Scotty B's 75g New Reef

[Scottybgood]

Hello all! New-ish to the hobby (had a FOWLR tank about 15 yrs ago but never really took the dive into reefing) but now here I am. Started my build back in late February, but Joined R2R in April while researching some issues I was having with my tank (my not so fun introduction to Dinoflagellates - I posted my story in the Dino thread which saved the tank and my sanity), so I don't have progressive build pictures, but I can share the current state. I LOVE THIS SITE! So much information and experience shared here, so I thought I would start Member tank thread and join in on the fun.

Before I started, I wanted to make sure I knew as much as I could with all the equipment, chemistry, tools, test kits etc, so I researched like a mad man on Google, this forum, watch dozens of BRS Tv ads. Then when I found a used 75g Aqueon Reef Ready tank for a great price and some used equipment, I decided to go for it, and then prompty OVER sized and overkill on most of the other equipment...heck I saved a few hundred on the tank and stand, why not, he says, thousands of dollars later.

I decided after much research for this small tank, I would just stick with flexible tubing for my plumbing, and so far am happy with the flexibility it afforded me. I am still learning, but coming up on the 6 month mark, and things are starting to really stabilize. Coralline algae has started, corals are responding well (my green slimer acro and purple Stylo are starting new branches). Getting few tufts of GHA in places and a couple spots that appear to be Bryopsis, but I am keeping a close eye and practicing good husbandry that I am learning from the experienced members in this forum. There are a few things I would probably do differently if starting over, but I can see why this hobby is so addicting.

Equipment List:
40lbs CaribSea LifeRock
Trigger Systems Emerald 26 Sump
Trigger Systems 10g ATO Reservoir
2 Trigger Systems Dosing Reservoirs
Reef Octopus 110 Skimmer
Tunze Full Spectrum LED for Refugium
Sicce 3.0 return pump
Tunze Osomaltor ATO
BRS Dual Reactor with MJ1200
Tunze Turbelle 6105 Powerhead
BRS 4 Stage RO/DI
Aquatic T5/LED Hybrid Lighting Fixture
4 T5 bulbs
2 Radion XR15 LEDs
ReefKeeper Elite with 3 power bars, SLX module
2 BRS Dosing Pumps
40W Pentair Smart UV (added only after my Dino outbreak)
Hanna Checkers for Alk, Calcium, and ULR Phosphorus

I will add pictures in the following post. Enjoy!

 

[NY_Caveman]

Hello all! New-ish to the hobby (had a FOWLR tank about 15 yrs ago but never really took the dive into reefing) but now here I am. Started my build back in late February, but Joined R2R in April while researching some issues I was having with my tank (my not so fun introduction to Dinoflagellates - I posted my story in the Dino thread which saved the tank and my sanity), so I don't have progressive build pictures, but I can share the current state. I LOVE THIS SITE! So much information and experience shared here, so I thought I would start Member tank thread and join in on the fun.

Before I started, I wanted to make sure I knew as much as I could with all the equipment, chemistry, tools, test kits etc, so I researched like a mad man on Google, this forum, watch dozens of BRS Tv ads. Then when I found a used 75g Aqueon Reef Ready tank for a great price and some used equipment, I decided to go for it, and then prompty OVER sized and overkill on most of the other equipment...heck I saved a few hundred on the tank and stand, why not, he says, thousands of dollars later.

I decided after much research for this small tank, I would just stick with flexible tubing for my plumbing, and so far am happy with the flexibility it afforded me. I am still learning, but coming up on the 6 month mark, and things are starting to really stabilize. Coralline algae has started, corals are responding well (my green slimer acro and purple Stylo are starting new branches). Getting few tufts of GHA in places and a couple spots that appear to be Bryopsis, but I am keeping a close eye and practicing good husbandry that I am learning from the experienced members in this forum. There are a few things I would probably do differently if starting over, but I can see why this hobby is so addicting.

Equipment List:
40lbs CaribSea LifeRock
Trigger Systems Emerald 26 Sump
Trigger Systems 10g ATO Reservoir
2 Trigger Systems Dosing Reservoirs
Reef Octopus 110 Skimmer
Tunze Full Spectrum LED for Refugium
Sicce 3.0 return pump
Tunze Osomaltor ATO
BRS Dual Reactor with MJ1200
Tunze Turbelle 6105 Powerhead
BRS 4 Stage RO/DI
Aquatic T5/LED Hybrid Lighting Fixture
4 T5 bulbs
2 Radion XR15 LEDs
ReefKeeper Elite with 3 power bars, SLX module
2 BRS Dosing Pumps
40W Pentair Smart UV (added only after my Dino outbreak)
Hanna Checkers for Alk, Calcium, and ULR Phosphorus

I will add pictures in the following post. Enjoy!

Nice start! Welcome to R2R!

 

[Scottybgood]

OK, here are a few Equipment pics - as organized as I tried to be, it is still a bit of spaghetti under there....

 

[Scottybgood]

And now the whole reason we do this...

 

[SPR1968]

Great looking tank and system and thanks for all the pictures.

And welcome to R2R as well!

 

[Scottybgood]

October update!

After battling Dino's and successfully overcoming that issue I started getting patches of GHA on the rocks (which I was expecting since I dosed nutrients to get some other algae growing to compete with Dinos). I watched and maintained for a while, added small Foxface and more snails, but didn't really help too much. It wasn't like taking over the tank, but enough to become unsightly but still better than the dino slime. Since the tank is fairly new, I didn't jump to any "solutions" other than some natural ones (as mentioned before, including cutting down on feeding - and monitoring NO3 and PO4) and a little manual plucking. Getting better at this patience thing (kinda).

While plucking a few spots, I thought "that felt different"...it wasn't the soft mushy feel of the GHA...so as I looked closer it turns out I had several patches of BRYOPSIS growing in amongst the GHA. So much for the natural approach. I decided to get order some fluconazole (used ReefHD Reef Flux) to for sure eradicate the Bryopsis and maybe curb the GHA (read mixed results on GHA).

This stuff worked pretty good for me...all signs of the Bryopsis was gone in less than a week, and the GHA is looking really puny so fingers crossed....I am on day 13 so far will post some before and current pics.

Surprisingly my NO3 has only risen maybe 1ppm from before (thought the die off would spike it a bit more), and actually my PO4 has dropped (I am guessing because my decrease in feeding frozen - maybe).

Lost the Foxface after about 3 weeks :-( - showed no signs of illness at all one day was swimming the whole tank - brightly colored as usual, and next day was up against the rocks, faded colors and heavy breathing and didn't last the night. This was about 2 weeks ago. All other fish are doing great, nothing affecting them so not really sure what happened to him.

Since dosing the Fluc, and taking skimmer off line I have a couple patches of lime-green cyano showing up on the sand bed, but have added a bit more flow and it is going away.

Loving this hobby and the challenges it brings. As I have heard so many times on this forum, patience is key and nothing happens fast. I still expect the tank to be perfect everyday, and everyday I realize that nature takes its course, and I need to keep my will out of it more and more.

Happy Reefing!

 

[Scottybgood]

BEFORE the Reef Flux

 

[Scottybgood]

13 days in.....

 

[Hypen2000]

Welcome aboard and good looking tanks!