DJMCB
New Member
Hi folks. I've resisted some nudges to post a Build Thread because I've essentially concluded there's not much to say yet.
As you can tell from the thread title, I've got a Red Sea 525xl. I live in Canada, about an hour's drive east of Toronto and, as some others have mentioned elsewhere, things get pretty pricey up here. Regardless, I've been out of the hobby since the late 90's, other than a couple of half-baked nanos I ran for a few years.
My substrate is CaribSea's Fiji Pink and 90% of my rockwork is stuff I've been lugging around for the past 20+ years... through seemingly countless girlfriends who'd ask "what the heck are you planning to do with all that?!?" My bride of 4 years now is largely supportive... there are always going to be a cocked eyebrow or two... "are there always going to be water drops on my floor?" and "what do you mean I can't burn my essential oil candles in the same room?" Nevertheless, onwards...
I went with a Reef Octopus skimmer, which I've just seen finally reach the broken in stage, after running it for a couple of weeks, just letting it drain back into the sump. In the sump I've got 4 or 5 pieces of old base rock and I'm about to place a bio-block (or whatever you call them) down there too. I'm still considering whether I'd like to keep some chaeto down there. I have 3 x AI Hydra 32hd's over the tank, which I'm leaving off for now.
Today is in fact Day 26 since filling and switching it all on. I've used Dr. Tim's One and Only and ammonium chloride to get the fishless cycle going. As of this morning my ammonia is now down to .15ppm, nitrites have been holding steady at 20ppm for about 4 days now, and nitrates are also around 20ppm holding steady for that same period. I'd like to find a way to move things along but know I need to be patient, even though my wife is wondering whether we'll be forever just looking at a big box of water.
Now, where am I going with all this; in terms of what's my end goal? I'd really like a mixed reef, with my predominant interest being fish and softies. I'm looking for pretty good harmony, with livestock that will abide living with one another. There'll definitely be an anemone or two, and I'm quite prepared for them to wander from where I think they should be. For fish I'm thinking 2 or 3 tangs, a pair of clowns, a goby or 2, possibly a wrasse or 2 (though I'm not planning to cover the tank just yet). I'm not really an anthias guy. I am however very much an angelfish guys, so will be looking for something reef safe.
That's it for now. I'll post more as things advance. I'll take a shot of attaching a pic for now (lights were on strictly for the photo op).
Thanks for the friendly welcome I've experienced, as well as thanks in advance for all the brain picking and idea stealing I'm sure I'll be doing.
DJ
As you can tell from the thread title, I've got a Red Sea 525xl. I live in Canada, about an hour's drive east of Toronto and, as some others have mentioned elsewhere, things get pretty pricey up here. Regardless, I've been out of the hobby since the late 90's, other than a couple of half-baked nanos I ran for a few years.
My substrate is CaribSea's Fiji Pink and 90% of my rockwork is stuff I've been lugging around for the past 20+ years... through seemingly countless girlfriends who'd ask "what the heck are you planning to do with all that?!?" My bride of 4 years now is largely supportive... there are always going to be a cocked eyebrow or two... "are there always going to be water drops on my floor?" and "what do you mean I can't burn my essential oil candles in the same room?" Nevertheless, onwards...
I went with a Reef Octopus skimmer, which I've just seen finally reach the broken in stage, after running it for a couple of weeks, just letting it drain back into the sump. In the sump I've got 4 or 5 pieces of old base rock and I'm about to place a bio-block (or whatever you call them) down there too. I'm still considering whether I'd like to keep some chaeto down there. I have 3 x AI Hydra 32hd's over the tank, which I'm leaving off for now.
Today is in fact Day 26 since filling and switching it all on. I've used Dr. Tim's One and Only and ammonium chloride to get the fishless cycle going. As of this morning my ammonia is now down to .15ppm, nitrites have been holding steady at 20ppm for about 4 days now, and nitrates are also around 20ppm holding steady for that same period. I'd like to find a way to move things along but know I need to be patient, even though my wife is wondering whether we'll be forever just looking at a big box of water.
Now, where am I going with all this; in terms of what's my end goal? I'd really like a mixed reef, with my predominant interest being fish and softies. I'm looking for pretty good harmony, with livestock that will abide living with one another. There'll definitely be an anemone or two, and I'm quite prepared for them to wander from where I think they should be. For fish I'm thinking 2 or 3 tangs, a pair of clowns, a goby or 2, possibly a wrasse or 2 (though I'm not planning to cover the tank just yet). I'm not really an anthias guy. I am however very much an angelfish guys, so will be looking for something reef safe.
That's it for now. I'll post more as things advance. I'll take a shot of attaching a pic for now (lights were on strictly for the photo op).
Thanks for the friendly welcome I've experienced, as well as thanks in advance for all the brain picking and idea stealing I'm sure I'll be doing.
DJ
