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relethg 
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 Topic: Starting Big
Posted: December 03 2014 at 3:19pm |
Hi,
My name is Glenn and I have just signed up and paid for a membership.
I have been out of the hobby for 20 years. Last tank was a 50g freshwater that
I was successful with for 5 years. Have always wanted a marine tank and think I
can do it. I will be jumping in with both feet and my wallet with a 210g setup.
I am not in a hurry and will want help planning the build and with all the
issues I will have.
This is a good used all-glass RR double overflow tank that
has 3 MH with 4 T5s and some moon lights in one fixture. I will be keeping the
lights as this setup is proven. The stand is in great shape and I think
beautiful. I will trash the rest of what came with it and start from scratch.
The Journey begins.
I have started my visits to local shops asking questions and that will continue
as well as reading tons of information and loving it (internet and books). I have started
building my plan and equipment list. I thought it could be a good learning
process for a lot of us inexperienced folks to have some veterans tell us how
it should be done. I know there are many ways to skin a cat and not just one
correct way. So I thought instead of the process of me listing what and how I
was going to do this. You tell me how you would do it from scratch today. Of
course I have a budget, but that is not the most important factor. Here are my
objectives.
Healthy system
Easy of care
Automated
Reliability
Safety (no floods)
Beautiful
Everything is contained below
the tank except the RO and salt mixing
Quarantine tank
I was planning on starting a thread: Tell me in one post how
you would set up a mixed reef in this tank.
List your equipment and water treatment process you would use.
What do you think?
Thanks Glenn
Edited by relethg - December 04 2014 at 7:23am
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jdinchak
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Posted: December 03 2014 at 3:34pm |
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Patience - move slow. That helps you from having to do stuff over again, buying equipment again and livestock losses. My sig has my build thread.
Good luck, you have come to the right place, we are a very helpful group!
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180G Mixed Reef Tank
170G Dart Frog Tank
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relethg
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Posted: December 03 2014 at 3:54pm |
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Thanks, I will read your build and have read about 15 of the big tank builds on this site and others.
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Corey Price
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Posted: December 03 2014 at 5:16pm |
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Starting that big may be fine but it is very expensive! Think car payment monthly. Luckily with new pump and lighting technolgy, electrical costs have decreased. I used to spend $60 a month on just tank-related electricity bills. I think I'd start smaller and then transfer to the bigger tank in case you don't like something. You can then change some things to what you like on a bigger tank.
I'd also look at used equipment rather than new since you can save a ton. People are always jumping in and jumping out later.
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relethg
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Posted: December 03 2014 at 5:19pm |
Thanks for the advice, I bought the lights, tank and stand used and have been watching for other major items I want on KSL and the forums.
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Molli
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Posted: December 03 2014 at 5:30pm |
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Congratulations on moving to a marine tank. One piece of advice I'd live to give is AVOID temptation!!! You will see lots of ads on here for stuff for sale and if your tank isn't ready for a certain fish or corals, but the price just looks so good that you just have to have it, just remember the risk you may be taking. There will be other livestock for sale on almost a daily basis and you will find what you want at good prices when your tank is ready.
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relethg
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Posted: December 03 2014 at 5:32pm |
Great advice, I do not even look at livestock right now. I will have plenty of time for that during my cycle. It is hard in the stores, you see the sales signs and I turn back to the dry goods.
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Mike Savage
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Posted: December 03 2014 at 6:28pm |
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Welcome Glenn!
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LaRue
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Posted: December 04 2014 at 5:55am |
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Auto top off, controller, oversized skimmer, and as big of a sump/refugium as you can fit these are all must imo. Don't let anyone talk you out of using those lights they area little more expensive to run but your aquarium will be so much happier with them (led's are still lacking imo)
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relethg
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Posted: December 04 2014 at 7:09am |
LaRue, All of those are on my list. I have been working on getting a custom sump built that will let me more efficiently use the space below the tank (56 gallon design). I have a refugium designed in but still not sure how I will use it. I have the Reef Octopus Elite 200 INT on the top of my list for skimmers, but still researching. I will not be talked out of the lights, they are proven and I will wait for the LEDs to mature and for the price to go down. ATO plumed to sump and RO is the plan, along with doser. Apex is my current plan for controller. Still not sure about reactors and UV. It is looking like reactor is a must but still not sure about UV.
