150 gallon tank build advice, please

Check out this equipment list and see if I'm missing anything.

150 gallon tank with two mega flows 72X18X29
Stand and canopy 72X18
sump with bio balls
rio+ 3100 pump (900 gph)
Marineland Marine Pro 300 skimmer
160 lbs of dry rock for aquascaping
"live" sand (garden variety from LFS)
enough salt to get my water started
RO/DI filter
2 Sundial 36" 4X39W T5 HO light fixtures
APC 1400VA SmartUPS Battery Back Up for pump and skimmer

My LFS guy is going to be delivering the tank and stand on Saturday, and will set up the sump plumbing. I am planning on doing my aquascaping on sections of egg crate to dissipate the weight of the rock on the bottom glass, but not cover the entire floor of the tank (new idea this morning from other thread). Then I will spread the live sand and fill the tank with water, buy some live rock from my LFS and let the tank cycle. I am planning on keeping some coral and invert compatible fish, and possibly trying to have an anemone as well. I didn't have much luck with those years ago, but want to have a clown in the tank, so I'll try again. So this will be a fish and live rock heavy reef tank with a few interesting inverts that can live without MH lighting. How does this set up sound to you more experienced peeps?

I'm trying to cover all of the bases from the outset so I don't have to go back and correct mistakes later. I thought about a UV sterilizer, but was told that I didn't need to start out with one, but could add it down the line if problems with water quality arose. I might also find that I need to add some circulation pumps in the tank once things get settled in and I see how water is moving through the tank. I am planning on doing my aquascaping away from the back wall to allow for good circulation, probably in a two island configuration. I will use plumber's epoxy putty to hold things together. The tank will be viewed from the side as well as the front, so I need to keep that in mind while arranging the rock work.

What am I leaving out that will make me kick myself later on?

Thanks

 

sounds like your pretty much on track, my only worry is the sump with bioballs. they have their uses if properly maintained but more often than not become a source of nitrates in the tank due to built up waste trapped in the balls and decaying.

 

What would you suggest instead? I had bioballs in my last reef tank, and with regular water changes didn't have too many porblems. If there is smoething better, I would rather start with it than switch over down the road.

Thanks for the input.

 

i secend both responses but if you want corals or def an anemone you will need a ton more lighting your barely getting 2w per gallon im not an experrt but i believe your supposed to have 4-10 depending on types of corals

 

be sure your checkbook is ready for that 150Gal build

lighting is a problem. i can tell you that i have 4x54W T5-HO on my 75gal and its inadequate for SPS. so depending on what you're doing i would say you're going to need more than 8x39W for the tank depth (assuming its deeper than my 20" tall 75gal). if you can afford to i would go with two MH pendants and use one of those 4x39's for actnic.

otherwise, if you've already purchased the 8x39W fixtures then use them until you need more lighting.

edit: my only coral in my tank at the moment to test my lighting was a GSP and it didnt even like the lack of light. so it went back to its original home which is under much stronger lighting.

 

Also, you have about 35min of runtime on that UPS FYI. I dont know how much time you were looking for. Based on an estimate of ~150W.

 

If you have not already purchased everything I have some suggestions. If I had to do it over again I would opt for a tank with 24" front to back depth over a taller tank. My 100G is 60" long x18" deep x 23" tall, the length is perfect for my room but I wish like heck I had gone 60x24x24 so I would have more options on stacking the live rock and corals. That extra 6" makes a world of difference and I think most here would agree.

The other suggestions are a better return pump and protein skimmer. The bioballs go without saying. Rio pumps are middle of the road and I have had trouble with the Rio Hyperflows magnets swelling up and locking the pump up. An OceanRunner 3500 or Eheim 1262 would both be much better pumps. I would pass on the skimmer at this point and save for a better skimmer, there are many out there and you see them for sale used all the time for quite a discount.

I am a dyed in the wool MH light fan myself and retrofit kits are very reasonable if you plan to one day build or install a canopy. T5 is nice but it takes a lot of bulbs with individual reflectors to cover a 6 foot tank. You can check out places like www.hellolights.com for lighting ideas.

 

For the ~ $700 you are going to pay for the Sundials you could do better. I have one of the same fixture over my 46bow and I love it but the tank is much smaller. You're talking over 3x's the tank with only 2x's the lighting have. I would suggest getting into some DIY MH's. There are tons of good used ballasts on ebay - get like 3 250's I would say and you'll be in business and spend much less. If not, you could for out like $1000 and get a MH/T5 combo fixture. I'm in the middle of planning out a 150 myself. Good luck.

 

im in the same boat. like i said i bought 4x54W t5 fixture with moonlights and its not enough. im upgrading to two 250W MH and 2x54W t5 for actnic bulbs and ripping the moonlights out of the existing fixture. in the end ill have a custom-bred fixture with 2 MH, 2 T5, 6 .5W moonlights for a 75gal

because i desire corals i require better lighting. you'll be in the same boat if you set that up with those 39W sundials. 6 months from now you'll be dropping another $1000 on 2-3 MH + T5HO + moonlighting or something.

 

That depends, the sump you mentioned, is it a preconfigured arrangement or are you going to build your own? I would suggest this thread for basic reading.
http://www.3reef.com/forums/reef-aquarium-articles-how-tos/all-about-sumps-filters-fuges-79852.html
you can see various sump designs at Melevsreef.com | Acrylic Sumps & Refugiums

and see mine at the bottom of my build thread in my sig file