darkcurrent Posted June 23, 2019 Share Posted June 23, 2019 Hello fellow nano-reefers, I've been waiting for getting back into the hobby, and have finally made the move! We bought our house last Thanksgiving, and I had promised myself that I can setup a full time tank only once that milestone had been accomplished. We all know how the moving in experience is - in my case it took us about 6 months to fully settle in (the cash flow that is :), my current house inhabitants settled in happily in about 90 days). So .... here's the plan, Step 1: Acquire appropriate accommodations for our marine friends Step 2: Setup a place in the basement with low traffic, adequate power and room Step 3: Acquire thingamajigs for setup Step 4: Patience (I confess, I don't have much, the point in me taking up this hobby is to build that stuff) My objectives are: Minimalist setup Self-sustaining - as far as practically possible (I have a full time job as husband, father, child, and slave to my numerous other hobbies --- common to all is my approach to each relationship being self sustaining, SMALL but focussed efforts) Joy - too many of us get into grabbing every possible species, color, and movement. I'm not of that camp or mindset --- I would like for this setup to reflect an enjoyable experience in all aspects of reef keeping (even the frustrations and pains involved should help me evolve a better mindset and though process. I'm a little old school in my ways and tend to research the heck before changing (which, eventually, I do ... it's a learning) My plan and actions are intentionally at loggerheads ... that's just me being me ... So, here are my baby steps : Step 1: done! thanks to the many, many successes and learning experiences that I read (should I say read, re-read and experienced the ups-and-downs) of this forum friends ... picked an Innovative Marine 30L (it took me a while to digest that a sumpless setup can work) Step 2: had a word with the decision-maker-that-can-veto (my better half, the love of my life, i.e. wifey), and settled on the middle-of-the-basement location Step 3: Placed BRS orders for ... Kessil 2x A160WEs, temperature controllers, a Seachem Tidal 55 (its a backup!), various bio and chemical media, the mandatory API test-kit (is there a better test kit -- I'm looking for a simpler, easier, did I say simpler, easier and more comprehensive setup already?), PH and Ammonia stickers, and a few minor additions Step 4: Bought Fiji pink live-sand, mixed RSCP salt to prep water, and waited Step 5: Assembled tank on Thursday, June 20, 2019 (stand and tank from IM) Step 6: moved the mixed water in Step 7: Sand is in ... Step 8: .... w....a.....i......t......... Friends, wish me luck on my journey ... Oh .. and btw, I just returned home from the ReefapaloozaNY 2019 without having spent a single $$ on new corals, equipment or fishy friends .... (*WHEW*) 2 Quote Link to comment
colinadam Posted June 23, 2019 Share Posted June 23, 2019 I just got the same tank this morning! Cant wait to see what you do with it. And as for Reefapalooza it's coming here to Chicago in Sept. How was it? 2 Quote Link to comment
darkcurrent Posted June 23, 2019 Author Share Posted June 23, 2019 Colin ... was a little overwhelming, I wanted to spend on all the goodies ... but the tank isn't ready yet! Setup your journal, I look forward to your updates too! My heart was really set on getting the Derasa clams ... there were really good examples too! Nothing out of the ordinary but for Gieseman lighting prototypes ... Quote Link to comment
darkcurrent Posted June 23, 2019 Author Share Posted June 23, 2019 Kessil A160WE's from the old setup being unboxed as of this evening ... 1 Quote Link to comment
Tamberav Posted June 24, 2019 Share Posted June 24, 2019 Welcome! For test kits... I use Red Sea for Mg and Ca and Nitrate (Salifert is good too), Hanna for alk, hanna low range phosphorous for Po4. I never test pH because it doesn't really matter. I have an API ammonia kit which doesn't get much use beyond cycle and QT tanks. 2 Quote Link to comment
darkcurrent Posted June 24, 2019 Author Share Posted June 24, 2019 11 hours ago, Tamberav said: Welcome! For test kits... I use Red Sea for Mg and Ca and Nitrate (Salifert is good too), Hanna for alk, hanna low range phosphorous for Po4. I never test pH because it doesn't really matter. I have an API ammonia kit which doesn't get much use beyond cycle and QT tanks. I tested my pH and its on the low side ... 7.6 ... I attributed that to the tank undergoing cycling .... Hanna had a stand at Reefapalooza and I had a detailed chat with the reps ... Hanna's attention to details and engineering spec is amazing! I plan to get the alk, Phos test kits next week. 12 hours ago, colinadam said: I just got the same tank this morning! Cant wait to see what you do with it. And as for Reefapalooza it's coming here to Chicago in Sept. How was it? Reefapalooza is a fun event for enthusiasts ...must go! 1 Quote Link to comment
darkcurrent Posted June 24, 2019 Author Share Posted June 24, 2019 P...A...T...I...E...N...C...E... Note to self ... don't add livestock yet .... My heart is playing ... ughhh! 1 Quote Link to comment
darkcurrent Posted June 24, 2019 Author Share Posted June 24, 2019 12 hours ago, darkcurrent said: Kessil A160WE's from the old setup being unboxed as of this evening ... Thinking of supplementing the 2x Kessil's with a Nanobox duo ... there's a fellow reefer selling a Mitra light that is tempting but can't make up my mind ... Quote Link to comment
darkcurrent Posted July 8, 2019 Author Share Posted July 8, 2019 Cooking rocks .... 🙂, did not want to go the live rock route given the pest issues, tradeoff is longer time to cycle and potential algae issues. Current stock - Court Jester goby and a Peppermint shrimp. Dosing 5ml of plankton (AlgaeBarn OceanMagik), with a chunk of cheato in the DT while I setup the pod-hotel (sometime soon I hope). Small diatom outbreak (see back wall), will launch a cuc later this week ... Quote Link to comment
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