not new to reefing but new to wamas!

[monkiboy]

hi folks!

 

my name is marco. i never officially made an intro thread after becoming a member on here and rob (zygote2k) made a great recommendation i do so so here i am.

 

i've been in the saltwater hobby for about eight years and did freshwater since i was kid.

 

i've got a 46g bowfront in wall installation that i've had for about eight years and went through all the ups and downs and learning of the reefing hobby with.

 

water disaster number 1 of a zillion:

 

 

like a schmuck buying RO water from the LFS aftering finding out i really needed to stop using tap water conditioner and before i knew about RO/DI...

 

 

i'm a big DIY'er and some of my first DIYs were an overflow as i didn't know about drilling my tank at the time and didn't have room for a traditional overflow within my space and an ATS.

 

 

 

 

 

i was doing it "wrong" for so long and it wasn't until i started stepping out my FOWLR comfort zone and into keeping corals that i stumbled upon the forums and resources online. sure enough, it wasn't long before i was deep into a complete overhaul of what i thought was a great system.

 

my first frags were some GSP and a frogspawn which are both still with me and grew to be massive and consistent pieces i donate to new reefers in the hobby and friends that i get hooked on this incredibly hobby.

 

 

this is my 46g bow front once i rehabbed it a few years ago:

 

 

then i go to work on a custom sump for the inwall location

 

 

 

this is what it looked like from the kitchen side:

 

then after a year or so i figured out i need a better sump and more volume and built a space in my heating room in my basement where water would go all the way down to the basement to a 30g sump and push up to the tank.

 

 

 

getting the hoses through:

 

 

built a stand and my fish/sump room began to take form:

 

 

then built my sump:

 

then got my genesis reef systems AWC and top off and RODI top off system in place with skimmer and my other goodies. i call this "the wall" haha

 

 

time passed,things really grew fast and i had more bad luck and good luck and learned a bunch:

 

 

 

then i changed my landscaping for a more minimalistic design:

 

one of my early favorites which grew and does very well today with regular feedings:

 

then i started getting heavy into the coral propagation and fragging and meeting up with locals and swapping/selling, etc and i needed more space and a easier system to work with than climbing up to get into an in wall setup. soo...i started a 40 breeder frag tank:

 

got the tank during the $1/gallon petco sale, drilled, plumbed, with a BRS overflow, with a sump and setup in one day and was pretty proud of myself, haha:

 

 

 

 

 

 

it wasn't long before i got to fragging and picking up corals that the tank was full:

 

 

 

picked up a pair of ORA clowns:

 

 

picked up a tamron macro lens for the dslr and finally could take better photos:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

things continued to grow like madness and i fragged some more and i needed yet MORE space so i added a 40b to my frag system:

 

 

and now both tanks are stocked full of frags and some that i am currently selling the FS section on here. others i am keeping to go into a new 360g display tank or a 180 display SPS reef tank that will replace both of the 40 frag tanks. the 180 i picked up from tony (ridetheducati) a few months back:

 

 

i have aspirations to eventually sell corals as a side gig to try to make back some of the bucks and time i've donated to friends and newer folks in the hobby. i'm currently working on a website so i don't have to constantly be posting FS posts on here and eventually can just direct me to my site where it will be organized, clear when something is purchased and i can keep updated. and one day i'll make it a business hopefully.

 

i started picking up deals where i can to get that started and have picked up some return pumps, a frag tank, a rubbermaid sump, a 120g commercial frag system, etc.

 

 

but that's in the future, for now i want to get my story out there, introduce myself and hopefully get more active on this forum and share my knowledge and pick up a whole lot.

 

oh, and i forgot to mention i picked up the d120 light fixtures in the last GB on here and it was seemless and well worth the effort. they have been working out really well with my SPS dominant frag setup tank and coloring things up nicely, too. and with the new apex-controllable versions coming out, i can imagine why someone would look elsewhere for LED fixtures. i really am becoming a fan of these and am eager to see if this will carry on long term or if the enjoyment will be short term.

