frostslasher
New Member
Hi Folks,
Pleasure to be here on SWF. As the title suggest, I've begun to build my first saltwater tank. Until recently, I had a 30 gallon freshwater (mostly African Cichlids) tank. Since moving, I no longer have that tank and thought I'd try my hand at saltwater. I've lurked around SWF and RC for a few weeks now and feel confident getting started on my build. I still have a lot to learn, but because I know how long and patient I must be to get started (built, cycled, quarantined, etc.) I thought I'd get going on getting all the necessary equipment together and the tank cycled. So please join me in getting my first build together, and all advise and guidance is greatly appreciated!
The tank I purchased was from my LFS, Fairmount Aquarium in Syracuse, NY. It's a new 75 gallon Aqueon (All Glass) with a 1.75" and 1.5" inch pre-drilled overflow, or megaflow as I believe they call it (Pictures below). I didn't like the height or look of the manufacturer stand for the tank, so I decided to build my own. I'm certainly not a carpenter, but thought I had enough skill to make a stand to get started. It isn't the best looking stand that I can build, but I was going for quick and structurally sound. Here's a few pictures of the build, all taken on an iPhone:
Frame, constructed out of 4x4 posts on the corners, and 2x6's. I realize that this is probably overkill.
With 3/4" plywood top on and 1/4" maple plywood.
It's level!
After primer and 1 coat of black paint. I used Benjamin Moore Advanced furniture paint. Trim is all 3/4" maple, as well as the doors.
After 2 coats with no polyurethane.
The finished stand and tank where it will be setup.
I went ahead this weekend and ordered a majority of the larger pieces of equipment that I'll be using. What will be arriving in the next week or so:
- Protein Skimmer: Vertex Omega 150 (Received today, below)
- Lighting: 2 Kessil 350N with Gooseneck attachments
- Return pump: Laguna Max-Flo 1500 with stand
- Spectrapure RO/DI system
- Powerhead: 1 Jebao WP-40
- Blue Life Black Background
- A few bulkheads and plumbing supplies
Items left to be ordered:
- Heater: 1 Eheim Jager 300W (may order a 2nd or smaller watt for backup)
- Live Rock: 75-80 pounds of BRS Fiji Dry Live Rock
- Substrate: 50 pounds of CaribSea Special Grade Aragonite
- Additional plumbing supplies for return/overflow
- Eggcrate to hold sand/LR in place
- Testing Kits & Additives
- Salt Mix
- Possibly an Apex or Reefkeeper controller to get started. If not immediately, definitely within the first few months.
The overflow will be setup using a herbie system, with the main drain on a gate-valved 1.5" overflow, and the emergency drain on a 1". For the return, I'll be running a 1/2" or 3/4" PVC split behind the DT and coming over the back with loc-line on the left and right corners to maximize flow (and make good use of 1500 gph - headloss).
(You can see where I cut corners on the inside of the stand. I have a bottom panel for the tank, only put the sump/skimmer in there temporarily for size reference)
My objective in ordering the equipment that I did is to achieve minimum sound. The tank is going in a bedroom, so quietness is paramount. I've read many reviews and heard great things about all of the above, but need some help in selecting the last few items to be ordered. I'm leaning toward Instant Ocean for salt mix, and Red Sea Reef Foundation Pro Multi Testkit (Ca, Alk, Mg), but need some help deciding, as well as checkers (Hanna?).
I was originally planning on getting a larger 30 gallon long tank as a sump, and splitting it skimmer/fuge/return, but since then have decided to ditch the refugium and use a 20 gallon tall sump. Since this is my first build I didn't want to go through the hassle of setting up and maintaining a refugium, and for what little they add in terms of benefit, if any. The additional space under my stand will allow me to eventually incorporate an ATO system with a 10-15 gallon reservoir, and if needed, an algae scrubber in place of the fuge. I've got another 20 gallon tall tank to use as a maintenance/emergency quarantine
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Lastly, some information on what I'd like to actually put in the DT. After all the live rock and sand are in, and the tank is cycled, I'm going to start with cerith snails, strombus graser snails, scarlet hermits, and bristleworms for CUC. I'd like to eventually add a shrimp and nassarius. For corals, I'm looking at going mostly LPS, with maybe a few SPS and soft corals mixed in. From what I understand, soft corals and SPS don't mix well, so I may ditch the soft corals. I enjoy watching corals that move (torch, elegance, frog/hammerspawn) so I'd like to mostly go with those. Plus, I should have really good circulation within the DT to support the LPS.
For fish I'd like to go with (tank bred if available):
- A pair of clownfish
- Dwarf Flame Angelfish
- Yellow Tang
- Six Line Wrasse
- Purple dottyback
- Kaudern's Cardinal
- Possibly a few gobies or more dottybacks
That's all for now folks. Thanks for reading and sharing your advice in advance. I'll be sure to continually update my build as things continue to come in and I start to cycle the tank.
