Oh god what have I done?: Kelsey builds a reef tank

[kelseymybelle]

fun little adventure for you and your fam. I enjoyed reading!
reef tanks are just so great right!!

Thanks so much Devaji! I appreciate you swinging by I am just stupid excited to get some water in this tank and see whether the plumbing's okay—that will be a rollercoaster for sure.

@kelseymybelle I started and had to read the whole thing. I was ensnared by your writing. I think I am loving the story more than the tank. I do not know what I loved more, the tank in the stroller, the baby’s socks, or the fact that you are Vikings. Great job so far.

Wow, thanks for the kind words! You guys always make my day. I'm glad to know that people are enjoying my updates. I write in various client voices for a large portion of my job, but it's been fun for me to get to use my own unfiltered writing style in this thread

 

[NY_Caveman]

Wow, thanks for the kind words! You guys always make my day. I'm glad to know that people are enjoying my updates. I write in various client voices for a large portion of my job, but it's been fun for me to get to use my own unfiltered writing style in this thread

It is obvious your writing has been carefully cultivated to convey context. Most impressive if you find success writing in the voice of another. I could spend pages or hours discussing my love of words, but I will not clutter your build thread with that indulgence.

 

[kelseymybelle]

It is obvious your writing has been carefully cultivated to convey context. Most impressive if you find success writing in the voice of another. I could spend pages or hours discussing my love of words, but I will not clutter your build thread with that indulgence.

Hey man, clutter this build thread any time you want!! Words are one thing that always make me ... happy, in an odd way. For example, I'm inexplicably delighted by your use of "carefully cultivated to convey context" and keep coming back to re-read it, ha.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Hey man, clutter this build thread any time you want!! Words are one thing that always make me ... happy, in an odd way. For example, I'm inexplicably delighted by your use of "carefully cultivated to convey context" and keep coming back to re-read it, ha.

LOL, I thought perhaps I overdid the alliteration. Thank you for the compliment.

 

[link81]

following this thread, not only for the build, but for the writing style.
You have a knack for making me feel like i'm there smelling bleach with you... lol

 

[kelseymybelle]

following this thread, not only for the build, but for the writing style.
You have a knack for making me feel like i'm there smelling bleach with you... lol

Thanks Link!! You are just in time—we're filling the tank today, so soon you get to smell the cycle! ;Happy

 

[link81]

Thanks Link!! You are just in time—we're filling the tank today, so soon you get to smell the cycle! ;Happy

ha nice. nothing better then the smell of dead shrimp in the morning......;Woot;Woot;Hilarious

 

[kelseymybelle]

Ladies and gentlemen, there is water filling the tank as I type this. My Now-Enthusiastic-Husband drilled a hole through the floor today so we can run up the RODI line from the basement up to the tank. And holy crap, it's working. Now we wait.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Ladies and gentlemen, there is water filling the tank as I type this. My Now-Enthusiastic-Husband drilled a hole through the floor today so we can run up the RODI line from the basement up to the tank. And holy crap, it's working. Now we wait.

That is fantastic news. Congratulations!

 

[kelseymybelle]

That is fantastic news. Congratulations!

Thank you! We might be acting a little prematurely, since at this point we don't have either a) salt or b) water, but Chris was suspiciously eager to drill through the floor and we have to run a plumbing test sometime. I am PETRIFIED that I've ruined the plumbing in some way...

 

[kelseymybelle]

 

[kelseymybelle]

We’re getting there! Still have to fill the sump and fuge. Discovered a leaky bulkhead already, but it’s tightened down and dry for now (knock on wood for us please!).

 

[eggplantparrot]

looking great so far!

 

[kelseymybelle]

looking great so far!

Thanks man!!

 

[Squirtle]

The slow filling of a tank with rodi water is always satisfying... kinda like christmas morning lol. Love how the aquascape turned out.

 

[kelseymybelle]

The slow filling of a tank with rodi water is always satisfying... kinda like christmas morning lol. Love how the aquascape turned out.

That’s exactly what it felt like!! The whole system is filled now and running to test for leaks. Still fiddling with the overflow siphon but I’m floored that everything worked the way I hoped it would! And thank you for your words re: aquascape—I cant wait to see the rock come alive once the cycle starts!

 

[Murica]

Looks great! That's the exact scape I plan to make my fowlr in my build [emoji106]

 

[kelseymybelle]

Looks great! That's the exact scape I plan to make my fowlr in my build [emoji106]

Thank you!! The more I look at it the more I like it, which I think is a good sign. The rocks also seem totally different underwater than they did in a dry tank. So, so cool.

 

[kelseymybelle]

Part IX: A Song of Sand and Salt

The system is running, the water is measuring around 1.024 specific gravity, and twenty pounds of Arag-Alive Oolite has been added to the display to help get things started. I am straight-up shocked that there is currently, technically, FINALLY a saltwater aquarium running in this house. I started this project about a month prior to starting this thread, and all things considered the tank setup process went far faster than I had anticipated. I am now prepared to wait patiently for bacteria to colonize—and add some more sand and other media to the DT/refugium as able.

It's probably prudent to give a run-down of just what's running on the system. I know I haven't been heavy on the details thus far, but I'll try to be better about that now that things are alive and kicking.

Display Tank: 90 gallon Marineland Reef Ready — corner overflow w/ 2 x 1" drains (full siphon / emergency)

• In-tank equipment:
  • A single Current USA eFlux 6001 (rated up to 1050 gph; we're looking to add one or two more before corals are added)

Sump: Eshopps RS100 (1st gen) — 20-odd gallon capacity, filled with ten or so gallons of water

• In-sump equipment:
  • Eshopps PSK-150 skimmer
  • Finnex 300W titanium heater w/ digital controller
  • Reef Octopus Varios 2 return pump

Refugium: 20 gallon mystery tank (likely Marineland) — DIY full-length overflow w/ 2 x 1" drains (plumbed for Herbie-style)

• In-'fuge equipment:
  • None so far (will possibly house a nano powerhead or something down the line)

You may notice that high flow is not a huge feature of this system so far. We're planning to start out slow for the cycle, and by the time we're ready to add animals we will also have gathered a few additional powerheads to keeps the water moving through the display.

Where things stand now: The water is still cloudy, since the first bag of sand in the tank is such a small grain size. This initial sandstorm, bolstered by my inelegant method of introduction and coupled with all the salt that's been added to the system over the past 18 hours or so, has made it difficult to really see what the sand looks like with the aquascape. I'm really, REALLY excited for the cloud to settle down and assess where we're at. I'm not sure how much more sand it's going to take to get the sort of coverage I'm picturing—or how much sand is really recommended these days, especially given my as-yet-undecided stocking list. I know I want fish and other critters living in the sandbed, but I want to avoid the potential challenges associated with too much sand.

Any additional sand will definitely be a larger grain size. At this point I'm thinking either Fiji Pink or Special Grade, unless you more experienced reefers have other substrates you'd recommend I consider. Please chime in and let me know what you'd do, were you in my shoes. I'd love to hear your opinions! Pictures incoming, though I warn you it is a foggy day in the salt city.

 

[kelseymybelle]

[whoops -- duplicate post]