Tsouth's 55 Gal Reef

tsouth · 03-17-2008, 02:06 AM

Well lets start from the top shall we?

I believe it was the middle of october when I picked this baby up. A very nice custom canopy and stand with bamboo inlaid on the doors. The color is a weird green/brown but it's actually quite nice. For 200 dollars I picked up a 55 gallon tank, stand, canopy, 4x55w PC light, wet/dry, overflow box, and other misc items, although some found their way to the trashcan quite quickly (Seaclown). This is my first saltwater tank experience and it has definitely brought some bad times but in the end it's alllll worth it!
Here is the initial set up after my cycle.

After much deliberation, I decided to remove the wet/dry and install a "mini fuge" out of a 10 gallon and run skimmerless until december when I could get one xmas.

Here are a couple misc. shots.

Now that I have a skimmer (swc xtreme 160), I'm waiting to set up a new refugium (20 long). I was running the skimmer in the 10 but unfortunately I cracked the baffle

Here is the tank as of last month.

Right side:

Left side:

I will also be installing some new lights that I purchased for my birthday. The setup is the 4x54w t5ho retrofit from reefgeek. I will post more on that as the next weeks come.

Equipment:
Lighting: Currently - 4x55w PC's To come: 4x54w t5ho retrofit w/ icecap slr reflectors
5 Current lunar light/links in Nocturnal Blue
Bulbs:Blue Plus, UVL 75/25, UVL Aquasun, Blue Plus
Skimmer: Swc Xtreme 160
Fuge: Custom 20 long
Reactor: Via aqua poly reactor
Media: Seachem Seagel
Pump: Ca1800
Pheads: 2 Koralia 2's
Heater: Ebo Jager 150

Livestock:
Midas Blenny
2 Occelaris Clowns
Red Firefish
Skunk Cleaner
Peppermint Shrimp
Conch
Various Snails
Green Bubble Coral
PPE palys
Red w/ blue speckled & white spotted mushrooms
Green striped mushrooms
Red outer/Green & Purple inner Trachy
Green Frogspawn
Various Zoanthids
Green Ric's
Purple Gorgonian
Green & red Acan's

Tank params:
Only additive is calcium due to the bad batch of reefcrystals salt that has been circulated
10% changes weekly
Temp constant at 80.2 throughout the day
Salinity @ 1.026

tsouth · 03-31-2008, 01:26 PM

New lights!
Moonlights

2 Blue+

All four

CONCHZILLA!

protege · 03-31-2008, 01:40 PM

Very nice!

tsouth · 04-22-2008, 01:33 AM

Sorry I moved all my links guys. Here are a couple of pics of my new yuma's.
From the mouth
Green/Blue/Pink/Green and hints of orange throughout.

Reverse Melons

tsouth · 04-28-2008, 02:00 AM

I've had a lot of weird color morphs and slight bleaching with the new lights but everything is bouncing back better than ever!

aquawolf · 04-28-2008, 05:52 AM

Very nice! Is that last picture actually a star fish, and better yet what kind is it?

tsouth · 04-28-2008, 02:35 PM

Yes it really is. They're called multiflora linkia's. Not all of them are speckled like that but they do exist! Get in touch with Aquatic Express located in NY.

LadyReefNeck · 04-28-2008, 03:06 PM

Looks great! Love the starfish too!!

czieler · 04-29-2008, 07:50 PM

I recommend you get an anemone for your clowns. I didn't have one.. and they took to hosting in my green bubble coral...and they killed it in two days flat...

tsouth · 04-29-2008, 08:52 PM

Will look into that. I just wish they weren't so darn expensive. Good quality rose bubbles are gonna run me a buck. I need to get another reactor and run some GFO before I can start adding anymore livestock. Plus i'll be in Jacksonville away from my tank for 2 weeks at a time(Gainesville) so I just had to purchase an ATO. Money money money. This is not the right hobby for a kid in college I tell ya! lol

czieler · 04-30-2008, 10:32 AM

I emailed aquaticexpress about the starfish.. Their site isn't working well at the moment..but I inquired about the starfish and they said it's $19.99 w/ $19.99 express mail.... in case anyone wants one...figured I'd post it.

Regarding the anemone.. I am pretty sure someone in the club was trying to sell Rose Bubbles at some point..but I can't remember who.

tsouth · 05-13-2008, 04:52 AM

FYI that starfish isn't mine. It's the one that was posted on the aquatic express website although mine is very similar in colors. I had to acclimate mine for 8 hours and then woke up and went out of town so I never had a chance to take a picture of it. Lets just hope it's still alive lol.