chickenearl
New member
Hi ALL.....fairly new to Reefing.....learning a lot, by mistake mostly! One sure way to learn!
If You Are New to Reef Central, Introduce Yourself Here!
- Thread starter JohnL
- Start date
wanderingreefer
New member
Hey everybody. Have a few buddies with reef tanks and they got me hooked; but this is my first. Two months in now and going strong in North FL. Grateful to be a part of the community!
The Story Begins:
It all began 1 year ago, a birthday present from my family, a small jellyfish tank from Jelly Fish Art, thus began my addiction. I do love jellyfish and I'm very passionate about them however, I needed more of a challenge. I bought a 24 gallon innovative marine tank. The tank looked big at the time and I thought it would satisfy my reef appetite. It wasn't long before I went to a bigger and better 100 gallon cad-lights artisan II tank and let me tell you if my wife or my house would have allowed it I would have gotten an even bigger tank! The 100 gallon is just going to do for now. Believe it or not I'm satisfied... I think. I eventually started replacing equipment after equipment because as you replace one part then you need another part and then as the new equipment came out I would have to have it. I found myself repeating to my loved one "I swear this is it this is the last thing I need, I don't need anything else" but it just never stops. Now I'm looking to upgrade and and go to full SPS. I have finally reached the stage where I can keep fish and grow a forest of coral.
Production:
I am a firm believer that "price is a measure of performance". I can certainly tell with aquarium equipment that it's extremely important for reliability, performance and aesthetics which is something I am extremely passionate about. I'm the kind a guy that likes to admire the exterior of the car and but when you pop open the hood it's jaw dropping.
For that wow factor I went for a clean and modern look; the sump was custom built by a company in Southern California called Advanced Acrylics. They also did the custom dosing system as well. The equipment had to be sleek and hidden, if u look closely I have two Maxspect Gyre circulation pumps that are hidden on the return column and facing 4 different directions. I'm not a fan of seeing the multiple pumps on the side of aquarium tanks. To keep the clutter minimal underneath the tank I built two cabinets on either side of the stand. One cabinet stores the temperature controlled waterproof electrical box and the second cabinet contains the automated dosing system. The cabinets also serve as convenient seating for guests to sit on and view the tank. I know I sound like a bit of a control freak... I am. The whole system is controlled through Neptunes Apex system and GHL for dosing and auto topoff. The entire system is totally capable of running solo for 3 to 5 days and I can control it from my phone, I just need my family to do some feeding. I have installed cameras so I can check on the sump and skimmer to make sure everything is doing what it should being that I travel a lot for work.
The Credits:
I wish I was retired and had a lot of time to do this hobby but I actually work more than I should and am very busy man. I'm a Chef and know nothing about water chemistry, marine biology, or how this hobby works. I could cook fish but had no idea how to keep them alive and without forums and online help I do not know how I could have gotten this far. I didn't want anybody to see how ignorant I was and was amazed at how friendly and helpful everyone has been from my local fish shop to people I have met on forums not to mention the countless hours I have spent on the help line of Marine Depot.... poor guys. It has been really heartwarming and I have to say thank you for all of the encouragement and patience that you all have had. I mean everyone has to start somewhere, everyone was new to this hobby at some point. I also have to give some credit to my loving family who bought me my first tank and who has supported me from the the beginning, putting up with long nights, leaks, dead fish, emergencies, messes and for allowing me to have the dedicated time needed to learn everything from scratch.
The Saga Continues:
My plan for the upcoming year is to document my journey as I gear my tank towards an SPS dominated tank with the thought of going into the ZEOvit system (someone please stop me!) I feel like I'm pretty maxed out on the amount of fish being that I have around 30 and I'm pretty happy with the selection. Everything seems to be happy and growing well but... boy it sure takes a long time!! Until then happy reefing and see you soon.
