Back in the game!

[Nathan4Wvu]

After a five your break from reef keeping due to college I'm back in it! :bounce2:Although my mom has been keeping my 75 in tip top shape back in Charleston I now live permanently in Morgantown. Some of you may remember me but if not HELLO again!

I have been on here a little in the last couple months but not much. I noticed a lot of things have changed. The name changed not sure what is up with that. Some things have changed with me to I got married last December in Charleston! Will post some pics later! She just graduated from WVU as well and is teaching elementary special-ed and I'm managing a local restaurant till I can find a job in my field.


Well, I picked up a 40 gallon breeder tank at Petco. They had a sale two weeks ago selected tank were $1 per gallon! The next thing I picked up was a RO/DI machine, CPR filter sock assembly, and two bulkheads, Today, I picked up some pipe, paint and wood.

In about 6 hours I drilled the tank, built the stand, plumed and painted the tank. Right now I'm just waiting on it to fill up. My RO/DI is 100gpd so it should take a couple hours. Underneath I'm using my old 20L as a sump.


I will post pics soon! Can't wait to get into this build!

Planning on going SPS and LPS with a shallow sand bed, cal reactor, 250watts of MH lighting.

 

[chrismck97]

good for you. Did you have to teach your mom for a long time cause thats what i had to do lol

 

[Nathan4Wvu]

It took her a while to get going but she is good at it now. Since Bery got out of the fish business she has no place to take her frags and she is running out of room. If anyone is interested in trading or buying some let me know.

 

[Nathan4Wvu]

My old tank my mom now watches this pic is about 2 years old

 

[MattG]

Welcome back nathon. I'm not in the area anymore but pop in this forum once in a while. You'll have to get some pics up of the new build!

 

[carb850]

I think you might of been stepping away form the hobby as I was coming in. I recall your screen name but only a couple times. It is nice to see some people getting back in after so many people have left.

Like Matt said, looking forward to some picks.

BTW, what type of corals is your mom keeping?

 

[Nathan4Wvu]

She has a couple SPS nothing special. Mostly LPS and soft stuff. Lots of torches, plates, frogspawn and zoos. In her frag tank she has a really nice green carpet anemone!

 

[Nathan4Wvu]

Some pics sorry for the quality took them on my Ipone 3g

 

[Nathan4Wvu]

The stand is going to be covered in 3/8 inch veneer plywood once I get all the sump parts in and the ballast mounted under there.

I'm going to go with a pendent for lighting would a single 250hqi mounted about 18 inches above the water give good coverage and wouldn't be to much light?

Also, does anyone have suggestions on a skimmer and calc reactor? I will be picking up the skimmer first. The calc reactor will not come till spring of next year once my coral load becomes higher.

I'm thinking either ASM or reef octopus.

 

[Nathan4Wvu]

Also just added sand today! Soon as my heater come from thatfishplace I get get it warmed up for the salt, live sand, and rock!

 

[MattG]

looking good!

 

[Nathan4Wvu]

Ordered the skimmer yesterday and the flow pump for inside the tank!!! I went with the reef octopus,one thats a little oversized since I plan on upgrading next year.

 

[coralreefer]

<img src="/images/welcome.gif" width="500" height="62"><br><b><i><big><big>BACK</b></i></big></big>

Looks like you're off to a great start.:beer:

ot since when do posts have to be more than 3 characters?

 

[carb850]

I'm going to go with a pendent for lighting would a single 250hqi mounted about 18 inches above the water give good coverage and wouldn't be to much light?

18" is pretty high but at the same time you do need to raise it a good bit for full coverage. Have you considered a T5HO fixture? Fellow in Huntington had a stunning SPS dominated tank using a TEK T5 fixture.

Also, does anyone have suggestions on a skimmer and calc reactor? I will be picking up the skimmer first. The calc reactor will not come till spring of next year once my coral load becomes higher.

So far Kalk has keep up with my Calcium and Alk needs. If I get to the point were it isn't, I think I'm going with a Two Part Solution with dosing pumps.

 

[Baldwin]

I agree, I would use kalk and then go to calcium chloride in combo with the kalk. Would you need the alkalinity side of the two part if you were using kalk for alkalinity? If you are worried about the 250 hqi being too high, go with a 400 hqi, they dont cost much more at all.

 

[Nathan4Wvu]

Ohhh... that reminds me I have a Kalk reactor back home I traded Phil for that he made. My mom was scared to use it after some of the horror stories she heard about what can happen if your top off sticks on! I think I may just use your idea and go with that for the time being and save myself $500!

Also can't wait

 

[Nathan4Wvu]

Double post

 

[Nathan4Wvu]

Got my skimmer today in the mail! It went from LA calf to here in less than 48 hours. I am more then amazed with reefspecialty.com. The order was over $175 so I expected the free shipping to be slow but it came 2 day express!

I will post pics tomorrow.

 

[Nathan4Wvu]

Update photos! Got my rock today from MACROROCKS.com 25lbs of it. It looks great!!

Ordering the lighting this week so I can get rid of those two 2x4's holding up one of the old lights. Also, I still need to cover the stand and stain it.

 

[carb850]

Looking good. I too have been very happy with the rock I got from Marco. I saved a ton of money using dry rock. Of my 150lbs+, only 16lbs was purchased as live.