mike_mania
Active Member
- Joined
- Feb 14, 2024
- Messages
- 237
- Reaction score
- 206
- Location
- Deltona Florida
- What state or country do you live in
- Florida
By no means am I an expert reefer, but I’ve learned, researched, learned some more (and admittedly wept at times), over the last 2 1/2 years on this journey.
From Humble Beginnings
I started this journey on a 40B February of 2024. Looking for a hobby, and always wanting a saltwater tank (never really had any type of aquarium), it was a lot of research and YouTube. Once I committed, I started small, skimped where I thought I could, and slowly upgraded over time. Starting with hygger wavemaker and then gyre, then Wavemaker only; from a Tidal 75 HOB, to a 110 with an aquamaxx HOB skimmer, then to an Octo HOB; eventually I said “It is time.” I went with AI blades glow, then added the grow. Picked up a 20 Long and with some left over acrylic from work, I built a 3 chamber sump with a bubble trap, an eshoppes overflow, and an eshoppes 7” rectangle filter Sock holder.
This is where I finished.
What I Learned
Testing will help you understand how the biome interacts with each other ( I joke that I am a marine biologist now, and being from Florida, the only way to help the coral bleaching is to lower the lighting, adjust the flow. Does FWC even know what nitrates and phosphates are?!?
Stability is Greater Than Numbers!
Stability will ALWAYS BE GREATER Than Numbers!
Start with lower light. Let it stabilize. Analyze and adjust according.
Start with indirect, chaotic low flow. Adjust accordingly.
Keep the tank clean, but not sterile. Remember you are creating the system that best fits these animals.
Minimal adjustments and WAIT. I felt like I was back in the Marines, a lot of hurry up and wait. PATIENCE, PATIENCE, PATIENCE! Nothing happens fast in this hobby. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
WHERE I AM TODAY
Welp- I found out that sticks are probably not my thing. I’m an LPS kinda guy (I’m a sucker for some nice, fat chunky favias or hammers, except for when they get BJD, but this is a positive thread
)
Today I have a fully loaded (almost) 180G my brother found on FB marketplace for $250 with a sump and some old maxspec RAZRs.
One razr was shot, one razr lost its punch. That’s fine. Let’s seed some rock. 50 days in a brute, and I had enough copepods to feed all the mandarins (Reef by Steele brand, naturally). With a builder mindset, I built a stand to withhold the Artemis II rocket during launch.
I went with a Jebao 6500 pump. For the money and reviews, it’s definitely doable. We will see long term.
Filtration you ask? I spent the money on a Reefmat 1200. After figuring out the heck it’ll fit in my sump, I made it work. We’re plumbed. Were sanded. We’re aquascaped. We’re ready for water. But how, you ask? A 275 gallon RO water tank is the only answer. I have what feels like an unlimited supply of fresh RODI water, which eases my mind in case we need a big water change.
Now, not to throw a wrench into an already semi-stressful situation, my Dad (whom I love) always gotta be the top. He’s a carpenter by trade (let me know if you need an epoxy table or cornhole boards) and found a Florida olive tree with the perfect trunk and branch. Unbeknownst to me, he had a plan. He cut took the tree, sanded it, stained it and said “I got something for ya. Hope you like it.”
Guess what was going to support my lights and add some character? You guessed it. It was a birthday “surprise,” along with a 66” AI blade (I’m a fan).
So here we are, almost 4 months wet, with a vision. A vision for the future, so to speak. Now don’t shout me down, but I LOVE some orange storms. I went with a harem of 12 (lost 1). They are the same clutch, the hierarchy is forming which has been cool to watch. With a 6’ footprint, everything seems good (I have a plan). We’ve got some fairy wrasses, transferred a coral beauty and tomini tang and mandarin from the 40B. A purple tang, Foxface, blue throat trigger and maybe one more wrasse is being planned. Nutrients have been stable for the better part of 45 days. Corals have been added, which we’re going predominantly higher end LPS.
We still have some wrapping up to do with the stand, and an AI blade grow is on its way!
