Throwback instant tank budget build***UPDATE***completed

[Mastiffsrule]

Shipping was confirmed on the rock, so I had to get the tank filled before work Today. I mixed the esv salt and popped in the heater. Tank ready.

rock tracking put it in at 9:30 tonight Air freight. I had been checking all day for my liveaquaria livestock delivery. It still had not arrived by 5. So I check and I didn’t hit the button to finalize payment after PayPal. So no fish.

i have an instant tank, only it is over 5 days due to my great planning and delay on the rock. It was worth the wait and I should have fish by tues. once fish in I put together amounts and time spent

 

[Mastiffsrule]

 

[Mastiffsrule]

It’s done,

summary to follow on the build in the next few day. Too tired now.

. What was an empty tank Thursday now looks like an established tank filled and running. At the risk of being shamed by the community I may not put coral in this. I was thinking leathers, but the Florida rock is so nice I may not want to mess with it

 

[Retro Reefer]

Looks great man!

 

[Mastiffsrule]

 

[Silver14SS]

Definitely "old school" with all those damsels! Looks great though, nice execution of a period specific tank

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Did I make the budge for a 75 gallon build?

Tampa Bay Aquatics rock, sand, and urchin $375
Shipping $96
Petco 75 tank, stand, lids, light $160
Bio balls $23
ESV salt 100 gallons $50
Marine depot Hob overflow $62
Rio 3100 pump $63
Ground probe $9
Fishes $224

Pulled from the closet: hoses, heater, wet dry, sponges


TOTAL SPENT.....$1061..

missed by $61 but I reallllly wanted the flame angel

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Definitely "old school" with all those damsels! Looks great though, nice execution of a period specific tank

see the urchin, finally got one more destructive than yours

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Was it an instant tank?

Well, sort of. The timing of all the it spread the assembly over 2 days.

i had the tank since December and ordered the rock. The rock was delayed until this week and then I only had 2 day notice it was shipping.

I was just messing around with putting the tank together slowly until then piece by piece since no rush. Once I new rock was coming Wednesday night I did the real plumbing and got the RO making.

Put ro in tank bit by bit and mixed in tank with heater. No such thing as a leak test back than (for me anyway) it holds or it leaks. Friday morning the rock was on the plane. Came home from work got the last 30 gallons of ro in and salt and switched on the pumps.

Picked up the rock at 10pm. Rock in tank and scaped 10:30. was originally going to order fish online but trip to LFS had almost everything I was going to order so I got it there.

So instant tank done???,,,,,,I will say yes with some wiggle room just for timing due to shipping. Nothing but water starting Thursday to filled and done Sat.

 

[Woodneers]

What kind of urchin is that anyway, looks partially purple or something?

 

[Mastiffsrule]

What kind of urchin is that anyway, looks partially purple or something?

pink, came out with the rock out of TAMPA bay. Things huge

 

[Duncan Tse]

How did you cycle your tank? That is unbelievably fast

 

[Malifry97]

How did you cycle your tank? That is unbelievably fast

He did it with live sand and rock. A tank with true live rock and sand needs little to no time to cycle!

 

[Malifry97]

Great update!

 

[Flippers4pups]

Nice execution on a period tank. Makes me want to bring back my 75 gallon from 93!

Finger leathers, toadstool, Lobo's and bubble coral. Man, live rock from back then was full of life!

 

[Malifry97]

Nice execution on a period tank. Makes me want to bring back my 75 gallon from 93!

Finger leathers, toadstool, Lobo's and bubble coral. Man, live rock from back then was full of life!

That rock tho

 

[Retro Reefer]

horrible picture but here is my original Old School Reef picture probably from around 1987, it was set up around 1985 but ran it a few years on UGF’s.. the rock was collected for me by a friend in Hawaii when it was still legal, 75 lbs of the most amazing stuff you ever saw.

Note the bioballs, sanders ozone maker with air dryer and my 5‘ air stone driven skimmer that I used as a reaction chamber for my ozone.. the shorter PVC one is a home brewed Venturi that worked like a champ. This tank was up for about 13 years until life got in the way (2 kids and 3 jobs ;Facepalm).

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Now comes the real work.

I said it needs to be sustainable. That is where the Tampa Bay Saltwater live rock and sand came in. It is amazing product by some great folk. I am using it to skip any cycle at all on the tank. There should be little to no die off on the rock so I should not see any ammonia spikes.

Today

temp 74
salinity 1.25
ph 8.2
Alk 8.9
I am keeping an ammonia alert badge in tank. All good
fish all clean but 1 stripe damsel. Someone got his tail, bacterial infection should clear up.

 

[liverock]

Now comes the real work.

I said it needs to be sustainable. That is where the Tampa Bay Saltwater live rock and sand came in. It is amazing product by some great folk. I am using it to skip any cycle at all on the tank. There should be little to no die off on the rock so I should not see any ammonia spikes.

Today

temp 74
salinity 1.25
ph 8.2
Alk 8.9
I am keeping an ammonia alert badge in tank. All good
fish all clean but 1 stripe damsel. Someone got his tail, bacterial infection should clear up.

Thanks for the kudos....I just wish this winter was not so harsh on diving......I have never been backed up orders like this....but can't control the weather !.....thanks for waiting...and all the folks that are on the list..hang in there......soon as mother nature lets us dive you will hear from Deb!

sea ya
Richard TBS

 

[Mastiffsrule]

Almost 2 weeks now. I should change the build name to throw back, instant, budget, set and forget build.

Tank went together with water thursday/Friday. Water and rock in tank Friday. Saturday fish in. Since then have not done a thing except test once last week ph and alk and feed.

i tested today ph and alk. 8 ph 8.5 alk. No3 badge fine entire time.

I did break out the AtO, should be good for 2 more weeks ;Woot