Tim’s Rabbit Hole Journey

[tricky_tran]

Ok. I’ve been lurking around and kind of chit chatting and spending way too much time looking through the Buy/sell/trade section. t’s been a minute since My last aquarium. I had a 120 Gal FOWLR back in the day, got divorced, got rid of it and downgraded to a 55 Gal. Got remarried, moved and had no room in the new place for a setup and it got ignored in the garage. Fish eventually all died. Now the 55 Gal houses a 10 yo red eared slider.

I had bought a 3 gal beta tank to house some feeders for Ms Turtle. She ate them all and the tank remained empty for a while. I decided to get some fresh water fish for the kids just for some giggles. Over stocked the heck out of the 3 gal. 2 x red tailed sharks, 2 x convicts and a black ghost knifefish.

Told the wife we needed a way bigger tank because the 3 gal is way to small and down the rabbit hole I went.

Got permission to get a 150 Gal + display tank and started researching Red Sea, Waterbox, Cade, Innovative Marine, etc. Almost pulled the trigger on a Waterbox Reef Pro 180.5 at 3am in the morning couple of weeks ago but decided to sleep on it. Found this awesome Innovative Marine Encore Pro 20 from a fellow R2Rer. Left side is the Freshwater side and the right is a cycling Saltwater that will eventually be used as my QT.

Parts List

• Leemar 75 Gal Starphire tank 36 x 24 x 20
• Advanced Acrylic Sump 47 x 24 x 16
• MTC MVX Skimmer 31" tall
• Deep Water DC5 BLDC Pump
• Iwaki MD-70RLT Pump
• Sicce SDC 9.0 Wifi
• Reef Octopus Dual Chamber Calcium Reactor
• 2 x Maxspec Gyre Xf-130’s
• Neptune Classic Controller
• 2 x Avast Marine Media Reactors (1 Medium, 1 Large)
• CarbonDoser CO2 Regulator with digital bubble count
• Fiji Cube Low Profile External Overflow box 800GPH
• 2 x Eheim 125w Jager heaters
• Inkbird temperature Controller

Tank has been cleaned and leak testing for the last couple of days. Need to get a stand big enough for the sump and for the future 150 Gal + tank.

Not sure how long it will take to get this up and running, but I kept seeing all these Build Threads so I decided to start one too.

I love how everyone is so positive and helpful here. Thank you everyone one for all the information and knowledge sharing. I spend way too much time lurking around here now.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Getting the tank wet is a very exciting and overwhelming time.
Just go slow and plan each step

 

[tricky_tran]

Cleaning up the thread a little.

Just placed my order for a custom Framing Tech 60 x 30 x 36 stand! Thank you to Anthony B for all your help and answering all my stupid questions.

Also Picked up some water making, mixing and changing equipment form an awesome R2R brother @wowatracy

16 Gal Fresh Water reservoir
2 x 35 Gal Mixing tanks


6 stage BRS 75 GPD RODI
Bunch of hoses

 

[Reef-Tank]

Cleaning up the thread a little.

Just placed my order for a custom Framing Tech 60 x 30 x 36 stand! Thank you to Anthony B for all your help and answering all my stupid questions.

Also Picked up some water making, mixing and changing equipment form an awesome R2R brother @wowatracy

16 Gal Fresh Water reservoir
2 x 35 Gal Mixing tanks

6 stage BRS 75 GPD RODI
AutoAqua Smart AWC
Bunch of hoses

I like your stand look very similar like my stand built

 

[tricky_tran]

I like your stand look very similar like my stand built

Like you said, Happy Wife = Happy Life. Mine loves animals and she gave me permission to do this properly. Not exactly how I had originally planned because I’m starting off with a 75 gal instead of the 170 gal+ that I wanted. Looking at your build thread is like looking at my wishlist.

 

[Thespammailaccount]

@fishguy242

 

[fishguy242]

;Woot ;Woot ;Woot ;Woot ;Woot be back soon

 

[F i s h y]

Can't wait to see some life in here. Happy reefing @tricky_tran . That stand you have being built is A1!

 

[fishguy242]

Cleaning up the thread a little.

Just placed my order for a custom Framing Tech 60 x 30 x 36 stand! Thank you to Anthony B for all your help and answering all my stupid questions.

Also Picked up some water making, mixing and changing equipment form an awesome R2R brother @wowatracy

16 Gal Fresh Water reservoir
2 x 35 Gal Mixing tanks

6 stage BRS 75 GPD RODI
AutoAqua Smart AWC
Bunch of hoses

ha looks like my garage yesterday

 

[MERKEY]

Found the thread and looking good @tricky_tran !

 

[Bfragale]

Can’t wait to see what this becomes! Congrats!

 

[tricky_tran]

My first time aquascaping for the salt side of my IM Encore 20. Decided to try and do the Superglue/baking soda method since it’s not a tall structure. Rock was still damp. The salt was pretty much cycled when I did this. Going to wait a couple of days, then do a water change before putting some clowns in. Or should I wait a little longer before putting fish in?

 

[fishguy242]

hi,i would wait a few days for sure,is the baking soda going to spike your alk??

 

[tricky_tran]

hi,i would wait a few days for sure,is the baking soda going to spike your alk??

I hopefully rinsed all the loose stuff off with RO. Will test in a few.

 

[F i s h y]

hi,i would wait a few days for sure,is the baking soda going to spike your alk??

I agree let everything settle out wait a bit and then start stocking

 

[tricky_tran]

Looks like I’m at 16 dkH. Will do a partial water change and wait another week or 2.

 

[fishguy242]

yep,test again monday

 

[tricky_tran]

@fishguy242 @Fishy65 or anyone else. So I got a 60 gal Advanced acrylic sump with a bunch of gear from another friend. A bit overkill for my 75 Gal, but it will give me more volume to my system and I plan to use it for a 170+ gal in the future. That’s why I ordered the big stand. To fit the sump and future tank.

Not sure if you know anything about MTC MVX skimmers. But I kind of think that is really overkill and probably won’t do much. I plan on running it in sump with a Sicce SDC 900

Also, I may run an avast marine spyglass with some bio pellets and also contemplating on something like a clarisea.

Should I look for a smaller skimmer? Not sure if it will be a FOWLR for the next year or 2 or start adding coral before the upgrade. I have all the equipment to go full reef. Just not sure if I want to go through all the hassle and have to move everything in a couple of years.

thoughts?

 

[fishguy242]

not familiar,but can run skimmer week on, week off

 

[F i s h y]

not familiar,but can run skimmer week on, week off

I agree here, and depending on bio load you may find 3 or 4 days on then a period off. Just have to learn your tank and see how much skim is coming out. If its dark and stinky do it more. If it is light and well.... less stinky... skim less.