My first 150g build by 2KrazyKidz

[2KrazyKidz]

So let me get this started by introducing myself. My username is homage to my 2 crazy kids 4 and 8, they sure do always keep me on my feet. I am a long time freshwater keeper, my last tank being a 90g planted with C02. I have some close friends in the hobby who finally pushed me to take the plunge into marine saltwater.

I know this is an expensive hobby, so to me used was the way to go. I started collecting things over the years. The first thing I collected was two full brute cans of live rock from a severely neglected tank that was being shutdown. my only cost for this was the labor to remove it from the tank. it was been sitting in totes in my shop for the past two years. so yesterday knowing my used tank is coming it was time to start cleaning the rock. They will stay in the bleach for a week while I clean and get my new setup ready.

Next is my stand. It is a 2" square tubing. Measuring 72" long, 24" deep, and 30" high. I got this piece of steel for only $50 CAD so thought that was a pretty good deal. again had it for around a year now.

Now onto the new tank. It was recommended to me that I find a used teardown setup that had some decent equipment and a tank that was a good size. I got the complete setup including the 150g tank, sump, return pump, skimmer, 2 wave makers, a Jabo wave maker, heaters, a nice RODI with booster pump, mixing tank with circulation pump and heater, dosing pump and bottle holders, and a 36x36" frag tank as a bonus. Also came with a bunch of spare and extra equipment to get me started. I think I got a good deal as all I really need is some new sand and I'm up and running. The stand is oversized depth wise for this 150g tank but if I ever wanted to upgrade I have the availability.

The tank has been torn down and tomorrow I'm picking everything up. I plan to use this week to clean everything while I wait for the rock to finish bleaching. once that's done I'll be onto the aquascape and hopefully adding some water a few weeks from today. I'm pretty excited to start the hobby but going to be taking it slow. I want the setup to really fit and match with the house.

I'm hoping you all can join me on the journey from the clean/build to Aquascape design and then to choosing fish and then to the end goal of corals once the tank has matured. please everyone pull up a chair and please give your opinions and thoughts as I am definition of a beginner into the saltwater/ marine hobby.

 

[2KrazyKidz]

Well today with the help of a buddy picked up the tank and all the equipment. The household we picked it up from just drained the tank that morning. everything was still nice and moist by time we got it back to my house and onto the stand. At that point I was all on my own and my buddy was a case of beer richer, He wanted no part of the cleaning process, and I don't blame him as this thing was neglected and stunk to high heaven.

The first thing I did was fill the sump and mix in some citric acid. I then installed a smaller return pump I had lying around to circulate the water throughout the sump. I then tossed all the equipment I could into the sump. Figured it would be good to let everything soak in the sump for a day or two while I got the display tank sorted out.

Now it was onto the main display. I started by using a half vinegar, half warm water in a spray bottle. accompanied with a small plastic scraper and a scrubby pad. it took about 5 hours of elbow green and some nice classic rock, but I think I got it to the point where I'm happy.

I think the next goal will be to clean some equipment. Fill the display about half way with a strong bleach solution, and let turn on all the equipment to clear all their junk out. while this is happening ill tackle cleaning out the sump.

here are some pics of the before and after cleaning. smells much nicer and looks pretty good. there are some scratches on the display but I knew about them and also figured this is more of my entry level tank and not my forever tank. FYI the last image those are not scratches, I haven't fully cleaned the glass yet.

 

[2KrazyKidz]

Today was a short day , but got a lot accomplished.
The Sump and all equipment were being soaked in citric acid for almost 2 days. Glad I did that because boy did it make cleanup a breeze. just needed a quick light scrub with some vinegar/water in a spray bottle.
Once everything was cleaned. Just a quick rinse then refill the sump with a decent bleach solution and toss all the equipment back in. Everything can hang out here circulating until we are plumbed and ready to go.

 

[2KrazyKidz]

Not a crazy busy evening. Got some click flooring I had laying around the house installed under the sump. Gave all the equipment one last wipe down and letting it soak until the weekend when we can hopefully plumb and fill it all up. Getting excited that now everything is clean.

 

[2KrazyKidz]

It was a process over the weekend. But we got the aquascape in. And slowly but surely started adding RODI. Finally was fully yesterday afternoon. Then we started adding salt once the water was up to temp. Late last evening salinity at 1.025 and 78 temp. I let this all just settle with the wave makers and return pump running overnight. This Am I added ammonia to ~2.5ppm. This evening I added the recommended 600ml of Bacteria.