It all began 1 year ago, a birthday present from my family, a small jellyfish tank from Jelly Fish Art, thus began my addiction. I do love jellyfish and I'm very passionate about them however, I needed more of a challenge. I bought a 24 gallon innovative marine tank. The tank looked big at the time and I thought it would satisfy my reef appetite. It wasn't long before I went to a bigger and better 100 gallon cad-lights artisan II tank and let me tell you if my wife or my house would have allowed it I would have gotten an even bigger tank! The 100 gallon is just going to do for now. Believe it or not I'm satisfied... I think. I eventually started replacing equipment after equipment because as you replace one part then you need another part and then as the new equipment came out I would have to have it. I found myself repeating to my loved one "I swear this is it this is the last thing I need, I don't need anything else" but it just never stops. Now I'm looking to upgrade and and go to full SPS. I have finally reached the stage where I can keep fish and grow a forest of coral.
Production:
I am a firm believer that "price is a measure of performance". I can certainly tell with aquarium equipment that it's extremely important for reliability, performance and aesthetics which is something I am extremely passionate about. I'm the kind a guy that likes to admire the exterior of the car and but when you pop open the hood it's jaw dropping.
For that wow factor I went for a clean and modern look; the sump was custom built by a company in Southern California called Advanced Acrylics. They also did the custom dosing system as well. The equipment had to be sleek and hidden, if u look closely I have two Maxspect Gyre circulation pumps that are hidden on the return column and facing 4 different directions. I'm not a fan of seeing the multiple pumps on the side of aquarium tanks. To keep the clutter minimal underneath the tank I built two cabinets on either side of the stand. One cabinet stores the temperature controlled waterproof electrical box and the second cabinet contains the automated dosing system. The cabinets also serve as convenient seating for guests to sit on and view the tank. I know I sound like a bit of a control freak... I am. The whole system is controlled through Neptunes Apex system and GHL for dosing and auto topoff. The entire system is totally capable of running solo for 3 to 5 days and I can control it from my phone, I just need my family to do some feeding. I have installed cameras so I can check on the sump and skimmer to make sure everything is doing what it should being that I travel a lot for work.
The Credits:
I wish I was retired and had a lot of time to do this hobby but I actually work more than I should and am very busy man. I'm a Chef and know nothing about water chemistry, marine biology, or how this hobby works. I could cook fish but had no idea how to keep them alive and without forums and online help I do not know how I could have gotten this far. I didn't want anybody to see how ignorant I was and was amazed at how friendly and helpful everyone has been from my local fish shop to people I have met on forums not to mention the countless hours I have spent on the help line of Marine Depot.... poor guys. It has been really heartwarming and I have to say thank you for all of the encouragement and patience that you all have had. I mean everyone has to start somewhere, everyone was new to this hobby at some point. I also have to give some credit to my loving family who bought me my first tank and who has supported me from the the beginning, putting up with long nights, leaks, dead fish, emergencies, messes and for allowing me to have the dedicated time needed to learn everything from scratch.
The Saga Continues:
My plan for the upcoming year is to document my journey as I gear my tank towards an SPS dominated tank with the thought of going into the ZEOvit system (someone please stop me!) I feel like I'm pretty maxed out on the amount of fish being that I have around 30 and I'm pretty happy with the selection. Everything seems to be happy and growing well but... boy it sure takes a long time!! Until then happy reefing and see you soon.
mickeyd2091
New member
Hey! I got my first tank back in August, 39 gallon bow front. It had some live rock and soft corals and invertebrates with 2 paired clown. Since then, I have added Frogspawn, hammers, acan, war, star coral, shrimp, crabs and much more. I am out of space and currently looking for a 90 gallon setup with LED and drilled tank.
crocogator106
New member
Hello all! I'm new to the forum and am just getting back into the hobby after about a 10 year break. Man have there been alot of changes i the hobby since I've been out. Reasonably priced LED lighting, algae scrubbers and other upgraded equipment; I can't wait to get started again. I am currently getting equipment together to start a 75g reef tank and I'm looking forward to being a frequent visitor here-lots of information to process and re-process-lol.
Brand new to saltwater tanks, and pretty new to fish keeping in general.
