Anne's 150g Reef Build

[Ann_A]

I have recently started the process of upgrading from a RedSea Max 250 to a Marineland 4ft 150 gallon tank that I bought from a friend. This thread will be the documentation of the build of the new 150 gallon. Please feel free to comment and make any suggestions you can think of.

For start-up equipment I will be running the following:

Tank - Marineland 150XH (48" x 24" x 30") with a left-corner Overflow
Stand & Canopy - Custom built by Driftwood Aquarium Furniture (Richins Carpentry)
Lighting - Ecotech Radion XR15w Pro (2)
Return Pump - Jebao DCT-12000
Powerhead - Maxspect Gyre XF150
Sump - Custom acrylic (31"x21"x16") with skimmer and refugium
Skimmer - Elite Aquatics Cone Skimmer
Heater - Eheim Jager 300W Heater
Controller - Neptune Apex with WXM and IceCap Gyre Interface Module​

My current livestock includes the following:

Yellow Coris Wrasse
True Percula Clownfish (currently only 1)
Red Mandarin Dragonet
Various invertebrates (clean-up crew, starfish, sponge, corals, etc.)
​

So far I have setup the tank on the stand with the canopy on. I have installed aluminum 40x40 extrusions for mounting the Radions which are currently running on my other tank. I have also installed a refugium light and have started the plumbing process. I'm hoping to do a leak test in the next day or two and will hopefully be putting salt in the tank by Saturday night. I'm hoping to have sand in by Sunday night.

This is the stand and canopy without the tank:

Overflow hole cut with hole saw and jigsaw:

Radions mounted in canopy with aluminum extrusions (allow the radions to slide from side to side):

Sump with EA skimmer:

Tank installed on stand with canopy installed:

Drains plumbed:

More to come soon... Thanks for looking!

 

[reef lover]

Looking good!! Now for the long process of making ro.....lol

 

[hybridazn]

Looking good!

 

[Ann_A]

Thank you guys!

Looking good!! Now for the long process of making ro.....lol

I'm going to run a line through the floor joists tonight that will allow me to connect my RODI unit to a float valve in the top off reservoir. For filling I'll just have the line go directly into the sump. My RODI unit does 150gpd so hopefully it won't be too long to wait.

 

[Ann_A]

I finished the return plumbing up yesterday and have started the leak test today while filling the tank. So far nothing has leaked and all equipment seems to be working properly.

Filling the tank/testing the return pump:

(the broken center brace was repaired by the previous owner of the tank using 1/4" acrylic which is why the center brace looks odd)

 

[Ann_A]

It's been a while since I've updated this thread but I have completed the build and have transferred everything out of my RedSea Max 250 and into the new 150...

I have also added a Copperband Butterfly and a small female Divided Leopard. Both of these fish are eating very well for me.

This was when I was just about done with the aquascaping.

This is the completed aquascaping (I'm considering adding some tall branch rocks behind the current structures) with everything in the tank.