From 75 to 120 reef tank build! The brief story.

DnA-Aquatics LLC · Sep 28, 2019

I have been procrastinating putting my tank on this thread for a while now. I was cohearsed into starting a salt water tank about 4 months ago from a coworker/friend. I immediately caught the "sickness", when i started my first tank, which was a 40 gallon bow front. After having that tank for a few months i decided to upgrade and found my current tank for a steal of a deal. Anyways, below is a list of the equipment currently being used as well as my DIY Sump.

Lighting:
Viparapectra 300watt

Pumps:
Icecap gyre 3k
Return pump recommended by my LFS (don't remember the name)

Skimmer:
Reef octo 150-int

Heater:
Hydor

Diy Sump:
20 gallon long
3 chamber:
1st chamber: filter sock/ skimmer
2nd chamber: refugium
3rd chamber: return pump
Soft plumbing to reduce noise

Salt:
Liveaquaria professional reef salt

I use Red sea test kits, and currently have been dosing coral up, and have been building an auto top off to feed into my return pump chamber from a RODI water container located directly below my display tank in the basement. I started my tank with live sand and a mixture of live and dry rock. When i upgraded to my current build i purchased new live sand and reused all the old water and live rock and also added about 30 pounds of live rock from another friends 12+ year system with a few anemones and lots of coral.

Now for what you have all been waiting for..... my livestock.

Fish:
Yellow tang
Frostbite clown
Normal clown
Purple firefish
Diamond watchman goby
Sail fin molly

Current parameters:
Alk: 8.7
Calcium: 390
Mag: 1280
Ph: 8.2
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
Phosphate: .02
Temp: 77 f

Coral:
To much to list, check out the pictures and ask about anything you see. Would be glad to let you know what it is.

I look forward to hearing all your questions, comments, and concerns about how new and full this tank is

Brandon Smith · Sep 28, 2019

Looks like you are the right track.

DnA-Aquatics LLC · Sep 28, 2019

Brandon Smith said:
Looks like you are the right track.

Thank you. I probably went a little to fast at the start, but my tank cycled quickly and it seems to be doing fine at this point.

Brandon Smith · Sep 28, 2019

Looks like you calcium and magnesium might be a little low.

DnA-Aquatics LLC · Sep 28, 2019

Brandon Smith said:
Looks like you calcium and magnesium might be a little low.

I just didn't want to push it up to fast. With the system only being 4 months old. What would you recommend i get it up to?

Brandon Smith · Sep 28, 2019

I try to run 440 on calcium and 1440 on magnesium. What salt mix are you using?

DnA-Aquatics LLC · Sep 28, 2019

Brandon Smith said:
I try to run 440 on calcium and 1440 on magnesium. What salt mix are you using?

I am using liveaquaria professional reef salt. But just started using it, switched over from kent when i upgraded tanks

DnA-Aquatics LLC · Oct 6, 2019

Update Bump:

I removed the filter socks one week ago, and the results are very pleasing. Parameters are stable and i see no difference in water clarity.

I was able to get my calcium up to 405
My mag is also up to 1340

I am also very excited to see that me refugium has blossomed with life: amphipods and copepods are booming. Look closely at the glass on my display tank for copepods. I enjoy watching my yellow coris hunt them down.

I also discovered a random mushroom growing in the refugium, wonder how that got down there.

What are your thoughts on filter socks. So far, in my opinion, they are unnecessary with a good CUC.

I also adopted a few more RBTA's from a friend that had to many.

DnA-Aquatics LLC · Dec 23, 2019

Update!

From the time of my last update i added an ATO and just setup an auto water change system using a jabao 4 head dosing pump. All plumbed through the floor, with small (wife approved) holes leading to the basement below.

I have been battling low nutrients. No matter how frequently I feed, with frozen food, reefroids, Phyto feast... my nitrates stay in the 0 range.

My thoughts are now to have the doser change roughly 1 gallon of water throughout each day (1/4 gallon, 4 times a day). As well as that i will be dosing potassium nitrate to hopefully keep my nitrates around 5ppm.

Let me know your thoughts.

nano reef · Mar 30, 2020

Jenkins said:
I have been procrastinating putting my tank on this thread for a while now. I was cohearsed into starting a salt water tank about 4 months ago from a coworker/friend. I immediately caught the "sickness", when i started my first tank, which was a 40 gallon bow front. After having that tank for a few months i decided to upgrade and found my current tank for a steal of a deal. Anyways, below is a list of the equipment currently being used as well as my DIY Sump.

