Getting back into the hobby after about 5 years. I had been wanting to get back into it for a while but never really had the opportunity until now. Got a Red Sea Reefer 350 and I've had the tank for about a month now, and I'm almost ready to leak test it! Just need to plumb the return pump through the UV and into tank, and then build the 1/2" manifold from 2nd pump. I have a Varios 4 as the main return pump. I also have a Varios 2 that will be feeding a manifold for reactors and other stuff, but it will have the ability to feed into the main return line should the main return pump fail. I built a panel that can be seen on the right for the Varios Pumps, ReefWave Pumps, as well as a tablet for an Apex Display. The panel is held up by some VERY strong neodymium magnets and behind it is a shelf that is on a track so it can be pulled out. That is where the dosing pump (GHL Doser) and power strips & power supplies will be. Will be dosing DIY Tropic Marin All-for-Reef for a while, once the Alk consumption is high enough I will probably switch to a calcium reactor.
I debated running a CO2 scrubber for a while, but in my house (especially in summer) all the windows are closed so CO2 will build up. But the tank is up against an outside wall so I will be running the skimmer airline straight outside instead. I have a massively over-sized UV sterilizer for it that will be doing >90,000µw/cm² for the entire tank return flow. Will be running a fuge with the AI Prime Fuge light, I also have way more 2" MarinePure cubes than I know what to do with that will be placed into different places in the sump. Have a Neptune ApexEL for control, as well as a Neptune Trident for testing. Have 2x RedSea ReefWave 25 pumps for flow in the tank.
Plan on being a SPS dominant tank in terms of coral, with some LPS/softies in lower light areas. Still not fully sure on the full livestock list, I know I want a pair of the Black/White Clowns (Like Snowflake Clownfish), Diamond Watchman Goby, Yellow Watchman Goby & Pistol Shrimp pair, and debating a Kole tang as well. But I want a few more smaller ones, with just the clowns and tang swimming around wont be much for a 48 gallon tank, as the Gobies will probably be in/around their caves most of the time.
The tank hopefully will be cycled fairly quickly because when I got this tank, I pulled an IM Fusion 10 tank that was still new in the box out of storage and set it up. It has been running for almost a month now. There really is nothing in the tank, except for one large rock that will go into the main tank, and around 30 of the 2" MarinePure cubes. I initially dosed the tank to 8ppm of ammonia and waited until it started to lower, then began monitoring the nitrite and nitrate. It finished the cycle in around 3 weeks or so but I have still been dosing ammonia daily. It converts the ammonia so fast now, in the beginning as soon as I saw the ammonia start to go down, it took 3-4 days to get it to 0. Now I put in ammonia to get to 8ppm before I go to bed, and by the next afternoon it is at 0 again. I rearranged the cubes in the tank as well so some of the cubes are in high-flow areas that will get good oxygenation, and some have very little/no flow. After rearranging the cubes, and seeing nitrates go way up, I started putting in some NO3
O4-X in everyday to keep Nitrate and Phosphates down, as well as hopefully start growing some anoxic bacteria inside of the cubes without flow (being hopeful I know). When the main tank is up and running I will take the cubes and put them in the sump, as well as the rest of the cubes I have. Then the 10g will be ready to use as a quarantine tank as well.
Forgive the bad pictures (and the construction mess), they were taken this morning at 4am when I was on the way out the door going to work. I will get better one as the build progresses.
I debated running a CO2 scrubber for a while, but in my house (especially in summer) all the windows are closed so CO2 will build up. But the tank is up against an outside wall so I will be running the skimmer airline straight outside instead. I have a massively over-sized UV sterilizer for it that will be doing >90,000µw/cm² for the entire tank return flow. Will be running a fuge with the AI Prime Fuge light, I also have way more 2" MarinePure cubes than I know what to do with that will be placed into different places in the sump. Have a Neptune ApexEL for control, as well as a Neptune Trident for testing. Have 2x RedSea ReefWave 25 pumps for flow in the tank.
Plan on being a SPS dominant tank in terms of coral, with some LPS/softies in lower light areas. Still not fully sure on the full livestock list, I know I want a pair of the Black/White Clowns (Like Snowflake Clownfish), Diamond Watchman Goby, Yellow Watchman Goby & Pistol Shrimp pair, and debating a Kole tang as well. But I want a few more smaller ones, with just the clowns and tang swimming around wont be much for a 48 gallon tank, as the Gobies will probably be in/around their caves most of the time.
The tank hopefully will be cycled fairly quickly because when I got this tank, I pulled an IM Fusion 10 tank that was still new in the box out of storage and set it up. It has been running for almost a month now. There really is nothing in the tank, except for one large rock that will go into the main tank, and around 30 of the 2" MarinePure cubes. I initially dosed the tank to 8ppm of ammonia and waited until it started to lower, then began monitoring the nitrite and nitrate. It finished the cycle in around 3 weeks or so but I have still been dosing ammonia daily. It converts the ammonia so fast now, in the beginning as soon as I saw the ammonia start to go down, it took 3-4 days to get it to 0. Now I put in ammonia to get to 8ppm before I go to bed, and by the next afternoon it is at 0 again. I rearranged the cubes in the tank as well so some of the cubes are in high-flow areas that will get good oxygenation, and some have very little/no flow. After rearranging the cubes, and seeing nitrates go way up, I started putting in some NO3
O4-X in everyday to keep Nitrate and Phosphates down, as well as hopefully start growing some anoxic bacteria inside of the cubes without flow (being hopeful I know). When the main tank is up and running I will take the cubes and put them in the sump, as well as the rest of the cubes I have. Then the 10g will be ready to use as a quarantine tank as well. Forgive the bad pictures (and the construction mess), they were taken this morning at 4am when I was on the way out the door going to work. I will get better one as the build progresses.
