My First Reef Tank! 75 gal Build

[Scrappy RN]

Lol well honestly when I first setup up my reef tank years and years ago I used tap water to start then did my water changes with rodi from the Aquaruim.

But we have enough members in the club that we could all bring you water to start out with [emoji4] any it would be super easy. Benefit of being in a local reef club lol

Tagging along. [emoji12]

Yay! It's a party!

 

[Scrappy RN]

Ok, so time to get off of the computer and work on the living room. If I don't have that done there will be no place for the tank to go!!!

 

[Bronc]

Congrats on joining us reefers!!

 

[BlueDevil]

Here are my thoughts on some of your questions:

RODI Unit:
Using RODI water is an absolute must in this hobby. I most definitely would not trust well water to be used directly into my tank. Besides just the common contaminants, there is the potential for several others that you just don't want to introduce into your tank. Now, you have two options to get that water.
1. Buy it and lug it from the LFS. This is what I have been doing for the past 13 years of being in this hobby! I was forced to do it largely due to space limitations that would not let me install an RODI unit. I do have the space now, as well as a unit so installing that is my next project.
2. Install your own unit and have water at your disposal in house.
BRS makes a great RODI system. I got their 6-stage water saver system. (http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-6-stage-universal-water-saver-plus-ro-di-system-150gpd.html). The price difference bettween the 75gpd and 150gpd systems wasn't that much so I decided to get the biggest one available since it will make the water twice as fast. BRS is having a 10% sale today so if you're ready to get one, today might be a good time

Protein Skimmer:
This is where you will see the biggest price variances. I am on a budget so after doing lots of research, I found several people who have had good things to say about the SC Aquariums skimmers. They are very reasonable, and do a great job. I have the SCA-301 model and it pulls out some nasty gunk. You will need the SCA-302 for your size tank. (https://www.amazon.com/SC-Aquariums...F8&qid=1467649460&sr=8-3&keywords=sca+skimmer).

Lights:
I have recently switched from T5s to LED. Again, budget limitations have kept me away from the fancier ones like Radions or Kessils. Once again, after talking to several people, I found a fixture that people have been very happy with, and have shown to give good results. They are the Ocean Revive fixtures. I have two on my 40 gallon tank and could not be happier! They may not provide you with all the bells and whistles like sunrise, sunset, ramping up, wifi/bluetooth controls etc... but they are a solid fixture for a fraction of the price. Aquatic Marine sells them for ~$180 a piece. You will need two of them as well. Not sure how much your current fixture was, or what your budgetary constraints are, but I would highly recommend you go with these lights instead. Here is the product from the Amazon website: https://www.amazon.com/OceanRevive®...=1467649784&sr=8-1&keywords=ocean+revive+t247
You can check out my build thread to see what they look like on my tank.

Let us know if you have any other questions, or need any more specifics on the above.

Cheers!
Yash

 

[Scrappy RN]

Congrats on joining us reefers!!

Thank you!!

Here are my thoughts on some of your questions:

RODI Unit:
Using RODI water is an absolute must in this hobby. I most definitely would not trust well water to be used directly into my tank. Besides just the common contaminants, there is the potential for several others that you just don't want to introduce into your tank. Now, you have two options to get that water.
1. Buy it and lug it from the LFS. This is what I have been doing for the past 13 years of being in this hobby! I was forced to do it largely due to space limitations that would not let me install an RODI unit. I do have the space now, as well as a unit so installing that is my next project.
2. Install your own unit and have water at your disposal in house.
BRS makes a great RODI system. I got their 6-stage water saver system. (http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-6-stage-universal-water-saver-plus-ro-di-system-150gpd.html). The price difference bettween the 75gpd and 150gpd systems wasn't that much so I decided to get the biggest one available since it will make the water twice as fast. BRS is having a 10% sale today so if you're ready to get one, today might be a good time

Protein Skimmer:
This is where you will see the biggest price variances. I am on a budget so after doing lots of research, I found several people who have had good things to say about the SC Aquariums skimmers. They are very reasonable, and do a great job. I have the SCA-301 model and it pulls out some nasty gunk. You will need the SCA-302 for your size tank. (https://www.amazon.com/SC-Aquariums...F8&qid=1467649460&sr=8-3&keywords=sca+skimmer).

