Aquastudent's 150G Oceanic (5'x2'x2')

[Aquastudent]

I previously got this tank from @DC_Reefer a few years ago and used it as a freshwater tank. It's an older Oceanic, manufactured in 1993 I think of I remember the inspection tag, but is in solid shape. The original tank had two internal weir overflows with two 1" drains in each. I wasn't a big fan of the overflows and after consulting with the community here, formulated a plan to plug the bottom drains and install an overflow through the back. 

 

I currently have a 100G reef that's been limping along. I plan on shifting over everything to the new tank once the tank is stabilized. 

 

Over the past few months I have removed the internal overflows (this involved a lot of cutting with a razor blade and using a paint scraper), resealing the tank, and plumbing in a larger sump. I oversized the sump but think I will enjoy the space to spread out internal equipment. I decided to take time and go a bit fancy with the plumbing. I'm really excited with how it turned out. 

 

Tomorrow I will start leak checking. Who wants to guess where it'll be leaking from?

 

 

[nburg]

Nice! I have a similarly sized tank (59"x30"x22"). Its a great size and i am sure you'll like the depth. 

[epleeds]

If you don’t have a screen top for it yet, I have a home made one from stuff you buy at lowes you’re more than welcome to have. I have a custom top now and have no need for the home made one. I’m in nokesville. Just let me know. 

[Aquastudent]

It is a great size. After having a 75G there's no going back to a 55G. Now with a 24" deep tank, there's just so much more room to work with. 

 

Thank Eric. I honestly haven't decided if I am going to screen it or make glass tops. The original plan was glass, because I like to minimize the evaporation but I will let you know. I appreciate it!

 

The leak test was successful, only a minor leak in the hardest to reach bulkhead. Had to drain the tank again to pull the tank out to reach it but that's why we test with freshwater. The tank has been full for about a week now. Today I hope to begin repairing the live rock structures I had in the old tank. A few of the structures from the old tank were damaged in the move. The new tank has more space too which means more room for activities!

 

The new overflow is leagues better than the vertical wier and bottom hole overflow. It's so much quieter. 

[WheresTheReef]

Nice. Looking forward to seeing it build out. Maybe consider positioning the tank so you can access the bulkheads with the tank filled. It's good to plan ahead.

[Aquastudent]

Absolutely Eric. That's a great call.

 

Over the past month I've added in the hardscape and sand. The previous tank was bare bottom which was nice but I want to go back to using sand for aesthetics. This tank also doesn't have a solid base under the tank and I didn't want the light to shine down into the sump area. I moved over the lone blenny from the old tank. It took a couple of days for them to get comfortable but now they are loving the new space. I was surprised at the number of snails that were in the old tank. I didn't realize that they had been reproducing. A few hermits also made the trip.

 

The clean up crew has a great foundation and I'm looking forward to expanding the stock.

 

The coral have also transitioned over and I placed them in the tanks where I think they will do well. This will be a learning experience for me. I have a list of the corals but I need to reassign their locations now that they are in the new tank. Most of the corals were picked up from Supreme Reefs.

 

Mostly Stylos. Hopefully will be able to get some good encrusting corals although the lighting may be a limitation here. Most of these are SPS. I think I'm better off going with LPS for the edges.

• Grassy Field Stylocoeniella
• Burnin Banana Stylocoeniella
• Fireworks Stylocoeniella
• Mr. Freeze Leptastrea
• Meteor Shower Cyphastrea
• Kryptonite Candy Cane
• Branching Green Psammacora
• Tangerine Leptoseris
• Fallout Montipora
• Space Ghost Cyphastrea
• Grinch  Montipora
• Candy Coated Stylocoeniella
• Lusty Lady Favia
• Gatorade Zoas
• Prowler Zoas
• Couple Hammers
• Assortment of other Zoas

I borrowed the WAMAS PAR meter and mapped out the aquarium, selecting a couple of key areas on the hardscape and substrate. The tank is running a single Kessil AP9X. The light was perfect for the old tank, which was 44" wide by 24" deep. This 150G is 60" wide by 24" deep, making the edges a bit harder to catch. I have the light elevated to 16" above the water line to get coverage on the full tank. Even with that, the light drops off pretty drastically on the corners. You can see a lot of spillover onto the back wall as well.

 

After running the PAR readings, the photo schedule I'll be moving the tank to is an hour and a half ramp up to 80% Intensity with a color scale of 60. This will stay constant for 5 hours and then transition to full blue (Color 0) at 80% intensity. After 8 total hours at 80% intensity it'll transition over an hour and a half back down. I chose this because I don't want to run the lights at 100%, I like the whiter color for daily viewing, and this shade also gave a number of key locations within the tank a PAR reading of around 100 (with a max near 200). Locations B, J, and M are on the edges of the light and really are only getting a glancing view. I'm thinking these will be limited to lower light corals. Spot A is currently where I have some lighting difusser as a frag rack (currently empty) but this should give corals a chance to acclimate to the new tank. Spots E and F are the prime real estate for the higher light demanding corals.

 

The final project was building screen tops. There's a pretty decent gap between the top of the water line and top of the tank but I want to minimize the chance for jumpers. I was able to get both screen tops out of a 60" screen kit. Additional items purchased were 8x corners (used 6 to create a notch for the light stand) and 0.25" clear plastic mesh.

 

2023_09_150G_PAR_Readings.pdf

Edited September 17, 2023 by Aquastudent

[Aquastudent]

I picked up a 48" fluorescent fixture to supplement the AP9X and have been running it daily for 3 hours. The corals seem to be liking the extra output. Growth hasn't exploded. Let Miracle Max know this remedy work because I managed to bring a touch back from being mostly dead. 

 

I'm experimenting with an assortment of corals to get as much experience as possible. I've added a few more fish. The Red Hawkfish is currently my favorite. He's so much fun to watch!