Budget Beginnings

[Euphylliaphyle]

Three months ago, my wife suggested we finally set up that reef aquarium we have always wanted. We were actually talking about getting rid of the tv in the living room and replacing it with a tank. Social norms prevailed, and we set about looking for a small tank for a very narrow wall that we could both still enjoy from our assigned seats without making us a tv-less neighborhood pariah.
Two months ago we bought a cheap-o 36 gallon bowfront on sale from PetSmart. The lid was black molded plastic with a totally useless, single row white LED light bar. Step 1: Throw away supplied lid. Step 2: Fabricate a clear polycarbonate lid from a repurposed COVID-era countertop sneeze screen someone had discarded with nary a scratch on it.
Step 3: Dry-installed a Fluval 207 canister filter
We'll call this Day 0.

 

[Sophie"s mom]

Very nice tank! Lots of BRS videos you should watch! I will tell you, I set my 90 gallon up just over 2 years ago, and best advice I received was to just leave the lights off for the 1st 3 or 4 months. IT will make you impatient, but so so worth it. I completely avoided the "ugly phase" of a new tank. Fish do not NEED light. Do you plan to have a sump? Or will all equipment be HOB? Mine is all HOB which is just fine. Also, to help $$$, I started with 1/2 base rock, and 1/2 live rock. It all become live soon enough. Another good info is to make a cardboard cuot out of your tank bottom size, stay 2 inches inside that and start designing your aquascape.

 

[Euphylliaphyle]

Very nice tank! Lots of BRS videos you should watch! I will tell you, I set my 90 gallon up just over 2 years ago, and best advice I received was to just leave the lights off for the 1st 3 or 4 months. IT will make you impatient, but so so worth it. I completely avoided the "ugly phase" of a new tank. Fish do not NEED light. Do you plan to have a sump? Or will all equipment be HOB? Mine is all HOB which is just fine. Also, to help $$$, I started with 1/2 base rock, and 1/2 live rock. It all become live soon enough. Another good info is to make a cardboard cuot out of your tank bottom size, stay 2 inches inside that and start designing your aquascape.

Thank you, Sophie's Mom! I read similar advice regarding lights, and only turned mine on after CUC was well-stocked and I added my first coral. So far, so good! I have no sump and not planning one for now, though I can see the advantages. Everything (minimal) so far is under-cabinet. I used no live rock, just some wet rock from the LFS. I should have gone dry rock, since other than Aiptasia, some Vermetid, mini starfish, brittle stars and a couple of non-descript mushrooms, I didn't get much from the wet rock. I wish i had used your template idea for designing the aquascape!

 

[Bj’s Reef]

Welcome to the forum. Keep the pictures coming.

 

[Euphylliaphyle]

Thank you! I will.

 

[Euphylliaphyle]

Day 1: Added live sand, wet rock, heater, aeration, a Nicrew light and water. Primed and started Fluval 207 canister filter. Once the water cleared a day later:

 

[Sophie"s mom]

Thank you, Sophie's Mom! I read similar advice regarding lights, and only turned mine on after CUC was well-stocked and I added my first coral. So far, so good! I have no sump and not planning one for now, though I can see the advantages. Everything (minimal) so far is under-cabinet. I used no live rock, just some wet rock from the LFS. I should have gone dry rock, since other than Aiptasia, some Vermetid, mini starfish, brittle stars and a couple of non-descript mushrooms, I didn't get much from the wet rock. I wish i had used your template idea for designing the aquascape!

YEah that template idea just makes sure you leave enough room to clean the glass all around.

 

[Euphylliaphyle]

After a few days, some hitchhikers began to emerge from the LFS wet rock. Nothing that I couldnt live without, and some I could *definitely* live without, such as Aiptasia and Vermetid.

I am okay with the tiny starfish and brittle stars.

As well as the couple of (unexciting) mushrooms.

 

[FUNGI]

Three months ago, my wife suggested we finally set up that reef aquarium we have always wanted. We were actually talking about getting rid of the tv in the living room and replacing it with a tank. Social norms prevailed, and we set about looking for a small tank for a very narrow wall that we could both still enjoy from our assigned seats without making us a tv-less neighborhood pariah.
Two months ago we bought a cheap-o 36 gallon bowfront on sale from PetSmart. The lid was black molded plastic with a totally useless, single row white LED light bar. Step 1: Throw away supplied lid. Step 2: Fabricate a clear polycarbonate lid from a repurposed COVID-era countertop sneeze screen someone had discarded with nary a scratch on it.
Step 3: Dry-installed a Fluval 207 canister filter
We'll call this Day 0.

