MattyBoomBatty
Community Member
Hey all,
I wanted to share with you my recent re-entry into the hobby. Also, I'm new here, so if I haven't met you yet,here's my introduction: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/hey-folks.263330/#post-3139683, and well...nice to meet you.
I decided when I got back into this hobby that I wanted something easy to take care of. This was because I had gotten a bit burnt out from the hobby due to working at the LFS and going to school full time. I had a 90G tank that had gone from very nice reef tank to ugly reef tank to nice fish only tank to ugly fish only tank to sold fish tank over the course of 6ish years. Well before getting burnt out and selling the 90, I had purchased a 30g deep blue tank at the LFS's going out of business sale. Yep the one I had worked for. I like to think it was because I quit, they couldn't stay in business, lol. I also picked up a radeon G2 for a nice price. So when I finished my exams and got my new big-boy job(that I basically wear PJ's to :p), I decided I was done with the hobby. I didn't even want to look at my tank anymore, but knew in the back of my head I'd want to again in the future. So I sold my 90 before we moved, but kept the 30G. It was way easier to move, and I still don't much regret the decision. Also, it was on the smaller size (I can always upgrade...:D) so water changes are easy.
About a year after moving into the new place (that's about where we are now), I got the itch. I still don't have a ton of extra time, but needed to set something up. So I knew I'd need some kind of auto-dosing, and an ATO would be a must. Skimmer and fuge, so if I get a little lazy on the water change it won't kill me or, more importantly, my new residents. I had a few of the more expensive pieces already so I put the money I had gotten from selling the 90 to work. Apparently, it doesn't work too hard though, cause I didn't get anything too fancy shmancy.
Light: Radeon G2
Tank: 34g deep blue 36"x 18"x 12"
Sump: Aqueon model 1
Skimmer: Reef octopus 110 internal space saver model.
Return pump: Sicce syncra 3
ATO: honestly don't remember. simple 2-float switch, non-name brand. probably 10 years old.
Flow: Vortech MP10
Fuge light: CPR 7w LED
Dosing: two BRS dosers on digital timers.
I test with hannah CA and ALK checkers, but I think I like red sea/salifert style tests better. I'm pretty stable at 450 CA and 8.5-9.0 ALK running the Ca doser for 2 mins twice a day and Alk doser 4 mins twice per day. The Ca and Alk run an hour apart from each other. My solution is just what's on the side of the BRS containers lol. I didn't do any science here. I just test and adjust. At first I had the two equal, but the Ca shot up too fast. It was over 500 at one point. The tank is still pretty new, so I fully expect these times to move way up.
A lot of people don't like the focus of the LED's and would say I need more than one on my 36" tank. However, it provides a nice comfort zone for different types of corals IMO. SPS and clams at the center, LPS at the sides. I love it. I was never able to keep LPS in my SPS tanks before without shoving them in a cave. The only other thing I really want to say about the radeon is that it puts out some serious light. I have it like 20" off the water and only running 65% max for like 3 hours per day. The rest is some smaller percentage of 65%. I had it at 80% or something when I first put it on and a few of my first corals bleached out a bit.
Enough talking, where's the pics?
Under the hood (not as pretty as some people's I know):
Some corals:
Fish:
And the FTS:
Hopefully I didn't go over the newbie picture budget.
Thanks for looking,
Matt
I wanted to share with you my recent re-entry into the hobby. Also, I'm new here, so if I haven't met you yet,here's my introduction: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/hey-folks.263330/#post-3139683, and well...nice to meet you.
I decided when I got back into this hobby that I wanted something easy to take care of. This was because I had gotten a bit burnt out from the hobby due to working at the LFS and going to school full time. I had a 90G tank that had gone from very nice reef tank to ugly reef tank to nice fish only tank to ugly fish only tank to sold fish tank over the course of 6ish years. Well before getting burnt out and selling the 90, I had purchased a 30g deep blue tank at the LFS's going out of business sale. Yep the one I had worked for. I like to think it was because I quit, they couldn't stay in business, lol. I also picked up a radeon G2 for a nice price. So when I finished my exams and got my new big-boy job(that I basically wear PJ's to :p), I decided I was done with the hobby. I didn't even want to look at my tank anymore, but knew in the back of my head I'd want to again in the future. So I sold my 90 before we moved, but kept the 30G. It was way easier to move, and I still don't much regret the decision. Also, it was on the smaller size (I can always upgrade...:D) so water changes are easy.
About a year after moving into the new place (that's about where we are now), I got the itch. I still don't have a ton of extra time, but needed to set something up. So I knew I'd need some kind of auto-dosing, and an ATO would be a must. Skimmer and fuge, so if I get a little lazy on the water change it won't kill me or, more importantly, my new residents. I had a few of the more expensive pieces already so I put the money I had gotten from selling the 90 to work. Apparently, it doesn't work too hard though, cause I didn't get anything too fancy shmancy.
Light: Radeon G2
Tank: 34g deep blue 36"x 18"x 12"
Sump: Aqueon model 1
Skimmer: Reef octopus 110 internal space saver model.
Return pump: Sicce syncra 3
ATO: honestly don't remember. simple 2-float switch, non-name brand. probably 10 years old.
Flow: Vortech MP10
Fuge light: CPR 7w LED
Dosing: two BRS dosers on digital timers.
I test with hannah CA and ALK checkers, but I think I like red sea/salifert style tests better. I'm pretty stable at 450 CA and 8.5-9.0 ALK running the Ca doser for 2 mins twice a day and Alk doser 4 mins twice per day. The Ca and Alk run an hour apart from each other. My solution is just what's on the side of the BRS containers lol. I didn't do any science here. I just test and adjust. At first I had the two equal, but the Ca shot up too fast. It was over 500 at one point. The tank is still pretty new, so I fully expect these times to move way up.
A lot of people don't like the focus of the LED's and would say I need more than one on my 36" tank. However, it provides a nice comfort zone for different types of corals IMO. SPS and clams at the center, LPS at the sides. I love it. I was never able to keep LPS in my SPS tanks before without shoving them in a cave. The only other thing I really want to say about the radeon is that it puts out some serious light. I have it like 20" off the water and only running 65% max for like 3 hours per day. The rest is some smaller percentage of 65%. I had it at 80% or something when I first put it on and a few of my first corals bleached out a bit.
Enough talking, where's the pics?
Under the hood (not as pretty as some people's I know):
Some corals:
Fish:
And the FTS:
Hopefully I didn't go over the newbie picture budget.
Thanks for looking,
Matt
