Rossko gets tanked (75g)&(20g cube)

[Rossko]

Hi everyone!! finally getting around to my build thread after 6 months lol. anyways i guess ill start from the beginning. I received this 75g tank and stand as a present from my wife and her grandmother back in December of 2015 because i had told her my dream was to start a bigger saltwater tank. as you can see in that background my only experience was from a 10g freshwater tank . the new tank and stand sat for years due to moving plans and other life events. but lets go ahead and fast forward to 2019 when i finally got the motivation to get this tank started. i did a tooooooon of research and i'm not going to lie, i didn't want to start my first reef tank off with this 75g i had, but because it was a present from my wife and her grandmother i didn't want to hurt either of their feelings or get sent to the "dog house" so i got started on my plans. (i also apologize ahead of time for anything wrong with the post as this is my first real detailed thread)

 

[SPR1968]

Looks good and keep the pictures coming!

 

[Rossko]

so lets get started! i deceded to go with a smaller center tank herbie style overflow and a return on each end of the tank. after researching drilling tanks i went ahead and went for it!! and man was that scary!!

 

[Rossko]

Looks good and keep the pictures coming!
thank you!! and will do!

 

[Rossko]

successfully Drilled the tank. (part of me hoped i would fail so i could buy the tank i wanted jkjk!) decided to plasti dip the back of the tank black. it took a few tries but i got it done!

 

[Rossko]

Next step was to install the overflow box and bulkheads on the tank. after measuring over and over and over again finally i got the overflow box exactly where i wanted it, centered perfect (at least it was to my crooked eyes lol) and high enough so that the water line was not seen under the black rim of the tank.

 

[Rossko]

since the tank sat for 4 years prior i figured it would be a good idea to water test it. filled it up and let it sit for two weeks and beyond a little water evap NO LEAKS!! good to proceed lol.

 

[Rossko]

it was finally time for me to spend some money. ordered all components needed, sump, pump, powerheads, heater, stand (because the one they bought me as a gift just was not going to work for my build. it is now the stand for the TV) light, dry rock, substrate, did some research and kind of just picked everything i thought would work out good and within budget for me to complete this build. some parts i wanted just were not possible because of how crazy expensive this stuff is lol.

 

[Rossko]

sump showed up damaged but was replaced quickly with no hassle thank goodness

 

[Rossko]

finally all parts had arrived. built the stand and it was time to start plumbing the tank! drew up a quick rough draft of what i thought i wanted to do and went shopping again and then put the puzzle together!

 

[Rossko]

tank is finally plumbed, leveled and in its final resting place (for now).. wife still wanted it to look "nice" in the room.

 

[Rossko]

hosed off these dry reef rock for was seemed like hours! so much sediment came out of them! they also got a few RODI dips and then put out to dry.

 

[Rossko]

started messing with scaping a little bit but seemed just a little to open for my liking in the middle. ill mess with that more come fill day.

 

[Rossko]

finally come may 24th 2019 its fill day!! went to my LFS and picked up 80g of saltwater with my furry companion Stella. got home and filled that bad boy up!!! and started my cycle with Fritz turbo start 900.

 

[Rossko]

a week later we had some diatoms growing and two weeks after filling tank was cycled but i waited another two weeks and checked again. ammonia, nitrates and nitrites were all at 0, i then added my CUC and then a week later added my first pair of clowns and first (free) coral from my LFS

 

[Rossko]

from here on out i did what every noob does, i bought more corals and fish and started battling excessive algea out breaks, which at one point i think was dinos but may have still been just uglies. but 3 months or so in i lost my flame and and 1 clown to ich which i could figure out why or how because everything was ok in my tank

 

[Rossko]

but things have gotten better and all my parameters are now in check. over the past few months haved added some new fish and corals. the tank is also The Office themed so all my fish and some other invertebrates are all named after characters off the show lol.

 

[Rossko]

and here we are today and i just forked out some bones on my new upgraded light!! AP700 and i love it! i dont know how i looked at my tank before this light! sorry for picks too i need to get one of those polyp lab camera lenses. oh and i also decided to start culturing my own phyto, figured why not.

 

[Matt Carden]

Nice build!

 

[Rossko]

and heres a coupled photos from right this second lol!! anyways thanks for looking and ill try to keep posting updates of my tank as it progresses with new additions and growth.