mjk42
Community Member
Hello everyone!
I wanted to start a build thread about my first reef tank set up. I have done fresh water planted tanks before but always wanted to make the jump to a reef tank. Life got in the way for a number of years but now is the time! Knowing full well that there would be a huge learning curve I wanted to focus on a starting path that would hopefully smooth out some of those challenges. Budget was healthy so had the option to incorporate a controller to try to make some of my day to day operations easier as well. I started re-watching BRS videos and reading the forums and guides here and have appreciated the input others have provided thus far.
Overall goal
LPS and eventually some SPS. Small tangs, a flame angle (rolling the dice), file fish and more TBD
Mixing station
While still deciding on the tank set up, I decided to build my salt water mixing station. I got a BRS RODI system and set up with 2 30gallon brute trash cans in the garage. Kept it simple with the plumbing with just a uniseal with hose and valve valve on each. Set up with a simple pump and hose to pump my RODI water from one can to the second for mixing with another flow pump in the salt water can and heater. Nothing fancy but works fine! Using Red Sea blue bucket mixed to 35ppm/1.026 SG.
Tank
For the tank, I decided on the UNS R120 system for my first set up. I was also between waterbox and IM but the UNS systems sump set up and stand seemed better for me. I loved that there was a separate area for the electronics stuff as my wife give me strict limits on no stuff outside of the stand
. Its 4x2x2 feet with 94gallon display. My total water volume is about 112 gallons at this point.
I purchased from Top Shelf Aquatics and everything went smoothly from beginning to end with shipping and delivery. Got it moved into place in the living room on an interior load bearing wall. Steel beam running perpendicular to tank in basement so feel pretty good that if the beam can hold up my house it can carry a few extra pounds...
Rock/Sand
Was inspired by the BRS videos of NSA scapes and gave it a shot. We used Marco rock from BRS and spent about a week making the scape. Once I got it in the tank I realized it was too high and had to modify a bit but think it came out pretty good overall. Using carib sea special grade 60lbs of sand. After some debate and a lot of reading I also decided to incorporate 20lbs of live sand from TBS and 15lbs of base rock into the sump to increase biodiversity and maybe smooth out the future ugly stages! Very happy with the live sand and rock addition! The sand mix looks great and we got a tiny brave soul of a hermit crab as our first inhabitant... The base rock has some great Coraline algae and some cool feather dusters and barnacles as well. Got the tank filled on 11/7 and used some Fritz turbo start prior to adding the live sand and rocks on 11/13. Negative ammonia and 0.8ppm nitrogen today.
Lights
Initially was planning for Radion XR 30s but glad I learned more about Reefi first. I went with 2 Reefi Uno 2.1 Pro with mounting brackets. I love the look and was super impressed by how quick Daniel responded to all my questions as I tried to figure out what to get and how to set up. Just fired them up for the first time and set up was a bit odd to synch with wifi but overall not bad and they look great with pre-built program options (I would have no clue what or how to adjust anyway!) I plan to keep lights off for awhile longer though as I figure out the rest of my startup plan.
Other Gear:
Wanted to stay with one brand to make communication with the Hydros system easier and am using Reef Octopus. Again purchased most of my stuff from Top Shelf Aquatics who have been awesome to work with (thanks Frank!).
Return Pump- Reef octopus VarioS8. Definitely more then I need but I am running at 40% with good flow and prior advice was to get more pump then needed to run a lower power/cooler control board. I had it cranked up to 70% and the overflow could handle it just fine but it was basically white water rapids coming out of the outflow jets....
Power Heads- Octopulse 4 x2 (not turned on)
Mechanical filtration- UNS filter socks x3. Not really a good option for a roller system in this sump as the red sea 500 doesn't fit in the filter sock chamber. Could maybe do the Klir x2 but will see how lazy I get. Not sure it would be worth it.
Skimmer- Reef Octopus Elite 150 Int (rated for display of 100 gallons with heavy bioload and my display will be about 90 gallons). Breaking in now but not much nutrients to take out. Will eventually use BRS CO2 Scrubber attached
Reactor- BRS carbon reactor for skimmer chamber. Fits in perfectly. (Not turned on)
Heater- IM Helio 700 Watt (350 x 2) iin skimmer chamber. Set to 78 and temp hasn't moved in a week.
UV- Plumbed for 25w Aqua UV off of return pump manifold that was factory built into UNS plumbing. Hydros flow meter installed on outflow from UV and running at 150 GPH targeting high UV dose for Marine Ich. BRS recommended flow of ~400GPH but from what I can find here this is a very controversial debate and that the contact time for Marine Ich needs to be higher (slower flow and longer UV zap if I understand correctly) and its seems like flows for the 25watt in prior discussion would be in the 120GPH range. No plans to turn UV light on until fish are added later.
Refugium- built into sump. UNS refugium light (not turned on)
Controller- Hydros set up. I will make a separate post about this once I get untangled from all the cords....
Next steps
- finish setting up Hydros system. Fluid sensors, pH probe, leak detector
- setting up ATO system (the gravity system as part of the UNS tank/kit seems a little iffy with the float switch being really touchy so far). Decided at this point to use the Hydros ATO pump and sensor and will probably move the ATO container to the other side of the wall (into garage) where I installed a cord pass through prior to setting up tank.
- planning out next steps for the ugly phase. I want to add copopods maybe next week? Pair of starter clown fish after? When do I start turning lights on?? First corals??
- set up BRS 2 part + mag once I actually have something that will need it.
- order Kraken lid
Any advice is much appreciated and thanks for having a look!!
