A Novice Marine X 110.4 Build

[Nano_Man]

Keep your money in your pocket you can have amazing reef on a low budget . Going down a rabbit hole and you will spend thousands
on non e needed equipment

 

[RWReefer]

Keep your money in your pocket you can have amazing reef on a low budget . Going down a rabbit hole and you will spend thousands
on non e needed equipment

I’ve been saving up for this for 20 years. There’s a budget

 

[kevgib67]

That is entirely subjective. My wife would probably feel differently lol.

Damsels and clowns practice different religions, it could never work!

 

[Adamc13o3]

Regarding starting a tank with coral first. I am not sure how it would work. LPS coral do have larger skeletons so they would bring in some biodiversity and help the bacteria in the tank get established. However, coral are susceptible to nutrient levels and require light. Cycling with a light from day one will ALWAYS prove to be difficult, as the uglys thrive on light. They will grow like crazy out competing everything else. In addition once you are passed that stage and then add the fish your bio-load will change very quickly and you will probably go right back to that stage. Not to mention that the spiked nutrient levels will have an adverse if not detrimental effects on the corals. I would start with fish and really get everything as stable as possible. You mentioned you have an apex. Get a trident, or just get some good test kits. See what your salt mix reads as far as calcium, alkalinity and magnesium. Then start dosing the tank lightly even though there’s no consumption. Elevated calcium or alkalinity will not affect the fish at all. It will help you get a feel of how much of each additive moves the needle on your empty tank. You want to get a real feel for consumption both for calcium and alkalinity and for the nutrients in reference to feeding and your method of export. It’s like cooking without a perfect recipe. Add a little this that etc… You want to get that feel. While your doing all of this you will eventually see some coralline algae. When you see that it means that your tank and methods do promote calcification and you’re ready for corals.

Adam

 

[RWReefer]

Regarding starting a tank with coral first. I am not sure how it would work. LPS coral do have larger skeletons so they would bring in some biodiversity and help the bacteria in the tank get established. However, coral are susceptible to nutrient levels and require light. Cycling with a light from day one will ALWAYS prove to be difficult, as the uglys thrive on light. They will grow like crazy out competing everything else. In addition once you are passed that stage and then add the fish your bio-load will change very quickly and you will probably go right back to that stage. Not to mention that the spiked nutrient levels will have an adverse if not detrimental effects on the corals. I would start with fish and really get everything as stable as possible. You mentioned you have an apex. Get a trident, or just get some good test kits. See what your salt mix reads as far as calcium, alkalinity and magnesium. Then start dosing the tank lightly even though there’s no consumption. Elevated calcium or alkalinity will not affect the fish at all. It will help you get a feel of how much of each additive moves the needle on your empty tank. You want to get a real feel for consumption both for calcium and alkalinity and for the nutrients in reference to feeding and your method of export. It’s like cooking without a perfect recipe. Add a little this that etc… You want to get that feel. While your doing all of this you will eventually see some coralline algae. When you see that it means that your tank and methods do promote calcification and you’re ready for corals.

Adam

I do appreciate the response. Thinking back through and I agree, I am going to take it slowly through a couple fish first and gradually and slowly add in additional biodiversity.

I obtained all of the required tests as best researched on this site, so I’m planning on keeping a log of parameters weekly (biweekly?) as the tank goes (data nerd).

I will probably trident at some point, but maybe not until I get well versed in manual testing as it is a skill I’d like to master first. Plus I’ve heard a lot of very mixed reviews on the trident, so a part of me is also curious if an updated version will drop sometime in the nearish future.

Thanks for popping in and offering some insight.

 

[tsharpe291]

And I thought golf was an expensive hobby…

you aint seen nothing yet, lol

 

[RWReefer]

you aint seen nothing yet, lol

I haven’t even entered the fish/coral buying phase yet and hoooboy.

 

[Adamc13o3]

I do appreciate the response. Thinking back through and I agree, I am going to take it slowly through a couple fish first and gradually and slowly add in additional biodiversity.

I obtained all of the required tests as best researched on this site, so I’m planning on keeping a log of parameters weekly (biweekly) as the tank goes (data nerd).

I will probably trident at some point, but maybe not until I get well versed in manual testing as it is a skill I’d like to master first. Plus I’ve heard a lot of very mixed reviews on the trident, so a part of me is also curious if an updated version will drop sometime in the nearish future.

Thanks for popping in and offering some insight.

Yes learning how to test properly is very important. I just started using the trident. So far I have found that I am needing to recalibrate it every time I check KH with my Hanna checker. I guess time will tell. I have been manually checking for years but I do love me some gear and tons of automation. You do sound like you’re off to an extremely good start though. You clearly did more reading than usual.

 

[RWReefer]

Yes learning how to test properly is very important. I just started using the trident. So far I have found that I am needing to recalibrate it every time I check KH with my Hanna checker. I guess time will tell. I have been manually checking for years but I do love me some gear and tons of automation. You do sound like you’re off to an extremely good start though. You clearly did more reading than usual.

Yeah it’s been a firehose of information for a couple months now. Luckily I have a cousin who I am very close with whom has a tank so he’s been a great source of information. I agree that my end goal here is to automate as much as possible (3 kids 7 and under) as time can get limited.

I’ve got a pretty good experience around lab techniques both through education and work experience, so that should bode well for this adventure.

 

[kevgib67]

Damsels and clowns practice different religions, it could never work!

Sorry wrong thread, I’m not crazy no matter what my psychiatrist says.

 

[RWReefer]

Wrong thread, I’m not crazy no matter what my psychiatrist says.

Won’t lie, took about 5 minutes trying to extract meaning from that. Glad I wasn’t the only one going a little crazy.

 

[RWReefer]

Lights made it to the front door today. Earlier trip to HD to get some connectors/ball valve/tubing to tie in the RODI system to the supply line for our current RO system for drinking water. Need to figure out a way to mount and should be making water as early as tomorrow.

Wife and I started Christmas shopping for the kids earlier in the afternoon, and to my surprise she was researching different fish for the tank (strictly limited to how pretty they were). Turning into a family affair.

 

[tsharpe291]

the tank is definitely something everyone will enjoy.

 

[RWReefer]

Started laying out the aquascape. I’m shooting for a mixed reef so looking for multiple layers as we as hidey holes for fish. Height of the highest points are around 12-13” in a 21” tank (19” of water).

Any and all feedback appreciated.

 

[tsharpe291]

looks cool, one mistake I made was I have one area where my mag cleaner can't get between my scape and glass. I wish I would have moved it half an inch but not the end of the world.

 

[RWReefer]

looks cool, one mistake I made was I have one area where my mag cleaner can't get between my scape and glass. I wish I would have moved it half an inch but not the end of the world.

Yeah, the outside of the blue tape is the tank so I’ve attempted to give myself 3” of clearance around the front and sides. I think I’m going to leave the back to go natural since it’s already black.

Been researching negative space a little more and I have now decided to change up the base a little bit since right now it’s basically just large solid pieces. I do like the general shape though and will keep that, just trying to add some more flow, and swim through areas. Back to the drawing table.

 

[tsharpe291]

yea definitely a process, this is what I did. just sharing for inspiration.

 

[RWReefer]

yea definitely a process, this is what I did. just sharing for inspiration.

Appreciate it!

 

[RWReefer]

LET THERE BE (half) LIGHT!!! Side note, going to need to get a shade for these lights, straight into my eyes when sitting at my work desk.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

LET THERE BE (half) LIGHT!!! Side note, going to need to get a shade for these lights, straight into my eyes when sitting at my work desk.

Light looks great!