ReefRebuild
New Member
I've been in this hobby for a almost two decades and I have enjoyed most of it. This tank was and is my main display. It is an 135 Oceananic. I don't think I was ever a very good reefer but I tried and had fun. About eight years ago I began working a lot more hours. Between work & family the tank always lost. So over a period of years the tank got more and more ran down. Two years ago my wife and I separated after 19yrs. Soon after my T5's went completely out. I had a friend who was starting a tank and I gave them what was left of my livestock. Then the tank sat unheated and unlit for almost two years. The kids decided to stay with me and life went on. I still work seven days a week and have for the last eight years. Life now is better than it's ever been. I have a set schedule and have weeknights free for family and the tank. BTW I met someone and she’s the best.
At the first of the year I asked my GF and my daughter what we should do with the tank. We all talked and my daughter remembered the fish club meetings and all the fun we had with the tank and that I should restart the tank. My GF and her son were also excited and wanted to have it brought back to life.
I am not looking to have SPS at all. I'm not that kind of reefer and I know that now better than ever. I am excited about having softies and just enjoying the tank. So I got 3 of the MARS Aqua 165w LEDS. I built a frame at work so that I wouldn't have to suspend them. Then I reworked my sump room that sits directly behind the display in the garage and will eventually get a real sump or put partitions into my 55 gallon sump/fuge. The skimmer I had bought 15 years before hadn't worked in years. So I replaced it with a price conscious SCA 302 and it seems to be working very well for my setup. All that said I did the most scary thing reef wise I have ever done last night. I pulled my DSB out and washed it returning approximately half for the new sand bed. So enjoy some of my bad phone pics and let me know what you think. I plan on putting a manifold above the sump and adding an algae scrubber (maybe). Someday I might get a small controller for the heaters and lights. I'll keep you posted. I started a instagram to track and publish milestones its under Reefrebuild. More pics to come, Tank should be back online tonight.
At the first of the year I asked my GF and my daughter what we should do with the tank. We all talked and my daughter remembered the fish club meetings and all the fun we had with the tank and that I should restart the tank. My GF and her son were also excited and wanted to have it brought back to life.
I am not looking to have SPS at all. I'm not that kind of reefer and I know that now better than ever. I am excited about having softies and just enjoying the tank. So I got 3 of the MARS Aqua 165w LEDS. I built a frame at work so that I wouldn't have to suspend them. Then I reworked my sump room that sits directly behind the display in the garage and will eventually get a real sump or put partitions into my 55 gallon sump/fuge. The skimmer I had bought 15 years before hadn't worked in years. So I replaced it with a price conscious SCA 302 and it seems to be working very well for my setup. All that said I did the most scary thing reef wise I have ever done last night. I pulled my DSB out and washed it returning approximately half for the new sand bed. So enjoy some of my bad phone pics and let me know what you think. I plan on putting a manifold above the sump and adding an algae scrubber (maybe). Someday I might get a small controller for the heaters and lights. I'll keep you posted. I started a instagram to track and publish milestones its under Reefrebuild. More pics to come, Tank should be back online tonight.
