Carrie's 150 Tall

[CarrieB]

My reef history in brief- I started with goldfish (the gateway drug). Before I knew it, I had started on the hard stuff- a hundred gallon reef tank. Then we moved from CA to VA and full time work and kids got in the way. I gave the tank away. That was in 1997.

Fast forward to now, I have an almost 2 year grandson that loves Finding Nemo. He even carries around a stuffed clownfish. The daughter says I can get him a fish for his birthday, but she's already got 2 cats, a dog, and two little ones. So the fish gets to stay at grandma's house.

A quick look on Craig's List and I find a 150 g Tall that desperately needs a new home. The current owner is having financial difficulties and everything is either broken or on its last gasp. The tank is beat up and covered in algae. However, the fish are healthy and the rock is lovely. The fish were too big for the tank, so the owner found them another home and I acquired the tank, the rock, a large hermit crab.

My intent is to go slow and create a tank with a low bioload. I have another time consuming hobby that takes me away at weekends, so I need to have a tank that is good at taking care of itself.

What's been done:
1. Several hours of scrubbing.
2. New return pump (Tunze 1073.040)
3. New plumbing (changed to Herbie)
4. 80 lbs of Carib Sea Aragonite Reef Sand
5. 90 gpd Spectrapure RODI starter kit (on sale)
6. 175g saltwater made with Instant Ocean Reef Crystals
7. Red Sea test kit bought
8. Tank set up with saltwater, live rock and sand
9. Tank water tested until nitrites zero (never saw any ammonia)
10. Hermit crab moved from QT tank.

Still to do:
1. Skimmer
2. LED lights
3. Upgraded powerheads
4. ATO (hint hint)

Looking at a used AquaC EV-180 this weekend.

 

[CastAway]

Welcome to R2R!

Off to a good start!

I have an AquaC-EV240 on a 150g display/210g total volume, and think it's too small. If it were practical, you might consider a larger skimmer. I wonder if the injection style skimmers are as effective as the conventional types.

 

[Khh27]

Good to see a build thread

 

[CarrieB]

CastAway- The tank is tall, but the stand is short, so I am somewhat limited as to options. Most of the whiz-bang new skimmers seem to be taller than I have space (even the EV-240). I was hoping that if I keep the fish population down, I might get away with the 180. Sounds like maybe not? I may get it to run while I look around for another long term option. Although I love my LR, it apparently brought a bunch of nitrates with it, so I need to get started on some export methods.

Khh27 - fancy bumping into you here. I just put your ex-cucumber in the big tank. He's wedged himself into a crevice. I hope he's okay. I was worried he wasn't getting enough food in the little tank.

 

[hybridazn]

Welcome to R2R!

 

[human]

Welcome to R2R! You seem to be off to a good start, love the aquascape btw.

 

[Khh27]

CastAway- The tank is tall, but the stand is short, so I am somewhat limited as to options. Most of the whiz-bang new skimmers seem to be taller than I have space (even the EV-240). I was hoping that if I keep the fish population down, I might get away with the 180. Sounds like maybe not? I may get it to run while I look around for another long term option. Although I love my LR, it apparently brought a bunch of nitrates with it, so I need to get started on some export methods.

Khh27 - fancy bumping into you here. I just put your ex-cucumber in the big tank. He's wedged himself into a crevice. I hope he's okay. I was worried he wasn't getting enough food in the little tank.

Lol I've seen it in some tight spaces so it should be ok.

 

[CarrieB]

Thanks everyone.

I went back and measured. I have 27.5" to the bottom glass of the tank. The first section of the sump is
11.5 x16.5". Maybe I don't need as much clearance as I was thinking to remove the skimmer cup? Any suggestions for a shortish skimmer that would do well for a 150g tank?

 

[CarrieB]

Okay, I took the advice to heart, went back through my notes, read more opinions, spent too many hours debating options and finally splashed out on a less than a year old Skimz Monzter SM 201. My DH drove into the city to pick it up today while I was babysitting our little Nemo-lover and his brother.

