First salt water tank build (1 Viewer)

[Fjmm91]

Hi this is my first ever saltwater tank I've ever owned. I've only had a small freshwater tank before this before but finally decides to take the leap into saltwater after coming across a brs video on youtube. I was going to be moving into my first home and figured no time like the present. I found a 110 g tank on sale on facebook that came with a stand, canopy, sump, and plumbing and was happy with it. It was actually that person who informed me of the local houston community so I'm really thankful for all that I've seen, bought, and had help with questions when I first started getting my tank together.

 

[Fjmm91]

I got about 200 lbs of dried out live rock, didnt use anywhere near all of it, from someone who got out of the hobby and this was my first attempt at aqua escaping. I ended up going a different route with the aquascaping after getting more inspiration from other tanks and thought that currently it wasnt suitable for corals in the future with all the sheer sides

 

[Fjmm91]

After realizing how hard it was to go back and forth to the watermill for filtered water to fill up my tank I decided to invest in an rodi setup and was able to get one for a pretty good deal that also came with 2 55 gallon containers that I set up in my garage.

 

[Fjmm91]

After realizing the benefits of an AWC system I ran 1/4" tubing and ran it through my attic from my garage to my living room and bought some litermeter 3 dosing pumps and programmed them to do the awc daily. I also built a shoddy little cabinet, first time so really not the best, but it does a fine job of hiding the pumps, power cords, and 5g bucket I have plumbed with a float valve with rodi water so I dont have to carry top off from my garage to my DT

 

[Fjmm91]

Once my tank was cycled after 5 weeks I finally felt it safe to add some fish and my first were a pair of small perculas I got from another member. I also got a t5 hybrid setup with a single hydra 26. I am hoping to add more led later on but due to wanting to get my tank established FOWLR felt I could hold off on the led since t5 should be more than enough for lps and anenome for now.

 

[Fjmm91]

I decided to try and clean up the power cords once I got some pacemakers and used some left over plywood from my cabinet project and just cut some holes to feed wires through. I dont have an apex controller due to budget constraints atm so I am using some coralife digital timer power center I got on sale to turn on/off my t5s and other electronics I may add that need a timer function.

 

[Fjmm91]

I added some more livestock, a yellow tang, red coris wrasse, 2 rock boring urchins, some hermits, snails, and a small regal tang after rearranging aquascape. About 2 weeks later I added a flame fin tang, a pair of benggai cardinal fish, and a mandarin goby. I felt safe adding the goby since I had set up a refugium and had added pods over the span of 2 weeks before finally adding him to the tank.

 

[Fjmm91]

Now that I have most of the fish that I am wanting I will be really just enjoying my fishes and trying to not make too many adjustments. I do have a little bit of cyano, its red and kind of like sludge and hold bubbles when daylight are on, but I wasn't really wanting to add to any chemicals since my tank is still fairly new, started cycling in april so about 2 months, and figured I'd just let my refugium grow out and try to not over feed. I ended up removing my filter socks since I wasnt changing them as often as I should and thought they would be doing more damage than just using the skimmer and refugium only.

 

[Tenny]

You've done a lot over a short period! I am laughing about how it started with x then y then z, etc.

Really suggest getting a controller on the tank ASAP. If you don't have the money for a Neptune look into ReefPi. If you really don't want a controller at the very least look into a heater controller. Heaters fail so often that I would never run a tank without one. At least that's been my exp.

 

[Fjmm91]

Yeah I've been meaning to start this build thread since the beginning to get more info while setting up but never did, but wanted to keep a somewhat accurate timeline so I can see how my tank has progressed over time. The reefpi does seem pretty cool, but I'm not too tech savvy. I'm saving up for an apex right now but yeah I'll look into a temp controller in the mean time. I've read alot where tanks crash from being too hot rather than too cold

 

[Tenny]

Yeah I've been meaning to start this build thread since the beginning to get more info while setting up but never did, but wanted to keep a somewhat accurate timeline so I can see how my tank has progressed over time. The reefpi does seem pretty cool, but I'm not too tech savvy. I'm saving up for an apex right now but yeah I'll look into a temp controller in the mean time. I've read alot where tanks crash from being too hot rather than too cold

Yeah, I meant to say we've all been there with the "this leads to this which leads to this" Basically every hobby of mine leads that way.

