I know I am still very early in the process but after bing out of the hobby for a few years I have decided to get back in to the hobby and start a new tank build. I had hoped to start cycling this weekend but my apex is stuck with UPS until Monday so hopefully i can get the rest done or close to done this weekend. I am setting up a Red Sea Reefer 170 wit the following components… Tank Refer 170 Lighting Al Hydra 26 HD (I already regret ordering this and will most likely replace it after the cycle with a Radion xr30wpro - if for no other reason that it will link up with my apex) Controller-New Version Neptune Apex w/ wifi-Neptune auto fish feeder-WXM Module In the tank:-MP10 power head-Fuji Pink Live sand-70lbs Marco Rocks Dry Rock In the Sump-Nyos Quantum 120 skimmer-Vectra M1 return pump-150w Hydor heater-4x4x4 block of Marine Pure-2 - 2 part BRS dosing pumps-I have yet to order but will add a carbon and GFO reactor once the tank cycles and if i can fit it in the sump or behind the tank in the corner i will add some sort of UV.-I hope to setup a hard plumed manifold and run the reactors, uv and return on the vector but it may not be pretty in such a small cabinet, we will see. Testing GearMilwaukee digital refractometerHanna alk / phosphate testersTons of red sea test kits - supplements - about half of which RedSea sent me after 3 broken shipments on the tank Water -Melev’s Reef 150GPD RODI system (I changed the membrane to a 90GPD 99% rejection spectrapure due to my very high TDS to get my TDS into the single digits after the RO).-35 gallon trash cans w/ power heads, heater, and submersible pump-Coral Pro Salt There are tons of other little odds and ends I am sure I have forgotten about already.. As far as cycling the tank I am also still debating if I will use the Red See reef mature kit they sent me or a large deli shrimp to cycle the tank. I will decide by next week but at the moment I am leaning towards the deli shrimp due to using 100% dry rock. Once I cycle the tank I will order the coralline algae booster from IPSF to seed/start the coralline growth. I know most people use a small piece of live rock but I am very adverse to any/all pest and basically trust no tank but my own to be healthy(bad experiences in the past) so I will do my best to keep pest at bay as long as possible by using dry rock, seeding coralline, quarantining all new fish and by removing all coral from rock/frag plugs and dipping them in both revive coral dip and then a bayer insecticide dip. I will add some of the "good" hitchhikers over time like pods, serpent stars etc. I have yet to figure out how I want to aqua scape the tank. Hopefully I will get that done this weekend since i can’t start the fill / cycle with out my controller. Also not sure how everything will fit in the sump and still look nice but thats another goal for this weekend. I am open to comments or suggestions if i have forgotten anything major or made any glaring mistakes.View attachment 1017