Catfish2
Active Member
Hi All,
I wanted to make a build thread for a couple of reasons. First, I hope to share some useful information with those that may be perusing this thread. Second, I hope others will chime in with helpful suggestions for me. Perhaps we can discuss pros and cons of various techniques from time to time. We know there are hundreds of ways to be successful at growing coral so I always enjoy learning new things. Lastly, I’m hoping this thread will be a journal of the progress I make with this system. I’m not sure if anyone really cares to read another “build thread,” but at least I can look back at the ups, downs, and various decisions I made along the way.
I realize the first part of this is rather long. It’s basically the journey of me becoming a full SPS addict. You can skip it if you’d like, but it’s fun for me to look back. The story is similar to many of yours, I’m sure you will relate. It goes something like this: Someone gives you your first frag for free and you get hooked. You need more frags, then more colorful frags, then different types of colorful frags, then you drive hours to get new frags, then you take out a second mortgage on your house to get more frags… in no time, you’ve become a full on addict. Most of us have been there (ok, maybe not the second mortgage part, but you get the point).
To let you know a little about my background in aquarium keeping, I started with a 60 gallon freshwater system about 10 years ago. I had a lot of fun watching the fish swim by and got excited every time I added new fish. $10 on a new fish was a lot of money. It was a basic set up, pretty much a glass box with water, fish, and fake plants, but it was fun.
After a couple of years of that, I made a big mistake and went snorkeling in Hawaii. I had no idea that snorkeling trip was going to result in thousands of dollars spent to keep a piece of the ocean in my own home one day. Once I returned form that trip to Hawaii, my freshwater tank looked so dull. I decided it was time to make the switch to saltwater.
Like many of you, I started with a FOWLR system. It was only 30 gallons, with a HOB skimmer/filter. I had no idea what coral was all about and didn’t care because the fish I kept were beautiful. I had a damsel, a clown fish, a fire fish, and a royal gramma. I didn’t think it could get any better. I loved staring at the sand bed at night watching all the critters come out and crawl around. It was an entire eco system in my very own bedroom.
After about 4 years of that, I eventually decided that 30 gallons wasn’t enough (I know none of you have ever been there right?). I upgraded to a 55 gallon tank. I also started to notice the coral at the LFS’s and thought, “hmm maybe I should give them a shot.” So, I went full reef on that setup. I researched for months and months and designed and built the system all by myself. From drilling the glass, designing the sump baffles and siliconing them in, to plumbing the system. It was my first system with a sump. I was so happy with how it came out and was proud to show it off to anyone that cared to look at it. Most people don’t get excited about gate valves, check valves, or overflows, but I put so much effort and thought into that build I couldn’t help but be excited about the end result.
At that point, I knew I wanted to keep coral, but initially my main focus was still the fish. I added a wrasse, some anthias, a small blue tang, and a small yellow tang. Any time I sat in front of the tank I was transported to Hawaii. When I went to the LFS I got that excited feeling, thinking I may get a good deal on the next fish I had planned to introduce.
My first coral only entered the tank because I went to buy some live rock from a fellow hobbyist. One of the pieces of rock I was going to buy had some pulsing xenia and Kenya tree on it. He told me they were hardy and would do great in my system. I was so excited to take them home. Now that I think about it, he was kind of rude for not warning me about the plague status both of these corals could reach. In any case, to my astonishment (and to no surprise to everyone who’s ever kept these weeds in their tank) they took off!
From there, more softies entered the tank.
They all did well so I added some LPS.
As you can imagine, the coral got more and more attention and the fish became pretty coral feeders after a while. (Don’t get me wrong I still love the fish, but most of the fish selections come about because they have a job to do on the reef now.) Form there it was an easy transition/slippery slope to SPS. The SPS became more and more challenging and more and more expensive species.
The 55 gallon system was doing a great job at growing coral. Color was never where I wanted it, but hey, we’re all striving for something. I had that system for about 4 years, but I ended up moving from Oregon back to southern California. So, I sold everything. I regret that now, but at the time it was the easiest thing to do.
(By the way, the Pacific North West is full of some of the nicest reefers imaginable. I attended many Pacific North West Marine Aquarium Society meetings and met some awesome people. I highly recommend PNWMAS for anyone in that area looking for other awesome, talented, generous, and cool reef keepers.)
It was a pretty common progression, freshwater, saltwater, FOWLR, softies, LPS, and now SPS (although I still love the softies and LPS). I guess the next step is propagation and distribution. I have no plans to actually make any money or anything. My goal is to give away to and trade with other hobbyists in my local area (Menifee, California).
All of that back story brings me to this current build. I knew when I moved back to CA that I would be putting another system together, but I’m not quite ready for the 300 gallon dream build in the house so I started with a frag tank in the garage.
Most of it is actually already built, but I am going to go back to the beginning and document various steps along the way. Once I get to the present state of the system this thread will be more of an ongoing journal. I hope some of you get something out of this, but if not, I’m sure it will be fun for me. So, hopefully you’ll follow along. Feel free to give me your input, but be nice, we all have stuff to learn. I have had some success, but I by no means see myself as an expert or authority in reef keeping.
The next post will actually be related to this current build, but as a teaser, it is a 70 gallon frag tank. Stay tuned (or don't, the choice is really yours)!
