So I’m at my apartment in Worcester now for the year and I was slowly starting to accumulate components for a (possible) octopus tank in a few months. I’d bought a 40 gal. Breeder tank and stand on sale at Petco ($165) and an RO/DI unit off of ebay ($139).
Then I ran across an ad on craigslist selling practically everything I was looking for at about a third of the retail value. I met the seller who had to break down her 29 gal. Reef Aquarium for rules in a new apartment and she gave me everything she had for $425. I suddenly went from having a couple of the things I needed, to having MUCH MUCH more than I needed.
That was on Saturday. I’ve been making an inventory of all I have and it’s a little overwhelming, but I’m hopeful. Here’s everything I now have:
Major Components:
Glass tank: 40 gal. Breeder (with cabinet stand)
Glass tank: 29 gal. With plastic lid and light
3-stage RO/DI unit
80 lb Live Rock
20 lb Live Sand
in-sump Protein Skimmer: Turboflotor 1000, rated for 250 gal. tanks
10 gal. Sump
5 gal. Refugium retrofitted with PC lights
Programmable LED units: any color and intensity, much more than I need to light the tank
DIY overflow box
Other Filters:
Canister Filter: Penn Plax Cascade 500, rated for 30 gal. tanks
Activated charcoal
Phos-zorb Phosphate and Silicate adsorber
Ceramic biomedia
Purigen Adsorbant
Kent Marine Posphate Sponge
Penn-Plax Bio Floss
Whisper Power Filter 30: for 30 gal. Tanks
Whisper filter replacement cartridge
Whisper airpump check valve
In-Tank Protein Skimmer
Relevant Accessories:
Half bag of Coralife salt mix
Hydrometer : Coralife Deep Six
Water Test Kit: Saltwater Master, tests pH, Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate
Microjet Submersable Pump
2x Powersweep Rotating Powerheads: Wavemaker 214
3x Electrical Timers
Silicone Aquarium Sealant
Plumber’s cement
Various nets, brushes, scrubbers, scrapers
All Manner of Assorted plastic tubes
2x Aquarium thermometers
Water Treatment/Medicinal Products
“Prime” water treatment
“Jungle” pH decreaser
“Proper pH 8.2”
Seachem Reef Dip Coral Treatment
“Combo Vital” live rock supplement
Biozyme: Nitrifying Bacteria and Enzymes
Miscellaneous:
Aquarium glass cleaner: “non-toxic to all aquarium life”
Brine shrimp hatching kit
Penn Plax air regulator valve
Zooplankton fish food
Artemia brine shrimp food
Dried seaweed
Marine Tetra flake food
Wardley Tublifex Worms (fish food)
Hi-Lite underwater LED lights
Air Pump: Hagen Elite 799, battery operated air stone
Turkey baster
Plastic funnel
Can you believe I got all of that (minus the tank and RO/DI) for $425?? Unpacking all of that stuff into my tiny room really stressed me out, but making the list helped me organize all of it. Yesterday I mixed up some salt water in the 29 gal. to house the LR and LS while I try to figure out how to get the sump hooked up in my main tank. I tried to hook up the Canister Filter with it but it refuses to start (possibly because it and the tank are both on the ground?). So right now there is no circulation in the tank, but it is still better, I'd imagine, than just keeping the LR covered with wet newspaper as I was doing before.
My main issue is that I need help getting the sump and main tank set up. My 40 gal. is undrilled. What is the best way to get it hooked up to the sump? Should I use the DIY overflow box and try to get a snug lid cut? Or should I try to have it drilled? After it has holes how is it connected to the sump? What kind of pipes do I need and how are they secured? Which of the pumps should I be using to push water back up into the main tank from the sump?
I have such a huge array of pipes and tubes and pumps and I’m just not sure how they are supposed to fit together. Please advise, guys.
Also, do you think the LR will be ok with no circulation for a while or should I try to set up the whisper filter with it?
Lastly, I clearly need to upgrade to a stronger canister filter. Anyone in the Mass area with an extra Fluval, Cascade or Ehiem lying around? (nudge nudge wink wink)
All advice is welcome at this point. I’m a little overwhelmed now that this is the real deal.