Pleasure to be here on SWF. As the title suggest, I've begun to build my first saltwater tank. Until recently, I had a 30 gallon freshwater (mostly African Cichlids) tank. Since moving, I no longer have that tank and thought I'd try my hand at saltwater. I've lurked around SWF and RC for a few weeks now and feel confident getting started on my build. I still have a lot to learn, but because I know how long and patient I must be to get started (built, cycled, quarantined, etc.) I thought I'd get going on getting all the necessary equipment together and the tank cycled. So please join me in getting my first build together, and all advise and guidance is greatly appreciated!
The tank I purchased was from my LFS, Fairmount Aquarium in Syracuse, NY. It's a new 75 gallon Aqueon (All Glass) with a 1.75" and 1.5" inch pre-drilled overflow, or megaflow as I believe they call it (Pictures below). I didn't like the height or look of the manufacturer stand for the tank, so I decided to build my own. I'm certainly not a carpenter, but thought I had enough skill to make a stand to get started. It isn't the best looking stand that I can build, but I was going for quick and structurally sound. Here's a few pictures of the build, all taken on an iPhone:
Frame, constructed out of 4x4 posts on the corners, and 2x6's. I realize that this is probably overkill.
With 3/4" plywood top on and 1/4" maple plywood.
It's level!
After primer and 1 coat of black paint. I used Benjamin Moore Advanced furniture paint. Trim is all 3/4" maple, as well as the doors.
After 2 coats with no polyurethane.
The finished stand and tank where it will be setup.
I went ahead this weekend and ordered a majority of the larger pieces of equipment that I'll be using. What will be arriving in the next week or so:
- Protein Skimmer: Vertex Omega 150 (Received today, below)
- Lighting: 2 Kessil 350N with Gooseneck attachments
- Return pump: Laguna Max-Flo 1500 with stand
- Spectrapure RO/DI system
- Powerhead: 1 Jebao WP-40
- Blue Life Black Background
- A few bulkheads and plumbing supplies
Items left to be ordered:
- Heater: 1 Eheim Jager 300W (may order a 2nd or smaller watt for backup)
- Live Rock: 75-80 pounds of BRS Fiji Dry Live Rock
- Substrate: 50 pounds of CaribSea Special Grade Aragonite
- Additional plumbing supplies for return/overflow
- Eggcrate to hold sand/LR in place
- Testing Kits & Additives
- Salt Mix
- Possibly an Apex or Reefkeeper controller to get started. If not immediately, definitely within the first few months.
The overflow will be setup using a herbie system, with the main drain on a gate-valved 1.5" overflow, and the emergency drain on a 1". For the return, I'll be running a 1/2" or 3/4" PVC split behind the DT and coming over the back with loc-line on the left and right corners to maximize flow (and make good use of 1500 gph - headloss).
(You can see where I cut corners on the inside of the stand. I have a bottom panel for the tank, only put the sump/skimmer in there temporarily for size reference)
My objective in ordering the equipment that I did is to achieve minimum sound. The tank is going in a bedroom, so quietness is paramount. I've read many reviews and heard great things about all of the above, but need some help in selecting the last few items to be ordered. I'm leaning toward Instant Ocean for salt mix, and Red Sea Reef Foundation Pro Multi Testkit (Ca, Alk, Mg), but need some help deciding, as well as checkers (Hanna?).
I was originally planning on getting a larger 30 gallon long tank as a sump, and splitting it skimmer/fuge/return, but since then have decided to ditch the refugium and use a 20 gallon tall sump. Since this is my first build I didn't want to go through the hassle of setting up and maintaining a refugium, and for what little they add in terms of benefit, if any. The additional space under my stand will allow me to eventually incorporate an ATO system with a 10-15 gallon reservoir, and if needed, an algae scrubber in place of the fuge. I've got another 20 gallon tall tank to use as a maintenance/emergency quarantine
/>
Lastly, some information on what I'd like to actually put in the DT. After all the live rock and sand are in, and the tank is cycled, I'm going to start with cerith snails, strombus graser snails, scarlet hermits, and bristleworms for CUC. I'd like to eventually add a shrimp and nassarius. For corals, I'm looking at going mostly LPS, with maybe a few SPS and soft corals mixed in. From what I understand, soft corals and SPS don't mix well, so I may ditch the soft corals. I enjoy watching corals that move (torch, elegance, frog/hammerspawn) so I'd like to mostly go with those. Plus, I should have really good circulation within the DT to support the LPS.
For fish I'd like to go with (tank bred if available):
- A pair of clownfish
- Dwarf Flame Angelfish
- Yellow Tang
- Six Line Wrasse
- Purple dottyback
- Kaudern's Cardinal
- Possibly a few gobies or more dottybacks
That's all for now folks. Thanks for reading and sharing your advice in advance. I'll be sure to continually update my build as things continue to come in and I start to cycle the tank.
