Howdy. I made the mistake of going down memory lane looking at pictures of my old 75 gallon bare bottom FOWLR. I got out in 2008 right before my son was born.
My son just got his first leopard gecko and my daughter has a Russian tortoise, which meant a supply run to the reptile center at That Pet Place in Lancaster, PA which is where I went for any equipment I needed for my old tank. I made the mistake of walking around and looking at equipment and tanks. I think I got bit by the bug, and have a strange desire to start a new tank. I doubt anyone here would try to talk me out of it.
I always told my wife I would love to set up a 180 or 250 long African Cichlid tank just like a reef tank, minus the skimmer, and if we ever played the lottery and won, I'd set up a 300 gallon or larger custom reef. She's a fan of South American cichlids, but we both love saltwater the most. As much as I would love to do a large tank, I was always worried about the floor with my 75 in our old farmhouse, so my mind is already going down the path of a 40 gallon breeder peninsula SPS minimalist build with a 20 gallon sump and custom stand skinned with old horse fence boards that I need to replace on the farm.
I still have my old Reef Octopus skimmer in a Rubbermaid tub somewhere, but other than that would have to re-buy everything.
Things I think I need:
40 gallon breeder
20 gallon long
Overflow kit with glass drill bits
Return pump - I think I used a Mag 5 or 7 on my old tank, but want something silent.
5 or 6 stage 100+ GPD RO/DI with a storage tank and inline TDS meters
RO/DI Booster Pump because I'm on a well.
Plumbing parts - AKA Legos for adults. When did colored PVC become a thing?
Lights - Leaning towards a 36" 6x39 ATI Sunpower T-5, but I have no idea what bulbs I want. I used to run a 48" 2 bulb compact fluorescent and moonlights with 10k and actinic tubes and really liked the color. I don't remember if I had 6500k lights or not. Not a fan of the deep blue/purple lights.
Skimmer - Maybe re-use the Reef Octopus, but I'm pretty sure it's rated for a 250 gallon, so I'm probably going to need something smaller. I need to research these new skimmers more so I can plan the sump.
ATO
Powerheads
Heaters
Salt - Looks like Oceanic is no longer in business(?), so back to Instant Ocean or Reef Crystals
Rocks - Looks like there was a huge shift in the community in regards to LR and trade bans. I really wanted Pukani, but it looks like you can't really get it anymore.
Test kits
Refractometer
Media bags or a reactor for carbon
Brute trashcans for water changes and curing rock
Python hose
Egg crate
Ridiculous amounts of disposable income
2 part dosing
Fish - I would like to do captive-bred as much as possible.
2 Clowns
1 Royal Gramma
1 Firefish
1 Cleaner Shrimp
Snails
3 - 5 Blue Green Chromis
Things I'm considering - An internet-connected controller for the light cycle, heater, ATO, water movement, etc. Possibly drilling for a closed loop with an eductor. Reverse schedule lights in the sump. Whole house generator for power outages.
Things I still haven't figured out -
Siphon break for the return line. I had a 75 reef-ready, so the return line was in the corner overflow, which made it super simple to drill the hole for the siphon break. Not sure how that works when you drill the return line a few inches below the water level of the display. I guess in the grand scheme of things, it's not that much water volume draining into the sump when the power goes out.
Substrate - going for the minimalist look. I've done crushed coral, then sand, then bare bottom. I could do any of them again, but if I put substrate in, it will be super shallow because I hate siphoning it. If I go bare bottom, I will probably paint the bottom of the tank white instead of putting cutting board in the bottom.
I've pretty much already built it in my mind. Just need to convince the CFO to allocate the funds for the project. She's been watching a few YouTube videos with me and I've been showing her some build threads. I'm pretty sure I can get her on board pretty easily, but I know I'm going to have a battle over the cost of lights, skimmer, and water movement, but she will spend money on livestock if she likes them.
TL;DR
1st post. I got out in 2008. Looked at some old pics of my tank and got nostalgic. Been lurking and thinking about setting up a small reef tank, but need lots of equipment and am open to ideas and input. Thanks.