Next project will be moving the power heads, heaters to their final locations and hooking up the Gyro. Also really need to clean up the wiring. But that might be a project for the snowy cold weekend we have coming up.

 

[dstockwell]

Welcome to the Reef

 

[Miami Reef]

Great job!

FYI Toad is my favorite character and the ONLY character I’ll use in Mario. Since I was a little kid.

 

[2KrazyKidz]

Great job!

FYI Toad is my favorite character and the ONLY character I’ll use in Mario. Since I was a little kid.

I still play as toad. Best character ever

 

[2KrazyKidz]

Well I know API aren’t the best test sets. And I will upgrade once the tank starts bumping along. But here are my tests today. Nice to see nitrites starting to rise. It’s a good sign the cycle is starting to move along. Keep playing the waiting game

 

[Miami Reef]

Well I know API aren’t the best test sets. And I will upgrade once the tank starts bumping along. But here are my tests today. Nice to see nitrites starting to rise. It’s a good sign the cycle is starting to move along. Keep playing the waiting game

Oh, wow. Your tank is new new! Exciting times.

Is there a way you can add a piece of live rock to seed your tank? Preferably that has coralline algae. It will really give your system a leg up in the maturation game.

Also, how did you make your aquascape? The left side looks like it’s defying gravity with that one arching piece.

 

[2KrazyKidz]

Oh, wow. Your tank is new new! Exciting times.

Is there a way you can add a piece of live rock to seed your tank? Preferably that has coralline algae. It will really give your system a leg up in the maturation game.

Also, how did you make your aquascape? The left side looks like it’s defying gravity with that one arching piece.

Thanks. Yeah it’s new new for sure. I might drop my LFS and see if I can get a piece of rock from their system. I was hesitant to add anything that came with undesirable stuff in it. I suppose one piece of rock won’t hurt.
As for the aqua scape. We sort of assembled it outside the tank. Took a ton of pics. Then assembled the rock by drilling holes and inserting rods to sort of hold it together.
To be honest I might pull the “overhang” off and change for a larger flatter piece.

 

[Moose.Jy]

Welcome!! Im so excited to watch your tank grow!
If you want to give your tank a boost and potentially cut back on the ugly stage consider adding lots of copepods right after ur nitrogen cycle is complete. Just keep feeding (phytoplankton) and let them breed out like crazy before you add anything else. They will keep ur tank cleaner then anything out there as time goes on and feed ur fish when u add them later, that with some good bottle bacteria and/or reef mud give u a pretty good pest/algea free start to ur ecosystem.
(I suggest rastapods, they have great bulk prices on pods!)

 

[Miami Reef]

I’m not so crazy about buying copepods. They will come and reproduce naturally once you add a piece of liverock/coral. It’s basically impossible to not add copepods since they hitchhike on everything and will reproduce as long as the tank has food and a lack of predators (e.g mandarin gobies).

 

[Moose.Jy]

I’m not so crazy about buying copepods. They will come and reproduce naturally once you add a piece of liverock/coral. It’s basically impossible to not add copepods since they hitchhike on everything and will reproduce as long as the tank has food and a lack of predators (e.g mandarin gobies).

They will! But why wait on a new tank when you can have the benefits right away for cheap!

 

[Miami Reef]

They will! But why wait on a new tank when you can have the benefits right away for cheap!

Well, I am a firm believer that tisbe pods are what we need in a tank. Most LFS only sell live tigger pods which are big, red, don’t look for shelter, and take long to reproduce. AKA, they get eaten to essentially extinction.

The tisbe pods are the real scavengers, are excellent hiders, reproduce very quickly. They are the main diatom eaters.

But unless you can get a bottle of tisbe pods (online) adding a piece of live rock will have very similar effects. They will come on with the rock and will reproduce very quickly.

 

[Miami Reef]

And adding the live rock will add the bacteria to get the tank cycled, as well as seeding the really pretty coralline algae (make sure you see it on the rock when you buy it. A tiny amount will spread really quick. I think it’s a great way to cover most of your bases.

You don’t need much live rock. A small piece or two will really spread quick.

 

[2KrazyKidz]

Thanks for the suggestions all. Probably will be a week or so before I get to the LFS. Tank is still rising in nitrite so I know im moving along.
I’ll start looking for copepods to see what is available locally. I’m sure someone is selling them somewhere.
Will probably start to manufacture my lighting rack support and maybe start adding some trim to “finish” it off in the space.