Redford's First reef!

[RedfordReefer]

After contemplating Saltwater for about 20 years, I've taken the (hehehe) plunge.

90 gallon AGA. 1" drain with Durso Drain pipe. 3/4" return with two 1/2" Loc-line 6" adjustable nozzles

38 gallon Acrylic sump. (thanks Funnyguymi)!

Home-build stand.


48" Retrofit VHO lighting. (No ballast)



Still need:
Skimmer, Return pump, Ballast

I was looking for a 45 gallon or so Reef to start. I wanted something decent without it being overly taxing on my checkbook. I stumbled across a firesale on another site and decided that If I was going to get a 45 gallon, I might as well get a 90 gallon.



I wish I had pictures of when I got the tank. The tank had been established for years, and was drained about 12 hours before I picked it up. There was Coraline EVERYWHERE. Layers of it. I ended up with half a 2.5 gallon bucket full of Coraline scrapings and some sand/saltwater slurry. It smelled like rotted death. Terrible.

Two days of scraping yielded a mostly clean tank.


I was looking for a sump. Something I could fit under the home-made stand, but something useable. Enter FunnyGuyMi. Handed me a 38gallon pre-drilled sump that I could install my own baffles in! It fits in the stand perfectly (10" to spare).



Up next: Source a cheap, usable pump. Plumbing. Water test with tap water. Purchase RO/DI and salt. Get Live Rock / Live Sand. Get dead rock / dead sand. Baffle Sump for Fuge, Return and Skimmer.

Stay tuned for more information! Watch as a complete newb mucks things up and manages to rectify them with the help of the amazing people here at CaptiveReefs!