I started back around Aug '15 with a 20 gallon long FW tank. Before I could even set that one up, I got a killer deal on a 75 gallon tank and decided to go with that instead. They are both now set up as nice planted tanks and I've enjoyed them for the past several months.
A couple weeks ago I got a 29 gallon tank for free from a friend, and I started thinking about a SW setup. My wife loves the look of SW over FW/planted, so it was an easy sell to add a 3rd tank to the household if it was something she liked. I've cleaned it up and done a leak test and all is good. Now comes the part of where to put it. During that conversation my wife said she'd rather have the 75 planted Rainbowfish tank be the SW tank because its in our living room. Now I have some decisions to make, and I'm not sure what to do.
Either way, I'm going to be getting into the SW game with a Reef tank. Not sure on any specifics yet, because I have to decide which tank will be getting drilled.
I started back around Aug '15 with a 20 gallon long FW tank. Before I could even set that one up, I got a killer deal on a 75 gallon tank and decided to go with that instead. They are both now set up as nice planted tanks and I've enjoyed them for the past several months.
A couple weeks ago I got a 29 gallon tank for free from a friend, and I started thinking about a SW setup. My wife loves the look of SW over FW/planted, so it was an easy sell to add a 3rd tank to the household if it was something she liked. I've cleaned it up and done a leak test and all is good. Now comes the part of where to put it. During that conversation my wife said she'd rather have the 75 planted Rainbowfish tank be the SW tank because its in our living room. Now I have some decisions to make, and I'm not sure what to do.
Either way, I'm going to be getting into the SW game with a Reef tank. Not sure on any specifics yet, because I have to decide which tank will be getting drilled.
lindley999
New member
hello
hello
Hi everyone, I'm Simon from the uk, new to reef central, have been keeping saltwater for around 12 years however not had a tank for about 4 years so out of the loop a bit. Just got a clearseal reefspace 900 a braceless opti white 90cmx50cmx50cm which I will be setting up as a mixed reef over the next few months. Any equipment suggestions greatly received
hello
Hi everyone, I'm Simon from the uk, new to reef central, have been keeping saltwater for around 12 years however not had a tank for about 4 years so out of the loop a bit. Just got a clearseal reefspace 900 a braceless opti white 90cmx50cmx50cm which I will be setting up as a mixed reef over the next few months. Any equipment suggestions greatly received
tarmstrong59
New member
Bubba's Reef Tank in Raleigh, NC
Bubba's Reef Tank in Raleigh, NC
My setup so far:
Deep Blue Professional 75gal drilled tank with stand and canopy
Deep Blue Professional PowerMaxx100 wet/dry sump filter
Aquatic Life 3300L (873gph) Return Pump
AquaMaxx ConeS CO-1 In-Sump Protein Skimmer
2 AquaIllumination Prime LED Lights
XF130 Maxspect Gyre Generator Flow Pump
ViaAqua 300-Watt Quartz Glass Submersible Heater
Carib Sea Arag-Alive Substrate, Hawaiian Black, 70lb.
Key Largo Reef Saver Dry Rock/Live rock - 50lbs
LFS Live Rock - 35lbs
Aqua UV 15W Advantage 2000+ HOB UV Sterilizer with Lifegard Aquatics Quiet Aquarium Pump 4000
Tunze Osmolator Universal 3155 Auto Top Off System
APC BR1500G Back-UPS Pro 1500VA 10-outlet Uninterruptible Power Supply
Bubba's Reef Tank in Raleigh, NC
My setup so far:
Deep Blue Professional 75gal drilled tank with stand and canopy
Deep Blue Professional PowerMaxx100 wet/dry sump filter
Aquatic Life 3300L (873gph) Return Pump
AquaMaxx ConeS CO-1 In-Sump Protein Skimmer
2 AquaIllumination Prime LED Lights
XF130 Maxspect Gyre Generator Flow Pump
ViaAqua 300-Watt Quartz Glass Submersible Heater
Carib Sea Arag-Alive Substrate, Hawaiian Black, 70lb.
