New 55g reef

[JoshD]

After having a freshwater tank for many years, I decided to convert to salt. I started with the freshwater equipment I had minus the undergravel filter, removed the bio-wheel, and added some live rock and brackish fish. After cycling the tank with fish (I know, terrible. But my background is oldschool freshwater tanks and the lfs said is was cool...) I switched to damsels.

It only took about 4 days for them to really earn their nickname of devilfish. After much effort, they were finally caught and returned to the lfs. Finally I got some blue/green chromis and things took a turn for the better.

With 2x 18 watt lights overhead, the HOB filter replaced with a canister filter full of live rock rubble and carbon (it seemed like a convenient way to do chemical filtration and I hated the bio balls and ceramic rings that came with the thing) and an octopus bh-300f skimmer, I really thought I was on my way. I increased the number of chromises to 7 and they all seemed to be quite happy. With nearly 100 lbs of live rock in the tank, there's plenty of hiding places.

About a month after the tank was set up, I started buying soft corals and a cleanup crew. First a dozen dwarf cortez hermit crabs, 8 margarita snails for the rockwork and glass, 7 small nassarius snails (and I mean tiny, 1/4 inch at most), 4 large tongan nassarius snails to stir the 2-3 inches of sand a bit, and a peppermint shrimp to clean up leftover food and put on a show at feeding time!

[JoshD]

Wasn't sure how long the post limit is and I'm pretty long-winded, so here goes part 2.

Next came the wrasse. We had an abundance of bristle worms, and though they're a harmless variety, I didn't want the population getting out of control. Between them and the huge population of amphipods that was appearing after the lights go out, I figured a 6-line would have no shortage of food. The chromises were healthy, so I went for it and bought a colorful fish!

Then the lfs started to get corals in stock... It started when I was looking at a dead pipe organ coral sitting on a shelf. The red skeleton was cool looking and I was about to buy it for $20 to use as a decoration in the tank. But when I walked around the corner, I saw a live pipe organ coral about the same size. When I asked how much he said "For you, $5". Now I'm no genious, but the live one seemed like the better deal. And the salesman assured me that normal output lights would be fine for it. That's all they had over it, and it was doing fine. Though it only had about 30 polyps over a frag with about 100 tubes. Will it ever fill out?

Next came the kenya tree. I was determined to wait until getting better lighting before buying another coral, but I stopped in to buy some RO/DI water (our apartment managers won't let us install an ro/di unit) and saw a tank filled with neat looking trees. I asked how much and they said "For you, $5". And I went home with my usual 10gal water change water along with 3 kenya trees on a little piece of live rock. One of them was nearly 5 inches tall and is really getting huge. I've got a spot at the top of my tank where it fits nicely and is never going to be upstream from another coral.

Once again I was in the lfs to buy some water and saw a new coral in the tank. This time is was some kinda ugly button polyps. Dull green with a lighter dull green background. But when I asked how much he said "for you, $5" and you can guess how that story ends.

Then I went to petco to check out their pricing on ocellaris clowns. The petco near here is actually excellent with saltwater fish and has an experienced reefkeeper tending the tanks. They were all sold out, but had hawaiian feather dusters on sale for $12 and I had no idea that they needed a more mature tank... So I bought 2.

[JoshD]

Ok, this is really getting long. Hopefully this one will come out shorter.

While buying the feather dusters, a cleaner shrimp caught my eye. It was only about a week before I went back to buy one. I figured that even though I didn't have any fish that'd be willing to hold still for a cleaning, he'd be well fed and hopefully happy in the tank. He seems a bit bummed out when ambushing chromises for cleaning fails, so I sometimes stick my hand in the tank. He likes to clean under my nails and between my fingers. It really tickles, and I think cleaner shrimp would make awesome petting zoo animals. Anyways...

