My First Reef Tank! 75 gal Build

[cale0721]

Wow, thanks for the pics, Cale! I'm a visual learner, lol, so pictures help SO much more than words most of the time! That explains how the RODI works (setup-wise) perfectly!!

And all you non-QT-ers....I'm kinda a rule follower so I'll probably have to have one just to give me peace of mind, ha, ha!

Lol I totally understand. When you're new to the hobby and people are tossing around big words and acronyms it can be mind blowing.

Regardless of everything you see the hobby doesn't have to be complicated. I've seen some great reefs run off a canister filter instead of a sump. I've also seen great tanks that don't use skimmers either. You will find your own way of doing things and that's perfectly okay.

 

[Scrappy RN]

"Doesn't have to be complicated." Ha, ha, too late!

Seriously though, I enjoy the challenge. If it didn't make my brain strain a little it wouldn't be half the fun! I think that's what eventually sold me on a reef tank instead of a FOWLR because, (besides the fact that I love the look of corals and am enchanted by the inverts) a reef tank provides more of a challenge to learn and to maintain than the others.

But it is good to know that if i don't have the perfect setup that I still may be able to run a reef tank!!

 

[cale0721]

"Doesn't have to be complicated." Ha, ha, too late!

Seriously though, I enjoy the challenge. If it didn't make my brain strain a little it wouldn't be half the fun! I think that's what eventually sold me on a reef tank instead of a FOWLR because, (besides the fact that I love the look of corals and am enchanted by the inverts) a reef tank provides more of a challenge to learn and to maintain than the others.

But it is good to know that if i don't have the perfect setup that I still may be able to run a reef tank!!

Exactly! Here is an example, I have a little FOWLR that's a 29 gallon in my kitchen that runs off a canister filter. I enjoy it just the same. I have some dragons breath macro algae in there too but it's a great little tank that doesn't have a sump.

Ps sorry for spamming your thread lol

 

[Scrappy RN]

Lol, spam away!

I love the tank! What's the purple stuff?? Is that the macro algae or is it something else??

 

[cale0721]

Lol, spam away!

I love the tank! What's the purple stuff?? Is that the macro algae or is it something else??

Purple stuff is coralline algae. Both of those rocks use to be as white as paper lol then I put one small piece of live rock with it on there in the tank. Within 6-8 months both rocks were covered.

Macro algae is the red stuff in the middle.

Here is the one rock when I first added it. Live rock is in the middle of the rocks.

Here is the dragons breath algae. It's good for feeding off nutrients in the tank.

 

[AndyOneTwentyFive]

Welcome to the hobby! After reading through your thread I see that you're budget minded like most of us. I am a cheap skate so I've discovered some cheap alternatives for some things.

1) RO/DI
As many people have already stated, BRS is about the best place to get a unit. Their systems with all the bells and whistles are as cheap as a bare bones system you'd find somewhere else.

2) Lights
I may catch some flack for this but I believe in cheap Chinese LEDs. Check out aquatraders.com. They have just about any style fixture you could want wether it be LED, T5 or Metal Halide at dirt cheap prices. I have an LED fixture from them that has been lighting tanks for about 3 straight years and I've never had a problem with it.

3) Pumps
Amazon is a reefers best friend! Search Jabao or Jecod and you'll find loads of awesome DC return and wave maker pumps at superb prices!

I hope this helps in some way!

 

[Scrappy RN]

Purple stuff is coralline algae. Both of those rocks use to be as white as paper lol then I put one small piece of live rock with it on there in the tank. Within 6-8 months both rocks were covered.

Macro algae is the red stuff in the middle.

Here is the one rock when I first added it. Live rock is in the middle of the rocks.

Here is the dragons breath algae. It's good for feeding off nutrients in the tank.

Love the tank.....now I'm going to have to plan a second saltwater tank....wait...I suppose I should pay off the 1st one first!

Welcome to the hobby! After reading through your thread I see that you're budget minded like most of us. I am a cheap skate so I've discovered some cheap alternatives for some things.

1) RO/DI
As many people have already stated, BRS is about the best place to get a unit. Their systems with all the bells and whistles are as cheap as a bare bones system you'd find somewhere else.

2) Lights
I may catch some flack for this but I believe in cheap Chinese LEDs. Check out aquatraders.com. They have just about any style fixture you could want wether it be LED, T5 or Metal Halide at dirt cheap prices. I have an LED fixture from them that has been lighting tanks for about 3 straight years and I've never had a problem with it.

3) Pumps
Amazon is a reefers best friend! Search Jabao or Jecod and you'll find loads of awesome DC return and wave maker pumps at superb prices!

I hope this helps in some way!

Yes! Thank you! Any advice along $ saving lines is welcome

 

[Fin]

If you keep a large container to collect your RO/DI water, PLEASE get one of these float valves! Eventually, you will overflow the container - maybe multiple times. The float valve cuts off your whole RO unit when the desired water level is reached inside of the collection container. CHEAP insurance!

RO FLOAT VALVE

 

[Scrappy RN]

Best advice of the day award goes to @Fin !!!!

