Started from a nano, now I'm here

[Fuel Doodle]

Hey there reef central! I've been planning this build for years now. yes, years... I'm going to talk very little on this thread, and post pics non-stop. I think pictures tell the story better than I can in words

Brief history: Bought a nano reef with some rock and clowns. They lived through my learning curve, and must be some real tough fish. I've had many types of corals and have found that anemones are among my favorite of all the critters in the sea. This tank started back in February, 2016. I've been saving each month and buying a few things to get me where I am today. I'll post some pics along the way of what I bought each month and my 1 year plan I had for this tank.
February purchase: Trash can and RODI system.

 

[Fuel Doodle]

March: I went to my parents and picked up my 72 bow front fish tank I used in college. This used to be the home of some awesome discus! Just check it out:

Early days:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IDaNmC_aRo
After a few months:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWWy9ZzALLI

Before the bow:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GPLSCYq1pg

 

[Fuel Doodle]

April: Subscribed to one year of a fish magazine that I used to pick up now and then at my LFS.

 

[Fuel Doodle]

May: Bought some basic things for the nano to keep it going until the big move. A couple of bags of salt, phosphate pad, and Purigen. Just thought I'd show a couple photos of the nano tank in May

 

[Fuel Doodle]

June: Didn't buy anything worth mentioning that I can think of. Had to save my money to take my wife on vacation On the bright side, my anemone split! Now I have 3 of them:

 

[Fuel Doodle]

July: Started my first purchases towards my tank upgrade on the 4th of July weekend: 74 lbs of Fiji dry live rock! Threw the live rock into the trash can and started a dark cycle until the upgrade tank is ready.

 

[Fuel Doodle]

August: Got my cerebra! First time controller owner. Excited to test it out.
Also bought the 16 inch synergy reef overflow along with the fittings, valves, and piping for my overflow system

Also, went to a frag swap and picked up an orange anemone. Hope you enjoy!

 

[electronaught]

Look forward to seeing it come together. I've been in the planning and slow purchase phase while enjoying a small tank, too.

 

[Fuel Doodle]

Look forward to seeing it come together. I've been in the planning and slow purchase phase while enjoying a small tank, too.

Thanks! Good luck and you will have to share some pictures for me


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[Fuel Doodle]

August's end: Went out and bought recirculating external reef octopus and M1 ecotech return pump with M1 schedule 40 fitting converter and M1 Mesh screen. After purchase, it was clear I would not need the converter.

 

[electronaught]

Thanks! Good luck and you will have to share some pictures for me


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Definitely will do.
I have the aquarium, a 300g 6' x 3' x 2', a plumbing plan, the 55g refugium, some live rock in a separate curing tank (fully cured since it's been in there a long while with some food, snails, and hermits) as well as pumps, protein skimmer...
You get the idea.

I have to get the flooring in the room it's slated for redone before I can set it up.

Stand construction is underway - only the frame, no pretty parts yet.

 

[Fuel Doodle]

Definitely will do.
I have the aquarium, a 300g 6' x 3' x 2', a plumbing plan, the 55g refugium, some live rock in a separate curing tank (fully cured since it's been in there a long while with some food, snails, and hermits) as well as pumps, protein skimmer...
You get the idea.

I have to get the flooring in the room it's slated for redone before I can set it up.

Stand construction is underway - only the frame, no pretty parts yet.

Sounds like you have quiet the set up there. Looking forward to what you have going once that floor is in and stand is completed.

 

[Fuel Doodle]

September: Bought the return fittings, tubes, pipes, heater, mesh nets, and some glue.

Also saw a thread with some ideas I already had in my head that I wanted to give a try for aquascaping.

Went to local big box store and bough 2 cans of spray paint enamel. Then bough another.... Then gave up and bought some "true black" in a can of nautica and brushed the entire stand.

Enjoy!


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[Fuel Doodle]

September mid: finally worked up the courage to drill my first tank. I grabbed my parents 55 gallon that was 20+ years old to practice on.

Guess it was tempered. Very loud boom when the tank broke. Sat around for 30 minutes trying to think of my next steps, then went to drilling the real thing. Directions say to draw holes using the template on the inside of the tank. That doesn't exactly work when the tank has been painted already...

nano update

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[Fuel Doodle]

So my holes turned out better and better. The learning curve is a real thing. My last hole, the return, is basically perfect. First hole was rather rough... Still worked out great!

Sept 18: cut the pipes during the week and dry fit into place. For those of you whom have never done this like me, please be aware that once you use the prep and glue, the pipe will slip snug to the inside of the fitting. Because of this on glue day, I had to stop and go back and cut many more of the smaller pipes because only a nub would have been left.

Finished dry fit prior to having to go back and cut again.

Make sure you chamfer for ease of install and for no leak ever. This was how I chamfered for ease and speed.

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[Fuel Doodle]

Sept 18th week cont: this is what the chamfer will look like up close

Here is my piping taken down and ready for glue. Currently, about 1/3 has been glued and plan on finishing that up today or tomorrow.

Also, I plan on having a nemish tank. I was liked this great chart for nem compatibility.

spent some time with far away friends who have the same dog we do and beautiful sightseeing

that isn't us/me in the photo, just some people who didn't move for me.

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[Fuel Doodle]

So I'm trying to figure out what type of lighting and how much I should get. I am torn between 2 kessil ap700s, 3 radion 4Gs, or 4 kessil 360s. What do you all think? I'm going to house mostly anemones and stuff that goes with them. My main concern is I want low cost/month electricity, and one solid color of light without that cone look.


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[scubadan206]

If it's just anemones you don't really need much. You could get away with two Kessil's 360 and a few T5 retrofits would be my suggestion.

 

[Fuel Doodle]

If it's just anemones you don't really need much. You could get away with two Kessil's 360 and a few T5 retrofits would be my suggestion.

Will the kessil a make the cone of light compared to the T5? That is my only worry


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[Fuel Doodle]

Current tank shot from today

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