Kevin
My son just got his first leopard gecko and my daughter has a Russian tortoise, which meant a supply run to the reptile center at That Pet Place in Lancaster, PA which is where I went for any equipment I needed for my old tank. I made the mistake of walking around and looking at equipment and tanks. I think I got bit by the bug, and have a strange desire to start a new tank. I doubt anyone here would try to talk me out of it.
I always told my wife I would love to set up a 180 or 250 long African Cichlid tank just like a reef tank, minus the skimmer, and if we ever played the lottery and won, I'd set up a 300 gallon or larger custom reef. She's a fan of South American cichlids, but we both love saltwater the most. As much as I would love to do a large tank, I was always worried about the floor with my 75 in our old farmhouse, so my mind is already going down the path of a 40 gallon breeder peninsula SPS minimalist build with a 20 gallon sump and custom stand skinned with old horse fence boards that I need to replace on the farm.I still have my old Reef Octopus skimmer in a Rubbermaid tub somewhere, but other than that would have to re-buy everything.
Things I think I need:
40 gallon breeder
20 gallon long
Overflow kit with glass drill bits
Return pump - I think I used a Mag 5 or 7 on my old tank, but want something silent.
5 or 6 stage 100+ GPD RO/DI with a storage tank and inline TDS meters
RO/DI Booster Pump because I'm on a well.
Plumbing parts - AKA Legos for adults. When did colored PVC become a thing?
Lights - Leaning towards a 36" 6x39 ATI Sunpower T-5, but I have no idea what bulbs I want. I used to run a 48" 2 bulb compact fluorescent and moonlights with 10k and actinic tubes and really liked the color. I don't remember if I had 6500k lights or not. Not a fan of the deep blue/purple lights.
Skimmer - Maybe re-use the Reef Octopus, but I'm pretty sure it's rated for a 250 gallon, so I'm probably going to need something smaller. I need to research these new skimmers more so I can plan the sump.
ATO
Powerheads
Heaters
Salt - Looks like Oceanic is no longer in business(?), so back to Instant Ocean or Reef Crystals
Rocks - Looks like there was a huge shift in the community in regards to LR and trade bans. I really wanted Pukani, but it looks like you can't really get it anymore.
Test kits
Refractometer
Media bags or a reactor for carbon
Brute trashcans for water changes and curing rock
Python hose
Egg crate
Ridiculous amounts of disposable income
2 part dosing
Fish - I would like to do captive-bred as much as possible.
2 Clowns
1 Royal Gramma
1 Firefish
1 Cleaner Shrimp
Snails
3 - 5 Blue Green Chromis
Things I'm considering - An internet-connected controller for the light cycle, heater, ATO, water movement, etc. Possibly drilling for a closed loop with an eductor. Reverse schedule lights in the sump. Whole house generator for power outages.
Things I still haven't figured out -
Siphon break for the return line. I had a 75 reef-ready, so the return line was in the corner overflow, which made it super simple to drill the hole for the siphon break. Not sure how that works when you drill the return line a few inches below the water level of the display. I guess in the grand scheme of things, it's not that much water volume draining into the sump when the power goes out.
Substrate - going for the minimalist look. I've done crushed coral, then sand, then bare bottom. I could do any of them again, but if I put substrate in, it will be super shallow because I hate siphoning it. If I go bare bottom, I will probably paint the bottom of the tank white instead of putting cutting board in the bottom.
I've pretty much already built it in my mind. Just need to convince the CFO to allocate the funds for the project. She's been watching a few YouTube videos with me and I've been showing her some build threads. I'm pretty sure I can get her on board pretty easily, but I know I'm going to have a battle over the cost of lights, skimmer, and water movement, but she will spend money on livestock if she likes them.
TL;DR
1st post. I got out in 2008. Looked at some old pics of my tank and got nostalgic. Been lurking and thinking about setting up a small reef tank, but need lots of equipment and am open to ideas and input. Thanks.
Kevin
