bluker
New Member
- Joined
- Aug 9, 2026
- Messages
- 6
- Reaction score
- 4
- What state or country do you live in
- Georgia
After about 3 months of absorbing as much as possible from this community and another 3 months building out the tank and curing live rock, I am ready to take my Dr Reef fish shipment next week. I have no prior reefing experience but a lot of experience diving over the years. I decided to get into this hobby primarily as a unique way to connect with my kids outside of sports and the daily routine. We are all looking forward to it. The highlight for them so far was watching me (from a distance and outdoors) incinerate via blow torch two Majanos and one Aiptasia that survived the 3-day UPS delay from TankStop (One of Eric’s recent Fiji shipments). It was easier and much more fun just to take the rock out of the display to deal with them. I know I won’t have the luxury moving forward.
I spent a lot of money on this set up. The main reason is that I am fairly confident I am going to get hooked and will want a bigger display and sump. The equipment I bought, every piece of it, will transfer nicely to the next decent step up in size. The other reason is that I value automation and interwoven systems. I spent a good amount of time researching Apex and Hydros and ultimately went with Hydros. I also travel for work quite a bit and my wife definitely will not help unless it’s an emergency. She thinks this is absolutely insane what I’ve done to my home office. Lastly, in my midlife stage - if I’m going to commit, I’m going all in. A couple years ago I decided to get my recreational pilot’s license and it was one of the most rewarding, and expensive, commitments ever.
This tank is solid. My neighbor is ex NFL and the two of us got it around the house and down through the basement into the office. Lifting up to the stand was touch and go but we didn’t have any issues in the end. The stand is very solid and the adjustable legs were easy to level off.
I am using the mighty jet that came with the tank as a backup and a Varios 8 for my return pump. The tank and sump seem to like around 50-60%.
The Deltec 600i has been running for a few weeks and I think it was worth getting it going early due to the die-off on the live rock from the shipping delay.
I’m running ROX .8 carbon and about a tablespoon of high capacity GFO through a BRS mini reactor. I switched out the rigid white tubing with clear silicon. Changing that out every 5 days but now with the die off done and Phos stable, I’ll probably extend that.
I plumbed a 40w Aqua UV mounted vertically with intake at the bottom. It sits behind the tank. A Varios6 pumps water through with the intake in the skimmer chamber and the out in the return chamber. I need to measure the flow but it’s on a mid low setting and probably right at the min for the UV. Definitely need to fine tune my approach.
I washed the Special Grade sand like a madman. I probably put in at least 8 hours over a few days washing and rewatching until I could stir vigorously and still have crystal clear water. The payoff is I had no cloudiness during the fill and when I stir up the sand for whatever reason, there’s nothing but detritus that stirs up and it doesn’t linger.
7 stage RODI in a 35g brute with wheels and another for mixing. Ultra zero utility pumps are beasts. Salt is TM Pro Reef and I test salinity with a Milwaukee digital refractometer and back up the reading with the TM hydrometer.
I will wait until after the holidays before adding my first corals. I need to do much more research before deciding my plan there but I know I want a mixed reef. The pictures on R2R are inspiring and this is the part I’m pumped about. For my son, he just wants his yellow watchman and pistol shrimp to get here!
I have a collective programs with Hydros X4, XP8, X3-S. I power my hydros ATO pump from the X4’s drive. Using an IM 15-gallon res that sits on the other side of the room out of sight. I have salinity, PH, and ORP probes, two temp sensors, high and low water level sensors, skimmer cup overfill sensor, leak sensor rope. The Varios pumps should be controlled via the 0-10 output but O can’t get it to function and I’m certain I’ve done everything right. On my list to email CoralVue. Heaters are dual Helio 200W but they rarely go on because of the oversized equipment for this sump. I’ve had to lower my AC a couple degrees and will probably need a chiller once lights are going full schedule.
Lights, another very unnecessary splurge - two ATI Stratton X with rear mount. I love the look of these and I wasn’t up for hanging lighting from a floor joist. I wanted low profile, completely horizontal with no lean. The overspill is insane and I have them around 20% right now but honestly I freakin love them.
