Starting out again, but this time with money

[alpenreef]

Hi, I had an ok tank 30 years ago and shut down when I moved for my first job.
I now have a new tank in the mail (innovative marine 170 gallon + 80 gal sump). Looks like the world has moved on and everything is different.
I do remember you can’t rush anything in this hobby but 1 week cycles are now a thing??? Do these products actually work?

I now have a nice budget, my goal is to have a nice lps tank with a few tangs in a year or so. I love euphilia especially.
I am all ears if anybody has tips on how to build a seasoned lps tank of that size.

Also a bit lost with all the new tech. How do you even begin to build a great filtration system with all these choices. If you have any rexommendations what skimmer and reactors to buy I would be very greatful as well.

And lights I can’t make up my mind.

 

[Spare time]

For cycling, yes a bottle of biospira or fritz turbo will have the tank ready for a fish within a week or less.

For reactors, I like the BRS reactors.

I don't use skimmers. I only run socks, a carbon reactor, and a refugium.

 

[ReefStable]

Welcome back to the obsession!

Here is a guide I put together with links to a bunch of great info for setting up a tank the right way, tech, filtration, etc

How To Set Up a Salt Water Aquarium With Ease!

Have you ever wondered how to set up a salt water aquarium? This complete guide to setting up saltwater aquariums will step you through the process of picking equipment and setting up a reef tank with ease!

reefstable.com

Hope this helps!

 

[kevgib67]

Please start a my tank thread so we can follow your build.

 

[OctaviusBrine]

Welcome back! Excited to see how your tank goes. You should start a build thread it’s a great way to document your progress.

 

[JoJosReef]

If you have money, nothing like Tampa Bay Saltwater rock directly out of the ocean. Skip the uglies and on your way to a mature tank!

 

[alpenreef]

If you have money, nothing like Tampa Bay Saltwater rock directly out of the ocean. Skip the uglies and on your way to a mature tank!

I have looked at them. They don’t ship until April. I am a patient man, but I can’t wait that long. Is there an alternative?

 

[alpenreef]

Welcome back! Excited to see how your tank goes. You should start a build thread it’s a great way to document your progress.

Will do, thank you!

 

[X-37B]

I have the same tank. Mine will be acro dominant.
For lps:
Skimmer
2 part
Good light, their are many
Live rock
Good in tank water movement
You dont need more unless you want.

I will run:
Skimmer
Calcium Reactor
Ozone Reactor
Sea Sweeps for random flow
Reefbreeder leds

Best advice:
Pick how you want to run your system. Then its all the same.
Pick the parameters that you want to run and have a plan on how to keep them in range.
Start a build thread and get a badge so we can follow.

 

[alpenreef]

I have the same tank. Mine will be acro dominant.
For lps:
Skimmer
2 part
Good light, their are many
Live rock
Good in tank water movement
You dont need more unless you want.

I will run:
Skimmer
Calcium Reactor
Ozone Reactor
Sea Sweeps for random flow
Reefbreeder leds

Best advice:
Pick how you want to run your system. Then its all the same.
Pick the parameters that you want to run and have a plan on how to keep them in range.
Start a build thread and get a badge so we can follow.

What is your source of live rock? My lfs is a dirty hellhole, I dont want their rocks. Also seems difficult to build an aquascape with wet rock?

 

[Dburr1014]

Welcome back.
Bye money. Lol

 

[X-37B]

What is your source of live rock? My lfs is a dirty hellhole, I dont want their rocks. Also seems difficult to build an aquascape with wet rock?

TBS is what I will use. April works for me as I will use about 120lbs of base and no premium. No sand for me either but I wil use their package recomendations for snails, hermits, shrimp, and brittle star.

Their are other live rock choices so check them out.

 

[JoJosReef]

I have looked at them. They don’t ship until April. I am a patient man, but I can’t wait that long. Is there an alternative?

Kp aquatics, gulf shore live rock, and there was one more I can't remember. Have you looked at them? I find the nuisance critters from ocean live rock much easier to deal with than algae problems and dinos that more often associate with starting with a relatively sterile dry rock system.

Another great option if you are patient and can do some searching is look for older reefers offloading their real reef rocks, even dried out ones, for example from Fiji or Marshall Islands. They are very porous and it just seems to me that the stocking like anemones like them more--better footholds and whatnot. I've also seen them cover with coraline algae more than the man made dry rocks I've gotten. All of this of course depends on your approach to husbandry and 100 other factors, but I consider them to be highest quality dry rock.

 

[alpenreef]

I have the same tank. Mine will be acro dominant.
For lps:
Skimmer
2 part
Good light, their are many
Live rock
Good in tank water movement
You dont need more unless you want.

I will run:
Skimmer
Calcium Reactor
Ozone Reactor
Sea Sweeps for random flow
Reefbreeder leds

Best advice:
Pick how you want to run your system. Then its all the same.
Pick the parameters that you want to run and have a plan on how to keep them in range.
Start a build thread and get a badge so we can follow.

What tech/brands did you go with? Powerheads, skimmer, reactors, lights?

 

[Reefer Matt]

#WelcometoR2R !
Reefing will certainly help you with your excess money problem! Welcome back!

 

[X-37B]

What tech/brands did you go with? Powerheads, skimmer, reactors, lights?

Skimmer Tunze 9430dc
Calcium reactor Geo 818
Avast Marine Ozone reactor
2 Tunze 6255dc powerheads attatched to Sea Sweeps
2 Reefbreeder 50's
Some pics.

 

[alpenreef]

Awesome, that’s helpful and gives me something to research

 

[alpenreef]

#WelcometoR2R !
Reefing will certainly help you with your excess money problem! Welcome back!

thank you. Insane how expensive it has become. But I know there are no shortcuts, I will buy stuff to last this time.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Excited to follow your progress along once you get a build thread going!

 

[alpenreef]

Welcome back to the obsession!

Here is a guide I put together with links to a bunch of great info for setting up a tank the right way, tech, filtration, etc

How To Set Up a Salt Water Aquarium With Ease!

Have you ever wondered how to set up a salt water aquarium? This complete guide to setting up saltwater aquariums will step you through the process of picking equipment and setting up a reef tank with ease!

reefstable.com

Hope this helps!

Sorry, I never said thank you. I religiously followed that guide - now running a great 170g tank and loving it!