reefedandconfused
Community Member
Replace before before it breaks or at least have a backup available… at least for the pump and heater!
*** Tank Talk with Top Lids & Avast Marine Giveaway!! WIN a Plank Autofeeder and Custom Lid for Your Tank!! ***
- GIVEAWAY CONTEST PRIZE CLAIMED
- Thread starter Daniel@R2R
- Start date
- Tagged users None
Don’t cheap out on the lights, invest in a good set of lights for your coral. You’ll have more success will more advanced lights.
NaCl addict
Active Member
Keep it clean
ctenophore
Active Member
TANK TALK: Tell us about your reef setup's evolution. What gear did you start out with? What does it look like now? What led to the changes?
I started with a 15 gallon cube (with the intent of keeping things budget friendly) but also had an empty 40b in the living room. That got filled too, and I was poorly running, or ruining 2 reefs. Around this time last year I found a 5 foot 100 gallon on the book of faces and January got it set up. It's better now, but not good.
I do believe I am on the right track though, and in a few years will have a reef worth looking at. It's not bad now, just kinda under developed.
I started with only Hydros Control 2 and power strip strictly to control Temp, ATO, an AC RT pump and wave waker.
Fast forward to present
I have added a UV sterilizer. DC skimmer and DC return pump.
Expanding was due to wanting more control and silence
I only have an envisioned view of my reef's setup because I'm still waiting to build it but it began with deciding the size of the tank and which tank builder I want to go with. While the tank is being built, I went ahead and ordered what I thought would be the important equipment first. I started with the pumps, skimmer, heaters, lighting and plumbing. Along the way I did make changes to the equipment I wanted to a bigger size because I rather have it oversized now than undersized incase if the future demands it.
I tried to do enough research to only buy once. I have added some extra equipment but generally started with the same equipment as I run now.
I am doing the same for my 180g aquarium I’m setting up.
I have used a sicce sd9 the whole time on my 180g while its freshwater and its been ok at best. I purchased a varios 8 to replace it.
tbrown
Nominated Cronie Intern - Might be failing?
I started with a 5 gallon AIO, some old sand from the buck t in the backyard, some old rock from a pile in the backyard, and a cheap light. Then I moved into a 75 gallon with a used light, a HOB overflow from the garage, some more of those backyard rocks, and a wet/dry filter from the garage converted to a sump (sorta?). Finally I've upgraded to a 125 pulled from a dumpster with a used sump purchased on Craigslist, a Curve 7 Skimmer from the garage, and some Noopsyche lights. Half of my rocks in the 125 were dry "live rock" purchased from Facebook and the other half are Aragocrete rocks that I made, the skimmer was replaced with an IOAOI (which my urchin ate the wire on), and an internal refugium was added on an Egg Crate stand that is doubling as a vertical frag rack.
RJT
Active Member
Started with an 36g pentagon tank from craigslist. They kept snakes and lizards in it, used it for a while then it leaked. Went to Petco looking for 40g setup, found one I liked but wife was focused on the 180g setup they had. She said if she are getting a tank, then get a TANK. Got a used 120g high (over paid), then a used 220g (great price this time) when I learned more about reef tanks so I drilled the 220g. Kept the 220g until it got to be 12 years old, felt it was time to get a new one due to fear of leaking and too big to reseal. Currently have a 290g I will keep for the foreseeable future.
LadyMac
Freshwater sage fish whisperer
I started in a 40 breeder with a hang on back overflow into a homemade sump (pictured earlier). I moved that to a 40 stretch hex, which started to leak, so that loved to a 60 tall Marineland. Ended up flooding the floor and won the Waterbox 70.2, which came at the perfect time.
I started with a current USA orbit marine led, and a cheap no name return pump. I have upgraded to the loop system. Which was kind of a mistake as I’ve had so much failing equipment. Eventually I’d love to have a trident system or hydros, and good wavemakers/ skimmer/ ect that I can run and monitor with it.
Sideshow Bob and Selma(my clowns) have gone along through it all.
