landlocked Reefer13
New Member
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2025
- Messages
- 18
- Reaction score
- 4
Hey everyone, figured I'd finally start a build thread and share how I ended up here.
I first got into the hobby with a 90-gallon tank. That setup taught me the basics and got me hooked.
(Here is when I got everything home set up and started filling with water)
(Here is the 90 gallon once it was more established which started my addiction)
Not long after, I did some basement renovations and upgraded to a 220-gallon display with an 80-gallon sump. That tank became the centerpiece of my home, and I really enjoyed watching it grow.
My entire family loved it and loved showing it off to guests (my kids included)
(Took out a bedroom in my basement to make room for the new tank)
(The arrival of the new tank)
(Built a frame around the tank to hide lighting and help with evaporation)
(Got everything in place and started filling with water)
Then Covid hit. I lost my job and When money started getting tight I had to sell most of it off. Eventually I shut the system down completely, keeping only the tank, stand, and sump.
(My son helping me clean it out) (worst day ever)
The itch to get back into saltwater never really went away. I started planning a restart, but just as l was gearing up, my basement flooded. That pushed everything back while I tore the basement apart and rebuilt it.
(Here are some pictures of the flood.. I had just installed all that flooring less than a month earlier.
Ended up having about 1' of water down there at one point)
(This was about 3 weeks before the flood)
At one point I even thought about switching to freshwater and started collecting gear for it... but the truth is, out of all the hobbies I've tried, saltwater has always been my favorite.
(Went out and collected some drift wood for the new freshwater tank I was going to build)
Before I can build a tank though I needed to redo my basement so that was priority number 1.
So instead of going with that ugly drop ceiling we decided to spray paint the ceiling black and add pot lights. Which I think turned out really good. My current work schedule has me working away from home quite a bit so the renovation has been a slow process. I'm currently at the mudding and taping part of the dry wall and I can't stand doing it.
Living in the middle of the prairies of Canada with not an ocean anywhere close to me, tends to make saltwater stuff pretty expensive. So I had pretty much given up on any hope of being able to build a reef again. HOWEVER The turning point came this week when one of my local fish stores (huge shout out to into the blue in Winnipeg ) reached out they are moving locations. They hooked me up with a pile of gear to help me get started and that sealed the deal the 300g saltwater rebuild is officially happening.
Just a few of the items they are hooking me up with)
Last time I ran a tank, I mostly bought whatever was considered the "best" gear. I didn't really think twice about budget if it was top of the line, I went for it. This time around things are different. My budget is a lot tighter, so I'll be piecing this together with whatever is a good deal instead of sticking to one brand or chasing the most expensive gear. The goal is to build something solid, reliable, and enjoyable without going overboard.
I fly back home at the end of August. Where I will be picking up my new gear and hopefully finishing off my drywall.
I'll be using this thread to document the ups and downs of the rebuild, post progress pics, and share updates as the tank comes back to life.
Excited to get this system wet again and bring reefing back into my home!
I first got into the hobby with a 90-gallon tank. That setup taught me the basics and got me hooked.
(Here is when I got everything home set up and started filling with water)
(Here is the 90 gallon once it was more established which started my addiction)
Not long after, I did some basement renovations and upgraded to a 220-gallon display with an 80-gallon sump. That tank became the centerpiece of my home, and I really enjoyed watching it grow.
My entire family loved it and loved showing it off to guests (my kids included)
(Took out a bedroom in my basement to make room for the new tank)
(The arrival of the new tank)
(Built a frame around the tank to hide lighting and help with evaporation)
(Got everything in place and started filling with water)
Then Covid hit. I lost my job and When money started getting tight I had to sell most of it off. Eventually I shut the system down completely, keeping only the tank, stand, and sump.
(My son helping me clean it out) (worst day ever)
The itch to get back into saltwater never really went away. I started planning a restart, but just as l was gearing up, my basement flooded. That pushed everything back while I tore the basement apart and rebuilt it.
(Here are some pictures of the flood.. I had just installed all that flooring less than a month earlier.
Ended up having about 1' of water down there at one point)
(This was about 3 weeks before the flood)
At one point I even thought about switching to freshwater and started collecting gear for it... but the truth is, out of all the hobbies I've tried, saltwater has always been my favorite.
(Went out and collected some drift wood for the new freshwater tank I was going to build)
Before I can build a tank though I needed to redo my basement so that was priority number 1.
So instead of going with that ugly drop ceiling we decided to spray paint the ceiling black and add pot lights. Which I think turned out really good. My current work schedule has me working away from home quite a bit so the renovation has been a slow process. I'm currently at the mudding and taping part of the dry wall and I can't stand doing it.
Living in the middle of the prairies of Canada with not an ocean anywhere close to me, tends to make saltwater stuff pretty expensive. So I had pretty much given up on any hope of being able to build a reef again. HOWEVER The turning point came this week when one of my local fish stores (huge shout out to into the blue in Winnipeg ) reached out they are moving locations. They hooked me up with a pile of gear to help me get started and that sealed the deal the 300g saltwater rebuild is officially happening.
Just a few of the items they are hooking me up with)
Last time I ran a tank, I mostly bought whatever was considered the "best" gear. I didn't really think twice about budget if it was top of the line, I went for it. This time around things are different. My budget is a lot tighter, so I'll be piecing this together with whatever is a good deal instead of sticking to one brand or chasing the most expensive gear. The goal is to build something solid, reliable, and enjoyable without going overboard.
I fly back home at the end of August. Where I will be picking up my new gear and hopefully finishing off my drywall.
I'll be using this thread to document the ups and downs of the rebuild, post progress pics, and share updates as the tank comes back to life.
Excited to get this system wet again and bring reefing back into my home!
