Howlnsound
Active Member
Hello fellow Reefers,
I’m kinda new around here, been hanging in the background a few months, but I finally went and did it. After months of research and going back and forth, I finally purchased a Red Sea Reefer 425xl.
I have been out of the hobby for many years. I was very heavy into it in the 90’s and very early 2000’s. Everything from reefs to show size shark tanks, I loved this hobby. But, after a huge setback when my 220 gal shark tank blew out I moved my other tanks to my parents house. My mother and brother loved watching them even my dad got into it. But I was too far away to be there everyday and It was too hard for them and I ended up losing everything, my heart hasn’t been in it since. My mom aked me for years to set it back up (the empty 165gal than sat in her parlor for the next 10 + years) I just didn’t have the time, or patience, or money, or interest to go through it again. Even when my son was young, he would ask me to set one of my empty tanks up and I couldn’t. I tried once, and set up my 92 corner bow, but I did it half-done, and knew in the back of my head it wouldn’t stay viable. Again I got out, and it sat empty.
Well here it is many years later. I lost my mom last year and my brother moved home to try with my dad. Well he had enough, he was sick of staring at the empty tank and asked me to help him set it back up. I was not helpful.... at first. So he got some kid to help him at one of the local fish stores.
I happen to go over to see my dad one day and there it was, running..... sort of.
He was so happy to have it going, trouble is, the kid didn’t know what he was doing, didn’t clean it, didn’t set the lights up correctly, just dumped salt in with the old sand and rock, said here you go and left it for him thinking it would take care of itsetf. We’re talking salt levels of .040. Oh, and did I mention, loaded him up with a bunch of fish before the tank was cycled..... foxface, clowns, puffer, shrimp and snails.
I had no choice but to step in, begrudgingly, I took my brother to all the good local stores I had used in the past, introduced him to the right people to get advice from, found out what he really wanted to keep, and helped teach him how to get his parameters back in order, and get the right equipment.
Well something happened while we did all this over the weeks and weeks to get him on the right path of his new mixed reef.
We talked and re-bonded. We hadn’t been close in a long time. We enjoyed getting together almost daily and running to a fish store, or working on water changes, and seeing the differences.
I know my mother was working through this hobby and getting us back together. She always loved watching my fish swim around and feeding them. She loved my eels and sharks, and would sit for hours watching them. This was defiantly her doing.
So I took a chance, after speaking to my wife, who could really care less about fish or pets to be honest, I decided to buy a tank from a local store I trusted. But I wanted a “small one” cause I knew what bigger tanks took and I still wasn’t sure. But I made the decision that if I was going to do it, I was going all in and going to do it right with the right equipment.
He had an IM fusion 40 sitting on the counter running. It had a few polyps and a pair of clowns. And some mushrooms in it. Well I think I caught him off guard when I looked at him and said, how much for that? After some negotiations I had my tank, it was already cycled and going so I was good there and I knew if I didn’t like it, I could still sell most of it and get part of my money back.
Well, I did like it, and it grew, and grew, and grew, my brother and I would go to stores, for him then me, we are having a great time, and really loving this hobby again. I purchased all the right gear, and really set it up the way it should be. Once my lps corals started multiplying, I new I was ready.
Now after months of saving and preparing, I decided it was time to get a real tank going again. I didn’t want the 6 foot tank again, and to be honest, my house couldn’t fit it, and still allow me to enjoy it from my couch. So I went back and forth between th 425 and 525 from Red Sea. After seeing their tanks, it was definitely the way I wanted to go. I didn’t want another corner overflow, and the all in one didn’t leave enough room for equipment, so I wanted a sump again. Finally I chose the 425xl.
The great guys at A Reef Creation, thank you to Randy and his guys, really helped me out getting all the stuff I needed, to make this a reality. (They also helped fuel my addiction in great corals and high tech equipment)
So, a few days ago, I brought my new stand home, and assembled it. Bought my pump and skimmer, and started the new list of what else I needed and wanted.
Today, I picked the tank up, and set it on the stand, made sure it was level, and put a little water in it to get started.
And so it begins......
Now that the back ground is set, I’m going to do my best to keep up a log of the set up and transfer of my 40 gal IM to my new 425xl.
Stay tuned, and please feel free to comment. I welcome all suggestions as many many things have changed in the years since I have done this.