You can see some of my reels on my IG at
https://www.instagram.com/mikey_the_bearded?igsh=MXUxZmI5Y2V2bmRqZg==&utm_source=qr
See you all in the live sales and HAPPY REEFING!
From Humble Beginnings
I started this journey on a 40B February of 2024. Looking for a hobby, and always wanting a saltwater tank (never really had any type of aquarium), it was a lot of research and YouTube. Once I committed, I started small, skimped where I thought I could, and slowly upgraded over time. Starting with hygger wavemaker and then gyre, then Wavemaker only; from a Tidal 75 HOB, to a 110 with an aquamaxx HOB skimmer, then to an Octo HOB; eventually I said “It is time.” I went with AI blades glow, then added the grow. Picked up a 20 Long and with some left over acrylic from work, I built a 3 chamber sump with a bubble trap, an eshoppes overflow, and an eshoppes 7” rectangle filter Sock holder.
What I Learned
Testing will help you understand how the biome interacts with each other ( I joke that I am a marine biologist now, and being from Florida, the only way to help the coral bleaching is to lower the lighting, adjust the flow. Does FWC even know what nitrates and phosphates are?!?
Stability is Greater Than Numbers!
Stability will ALWAYS BE GREATER Than Numbers!
Start with lower light. Let it stabilize. Analyze and adjust according.
Start with indirect, chaotic low flow. Adjust accordingly.
Keep the tank clean, but not sterile. Remember you are creating the system that best fits these animals.
Minimal adjustments and WAIT. I felt like I was back in the Marines, a lot of hurry up and wait. PATIENCE, PATIENCE, PATIENCE! Nothing happens fast in this hobby. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
WHERE I AM TODAY
Welp- I found out that sticks are probably not my thing. I’m an LPS kinda guy (I’m a sucker for some nice, fat chunky favias or hammers, except for when they get BJD, but this is a positive thread
)Today I have a fully loaded (almost) 180G my brother found on FB marketplace for $250 with a sump and some old maxspec RAZRs.
One razr was shot, one razr lost its punch. That’s fine. Let’s seed some rock. 50 days in a brute, and I had enough copepods to feed all the mandarins (Reef by Steele brand, naturally). With a builder mindset, I built a stand to withhold the Artemis II rocket during launch.
I went with a Jebao 6500 pump. For the money and reviews, it’s definitely doable. We will see long term.
Filtration you ask? I spent the money on a Reefmat 1200. After figuring out the heck it’ll fit in my sump, I made it work. We’re plumbed. Were sanded. We’re aquascaped. We’re ready for water. But how, you ask? A 275 gallon RO water tank is the only answer. I have what feels like an unlimited supply of fresh RODI water, which eases my mind in case we need a big water change.
Now, not to throw a wrench into an already semi-stressful situation, my Dad (whom I love) always gotta be the top. He’s a carpenter by trade (let me know if you need an epoxy table or cornhole boards) and found a Florida olive tree with the perfect trunk and branch. Unbeknownst to me, he had a plan. He cut took the tree, sanded it, stained it and said “I got something for ya. Hope you like it.”
Guess what was going to support my lights and add some character? You guessed it. It was a birthday “surprise,” along with a 66” AI blade (I’m a fan).
So here we are, almost 4 months wet, with a vision. A vision for the future, so to speak. Now don’t shout me down, but I LOVE some orange storms. I went with a harem of 12 (lost 1). They are the same clutch, the hierarchy is forming which has been cool to watch. With a 6’ footprint, everything seems good (I have a plan). We’ve got some fairy wrasses, transferred a coral beauty and tomini tang and mandarin from the 40B. A purple tang, Foxface, blue throat trigger and maybe one more wrasse is being planned. Nutrients have been stable for the better part of 45 days. Corals have been added, which we’re going predominantly higher end LPS.
You can see some of my reels on my IG at
https://www.instagram.com/mikey_the_bearded?igsh=MXUxZmI5Y2V2bmRqZg==&utm_source=qr
See you all in the live sales and HAPPY REEFING!
