BeejReef
2500 Club Member
Hello R2R,
A picture or two will be up tonight. Not much to see on a tank running bleach.
I have a well-used, 3', 65g tank and a standard 3 chambered sump. I've run vinegar to dissolve minerals and am currently running bleach to disinfect the tank, sump, and equipment.
Equipment... lol... 1) ASM G2 skimmer 2) two AI Sol lights 3) two Jebao RW-8 powerheads 4) 300w Finnex titanium heater w external temp setting.
Used 4 stage RODI aquired. Muni water quality report confirms pretty good water and no chloramine. New filters en-route.
So, I'll be rocking some serious legacy hardware. My big score so far is that I bought the tank from a very local hobbyist/businessman who runs a part time retail outlet out of an addition to his home. He's been extraordinarily helpful already and has saved me the small premium I probably overpaid on equipment.
Most of my supplies are riding out a UPS weather delay in the great lakes, on their way from BRS.
Done So Far
1) Spent a lot of $ on things I don't understand
2) Plumbed RODI to hpvc line in basement
3) Cleaned up tank
4) Converted from 1 pipe DURSO and 1 pipe return in overflow to a Herbie with return now looping over tank.
The Vision - I really wanted a 120g. However, I'm in the gradual process of completely remodeling our fixer upper. Will be a solid year before I've finished with all bedrooms and third floor. Strong men (not me) will have to be able to move a 70% drained tank at least 8' at some point so I can refinish the hardwood and insulate the wall. Plus, this was a much easier sell with the wife.
In the meantime, I'm sizing my purchases and plans to, hopefully, smooth the transition to a larger tank. Perhaps when demo day arrives, I'll simply use it as an opportunity to transition to a 120. I've also bought stuff that will work with APEX... someday.
Highlight!
The tank shares a wall with our downstairs bath. The house plumbing runs right under it. I WILL HAVE A DRAIN in the floor adjacent to the tank. I should also be able to snake a RODI line up to the vicinity of the tank from the basement where it is plumbed. It will probably just go to a reservoir. No immediate plans to implement ATO or ATO direct from RODI.
Basement?
Another bonus is our basement. It's a freaking dungeon and will never be anything but. No one goes down there except me. TBH, I'm not happy with the size of my sump and really want to implement a robust refugium in the basement. Atm, I'm holding off and trying to KISS, but that's a distinct possibility and I've left the tank far enough from the wall (and used unions) so I could hole saw the returns and overflow on a straight run down to a good spot.
Dreaming - (subject to change) The hope is to get to an SPS dominant tank in a year or two... still a mixed reef for sure, but leaning that way. Until my rocks age and the parameters really stabilize, I'll probably just grow mushrooms, frogspawn, beginner lps, and maybe a nem. Perhaps by late summer, I'll be ready for some SPS. I really like staghorn (for whatever reason). Hoping for a minimal rockscape with two or three dominant coral species with two or three highlight perches to showcase some vibrant color.
Next Up - Rockscaping this weekend. I have a mixture of dry and live already paid for. If my goods ever arrive, water and cycle within the week.
A picture or two will be up tonight. Not much to see on a tank running bleach.
I have a well-used, 3', 65g tank and a standard 3 chambered sump. I've run vinegar to dissolve minerals and am currently running bleach to disinfect the tank, sump, and equipment.
Equipment... lol... 1) ASM G2 skimmer 2) two AI Sol lights 3) two Jebao RW-8 powerheads 4) 300w Finnex titanium heater w external temp setting.
Used 4 stage RODI aquired. Muni water quality report confirms pretty good water and no chloramine. New filters en-route.
So, I'll be rocking some serious legacy hardware. My big score so far is that I bought the tank from a very local hobbyist/businessman who runs a part time retail outlet out of an addition to his home. He's been extraordinarily helpful already and has saved me the small premium I probably overpaid on equipment.
Most of my supplies are riding out a UPS weather delay in the great lakes, on their way from BRS.
Done So Far
1) Spent a lot of $ on things I don't understand
2) Plumbed RODI to hpvc line in basement
3) Cleaned up tank
4) Converted from 1 pipe DURSO and 1 pipe return in overflow to a Herbie with return now looping over tank.
The Vision - I really wanted a 120g. However, I'm in the gradual process of completely remodeling our fixer upper. Will be a solid year before I've finished with all bedrooms and third floor. Strong men (not me) will have to be able to move a 70% drained tank at least 8' at some point so I can refinish the hardwood and insulate the wall. Plus, this was a much easier sell with the wife.
In the meantime, I'm sizing my purchases and plans to, hopefully, smooth the transition to a larger tank. Perhaps when demo day arrives, I'll simply use it as an opportunity to transition to a 120. I've also bought stuff that will work with APEX... someday.
Highlight!
The tank shares a wall with our downstairs bath. The house plumbing runs right under it. I WILL HAVE A DRAIN in the floor adjacent to the tank. I should also be able to snake a RODI line up to the vicinity of the tank from the basement where it is plumbed. It will probably just go to a reservoir. No immediate plans to implement ATO or ATO direct from RODI.
Basement?
Another bonus is our basement. It's a freaking dungeon and will never be anything but. No one goes down there except me. TBH, I'm not happy with the size of my sump and really want to implement a robust refugium in the basement. Atm, I'm holding off and trying to KISS, but that's a distinct possibility and I've left the tank far enough from the wall (and used unions) so I could hole saw the returns and overflow on a straight run down to a good spot.
Dreaming - (subject to change) The hope is to get to an SPS dominant tank in a year or two... still a mixed reef for sure, but leaning that way. Until my rocks age and the parameters really stabilize, I'll probably just grow mushrooms, frogspawn, beginner lps, and maybe a nem. Perhaps by late summer, I'll be ready for some SPS. I really like staghorn (for whatever reason). Hoping for a minimal rockscape with two or three dominant coral species with two or three highlight perches to showcase some vibrant color.
Next Up - Rockscaping this weekend. I have a mixture of dry and live already paid for. If my goods ever arrive, water and cycle within the week.
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