70ish mixed reef, keeping it simple.

[pheallox]

So after a 10 year hiatus I have set up another system.
Going to use same old equipment for now and looking for a wide variety of live stock, not to keen on acros since I like movement and again simple.

Display is a custom 36x20x20 from AA with ½ inch acrylic.(John does such amazing work)

Sump is trigger systems saphire 26.

The system will be controlled by an legacy AC Jr. Since it works fine and I don't need/want any more automation than it supplies.

Return will supply most flow via quiet one 4000 routed through a SCWD ¾ and an enductor on each return.

Flow behind aqua scape suplied by a single koralia evolution.

Next reef midia reactor
(Modded to hell) will run bio pallets.

And I have a simple yet functional SCA-301 skimmer.

For lighting I have a 4x36 bulb t5 setup running a mix of lamps yet to be determined, but I have 8 ATI lamps available to make a nice mix with.

I plan to do some upgrades soon with the pumps and possibly dropp off two t5s for an led fixture.

Started my cycle on 2/27/24 with a mix of 80 lbs of live sand between the display and refugium and 70 lbs of live rick from Age of aquariums...thanks Dan for the great deal.

Since I have been out for a while most of my normal LFS have closed and the tech in this hobby has changed so much, so any advice would be greatly appreciated.

I call Wrightwood home so all LFS are about an hour plus drive, if anyone is local and want to meet just drop me a message.

 

[OCDreef]

So great to see people getting back into the hobby. But don't close the door on SPS. I believe every mixed reeftank should have at least SOME, however easy or pedestrian they might be. As long as your nutrients aren't at zero and your lighting is adequate and you know how to check your alk/cal/mag you will be fine. Best of luck!

 

[pheallox]

So great to see people getting back into the hobby. But don't close the door on SPS. I believe every mixed reeftank should have at least SOME, however easy or pedestrian they might be. As long as your nutrients aren't at zero and your lighting is adequate and you know how to check your alk/cal/mag you will be fine. Best of luck!

I will have a couple, like some monti digi and looking for a nice lokani since I always liked the color variance, just not going to be a dominant feature in the display.
I have a green thumb with growing anything, including corals, I was getting an inch vertical growth a month on my purple bonsia with my last system with minimal dosing and it was all manual, no dosing pumps or reactors.

 

[OCDreef]

I will have a couple, like some monti digi and looking for a nice lokani since I always liked the color variance, just not going to be a dominant feature in the display.
I have a green thumb with growing anything, including corals, I was getting an inch vertical growth a month on my purple bonsia with my last system with minimal dosing and it was all manual, no dosing pumps or reactors.

Nice! Where the heck did those 20k lokanis go?!

Yeah man, that's the ticket, sounds like you got the right idea and it will be a killer display! And don't forget the anacroporas which many people often overlook. You prolly already know this but there are several "high end" ones that have dropped to very reasonable levels now and they are extremely hardy and handle a wide range of conditions. Up until just recently I was able to grow a jf tnt anacro under the almost FULL SHADE of my tgc creamsicle acro before I took it out and downsized it

 

[pheallox]

Nice! Where the heck did those 20k lokanis go?!

Yeah man, that's the ticket, sounds like you got the right idea and it will be a killer display! And don't forget the anacroporas which many people often overlook. You prolly already know this but there are several "high end" ones that have dropped to very reasonable levels now and they are extremely hardy and handle a wide range of conditions. Up until just recently I was able to grow a jf tnt anacro under the almost FULL SHADE of my tgc creamsicle acro before I took it out and downsized it

I can't wrap my head around the industry now days, GSP for 40 bucks and acans down to 25, hammers at 200 a head that I was selling for 15, craziness out there. Still seeing zoas at 100 a polyp nothing new or understandable with that.

 

[pheallox]

Update with some confusion.
On February 27 I filled the system, live sand, live rock that spent maybe 2-3 minutes out of the water, and 25 gallons of system water from the live rock bins, the rest of the water I made 4 days before the fill, also some pallet food to kick the cycle.
And here is the confusion, all tests show ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate at zero.
The food was put in the fuge and it has dissolved, I am also getting a datum bloom in the fuge since I forgot to turn off the light the last few days.
I know it has only been 7 days but I am used to seeing some numbers by now, is there a chance that it won't cycle since everything was basically live and cycled?

 

[pheallox]

So it has been one month since system started, still no cycle I believe this is due to using all live sand, rock and 50% water.
I started to get a GHA bloom 3 days ago so I added a small CUC of 5 turbos, 10 red leg crabs, 2 nassarius snails and 8 Astraea Snails.
Ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate are still zero and the CUC is making short work of the GHA already.
I got the CUC from Ali at Amazing aquariums and he dropped me a free plate coral as a tester, it's about the size of a quarter and is constantly open and happy, so am I.
Doing another round of testing later today after my lights are on, but I am running a reverse light cycle with my fuge and the ever growing cheato ball I have.
I also installed my salt mixing station with a aquatic life modded RO and 15 gallon holding tank, I am making water now for the first WC of the system.
I will be heading out of state for the eclipse so no other live stock planned until me return.
If anyone has any suggestions, advice or anything else to contribute I am open to it.

 

[Jimbo327]

If the rocks and sand is from a live and cycled tank, there most likely won't be a cycle. And if your snails and coral is doing good, then I think it is probably ready to go.

Live and cycled rocks already contain all of the beneficial denitrifying bacteria.