Buffalou's-150gal-Crystal Dynamic-upcoming build

[Buffalou]

Just ordered a 150 CD tank with deliverer some time before Christmas, fingers crossed, thanks to my precious wife and based on the advice from trusted reef buddy, Berlibee. I currently have a 80 gal half round that I'm quickly growing out of which is a good problem. Not looking forward to moving contents from one tank to next, and what will make it more difficult is new tank is going where old tank currently is! Any advice on how to pull this off will be greatly appreciated.

 

[Buffalou]

Update: glass in the house at CDA getting ready for construction, getting ready to run dedicated electric to fish room from breaker panel and engineering, planning control board. Trying to figure out how I'm going to move existing tank and/or transfer everything into holding tank while I move new tank into position where current tank is.Any advice anyone has would be greatly appreciated. Thinking of getting huge tupperware container that doesn't leach toxins. I did this once before but the container leaked toxins that in less than two hours killed everything!

New simplicity protein skimmer arrives today, good reviews and price was decent.

 

[Buffalou]

Simplicity Skimmer up and running, very pleased with it. Great build quality and construction, skimming like a champ. Received back up main pump, went with a Jebao DCP-4000. Ordered lights and they arrived. Purchased three

VIPARSPECTRA

165 watt LED's going to run them with two Kessil A360WE between them. This will be a switch from me using a Hybrid T-5 set up. Tank is now being constructed and it should be just a few more weeks before it arrives.

In the meantime I am working on a huge slab of wood to serve as a shelf above tank to hang lights. A lot of little improvements to take place in fish room, working on new Apex control board. Ran a dedicated power line in from main breaker box and just navigating through all the different modules and wires as to where to place them on board. Looking through some of the great control boards you fellow reefers have posted on for ideas. Shored up area where new tank is going with a support beam and foundation jack, not that I didn't think existing floor could not support it, it just gives me piece of mind that I will have no issues supporting extra weight going forward.

Fighting a little bubble algae outbreak in existing tank with the addition of some emerald crabs, seems to be working. Still wrestling with moving from this tank to the next one but I believe I have it figured out. I'm not crazy about moving everything twice so I plan to carefully slide existing tank off to the side once I disconnect everything from sump. Keep a heater and powerheads running place the new tank in old tanks spot, plumb everything up and then move everything one time, sounds easier than I'm sure it's going to be. I'll post some pictures with next update. Have a safe and Happy Halloween!

 

[Buffalou]

Here it is, tank waiting for shipping folks at Crystal Dynamic Aquarium have been fantastic to work with even "in the year of Covid "as it will be known someday!

 

[Buffalou]

Finished new control board in APEX colors, laid everything out and installed, had a heck of a mess of wires and was like where do I start at the beginning! Last picture shows almost complete. Waiting on new tank to arrive to unplug final pump wires and route behind control panel. Also completed massive shelf to hang lights from. It was a 4" thick 97" long 17" wide raw slab of wood that I sanded and finished it took three of us to get it up in place. It is anchored on the side walls with old lumber from golf course bridge that was replaced and two braces on the back for additional peace of mind for my dear wife, happy wife happy life!.
Next update lights should be in place and placed over existing tank to
acclimate coral and fish to new lighting. I don't want to move everything into new tank and hit them with new lighting all at same time. as we all know nothing good happens quickly in reef hobby! Happy Thanksgiving be safe and have a blessed holiday!

 

[Pedal Dangit]

Here it is, tank waiting for shipping folks at Crystal Dynamic Aquarium have been fantastic to work with even "in the year of Covid "as it will be known someday!

Is that a 60x24x24? Been thinking of getting one someday from CDA

 

[Buffalou]

Yes it is, great service and quick response to emails and phone calls. Zoya was very helpful in putting package together. Ordered it in Aug supposed to be here next week.

 

[Buffalou]

Ok tank is up and running and now the story behind it's genesis. I have been doing salt water tanks for over 10 years, which in my experience has taught me one thing, a saltwater tank is a lot different than a SPS dominated reef tank. I dipped my finger into the reefing component of this hobby about 5-6 years ago. What a learning curve, I applaud all the helpful folks and instructional platforms that have been instrumental in our education of the hobby, like R2R.
I like many that I've talked to have started with both feet in and stumbled through to where I'm at now and have realized that not having plan is a not conducive with success in this hobby.
So fast forward 6 years, several tanks, 6 in all, and trial by fire, I have what I believe is a successfully functioning SPS dominated reef tank. I'm not bragging, trust me I have been humbled by this hobby many times! So in the next couple days I hope to conclude this build thread. For now this is the latest with nutcrackers on top of shelf
and green led accent lighting, I know I've gone crazy! I still need to close in bottom of stand and figure out what to do with lighting wires. Not sure If I should let it be or hide them. So any suggestions would be welcomed for both.

 

[Buffalou]

Additional photos, european bracing, starboard bottom, and my start on the lower cabinet.

 

[Buffalou]

I want to paint it my family says leave it white, not sure which way I'm going to go with it. he beadboard is composite material that has clamps that hold front and sides in place. Picked up the material at Lowe's really nice to work with.

 

[Buffalou]

Ok here goes specs:
Crystal Dynamics 150 gal custom build tank, awesome build.
Trigger Amethyst 39 sump, running 3 filter socks
Neptune Apex controller, with FMM/LSM module along with AVAST BOB
3 VIPARSPECTRA 165w 300w LED
2 Kessil A360WE
Reef Octopus Various 6 return pump
3 Neptune Systems WAV Single Pump (4000 GPH)
1 Icecap Gyre 4K
1 Icecap Gyre 2K
Simplicity skimmer
ELOS carbon reactor
Liter meter with the pumps: AWT and constant water change , one pump fresh water in, one saltwater in, one old saltwater out.
Aqua 57 watt UV sterilizer
Growing chaeto in fuge
Currently dosing Aquaforest part 1,2,and 3. In initial stages of setting up a used Vertex RX6 dual chamber calcium reactor.
Parameters today:
Alk 8.6
Calcium 420
Mag 1490
Salinity 35.5
NO3 10
PO4 0.08
Temp 79-80
Mixed tank, mostly SPS, some LPS
Fish include:
Two frostbite clowns, thanks Alexey!
One yellow eye kole tang
One yellow mimic tang
3 Pajama cardinals
1 Benji cardinal
1 Masked japanese swallowtail angel
4 Anthias
2 Chromus
Ok pausing for today! Just realized I might be addicted to this hobby or should I say lifestyle!