-Mike
Then I ran across an ad on craigslist selling practically everything I was looking for at about a third of the retail value. I met the seller who had to break down her 29 gal. Reef Aquarium for rules in a new apartment and she gave me everything she had for $425. I suddenly went from having a couple of the things I needed, to having MUCH MUCH more than I needed.
That was on Saturday. I’ve been making an inventory of all I have and it’s a little overwhelming, but I’m hopeful. Here’s everything I now have:
Major Components:
Glass tank: 40 gal. Breeder (with cabinet stand)
Glass tank: 29 gal. With plastic lid and light
3-stage RO/DI unit
80 lb Live Rock
20 lb Live Sand
in-sump Protein Skimmer: Turboflotor 1000, rated for 250 gal. tanks
10 gal. Sump
5 gal. Refugium retrofitted with PC lights
Programmable LED units: any color and intensity, much more than I need to light the tank
DIY overflow box
Other Filters:
Canister Filter: Penn Plax Cascade 500, rated for 30 gal. tanks
Activated charcoal
Phos-zorb Phosphate and Silicate adsorber
Ceramic biomedia
Purigen Adsorbant
Kent Marine Posphate Sponge
Penn-Plax Bio Floss
Whisper Power Filter 30: for 30 gal. Tanks
Whisper filter replacement cartridge
Whisper airpump check valve
In-Tank Protein Skimmer
Relevant Accessories:
Half bag of Coralife salt mix
Hydrometer : Coralife Deep Six
Water Test Kit: Saltwater Master, tests pH, Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate
Microjet Submersable Pump
2x Powersweep Rotating Powerheads: Wavemaker 214
3x Electrical Timers
Silicone Aquarium Sealant
Plumber’s cement
Various nets, brushes, scrubbers, scrapers
All Manner of Assorted plastic tubes
2x Aquarium thermometers
Water Treatment/Medicinal Products
“Prime” water treatment
“Jungle” pH decreaser
“Proper pH 8.2”
Seachem Reef Dip Coral Treatment
“Combo Vital” live rock supplement
Biozyme: Nitrifying Bacteria and Enzymes
Miscellaneous:
Aquarium glass cleaner: “non-toxic to all aquarium life”
Brine shrimp hatching kit
Penn Plax air regulator valve
Zooplankton fish food
Artemia brine shrimp food
Dried seaweed
Marine Tetra flake food
Wardley Tublifex Worms (fish food)
Hi-Lite underwater LED lights
Air Pump: Hagen Elite 799, battery operated air stone
Turkey baster
Plastic funnel
Can you believe I got all of that (minus the tank and RO/DI) for $425?? Unpacking all of that stuff into my tiny room really stressed me out, but making the list helped me organize all of it. Yesterday I mixed up some salt water in the 29 gal. to house the LR and LS while I try to figure out how to get the sump hooked up in my main tank. I tried to hook up the Canister Filter with it but it refuses to start (possibly because it and the tank are both on the ground?). So right now there is no circulation in the tank, but it is still better, I'd imagine, than just keeping the LR covered with wet newspaper as I was doing before.
My main issue is that I need help getting the sump and main tank set up. My 40 gal. is undrilled. What is the best way to get it hooked up to the sump? Should I use the DIY overflow box and try to get a snug lid cut? Or should I try to have it drilled? After it has holes how is it connected to the sump? What kind of pipes do I need and how are they secured? Which of the pumps should I be using to push water back up into the main tank from the sump?
I have such a huge array of pipes and tubes and pumps and I’m just not sure how they are supposed to fit together. Please advise, guys.
Also, do you think the LR will be ok with no circulation for a while or should I try to set up the whisper filter with it?
Lastly, I clearly need to upgrade to a stronger canister filter. Anyone in the Mass area with an extra Fluval, Cascade or Ehiem lying around? (nudge nudge wink wink)
All advice is welcome at this point. I’m a little overwhelmed now that this is the real deal.
-Mike