About 2 days before reaching 2 months on the tank I went to another lfs looking for a couple more large nassarius snails (tongan) to help stir the sand. They were cool, productive, and fun to watch. What's not to love?
Then I saw duncans for sale. 4-5 heads for $20. How could I resist that? They said it'd be fine for a while under normal output lights.

So that brings me up to present. About a 2 month old (with salt) 55gal tank with about 100 lbs of old cured live rock from tanks at the lfs where it had been curing and filtering the water for about a year. 60 lbs of live sand on the bottom, which became a prety thick layer after the rock was put in.

Livestock:
7x blue/green chromis
1x 6-line wrasse
15x hermit crabs (bought some more after my attempt at feeding the tank less resulted in a few crab deaths probably at the hands of a shrimp.)
Started with 7x small nassarius snails 1/4 inch or under. At least one fell to the hungry crabs. No idea how many survive today, as I never see them except when they climb the glass to lay eggs at night, which seems to be frequently. But never more than one snail at a time.
8x margarita snails. Make that 7, I see a shrimp feasting on the one that fell on it's back as I type this. My favorite glass cleaners.
8x large tongan nassarius snails. I started with 4 and decided that I wouldn't mind feeding a few more in exchange for the work that they do. I could certainly stir the sand with my finger, but why when nature gave us nassarius snails?
2x hawaiian feather dusters. I didn't know how bad an idea this was until after the sales person got to me... One dropped his head, probably due to a lack of food. I started mixing cyclop-eeze into the daily fish food breakfast mix and a week later he reappeared with some tiny feathers sticking out. I don't mind admitting that I screamed "wahoo" in celebration like a drunken teenager when I saw the new feathers stick out above the tube for the first time. Now the mini-feathers make regular appearances, though they're not out as often as the former beautiful double-ring of feathers. The other one seems to be doing fine and I'm hoping that cyclop-eeze plus the abundance of bugs in the tank will keep them going.
About 7x button polyps
Medium pipe organ coral

[JoshD]

Wow. Ok, I'm sorry this got so long. I just thought I should sum thing up. Everything is starting to do really well. I've ordered a 4x t5 ho fixture with individual parabolic reflectors that'll clear up any issues I might have with lack of light. I arranged my rocks in a way that allows fish to swim around both the back and the front. Though I frequently can't see them, I know the fish appreciate the opportunity to swim around a bit in a place that's out of sight. And nothing beats seeing 7x green chromis swimming out from behind the rocks in formation as they ride the back circulation pump across the tank. And the wrasse loves to zig-zag from the front of the tank to the back as he works his way from one end of the tank to another. He always flashes his fins and I always pretend to be intimidated when he comes near.

I really think, though I followed some bad advice and overstocked at the beginning, that it's going to be a great reef tank eventually.

[Loverotties]

I was going to say 2 18watt is like a nite light,and the light is good and depending what coral you get(if it need alot of light(buy the same set up again))so it's got 4 8 bulbs.I would empty the canister(rock in your tank is enough)and buy a good skimmer!

[JoshD]

Originally Posted by Loverotties

I would empty the canister(rock in your tank is enough)and buy a good skimmer!

I just keep the canister running for circulation mostly. It gives me a bit more turbulance on the surface. Someone told me that was important for oxygen and cooling. And if I ever need chemical filtration, that'll be where it's going. I put the live rock in because I heard bio-balls are bad long-term and nobody ever has a bad word to say about live rock. As far as skimmers go... Do you think the octopus bh-300f (the one with 2 pumps and a surface skimmer box on the input) will be enough for skimming or should I look for an in-sump model to use when I finally get around to picking up a 2nd 55 gal to go on the bottom of the stand as a sump/refugium?

And thanks a lot for taking the time to reply!

[Loverotties]

Rock in the canister will cause you to have high nitratesIf you use it for flow or chemicalfiltraction,then you need to clean it at least weekly and more often then that is better!Someone will chime in on that skimmer that has one,but I here the Oct. line is great!