I wanted to start a build thread about my first reef tank set up. I have done fresh water planted tanks before but always wanted to make the jump to a reef tank. Life got in the way for a number of years but now is the time! Knowing full well that there would be a huge learning curve I wanted to focus on a starting path that would hopefully smooth out some of those challenges. Budget was healthy so had the option to incorporate a controller to try to make some of my day to day operations easier as well. I started re-watching BRS videos and reading the forums and guides here and have appreciated the input others have provided thus far.
Overall goal
LPS and eventually some SPS. Small tangs, a flame angle (rolling the dice), file fish and more TBD
Mixing station
While still deciding on the tank set up, I decided to build my salt water mixing station. I got a BRS RODI system and set up with 2 30gallon brute trash cans in the garage. Kept it simple with the plumbing with just a uniseal with hose and valve valve on each. Set up with a simple pump and hose to pump my RODI water from one can to the second for mixing with another flow pump in the salt water can and heater. Nothing fancy but works fine! Using Red Sea blue bucket mixed to 35ppm/1.026 SG.
Tank
For the tank, I decided on the UNS R120 system for my first set up. I was also between waterbox and IM but the UNS systems sump set up and stand seemed better for me. I loved that there was a separate area for the electronics stuff as my wife give me strict limits on no stuff outside of the stand
. Its 4x2x2 feet with 94gallon display. My total water volume is about 112 gallons at this point.I purchased from Top Shelf Aquatics and everything went smoothly from beginning to end with shipping and delivery. Got it moved into place in the living room on an interior load bearing wall. Steel beam running perpendicular to tank in basement so feel pretty good that if the beam can hold up my house it can carry a few extra pounds...
Rock/Sand
Was inspired by the BRS videos of NSA scapes and gave it a shot. We used Marco rock from BRS and spent about a week making the scape. Once I got it in the tank I realized it was too high and had to modify a bit but think it came out pretty good overall. Using carib sea special grade 60lbs of sand. After some debate and a lot of reading I also decided to incorporate 20lbs of live sand from TBS and 15lbs of base rock into the sump to increase biodiversity and maybe smooth out the future ugly stages! Very happy with the live sand and rock addition! The sand mix looks great and we got a tiny brave soul of a hermit crab as our first inhabitant... The base rock has some great Coraline algae and some cool feather dusters and barnacles as well. Got the tank filled on 11/7 and used some Fritz turbo start prior to adding the live sand and rocks on 11/13. Negative ammonia and 0.8ppm nitrogen today.
Lights
Initially was planning for Radion XR 30s but glad I learned more about Reefi first. I went with 2 Reefi Uno 2.1 Pro with mounting brackets. I love the look and was super impressed by how quick Daniel responded to all my questions as I tried to figure out what to get and how to set up. Just fired them up for the first time and set up was a bit odd to synch with wifi but overall not bad and they look great with pre-built program options (I would have no clue what or how to adjust anyway!) I plan to keep lights off for awhile longer though as I figure out the rest of my startup plan.
Other Gear:
Wanted to stay with one brand to make communication with the Hydros system easier and am using Reef Octopus. Again purchased most of my stuff from Top Shelf Aquatics who have been awesome to work with (thanks Frank!).
Return Pump- Reef octopus VarioS8. Definitely more then I need but I am running at 40% with good flow and prior advice was to get more pump then needed to run a lower power/cooler control board. I had it cranked up to 70% and the overflow could handle it just fine but it was basically white water rapids coming out of the outflow jets....
Power Heads- Octopulse 4 x2 (not turned on)
Mechanical filtration- UNS filter socks x3. Not really a good option for a roller system in this sump as the red sea 500 doesn't fit in the filter sock chamber. Could maybe do the Klir x2 but will see how lazy I get. Not sure it would be worth it.
Skimmer- Reef Octopus Elite 150 Int (rated for display of 100 gallons with heavy bioload and my display will be about 90 gallons). Breaking in now but not much nutrients to take out. Will eventually use BRS CO2 Scrubber attached
Reactor- BRS carbon reactor for skimmer chamber. Fits in perfectly. (Not turned on)
Heater- IM Helio 700 Watt (350 x 2) iin skimmer chamber. Set to 78 and temp hasn't moved in a week.
UV- Plumbed for 25w Aqua UV off of return pump manifold that was factory built into UNS plumbing. Hydros flow meter installed on outflow from UV and running at 150 GPH targeting high UV dose for Marine Ich. BRS recommended flow of ~400GPH but from what I can find here this is a very controversial debate and that the contact time for Marine Ich needs to be higher (slower flow and longer UV zap if I understand correctly) and its seems like flows for the 25watt in prior discussion would be in the 120GPH range. No plans to turn UV light on until fish are added later.
Refugium- built into sump. UNS refugium light (not turned on)
Controller- Hydros set up. I will make a separate post about this once I get untangled from all the cords....
Next steps
- finish setting up Hydros system. Fluid sensors, pH probe, leak detector
- setting up ATO system (the gravity system as part of the UNS tank/kit seems a little iffy with the float switch being really touchy so far). Decided at this point to use the Hydros ATO pump and sensor and will probably move the ATO container to the other side of the wall (into garage) where I installed a cord pass through prior to setting up tank.
- planning out next steps for the ugly phase. I want to add copopods maybe next week? Pair of starter clown fish after? When do I start turning lights on?? First corals??
- set up BRS 2 part + mag once I actually have something that will need it.
- order Kraken lid
Any advice is much appreciated and thanks for having a look!!
Congrats! Following along …..
Lesson learned not to buy suck small fish.
