw trigger

Corals:
Daisy cutters
Purple monsters
Halley Barry zoas
AOI
Sedcutions
Rastas
Laser lemon
Bam bams
Splatter hammer
Holo hammer
Yellow sub favia
Green goni
Red goni
Rainbow bernard
Psammacora
Anacropora
Litho
Lepto
Leptastrea
Grafted Digi
Rainbow monti
Yellow and blue cap (forget name)
Branching Cyphastrea
Skittles bomb Cyphastrea
Mini Maxi
Rock flower
Fire and Ice Digi

Acros:
Space Lazer
Green slimer
Amazing pink
BC Bonfire
BC Chem bomb 2
BC Bonsai Humilis
Garf Bonsai
Green milli
TCK Insane Milli
BC Snipers Blue
OG Oregon Tort
Cherry Bomb
Rainbow splice
TSA green bottlebrush
Pink Caddilac
BC Cricket Spine
Sassy Pearl Tenuis
Blue tipped stag
BC Blueberry Lemon
TSA Electric Blue

I took the cluster of acros from the 25 and made it the middle island. I used the same rock powder and thin super glue method to make the other 2 islands. I cut some frags of my favorite corals and placed a couple on the islands so hopefully in a year they will grow out nicely.

Here are a couple pics. We had tuff shed build a 12 x 16 and then we finished it. I reinforced the floors > ran power > added insulation > drywall > flooring > mini split unit for heat and air. I am currently building a deck and awning and once that it done, I’ll post some more pics.
View attachment 3068835 View attachment 3068836 View attachment 3068837 View attachment 3068838 View attachment 3068839 View attachment 3068840 View attachment 3068841 View attachment 3068842

Great looking tank!!!

happyhourhero · Mar 23, 2023

Added a coral beauty for the wife. My fox face was nipping acros pretty bad so I figured it needs a partner in crime.

Corals are lightening and I thought it was due to the lights being too high but it’s my nitrates bottomed out. Started dosing NeoNitro in hopes that I can keep them 5-10.

happyhourhero · Apr 3, 2023

Been busy blowing money. Did the ARC live sale and scored a decent list. Most were $5.

WWC Cherry tree Monti

Nexus Joker Anemone

RRC Wonderland Acro

Yoda Acan

Superman Favia

Green Birdsnest

RRC Tropicana

Green Horrida Acro

ORA Pink Polyp Cap

Green Goni

RRC Marvin the Martian

Raja Rampage

Ups lost the box so it was in transit for over 48 hours and so far the only loss was the Tropicana anacropora. I am excited about the nexus joker. It was a bit brown from the shipping issue but hoping it pulls some good color and that I will be the first person ever to have a Joker develop the colors of the Nexus Burst. Lol.

Also ordered some more clean up crew from reeftopia who I have never tried before. Hoping they are all healthy and can keep this big tank somewhat clean for me. I’ll take some pics in the near future but nothing too spectacular right now.

Gumbies R Us · Apr 4, 2023

happyhourhero said:
Been busy blowing money. Did the ARC live sale and scored a decent list. Most were $5.

WWC Cherry tree Monti

Nexus Joker Anemone

RRC Wonderland Acro

Yoda Acan

Superman Favia

Green Birdsnest

RRC Tropicana

Green Horrida Acro

ORA Pink Polyp Cap

Green Goni

RRC Marvin the Martian

Raja Rampage

Ups lost the box so it was in transit for over 48 hours and so far the only loss was the Tropicana anacropora. I am excited about the nexus joker. It was a bit brown from the shipping issue but hoping it pulls some good color and that I will be the first person ever to have a Joker develop the colors of the Nexus Burst. Lol.

Also ordered some more clean up crew from reeftopia who I have never tried before. Hoping they are all healthy and can keep this big tank somewhat clean for me. I’ll take some pics in the near future but nothing too spectacular right now.
View attachment 3094772

Congrats on all the new coral!!!

happyhourhero · Apr 4, 2023

Ordered from Reeftopia for the first time. Box came in today with the following:
2 fighting conch
6 gulf peppermints
50 golden astrea
12 Cerith
3 emerald (free)
2 frostbite clowns
1 sea cucumber for the sand.

All were alive and great looking (for a cuc). One of the clowns has a little face on its back lol.

Edited to add that I would for sure buy from Reeftopia again and they have great prices. They are based in Key West and catch or raise most of their stock.

happyhourhero · Apr 17, 2023

Ordered a box of rock from gulfliverock a couple weeks ago to add some diversity and fill in some gaps. Rock came and it didn’t stink at all so I just put it right in. Really happy with it. Had a bunch of big clams on each piece.

Took those when I first put them in. Had some Dino’s starting to show up as those dry rock towers bound up my phosphates. They are almost all the way gone now which is nice. Been dosing to keep up. Really loving this tank! It’s so great to have open water and active fish. My nano was cool but this one is much better to just watch.

happyhourhero · Apr 26, 2023

New fts. The rock towers are matured a bit and the ugly phase seems to have passed or at least is between phases. I also just ordered a Battlebox because every tank needs a Battlebox or 3.