150 Gallon tank

[toughdog]

Hi all

I am hving a 3 feet tank and just got delivery of a 4x2x2.5 feeter... I will try to keep here a blog of the transition between the two (of a probably 2-3 months) till everything is running on the big one.

I will put down all my plans and considerations and welcome all the comments and advise that I can get.. So watch this space

[toughdog]

this is my "old" tank. Is running for a year and is stable.. It holds 50 Gallons of water and doing a 10% water change every Sunday.. Some specs:

tank - 90x50x45cm = 200L = 50 Gallons setup on August 8 2010

25kg live rock

25kg live sand

Eccolamp KR93 - 100W (at repair shop right now)

EHEIM professionel II canister filter - up to 600L - 20W

HAILEA HC-150A chiller - up to 400L - 250W

TUNZE 9006 skimmer, 850L/h water, 500L/h air - up to 600L - 12W

2xTUNZE nanostream 6025, 2500L/h pump up to 200L - 2x6W

KORALIA 3, 1600L/h up to 3200L/h pump up tp 400L - 6.5W

And the livestock:

2xtrue percula clownfish - Amphiprion percula

yellow tang - Zebrasoma flavescens

blue hippo tang - Paracanthurus hepatus

dracula goby - Stonogobiops dracula

randall's goby - Amblyeleotris randalli

white cap goby - Lotilia graciliosa

2xBlue/Green Reef Chromis - Chromis viridis

Sailfin/Algae Blenny - Salarias fasciatus

2xcamel shrimp - Rhynchocinetes durbanensis

2xharlequin shrimp - Hymenocera elegans

2xcleaner shrimp - Lysmata amboinensis

peppermint shrimp - Lysmata wurdemanni complex

blood red fire shrimp - Lysmata debelius

6xtiger snapping shrimp - Alpheus bellulus

6xred banded snapping shrimp - Alpheus randalli

2xred spotted snapping shrimp - Alpheus rubromaculatus

snapping shrimp - Alpheus bisincisus

snapping shrimp - Alpheus djeddensis

banded coral shrimp - Stenopus tenuirostris

bumble bee shrimp – Gnathophyllum americanum

reef lobster - Enoplometopus sp

2xturbo snail - Turbo fluctuosa

2xbmble bee snails - Pusiostoma mendicaria

2xnassarius snails - Nassarius distortus

Pincushion Urchin, Blue Tuxedo - Mespilia globulus

Pom Pom Crab - Lybia sp

Porcelain Anemone Crab - Neopetrolisthes ohshimai

sebae anemone - Heteractis crispa

goniopora

clove coral

button polyp corals

star polip

mushrooms

Obviously pretty crowded since I took the plunge in trying my luck, my skill and my patience with the big daddy I just got..

[toughdog]

This is the new tank:

I am planning to have same style - look with the old tank, with 4-5 inch DSB (I have lots of pistols shrimps and shrimp gobies and it fascinates me), I probably have to upgrade my chiller and skimmer since old ones are two small and also due to the fact that I am planning to transfer over in time, so for a couple months both thanks should run in paralel.

I am planning to get 3 inch of sand from the East Coast Park (I did the same on old tank) and top up the surface with the sand in the old tank (to be the last addition to the new tank - the top 1 inch layer of sand).

4 the water I am planning to buy 4 boxes (32Kg) of Red Sea Salt since this is the one I am using in the old tank, and my livestock is used to it..

But before going there, I am not happy with the original sump plumbing and want to do some DIY. not sure should I post it here or in DIY forum..

[ambystoma82]

the overflow compartment have underflow slots also? How are you doing to put the sandbed n not blk the flow?

the fact that the overflow is having slots at the bottom means the overflow compt lvl will always be same lvl as the main tank lvl..

U got to be careful playing around with the height of the piping linking to sump.

u can try go barebottom, its easier to clean...

This is the new tank:

I am planning to have same style - look with the old tank, with 4-5 inch DSB (I have lots of pistols shrimps and shrimp gobies and it fascinates me), I probably have to upgrade my chiller and skimmer since old ones are two small and also due to the fact that I am planning to transfer over in time, so for a couple months both thanks should run in paralel.

I am planning to get 3 inch of sand from the East Coast Park (I did the same on old tank) and top up the surface with the sand in the old tank (to be the last addition to the new tank - the top 1 inch layer of sand).

4 the water I am planning to buy 4 boxes (32Kg) of Red Sea Salt since this is the one I am using in the old tank, and my livestock is used to it..

But before going there, I am not happy with the original sump plumbing and want to do some DIY. not sure should I post it here or in DIY forum..

[toughdog]

Hi ambystoma82

Thanks for input! I am planning to add a 5-6 inch tall glass or plastic pannel parallel with the overflow box, stick with silicon on tank's walls so it will hold the sand but allow water to flow. Probably at 1 cm distance from the overflow wall. See the picture below.. I really love deep sand beds and I need to find a workaround to have it.. I hope this 'engineering" will work.

[tunicate]

Firstly, I like your floor tiles. They're nice.

Question:

Would this new tank by any chance been designed originally for fresh water aquarium?

Secondly, you'll definitely have to seal the underflow grill if you want sand bed.

Thirdly, you're right about having to work on the sump. The return pump compartment should ideally be directly under the overflow compartment in the main tank. So you may have to turn the sump tank around.

P.S. Need to drill holes on cabinet for chiller pipes or chiller coil access?

[tunicate]

Sand will get disturbed & end up in there unless your glass baffle is at least 6" above your sand bed. Worst, your shrimps & crabs may fall over & trapped in there.

[toughdog]

Hi tunicate,

thanks for reply. I may be sealing as you advise or make the sand-stop pannel REALLY high.. one foot?

For the cabinet, yes it has 4 big drilled holes at the back. Have posted some pics on the DIY forum, please have a look?

I am planning to change the plumbing and use the return drilled hole for drain as well (in refugium) and create a new return piping from the 3rd sump compartment through the cabinet back hole and gthe back of the tank...