First Time Reefer 200g DT am I crazy

Whiskeyboy84 · Feb 23, 2018

Well guys I will start out by saying this is my first ever salt water aquarium and reef tank. I am headed down this journey into a sport that I find intriguing and soothing, as a Retired Combat Medic, and Veteran of the Afghan War I deal with mood instabilities and insomnia. I had been spiraling down hill pretty bad until we started a brackish tank for my wife and daughter. After doing so to my surprise I have found great relief from the stresses and in ability to sleep as I can lay infront of the tank and watch the mollies and listen to the water and it calms me and even helps me go to sleep. Not to mention the challenge that is fish husbandry helps to occupy my mind. So I had a Custom DT built by Planet Aquariums built it is a 96"L x 24"W x 20"D center overflow with three returns I have two 1-1/2 drains and three 3/4 inch returns. I then had a local shop build my a custom 60g sump with 30g refuge first, no filter socks in order to run the Triton Core7 method. I just placed an order with BRS for almost 2800 dollars, this order is so that hopefully by the end of March I can begin cycling the system.
So I have a few questions one for @Ryanbrs how do the preferred reefer points work because I signed up as a preferred reefer and I noticed after my check out that it has my as a general account, but I get news feed BRSTV and all that and have for the past couple of months since I signed up

Next What Cycling Methods would you guys the veterans of the sport recommend I am currently following the BRSTV ULM Tank Trials and have Watched pretty much every video they have posted at least three times.

Then there is this question Atlantik V4 vs Kessil A360 vs Kessil Ap700 for lighting? the tank is the focal point in my living room with my TV wall Mounted above and behind it.

Who thinks that a rookie is making a huge mistake by undertaking a 200g mixed reef for his first endeavor into reef keeping.

I ordered 150 lbs of Pukani and am contemplating going bare bottom as my tank has a multi layered bottom with the glass between two pieces of abs.

Would you guys recommend Maxspect Gyres or ECOtech MP60's?

Should I include Random flow generators on my Return lines?

Starting the tank without a controller but will be upgrading to an apex system by Christmas time, as I have roughly 1500 per month to play with so I have to save my pennies and purchase as I go.

Well guys it is 2317 and I took my meds two hours ago so I think I will try and get some shut eye and revisit the thread again in the am. All Tips, Tricks, Advice and Jokes are welcome please feel free to smack me around a bit as my entire family except for my wife and daughter think I am crazy lol.

ShawnSaucier · Feb 23, 2018

Whiskeyboy84 said:
Well guys I will start out by saying this is my first ever salt water aquarium and reef tank. I am headed down this journey into a sport that I find intriguing and soothing, as a Retired Combat Medic, and Veteran of the Afghan War I deal with mood instabilities and insomnia. I had been spiraling down hill pretty bad until we started a brackish tank for my wife and daughter. After doing so to my surprise I have found great relief from the stresses and in ability to sleep as I can lay infront of the tank and watch the mollies and listen to the water and it calms me and even helps me go to sleep. Not to mention the challenge that is fish husbandry helps to occupy my mind. So I had a Custom DT built by Planet Aquariums built it is a 96"L x 24"W x 20"D center overflow with three returns I have two 1-1/2 drains and three 3/4 inch returns. I then had a local shop build my a custom 60g sump with 30g refuge first, no filter socks in order to run the Triton Core7 method. I just placed an order with BRS for almost 2800 dollars, this order is so that hopefully by the end of March I can begin cycling the system.
So I have a few questions one for @Ryanbrs how do the preferred reefer points work because I signed up as a preferred reefer and I noticed after my check out that it has my as a general account, but I get news feed BRSTV and all that and have for the past couple of months since I signed up

Next What Cycling Methods would you guys the veterans of the sport recommend I am currently following the BRSTV ULM Tank Trials and have Watched pretty much every video they have posted at least three times.

Then there is this question Atlantik V4 vs Kessil A360 vs Kessil Ap700 for lighting? the tank is the focal point in my living room with my TV wall Mounted above and behind it.

Who thinks that a rookie is making a huge mistake by undertaking a 200g mixed reef for his first endeavor into reef keeping.

I ordered 150 lbs of Pukani and am contemplating going bare bottom as my tank has a multi layered bottom with the glass between two pieces of abs.

Would you guys recommend Maxspect Gyres or ECOtech MP60's?

Should I include Random flow generators on my Return lines?

Starting the tank without a controller but will be upgrading to an apex system by Christmas time, as I have roughly 1500 per month to play with so I have to save my pennies and purchase as I go.

Well guys it is 2317 and I took my meds two hours ago so I think I will try and get some shut eye and revisit the thread again in the am. All Tips, Tricks, Advice and Jokes are welcome please feel free to smack me around a bit as my entire family except for my wife and daughter think I am crazy lol.