Kevin
I’m kinda new around here, been hanging in the background a few months, but I finally went and did it. After months of research and going back and forth, I finally purchased a Red Sea Reefer 425xl.
I have been out of the hobby for many years. I was very heavy into it in the 90’s and very early 2000’s. Everything from reefs to show size shark tanks, I loved this hobby. But, after a huge setback when my 220 gal shark tank blew out I moved my other tanks to my parents house. My mother and brother loved watching them even my dad got into it. But I was too far away to be there everyday and It was too hard for them and I ended up losing everything, my heart hasn’t been in it since. My mom aked me for years to set it back up (the empty 165gal than sat in her parlor for the next 10 + years) I just didn’t have the time, or patience, or money, or interest to go through it again. Even when my son was young, he would ask me to set one of my empty tanks up and I couldn’t. I tried once, and set up my 92 corner bow, but I did it half-done, and knew in the back of my head it wouldn’t stay viable. Again I got out, and it sat empty.
Well here it is many years later. I lost my mom last year and my brother moved home to try with my dad. Well he had enough, he was sick of staring at the empty tank and asked me to help him set it back up. I was not helpful.... at first. So he got some kid to help him at one of the local fish stores.
I happen to go over to see my dad one day and there it was, running..... sort of.
He was so happy to have it going, trouble is, the kid didn’t know what he was doing, didn’t clean it, didn’t set the lights up correctly, just dumped salt in with the old sand and rock, said here you go and left it for him thinking it would take care of itsetf. We’re talking salt levels of .040. Oh, and did I mention, loaded him up with a bunch of fish before the tank was cycled..... foxface, clowns, puffer, shrimp and snails.
I had no choice but to step in, begrudgingly, I took my brother to all the good local stores I had used in the past, introduced him to the right people to get advice from, found out what he really wanted to keep, and helped teach him how to get his parameters back in order, and get the right equipment.
Well something happened while we did all this over the weeks and weeks to get him on the right path of his new mixed reef.
We talked and re-bonded. We hadn’t been close in a long time. We enjoyed getting together almost daily and running to a fish store, or working on water changes, and seeing the differences.
I know my mother was working through this hobby and getting us back together. She always loved watching my fish swim around and feeding them. She loved my eels and sharks, and would sit for hours watching them. This was defiantly her doing.
So I took a chance, after speaking to my wife, who could really care less about fish or pets to be honest, I decided to buy a tank from a local store I trusted. But I wanted a “small one” cause I knew what bigger tanks took and I still wasn’t sure. But I made the decision that if I was going to do it, I was going all in and going to do it right with the right equipment.
He had an IM fusion 40 sitting on the counter running. It had a few polyps and a pair of clowns. And some mushrooms in it. Well I think I caught him off guard when I looked at him and said, how much for that? After some negotiations I had my tank, it was already cycled and going so I was good there and I knew if I didn’t like it, I could still sell most of it and get part of my money back.
Well, I did like it, and it grew, and grew, and grew, my brother and I would go to stores, for him then me, we are having a great time, and really loving this hobby again. I purchased all the right gear, and really set it up the way it should be. Once my lps corals started multiplying, I new I was ready.
Now after months of saving and preparing, I decided it was time to get a real tank going again. I didn’t want the 6 foot tank again, and to be honest, my house couldn’t fit it, and still allow me to enjoy it from my couch. So I went back and forth between th 425 and 525 from Red Sea. After seeing their tanks, it was definitely the way I wanted to go. I didn’t want another corner overflow, and the all in one didn’t leave enough room for equipment, so I wanted a sump again. Finally I chose the 425xl.
The great guys at A Reef Creation, thank you to Randy and his guys, really helped me out getting all the stuff I needed, to make this a reality. (They also helped fuel my addiction in great corals and high tech equipment)
So, a few days ago, I brought my new stand home, and assembled it. Bought my pump and skimmer, and started the new list of what else I needed and wanted.
Today, I picked the tank up, and set it on the stand, made sure it was level, and put a little water in it to get started.
And so it begins......
Now that the back ground is set, I’m going to do my best to keep up a log of the set up and transfer of my 40 gal IM to my new 425xl.
Stay tuned, and please feel free to comment. I welcome all suggestions as many many things have changed in the years since I have done this.
Kevin
