Cali Kid Corals

IM SR60 - back after a long hiatus

rxx2rxx2

rxx2rxx2

Supporting Member
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Hello,

This'll be my first tank journal. I have been out of the hobby for about 9 years. Trying to take this one slow, get all the equipment together, do it right the first time. Things seem to have changed so much in the time I've been away, I'm sure you all will have some good recs toward a long term, successful reef.

I'll start with the equipment:

IM SR 60 AIO - I was gonna go with something smaller but had the space and thought a larger water volume would be more stable. Didn't want to deal with all the plumbing. Hoping this AIO stuff will work.

Lighting
Orphek Atlantik Icon - got a killer deal on a barely used one, couldn't pass it up. Never used LED's.
Orphek OR3 blue plus 24” - thought this would give it some actinic pop
T-slot rack 80/20

Skimmer
AquaMaxx WS-1 - fit in the middle chamber nicely
Reef Octopus 4" Waste Collector with Auto Shut Off
NUVO Roller Manual Fleece AIO Filter Fullsize

Topoff
Acrylic tray for the bottom of the stand in case I get some water overflowing - tank will go away and I'll get killed if floors get damaged
Aquamaxx 9.6 gallon for topoff reservoir
Tunze Osmolator 3155 $230 BRS $145

wavemaker
MP40 - do you think one will be enough?

IM SR60 comes with 2 return pumps and 4 nozzle outlets

heater
eheim jager 125 watt x2 on an Aqua Logic dual ccontroller

Innovative Marine AquaShield midsize 11 Watt UV

Rock
MR Coralline Rock (20lb Box)
CaribSea LifeRock
Sand - Caribsea Special Grade Arag-Alive (40lb)

RO/DI
Air, Water, Ice 5 stage compact catalytic carbon

InTank filtration cover – 30L - might try to build something so that the wires, skimmer and fleece roller

Reef lid – came with tank

Technical Pro Power Strip Surge Protector

butcher block on wheels - saw this on reef2reef - thought it was a good idea

I plan to egt the rocks set up, sand and water in. get some reef rubble from an established pest free tank and cycle. I've see some additives that can be added when starting a reef tank. I'll have to read more.

I would love to hear any advice on things I may need, recs, thoughts. TIA

Here's where I'm at currently:
PXL_20240327_154856116.MP.jpg
 
Welcome, and looking good so far! For aquascaping, BRS has a great video on negative space aquascaping (NSA) if you feel like taking a deep dive into some new aquascaping ideas.

If it's ready by then, it's looking likely that we'll be having a frag swap on June 1st. Swing by, get some coral, and meet everyone! :)
 
Welcome back! I'd make sure the wheels can lock and support the weight of the whole system, especially after seeing that earthquake video from Taiwan yesterday. Another trick is to put Vaseline on the metal spots of the wheels so they don't corrode.

Those Orpheks are good lights. A bit of a disco ball effect when lit but a real value per PAR. MP40 might be a bit big and linear for that size tank, I'd recommend two smaller pumps if you can swing it (also depending on what types of coral you want).
 
IOnceWasLegend said:
Welcome, and looking good so far! For aquascaping, BRS has a great video on negative space aquascaping (NSA) if you feel like taking a deep dive into some new aquascaping ideas.

If it's ready by then, it's looking likely that we'll be having a frag swap on June 1st. Swing by, get some coral, and meet everyone! :)
Click to expand...
Thanks, I'll check it ou. I think that'll be the look I'm going for.
 
Darkxerox said:
Welcome back! I'd make sure the wheels can lock and support the weight of the whole system, especially after seeing that earthquake video from Taiwan yesterday. Another trick is to put Vaseline on the metal spots of the wheels so they don't corrode.

Those Orpheks are good lights. A bit of a disco ball effect when lit but a real value per PAR. MP40 might be a bit big and linear for that size tank, I'd recommend two smaller pumps if you can swing it (also depending on what types of coral you want).
Click to expand...
Wheels lock, made sure they'll hold the weight. Appreciate the tips and advice!
 
Very nice set up, I'm no expert but I would be concerned about the wheels, and bolts/screws securing them to the butcher block. With a tank that size and weight of water, rock sand, plus water in the sump, the weight of the stand, and the tank it's self. I would wanna be sure that every portion of them can overly support the weight of the tank. Earthquake, bumping into it, and all other crap happens type of events.

I would also probably put some snug but removal wood beams 2x4s - 4x4s etc under it as well as a back up, in case of a wheel failure. Think of it as using jack stands working under a car verse counting on the jack alone should crap happen. An additional safety measure of somekind would be a smart move I think instead of depending soley on two possible points of failure. Seeing as your worried about the floor you could prehaps glue, staple, or tape something like foam/vinyl material around the boards to not scratch floors.

Welcome back to the hobby, I look forward to following your build process.
 
Looking good Ben! I’m glad you found BAR. I never thought I’d see you here. This is a great group of fish nerds. ( they are very knowledgeable and helpful) Enjoy the process. Can’t wait to see it fill out over the years. Oh yeah, Welcome back to the hobby.
 
MichaelB said:
Very nice set up, I'm no expert but I would be concerned about the wheels, and bolts/screws securing them to the butcher block. With a tank that size and weight of water, rock sand, plus water in the sump, the weight of the stand, and the tank it's self. I would wanna be sure that every portion of them can overly support the weight of the tank. Earthquake, bumping into it, and all other crap happens type of events.

I would also probably put some snug but removal wood beams 2x4s - 4x4s etc under it as well as a back up, in case of a wheel failure. Think of it as using jack stands working under a car verse counting on the jack alone should crap happen. An additional safety measure of somekind would be a smart move I think instead of depending soley on two possible points of failure. Seeing as your worried about the floor you could prehaps glue, staple, or tape something like foam/vinyl material around the boards to not scratch floors.

Welcome back to the hobby, I look forward to following your build process.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your thoughts!
 
Newjack said:
Looking good Ben! I’m glad you found BAR. I never thought I’d see you here. This is a great group of fish nerds. ( they are very knowledgeable and helpful) Enjoy the process. Can’t wait to see it fill out over the years. Oh yeah, Welcome back to the hobby.
Click to expand...
Thanks Kris!
 
have your tried Orphek Atlantik lights and used their app for light control ? i gave mine up after a year because it was so buggy and PITA to adjust just one, let along i had two of V4 Gen2 lights.
 
Great start with your SR60 and equipment. I recently broke mine down to downsize to a smaller tank. Mine was a dedicated soft corals and wrasse tank. Love the IM SR series tanks. What kind of corals do you plan on keeping? The dual return pumps and MP40 should be more than enough flow.

I agree with @ashburn2k the Orphek Atlantik fixture build quality is top notch, but connecting to the app with its wifi gateway is frustrating. Maybe somewhere down the line consider the iCon control upgrade kit.

Also if you are looking for inspiration the best looking SR60 I’ve seen in person is the one at Neptune Aquatics on the counter by their register.
 
ashburn2k said:
have your tried Orphek Atlantik lights and used their app for light control ? i gave mine up after a year because it was so buggy and PITA to adjust just one, let along i had two of V4 Gen2 lights.
Click to expand...
I have not tried it yet. I hope I don't run into those problems.
 
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