Thanks Glenn
Edited by relethg - December 04 2014 at 7:11am
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: December 04 2014 at 7:59am |
Good advice from those posting above. Sounds like you already have your mind made up. I mean no offense. It's just that 20+ years working in this hobby has taught me a thing or two about the new hobbyist that can't possibly be shared here in a way that would persuade otherwise. Please feel free to come visit and look at my system while talking efficient, maximum effective, low maintenance, low cost reef.
Aloha, Mark MarksReef Coral Farm 808-345-1049 (text/call ahead) 750 E Lakepoint Dr. #4V in Murray
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Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks:www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member 
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relethg
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Posted: December 04 2014 at 8:13am |
Mark, I would love to come visit you. I have read many of your posts and like your philosophe, not sure I will adopt all of it. I do know I will have a big learning curve but I am willing to do the work. Text sent.
Edited by relethg - December 04 2014 at 8:14am
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Pete Moss
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Posted: December 04 2014 at 8:15am |
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You'll get a million opinions along the way. You've been doing the right thing; visiting shops, looking at setups, and asking advice. Find what works for you and go from there. Best of luck!
Edited by Pete Moss - December 04 2014 at 8:16am
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125g 90g 2x33g 34g
What stores do I recommend?
Up North: Bill ( Saltwater Paradise 801-317-8115 )
Down South: Jerry ( Reef On 801-563-0600 )
Member of GCFB
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relethg
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Posted: December 04 2014 at 8:52am |
Pete Moss, Getting everyone's opinions is what I like about the internet. I think the more information you have the better decision you can make. It is a lot of work wading through it all.
Thanks Glenn
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backwards32
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Posted: December 04 2014 at 9:02am |
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well when you get set up and need some frozen food let me know. I have a free tray of food for you when you are ready.
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Fish Food Direct
Great Food for half the price
801-721-0671
call or text me anytime
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relethg
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Posted: December 04 2014 at 9:07am |
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Thanks Backwards32, that will be a long time from now.
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Mark Peterson
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Posted: December 04 2014 at 9:25am |
Soapbox: But we need to be careful not let opinions become like a voting system where the final answer is the popular thing to do. This is a hobby of science. It is all about the biology and the biological and chemical processes. The better the science can be understood and utilized, the better the aquarium can be. That means there are good, better, and best ways to achieve a desired result. The difference comes when the desired result is not quite what nature, if left to itself, would do. In this case we each tweak the processes in our system in a different way to get our desired result. I must say that I've seen, and used, some crazy tweaking in my day. 
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Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks:www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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ReefdUp
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Posted: December 04 2014 at 6:49pm |
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I would argue that you *should* be looking at livestock to figure out your tank setup now. A tank featuring mostly Acroporas will have very different flow, lighting, and water parameter requirements. Keeping a jawfish requires a sandbed. Unless you're made of money, you'll probably have to prioritize where your money goes. Figuring out what you want to keep at the start will save you from having to upgrade in a few months.
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www.reefdup.com
Diving since 2009, reefkeeping since 2007, & fishkeeping since 1987
200g, 75g, & 15g Systems
PADI Advanced Open Water
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relethg
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Posted: December 04 2014 at 6:52pm |
Reefup, Let me reword my statement to shopping for livestock. |
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ReefdUp
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Posted: December 04 2014 at 7:05pm |
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Gotcha! Fair enough!
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www.reefdup.com
Diving since 2009, reefkeeping since 2007, & fishkeeping since 1987
200g, 75g, & 15g Systems
PADI Advanced Open Water
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