I wanted to make a build thread for a couple of reasons. First, I hope to share some useful information with those that may be perusing this thread. Second, I hope others will chime in with helpful suggestions for me. Perhaps we can discuss pros and cons of various techniques from time to time. We know there are hundreds of ways to be successful at growing coral so I always enjoy learning new things. Lastly, I’m hoping this thread will be a journal of the progress I make with this system. I’m not sure if anyone really cares to read another “build thread,” but at least I can look back at the ups, downs, and various decisions I made along the way.
I realize the first part of this is rather long. It’s basically the journey of me becoming a full SPS addict. You can skip it if you’d like, but it’s fun for me to look back. The story is similar to many of yours, I’m sure you will relate. It goes something like this: Someone gives you your first frag for free and you get hooked. You need more frags, then more colorful frags, then different types of colorful frags, then you drive hours to get new frags, then you take out a second mortgage on your house to get more frags… in no time, you’ve become a full on addict. Most of us have been there (ok, maybe not the second mortgage part, but you get the point).
To let you know a little about my background in aquarium keeping, I started with a 60 gallon freshwater system about 10 years ago. I had a lot of fun watching the fish swim by and got excited every time I added new fish. $10 on a new fish was a lot of money. It was a basic set up, pretty much a glass box with water, fish, and fake plants, but it was fun.
After a couple of years of that, I made a big mistake and went snorkeling in Hawaii. I had no idea that snorkeling trip was going to result in thousands of dollars spent to keep a piece of the ocean in my own home one day. Once I returned form that trip to Hawaii, my freshwater tank looked so dull. I decided it was time to make the switch to saltwater.
Like many of you, I started with a FOWLR system. It was only 30 gallons, with a HOB skimmer/filter. I had no idea what coral was all about and didn’t care because the fish I kept were beautiful. I had a damsel, a clown fish, a fire fish, and a royal gramma. I didn’t think it could get any better. I loved staring at the sand bed at night watching all the critters come out and crawl around. It was an entire eco system in my very own bedroom.
After about 4 years of that, I eventually decided that 30 gallons wasn’t enough (I know none of you have ever been there right?). I upgraded to a 55 gallon tank. I also started to notice the coral at the LFS’s and thought, “hmm maybe I should give them a shot.” So, I went full reef on that setup. I researched for months and months and designed and built the system all by myself. From drilling the glass, designing the sump baffles and siliconing them in, to plumbing the system. It was my first system with a sump. I was so happy with how it came out and was proud to show it off to anyone that cared to look at it. Most people don’t get excited about gate valves, check valves, or overflows, but I put so much effort and thought into that build I couldn’t help but be excited about the end result.
At that point, I knew I wanted to keep coral, but initially my main focus was still the fish. I added a wrasse, some anthias, a small blue tang, and a small yellow tang. Any time I sat in front of the tank I was transported to Hawaii. When I went to the LFS I got that excited feeling, thinking I may get a good deal on the next fish I had planned to introduce.
My first coral only entered the tank because I went to buy some live rock from a fellow hobbyist. One of the pieces of rock I was going to buy had some pulsing xenia and Kenya tree on it. He told me they were hardy and would do great in my system. I was so excited to take them home. Now that I think about it, he was kind of rude for not warning me about the plague status both of these corals could reach. In any case, to my astonishment (and to no surprise to everyone who’s ever kept these weeds in their tank) they took off!
From there, more softies entered the tank.
They all did well so I added some LPS.
As you can imagine, the coral got more and more attention and the fish became pretty coral feeders after a while. (Don’t get me wrong I still love the fish, but most of the fish selections come about because they have a job to do on the reef now.) Form there it was an easy transition/slippery slope to SPS. The SPS became more and more challenging and more and more expensive species.
The 55 gallon system was doing a great job at growing coral. Color was never where I wanted it, but hey, we’re all striving for something. I had that system for about 4 years, but I ended up moving from Oregon back to southern California. So, I sold everything. I regret that now, but at the time it was the easiest thing to do.
(By the way, the Pacific North West is full of some of the nicest reefers imaginable. I attended many Pacific North West Marine Aquarium Society meetings and met some awesome people. I highly recommend PNWMAS for anyone in that area looking for other awesome, talented, generous, and cool reef keepers.)
It was a pretty common progression, freshwater, saltwater, FOWLR, softies, LPS, and now SPS (although I still love the softies and LPS). I guess the next step is propagation and distribution. I have no plans to actually make any money or anything. My goal is to give away to and trade with other hobbyists in my local area (Menifee, California).
All of that back story brings me to this current build. I knew when I moved back to CA that I would be putting another system together, but I’m not quite ready for the 300 gallon dream build in the house so I started with a frag tank in the garage.
Most of it is actually already built, but I am going to go back to the beginning and document various steps along the way. Once I get to the present state of the system this thread will be more of an ongoing journal. I hope some of you get something out of this, but if not, I’m sure it will be fun for me. So, hopefully you’ll follow along. Feel free to give me your input, but be nice, we all have stuff to learn. I have had some success, but I by no means see myself as an expert or authority in reef keeping.
The next post will actually be related to this current build, but as a teaser, it is a 70 gallon frag tank. Stay tuned (or don't, the choice is really yours)!
