GreenJeans

Putting together a shopping list, would appreciate any thoughts or feedback, especially re: saving money... Part Model Price TOTAL = $10,474.00 Planned/required Stand CustomAquariums.com $3,000.00 Optional/Get soon Tank Purchased Overflow Stealthbox Returns Siphon Stopper Powerheads Vortech MP40 x2 $720.00 powerhead battery backup Vortech $173.00 Return pump Ecotech Vectra/ReefOctopus Varios-6 $300.00 Sump Crystal Reef SRS44 $800.00 Protein Skimmer Vertex Omega 200l protein skimmer $650.00 Carbon Reactor GFO Reactor BioPellet Reactor Calcium Reactor Heaters Eheim Jager 300w x3? $100.00 Auto top-off system Tunze Osmolator $160.00 Aquarium Controller Neptune AquaController Apex $1,800.00 Automated Testing Trident Automated Testing reagents Trident reagent refill, 3mos Automated dosing DoS pump Battery backup Generator Dry Live Rock ReefSaver x 110lb + ReefSaver foundation x 4pcs $440.00 Live Sand something from BRS $250.00 Salt Tropic Marin Pro $100.00 Testing API test kit $23.00 Calcium, Alkalinity, Magnesium testing Hannah checkers $150.00 Quarantine tank Lighting Gen4 ecotech radion pro x 2 $1,680.00 Refugium Refugium light RO-DI kit RO-DI bucket Saltwater bucket Mixing/water change pump Wash sink Refractometer + calibration fluid $28.00 Magnet Algae scraper $35.00 Siphon $40.00 Fish net $10.00 Algae scraper wand $15.00 Chiller Misc plumbing

You are just a wealth of info, I love it! :D I like the idea of flexibility, scaleability, and keeping light off the sump. So then, something like this https://crystalreefaquatics.com/collections/stealth-series-reef-sumps/products/stealth-srs-44-reef-sump-1 or else a custom guy might be ideal? I don't really know what design opinions to give for a custom design... I'll have the space to set an aquarium nearby to use as a refugium, away from the closet that'll house the sump, seems like this would be ideal. I will probably need a pump from the sump to the fuge...and an overflow on a fuge tank to drain back into the sump (skimmer chamber)? Melevsreef would be the guy to contact about custom options?

Starting to shop for sumps...I want to run a refugium, and this would fit my space - thoughts? https://crystalreefaquatics.com/collections/triton-reef-sumps/products/triton-trs-44-reef-sump Should I contact a builder and get something custom instead? Or set up the refugium outside of the sump? Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

Got it, I'll start with dry rock and cycle it as per Dr Tim, once I have a display tank set up. Thanks for all your help!

So then, first steps - - plumb the room I intend to use with a water source and drain - install RO DI, mixing station - install a tank, plumb it through the wall - set up sump, filters, skimmer - set up lights - install live rock/live sand, begin cycling and testing Then - set up Apex - set up auto topoff - set up the Triton and DoS pump I just copped... On the right track? I'm thinking about how to put the mixing tanks and sump in the closet - can the sump be lifted and set above the tanks, or does it need to be low? No need to consider any media reactors at this point? Should I start curing some live rock in a trash can right now, or should I wait until I have a tank and do it in there? Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

yoink...

I'll be installing a sump in a bedroom closet, on the other side of the wall from the tank. I also plan to plumb a kit sink as a water source and drain. What's the best way to protect my floors long term? Put everything on stands so I can clean spills underneath? Some sort of rubber mats? I'm thinking like those all-weather trays in SUV trunks... Sent from my Pixel 3 XL using Tapatalk

I'm not seeing a private message option, maybe I haven't unlocked it yet. Contact me, let's chat! Too long and either too deep or too wide for my space - I think 4x2x2 is about the biggest I can reasonably go without putting an obstruction in a main walkway. Thanks though!

Great info, thank you! I'm lucky to have a room on the other side of the wall that I can dedicate to a mixing station, rodi setup, sump space, etc. I'm narrowing down my tank choices between a CustomAquariums.com build, a Red Sea "complete" kit, and a Waterbox 130.4. I'm leaning towards the Waterbox - I worry that a kit might not be ideal, and the custom tank is likely more expensive. The Waterbox has great reviews. Any others I should consider? One consideration is the sump - I have the space to set the sump in a closet on the other side of a wall, so I could potentially set up something with a 40"x24" footprint. Should I take advantage of this and buy an aquarium without a sump, get a custom one built? Or would you just use the one that comes with the Waterbox for simplicity? What are the "best" bits out there? Pumps, lights, skimmers...I see gyre and vortech mentioned a lot.

I grew up around the oceans, and some of my fondest memories are of the beautiful fish and sea life while snorkeling and in public aquariums. I saw a wonderful tank a couple weeks ago, and have been fixated on the idea of creating my own ever since. I would plan for the tank to be in my front room, out of direct sunlight. It would share a wall with the closet of a room that I could dedicate to the purpose of keeping a sump, top off water, RO/DI system, gear, spare parts... I've only just began researching what it would mean to keep a living coral reef in my living room, and I have so many questions. ----------------- Should I go big or go home? That is, I know that the larger a tank is, the easier it is to keep. Would you start with a 125gal if you could? Realistically, how much time per week will I need to commit to care, maintenance, feeding, etc? Related, is it possible to automate most things? I'm tech savvy, and love the idea of peeking at my phone to see chemistry, getting alerts for problems, and saving as much of my time in maintenance as possible. Backup and redundancy planning - Do I need a battery backup system? A generator for longer power outages? How do I ensure redundancy with my measurements and deal with equipment failures? How do I go about selecting stock? Do I find something I like the look of, and then research the compatibility/feeding? As my first tank, I imagine I want heartier stock, but I also want nice colors...schools, symbiotic pairs (sand shrimp+goby, etc)...how do I find this category? Are there highly recommended stock? And the world of corals is still overwhelming, there's so many categories and varieties, how do I even start? How and when to add fish and corals is still confusing. I guess I can wait on this, I still need to cycle a tank first... How do you Identify pests? Waiting until there's visible coral or fish problems feels too long, how do you learn what to look out for to prevent problems? Just experience? Lots of questions, I know. Thanks in advance!