 

[cale0721]

If you keep a large container to collect your RO/DI water, PLEASE get one of these float valves! Eventually, you will overflow the container - maybe multiple times. The float valve cuts off your whole RO unit when the desired water level is reached inside of the collection container. CHEAP insurance!

RO FLOAT VALVE

If I could love this I would lol

I've flooded my kitchen twice lol

 

[Scrappy RN]

I've added the RO Float valve to my wishlist on BRS. That's a great feature that I'm using whenever one of you guys recommends an item. Then when I'm ready to actually buy it I don't have to go hunt it down again! And so that maybe I don't forget something that I wanted to get. I use it on Amazon all the time

 

[BlueDevil]

Welcome to the hobby! After reading through your thread I see that you're budget minded like most of us. I am a cheap skate so I've discovered some cheap alternatives for some things.

1) RO/DI
As many people have already stated, BRS is about the best place to get a unit. Their systems with all the bells and whistles are as cheap as a bare bones system you'd find somewhere else.

2) Lights
I may catch some flack for this but I believe in cheap Chinese LEDs. Check out aquatraders.com. They have just about any style fixture you could want wether it be LED, T5 or Metal Halide at dirt cheap prices. I have an LED fixture from them that has been lighting tanks for about 3 straight years and I've never had a problem with it.

3) Pumps
Amazon is a reefers best friend! Search Jabao or Jecod and you'll find loads of awesome DC return and wave maker pumps at superb prices!

I hope this helps in some way!

Spot on advice here! I find myself in the same boat. The pumps (power heads) especially, you can get pretty good functionality out of Jebao pumps. They may not necessarily have all the features that a more expensive brand like Vortech might, and may not always last as long either. But at under ~$65 a pop compared with $350 I think I can make do with the Chinese pumps .... at least for now. A fancy pump might be for down the road if my budget will allow.

 

[Fin]

If I could love this I would lol

I've flooded my kitchen twice lol

I saw the picture of your collection barrel with the line just laying in it and felt compelled to throw that out there.

 

[cale0721]

I saw the picture of your collection barrel with the line just laying in it and felt compelled to throw that out there.

Yea I've been lazy about getting a valve. Now I just leave the bathroom light on if I'm making water. However the girlfriend has turned the light off before. I'll get one eventually haha [emoji15]

 

[BlueDevil]

Yea I've been lazy about getting a valve. Now I just leave the bathroom light on if I'm making water. However the girlfriend has turned the light off before. I'll get one eventually haha [emoji15]

You should do what the guys over at SA do - put a rubber band on your wrist when making water

 

[Chriscrna]

I've added the RO Float valve to my wishlist on BRS. That's a great feature that I'm using whenever one of you guys recommends an item. Then when I'm ready to actually buy it I don't have to go hunt it down again! And so that maybe I don't forget something that I wanted to get. I use it on Amazon all the time

I believe I have a spare float valve or 2 that you can have. In fact, I've got lots of miscellaneous parts that I don't need. You're welcome to any of them.

I'll check when I get home.

 

[Scrappy RN]

I believe I have a spare float valve or 2 that you can have. In fact, I've got lots of miscellaneous parts that I don't need. You're welcome to any of them.

I'll check when I get home.

That would be wonderful - thank you!

 

[Scrappy RN]

So I'm sitting out in my driveway charging my phone because my power is still out after 3 hours......

And since I'm sitting here reading an awesome reef book too it brings up the question. .. how long can a saltwater tank go without power?

Am I going to have to invest in a generator too, lol?

We live way out at the very edge of the county so we are generally the last to get power back on. Strength in numbers doesn't just apply to schools of fish it seems!

 

[Fin]

Power outages are not good. Once the water stops moving, the oxygen level begins to drop. A few hours without power can be very bad. If you are home, you can take a container (like a gallon size), scoop water out of the tank and pour it back in the tank. This will create water movement at the surface, which will oxygenate the water.

A generator is not out of the question, but a simple thing that you can do is add one of these to the tank equipment list. Penn Plax Silent Air B11 Air Pump

These are not ordinary air pumps. They do plug into your regular electrical outlet, but they are battery powered (2 D cells). There is a normally open relay inside that closes when the electrical power to your house goes off. This then turns on the battery powered air pump. It will run for quite a while, maybe a couple of days. May look like a piece of junk, but I know a reefer where I live that saved his 135 gallon tank by using a couple of these on his tank when power was lost due to a hurricane. Just install it with an air stone in your tank and leave it there. Helps a lot when you are not home when the power goes off.

Personally, I use a VorTech MP-40 with their battery backup option. It can run up to 30 hours (at 1/4 power) per battery pack. I will have two battery packs on my new build. Not the cheapest solution though.

 

[CastAway]

Power outages are a scary thing. Long story short, some more advanced reef aquarists employ measures to increase the numbers of bacteria in their tanks using a source of carbon. In these systems, even a brief power outage, can crash a tank almost immediately because the bacteria quickly deplete all of the oxygen. A small generator can be a life saver, literally. I myself don't have one, but hear they can be bought for around $100.00. All one needs is to maintain water movement; surface agitation in particular. No need for lights for example, as a reef commonly goes days without light.

Anyway, like an RODI unit, a small generator is an awesome thing to have.

Hope you get your power bac