Starting again

James-NZ · 03/11/2015, 03:32 PM

Hi all, I have been a reef keeper since about 05 and like many here I have had a few different tanks and set up's over the years, for the last few years I have been keeping a small soft coral reef with only my Maroon clown, who has been with me from the start, the first fish I ever brought. I love this hobby and have seen the highs and lows that come with it.

Recently I came across a second hand set up for sale and decided it is time to build myself a new set up focused towards keeping some SPS, some softies and a few carefully selected fish. The tank is slightly different to what I would have designed if I was to custom build one, it is however a perfect fit for the spot in our home.

I am going to set this tank up as a new system and bring my softies and Maroon clown over to it after I have established it and have most if not all of my new fish at home in it. Leaving the maroon till last should hopefully prevent or reduce the aggression towards the tank mates....

Some system details;

Aquareef 300 tank and stand. 300L system
Reef Octopus Skimmer (not sure on exact model)
3500lph return pump
2 Tunze 6040(?)

For lighting I have a couple of options, I have a 150w MH currently running over my old system, with two 24w PC's. The new system I brought has a 150w LED 'KEY K4' with it that I could use. I am open to thoughts on this though as I think the depth of my display, 3 foot! is going to be far to deep for the LED set up and even perhaps for my 150w MH too, Ideally I would think a 250w MH would be the go in a display this deep but thoughts and input is always welcomed.

I am currently planning and gearing up to build the aquascape and I intend to full the tank with water this weekend, then the cycle can begin.

Like everything in this hobby it is a slow process, but I am very excited to build a new system.

Mustang67 · 03/11/2015, 04:50 PM

I have a feeling that you are going to need to upgrade your lighting system. I have a Marineland 300DD arriving tomorrow its 72x36wx 27H. Lighting is an issue for me so I decided to bulk up on lighting. 5x Radion G3 and 8x 3ft T5's. I have found that a lot off reefers are really liking the LED/T5 combo.

Here are some threads that you may find helpful in regard to lighting:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2440235
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2364598
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2487293

Here is a thread that has a ton of info on Aquascaping:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2217633

And if you want to make your tank seem like its the size of a Beta Fish bowl then look over this thread.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2383251

Sounds like you have a really nice set up, best of luck.

James-NZ · 03/11/2015, 09:38 PM

Thanks man, just spent a few hours going through those links and some excellent information, I had seen the aquascaping one before but great to refresh that information as I undertake this new build.

James-NZ · 03/23/2015, 07:18 PM

Small progress lately, we have water in the new system, just testing at this stage.

My partner really prefers the look of sand in the DT so on the weekend we purchased about 10kg of sand which we have added to the DT, its the perfect amount for very light coverage of the base. I spent a few hours building two island structures out of dry coral rock, one is completed and the second larger one will be complete tonight all going well. (Photos to follow)

All going according to plan we should fill the system and begin cycling this weekend.

All the gear is ready to go in, currently I have 3 Tunze Nano streams 2x6025 and 1x6045 which I will mod, I will see how they go flow wise then decide from there what my requirements will be, any input on flow is greatly appreciated.

Still debating on the lighting, my LED unit is quite cool and I have just fitted brand new bulbs to my MH set up. I will be better able to assess the lighting once we have the tank cycling and I can get an idea of light penetration.

Photo update coming soon!

03/11/2015, 03:32 PM	#1
James-NZ Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 4	Starting again Hi all, I have been a reef keeper since about 05 and like many here I have had a few different tanks and set up's over the years, for the last few years I have been keeping a small soft coral reef with only my Maroon clown, who has been with me from the start, the first fish I ever brought. I love this hobby and have seen the highs and lows that come with it. Recently I came across a second hand set up for sale and decided it is time to build myself a new set up focused towards keeping some SPS, some softies and a few carefully selected fish. The tank is slightly different to what I would have designed if I was to custom build one, it is however a perfect fit for the spot in our home. I am going to set this tank up as a new system and bring my softies and Maroon clown over to it after I have established it and have most if not all of my new fish at home in it. Leaving the maroon till last should hopefully prevent or reduce the aggression towards the tank mates.... Some system details; Aquareef 300 tank and stand. 300L system Reef Octopus Skimmer (not sure on exact model) 3500lph return pump 2 Tunze 6040(?) For lighting I have a couple of options, I have a 150w MH currently running over my old system, with two 24w PC's. The new system I brought has a 150w LED 'KEY K4' with it that I could use. I am open to thoughts on this though as I think the depth of my display, 3 foot! is going to be far to deep for the LED set up and even perhaps for my 150w MH too, Ideally I would think a 250w MH would be the go in a display this deep but thoughts and input is always welcomed. I am currently planning and gearing up to build the aquascape and I intend to full the tank with water this weekend, then the cycle can begin. Like everything in this hobby it is a slow process, but I am very excited to build a new system.

03/11/2015, 04:50 PM	#2
Mustang67 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Utica, NY Posts: 245	I have a feeling that you are going to need to upgrade your lighting system. I have a Marineland 300DD arriving tomorrow its 72x36wx 27H. Lighting is an issue for me so I decided to bulk up on lighting. 5x Radion G3 and 8x 3ft T5's. I have found that a lot off reefers are really liking the LED/T5 combo. Here are some threads that you may find helpful in regard to lighting: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2440235 http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2364598 http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2487293 Here is a thread that has a ton of info on Aquascaping: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2217633 And if you want to make your tank seem like its the size of a Beta Fish bowl then look over this thread. http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=2383251 Sounds like you have a really nice set up, best of luck. Last edited by Mustang67; 03/11/2015 at 04:51 PM. Reason: Removed a duplicate link

03/11/2015, 09:38 PM	#3
James-NZ Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 4	Thanks man, just spent a few hours going through those links and some excellent information, I had seen the aquascaping one before but great to refresh that information as I undertake this new build.

03/23/2015, 07:18 PM	#4
James-NZ Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2009 Posts: 4	Small progress lately, we have water in the new system, just testing at this stage. My partner really prefers the look of sand in the DT so on the weekend we purchased about 10kg of sand which we have added to the DT, its the perfect amount for very light coverage of the base. I spent a few hours building two island structures out of dry coral rock, one is completed and the second larger one will be complete tonight all going well. (Photos to follow) All going according to plan we should fill the system and begin cycling this weekend. All the gear is ready to go in, currently I have 3 Tunze Nano streams 2x6025 and 1x6045 which I will mod, I will see how they go flow wise then decide from there what my requirements will be, any input on flow is greatly appreciated. Still debating on the lighting, my LED unit is quite cool and I have just fitted brand new bulbs to my MH set up. I will be better able to assess the lighting once we have the tank cycling and I can get an idea of light penetration. Photo update coming soon!