Cascade Skylines 24x24x16

up.left · 2026-10-20T23:56:53-0400

I put in for a username change.
iroll253 > up.left > CascadeSkyline

Man I forgot how expensive this hobby is. Its been 10 years since ive done a system. Starting a journal here as I complete this build.

I used to have reef tanks in Tacoma WA. I moved to Forks WA in 2019. Lived there for 6 years with my wife. We moved to Montrose Colorado in December 2025. I hadn't done a reef reef tank since about 2016.

Parts list and parts needed below.

Advanced acrylics. $995 tank/sump

24x16x16 3/8" thick euro braced black back aquarium. 10x8x4deep external over flow for bean animal.
24x16x16 black and white sump with 5g ato built in. 3/8" thick

$496 for x2 75w Jager heaters, 1 50w Jager, AI 400 return pump, and bubble magus curve 5 elite with sicce pump.

$125 on ebay for a open box reef keeper lite.

Refractometer and reef flakes $35

5 stage BRS RODI unit with drinking water valve $270

ADJ Switchboard $60

x2 maxi jet 600s, x1 1200 $95

Tds Meter $10

A mix of tonga and base rock $45

Running total right now is $2,149

Parts needed. Feel free to reach out if you have digital aquatics stuff for sale.

Reef keeper SL1 or SL2 module

Reef keeper bus cables and ato cables

Float switches for Reef Keeper

Build stand

160g bucket reef crystals

sand

Ecotech xr15, ai 68 edge or reef breeders photon v2 24

Ecotech mp40

Plumbing with bulkheads, unions and gate valve.

I may use a used prime 16 light and cheap used power head to get things going and upgrade the light and mp40 later. Im already broke lol.

up.left · 2026-10-21T00:00:17-0400

I found enough rock for the display with some nice tonga for 45$ locally. Sat in her shed for 12 years.

I wish I could build a bigger display but im renting. There is a 20 gallon limit in my house and 24x16x16 is 26 gallons. If questioned I would just tell them its 20 gallons 24x14x14.

This rock scape is 34 inches long. Really wish I could have gone 36-40x20x16 but oh well. My build list will accommodate a larger display in the future. I would just run an mp10 but with 3/8" thick I think an mp40 will be necessary. Ill only be running it at 10-20% which will extend the life for sure.

For now this is more than enough rock and ill be able to make a sweet tonga reef.

Bleaching the rock with 130oz of bleach to 10g of water. Seachem prime on the way to decholornaite.

up.left · 2026-10-21T00:02:52-0400

Equipment dump so far. Also got ready for Halloween today.

up.left · 2026-10-21T00:04:57-0400

Right now the extra red line is my bypass making drinking water. Im currently letting the system flush for 2 hrs then im going to make 15 gallons of drinking water. Nice not having to go to the water machines anymore. I ordered 60ft of blue line so I can make tank water outside, in the living room or in the garage from the sink. I ordered 30ft of white line to replace the red line for drinking water.

System is a BRS 5 stage with pressure guage and TDS Meter. By pass valve between the RO unit and the DI unit for drinking water. Jon fitting on the cold water line under the sink. Sink is lined with puppy pad liners.

Flushed the system for 90 mins and am making my first batch of drinking water. Gonna drink some summer wine and get some sleep in a couple hrs. Checking out Crested butte tomorrow for the first time.