Mark...
Member
Hi, I've been hanging around here at RC for a little while and recently joined back in May. I've been waiting to pull the trigger on doing this tank, knowing the time, commitment and money it takes to do it right. Even with the tank in the garage right now I even hesitate, but finally have decided to push forward in a slow calculated manner. Months to a year.
As a middle aged geeky type person I have learned the journey sometimes is as much or more fun as the end result. With that said, I really enjoy learning and dissecting every issue. From equipment to live stock. I also love to wheel and deal in the shopping department! And I also tend to ask too many questions.
My Personal History As a kid I always had fresh water tanks at different stages of growing up. (I still haven't grown up btw, ask my wife and kids).
In the 80's when I finally had my own home the tanks returned. I had a nice 125 gallon salt water setup in the wall and ran it for many years with a fair amount of success. Compared to the technology now, it was the stone age. (Hence my Back to the Future thread title) I used under-gravel filters with air pumps, a hanging Superking filter, heater hanging in the corner, dolomite as a substrate. I bought the tank for $119, built the stand with 2x4's and 3/4 plywood. Used a $10 shop light with 4 foot aquarium bulbs. Used dead coral, lava rock which I still have in the basement. So for a couple of hundred dollars I had at the time a very nice tank. Oh and lots of green algae!
Fast forward to today. I'm in a different home, with Wife, 2 crazy Dachshunds and 3 boys with two being grown up. Have one 2 year old Grandson. And now I'm thinking of doing a nice tank in my home office. I was going to wait a few years to put this together as I got closer to retirement...but with the bug...how can I wait 6-7 more years? I find the new equipment options fascinating and expensive. It like being a mad scientist
Oh and if I can sell my piano, I can get an even bigger tank (as per the wife) and put it in my living room. Peninsula? Anyone want to buy a nice grand piano?
Today: I'm in the planning stages and buying stuff. I've spent months looking at tank options and then found this gem:
Its a 7 year old 180 gallon, but never setup. Came with an Ocean Motion 4(which I have since sold) and a new 6 year old pump that has also never been used. If I sell the piano, I'll make the tank a sump or frag tank...lol Here is the pump, I'm selling it. Too powerful for my needs.
Here is an old acyrlic I bought to become my basement sump:
Crazy 2 hour ride on Interstate, my son peed his pants(him in picture)...I did too
Have to setup the baffles, but first need to pick out a skimmer and return pump. Both choices are proving difficult...
My tank vision: I want to make it as if it has a rimless look and feel as possible. I want it to be clean and efficient as well as artsy. I will attempt to have as small environmental impact as possible. Both in equipment and reef life. LED lights (reefbreeders) and DC pumps (maybe), if they can do a proper job in a basement sump. I really don't want my electric going to the moon. I hope to have find a stand or have one built.. I also need to make sure I have no water disasters up stairs. Plan on using a Herbie.
I have concerns about my well water and just bought the BRS 75g plus 5 stage ro/di unit. I have some CO2 issues to work out as well as other setup questions. But that can wait. I will need to bubble my RO water before DI to remove the CO2.
I'm pretty good in the fish department, but totally new in the coral arena. So that should be fun learning.
So this is my initial build thread post to get things started, hope it wasn't too much.
Bought so far:
RO/DI
180g tank
100g sump
heaters
filter socks
salt
27lbs of rock
refractometer
magnet cleaner
Waiting to pull trigger on return pump, skimmer and much more...
Have a ton of questions...
Mark...
As a middle aged geeky type person I have learned the journey sometimes is as much or more fun as the end result. With that said, I really enjoy learning and dissecting every issue. From equipment to live stock. I also love to wheel and deal in the shopping department! And I also tend to ask too many questions.
My Personal History As a kid I always had fresh water tanks at different stages of growing up. (I still haven't grown up btw, ask my wife and kids).
In the 80's when I finally had my own home the tanks returned. I had a nice 125 gallon salt water setup in the wall and ran it for many years with a fair amount of success. Compared to the technology now, it was the stone age. (Hence my Back to the Future thread title) I used under-gravel filters with air pumps, a hanging Superking filter, heater hanging in the corner, dolomite as a substrate. I bought the tank for $119, built the stand with 2x4's and 3/4 plywood. Used a $10 shop light with 4 foot aquarium bulbs. Used dead coral, lava rock which I still have in the basement. So for a couple of hundred dollars I had at the time a very nice tank. Oh and lots of green algae!
Fast forward to today. I'm in a different home, with Wife, 2 crazy Dachshunds and 3 boys with two being grown up. Have one 2 year old Grandson. And now I'm thinking of doing a nice tank in my home office. I was going to wait a few years to put this together as I got closer to retirement...but with the bug...how can I wait 6-7 more years? I find the new equipment options fascinating and expensive. It like being a mad scientist
Oh and if I can sell my piano, I can get an even bigger tank (as per the wife) and put it in my living room. Peninsula? Anyone want to buy a nice grand piano?
Today: I'm in the planning stages and buying stuff. I've spent months looking at tank options and then found this gem:
Its a 7 year old 180 gallon, but never setup. Came with an Ocean Motion 4(which I have since sold) and a new 6 year old pump that has also never been used. If I sell the piano, I'll make the tank a sump or frag tank...lol Here is the pump, I'm selling it. Too powerful for my needs.
Here is an old acyrlic I bought to become my basement sump:
Crazy 2 hour ride on Interstate, my son peed his pants(him in picture)...I did too
Have to setup the baffles, but first need to pick out a skimmer and return pump. Both choices are proving difficult...
My tank vision: I want to make it as if it has a rimless look and feel as possible. I want it to be clean and efficient as well as artsy. I will attempt to have as small environmental impact as possible. Both in equipment and reef life. LED lights (reefbreeders) and DC pumps (maybe), if they can do a proper job in a basement sump. I really don't want my electric going to the moon. I hope to have find a stand or have one built.. I also need to make sure I have no water disasters up stairs. Plan on using a Herbie.
I have concerns about my well water and just bought the BRS 75g plus 5 stage ro/di unit. I have some CO2 issues to work out as well as other setup questions. But that can wait. I will need to bubble my RO water before DI to remove the CO2.
I'm pretty good in the fish department, but totally new in the coral arena. So that should be fun learning.
So this is my initial build thread post to get things started, hope it wasn't too much.
Bought so far:
RO/DI
180g tank
100g sump
heaters
filter socks
salt
27lbs of rock
refractometer
magnet cleaner
Waiting to pull trigger on return pump, skimmer and much more...
Have a ton of questions...
Mark...
