Hello everyone
This is my thread to document my effort in my journey with reefing. This thread is also to get feedback about the build, suggestions etc. - if anyone will read it
A little bit about myself and my approach to this hobby. It will be a lot of reading so I won't be offended if you just jump to pictures Also, English is not my native so please forgive my grammar.
My journey with aquariums started around 25 years ago when I got 1 fish with 32oz jar... Weeks later I ended up with 40g tank with cichlids and I was running this tank for few years among with 20g piranha tank and 40g turtle aquarium. I went to a highschool and I quit the hobby. And for all those years I regret my decision but didn't really have time, space and money. Few years ago I moved to US and I started my American Dream (most of you don't even realize how change it can be for a guy like me). I bought a house, got married and my son born last February. I got to a point in my live that I am in the middle 30s and need to find more static, home oriented hobby. And at one point, when I was buying food for my cat I lost my way at Petsmart and saw fish section. And boom, that was the trigger. Checking the prices to see if I can afford it, what I can do by my self, quick call with my wife and I am on the road again!
Last September was very fortune for me. My bedroom got a 75g tank with cichlids. I started to test water, doing everything by the book, nothing like I was doing 25 years ago. Ammonia? Nitrates? Nah, is water clean or not? Now I was doing everything right. And with a great success. I don't see water, fish are super happy and only issue I have is too many baby fish.
And then I realized that salt water aquarium is not that expensive as it used to be and it was my dream for all those years. I made some research and I was surprised you can just buy a box and if you are super lazy you don't have to even touch it. Some people will do it for you (God bless capitalism). But there is also another path, much cheaper DIY path. Another hobby I am is woodworking and I have most tools I need for reefing, home depot 8 minutes away.
So thanks giving brought me a 75g used reef ready tank with old stand and no canopy. So I built all of it, built my sump from 20g glass tank and, made plumbing and I have been running my first reef tank for around 3 months so far. With no huge success thought but it is because I have done too many shortcuts I think. Corals are alive but not thriving, fish are in hospital tank because I trust people too much and they have ich...
I bought a blue and yellow tangs for my 75g with a plan I will upgrade my setup eventually. As I learned so far, this hobby can be super expensive but it can also be relatively cheap if yo are DIY oriented and willing to sacrifice some things like super duper brands Neptune or Echotech.
Where is a border between reef tank and reef house? Most of the people here with big tanks have built a fish rooms with multiple tanks, making the whole thing as a big system. Too much for me for sure. So, can I go with 240g cheap and have everything in a single stand? Let's give it a try!
I was reading a lot. And I think it can be done with most of my 75g reef tank equipment so I plan to use my lights, return pump, wave makers, heater, ATO and refugium light. Skimmer, new plumbing, future reactors and dosing is on my list but I know this is a process so it will take me some time.
I try to build everything by my self, try to go cheap if I can. I am even refreshing my kitchen by myself. I have limited budget for reefing so it has to be cheap or nothing. Can it be cheap? I think yes, but it has to be simple.
I picked glass cages and only because @Joe Glass Cages is here on this forum and his approach to the client together with being humble and open for feedback convinced me. I ordered 240g from him - 96x24x25. Good price with shipping and custom overflow. It is almost half of the price of other vendors, not mentioning waterbox or red sea systems where you pay for all those shining gadget. Buying the whole system? heck no, I have to do it by my self! That is the ultimate joy for me.
The tank is not here yet and it will take few more weeks so I have time to arrange some things like location, stand, sump, rocks and try to find additional lights I need.
About my setup:
- peninsula type, a room divider kind of. 3 sides on display. 2 sides of the stand with doors
- not exposed to direct sun light
- located on a ground level. Slab, stone tiles and laminated panels on them (didn't like tiles when I bought the house)
- room temperature during winter is 71/67, summer 76/78
- I travel once a year for few weeks so I have to figure out life support for those weeks
- automation will be done mostly using Samsung SmartThings - switches and timers, water sensor, nothing more. When budget allows will jump to Apex.
- mixing station 2x 32g brute cans in laundry room upstairs with garden house (food grade) for water change and fill ATO tank
- ~50g custom acrylic sump with refugium
- only 1 electrical circuit but with GFCI and 20amp breaker
- wooden stand from construction grade lumber and plywood, plywood canopy
For the nearest future my favorite reef store will be my local home depot. Stocking lumber and building a stand. 3 trips and I have all lumber for the stand. "Mustang is not family car" they say...
My "garage" is not a garage anymore. I made my own workshop for woodworking projects.
I don' know how but current progress gave me so little scrap wood.