Nice...and clean

 

[FUNGI]

curious why water level so low?

 

[Euphylliaphyle]

curious why water level so low?

Thank you! I wasn't done adding rock at that point. Plus, Fluval requires water level below the return (to prevent possible backsiphoning if the power goes out?) Return height is a little bit adjustable, but not much. I guess I could do some pvc plumbing to raise it further, but for now, its not bothering me.

 

[Euphylliaphyle]

Three months ago, my wife suggested we finally set up that reef aquarium we have always wanted. We were actually talking about getting rid of the tv in the living room and replacing it with a tank. Social norms prevailed, and we set about looking for a small tank for a very narrow wall that we could both still enjoy from our assigned seats without making us a tv-less neighborhood pariah.
Two months ago we bought a cheap-o 36 gallon bowfront on sale from PetSmart. The lid was black molded plastic with a totally useless, single row white LED light bar. Step 1: Throw away supplied lid. Step 2: Fabricate a clear polycarbonate lid from a repurposed COVID-era countertop sneeze screen someone had discarded with nary a scratch on it.
Step 3: Dry-installed a Fluval 207 canister filter
We'll call this Day 0.

Nice...and clean

Thank you! Now I have to keep myself from ruining it!

 

[FUNGI]

Thank you! I wasn't done adding rock at that point. Plus, Fluval requires water level below the return (to prevent possible backsiphoning if the power goes out?) Return height is a little bit adjustable, but not much. I guess I could do some pvc plumbing to raise it further, but for now, its not bothering me.

hmmm....thats odd..never heard that before.....the fluval is a closed system....so there is no real back-siphoning....
anyway....looks clean

 

[Euphylliaphyle]

Thank you! I wasn't done adding rock at that point. Plus, Fluval requires water level below the return (to prevent possible backsiphoning if the power goes out?) Return height is a little bit adjustable, but not much. I guess I could do some pvc plumbing to raise it further, but for now, its not bothering me.

hmmm....thats odd..never heard that before.....the fluval is a closed system....so there is no real back-siphoning....
anyway....looks clean

I thought it odd, but in the manual, it says the return nozzle must be above the waterline. I was guessing as to why.

 

[FUNGI]

NP....regardless the tank looks clean. If it was mine, I would replace all (except top one to the motor) the filter/sponges etc in the 407 and replace with live rock rubble. It will cut done on your cleaning, along with creating a semi-cryptic zone, and don't buy into anyone on this forum telling you you can't keep corals with a canister......

 

[Euphylliaphyle]

NP....regardless the tank looks clean. If it was mine, I would replace all (except top one to the motor) the filter/sponges etc in the 407 and replace with live rock rubble. It will cut done on your cleaning, along with creating a semi-cryptic zone, and don't buy into anyone on this forum telling you you can't keep corals with a canister......

Interesting... a mini sump. Maintenance costs will go down as well - those filter pads add up! Thank you for the tip!

 

[FUNGI]

Interesting... a mini sump. Maintenance costs will go down as well - those filter pads add up! Thank you for the tip!

I run 3 FX6's same way....once a year "clean" out LOL.....and buy some silicon grease for the rubber O-rings and the impeller.....that 407 will last you years...

 

[NanoSteam]

Looks like a great start, I ran a 75 for years on a canister filter successfully and no skimmer, it was great. I just can't help but mention you may have a lot of salt creep with the bubbler going in the background like that which can fall into the tank and land on coral/fish causing issues when cleaning.

 

[Euphylliaphyle]

Looks like a great start, I ran a 75 for years on a canister filter successfully and no skimmer, it was great. I just can't help but mention you may have a lot of salt creep with the bubbler going in the background like that which can fall into the tank and land on coral/fish causing issues when cleaning.

Thank you for the tip. Ill need to watch for that. I like the appearance of the bubble curtain. Before I even had CUC in the tank, I could watch it just bubble and be mesmerized!

 

[FUNGI]

Thank you for the tip. Ill need to watch for that. I like the appearance of the bubble curtain. Before I even had CUC in the tank, I could watch it just bubble and be mesmerized!

Maybe it will help with PH also......keep doing what you like sir....tank is looking good.