Obijuan Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Howdy all, I'm John, and I'm a newly addicted saltwater enthusiast. I've kept a number of freshwater aquariums over the years, but I gave them all to my brother-in-law when I moved from Seattle to Portland. Lately I've gotten the itch to get back into the hobby, but decided that it's finally time to try my hand at saltwater systems. Freshwater is boring to me now. :P I'm trying to keep my ambitions in check at this point while I learn, but I already know I'd like to have a system capable of supporting soft corals along with live rock and sand, and perhaps a clam. I'm not sure about the fish yet (not a fan of clowns, would love a Flame Angel), because invertebrates and coral are vastly more interesting to me, so that's where my focus is. I also have an odd fascination with refugiums, so my goal is to create a vibrant one capable of adding copepods to the main display. And one of these days, once I get some experience, I -will- have a dedicated Peacock Mantis tank. *grin* My original plan was to go with a 29 gallon BioCube, but when I saw 65 gal All Glass pre-drilled and plumbed tank with stand on Craigslist for $100, I had to go for it. The system came with a Coralife CF fixture (too weak for my needs, but it cleaned up nice and might earn a couple bucks back on CL) and a trickle sump (no refugium) with bio balls (which I'm ditching in favor of a sump with a refugium). I'm in the process of making some repairs to the stand (center column needed to be reattached, added a rubber mat to the floor) and will be setting up the tank soon for a nice, long decalcifying bath. That'll give me plenty of time for reading and assembling the list of everything else I need (lights, sump/refugium, skimmer, reactor(s)?, control unit, RO/DI system, and pretty much everything else) I'm sure I'll have tons of questions as I get more and more into this habit (seriously, drugs would be cheaper, but far less interesting) but for now, I just wanted to say hello, and I'm looking forward to becoming part of the local reef junkie society. Cheers, - John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MarkBirkett Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Welcome John. Show us some pictures of your Tank and livestock. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obijuan Posted March 16, 2011 Author Share Posted March 16, 2011 I've been taking some pictures of the tank and stand as I've been working on it, I'll post a few of those at some point. I figure a rolling setup diary is always good, vicarious fun. No livestock yet. That probably won't happen for months. I'm still learning about all of the gear, and trying to decide which pieces will give me the best bang for the buck. I also plan on taking....things.....slowly. This hobby is expensive enough without rushing into anything And, as sad as it sounds, reading reviews on lighting systems or powerheads is kinda fun. My current plan looks something like this: * Clean and prepare the dirty/crusty tank. Part of that plan is to replace the taped-on paper backing with a permanent one. * Read and research gear options, plan my budget (all the while looking for deals where I can find them) * Once the parts are assembled and the whole system has been tested, start with live rock and sand, with sand/rubble in the refugium, and let the tank cycle and settle (and look for any nasty rock hitchhikers) * Start introducing clean up crew and other livestock slowly and keep an eye on things, testing frequently * Once the tank is been stable for a few months, start adding soft corals as desired * ??? * profit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwheeler Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Welcome to the club. I would vote against bio balls for saltwater I have herd they just become a nitrate factory. Could be wrong but I am sure someone else will chime in about them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drew Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Welcome. Dump the bio balls before you do anything else. Use liverock instead. Also if your goal is to have a clam, you need an really established tank first, at least thats what I've been told. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obijuan Posted March 16, 2011 Author Share Posted March 16, 2011 Yep, I'm ditching the sump that came with the tank (edited the OP to note that). I'm planning on having live rock and sand in both the main display and the refugium. I also plan to have chaetomorpha in the refugium for nitrate export (and I think it looks cool down there). And don't worry, the clam won't happen until I'm sure the tank is stable, and the lighting and calcium levels will support the little guy. Probably six months to a year or so. I'm not in a hurry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drew Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 How big is the sump? