bradleym
Premium Member
Hi, I have been reefing for just over 2 years now, starting with a 15g, then a 29, then 75... You see where this is headed, right? So this week I am taking the plunge and skipping up a few steps - and getting a 500 gallon tank.
My plan is to DIY most of the rock structures myself and use maybe 20% actual live rock. After building all the rockwork, I will fill the tank and add the LR and go bare bottom FOWLR with ceiling mounted track lighting overhead for about a year. This will get me through the door but it's just phase one.
I will save up and gather sand until I have enough to fill the tank about 8 inches deep, then add the sand over the course of no more than a week. This is phase 2, establishing a DSB.
During the following 6 months (give or take) while the DSB and tank inhabitants learn to love eachother, I will save up again, and replace all the track lighting bulbs with LED fixures built with narrow optics. Phase 3.
Assuming these phases are all relatively successful, I will have an established reef ready tank with a DSB and coral-supportive lighting, so I will begn gradually converting the tank to a mixed reef.
This will be a massive undertaking, unlike anything I have ever done, so before I even move the tank into my house I wanted to start this thread asking for advice and tips. Here are a few things you should know:
1. So far, all I have is the tank and stand. All equipment is yet to be determined. However I am thinking several powerheads for flow and 2 returns (Mag ??) from the sump, and definitely a good sized refugium + turf algae scrubber + protein skimmer. Probably GFO, carbon, and bio pellet reactors as well, but I don't anticipate much need for a calcium reactor.
2. The sump will have to be located in the tank's stand. A potential upgrade to a remote sump isn't going to be an option for at least 2 years.
3. I know, adding the sand after tank is cycled and holding fish is a terrible idea. However, I've done it on a much smaller scale, and I know this - if I decide this tank is too much for me, I want to decide it before I have to scoop out all of the sand!
4. With no set timetable, here is an idea of my most desired stock list:
Niger Trigger, Tang/s (undecided species), Angel/s (undecided species), Mandarin Goby, Diamond Goby, sixline wrasse. Optionally, a small group of chromis. For inverts/corals, I will probably avoid SPS, except maybe some monti cap or tabling varieties. The rest will be soft coral and occasional LPS. My main gem will be anemones, including multiple BTAs, a H. Crispa, a H. Aurora, and at least 3 carpet anemones, 2 being Haddoni, 1 blue 1 red. These will host an undetermined pair of clowfish (I hope).
I would welcome any help/links/insights/warnings you can offer. If you see something wrong with the stocklist, call me out. And if you have suggestions on other fish I could have, let's hear it! I intend to have alot going on in the end, and I hope to have a well-laid plan ahead of me the whole way. :dance:
My plan is to DIY most of the rock structures myself and use maybe 20% actual live rock. After building all the rockwork, I will fill the tank and add the LR and go bare bottom FOWLR with ceiling mounted track lighting overhead for about a year. This will get me through the door but it's just phase one.
I will save up and gather sand until I have enough to fill the tank about 8 inches deep, then add the sand over the course of no more than a week. This is phase 2, establishing a DSB.
During the following 6 months (give or take) while the DSB and tank inhabitants learn to love eachother, I will save up again, and replace all the track lighting bulbs with LED fixures built with narrow optics. Phase 3.
Assuming these phases are all relatively successful, I will have an established reef ready tank with a DSB and coral-supportive lighting, so I will begn gradually converting the tank to a mixed reef.
This will be a massive undertaking, unlike anything I have ever done, so before I even move the tank into my house I wanted to start this thread asking for advice and tips. Here are a few things you should know:
1. So far, all I have is the tank and stand. All equipment is yet to be determined. However I am thinking several powerheads for flow and 2 returns (Mag ??) from the sump, and definitely a good sized refugium + turf algae scrubber + protein skimmer. Probably GFO, carbon, and bio pellet reactors as well, but I don't anticipate much need for a calcium reactor.
2. The sump will have to be located in the tank's stand. A potential upgrade to a remote sump isn't going to be an option for at least 2 years.
3. I know, adding the sand after tank is cycled and holding fish is a terrible idea. However, I've done it on a much smaller scale, and I know this - if I decide this tank is too much for me, I want to decide it before I have to scoop out all of the sand!
4. With no set timetable, here is an idea of my most desired stock list:
Niger Trigger, Tang/s (undecided species), Angel/s (undecided species), Mandarin Goby, Diamond Goby, sixline wrasse. Optionally, a small group of chromis. For inverts/corals, I will probably avoid SPS, except maybe some monti cap or tabling varieties. The rest will be soft coral and occasional LPS. My main gem will be anemones, including multiple BTAs, a H. Crispa, a H. Aurora, and at least 3 carpet anemones, 2 being Haddoni, 1 blue 1 red. These will host an undetermined pair of clowfish (I hope).
I would welcome any help/links/insights/warnings you can offer. If you see something wrong with the stocklist, call me out. And if you have suggestions on other fish I could have, let's hear it! I intend to have alot going on in the end, and I hope to have a well-laid plan ahead of me the whole way. :dance:
Your plan looks good from what I can see. Powerheads I would definitely recommend Vortech's.