Key Largo Reef Saver Dry Rock/Live rock - 50lbs
LFS Live Rock - 35lbs
Aqua UV 15W Advantage 2000+ HOB UV Sterilizer with Lifegard Aquatics Quiet Aquarium Pump 4000
Tunze Osmolator Universal 3155 Auto Top Off System
APC BR1500G Back-UPS Pro 1500VA 10-outlet Uninterruptible Power Supply
Upgrade to bigger tank... Need to cycle?
Upgrade to bigger tank... Need to cycle?
Hi all. I am new to Reef Central and relatively new to the hobby (1 year). I have a 30 gallon tank currently with no fish (long story buy the few I had died). I've decided its a good time to upgrade before buying anything new. I now have a 75 gallon RR tank, a sump, a protein skimmer, and good lighting. Eventually I'd like to get into reefing, but for now just want to add some fish. My question is, do I need to cycle the new tank or will transferring my live rock and a little of the sand make the new tank ready to go from the start? I have been without fish for about two months and have been using the time to cure and slowly add rock to my existing tank while building a stand for the new 75 gallon. I do have some snails, an emerald crab, and other hermits. Thanks!
Upgrade to bigger tank... Need to cycle?
Hi all. I am new to Reef Central and relatively new to the hobby (1 year). I have a 30 gallon tank currently with no fish (long story buy the few I had died). I've decided its a good time to upgrade before buying anything new. I now have a 75 gallon RR tank, a sump, a protein skimmer, and good lighting. Eventually I'd like to get into reefing, but for now just want to add some fish. My question is, do I need to cycle the new tank or will transferring my live rock and a little of the sand make the new tank ready to go from the start? I have been without fish for about two months and have been using the time to cure and slowly add rock to my existing tank while building a stand for the new 75 gallon. I do have some snails, an emerald crab, and other hermits. Thanks!
Flash Jorden
New member
Hello all,
I'm new to salt water, but I used to keep freshwater tanks years ago. That was until I went on a 30 day business trip and my wife forgot to take care of my tank. Everything died. I gave up keeping fish. Fast forward years later, she bought me a 150 gallon tank as a surprise gift to me. I'm told it's called a breeder tank due to its measurements (24"L x 48"W x 30"H). In any case, the tank has sat empty for years, because I wanted to do a salt water tank, and needed to accumulate the knowledge, funds, equipment etc ... to get it going. Well she is finally fed up looking at an empty tank, she told me to set it up, or get rid of it. So now is the time. I've purchased a ton of stuff, and will begin getting everything assembled and in place. I've spent a small fortune at Bulk Reef Supply. Speaking of BRS, I've decided to model my build after their current BRS160 build. We'll see how this goes.
Wish me luck!!!
-Jorden
I'm new to salt water, but I used to keep freshwater tanks years ago. That was until I went on a 30 day business trip and my wife forgot to take care of my tank. Everything died. I gave up keeping fish. Fast forward years later, she bought me a 150 gallon tank as a surprise gift to me. I'm told it's called a breeder tank due to its measurements (24"L x 48"W x 30"H). In any case, the tank has sat empty for years, because I wanted to do a salt water tank, and needed to accumulate the knowledge, funds, equipment etc ... to get it going. Well she is finally fed up looking at an empty tank, she told me to set it up, or get rid of it. So now is the time. I've purchased a ton of stuff, and will begin getting everything assembled and in place. I've spent a small fortune at Bulk Reef Supply. Speaking of BRS, I've decided to model my build after their current BRS160 build. We'll see how this goes.
Wish me luck!!!
-Jorden
JoshSmithers
New member
Hello!
Wow there's a lot of info here, I hope I will one day be a great reefer as well!
Wow there's a lot of info here, I hope I will one day be a great reefer as well!
