150g Indio-Pacific Biome

[Sascha D.]

Hello Everyone,

My wife talked me into getting a new tank. Tough break huh? Right now I'm in the planning phase and would like to document my progress as things start to unfold. For this biome, I am planning on sticking to the Indio-Pacific region with possible exceptions for desirable inhabitants and cleaning crew.

A little about me

I began in freshwater aquariums in 1990 and by 2001 I got the feeling that I had done everything. I had surpassed all of my expectations; being able to keep region specific biomes of Piranha, South American Cichlids, African Cichlids and Discus successfully. In 2002 I set up my first saltwater tank and never looked back. After joining the United States Air Force I had to sell all of my tanks. I had done quite a bit of traveling for a few years and finally ended up stationed in Hawaii, where I met my wonderful wife. After finishing my degree we decided to move to Austin and settle down. In the last year we found jobs, bought a house, got a family dog and had our first child. Now it’s time for the
aquarium and I have just the spot for it!

Aquarium

The wall I have in mind for the aquarium is 71” long so a standard 6’ tank just won’t work. I had a choice of a 55-150g aquarium with a maximum length of 48-60”. I plan on putting about 120lbs of Live Rock into the aquarium and I may build a faux rock wall to hide the overflow.

Oceanic 150g (48x24x30)

Hydor Koralia Evolution 1400 (1,500 GPH)

Sump

Due to the limitation of the stand being only 48” long, the largest sump I can go with and still fit everything under the tank is 36”. I’m planning a standard 3 chamber sump with skimmer, refugium, and return pump sections. The refugium will contain Live Sand and about 60lbs of Live Rock.

55g (48x12x21) or 50g tall (36x18x17)

Quiet One 3000 return pump (488 GPH @ 5.75ft of head pressure)

ASM G1 or Reef Octopus 150 Skimmer (I might try skimmer-less)

Rubbermaid Brute 20g with ATO float valve

PhosBan 150 Reactor

PhosPure Reactor Media

Other Accessories

Water Mixing Station

Hydrometer

Fish bagger

Aqueon 50’ Water Siphon

Master test kit

Net

Live Nitrifying Bacteria

Fish Acclimation kit

Lighting

To start, I’m going to use some T5’s that I have until I can upgrade later.

Corals

It will be quite some time before I can get any corals due to insufficient rock and lighting. I plan on stocking frags exclusively from fellow hobbyist. I really like LPS and corals with movement.

Fish

When you give someone a picture of a reef, they will notice one of two things straight away; the corals or the fish. I’m always looking at the fish. I would like to base this aquarium around a large centerpiece fish with a mix of active swimmers like Anthias, Chromis and Flasher Wrasse. I am also working toward a Dragonet, so fish that eat pods as a main diet have to be minimal. I am also avoiding fish that will eat my clean-up crew.

Centerpiece Fish (1)

• Desjardin Tang (Indian Ocean Sailfin Tang)
• Emperor Angel
• Moorish Idol
• Yellow Belly Regal Blue Tang

Active Swimmers (5-15)

• Despair Anthias
• Lyretail Anthias
• Carpenter Flasher Wrasse
• Lyretail Mollies
• Blue/Green Chromis
  

Utility Fish(1-3)

• Six-line Wrasse
• Royal Gramma
• Banded Sleeper Goby
• Diamond Watchman Goby
• Two-Line Monocle Bream (Scolopsis Bilineatus)

Aquarium Staples (3)

• Ocellaris Clown Fish
• Firefish

Fish I’d love to try

• Red Mandarin Dragonet
• Pearly Jawfish

Inverts

I’ve decided to go crab-less in my new system. This means I’ll have a mix of snails, stars and shrimp to do all of my cleaning. Sand maintenance and algae removal are the highest priority. I also have to avoid anemones that will eat my dragonet.

Cleaning

• Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
• Peppermint Shrimp

Algae Removal

• Mexican Turbo Snails
• Astraea Snails
• Blue or Orange Linckia Star

Sand Maintenance

• Nassarius Snail

[Sascha D.]

