Seeing as the 150 is probably going to take the best part of a year if not longer, I have decided (persuaded into doing it by a friend..) to set up a 15 gallon nano in the mean time.
It's probably for the best, takes my mind of the big tank and makes sure I don't rush it.
I started with a Juwel Rekord 60.
Firstly I yanked the internal filter box out as it would be totally pointless in a marine tank.
Then I added three Aquarium Systems micro-jet 320's that I found in a charity shop for four quid each! They were brand new in box too.
I added a Visitherm 50w submersible heater.
Then mixed the salt and water and added that to the tank. A day or two later I added the sand.
I used Tetra marine seasalt and Caribsea ocean direct Caribbean live sand.
This completely (and I mean completely) clouded the tank. I left it a few days with everything running.
While all this was going on, I retrofitted 4x9watt power compacts into the hood, to compliment the stock T8 (which will be actinic come tuesday).
So for all this effort and money this is where I am.
All I need to do now is tidy the ballasts up, add live rock, wait for the tank to mature, fit the rest of the power compacts, source some decent lamps ( I can find them in american, coralife do a 10000k and an actinic but with shipping it would cost me more than a halide pendant!), get the T8 actinic, add clean up crew, add corals, add fish, get a skimmer, build the algae scrubber, build the refuge (any point?) and then sit back and enjoy the reef. :lol:
And plump a sump in if I can be bothered..
It's probably for the best, takes my mind of the big tank and makes sure I don't rush it.
I started with a Juwel Rekord 60.
Firstly I yanked the internal filter box out as it would be totally pointless in a marine tank.
Then I added three Aquarium Systems micro-jet 320's that I found in a charity shop for four quid each! They were brand new in box too.
I added a Visitherm 50w submersible heater.
Then mixed the salt and water and added that to the tank. A day or two later I added the sand.
I used Tetra marine seasalt and Caribsea ocean direct Caribbean live sand.
This completely (and I mean completely) clouded the tank. I left it a few days with everything running.
While all this was going on, I retrofitted 4x9watt power compacts into the hood, to compliment the stock T8 (which will be actinic come tuesday).
So for all this effort and money this is where I am.
All I need to do now is tidy the ballasts up, add live rock, wait for the tank to mature, fit the rest of the power compacts, source some decent lamps ( I can find them in american, coralife do a 10000k and an actinic but with shipping it would cost me more than a halide pendant!), get the T8 actinic, add clean up crew, add corals, add fish, get a skimmer, build the algae scrubber, build the refuge (any point?) and then sit back and enjoy the reef. :lol:
And plump a sump in if I can be bothered..