For those of you that haven't seen me around, here's a brief history:
I've been in the hobby for 20+ years. Started with small tanks, went big, then smaller now back to bigger. My old tanks were all mixed reef, as are my current ones. Been around long enough to remember when LED's were starting to be talked about. Not just talked about, but laughed at! A lot of us in the reefing community thought that LED's with their low power consumption could never replace our 30 pound metal halide ballasts. I love it when we're wrong!!
Anyway, fast forward to today. I currently have a 40g cube that just hasn't satisfied me after tearing down my previous 125g. So, on to the 120 build!
In addition to documenting things here, I'll also be documenting everything my reefing channel: T.J.'s Reef
Please check out the channel! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBUxSJme8dK3uxg-guB3H2Q/
With this build I wanted to do it right, but also as budget friendly as I could. At my age, and with my experience, I've learned that the newest and most expensive thing isn't always the best in this hobby. Don't get me wrong, I'm a gadget and tech nerd. But some things just aren't worth it.
So here we go!
The tank I bought used off of a fellow member in the local Arizona Reef group. I was about to pull the pin and buy the exact same tank new, only to find that the manufacturer (Aqueon) sometimes uses tempered glass on their tanks. I wanted to drill for a ghost overflow box, so tempered glass isn't an option. Well, low and behold, the previous owner got one without tempered glass and already has an Eshopps ghost overflow installed!
The tank is an Aqueon 120. Dimensions are approx 48x24x24. Managed to get this bad boy for $200, including a sump!
So, where am I in the build? Well, I've been doing a lot of research on different equipment. Again, best bang for the buck (isn't what we all want??).
Here's the gear list so far:
Skimmer: Reef Octopus Classic 150SSS - Purchased
Media Reactor: BRS Dual GFO/Carbon Reactor with Syncra 1.5 pump - Purchased
Return Pump: Reef Octopus VarioS-4 - Purchased
Heater: BRS Titanium with Inkbird controller - Purchased
Lighting: ReefBreeders Photon 50 V2+ - Purchased
Supplemental: 2 x ReefBreeders 48" LumenBars (HO UV & Royal Ice) - Purchased
Auto Top Off: Apex ATK - Purchased
Dosing Equip: TBD
Refugium Light: Kessil H80 - Purchased
UV Sterilizer: TBD
Wavemakers/Powerhead: 2 x ReefBreeders Reef Power RP-M - Purchased
Feel free to comment on the equipment list, and anything else! Thanks for stopping by!
I've been in the hobby for 20+ years. Started with small tanks, went big, then smaller now back to bigger. My old tanks were all mixed reef, as are my current ones. Been around long enough to remember when LED's were starting to be talked about. Not just talked about, but laughed at! A lot of us in the reefing community thought that LED's with their low power consumption could never replace our 30 pound metal halide ballasts. I love it when we're wrong!!
Anyway, fast forward to today. I currently have a 40g cube that just hasn't satisfied me after tearing down my previous 125g. So, on to the 120 build!
In addition to documenting things here, I'll also be documenting everything my reefing channel: T.J.'s Reef
Please check out the channel! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBUxSJme8dK3uxg-guB3H2Q/
With this build I wanted to do it right, but also as budget friendly as I could. At my age, and with my experience, I've learned that the newest and most expensive thing isn't always the best in this hobby. Don't get me wrong, I'm a gadget and tech nerd. But some things just aren't worth it.
So here we go!
The tank I bought used off of a fellow member in the local Arizona Reef group. I was about to pull the pin and buy the exact same tank new, only to find that the manufacturer (Aqueon) sometimes uses tempered glass on their tanks. I wanted to drill for a ghost overflow box, so tempered glass isn't an option. Well, low and behold, the previous owner got one without tempered glass and already has an Eshopps ghost overflow installed!
The tank is an Aqueon 120. Dimensions are approx 48x24x24. Managed to get this bad boy for $200, including a sump!
So, where am I in the build? Well, I've been doing a lot of research on different equipment. Again, best bang for the buck (isn't what we all want??).
Here's the gear list so far:
Skimmer: Reef Octopus Classic 150SSS - Purchased
Media Reactor: BRS Dual GFO/Carbon Reactor with Syncra 1.5 pump - Purchased
Return Pump: Reef Octopus VarioS-4 - Purchased
Heater: BRS Titanium with Inkbird controller - Purchased
Lighting: ReefBreeders Photon 50 V2+ - Purchased
Supplemental: 2 x ReefBreeders 48" LumenBars (HO UV & Royal Ice) - Purchased
Auto Top Off: Apex ATK - Purchased
Dosing Equip: TBD
Refugium Light: Kessil H80 - Purchased
UV Sterilizer: TBD
Wavemakers/Powerhead: 2 x ReefBreeders Reef Power RP-M - Purchased
Feel free to comment on the equipment list, and anything else! Thanks for stopping by!
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