My first build

[Orange Bulk]

This my first reef tank and I am starting with a fluval sea evo 13.5. I wanted to get as much stuff for the tank from local shops as I could which turned out to be almost impossible. I liked the look of real reef rock so I decided to try finding that locally and found that all my local shop put it in there systems as soon as they got it and would have to wait months for them to get more in dry, I really wanted to start with dry rock so as not get to any of the pests that you can get with wet rock, So i just got it online. Next I wanted to get the sand, i really liked the look of carib sea fiji pink live sand and once again couldn't find it locally so got it online. Next it came time to aquascape. I I wanted to get a pistol shrimp so i put the rock in first and then the sand, here are a couple pictures of some of the aquascapes i came up with.

This is the one I ended up going with.

 

[saltyhog]

I really like that aquascape, especially if you add that small rock at the front end of it! Off to a great start. I too found the things I needed for initial set up hard to find locally.

 

[cracker]

Welcome to R2R ! great place to start out . also like the scape .

 

[OffTopic]

Great looking aquascape! Iwill be following along

 

[hdsoftail1065]

Scape looks great! Planning to watch this come together!

 

[Orange Bulk]

I really like that aquascape, especially if you add that small rock at the front end of it! Off to a great start. I too found the things I needed for initial set up hard to find locally.

Thanks, the aquascape is made up of three different peaces. As I was doing the aquascape I kept thinking that all my peaces where to big so I was braking them in to small peaces and then I got to a point where i only had a couple of big peaces left. I did buy more then I needed but the extra that I got was plate rock XD.

This is where all the joins are, I D-D aquascape epoxy to hold it together and put little bits of rock to try and hide it.

 

[Orange Bulk]

Scape looks great! Planning to watch this come together!

Thanks, I should of said this at the start but the tank has been set up since April but because of the heat this summer I decided to not really do anything with it and I had a massive algae explosion in the tank and warped it up in a bin bag. I uncovered it about a month ago. I was planing on doing a build thread when I started but all that happened so i just thought i would do updates as I actually did stuff.

 

[hdsoftail1065]

Thanks, I should of said this at the start but the tank has been set up since April but because of the heat this summer I decided to not really do anything with it and I had a massive algae explosion in the tank and warped it up in a bin bag. I uncovered it about a month ago. I was planing on doing a build thread when I started but all that happened so i just thought i would do updates as did stuff.

I have been slowly putting one together since January. It has been cycling for 2 months so no worries. There is nothing wrong with slow in this hobby. The algea explosion, well that's not uncommon, mine is going through it now. Some people freak about it, to me it's just proof that there is some kind of life in the glass box.

 

[Orange Bulk]

So fast forward like five month XD and I have upgraded the return pump to a eheim compact 1000, it seems to get louder if you turn the flow down but I am very pleased with it.

I have also bought a D-D dual heating & cooling controller, I absolutely love it, it is so cool to be able to look up and see what temperature the tank is

The tank is on my desk and I have a board above the tank with a multi socket so I can turn every thing off quickly when im doing a water change and I like to be able to look up and see every thing is on.

I have also bought a tunze osmolator nano, i haven't set this up yet though. Im doing some tests on it before i put it in my tank.

Now for livestock. I have 6 turbo snails, 1 cerith snail, 2 nassarius snail, 1 Halloween hermit crab, a green coral goby and a frag of zoanthid with three heads. I think i have too many snails, I just love seeing the turbo snails go around the tank there so fast. The frag didn't look so good a first it stared going black but after a week its gone back to being orange.

I am looking for arandalls pistol shrimp and a yasha goby to add next. Im not sure what coral im going to get next, im probably just going to get some more frags and wait for some thing I like to get a big one.

So this what the tank looks like at the minute and i will keep you guys updated as I go.

 

[Orange Bulk]

I have been slowly putting one together since January. It has been cycling for 2 months so no worries. There is nothing wrong with slow in this hobby. The algea explosion, well that's not uncommon, mine is going through it now. Some people freak about it, to me it's just proof that there is some kind of life in the glass box.

I usually set up my freshwater tanks really fast but I have really engyed setting this up slowly and letting it sit for months. I kind of used the time it to cycle it as well. I dont mind the algae being there, I would rather it not be there but what ever its food for my cool snails XD.

 

[NY_Caveman]

So fast forward like five month XD and I have upgraded the return pump to a eheim compact 1000, it seems to get louder if the turn the the flow down but I am very pleased with it.

I have also bought a D-D dual heating & cooling controller, I absolutely love it, it is so cool to be able to look up and see what temperature the tank is

The tank is on my desk and I have a board above the tank with a multi socket so I can get turn every thing off quickly when im doing a water change and I like to be able to look up and see every thing is on.

I have also bought a tunze osmolator nano, i haven't set this up yet though. Im doing some tests on it before i put it in my tank.

Now for livestock. I have 6 turbo snails, 1 cerith snail, 2 nassarius snail, 1 Halloween hermit crab, a green coral goby and a frag of zoanthid with three heads. I think i have too many snails, I just love seeing the turbo snails go around the tank there so fast. The frag didn't look so good a first it stared going black but after a week its gone back to being orange.

I am looking for arandalls pistol shrimp and a yasha goby to add next. Im not sure what coral im going to get next, im probably just going to get some more frags and wait for some thing I like to get a big one.

So this what the tank looks like at the minute and i will keep you guys updated as I go.

The system is looking great. Nice to read through all of the details.

 

[SPR1968]

The aquascape looks great and welcome to R2R as well!

 

[SwiftStorm]

Great looking scape. I started with the fluval spec v. I upgraded the return pump also. I wish I would've invested in the ATO from the start.

Keep us up to date with pics

 

[Orange Bulk]

I got two new corals the other day

At first the zoanthid was sulking and the pulsing xenia looked dead. The zoanthid has opened up now and the xenia is looking alot better, i will upload some later when the lights come on.

I have also received a float switch and a buzzer in the mail today for my next little project.

 

[Chrisfish]

Welcome to R2R, nice looking nano

 

[Orange Bulk]

The two new corals are looking good now

 

[Orange Bulk]

Iv got lots to update. No new fish, Same new equipment and DIY stuff.

I brought a tunze nano ATO

Its ok, I like it. It hasnt done what I thought it would do, I thought it would sort out the salinity but its still going from 1.025-1.030 in a week, The fish and corals dont seem bothered at all I cant see a differense in them when the salinity goes up The magnet is really good. Iv tested the float switch and even if the float switch gose up straight away the pump with stay on for 6 seconds. It only just fits in the rear sump.

Next up is the DIY stuff
Iv made a water level alarm because my tank is on my desk and im scared the ATO will fover flow my tank

 

[reef-rc]

I have been slowly putting one together since January. It has been cycling for 2 months so no worries. There is nothing wrong with slow in this hobby. The algea explosion, well that's not uncommon, mine is going through it now. Some people freak about it, to me it's just proof that there is some kind of life in the glass box.

The algae battle is constant within the 1.5 -2 yrs imo. My Evo looks to just now going over that hump within the last few moths i think (fingers cross ).