Embarking on My First Reef Tank Journey

I’m about to dive headfirst into the world of reef tanks for the very first time. I’ve spent many rewarding years keeping freshwater tanks, nurturing everything from celestial pearl danios (CPD) to selectively bred cherry shrimp. Some of you might even remember me from the shrimp keeping community, one of the early owners of Shrimp Keepers Forum, which I later rebranded as SKF Aquatics. Freshwater has always been my comfort zone, but now I’m venturing into new territory: reef tanks.

My freshwater experience gives me a solid understanding of tank cycling, water parameters, and maintaining a stable environment. But, when it comes to reef tanks, I’m essentially a total newbie. I’ve never set up a sump before. My filtration has always relied on trusty canister filters like the Eheim Classic 2217 and Fluval 4xx/GX4 series. Setting up a sump and managing marine-specific equipment is entirely new to me, and it’s part of what has me so excited.

Through Geeky Tank, I aim to document every step of this learning curve, from my choice of equipment to picking corals and maintaining water chemistry. My goal here isn’t just to succeed - but also to openly share the mistakes, surprises, and discoveries along the way. Experienced reefers might find some of this familiar territory, but my hope is that future newcomers will benefit greatly from this transparent account of starting from zero.

My New Tank “Configuration” 🤓

To begin my reef journey, I’ve invested in a comprehensive and tech-savvy setup. At the heart is the Cade 1500 Pro Reef Series 2 aquarium, equipped with two Ecotech Marine Radion XR30 Blue LED lights mounted on an RMS rail with double arms and slides. Water movement and filtration will be handled by an Ecotech Vectra M2 return pump, combined with an Ecotech Marine Vortech MP40 wave maker for ideal flow.

For biological filtration, I’ve chosen Maxspect Nano Tech Bio Spheres, complemented by Fritz 9 bacteria starter. My aquascape will feature Carib Sea Shapes and Caribsea Fiji Pink live aragonite sand, secured with TLf Aquastik construction epoxy.

Additional hardware includes an Octo Regal 150 S space-saving skimmer, a Teco TK 500 R290 chiller, and a Redsea Reefdose 4 for precise dosing. For algae management, an AI Blade Fuge Refugium light paired with Cheato algae will help maintain nutrient balance, and to ensure clarity and pathogen control, I have added an Aqua Ultraviolet 57-watt UV sterilizer.

With those mouthful of specs, I sound like a reefer pro right? Far from it. As I wanted another Cade to compliment my existing River S2, I spent a fair bit of time going back and forth with my local authorised LFS - Gallery Aquatica. With their guidance and experience I iterated on my configuration until I landed on the above.

Delivery and Installation Gallery