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lewisriverfisherman Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Welcome to the addiction err I mean hobby!! Were glad to have you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obijuan Posted March 16, 2011 Author Share Posted March 16, 2011 How big is the sump? 10 gallons, if memory serves. It has two chambers: One for the bioballs and a return. Pretty basic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drew Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 I don't think a refug is going to work in that 10gal. refugiums need very little flow. unless you run a very slow pump or have it gravity fed. I used to have a 10gal setup as a sump/refug but it was 3 chambers. It worked great on my 46g. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obijuan Posted March 16, 2011 Author Share Posted March 16, 2011 I don't think a refug is going to work in that 10gal. refugiums need very little flow. unless you run a very slow pump or have it gravity fed. Yeah, I knew as soon as I saw it that I'd be ditching it for a 3-chamber model. For now I'm going to use it while I clean the calcium and scale out of the tank. As a replacement, I'm leaning towards an Aqueon ProFlex Model 3, but that may change depending on my research or any good deals I find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mohaynow Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Welcome aboard John. I also started out with freshwater tanks and then got bored with them (although there are some nice ones) and made the switch to salt. You won't regret it buddy! It sounds like you've been doing your research and way to go on that, I wish I would of done the same. Keep us posted on how your build goes and we love pics here, even if it just an empty tank. Welcome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael7979 Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Welcome John. Sounds like you are way ahead of the average "newbie" and your plans look great! Two things: 1- can your "cheap" light you got with the tank work for your light on the refugium? 2- Glad you found the club. Hope you can make a meeting soon. Next one is March 27th. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beckie Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Hi John, glad you found us. You have done a lot of reserch already. Sounds like you are making a great start. Most will tell you to wait about a year to add clams. I have seen some pretty cool looking refug/sumps. I hope to find some colorful macro algea to add to mine. Beckie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obijuan Posted March 16, 2011 Author Share Posted March 16, 2011 Welcome John. Sounds like you are way ahead of the average "newbie" and your plans look great! Two things: 1- can your "cheap" light you got with the tank work for your light on the refugium? 2- Glad you found the club. Hope you can make a meeting soon. Next one is March 27th. Thanks for the welcomes, all. One of the things I've discovered (and what prompted me to register) was how friendly and supportive everyone here is. You know, I never thought about using the PC that came with the tank for the refugium. It's a 36" enclosure, and while I'd have to measure to be sure, I really doubt it would work unless I stripped the electronics from the housing. Great idea for reuse, though! I saw the March 27 meeting on the calendar, and would love to attend. However, I'm boarding a flight that night to attend a conference in San Francisco. Hopefully I'll be able to make the April one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
impur Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Welcome to the site!!! Sounds like you've got a great start! I think you'll find all the answers you need from folks here, we have a great group! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThePremiumAquarium Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Excellent plan thus far! As others have mentioned, its sounds like you have put some thought and time into this and will continue to do so. Keep us posted if you have any questions that we can help with and as you progress in your build. Welcome! Nice start! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emerald525 Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 Welcome John. You are wise and far more patient than I in planning things out. Sounds like you have some good ideas including ditching the bioballs. Smoking deal on the 65 gallon tank. You will get lots of advice and opinions and hope to see you at a meeting. Welcome to the addiction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michael7979 Posted March 16, 2011 Share Posted March 16, 2011 I saw the March 27 meeting on the calendar, and would love to attend. However, I'm boarding a flight that night to attend a conference in San Francisco. Hopefully I'll be able to make the April one. What time is your flight? Meeting should be over by 4-5PM. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obijuan Posted March 16, 2011 Author Share Posted March 16, 2011 What time is your flight? Meeting should be over by 4-5PM. My flight leaves at 6, but I'm carpooling with coworkers a couple of hours before then. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShaunMonahan Posted March 17, 2011 Share Posted March 17, 2011 Welcome to the addiction John! Sounds like you've got a great start with that 65g - I saw that on CL and it's a great deal, or steal... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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