You don't need an Apex with everything on it. I just upgraded to an EL from Apex Classic and really it wasn't worth the extra (to me yet).

Anyways, congrats on the hobby and the early success!

 

[frankc]

It looks like you're off to a good start. Good use of the extra plywood to organize the electronics, and kudos on labeling all the cords - you will thank yourself later.

 

[Cody]

After realizing the benefits of an AWC system I ran 1/4" tubing and ran it through my attic from my garage to my living room and bought some litermeter 3 dosing pumps and programmed them to do the awc daily. I also built a shoddy little cabinet, first time so really not the best, but it does a fine job of hiding the pumps, power cords, and 5g bucket I have plumbed with a float valve with rodi water so I dont have to carry top off from my garage to my DT

Where are you dumping the water you’re pulling from your tank?

 

[Fjmm91]

Where are you dumping the water you’re pulling from your tank?

I ran a line from the second litermeter to my washer drain through the attic that I'm also using for the waste water from the rodi system.

 

[Fjmm91]

Basically I have my rodi intake from washer that I teed off, a line from garage to dt for fresh saltwater from 55g, a line from rodi itself to 5 gallon bucket with float valve next to dt, a line for rodi waste water to washer drain, then line from dt tank to washer drain for wate water. I have it set up so I can have rodi water in garage for refilling salt mix 55g, set up ro only water to top off fresh water tank I have or drinking, and rodi water for top off at dt location

 

[Fjmm91]

It looks like you're off to a good start. Good use of the extra plywood to organize the electronics, and kudos on labeling all the cords - you will thank yourself later.

Thanks I actually got the inspiration from a couple of the other build threads I saw so I'm really thankful for this community for that and more. I know the first couple of years are the make and break so I'm trying my hardest to be patient so I can build a tank that lasts a few years.....or until I get a bigger tank lol

 

[Fjmm91]

Finally joined the apex controller gang and got an apex classic, thanks Tenny, to control some of my equipment. Wanted to set up my tunze pumps but it wasnt working like I wanted so just stuck with the 7095 controller. Added a third wave pump in back middle for just a little more flow. Took a while to get all my equipment re routed to the eb8 bar, but after some googling got all my equipment programmed. My only real question is, do yall prefer the temp probe in the sump or dt? My heater is in my sump and I placed probe in my overflow compartment but didnt know if it was better to have probe near heater or close to fish or if there is any difference.

 

[decimal]

Basically I have my rodi intake from washer that I teed off, a line from garage to dt for fresh saltwater from 55g, a line from rodi itself to 5 gallon bucket with float valve next to dt, a line for rodi waste water to washer drain, then line from dt tank to washer drain for wate water. I have it set up so I can have rodi water in garage for refilling salt mix 55g, set up ro only water to top off fresh water tank I have or drinking, and rodi water for top off at dt location

i have the same set up (sans AWC) but drinking and RODI. Getting that right was not easy with the auto valve and pressure differences.

 

[Tenny]

Finally joined the apex controller gang and got an apex classic, thanks Tenny, to control some of my equipment. Wanted to set up my tunze pumps but it wasnt working like I wanted so just stuck with the 7095 controller. Added a third wave pump in back middle for just a little more flow. Took a while to get all my equipment re routed to the eb8 bar, but after some googling got all my equipment programmed. My only real question is, do yall prefer the temp probe in the sump or dt? My heater is in my sump and I placed probe in my overflow compartment but didnt know if it was better to have probe near heater or close to fish or if there is any difference.

I keep mine in the sump for simplicity, but it has burned me before. With my old setup in CA I had a wall outlet that half of it died on me while I was on vacation. Was using a Reef Keeper controller... Anyways long story short. Outlet with my return pump died. Temp and heater were in the sump and reporting everything being ok. Thankfully a reef friend watched my house and noticed the issue and was able to get it working.

Edit: glad you liked it and got it all working!

 

[Fjmm91]

Got some test kits and found my phosphate are higher than they should be so got a reactor and added carbon and gfo to help with the issue. Also got an ATO set up and finally introduced my first anenome today! Really wedged itself in the crevice of the rock and hasn't moved at all since this morning and is no longer shriveled up. It's pretty small now but looking forward to seeing it grow bigger.