Alittlefishy's 55Gal Mixed Reef.

[Alittlefishy]

To start I will post some specs and history of this tank. I started this tank as an AP24 with DIY LED's and a HOT filter. It ran really well for a few months, but the LEDs I used were subpar and began to dim. I replaced the LEDs with a 96W Quad PC, and added an Octopus HOB skimmer. This light change did not sit well with my Monti caps, Goniopora, or fungia plate. I ended up loosing the Goni and the plate. My Montis went through some weird color morphs, and stopped growing. Due to some extenuating circumstances and the volitile nature of a nano reef, I ended up getting a 55gal and a Nova Extreme Pro 48" T-5 fixture. This was the best move so far. My 6-line really likes the extra room, and the water is soooo much more stable than before. My only issues now seem to revolve around the calc/alk/Mg cycle. As the tank sits today, the params are
Salinity 1.026
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
pH 8.2
Ca 400
Alk 11dKH


Equipment
Nova Extreme Pro 6x54W T-5
2 Coralife 10K
3 Coralife 460nM
1 Geissmann actinic+

Octopus BH-100SS HOB Skimmer
2 Quiet One 2200s for "Over The Rim" Closed Loops
2 Hydor Korallia Nanos and 1 Korallia 1
No heater, but I use a tower fan to cool the tank

Current Stock
SPS
-Idaho Grape Monti
-Green Monti Cap

LPS
-Metallic Green Ridge Hammer
-White tip green Torch
-Candy Cane

Softies and polyps
-Green Hairy Mushroom
-Blue Metallic Mushroom
-Ricordia
-Kenya Tree
-Green Finger Leather
-Snake Polyps
-Button Polyps
-Yellow Colony Polyps
-Daisy Polyps
-Green Star Polyps
-Bali Safecracker Zoas
-Tickle Me Pink Zoas
-Radioactive Dragon Eye Zoas

Inverts
-Hawaiian Feather Duster
-Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
-Cerith Snails
-Blue Leg Hermits

Fish
6-line Wrasse
Algae Blenny
Desjardin's Sailfin Tang

I know that the tang will need a new home, and he will have it by summer 09. I'm planning my upgrade into my new house design. I guess that is all for now. I will post some pics tonight or this weekend.

[Alittlefishy]

My buddy with a face only a mother could love

[Alittlefishy]

One of my first corals

[Alittlefishy]

I have had this guy for about 4 months with great success.




I really miss this coral...

[Alittlefishy]

Desjardin tang


Radioactive Dragon Eyes

[Alittlefishy]

My current urchin


RIP my Tuxedo Urchin

[Alittlefishy]

I found out a hard lesson about Baking soda. It takes a while for it to increase the alk. For instance, I added 1 tsp to a gallon and added it to my 55. I measured about an hour later and it had not increased my alk at all. It read 7dkh. I added 4tsp to another gallon and added it over the course of 2 days. All of a sudden, my softies and my LPS closed up. I measured the alk and it was 13dkh. No wonder everything was mad. Intead of immediate action, I just kept adding my kalk as usual, and just added FW topoffs. I did set the skimmer to really wet, and now my alk is at 10, and I'm keeping it there. Calc is around 400, and my softies are coming back out, and my LPS are still a little upset, but will be fine, I hope.

[Alittlefishy]

It been a while since I updated, so here is the latest. I ordered a dual TDS meter and a new 6 stage RO/DI system since my last one died. I've been using "purified" water from the grocery store and decided to test it with my new meter.

Tap water 47ppm
"Purified Water" 25ppm---no wonder I have algae
Before RO 28ppm
After RO 001ppm
After DI 000ppm

My tank will be much happier now. BTW this system is an ebay special that costs much less than retail models. Works well so far. I also got the pressure tank so that I could have a few gallons on demand for drinking and topoff.

All my tank critters are doing well...the Sailfin is growing pretty quickly, and my wrasse is chilling out a bit. My cleaner shrimp molted again. I saw some juvi shrimp at the store the other day and was amazed at the size that mine has grown to. His body is a full 2.5 inches!!!

My Dragon Eye zoas are multipling. Most folks won't think much of this, but I have had the hardest time getting any zoas to proliferate. I haven't killed any, but until now, they have not been growing. In the last 2 weeks, I went from 9 heads to 13...yay me. I think I have a few new pink ones as well.

Hopefully my next update will include pics of an algae free tank.

[Alittlefishy]

Well, I've still got some algae, but it's better, and may clear up completely with the next wc. On a positive note, my Sailfin and 6-line are doing great, and I got them some companions today. I get a Magnificent Foxface, and a Hybrid Coral Beauty. Pics to come soon. It's funny to see the sail fin in it's defensive posture...that's tail first for those who haven't seen it. Tangs have little barbs on their tail fins that can be used defensivly. I guess they will figure out the pecking order pretty soon.

I also found out why you should wait for your kalkwasser to settle completely before dripping into the tank...it "condenses" on pretty much everything. In my case, it mainly stuck to the front glass and is a pain to get off. Oh well, now I know. Pics and more posts to come.

[Alittlefishy]

As promised, here are some new pics. Don't mind the dirty glass.

[Alittlefishy]

Well, I've really cut my feeding down, and have been doing 25 gallon weekly waterchanges, but the algae still thrives. I guess it will take a while to get my tank back to the way it was. I'm looking to upgrade to a 6' tank really soon. In fact, if things go the way I plan, I will get the new tank and skimmer before I move, so that I just have to move my livestock to the new tank. I'm trying to keep from setting up my 55 and a 125 at the same time, but we will see how it goes. I'm really considering the BB design in my 125 and use my Quiet ones to keep the bottom clean. The skimmer plans include an MSK200 or Octo 160 or 200. I'm going to keep my 48" t-5s and have 2 small islands of rock under them for my corals and let the ends be populated with low light animals like Gorgonia, or NPS corals. Since I'm keeping my 4' lights, I will add a 3rd daylight bulb to the 2 that I run now. In time I may create a hood and add some PCs at the end if I don't like the darker spots. I saw a tank setup like this and it looked pretty cool. I also plan to use 4 koralia 4s for circulation. I have prospects on a tank already drilled for a CLS, so the koralias aren't definate. We'll see what happens. I made a very good trade the other day to a member of the local club. I traded a very nice piece of ridge hammer for a good frag of red mille. As a bonus, he threw in a piece of pink birdsnest and a tricolor frag. Thanks Frank! My system needs some improvement before they will look as good as your tank, but they do look nice. Pics to come soon.