Thanks for reading. I’ll definitely have questions for the group as we get going. Hope the pictures I uploaded work. Hopefully my UPS luck improves and next week we have our pre quarantined yellow watchman goby, tiger pistol shrimp, CUC, a Banggai Cardinal, and Midas Blenny. A clown pair and McCosker’s wrasse will follow in Nov.
Bryan
I spent a lot of money on this set up. The main reason is that I am fairly confident I am going to get hooked and will want a bigger display and sump. The equipment I bought, every piece of it, will transfer nicely to the next decent step up in size. The other reason is that I value automation and interwoven systems. I spent a good amount of time researching Apex and Hydros and ultimately went with Hydros. I also travel for work quite a bit and my wife definitely will not help unless it’s an emergency. She thinks this is absolutely insane what I’ve done to my home office. Lastly, in my midlife stage - if I’m going to commit, I’m going all in. A couple years ago I decided to get my recreational pilot’s license and it was one of the most rewarding, and expensive, commitments ever.
This tank is solid. My neighbor is ex NFL and the two of us got it around the house and down through the basement into the office. Lifting up to the stand was touch and go but we didn’t have any issues in the end. The stand is very solid and the adjustable legs were easy to level off.
I am using the mighty jet that came with the tank as a backup and a Varios 8 for my return pump. The tank and sump seem to like around 50-60%.
The Deltec 600i has been running for a few weeks and I think it was worth getting it going early due to the die-off on the live rock from the shipping delay.
I’m running ROX .8 carbon and about a tablespoon of high capacity GFO through a BRS mini reactor. I switched out the rigid white tubing with clear silicon. Changing that out every 5 days but now with the die off done and Phos stable, I’ll probably extend that.
I plumbed a 40w Aqua UV mounted vertically with intake at the bottom. It sits behind the tank. A Varios6 pumps water through with the intake in the skimmer chamber and the out in the return chamber. I need to measure the flow but it’s on a mid low setting and probably right at the min for the UV. Definitely need to fine tune my approach.
I washed the Special Grade sand like a madman. I probably put in at least 8 hours over a few days washing and rewatching until I could stir vigorously and still have crystal clear water. The payoff is I had no cloudiness during the fill and when I stir up the sand for whatever reason, there’s nothing but detritus that stirs up and it doesn’t linger.
7 stage RODI in a 35g brute with wheels and another for mixing. Ultra zero utility pumps are beasts. Salt is TM Pro Reef and I test salinity with a Milwaukee digital refractometer and back up the reading with the TM hydrometer.
I will wait until after the holidays before adding my first corals. I need to do much more research before deciding my plan there but I know I want a mixed reef. The pictures on R2R are inspiring and this is the part I’m pumped about. For my son, he just wants his yellow watchman and pistol shrimp to get here!
I have a collective programs with Hydros X4, XP8, X3-S. I power my hydros ATO pump from the X4’s drive. Using an IM 15-gallon res that sits on the other side of the room out of sight. I have salinity, PH, and ORP probes, two temp sensors, high and low water level sensors, skimmer cup overfill sensor, leak sensor rope. The Varios pumps should be controlled via the 0-10 output but O can’t get it to function and I’m certain I’ve done everything right. On my list to email CoralVue. Heaters are dual Helio 200W but they rarely go on because of the oversized equipment for this sump. I’ve had to lower my AC a couple degrees and will probably need a chiller once lights are going full schedule.
Lights, another very unnecessary splurge - two ATI Stratton X with rear mount. I love the look of these and I wasn’t up for hanging lighting from a floor joist. I wanted low profile, completely horizontal with no lean. The overspill is insane and I have them around 20% right now but honestly I freakin love them.
Thanks for reading. I’ll definitely have questions for the group as we get going. Hope the pictures I uploaded work. Hopefully my UPS luck improves and next week we have our pre quarantined yellow watchman goby, tiger pistol shrimp, CUC, a Banggai Cardinal, and Midas Blenny. A clown pair and McCosker’s wrasse will follow in Nov.
Bryan
