Okay, so this project started back in October with casual discussion with my family - it went something like this:
I've been keeping freshwater planted tanks of various sizes for years and I've always dreamed of putting a reef tank together. Something that brings home a tiny bit of the experiences we've had swimming and snorkeling in Hawaii.... and since we can't travel and with everything else going on in 2020 - why not now? No one's getting any younger....
So after a few weeks of research and reading, I line up a few tank size options then made my first purchase - and it's immediately the wrong choice: I picked up a used 55 gallon tank and stand off of craigslist, got it home, and realized that the tank geometry is completely wrong for what I had envisioned: In my mind's eye I had something shallower and wider - everything the 55g isn't, being tall and narrow - but closer to a 40 gallon breeder.
My uncertainty was quickly confirmed on R2R. I put the 55g in the basement and picked up a 40b for cheap from Petco's dollar tank sale, got a custom-built cabinet from another aquarist on craigslist that had to move into a fish-hating apartment building, and I was off to the races. After installing the overflow and return plumbing, I put the first water into it on December 4th - here's what it looked like then:
Yep, that's a single Caribsea "Life Rock" and some dead shrimp to help with a fishless cycle! A Jabeo OW-10 is helping to push the water around, and I've got 20 lb of aragonite substrate.
Under the tank is a 20L sump built-up with an eBay baffle kit. The sump has a 200W heater, an Aquamaxx WS-1 skimmer, and an Sicce Syncra 3.5 return pump.
All of this was set up for the next stage of the project: Live rock!
(To be continued...)
Me: "I want to start a new tank - how about some fancy goldfish?"
Family: "Yeah, that sounds fine, just keep it out of the living room."
Me: "Awesome - but a small tank is boring, how about a big tank?"
Family: "Not too big! Remember what happened with the 90g back in 2008..."
Me: "Fine, something between 10g and 90g it is... But goldfish sounds boring - I've never done saltwater... How about a REEF?!?"
Family: ;Facepalm
I've been keeping freshwater planted tanks of various sizes for years and I've always dreamed of putting a reef tank together. Something that brings home a tiny bit of the experiences we've had swimming and snorkeling in Hawaii.... and since we can't travel and with everything else going on in 2020 - why not now? No one's getting any younger....
So after a few weeks of research and reading, I line up a few tank size options then made my first purchase - and it's immediately the wrong choice: I picked up a used 55 gallon tank and stand off of craigslist, got it home, and realized that the tank geometry is completely wrong for what I had envisioned: In my mind's eye I had something shallower and wider - everything the 55g isn't, being tall and narrow - but closer to a 40 gallon breeder.
My uncertainty was quickly confirmed on R2R. I put the 55g in the basement and picked up a 40b for cheap from Petco's dollar tank sale, got a custom-built cabinet from another aquarist on craigslist that had to move into a fish-hating apartment building, and I was off to the races. After installing the overflow and return plumbing, I put the first water into it on December 4th - here's what it looked like then:
Yep, that's a single Caribsea "Life Rock" and some dead shrimp to help with a fishless cycle! A Jabeo OW-10 is helping to push the water around, and I've got 20 lb of aragonite substrate.
Under the tank is a 20L sump built-up with an eBay baffle kit. The sump has a 200W heater, an Aquamaxx WS-1 skimmer, and an Sicce Syncra 3.5 return pump.
All of this was set up for the next stage of the project: Live rock!
(To be continued...)