Live Rock and Sand

One reason that this tank will be special is that all of the rock and sand were collect from the beaches of Hawaii. If you've ever been to a beach, then you'll notice a lot of things littering the sand. Some of those things were live rock shards that broken off and had tumbled for weeks along the ocean bottom. By the time they get to shore they are basically base rock. Every time I went to the beach I would grab a rock or two and put it into a Rubbermaid tote when I got home. When I left the island I had several totes of base rock and sand ready to go into this tank.

You must be thinking this is illegal right? In 2011 the law said that you could take 1 gallon per person, per day, of sand or base rock from the beach. It is illegal to harvest from the reef, which I did not.

[Planeden]

sounds like it'll be cool.

[Bpb]

Tagging along for this one.

[Sascha D.]

I just picked up my tank today! It looks beautiful! A sincere thanks to Travis for the awesome price and customer service. This is going to look great in my living room.

Marineland 150g (48x24x30)

[bige]

Nice looking tank.

[Planeden]

And the fun begins.

[offroadodge]

But its not a reef ready tank. R u gonna just us an external box and syphon tube

Sent from my MB865 using Tapatalk 2

[offroadodge]

Im sorry i zoomed in, its on the left back corner.

Sent from my MB865 using Tapatalk 2

[+SChrisEV]

Nice stocking plan, I like the Pearly Jawfish a lot. Good luck finding one!!

[Sascha D.]

It's hard to tell from the picture because of the shadows, but the tank is reef ready. Here is a link to the aquarium. It comes with the drain lines rated at 700 gph, return lines and lockline. I plan on running 70% flow to keep it quiet.

I drew up a basic diagram of the plumbing this morning.

I got the idea for the sump drain from Capt. Obvious and Victoly from this post. The basic idea is to have the drain line running to the refugium and the protein skimmer both, while trying to limit flow to the refug and keeping it next to the return line so the pods make it into the tank.

The diagram has the reactor running on the drain line but I may switch it to the return line. Each of the drains will have valves to control the flow. To avoid right angles in the return line, I plan on using spa tubing.

[+SChrisEV]

Not sure if you have thought about a manifold for your return, but I highly recommend one. You will need a larger return pump, but then you will not need additional pumps for your reactors. They are easy to build and by adding a few extra un-used ports you have "instant on" capabilities if you ever need it for new equipment. I even run my skimmer inlet from the one pump. Less heat and less maintenance. I changed my return line out after the fact, it was a real pain and I wish I had done it from the start.

[(Bio)³]

Not sure if you have thought about a manifold for your return, but I highly recommend one.  You will need a larger return pump, but then you will not need additional pumps for your reactors.  They are easy to build and by adding a few extra un-used ports you have "instant on" capabilities if you ever need it for new equipment.  I even run my skimmer inlet from the one pump.  Less heat and less maintenance.  I changed my return line out after the fact, it was a real pain and I wish I had done it from the start.

Very nice idea and it works great.

Sent from my Samsung Galaxy S4

[Sascha D.]

Not sure if you have thought about a manifold for your return, but I highly recommend one. You will need a larger return pump, but then you will not need additional pumps for your reactors. They are easy to build and by adding a few extra un-used ports you have "instant on" capabilities if you ever need it for new equipment. I even run my skimmer inlet from the one pump. Less heat and less maintenance. I changed my return line out after the fact, it was a real pain and I wish I had done it from the start.

I don't know a whole lot about plumbing but I saw Mitch's 90g from his build thread here. The tank design is the same and I was going to start here and use it as a starting point.

I thought to locate my return pump on the left side in order to reduce the head pressure. Which is better; to have unrestricted drains or less head pressure on the return pump?

Right now I have an unopened Quietone 3000 rated at 819 unrestricted and about 500 with 5 feet of head pressure. I went for 500gph estimated because I read on the forum to quiet the overflow you have to run 50-70% flow or full siphon. What size do you recommend?

[Sascha D.]

After reading an article provided by Subsea on The Clean Up Crew, I have decided to add a Scopas Tang and Brittle Stars to the inhabitants list. I like the stocking schedule in the article but plan to modify it.

I would a 3" sand bed.