Lighting:
Viparapectra 300watt

Pumps:
Icecap gyre 3k
Return pump recommended by my LFS (don't remember the name)

Skimmer:
Reef octo 150-int

Heater:
Hydor

Diy Sump:
20 gallon long
3 chamber:
1st chamber: filter sock/ skimmer
2nd chamber: refugium
3rd chamber: return pump
Soft plumbing to reduce noise

Salt:
Liveaquaria professional reef salt

I use Red sea test kits, and currently have been dosing coral up, and have been building an auto top off to feed into my return pump chamber from a RODI water container located directly below my display tank in the basement. I started my tank with live sand and a mixture of live and dry rock. When i upgraded to my current build i purchased new live sand and reused all the old water and live rock and also added about 30 pounds of live rock from another friends 12+ year system with a few anemones and lots of coral.

Now for what you have all been waiting for..... my livestock.

Fish:
Yellow tang
Frostbite clown
Normal clown
Purple firefish
Diamond watchman goby
Sail fin molly

Current parameters:
Alk: 8.7
Calcium: 390
Mag: 1280
Ph: 8.2
Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0
Phosphate: .02
Temp: 77 f

Coral:
To much to list, check out the pictures and ask about anything you see. Would be glad to let you know what it is.

I look forward to hearing all your questions, comments, and concerns about how new and full this tank is

Wow! I have this tank and thinking of getting this light and this skimmer! Both used in my area. Are you happy with performance of both? Does it sufficiently light up ends for growth or just keep them more towards middle? Looks nice from pic. How is it programmable fi you dont mind me asking? Can you do dusk to dawn effect? I am looking into a sump as well and I read people complaining they count even get a 20 gallon in there. Really made me wish I had gotten a rectangular 75 gallon after I read taht. I am looking at a 20 tomorrow, but I know someone with a 40 that I really want. What size is yours? Did you have to remove brace temporarily or come in from back?

DeniableArc · Mar 30, 2020

Looks like you need some more clowns in there with all them anemones mate!

nano reef · Mar 30, 2020

Jenkins said:
Update!

From the time of my last update i added an ATO and just setup an auto water change system using a jabao 4 head dosing pump. All plumbed through the floor, with small (wife approved) holes leading to the basement below.

I have been battling low nutrients. No matter how frequently I feed, with frozen food, reefroids, Phyto feast... my nitrates stay in the 0 range.

My thoughts are now to have the doser change roughly 1 gallon of water throughout each day (1/4 gallon, 4 times a day). As well as that i will be dosing potassium nitrate to hopefully keep my nitrates around 5ppm.

Let me know your thoughts.

I am a newbie to, but dont you want nitrates at zero? I am wondering how you keep them so low. I commented a few minutes ago about how we have all the same gear, tank, sump , skimmer! Its crazy! I stole mine as well. 115.00. PLus there are some lego collectible pirate ships in tank that I can sell for more than what I paid. It was used as a display for them and never saw water! Anyway, i am so blown away at your tank and how young it is! WOW! I wish I could afford to buy large corals but all I have in my 10 gallon is little itty bitty frags! That wont even grow! Maybe I need to start dosing. My lfs said I didnt need to yet, so I havnt bothered but definitely going to look into essietial nutrient supplementation if nothing else. I change water once a week and small biolad so my calcium and mag are good. Ph is low at 7.9 though.

I started off wanting a small tank in my kitchen and that was in dec and I just got the bowfront a few days ago! So I quickly got the fever like you! haha. I had no idea I would get this addicted to a hobby! I love it! I am disabled and home a lot so gives me something to fiddle with and pass the time! Not to mention all the research and time learning and shopping online ect...Watching reef you tubes, just consumes me. haha

I also have to say how much I love your aquascape. I am going to try to copy you! LOL. Did you just glue the small pieces to make that bridge? Its really awesome. Cant wait to pick up my other skimmer, rocks and sump tomorrow, but I am starting to wonder if I should just go to petco for a 20 long for 20 bucks and silicone mine, only problem is he is giving me a pkg deal for 100 bucks for rock, skimmer and sump, so if I back out on that I may end up paying more in long run. Thats what I would do if I hant of found this deal and he is less than 5 minutes away!

Thank god, I am scoring on things after getting ripped off on my dream tank! I put down a deposit of 100.00bucks on a half cylinder oceanic! had a canopy and was loaded! Only thing I needed was lights for 250.00! It was to good to be true, but I do own a pretty bowfront that is next best thing. I have another one I bought since dec as well that we are turning into a planted fresh! Told ya, I got the fever! My hubby is wanting fresh so since he is letting me go crazy on my new addiction, have to keep the pappy happy!

DnA-Aquatics LLC · May 7, 2022

Update Bump? ( has it been that long?)

I am sorry to the people I never responded to.
Crazy looking back at the pictures of that tank.

Shortly after that last post I received a 120 gallon acrylic tank, and stand for free. It took a lot of cleaning and buffing. But here it is now.

I am running one Kessil ap700 light above it.

The sump is in the basement, still no filter socks, I use something else.

GHL profilux 4 paired with the KH director runs the show down here, and a Reeflo external pump gets the juice back up. And for the past 9 months I have been only dosing "all for reef" by tropic marin.