Keen4
Well-Known Member
Hi Guys! Just figured out how to start a build thread LOL- Im so excited to have upgraded from a 5gal nano to a 20 gal nano and now a Red Sea reefer 300!! Im in love with my sump! Here are some photos of my journey! I must have moved my rock and equipment around about 100 times before I settled on location and organization.
If theres one thing I cant stand its wires everywhere! The container store has been a great help in organizing my electrical with the BL boxes and wire guides.
I just took off the black out tarp yesterday and am at week 3 of my cycle. Im so excited to have started using my Torq 2.0. For now im just using it with a bit of the bio brick left overs from when I cut it up to slide into the area to fit. (fort what that part of the gate is called).
I began the cycle (per the BRStv ULM tank trial) with rodi water from my local water store. Dr Tims One and Only, Refugium with copepods and chaeto plus live rock, added a frozen shrimp with the dry Tonga rock. All equipment off except for the calibrated Vectra L2 pump and ghost fed every other day or so until I noticed nitrates then I just stopped (not sure about continuing ghost feeding after watching so many videos and reading so many posts (something about bacillus *heterotrophic bacteria* not being present for ammonia break down etc- so I just stopped after seeing nitrates spike and ammonia dropped to 0. Im trusting the bacteria process from Dr Tims-)
Just turned on my skimmer yesterday and put the left over bio brick in the torq for now to get it out of the way of my filter sock area. Bought some new filter socks but turns out they're too big so I have to return them for now I have the Red Sea filter sock which is great mesh material for cleaning and I dont feel like im gonna get that powder dust from the other felt like material filter socks after cleaning and letting air dry. I might just order online from Red Sea if I can find their filter socks.
Lets talk about the built in ATO on this tank- Im not sure how much to unscrew the drip! Im guessing every time. But the salinity no doubt has stayed very stable. 1.027! My resivoir is constantly drying out every 3-4 days. I do live in a dry climate in DT Los Angeles and there are a ton of windows in my place. Im guessing lots of evaporation is the cause and also newly running my skimmer and torq 2.0 reactor using up a lot of water. I want to upgrade to the Tunze 3155 very soon so I can get better control and proper drip of RODI water back into the system.
AI hydra 64 led light. Gets a nice spread. Had a little trouble with the mount- I went through 2 different types of mounts before I learned this mount was the proper one. I learned the hard way to be careful with the torque on one of the screws. Mine broke off and is scratched up but you cant see it. I contacted AI about this and they asked for my address to send me a new piece but never received anything.
This will be a clown, anemone, and softie tank. I have a tang and a brass as well. Everything thats in my 20 gallon will be going into this tank over a slow period of time. Ive done really well with my anemones after making a huge mistake in adding them to my tank too soon. Rock flowers and maroon clowns are in my 5 gallon right now. I may be giving up the maroons since they're so mean.They loved one of my BTAs to its death. Not sure and I doubt the success in getting the 2 maroons and 2 designer clowns to live together in this reefer 300.
I began this tank following the BRStv ULM tank trial. But then I realized it was just that- a TRIAL. So im just taking everything that ive been reading and watching into consideration for this cycling process before I even add my designer clowns and tang first. I want to wait for my nitrates to drop a little. Any suggestions comments or opinions are very much welcomed. Im still new- been reefing since January 2020. Started with a high maintenance 5 gallon nano that is now holding my rock flower collection.
If theres one thing I cant stand its wires everywhere! The container store has been a great help in organizing my electrical with the BL boxes and wire guides.
I just took off the black out tarp yesterday and am at week 3 of my cycle. Im so excited to have started using my Torq 2.0. For now im just using it with a bit of the bio brick left overs from when I cut it up to slide into the area to fit. (fort what that part of the gate is called).
I began the cycle (per the BRStv ULM tank trial) with rodi water from my local water store. Dr Tims One and Only, Refugium with copepods and chaeto plus live rock, added a frozen shrimp with the dry Tonga rock. All equipment off except for the calibrated Vectra L2 pump and ghost fed every other day or so until I noticed nitrates then I just stopped (not sure about continuing ghost feeding after watching so many videos and reading so many posts (something about bacillus *heterotrophic bacteria* not being present for ammonia break down etc- so I just stopped after seeing nitrates spike and ammonia dropped to 0. Im trusting the bacteria process from Dr Tims-)
Just turned on my skimmer yesterday and put the left over bio brick in the torq for now to get it out of the way of my filter sock area. Bought some new filter socks but turns out they're too big so I have to return them for now I have the Red Sea filter sock which is great mesh material for cleaning and I dont feel like im gonna get that powder dust from the other felt like material filter socks after cleaning and letting air dry. I might just order online from Red Sea if I can find their filter socks.
Lets talk about the built in ATO on this tank- Im not sure how much to unscrew the drip! Im guessing every time. But the salinity no doubt has stayed very stable. 1.027! My resivoir is constantly drying out every 3-4 days. I do live in a dry climate in DT Los Angeles and there are a ton of windows in my place. Im guessing lots of evaporation is the cause and also newly running my skimmer and torq 2.0 reactor using up a lot of water. I want to upgrade to the Tunze 3155 very soon so I can get better control and proper drip of RODI water back into the system.
AI hydra 64 led light. Gets a nice spread. Had a little trouble with the mount- I went through 2 different types of mounts before I learned this mount was the proper one. I learned the hard way to be careful with the torque on one of the screws. Mine broke off and is scratched up but you cant see it. I contacted AI about this and they asked for my address to send me a new piece but never received anything.
This will be a clown, anemone, and softie tank. I have a tang and a brass as well. Everything thats in my 20 gallon will be going into this tank over a slow period of time. Ive done really well with my anemones after making a huge mistake in adding them to my tank too soon. Rock flowers and maroon clowns are in my 5 gallon right now. I may be giving up the maroons since they're so mean.They loved one of my BTAs to its death. Not sure and I doubt the success in getting the 2 maroons and 2 designer clowns to live together in this reefer 300.
I began this tank following the BRStv ULM tank trial. But then I realized it was just that- a TRIAL. So im just taking everything that ive been reading and watching into consideration for this cycling process before I even add my designer clowns and tang first. I want to wait for my nitrates to drop a little. Any suggestions comments or opinions are very much welcomed. Im still new- been reefing since January 2020. Started with a high maintenance 5 gallon nano that is now holding my rock flower collection.
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