I am starting with base rock in order to start with a "clean", without the worry of which hitchhikers I'll have to deal with.

I have:

100 lbs of base sand

200 lbs of base rock

16oz bottle of nitrifying bacteria

Initial Cycle: Week 1-3

1. Add 1-2" base sand
2. Add 100 lbs of base rock allowing placement of LR and coral plugs for later.
3. Add 1/2 bottle of bacteria
4. Wait 24hrs and test ammonia, nitrates and nitrites. The base rock should provide some source of ammonia for the bacteria to feed on. If not, add a piece of shrimp.
5. Test daily. Do water changes as needed to reduce ammonia until zero.
6. No lights.

Secondary Cycle: Week 2-6

1. Add 1-2" of quality live sand until the desired depth of 3" is achieved.
2. Add cured live rock
3. Add 1/2 bottle of bacteria
4. Wait 24 hours and test ammonia, nitrates and nitrites. If elevated, perform water changes as needed.
5. Begin lighting schedule
6. Keep doing water changes until parameters are ideal.

Final Cycle: Weeks 3-12

1. Add 5-20 snails based on needs.
2. Add 1-3 Brittle Star Fish
3. Add 1 Linckia Star Fish if desired
4. Add Scopas Tang and 1 sand sifting goby variety.
5. Begin dosing phytoplankton

[Planeden]

I'm not sure you want a sand sifting goby with the deep sand bed. You want the sand to have plenty of worms, snails, and other goby food to keep it stirred up and clean. I've read that some gobies will wipe out your micro CUC in days. Yellow watchman gobies "seem" to be ok as they don't sift as much as some of their counterparts. Sand sifting sea stars are also not good.

[Planeden]

Sorry, forgot to mention. I'm not sure about the water changes week 1-3, either. There is nothing alive in there so it seems that the water changes will slow your progress. It's been a while since I read chucksaddiction's guide, but I think the water changes only started after you added the live sand.

ps, I sort of forgot this step and added live rock/sand right off and seemed to be ok. I did added seeding sand from three different people over a couple of weeks, but now I have lots of tunnels in my sand in my shallow section. Not to much making it through the deep portion yet.

[Sascha D.]

I'm not sure you want a sand sifting goby with the deep sand bed. You want the sand to have plenty of worms, snails, and other goby food to keep it stirred up and clean. I've read that some gobies will wipe out your micro CUC in days. Yellow watchman gobies "seem" to be ok as they don't sift as much as some of their counterparts. Sand sifting sea stars are also not good.

I'm probably not doing a DSB. I'm just looking for 3" for decoration.

[Sascha D.]

^{I bought a 40g breeder at Petco to use as a sump. After getting it home I realized that I can't get it under my stand. Now the problem is if I can fit everything plus a refugium into a 29g. The return pump I have planned is 6x4" and the protein skimmer (If I get one) is estimated at 13x9" with a 6-7" depth requirement of the Reef Octopus 170.}

[Planeden]

I'm not sure you want a sand sifting goby with the deep sand bed. You want the sand to have plenty of worms, snails, and other goby food to keep it stirred up and clean. I've read that some gobies will wipe out your micro CUC in days. Yellow watchman gobies "seem" to be ok as they don't sift as much as some of their counterparts. Sand sifting sea stars are also not good.

I'm probably not doing a DSB. I'm just looking for 3" for decoration.

Oh. I thought that 3" of sand can be a problem if you don't have the micro fauna in it to clean the debris and keep it stirred up. I'm curious to see how that works for you. I've got 3"+ in part of my tank, so if you can let me know, I'd appreciate it. Since I'm new, I want to learn about the options available.

[Sascha D.]

Every sand bed has to be aerated, but the method varies from tank to tank. Some people use the DSB method and remove the tank predators so the little guys take over. Others use inverts to stir the sand and keep it clean; like snails and stars. Some people vacuum the sand like a freshwater tank and manually remove all of the debris. I like to use a mixture of all of the above.

Generally speaking, gobies will only affect the first 1cm or so of the sand, while goat fish will take care of the top 1 inch. Most sea cucumbers will eat the top 1-3 inches, but they're deadly at times. Even if you have these and they eat some of the inverts in your DSB, it's not enough to affect much in a tank this size.

