Need Mentorship and Help Setting New 150G System

[WhatATimeToBeAlive]

disclaimer: new in forum if posted in wrong section please move, ty
 

Hi all! I’m new to the hobby and got a complete 150g system from someone that left the hobby. The tank is in place and 100+G of rodi water are ready to get mixed with salt. A friend helped getting that portion working and helped getting the pipes ready. Unfortunately he lives far away and is busy.
 

I am going to check for leaks today and would like to get it running soon. I think most equipment is ready to go but have not tested or tried it with the empty tank. 
 

If someone lives near the University of Maryland and has time this week to help me get it going that would be great! I had the vaccine and will wear a mask. 
 

If you can help please send me a message!

 

thank you 

Edited April 5, 2021 by WhatATimeToBeAlive

[lstmysock11]

I would also consider asking on reef2reef message boards. If not someone in person you might find a mentor who can help you figure things out via messages back and forth. Lot more people on reef2reef as it is world wide.

[DaJMasta]

It could be a pretty comprehensive thing to get it going as a 'mentor', but if you can take inventory of the parts you have and describe a general trajectory for how you want to progress or goals you have for the tank, those smaller scope questions could get you more specific answers or direction, and could maybe help find someone who can advise you more broadly who has some familiarity with what you're trying to do.

While I have no doubt there are plenty of people willing to lend a hand, it's a bigger ask to coach someone without much experience and a heap of perhaps unknown hardware setup and stock a decent sized tank from the early stages, so breaking the problem down a bit to ask about may be more reliable for getting help.

[WhatATimeToBeAlive]

@lstmysock11

@DaJMasta

 

Thanks guys, my knowledge since my first comment has gotten better. The tank has now begun the Nitrogen cycle. Here is a list of all the gear that came with it. Might need to get a bigger skimmer I think. 
 

-currently in the process of planning livestock introduction and setting up a separate quarantine tank for the fish. Will not introduce ANY fish until the cycle is complete.

 

-also thinking of a lightweight and agile canopy design for the lights and an auto water change system to minimize the amount of work

 

Equipment:

 

-SC Aquarium 150 gallon Starfire glass (5x2x2) and stand. Has Synergy reef, V2 Shadow overflow. Comes with plumbing. 2 months old.
-Trigger Systems Sapphire 39 sump. Had a crack on bottom that has been repaired with acrylic weld-on. Works perfectly with no leaks. 3 months old.
-Trigger System sapphire 10 gallon ATO Reservoir – 2 Weeks old.
-Tunze 3155 ATO – 6 months old.
- Apex EL System (PH and TEMP w/ EB832) with extra EB832 – 3 Months old.
- 2x Hyggar Heaters with controllers 300 watt – 6 months old.
- 2x Finnex Titanium Heaters 500 watt – 3 months old.
- Reef Octopus Classic 110 INT Skimmer – 6 months old.
- 20 Gallon QT / Hospital with HOB Power filter and extras. All items less than 2 months old.
- Hanna testing equipment. All under 2 months old: Calcium Checker - Brand new only opened to make sure no damage reagent 01/24, Alkalinity Checker - Full reagent 04/22, Phosphate ULR Checker- New sealed 25 pack reagent 06/23. Hanna Temperature Checker, and Hanna Salinity Checker.
- Red Sea Salt (Blue Bucket) X2. One new bucket and with over ¾ left as I only made 15G worth of saltwater from it. Used one is about a month old so fairly new.
- BRS 6 Stage Deluxe Plus 75 GPD RO System with new membrane and filters. Filters less than 2 weeks old. 
- Aquatech Booster Pump kit for RODI w/power supply and shut off solenoid – 1 week old.
- 5x 5gallon buckets (gallons marked with lines).
- Aquatic Life Smart Buddy RO Booster Pump – 6 months old. Works fine just switched to the Aquatec for better control.
- 2x 55 Gallon drums used for water storage.
- Rubbermaid 20 gallon tub
- 2x Vortech MP40s QD (MFG Dates: Dec 19, 2020 and other Jan 15 2021) – used 2 months
- 2 Tunze Nano Stream 6015 – 1 week old
- 2 Hydor Koralia 850 GPH – 6 months old
- Maxspect Jump Return pump DC 8K (2113Gph) – 6 months old
- Danner Mag 7 – 6 months old
- Aquatic Life Hybrid T5HO 48 inch with bulbs (2 ATI blue plus and 2 ATI Actinic and all 4 bulbs have 8 hours total on them). Comes with mounting brackets for 4 Kessil, AI or Ecotech lights – 2 months old.
- Kessil H80 Fuge Light with gooseneck. Has under 1 hour of use on it.
- New Algaefree Hammerhead Float Plus scraper.
- 4 Radion XR15 G5 Blues with Diffusers (1 is 3 weeks old and other 3 are 8 months old) with 50.5 Multi-Light RMS Track and 4 RMS XR15 Slides

Edited April 11, 2021 by WhatATimeToBeAlive

[DaJMasta]

Honestly, it sounds like you're on a great track.  Seems like a comprehensive (and fairly high end) set of equipment and that you've got things moving in the right direction.  Auto water change can be tricky with plumbing, but with a reservoir for salt water and a pair of dosing pumps, people often do that with controllers like the one you've got, so it is probably doable.

 

If you're using your Kessil fuge light for growing chaeto or other algae in the refugium, the skimmer may be plenty.  You can think of it as general nutrient import (feeding) vs. nutrient export (skimmer, fuge algae growth, water changes, filter socks, etc.), so you really only need as much out as in (minus growth of your livestock), so a lower size skimmer in combination with some other method can probably keep up with normal feeding, and just the skimmer you have alone can probably keep up with minimal feeding on its own.  If you find you want to feed a lot or want to maintain really low parameters, maybe it can be upgraded, but I wouldn't expect it to be an immediate requirement, at least.

Edited April 11, 2021 by DaJMasta

[Origami]

Nice setup. I'm glad that your beginning to research things and have recognized the value of patience in the hobby.

Please keep in mind that "cycling" is a process of developing bacteria in sufficient numbers to process nutrients released during decay. It's not a sterile process of waiting. To encourage bacteria development, you have to "feed" the tank. Some people will dose a little ammonia, or hand a raw shrimp in the tank, or ghost feed with a pinch of flake fish food every day. You can accelerate the process by turning up the temperature in the tank as long as you don't have other temperature sensitive organisms in the tank.

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[wildcrazyjoker81]

Hey Santiago its Aaron. Following along and you should start a build thread on here with pictures and stuff.

[WhatATimeToBeAlive]

Thanks dude. I am so impressed how much things have advanced in this hobby, technology really has made it easier to stay on top of things. 

[lynn.reef.nerd]

Welcome to the hobby!!! It's a frustrating but also rewarding adventure. 

Best of luck and great people in this forum that always up to lend a hand. 

Like Aaron said, you should consider putting up a build thread. 

[WhatATimeToBeAlive]

I can do that when I get back, hopefully some Nitrates will be present as well.  Thanks all