Started with an Evo, bought cheap pumps and mats like bioballs from Amazon. Upgraded to Sicce 1.0 and another medium-cost powerhead. Fluval Marine 3.0 upgrade from stock LED => 21LEDusa ReefbarPro upgrade => second ReefbarPro => Noopsyche K7 mini upgrade. InTank media basket. Bottle ATO.
IM 10g started with good pump (mightyjet) and AI Prime 16HD => eventually upgraded to Noopsyche K7 mini. InTank media basket. Bottle ATO. Stock mesh lid. Otherwise no changes to equipment.
Merged the Evo and the IM 10g to an IM 40 long AIO. Started with 3x Noopsyche K7 Minis, InTank floss holder and IM caddy. IM skimmer that is still not installed. IM UV which has been helpful. Extra MightyJet pump for redundancy and extra flow. Maxspect Jump 2K gyre => dual Maxspect xf330s, but one doesn't work. Set up mini fridge with doser to pump AFR and Reef Nutrition liquid food into the tank. Eheim auto pellet feeder. IM ATO. IM heater + Inkbird/Finnex titanium heater backup. Stock mesh lid.
Only pending equipment upgrade is a Kessil LED with 30 degree reflector as a dedicated clam light. And a better dry food autofeeder. A new lid with smaller mesh and the right holes would also be great ;-)
taytay_1119
Active Member
We started a few months ago and thought we could get by with cheap HOB filter, petco lights and wave maker that isn’t programmable. After adding corals we realized we need more light, so we added one…didn’t know it was mostly for freshwater. Finally upgraded to a smatfarm light off of Amazon and we like it- it gave us the par and customization we were looking for. We upgraded the wave pump to a nano one and a big one which gives us the flow and customization we were looking for-
jabeo scp50 and Zksj mini aquarium wave maker usb. We got a skimmer yesterday to help with nits and going to get a sump after new years. I’m sure there will be many more upgrades in the future, including a bigger tank.
Attachments
I started with a biocube 32 with stock media basket and filtration system… shortly added a evo 13 gallon to act as an invert and coral quarantine. I’ve now closed the evo down and upgraded to a custom 80 gallon with sump. I purchased it used from my LFS, it was their show tank. It came with everything but the ATO. Redid the plumbing and recently added an In tank UV because…. Dino’s
. Biocube is still going strong. I’m thinking of turning it into a nem tank…. Undecided
Do a tiny bit of research and don't get stuck in the brand name game. There may be another brand or model that you're not realizing is out there because it gets tuned out by the hype train. There are a lot of other companies, that are making amazing products that simply don't have the marketing hype (budget), to get their products in front of your face.
I was convinced that I would never have a reef tank. It has been a 40+ year desire to have one. Back then, the overall concept of having one was you have to have lots of money and it's very difficult. So that dream got stored away in the deep dark crevices of my brain. It wasn't until the past year or so that I really wanted one, after seeing nano tanks. I specifically saw a Fluval Evo 13.5 at a PetCo. I was shocked I could pickup a reef specific setup for so cheap. Still, it would be too much to just start up another hobby. Suddenly, I found myself hunting FB marketplace and Craiglist for used tanks. I came across a nearly brand new Fluval 13.5 for $50. Working guy that thought it would take care of itself.
I still have that tank and don't plan to get rid of it. It resides near my bedside. Between my recliner and bed! I love it!
The light and lid are the only stock pieces left to replace. I've replaced the return pump. Added a chamber 1 filter basket. And replaced both nozzles with 3D Ocean RFG.
I wanted more filtration options and increased flow. The RFG nozzles were an excellent upgrade.
I love animals in general and my favorite animal is the Octopus. The beauty and weirdness of the ocean draws me in.
I started out with a 75 gallon aqueon tank with built in overflow, a 59w fluval sea, eshopp sump, and some sicce pumps. I still have everything except for the lights, I bought 2 used AI Hydras 32HD which are absolutely amazing and a huge upgrade for my tank and I added a protein skimmer. I upgraded my lights because I wasn't seeing the growth I knew I could achieve with better lights. Its been two months and my corals are growing so much more!
