new 125 gallon tank

[ToddW]

Hello EC Reef Club. I'm new to the club (I guess we all are) and look forward to our next meeting so I can meet some of you. I'm attempting my first reef tank (125 gallon) and just finished building my canopy and putting gravel in my tank. Just about ready for fish!

Todd

[lfish]

Welcome Todd, so glad you found us!! Your rock work looks awesome!! It will be fun to follow your progress.

[pogodzib]

Looks nice Todd and welcome to the EC Reef Club.

Any more details on your tank hardware? (Lighting, Skimmer, etc...) Have you decided what type of corals you plan on keeping? What kind of experience do you have?

Instead of adding fish right away, have you looked into fishless cycling with Live Rock/Sand?

[ToddW]

Thanks Brian. And thanks for the offer of Chaeto. Chuck was nice enough to give me a baggie of Chaeto last weekend so I'm good there. I have room for more palnt so I'm trying to get a variety of plants in my sump refugium. I have a 20 gal sump partioned off so the center section will be my mud refugium with various plants. I'd like to get mangroves in there as well.

I have a Hamilton PC fixture with 2-96 watt actinic and 2-96 watt, 10,000 K bulbs. I have a Blueline HDX 30 for my main pump and a Mag Drive Mag 7 pump on a closed loop. I don't recall the brand of my skimmer. I'll look at it tonight. It is in the first of 3 compartments in my sump tank.

This is my first experience with a reef tank so I'm learning as I go. I studied and read and talked to people for a year before jumping in so I have an idea of how I'm going to set my system up. But like anything, the first go around you tend to learn a lot from the mistakes you made. I like the idea of using a mud refugium and I know the benefits of protein skimming so I'm using both. I think I'll get by with a smaller skimmer that way and have the benefits of the plants to reduce the nutrient load in the system. Anyway, once I get something to look at in my tank I plan to host a club meeting and hopefully we can talk then.

Todd

[pogodzib]

Originally Posted by Todd Wanous

I have a 20 gal sump partioned off so the center section will be my mud refugium with various plants. I'd like to get mangroves in there as well.

The idea of growing mangroves has aways intrigued me. Maybe someday down the road I'll give it a try. I am not aware of anyone within the ECRC that has a mud refugium.

Originally Posted by Todd Wanous

I have a Hamilton PC fixture with 2-96 watt actinic and 2-96 watt, 10,000 K bulbs.

I take it that you are planning on keeping mainly softies, zoos or LPS with those lights. Most SPS corals need stronger lighting. Most of the people within the club keep those types of corals so you may be able to get some really good deals on frags and alot of good advice.

Originally Posted by Todd Wanous

But like anything, the first go around you tend to learn a lot from the mistakes you made.

And once you think you have it all figured out, something new arises.

Originally Posted by Todd Wanous

Anyway, once I get something to look at in my tank I plan to host a club meeting and hopefully we can talk then.

Chuck - It looks like people are lining up to help with hosting meetings. I'd be willing to host a meeting as well, but it would be a little road trip for everyone to make it down.

[lfish]

Brian, jeffish and I both would love to see your beautiful tank, so we will make the road trip for sure if you host!

[Greg S]

FinallyTodd it is nice to see the set up complete. What started a year ago as an idea and a dream is finally starting to take shape. And now the "easy" part of stocking your corals and fish. You should share the other pixs with the rest of thegroup the ones that show your sump and all the plumbing underneath. I know some members were very interested as how you put your sump together. Maybe you can help them out. Anyways the tank looks great inside out, wonderful job. I cant wait to see it up close and personal.