This will be my first ever reef tank, I've been doing tons of research the past 4-6 months. I've been gathering equipment and supplies to get everything setup. My plan is as followed below:
-40 Breeder - Display
-40 Breeder - Sump (planning on recycling old glass from aquariums to build baffles inside sump)
-Refugium in sump (approx 12-15 gallons with chaeto)
-Cobalt Neo-Therm 200W heater (dual for redundancy)
-Eschopps - Eclipse L Overflow (chosen mainly because I want to use the bean animal style plumbing)
-Lowes steel shelving for stand skeleton, this will be wrapped in 3/4" plywood (painted inside & out)
-Planning on full hood to keep cats out, and to help keep light in the tank instead of in the room.
-Remote RODI & Pre-mixed saltwater storage (building next to my house, trying to use gravity to move the water but I may incorporate a pump)
-Tropic Marin pro reef salt mix (based on all the testing videos from BRS and other reviews)
-No skimmer (for now)
-Dual Jebao return pumps (flow will be monitored, to initiate the secondary pump if primary slows or stops)
-Jebao gyre style flow pump in tank
-Dual Sicce voyager nano's (530gph models, additional flow in tank if needed)
-40 Breeder - Quarantine Tank split into 3 sections (keep fish separate or keeping fish at different stages of quarantine)
-Debating if multiple 10 gallon tanks on shelving would be more ideal? these tanks would overhang by 1" on each end if 3 were placed on shelving...
-Quarantine tank/s will have a sponge filter big enough for a 20 gallon for additional filtration during quarantine. PVC pieces will be added for hiding / security...
-Quarantine procedure will be as described on this forum.
-I have a refractometer, a digital salinity meter, and I'm planning on purchasing the Tropic Marin high precision hydrometer (I want multiple options to compare readings)
-I have the Tropic Marin compact lab for testing.
-I have the Brightwell Aquatics - Microbacter dry rock bacteria starter kit I plan on using to cycle the system
-Marco Rocks dry rock - approximately 80lbs worth
-CaribSea - Aragonite Special Grade dry sand 40lbs
-Lighting will be (2-3x) AI Prime 16HD reef's for the display, (1x) AI Prime 16HD Fuge for the refugium
-Marine Pure - 8x8x1" plate in the bottom of the refugium (I may add some additional chunks (from a broken plate))
-DIY screen lid from BRS
-I have an RODI system from AquaticLife the twist version
I'm sure I'm missing something but this is a pretty good run down of everything I have. If anybody has questions or suggestions please feel free. I will update as I make progress, hopefully I will be able to make some progress on the actual build very soon. I will probably work on getting the sump built first, then drill display tank for the overflow and return lines. Thanks!
~EDIT~ 01/12/2022
-Fish List:
-Six Line Wrasse - 1
-Royal Gramma Basslet -1
-Pajama Cardinal - 3-5
-True Percula Clown - 2 (Just aquired these along with a 10 gallon already been running about 9 months+)
-Green Mandarin - 1 (maybe a pair if the first works out, I would love to breed them, or try)
-Yellow Watchmen Goby - 1 - (or another paired with a shrimp)
Invert List:
-Rock Flower Anemone (probably several, eventually)
-Something for the clowns to host
-Clean up crew of course, not 100% sure what I want yet (something coral safe & utilitarian)
Coral List:
-Definitely going to start with some easier stuff
-Zoas
-Some Shrooms (not sure which yet)
-Eventually I'll try SPS after I add the 3rd AI Prime and everything is stable for 9+ months first at least.
I have wanted a reef tank since I was a teen, I was always fascinated with the abundance of color in saltwater tanks, I got bored of freshwater after all these years.
-40 Breeder - Display
-40 Breeder - Sump (planning on recycling old glass from aquariums to build baffles inside sump)
-Refugium in sump (approx 12-15 gallons with chaeto)
-Cobalt Neo-Therm 200W heater (dual for redundancy)
-Eschopps - Eclipse L Overflow (chosen mainly because I want to use the bean animal style plumbing)
-Lowes steel shelving for stand skeleton, this will be wrapped in 3/4" plywood (painted inside & out)
-Planning on full hood to keep cats out, and to help keep light in the tank instead of in the room.
-Remote RODI & Pre-mixed saltwater storage (building next to my house, trying to use gravity to move the water but I may incorporate a pump)
-Tropic Marin pro reef salt mix (based on all the testing videos from BRS and other reviews)
-No skimmer (for now)
-Dual Jebao return pumps (flow will be monitored, to initiate the secondary pump if primary slows or stops)
-Jebao gyre style flow pump in tank
-Dual Sicce voyager nano's (530gph models, additional flow in tank if needed)
-40 Breeder - Quarantine Tank split into 3 sections (keep fish separate or keeping fish at different stages of quarantine)
-Debating if multiple 10 gallon tanks on shelving would be more ideal? these tanks would overhang by 1" on each end if 3 were placed on shelving...
-Quarantine tank/s will have a sponge filter big enough for a 20 gallon for additional filtration during quarantine. PVC pieces will be added for hiding / security...
-Quarantine procedure will be as described on this forum.
-I have a refractometer, a digital salinity meter, and I'm planning on purchasing the Tropic Marin high precision hydrometer (I want multiple options to compare readings)
-I have the Tropic Marin compact lab for testing.
-I have the Brightwell Aquatics - Microbacter dry rock bacteria starter kit I plan on using to cycle the system
-Marco Rocks dry rock - approximately 80lbs worth
-CaribSea - Aragonite Special Grade dry sand 40lbs
-Lighting will be (2-3x) AI Prime 16HD reef's for the display, (1x) AI Prime 16HD Fuge for the refugium
-Marine Pure - 8x8x1" plate in the bottom of the refugium (I may add some additional chunks (from a broken plate))
-DIY screen lid from BRS
-I have an RODI system from AquaticLife the twist version
I'm sure I'm missing something but this is a pretty good run down of everything I have. If anybody has questions or suggestions please feel free. I will update as I make progress, hopefully I will be able to make some progress on the actual build very soon. I will probably work on getting the sump built first, then drill display tank for the overflow and return lines. Thanks!
~EDIT~ 01/12/2022
-Fish List:
-Six Line Wrasse - 1
-Royal Gramma Basslet -1
-Pajama Cardinal - 3-5
-True Percula Clown - 2 (Just aquired these along with a 10 gallon already been running about 9 months+)
-Green Mandarin - 1 (maybe a pair if the first works out, I would love to breed them, or try)
-Yellow Watchmen Goby - 1 - (or another paired with a shrimp)
Invert List:
-Rock Flower Anemone (probably several, eventually)
-Something for the clowns to host
-Clean up crew of course, not 100% sure what I want yet (something coral safe & utilitarian)
Coral List:
-Definitely going to start with some easier stuff
-Zoas
-Some Shrooms (not sure which yet)
-Eventually I'll try SPS after I add the 3rd AI Prime and everything is stable for 9+ months first at least.
I have wanted a reef tank since I was a teen, I was always fascinated with the abundance of color in saltwater tanks, I got bored of freshwater after all these years.
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