Lights:
I have recently switched from T5s to LED. Again, budget limitations have kept me away from the fancier ones like Radions or Kessils. Once again, after talking to several people, I found a fixture that people have been very happy with, and have shown to give good results. They are the Ocean Revive fixtures. I have two on my 40 gallon tank and could not be happier! They may not provide you with all the bells and whistles like sunrise, sunset, ramping up, wifi/bluetooth controls etc... but they are a solid fixture for a fraction of the price. Aquatic Marine sells them for ~$180 a piece. You will need two of them as well. Not sure how much your current fixture was, or what your budgetary constraints are, but I would highly recommend you go with these lights instead. Here is the product from the Amazon website: https://www.amazon.com/OceanRevive®-Arctic-T247-Spectrum-Dimmable-Aquarium/dp/B00YOYD3K2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1467649784&sr=8-1&keywords=ocean+revive+t247
You can check out my build thread to see what they look like on my tank.

Let us know if you have any other questions, or need any more specifics on the above.

Cheers!
Yash

Wow, lots of great info! Thank you and I will follow up on the links. Unfortunately, I can't take advantage of the sale today. Somebody took my spare change hostage at the LFS yesterday!

So the RO units take up a lot of room??? I'm not even sure how they work yet. Like is there a storage tank (I'm picturing something like a hot water heater tank) or is directly plumbed into a faucet??

And obviously I've not made it off the computer yet...

 

[jsker]

Very neat! And ok, I was familiar with the "powerhead" term. Must be a sign I'm getting old

I do like the shimmer effect. Do you have a fancy Radion LED? I wonder if the shimmer effect will happen with my Fluval?? I just can't afford the Radions or Kessils yet.....one day!

I have two Hydra 26 Hd'd with are the same company as ecotech and I love the lights I have now. I started with a lower end light and upgraded after a year. The Hydra's Hd's were less then the Kessil and the Radions at $350.00 each and my coral growth took off after the upgrade.

Reefing is all about patients. Change a little here, Change a little there until you feel that the system is what you would like and does what you would like. My wife looked at all the receipts from the build, I cought heck. I was working for a friend of mine to finance the build instead of coming out of pocket from our earnings

 

[Scrappy RN]

Good to know jsker. I'll look into those!

And same on the receipts! I've not shown the DH yet. He knows it's expensive and probably just doesn't want to ask, ha, ha!

 

[jsker]

@BlueDevil is right on with his advice.

An RO/DI takes about a 20 inch x 20 inch foot print and I have mine hanging next to the washer. We use the waist water for wash. I ran my line to my reservoir tank and fill my water change water by the RO/DI in the laundry area.

 

[jsker]

Good to know jsker. I'll look into those!

And same on the receipts! I've not shown the DH yet. He knows it's expensive and probably just doesn't want to ask, ha, ha!

We are here to help, tag use with an @ symbol and our handle and we will get right back to you if possible

 

[Scrappy RN]

Good to know - thanks!

 

[Rob.D]

Welcome to Reef2reef and E. TN!!!!

Yash, great info on the Ro systems.....I can't wait to see your build come together, this months club meeting should be a blast!!!

 

[ReefQueen]

Well, I've never been accused of being a Lady but I am a female, ha, ha! JK! Seriously though, it is nice to meet you!

I was actually thinking about going ahead and putting the better lights on the layaway setup....at this rate it may be this time next year before I get the whole thing home but at least I'll have the best stuff and won't have to upgrade later. I know I could just get them separately but the advantage of keeping the whole setup on layaway is that I get 15% off of everything by getting it all together. Plus I support the local store--which I love.

So any advice between Radion and Kessil? I think those are the two high-end LED's that the store has. And I definitely want LED's.

Haha I am right there with you I would go for the radions, but I bet you could find some used on the selling forum here for a much better price, even with the 15% off. Or check out sbreeflights.com. I have the elite and I have been getting phenomenal growth so far, but you will get just as good of results with the basic, it just doesn't have all the bells and whistles.

 

[BlueDevil]

Thank you!!

Wow, lots of great info! Thank you and I will follow up on the links. Unfortunately, I can't take advantage of the sale today. Somebody took my spare change hostage at the LFS yesterday!

So the RO units take up a lot of room??? I'm not even sure how they work yet. Like is there a storage tank (I'm picturing something like a hot water heater tank) or is directly plumbed into a faucet??

And obviously I've not made it off the computer yet...

BRS usually runs a sale on most major holidays so you will likely see another 10% sale come Labor Day. And then they'll have the big sale for Black Friday. I will give you the same advice I was given when I first got into the hobby and there aren't wiser words than this. As far as equipment goes in this hobby, as far as possible, get the best equipment that your budget will allow. Often times, they will end up being slightly outside your budget. But save that little extra and go with the better equipment. Otherwise, a year or two in, you will wish you had gone the different route and are now stuck with performance issues with 'budget' equipment. One things for sure - this ain't a cheap hobby at all

As far as how you can configure your water station, you can go as fancy or as basic as you want. The basic method is to simply use a large trash can to make the water in, and then mix salt and you're good to go. The fancier systems are more permanent and have one tank for RODI water and one for SW. The RODI feeds into the SW where the water is mixed. This way, you always have SW on hand without having to mix as and when you need it. Try running a Google search on "salt water mixing stations" and you will see all kinds of pictures of setups in the images section. That should give you a good idea on what options there are out there.