[Planeden]

Cool. Makes sense. My tank is only 40g, some I'm trying the worms, snails, and stars route and leaving out the preditors. Thanks for the info.

[subsea]

A word about oxygen and sand beds. Sandbeds consume massive amounts of oxygen. Because I have lived in hurricane alley for my whole life, I anticipate a power failure. Every aquarium owner should have a back up circulation pump. Penn Plax makes a battery powered air pump that comes on when the power goes off that cost about $15.

[+SChrisEV]

Not sure if you have thought about a manifold for your return, but I highly recommend one. You will need a larger return pump, but then you will not need additional pumps for your reactors. They are easy to build and by adding a few extra un-used ports you have "instant on" capabilities if you ever need it for new equipment. I even run my skimmer inlet from the one pump. Less heat and less maintenance. I changed my return line out after the fact, it was a real pain and I wish I had done it from the start.

I don't know a whole lot about plumbing but I saw Mitch's 90g from his build thread here. The tank design is the same and I was going to start here and use it as a starting point.

post-935-0-02661400-1361692507_thumb.jpg

I thought to locate my return pump on the left side in order to reduce the head pressure. Which is better; to have unrestricted drains or less head pressure on the return pump?

Right now I have an unopened Quietone 3000 rated at 819 unrestricted and about 500 with 5 feet of head pressure. I went for 500gph estimated because I read on the forum to quiet the overflow you have to run 50-70% flow or full siphon. What size do you recommend?

Sorry for the late response, and you may already have your answers. My two cents is to have an unrestricted drain, and get a larger return pump. Without being insanely over board with the GPH it's good to have good tank turn over between your display and your sump. With the manifold design you can always throttle back the volume sent back to the display by having some of your return water empty back into the sump, using a valve. There is not too much you can do with lack of pressure. I may be overkill, if I am it does not show it from the look of the tank, I have a 92g tank, 30g sump with a Mag 18 (1800 GPH), with a single 1" drain and 3/4" return line. The manifold pushes water to my skimmer, Dual GFO/Carbon canisters and then returns the rest to the display.

As for the noise of the drain there are a couple good solutions to that, and I personally would NOT restrict my drain to combat sound, I think the two (durso standpipe, or the one Mitch uses, forget the name) are a better plan to keep your water turn over higher.

Following Mitch's overall design is a great approach. He's spent a lot of time on the details that make maintaining a tank "easier".

[Sascha D.]

A word about oxygen and sand beds. Sandbeds consume massive amounts of oxygen. Because I have lived in hurricane alley for my whole life, I anticipate a power failure. Every aquarium owner should have a back up circulation pump. Penn Plax makes a battery powered air pump that comes on when the power goes off that cost about $15.

Thanks for the advice. I'll look into it after I get the tank up and running.

Sorry for the late response, and you may already have your answers. My two cents is to have an unrestricted drain, and get a larger return pump. Without being insanely over board with the GPH it's good to have good tank turn over between your display and your sump. With the manifold design you can always throttle back the volume sent back to the display by having some of your return water empty back into the sump, using a valve. There is not too much you can do with lack of pressure. I may be overkill, if I am it does not show it from the look of the tank, I have a 92g tank, 30g sump with a Mag 18 (1800 GPH), with a single 1" drain and 3/4" return line. The manifold pushes water to my skimmer, Dual GFO/Carbon canisters and then returns the rest to the display.

As for the noise of the drain there are a couple good solutions to that, and I personally would NOT restrict my drain to combat sound, I think the two (durso standpipe, or the one Mitch uses, forget the name) are a better plan to keep your water turn over higher.

Following Mitch's overall design is a great approach. He's spent a lot of time on the details that make maintaining a tank "easier".

Both the return and drain holes are the same size. I'll have to double check but I think they're 1" each. The durso is already built for the tank but may need to be modified after the system is up. Right now it looks like the biggest sump I can get into my stand is a 29g, unless someone has another idea. Thanks for the advice on the return pump. Mine is still unopened so I can return it. I'll look into the flow and see how much the lines can handle.