abhemet
New Member
years ago I had a 125 gallon reef tank back when power compacts and berlin style sumps were the thing to have. Well we went on vacation and someone was watching the tank for me. Some how the lights fell into the tank broke and killed the fish and corals. So no more reef tank and I walked away from the hobby. I am thinking it had to be 10- 15 years ago. Anyway back then it seems like there wasn't as much info as now. The information was from LFS and forums like this one here. So I am on youtube some how come across waterbox video and started watching a few of there there series I thought ok I will get another big tank give it go. The boss said no then I seen a series on nano tanks. i went to talk with the Dream killer about maybe doing one those. it wasn't a no. Alright time submit my plan to get PO signed off by CFO( aka Dream killer). Step1 tell her my plan. So we went online showed her what I was thinking. So far she was onboard. Then the price came up as I was listing out what I needed before I even get see any corals or fish in the tank. This Slowed the process for a bit. We didn't talk about for a long while this was November 2019. So I decided to buy things on the downlow. I bought reflactometer one day. Then I bought a couple brute trash cans one month. Then few month later I bought tub of salt. By this time it February 2020. So march rolls around and I decided to get RO/DI unit. I got 100gpd 6 six stage one from BRS. So stuff is in closet waiting to be used. Now stuff has come to stand still. Because of this thing that's going on right now the pandemic. So Boss is working at home part the time wants revamp our freshwater tanks. So we spent some time doing that from march until now. in the mean time maybe august i bought some more parts a couple float valves, t-switch RO tubing. In Nov. I got MJ pump and heater for my mixing station I was assembling. The reef tank train is moving slow at this time. Then my work gives me some money for working during this pandemic to show there appreciation. So I told the boss I am getting my tank. So went to few LFS that do saltwater. I was leaning towards a water box or JBJ. The wife liked both. But I didn't quiet have the scratch for the ones I wanted. So then I was leaning towards a SCA 150gallon. It was on sale for cyber Monday but I didn't have the money I needed until Friday that same week. I was hope I could get it but alas no go. Then I figured I would get a 40 or 50 or 60. Showed the wife. She wanted to see a similar one. to get idea. So we found another LFS that sold similar tanks. Went saw it was almost a done deal. I was going to get SCA online since these similar one were almost twice as much. The LFS went to we haven't been there in years and its where bought corals live rock and saltwater fish years ago. One of the owners came in remember us. Started talking to us asked us what had happened. Tom him the story. He said he was just in here to pull some tanks out for a Christmas sale. There 4 different tanks and weren't displayed on the floor. He only a couple of each. he said if wait a bit he would pull them out display them. Two were aquatops 24g and 40g. the others were bio cubes and other smaller AIO of some kind. He went over each first then the prices. AT 40g was the right price and the wife liked the look. So talked outside in private for bit. We decided bite the bullet if anything it could expense fowler tank I guess. Didnt have big enough car to bring it home. So I had to come back the next day and pick it up. So It sat in box for a couples days in my living room waiting to figure out plan where to put it. order some carib sea special grade sand. Then I went outside to take look at my rock from old tank years ago. Pressure washed it and scrubbed. Then did some research if it was possible to use it. It was But it was long process and it was going to take a least 2-3 month before it could be ready to go into the tank. If you have been reading this has been in the making since nov 2019 and have been slow process and CFO isn't into doling out more money. So I bought some dry base rock 40 lbs. Cleaned it with pressure hose and water put on a table to dry off. Things are moving still no sand yet. I did really like the return and the way you had to take it apart to service it. So I went to LFS in san diego and went to look at bulk heads to see if one would fit on my tank. So I bought smallest one which and some tubing a elbow a tee and locline and couple stream spreaders went back home. The wasn't even close. So I have brand new tank with no water or anything in it and I was going mod it. So I found appropriate hole saw the bulkhead cut a piece of wood into a maybe 4" 4" square took it inside and put were the output line hole is and traced it. Went back out cut out hole the bulk head size. Then came back put my jig over the hole and line the bottoms of the holes and clamped it on there. The moment of truth grabbed my drill with hole saw put it in the hole and began to drill. It was pretty terrify. So here we go went really slow then fast. It worked new hole bulkhead fits. Still no sand. Decided do some research on aqua scaping since I have been out the hobby for awhile. Watch some NSA videos. Alright I am going t try this. order Marcos mortar and some glue. Broke up my base rock started working on it. many hours later it still looks like a pile of rocks at least it won't fall over. Sand finally came time to setup this up. But I had do some moving around of some things. Alright tank in place time for a leak test. No leaks. Rocks and sand and saltwater. Look s good. Time to do a fishless cycle which I have been reading about. Since taking damsel just putting them in there is out now and live rock is no longer a thing either. So I decided I would use Tims one and only. After a couple days looking at the tank with the lights i was sure about them didn't like the way look and you couldn't adjust them. So I was thinking about maybe putting some hydras or red sea on it. But that's way down the road with my budget I am working with. So I was on mission to get this tank cycled. Found a place in Palm desert Zen aquatics that I have never been to before and they had Dr. Tims one and only. Pretty nice store. Then I saw that they had Maxspect MJ-L165 led there. I had just watched video on reefbuilders channel about these products. Told wife about them showed here one his tanks setup with one on it. Went up to counter got the one and only and ammonia stuff and the wife said aren't going to get the light. The wife was feeling generous that day. maybe since the grandson was with us. Biting the bullet again with another product thats pretty new. Let fishless cycle begin... this getting long