 

[Scrappy RN]

Gotcha! And I agree - it's always better to get the best first instead of later. I suppose I'm just anxious to get started. (Reminds self to be patient!!!)

Warning, more newbie questions: Is the RODI system only used as needed? You turn it on and off --or is it continuously on and making water? To run the waste into the laundry sounds good..but I can't picture how that works. And if I can't do that, where does it go?

 

[Fin]

Ok, I am just offering you my opinion here. I don't mean to be negative, but just pointing out a couple of things that I would be concerned with (not including the light, which was already mentioned). The sump is a wet/dry. Those are not really ideal for reef tanks, because they are very efficient at transforming ammonia and nitrite into nitrates - but not removing or reducing the nitrates. Better suited for fish only tanks. These were all the rage 20+ years ago. You won't find many successful reef tanks that use that style of sump nowadays.

Your live rock will provide surface area for both aerobic (on the outer surface of your rock) and anaerobic bacteria (on the inner, low oxygen surfaces inside of the rock). By using the filter media of that type inside the sump, the aerobic bacteria is creating more nitrates than your anaerobic bacteria inside of your rock can remove, so it builds up. That is why this type of sump with bio-balls or similar media have become known as "nitrate factories." They also limit space for a skimmer or carbon reactor, etc.

That return pump is rated at 568 gph at zero head pressure. The length the pump has to push the water inside tubing or pipe, both horizontally and vertically is referred to as head pressure. Even fittings add to head pressure. If it was just pumping vertically at 6.5 feet (according to the chart below), water would only be tricking out the return at the tank. At 5 feet, it would be acceptable at 4 times the tank volume (317 gph) flowing through your sump per hour. I prefer a higher turnover, but I would consider 4 times as a bare minimum for me. Chances are though that you will end up with more than 5 feet of head pressure, which would drastically reduce the flow at the return in your tank. Personally, I believe I would be more comfortable with the Syncra 3.0. Look at the chart below...

At this point, I am starting to question the recommendations made by the guy at your LFS.

 

[Chriscrna]

Fin is right on.

Regarding the RO/DI, best way to understand it is to see it. Yash (blue devil) has the same unit I have and it's great. Just so happens that Yash is hosting ETRC's July meeting. Caleb (club VP) said he will be posting July's meeting details sometime today.

If you can make it to a meeting, then seeing a setup in person will really help you wrap your mind around things. Plus there will be several brains to pick.

 

[cmcoker]

Welcome! I agree with Fin, good info.

If I was buying a rodi today I would go with this one
http://spectrapure.com/Aquarium-RO-...ent-Filter Kit-TDS Meters-Chlorine-Test-Kit

It's 160, and includes a handheld TDS meter, chlorine test kit and first set of replacement filter and Spectrapure is a solid company.

 

[Scrappy RN]

Lovely, ok, I'll wait until I can talk with some live people before getting anything else on the layaway setup. I'm really confused now. Every single thing I've looked at talked about a sump and that media like the bioballs were the way to go. I've been on so many websites, watched videos and read so many books. Super confused!

 

[cmcoker]

Lovely, ok, I'll wait until I can talk with some live people before getting anything else on the layaway setup. I'm really confused now. Every single thing I've looked at talked about a sump and that media like the bioballs were the way to go. I've been on so many websites, watched videos and read so many books. Super confused!

Have you found the stickies at the top of the new to hobby subforum? Nice write up here about getting started.
Ill add a link
Supreme guide to setup is Here: https://www.reef2reef.com/index.php?threads/138750/

 

[Fin]

Don't mean to confuse you. Just remember, the guys at local fish stores are not always experts - or even hobbyists themselves - and they do not always know what they are talking about. Some are very knowledgeable, but sadly, many are just out to make a buck. This is why it is so important to post what you want here and get differing opinions on what will work and what won't. Everyone has their opinion and until you get to know who to trust - either at the LFS or on the forums - take all the information in and make your decisions based on what makes sense to you. I just hate to see stores sell people stuff that they will need to replace as soon as they get the system set up and realize that it won't work as advertised.

BTW, you mentioned not knowing how to start a PM. Here, they are called "conversations." While you are in a thread, you can just click on the avatar of the person you want to contact and click on "Start a Conversation." I believe there are other ways, but that is what I use.