Greasy Joe Bick
Reefing newb
Hey guys,
I figured it would be easier for me to document my progress and ask questions in my own tank showcase thread. So here goes. This is my first adventure into any fish keeping of any kind. I got this tank from a friend. Not knowing the age of the tank, nor the original owner, I tore off all the old silicone to prevent problems with seepage later down the road. I also wanted some reassurance that it would hold. I used Ge 100% silicone #1 to reseal it.
After waiting 48 hours for silicone curing, I went out to the LFS and purchased an eshopss overflow box to start the plumbing for my scrubber. After getting all my plumbing straight, I built my sump tank. I used a 5.5 Gallon Aquaeon aquarium that measures 16"L x 8"W x 10"H. It was the perfect fit under my old tv cabinet. I siliconed three acrylic partitions to the aquarium to create an over-under-over to prevent micro bubbles. Once i got my sump in and got everything flowing this was the end result.
Two days later I went to get some live rock, mysis shrimp, and the ole lady wanted to try out a background for the tank. That leads up to today. I let a cube of mysis loose in the tank to help to kick start my cycle. I placed my live rock into the tank, trying to keep them in a pattern that would allow water flow over my small piece of dead rock. A friend had some old hermit crab shells from a trip a couple of years ago. I added them to the tank. We also added the, store bought, Sea View, background. Here's what the tank looks like now. With better, non-cell phone, pictures.
I bought the cheap Ammonia Alert meter to possibly detect when my cycle occurs. I have a API saltwater and a API reef master kit to test my true levels. The alert strip was just for quick reference. We are not 100% sure if we will keep the background or not. I ordered 25 lbs of rock from Marcorocks.com and a 4x39w t5 HO fixture. We'll see how it looks once we add the new lights and new rock. Can't wait for my first cycle. I'll update when needed.:Cheers:
I figured it would be easier for me to document my progress and ask questions in my own tank showcase thread. So here goes. This is my first adventure into any fish keeping of any kind. I got this tank from a friend. Not knowing the age of the tank, nor the original owner, I tore off all the old silicone to prevent problems with seepage later down the road. I also wanted some reassurance that it would hold. I used Ge 100% silicone #1 to reseal it.
After waiting 48 hours for silicone curing, I went out to the LFS and purchased an eshopss overflow box to start the plumbing for my scrubber. After getting all my plumbing straight, I built my sump tank. I used a 5.5 Gallon Aquaeon aquarium that measures 16"L x 8"W x 10"H. It was the perfect fit under my old tv cabinet. I siliconed three acrylic partitions to the aquarium to create an over-under-over to prevent micro bubbles. Once i got my sump in and got everything flowing this was the end result.
Two days later I went to get some live rock, mysis shrimp, and the ole lady wanted to try out a background for the tank. That leads up to today. I let a cube of mysis loose in the tank to help to kick start my cycle. I placed my live rock into the tank, trying to keep them in a pattern that would allow water flow over my small piece of dead rock. A friend had some old hermit crab shells from a trip a couple of years ago. I added them to the tank. We also added the, store bought, Sea View, background. Here's what the tank looks like now. With better, non-cell phone, pictures.
I bought the cheap Ammonia Alert meter to possibly detect when my cycle occurs. I have a API saltwater and a API reef master kit to test my true levels. The alert strip was just for quick reference. We are not 100% sure if we will keep the background or not. I ordered 25 lbs of rock from Marcorocks.com and a 4x39w t5 HO fixture. We'll see how it looks once we add the new lights and new rock. Can't wait for my first cycle. I'll update when needed.:Cheers:
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