Nothing wrong with taking on a big one as your first. It’s very exciting to have a large amount of space to work with.
Starting with dry rock, this can give you some great options in creating a dramatic aquascape. There are plenty of threads and videos about cleaning the rock first. Don’t be afraid to pull out a chisel and hammer and read up on glues/epoxy and cements. Try to plan your scape to fit the types of corals you are looking to keep. Something about dry rock though, it does take a bit longer to mature and I personally feel that you do loose some biological diversity compared to using real live rock. You could add some choice pieces of live rock to help seed your tank which would help boost the dry rock to mature a bit quicker. Be patient with your rock as it matures. The tank is going to go through many stages over the first year and they are at times depressing/frustrating. Try to hold off on putting corals in for a couple of months. It will help with not having to worry about loosing it(coral)as you battle algae stages and other New Tank Syndrome issues that you could get.
Not sure if you have a stand yet. Things to think about if you do not have one. Make sure you give yourself enough room to work in. Maybe a dry area to keep your electronics/back up batteries/power supplies. Also try to think what type of equipment you are looking to use and give yourself enough room to access it all for maintenance. Think of things like reactors, dozers, dosing containers and ATO reservoir, where to keep them...
Get yourself a good skimmer. I have a Reef Octo 200 SSS that I recently purchased. The thing is a monster. But there are some great skimmers out there. Also find a great return pump. I have always purchased two returns, to always have a back up. It sounds silly, but there could be that one time and I’ve been thankful to have a spare at 3 am during a holiday weekend.
In tank flow, you mentioned some great pumps. Also look at Tunze and Sicce. I would purchase spare parts/unit for which ever system you decide to use.
Good luck and looking forward to seeing a build thread

Tumey · Feb 23, 2018

Thank You for serving our country. There’s nothing wrong with starting big except for the fact that when the addiction really takes hold you’ll want to go even bigger! Nearly 15 years ago I purchased an established 150 gallon having no experience keeping saltwater aquariums. You’ll be just fine so long as you don’t rush desired results. 1: Take things slow 2: Learn as much as you can from reputable sources and 3: Let your tank mature relatively naturally. Keep us updated we’d love to see your progress!

jt17 · Feb 23, 2018

i too would like to thank you for your service to the country.
Sounds like you are on the right track. The BRS videos are an excellent resource as is R2R. Your 220 is a perfect size to begin with as it's easier to maintain stability with a larger volume of water. Stability of temperature, water parameters, flow , lighting and feeding are all very important. That's why you want to make any changes to the tank gradual and slow. The phrase "nothing good happens quick" is practically the number one rule in reef keeping. This hobby rewards the patient, took me few years to learn that one.
Second to stability is water flow. You can't go wrong with either powerhead, both of those will move a lot of water and both can be controlled with the Apex. I use both on my tank but prefer the mp60 because i don't like to see power cords in the display and the heat of the motor stays out of the tank. Just my preference though.
Since your tank is in the front room you might want to consider A DC return pump. They are so quiet I have to touch it to confirm it is silent. ecotech vectra or Reef Octopus varios are good options. There are some on this forum who have had success with the cheaper jaboae return pumps, I am not one of them. They're junk.
Noise consideration is important in choosing a skimmer as well. A skimmer that can handle a 220 could be a bit loud, consider a skimmer that's run with a DC pump.
Also to reduce noise, research bean animal plumbing. Your tank is drilled to acomadate the bean plumbing. You'd need another hole to go full animal.
I don't have any experience with those lights so I can't offer any advice on those. I have run T5 with reefbrite led strips for several years and have been happy with the results. Check the dry goods for sale forum here. You can get great deals on barely used equipment.
For cycling I use Dr. Tims one and only to seed the bacterial population and then dose ammonia to feed the bacteria. Once the bacteria can reduce 2 ppm ammonia to 0 ppm in 24 hrs the tank is ready. There are others ways to do it, this is just the way I do it.
By asking questions here first you are off to the right start. Now let's see some pics.

Whiskeyboy84 · Feb 23, 2018

Thank you guys for your quick responses Honestly I have been trolling threads for quite some time now lol! So that being said I will tell you guys I made my first mistake when I built my stand I was too worried about overall height and not worried enough about room to work so my stand height is 36” built out of 2x6 with 3/4” plywood looks nice but I left my self little room to work with plumbing so with 21” working height plus the 5.75” gives me 26.75 inches to work with then you subtract my 15” overall sump height and that leaves me 11.75 inches so 6 inches above the sump at the opening and almost a foot once you get under the stand. Now I do have the full 96” length wise so ATO and Dosing will be on one end of the sump and leave me the doors and other end of the sump for power and apex. To list equipment I ordered the Reef Octo Varios 8 and the Eshopps X-220 space saver axium Skimmer. I like the MP60’s design over the Gyre but I like the Gyres flow pattern over the MP60’s lol. As far as lighting goes I really like the Shimmer you get with the Kessil’s but am not opposed to the T5 Kessil combo! I plan on taking the time to bleach and cure the Pukani so as to not introduce any undesirable nuisance pest or algae’s to the system. I have a hammer and chisel ready plus a hacksaw I plan on taking my time here too so I can create an aquascape that I will be proud of. Once again thank you guys every bit helps!