 

here's my light layout for anyone interested in a solid place to start for a full spectrum 18k look:

 

 

 

 

 

ok, sorry for the rant but that's my story. i'll start a new build thread and pick up from here with it on the various builds i got going on. if you have any questions about anything that comes to mind reading this post, please PM me. i love helping where i can and have a lot to give back for all the guidance i've received even in the short few months i've been a member here!

 

thanks, folks!

[Coral Hind]

Welcome and I look forward to seeing the new setups. "The Wall" looks pretty complicated, a lot going on there. What are the two black containers on the left for?

[ridetheducati]

Welcome aboard Marco, I saw the passion in your eyes when we met. I am sure you will be a great resource. Adding you to my tank tour agenda.

[scott711]

Wow, Very impressive! I have to come check it out some time!

[Origami]

Nice DIY work, Marco. Welcome to WAMAS.

[surf&turf]

Welcome, nice setup.

[Mr salt]

Nice DIY. Welcome aboard marco. ooh Yeah, My hand still show the cut from helping you move the 120 gallon to your truck from Sharkey18 place, It was great meeting you marco! Once i get my setup going i will definitely get some coral from you!!

[miggs76]

Now that's an introduction! Love the in-wall system. When my wife forces me to move to a bigger house I am going to use an in-wall system as a bargaining chip.

[monkiboy]

Welcome and I look forward to seeing the new setups. "The Wall" looks pretty complicated, a lot going on there. What are the two black containers on the left for?

i suppose it does look that way but that wall has automated some of the most complicated or tedious tasks for me. so while it looks complicated, it makes my life simple

 

the two black recantangular modules and the two buckets are part of the reef genesis system. they are my AWC, ATO, and top off for my ATO system. all i have to do is add salt to my brute container every three weeks and all my water changes are done for me, sump top off is handled, and topping off of my ATO container from the RODI unit is all handled through that system.

 

specifically, the two buckets are used for measuring. they are 1g jugs. they have optical sensors and float switches. at whatever schedule i set the black module to (20g change per week), it will remove one gallon from sump and pour into the reservoir A, at the same time remove one gallon from new salter container and pump into reservoir B. then once perfectly level as metered by the sensors inside, it slowly releases the sump water from res A into the main drain stack outside, and the new SW from reservoir B into the sump. so you are removing exactly one gallon and putting in exactly one gallon at a time. so changes in parameters are slower and happen over time. you don't get the same effect as doing one mass change all at once so i just add a couple gallons to my figure for changes.

 

 

Welcome aboard Marco, I saw the passion in your eyes when we met. I am sure you will be a great resource. Adding you to my tank tour agenda.

haha. that might have been mostly passion but there was jealously in their, too! you had a tremendously successful setup and i really enjoyed checking it out. better believe i'm following your 300 build!

 

 

Wow, Very impressive! I have to come check it out some time!

thanks scott - we'll figure something out i'm sure!

 

 

Nice DIY work, Marco. Welcome to WAMAS.

thank you, sir!

 

 

Welcome, nice setup.

thanks a lot! i have a lot i'm doing this weekend, but i need to get a dedicated thread up for the 46g and then one for whatever i'm doing in the basement to post up!

 

 

Nice DIY. Welcome aboard marco. ooh Yeah, My hand still show the cut from helping you move the 120 gallon to your truck from Sharkey18 place, It was great meeting you marco! Once i get my setup going i will definitely get some coral from you!!

ah you baby, haha! thanks for the help. don't know how i would of felt about asking for help from the ladies so glad you were there, too! did you make it back to pick up the stand still there? oh and those edges were sharp as i nearly did the same to my leg cleaning it the following weekend!

 

Now that's an introduction! Love the in-wall system. When my wife forces me to move to a bigger house I am going to use an in-wall system as a bargaining chip.

yeah, i like in-walls for their aesthetic appeal. especially one that is viewable from both sides tends to be more rare as plumbing and space requirements are a headache to say the least but he effect is tremendous. the wall on the living room side is curved to match the radius of the front of the bowfront while the rear is kitchen-facing and flat. being able to see through is a lot of fun!

[zoozilla]

Welcome! Great looking setup. I really like the minimalistic approach to your rock work.