This is my thread to document my effort in my journey with reefing. This thread is also to get feedback about the build, suggestions etc. - if anyone will read it
A little bit about myself and my approach to this hobby. It will be a lot of reading so I won't be offended if you just jump to pictures Also, English is not my native so please forgive my grammar.
My journey with aquariums started around 25 years ago when I got 1 fish with 32oz jar... Weeks later I ended up with 40g tank with cichlids and I was running this tank for few years among with 20g piranha tank and 40g turtle aquarium. I went to a highschool and I quit the hobby. And for all those years I regret my decision but didn't really have time, space and money. Few years ago I moved to US and I started my American Dream (most of you don't even realize how change it can be for a guy like me). I bought a house, got married and my son born last February. I got to a point in my live that I am in the middle 30s and need to find more static, home oriented hobby. And at one point, when I was buying food for my cat I lost my way at Petsmart and saw fish section. And boom, that was the trigger. Checking the prices to see if I can afford it, what I can do by my self, quick call with my wife and I am on the road again!
Last September was very fortune for me. My bedroom got a 75g tank with cichlids. I started to test water, doing everything by the book, nothing like I was doing 25 years ago. Ammonia? Nitrates? Nah, is water clean or not? Now I was doing everything right. And with a great success. I don't see water, fish are super happy and only issue I have is too many baby fish.
And then I realized that salt water aquarium is not that expensive as it used to be and it was my dream for all those years. I made some research and I was surprised you can just buy a box and if you are super lazy you don't have to even touch it. Some people will do it for you (God bless capitalism). But there is also another path, much cheaper DIY path. Another hobby I am is woodworking and I have most tools I need for reefing, home depot 8 minutes away.
So thanks giving brought me a 75g used reef ready tank with old stand and no canopy. So I built all of it, built my sump from 20g glass tank and, made plumbing and I have been running my first reef tank for around 3 months so far. With no huge success thought but it is because I have done too many shortcuts I think. Corals are alive but not thriving, fish are in hospital tank because I trust people too much and they have ich...
I bought a blue and yellow tangs for my 75g with a plan I will upgrade my setup eventually. As I learned so far, this hobby can be super expensive but it can also be relatively cheap if yo are DIY oriented and willing to sacrifice some things like super duper brands Neptune or Echotech.
Where is a border between reef tank and reef house? Most of the people here with big tanks have built a fish rooms with multiple tanks, making the whole thing as a big system. Too much for me for sure. So, can I go with 240g cheap and have everything in a single stand? Let's give it a try!
I was reading a lot. And I think it can be done with most of my 75g reef tank equipment so I plan to use my lights, return pump, wave makers, heater, ATO and refugium light. Skimmer, new plumbing, future reactors and dosing is on my list but I know this is a process so it will take me some time.
I try to build everything by my self, try to go cheap if I can. I am even refreshing my kitchen by myself. I have limited budget for reefing so it has to be cheap or nothing. Can it be cheap? I think yes, but it has to be simple.
I picked glass cages and only because @Joe Glass Cages is here on this forum and his approach to the client together with being humble and open for feedback convinced me. I ordered 240g from him - 96x24x25. Good price with shipping and custom overflow. It is almost half of the price of other vendors, not mentioning waterbox or red sea systems where you pay for all those shining gadget. Buying the whole system? heck no, I have to do it by my self! That is the ultimate joy for me.
The tank is not here yet and it will take few more weeks so I have time to arrange some things like location, stand, sump, rocks and try to find additional lights I need.
About my setup:
- peninsula type, a room divider kind of. 3 sides on display. 2 sides of the stand with doors
- not exposed to direct sun light
- located on a ground level. Slab, stone tiles and laminated panels on them (didn't like tiles when I bought the house)
- room temperature during winter is 71/67, summer 76/78
- I travel once a year for few weeks so I have to figure out life support for those weeks
- automation will be done mostly using Samsung SmartThings - switches and timers, water sensor, nothing more. When budget allows will jump to Apex.
- mixing station 2x 32g brute cans in laundry room upstairs with garden house (food grade) for water change and fill ATO tank
- ~50g custom acrylic sump with refugium
- only 1 electrical circuit but with GFCI and 20amp breaker
- wooden stand from construction grade lumber and plywood, plywood canopy
For the nearest future my favorite reef store will be my local home depot. Stocking lumber and building a stand. 3 trips and I have all lumber for the stand. "Mustang is not family car" they say...
My "garage" is not a garage anymore. I made my own workshop for woodworking projects.
I don' know how but current progress gave me so little scrap wood.