Cotswoldsnewbie
New member
I want to start but I go away a few nights a week
I want to start but I go away a few nights a week
I am looking at buying a RedSea e260 tank as I love the clean lines and hi tech appearance but as I go away for a few nights a week I worry about evaporation and associated water quality issues and also feeding issues but with such a nice looking tank I would not want ugly auto feeders etc all stuck on the front of it! It would be my first ever marine tank so I want a ready made and easy to run set up. Please can you advise? Thank you
I want to start but I go away a few nights a week
I am looking at buying a RedSea e260 tank as I love the clean lines and hi tech appearance but as I go away for a few nights a week I worry about evaporation and associated water quality issues and also feeding issues but with such a nice looking tank I would not want ugly auto feeders etc all stuck on the front of it! It would be my first ever marine tank so I want a ready made and easy to run set up. Please can you advise? Thank you
Nercuitreef
New member
Hi im new to the hobby and currently have the smallest nano tank.. It is been there for a month now.. But I'm happy that everything looks good and great! I have a 25liter tank.. Currently have 2 clowns, 2 live rocks (with a lot of coralline algea growing now), 1 blue legged hermit (does the cleaning of the sand and rocks), 1 green bubble tip (which i have for 2 weeks now And growing and looks like 8 now not surenif it's splitting anytime soon), 1 skunk shrimp (who keeps stealing food from my bta, and I have to target feed).. Thats pretty much it! I'm also using tap water.. And no problem with algeas whatsoever... Planninb to get a bigger nano tank soon!! Nice meeting ya all.. Anyways, I'm from Japan..
z3speed4me
New member
Hi everyone,
Also just starting my journey like many of you. I have a JBJ biocube I purchased second-hand. Started a little build thread, but don't know how often I will keep posting to it, although I will try. Hoping for the best. I have kept fresh water cichlids for years, and this is my first experience with salt.
Trying to be patient after reading pages and pages for I don't know how many years, just hoping for the best!
Also just starting my journey like many of you. I have a JBJ biocube I purchased second-hand. Started a little build thread, but don't know how often I will keep posting to it, although I will try. Hoping for the best. I have kept fresh water cichlids for years, and this is my first experience with salt.
Trying to be patient after reading pages and pages for I don't know how many years, just hoping for the best!
EuphylliaFamily
New member
Hi! Not new to the hobby but new to the reef central community, just finished putting together a new tank, after being out of the hobby for 2 years had a itch to get back into it, looking forward to starting a journal, I do have a question when will I be able to post a new topic/ start my journal, I'm assuming there is a waiting period or approval
MattGatten
New member
Hello from St. Louis
Hello from St. Louis
Hi there,
Been reading this site and others for several years off and on. Started a new job, working from home almost 100% of the time. (IT Cloud Engineer)
Given how much I am in my office by myself, I think it's high time to get serious and take the 'next step'. Right, actually registering on a site on the subject. LOL!
I am leaning toward a 50-ish gallon for my first tank. No decisions have been made yet and the size will depend on the space I choose. (not too small and not too big tho) As for the contents, no decisions there either. Maybe FO at first and keep adding as I gain confidence.
So, there's that.
Take care,
Matt
Hello from St. Louis
Hi there,
Been reading this site and others for several years off and on. Started a new job, working from home almost 100% of the time. (IT Cloud Engineer)
Given how much I am in my office by myself, I think it's high time to get serious and take the 'next step'. Right, actually registering on a site on the subject. LOL!
I am leaning toward a 50-ish gallon for my first tank. No decisions have been made yet and the size will depend on the space I choose. (not too small and not too big tho) As for the contents, no decisions there either. Maybe FO at first and keep adding as I gain confidence.
So, there's that.
Take care,
Matt
New member, having problems
New member, having problems
Hello everybody! I have read this forum for quite a while now and have decided to join so I could get some your expert opinions! I am having a problem with my tank and my fish are acting very lethargic, so I was wondering where I could post my question to get some specific answers. Do I start a new thread and if so how? Or should I go to a specific section and post there?
New member, having problems
Hello everybody! I have read this forum for quite a while now and have decided to join so I could get some your expert opinions! I am having a problem with my tank and my fish are acting very lethargic, so I was wondering where I could post my question to get some specific answers. Do I start a new thread and if so how? Or should I go to a specific section and post there?
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