TonyNguyen · Feb 23, 2018

Go big or go home! =)

ShawnSaucier · Feb 23, 2018

It sounds like you have a great start on things. Definitely take your time on the build, there can come a certain pride as your creation comes together. I do love a good build and wish I had better carpenter skills. I find that the bones of the system can be as impressive as the display itself.
A product I found which has made cable management a bit easier is Startech Slotted Cable Raceway. It can give a really clean look and help keep your cabling hidden and neat. And for your dosing lines, I found these http://www.aquacave.com/multi-tube-rack-fits-1-4-od-tubing.html. A good LED lighting system for in the stand can go a long way also to help you see while working.
I think with the length of your tank you will need at least two of the MP60’s or the Gyre. I had a first Gen Gyre on my system a few years ago, the flow was impressive. But my luck was just not with that pump. I now run 4 MP40’s with a Reeflink.
I have not run any of the Kessil systems either. I’ve run T5/LED and currently just LED (xr15’s with diffusers.) The kessils are a powerhouse of light for sure, and there is that new system by Aquaticlife if you want to add T5. Will you have a canopy or open top?
Get some pictures up if you can..

Whiskeyboy84 · Feb 23, 2018

At this point I haven’t made up my mind on doing a canopy vs open with the Kessil’s they make good looking mounting arms so if I go Kessil only I will utilize their tank mounting arms not the gooseneck mounts lol, just like the way the arms hide the wires.

hatfielj · Feb 23, 2018

Going big for your first tank is actually safer. Larger volumes of water are more stable and allow more room for error. You will make mistakes along the way and the bigger water volume will protect you a little. The only downside is the cost of a larger system. They tend to be a lot more expensive.

Whiskeyboy84 · Feb 23, 2018

I have heard the Going bigger is easier concept a lot lol and I think yeah it must be because it is Dang sure harder on my wallet lol! Welp spent today removing the floor of the inner cabinet in order to recess my sump that 6.5”’s and boy does that make a difference! I will try and upload some pictures soon.

ca1ore · Feb 24, 2018

If you stick with the hobby, you just end up going bigger anyhow; so think of it in terms that you've saved yourself a whole bunch of cash by avoiding those future upgrades.

Whiskeyboy84 · Feb 24, 2018

Here is a pic of what we have so far.

Whiskeyboy84 · Feb 25, 2018

Got the doors built and hung today I think I am going to stain the doors natural, I like the contrast!

Whiskeyboy84 · Mar 1, 2018

Chime in with your thoughts on my first attempt at aquascaping

Denisk · Mar 1, 2018

Whiskeyboy84 said:
Chime in with your thoughts on my first attempt at aquascaping

Personally I would break down the rock. Having rock that large in a tank that isn’t deep, it ends up taking away the depth affect. Just my personal opinion but otherwise beautiful set up! Can’t wait to see what you do with it.

Whiskeyboy84 · Mar 1, 2018

Denisk said:
Personally I would break down the rock. Having rock that large in a tank that isn’t deep, it ends up taking away the depth affect. Just my personal opinion but otherwise beautiful set up! Can’t wait to see what you do with it.

Are you talking cutting it down or breaking it apart? I already cut some pieces to stand them up like pillars and the one large piece that is on the right side not the stacked piece has some nice depth to it in person. As it sits the rock is all sitting in the middle of the tank and not up next to the back glass. This is my very first ever attempt at aquascaping so all input is greatly considered and appreciated

Whiskeyboy84 · Mar 1, 2018

Attempt number 2

ShawnSaucier · Mar 1, 2018

Whiskeyboy84 said:
Attempt number 2

What type of Corals are you looking to keep? To be honest, I would either break those up into smaller pieces or leave as is and chisel some swim through caves in those. But it depends on what you are looking to keep.
Check this thread
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/tips-and-tricks-on-creating-amazing-aquascapes.97209/

Denisk · Mar 1, 2018

Whiskeyboy84 said:
Are you talking cutting it down or breaking it apart? I already cut some pieces to stand them up like pillars and the one large piece that is on the right side not the stacked piece has some nice depth to it in person. As it sits the rock is all sitting in the middle of the tank and not up next to the back glass. This is my very first ever attempt at aquascaping so all input is greatly considered and appreciated

I’m happy to help! But regarding the rock, yes I would break them up more. Personally I’d rather work with 30 smaller rock pieces to do caves, shelves, etc as that will add a great amount of depth to the tank. Also a lot has to do with the types of coral you will use as well. You can look at my build thread to see what I did with the aquascape. Their is a great aquascape thread that could really help as well. We are all happy to help!!