Background;
I'm 56 years old now, all 3 kids are gone and I can finally afford to step out and go saltwater.
I had a running 55 gallon freshwater and decided to convert it. (Have been freshwater all my life)
Since finding Reef2Reef at the beginning of this year and spending countless hours, pouring over everyone's success and failures they share constantly, I finally felt I was ready and since then, this journey has been very rewarding.
When I started this, I wasn't aware of a "build thread" so....here's a pic of my existing system, and I will share my journey the best I can in hopes that others may see something here that may be of use to them.
Tank set up and started cycling on 5/1/2018
TANK;
Standard 55 gallon with black plastic rim and center cross piece
Rock - about 70 lbs of LifeRock shapes (arches and tunnels)
Sand bed - 40 lbs of Carib Sea, Aga-Alive special grade reef sand, 1 bag of regular sand color and 1 bag of Indo pacific black
Refugium - Standard 10 gallon tank. I drilled the side and installed baffles myself.
Plumbed up off the discharge of the DT return Pump and throttle flow to refugium with gravity out the side, back to return Pump sump compartment
Overflow - Eshopps PF300
Sump - Eshopps 3rd generation RS-75 (limited under tank space)
Skimmer - Octo Classic CLSC-110SS 5" compact with AQ1000s pump
Controller - APEX Classic with EB8, Temp and Lab grade PH probe
ATO Tank -
ATO - Neptune ATK with OS-1-M Optical level sensors and magnetic mount
Sump high water sensor - Neptune OS-1 Opticl Sensor tied in to Apex
Return Pump - Danner Supreme Aqua Mag Model 7
Lighting - was a Current orbit IC LED LOOP System, but just installed my 48" Hamilton T5 HO 4X54 hood with 2-10k and 2-460 nm bulbs
Cooling fan - small 8" personal clip on type, plugged into Apex (programmed as "chiller" and positioned over the sump) (on @ 79 & off at 78.5) house is about 70 all year round so really don't need it, but with the t5 HO lighting now, we will see)
Powerheads in tank - 2-Current Eflux Waves, Model 6005 (was part of my Current Orbit IC LED Loop System and am still using these)
Heater - Hydor 300 watt, in sump center compartment with skimmer.
Controlled by Apex for maximum stability, (on @ 78.1 / off @ 78.3)
Temp probe in sump compartment inside the filter sock...(before heater)
PH probe in sump with return pump
RODI - BRS 7 Stage unit
REFUGIUM; (just finished installing about 2 weeks ago)
Standard 10 gallon tank.
I drilled the side and installed baffles myself (3rd tank, cracked the first 2)
Plumbed refugium fill off the discharge of the DT return Pump and throttle flow to refugium to spray bar, gravity out the side, back to return Pump sump compartment
20 lbs Carib Sea, Aga-Alive special grade reef sand
Chaeto
Red Macro
2 - mangroves
1 - Cheap, plant grow LED, flexible clip on light on reverse light cycle timer
CORAL;
Florida Orange Ricordea
Super man Rodactis
Purple Star Polyps
Devils Armor Zoa
Bob Murphy Zoa
Nuclear Halos Zoa
Bam Bam Zoa
Red Purple People Eater Palythoas
Green Bay Pcker Zoa
Clementine Zoa
Couple Aussie Lords
Green Tipped Torch
Julian's Golden Gorgonian
Purple Feather Gorgonia
Red Finger Octocoral
Purple Sea Plume
Md Corky Sea Finger
Purple Sea Rod
Purple Angular Whip
Pom Pom Xenia
Jason Fox Burning Bananna Stylo
Ultra Monipora
UC 3D Echinophyllia
Ultra Acropora
Neon Chesterfield
Red Run Cyphastrea
Burg andy Blastos
Blue Tipped Digi
Birds Nest
Orange Digi
Orange Eye Favia
Colorful Favia
FISH;
2 - Misbar Ocellaris (Amphiprion)
1 - Royal Gramma Basslet
1 - Cleaner Shrimp
1 - Caribbean Pistol Shrimp (boy, does he keep my sand stirred up)
1 - Yellow Watchman Goby (Gaurds my pistol shrimp like its his only calling)
1 - Green Mandarin
CLEAN UP CREW;
Ordered from Reefcleaners.org
Mix of snails and hermits also got 2 Chitons ( one died shortly after I got him and I cant find the other)
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