Once we got home, I had to make room in the first section of the sump for it. I'd put all the smallish pieces of LR I got with the tank in there, to keep the tank uncluttered. I moved some into the other sump section, some into my QT, and arranged what was left so that it would fit around the skimmer. Then was the moment of truth. It took a bit of wiggling to coax it between the stand and the top of the sump, but I got it in. Yay!

In other news, I've added a sea cucumber named Cornichon that I adopted from Khh27. He promptly disappeared into one of the caves (the sea cucumber, not Khh27) and I was concerned for his well-being until I finally saw the mouth peeking around a corner collecting sand. Tonight he actually came out into view, so I think all is well.

As you can see, the tank is now going through the uglies, with a diatom bloom evident, some hair algae and even some cyano in spots. The hermit crab is everywhere eating the algae and pooping all over the tank. Nitrates were too high as soon as I set up the tank, so I think it must have come with the rock. I'm hoping the new skimmer will help with this, and I'm probably going to have to break down and change some water this week. The downside of a 150g tank is that it takes so much water to make a difference.

I scored a 10 g tank with Aquaclear filter, heater top and light for $15. Need one more tank for TTM.

Since my sump is now even more full, I was wondering if I could use a Aquaclear 70 as a HOB refugium off the sump for chaeto? I bought a LED shoplight to put under the stand which is 2000 lumens (maybe overkill) I'd like to get some pods in the tank, too. Would it be enough space?

 

[Khh27]

Do you think your cycle is over? If not doing water changes could slow it down a little if you think it's over it should be ok.The HOB should work fine but what's preventing from just putting it in the sump? Extra rock I'm asuming? I'm also asuming you haven't had a skimmer on the tank yet? So that will make a big difference in nitrates reduction.


Pics of sump and nice new skimmer in action please....

 

[CarrieB]

Here's a picture, but a bit hard to see what's going on around the stand. The sump is 12"x30"x18" high. There are two dividers three inches apart behind the stand support. I have a bunch of little bits of live rock and coral in there - it was set up that way previously.

Yes, pretty sure the cycle is over. Nitrite has been at 0 for a week and a half. I never saw any ammonia, I assume because the rock was from a running (albeit neglected) tank. And yes, I'm counting on the new skimmer to help. The previous owner was using a HOB that he kept.

I could move some of the rock out to make space for the chaeto, but which section? With the skimmer, with the bulkhead to the pump, or perhaps use the little section in between?

 

[Khh27]

It's 2 camber correct? Wouldn't really be good in either and if you put it in your bubble trap(I'm asuming is what it is) it'll probably just collect detritus without a way to "self clean" itself.

 

[CarrieB]

It's 2 camber correct? Wouldn't really be good in either and if you put it in your bubble trap(I'm asuming is what it is) it'll probably just collect detritus without a way to "self clean" itself.

Yes, exactly. Hence my thought about using an HOB filter. Essentially to make another chamber.

 

[CarrieB]

What if I got one of those in tank Refugium boxes and put it in the first chamber? I'd have to move out some rock. How big would it need to be?

 

[rainmaker]

I have same tank 150 tall I have a external skimmer and use middle chamber of sump for refugium last chamber for returnp

 

[rainmaker]

I see you just got the skimmer I had trouble with Height to Service skimmer so I went with external you might consider a filter sock hanger though will help to keep sump clean

 

[CarrieB]

Thanks for the suggestion. I haven't looked at filter socks yet.

What kind of pumps are you using in your 150T? That's my next job.

 

[rainmaker]

I have a lifeguard quiet one 4000 for return inexpensive pump and runs guiet use a rio 1100 to feed skimmer I'm also running a calcium reactor

 

[rainmaker]

Reef radiance is having a ware house sale on some LEDs if your looking

 

[CarrieB]

Thanks for the pointer, but at some point I latched onto the idea of getting the Reefbreeder's Photon 48W, which means I have to wait until the piggybank is pretty full. I like that they sit on the tank, so I don't have to fuss with mounts. And that would work well with the two single T5 fixtures that I got with the tank that work similarly, and give me a combo system. Also, with the tall tank, having the lights close seems a good thing.