Soooo....
HI
First time marine aquarium owner/operator................
Years ago I had freshwater tanks. I still have 2 10 gallon rectangle tanks.
I'll use them for quarantine and whatever else I may need.
I've always been interested and wanted to try saltwater. Beautiful fish and corals.
Then.... One day way back in October 2013 my amazingly wonderful wife ran across this 55 gallon rectangular aquarium on one of her Facebook yardsale groups.
Hours later it was sitting in my living room. Staring at it I'm thinking, Oh Siht now what.
It got carried up to the attic until I could learn and figure out what to do.
Couple weeks later wifey found a 75 gallon reef ready tank and stand in that same group.
Again, hours later I was calling my brother to help unload it from the truck.
So now, it's the end of October and I have 2, 10 gallon tanks a 55 gallon tank and a 75 gallon r/r tank with stand.
Let the learning begin.
However, before I learned too much we decided to sell the 55 gallon tank. A friend bought it for his lizards.
YouTube and forums and whatever else... I was getting addicted.
next thing you know, December was here and we were decorating the tree, getting out our little villages and.. light bulb... We had a village that didn't fit so well with our other villages and the 75 gallon tank was still empty... Sooooo, that's where it went. Looked great.
December was winding down, decorations started getting put away and now we have an empty aquarium again.
Let the purchasing begin. Including yet another tank. brand new 30 gallon rectangular tank I'll be using as a sump. A very good friend works at a local sign shop and they donated a 48"x48"x.22" piece of blue acrylic that I'll be cutting up for the sump and whatever else I will need.
Very slowly we started picking things up here and there and everywhere until finally all we needed was rock, sand and salt.
Well by darn it, UPS delivered said rock sand and salt 10 days before Easter.
Palm Sunday weekend, water leak test
Cut acrylic, glued acrylic, silicone acrylic into 30 gallon tank, water test, good, Great!!
Monday through Friday before Easter weekend set up sump plumbing and equipment. Started filling a 55 gallon white plastic drum with ro/di water, added heater and power head, salt, mixing...
Easter Saturday, sand placed. Wife places rock. Let the 5 gallon buckets start flowing.
of course since I'm carrying the buckets from the basement to the first floor i only filled them with about 4 gallons so they wouldn't splash out and lighter to lift into tank.
Couple hours later tank is full.
Time to mix second barrel. Stinks to only have one. (getting 2nd soon)
Power heads and heater turned on in tank.
Easter Sunday night.... more water, tanks filled, all equipment turned on!!! YAY!!!!
and guess what..... No leaks!!!
All running beautifully!
List of equipment......
Filtration;
BRS Reef Saver Dry Rock (100lbs)
BRS Original Grade Ocean Direct Live Reef Sand (100lbs)
30 Gal glass tank.
7" filter sock (dog and cat hair ugg)
Bubble Magus ES5
Sicce 5 return pump
Refugium
Lighting;
48" 324W T5 HO - 6x54 Fluorescent Actinic Lamp LCD Timer
3 x 54W T5 HO 12,000K Fluorescent Lamps and 3 x 54W T5 HO Actinic Blue Lamps
10 x Dual Bluemoon LEDs
Flow;
(1) Jebao WP25 - Main flow
(1) Jebao WP10 - Flow behind LR
Auto top off;
JBJ Auto top off w/ Toms pump
5 gallon bucket of fresh water (for now)
May 1st, 2014 - 10 days into the cycle.....
And the pictures
Before the vinegar bath.
Sand and rock work done
and the water
Clear water...
Yes that is Bikini Bottom. Grandchildren wanted, they got it.
I'm starting to like it...
Sump pictures to come..........
Thanks!!
Have a great day!
HI
First time marine aquarium owner/operator................
Years ago I had freshwater tanks. I still have 2 10 gallon rectangle tanks.
I'll use them for quarantine and whatever else I may need.
I've always been interested and wanted to try saltwater. Beautiful fish and corals.
Then.... One day way back in October 2013 my amazingly wonderful wife ran across this 55 gallon rectangular aquarium on one of her Facebook yardsale groups.
Hours later it was sitting in my living room. Staring at it I'm thinking, Oh Siht now what.
It got carried up to the attic until I could learn and figure out what to do.
Couple weeks later wifey found a 75 gallon reef ready tank and stand in that same group.
Again, hours later I was calling my brother to help unload it from the truck.
So now, it's the end of October and I have 2, 10 gallon tanks a 55 gallon tank and a 75 gallon r/r tank with stand.
Let the learning begin.
However, before I learned too much we decided to sell the 55 gallon tank. A friend bought it for his lizards.
YouTube and forums and whatever else... I was getting addicted.
next thing you know, December was here and we were decorating the tree, getting out our little villages and.. light bulb... We had a village that didn't fit so well with our other villages and the 75 gallon tank was still empty... Sooooo, that's where it went. Looked great.
December was winding down, decorations started getting put away and now we have an empty aquarium again.
Let the purchasing begin. Including yet another tank. brand new 30 gallon rectangular tank I'll be using as a sump. A very good friend works at a local sign shop and they donated a 48"x48"x.22" piece of blue acrylic that I'll be cutting up for the sump and whatever else I will need.
Very slowly we started picking things up here and there and everywhere until finally all we needed was rock, sand and salt.
Well by darn it, UPS delivered said rock sand and salt 10 days before Easter.
Palm Sunday weekend, water leak test
Cut acrylic, glued acrylic, silicone acrylic into 30 gallon tank, water test, good, Great!!Monday through Friday before Easter weekend set up sump plumbing and equipment. Started filling a 55 gallon white plastic drum with ro/di water, added heater and power head, salt, mixing...
Easter Saturday, sand placed. Wife places rock. Let the 5 gallon buckets start flowing.
of course since I'm carrying the buckets from the basement to the first floor i only filled them with about 4 gallons so they wouldn't splash out and lighter to lift into tank.
Couple hours later tank is full.
Time to mix second barrel. Stinks to only have one. (getting 2nd soon)
Power heads and heater turned on in tank.
Easter Sunday night.... more water, tanks filled, all equipment turned on!!! YAY!!!!
and guess what..... No leaks!!!
All running beautifully!
List of equipment......
Filtration;
BRS Reef Saver Dry Rock (100lbs)
BRS Original Grade Ocean Direct Live Reef Sand (100lbs)
30 Gal glass tank.
7" filter sock (dog and cat hair ugg)
Bubble Magus ES5
Sicce 5 return pump
Refugium
Lighting;
48" 324W T5 HO - 6x54 Fluorescent Actinic Lamp LCD Timer
3 x 54W T5 HO 12,000K Fluorescent Lamps and 3 x 54W T5 HO Actinic Blue Lamps
10 x Dual Bluemoon LEDs
Flow;
(1) Jebao WP25 - Main flow
(1) Jebao WP10 - Flow behind LR
Auto top off;
JBJ Auto top off w/ Toms pump
5 gallon bucket of fresh water (for now)
May 1st, 2014 - 10 days into the cycle.....
And the pictures
Before the vinegar bath.
Sand and rock work done
and the water
Clear water...
Yes that is Bikini Bottom. Grandchildren wanted, they got it.
I'm starting to like it...
Sump pictures to come..........
Thanks!!
Have a great day!
