My New 50G Reef

[A C]

I made a post some time back about setting up a new tank. You can find the post here. after getting some good advice from people on this site I have moved forward with my very first reef tank. As far as how I will stock the tank I really do not know. I am open to any suggestions you guys might have. I would like to start of with some easy coral and once I seem to have a good idea as to what is required to keep them happy I can then move on to some of the more difficult coral. So far the setup has gone ok. I had 3 problems up front. 1 I had some leeks in the plumbing. But with a little work I got all the leeks to stop and now all the plumbing is running leek free. 2 I scratched the inside of the tank when I was setting up all the Live Rock. I tried very hard not to let any of the rock touch the front but one fell as I was moving it and left a scratch. So I drained the tank down fixed the scratch and filled it back up. 3 Like many have posted with the set up of a new tank I was getting lots of noise out of the overflow. So I got on Nano-Reef.com and found out how to make a Durso Standpipes. Now just about all the noise is gone and I have a happy wife.

 

Let’s get started with the equipment list.

 

Tank

50 Reef Ready (36x18x20)

 

Lighting

Current Outer Orbit HQI 36" Compact Fluorescent

Metal Halide Lamps: 1x150watt - Power Compact Lamps: 2x96 watt- Lunar Lights: 4 - Watts/Amps: 342/3

 

Filtration

Reef Sump 75-125 Gallon 24x12x16

 

 

Protein Skimmer

Eshopps In-Sump Protein Skimmer

PSK-100

 

 

Return Pump Quiet One Pump 780GPH

 

Heater

Titanium Tube Heaters

200W

 

Circulation Pumps (2)

Hydor Koralia Water Circulation Pump 3

Hydor Koralia Water Circulation Pump 3

 

Chiller

Prime Mini In-line Chiller 1/10

 

and now the fun part Pics!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was told this is not how the tank shipped. My assistant unpacked it and had it in my office before I got into work. I was told it was packed very well.

 

tank all set up and running for 24 hours.

 

 

 

This is the tank just after I added the Live Rock.

 

Durso Standpipes

 

About 24 hours after the LR was added.

 

[SpankythePyro]

Nice tank ya got there.... stock it!

[A C]

So the tank as been up and running for a few weeks now. Everything seems to be going well. The live rock I got at the LFS has lots of worms that come out at night.

 

 

Can anyone tell me what this is? It only opens up at night in the moon lights.

 

As you can see my skimmer is doing its job

 

Here is my water tests for the last few weeks.

[A C]

I don't seem to be getting much algae growth in the tank. I did get a brown algae bloom but then after 2 days it started going away. I think I have some critters cleaning it off at night but I never got a CUC. How long should I wait until I start to add a CUC? I don’t want them to starve but I don’t seem to be getting much growth.

[SpankythePyro]

The thing that opens up looks like some kinda zoanthid, can't really tell from the pic.

 

If you had your diatom bloom then you could start w/ the CUC. You can always drop in a could pellets or flakes every other day for them. What is cleaning it off I bet is a combination of copepods and flow.

[A C]

OK so it’s time for the CUC or at least time to start thinking about what I want. This is what I have in mind. Oh and I moved some of the LR in the tank. Water is still cloudy from the move.

 

 

 

Astraea Conehead Snail 5

Brittle Sea Star, Fancy 1

Sea Cucumber, Tiger Tail 1

Longspine Urchin, Black - Small/Medium 1

Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp - Medium 1

 

what do you think?

[MGDMIRAGE]

looks like a nice setup

[A C]

Just did a water test

 

SG 1.025

Temp 76.2

ph 8.2

Phosphate .5

Ammonia .25

Nitrite 0

Nitrate 0

 

So looks like I need to hold off on CUC.

[Psychosis]

For the CUC, I'd avoid the sea cucumber and the urchin. They both generally need 100+ gallon tanks. The cucumber needs access to a larger sand bed, the urchin gets large enough to make the tank look cramped, essentially.

 

I think you'll need more than 5 snails, unless that was what you were planning on introducing first. Be careful with Astreas, several are temperate water varieties and don't last long in warm water tanks.

 

Its all good, it sounds like its well on its way cycle wise.

[A C]

For the CUC, I'd avoid the sea cucumber and the urchin. They both generally need 100+ gallon tanks. The cucumber needs access to a larger sand bed, the urchin gets large enough to make the tank look cramped, essentially.

 

I think you'll need more than 5 snails, unless that was what you were planning on introducing first. Be careful with Astreas, several are temperate water varieties and don't last long in warm water tanks.

 

Its all good, it sounds like its well on its way cycle wise.

 

Thanks for the info on the urchin. After your post I did some research on them and found not only can they get big but they can often scratch acrylic tanks.

 

So I was thinking of changing up to

Spiny Star Astraea 5

Dwarf Blue Leg Hermit Crab 3

Brittle Sea Star, Fancy 1

Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp - Medium 1

 

Some feel that hermits are no good so if not them I can up the number of the snails or add 1 Brittle Sea Star.

[Falcon_Punch]

Lookin good! Hermits can be good its just that as they grow they will kill snails for their shells. Just get more snails than hermits. GL!

[A C]

Well not too much to add, still letting the tank run its cores. Only thing I can show is some of my water tests and a new FTS.

 

I would really like to get a refractometer but until then this will have to do.

 

Some of my water tests.

 

Getting some green algae on the rocks and sand.

 

SG 1.026

Temp 77.8

ph 8.2

Phosphate .5

Ammonia 0

Nitrite 0

Nitrate 0

KH 10

Ca 440

 

thanks for taking a look.

[A C]

I got my first live addition to the tank.

 

Oh and I found this guy but bon't know what it is.

[A C]

I have some new additions to the tank.

 

I have 2 Ocellaris Clownfish

 

I ordered 5 Spiny Star Astraea but got 8

[Bluesman1]

Nice setup. I want to get a chiller for my tank (among other things), but $$$$.

 

 

 

 

Oh and the thing on your glass is aiptasia. Kill it.

 

You also need to get a refractometer. Those hydrometers are very inaccurate, your salt levels could be way off.

[zachxlutz]

You also need to get a refractometer. Those hydrometers are very inaccurate, your salt levels could be way off.

 

Eh... Let's not jump to conclusions. There have been some lengthy discussions on here regarding this matter. I will say that I find that a calibrated refracto is very easy to read and doesn't require much tank water. On the other hand a calibrated hydro is just as accurate and coincidentally can be very easy to read albeit it requires a little more work. Here's the discussion that's taken place: The new salinity/specifig gravity poll

[Fishzilla]

congratz on offical livestock!! Glad you went with the Spiney Star Astreas they work well for me hope they do for you too!!

[JoeM]

Definitely a glass anemone (aiptasia) there on your tank wall. Like an above poster said, kill it asap! Love the look of those Star Astreas =)

 

Good luck with your cleaner shrimp, too! I've read that they _can_ be a little harder to keep in an unestablished tank.

[SpankythePyro]

lookin good, now fts!

[A C]

Update

I got a new Starburst Polyp green the other day. I wanted to wait until it started to open before I posted an update.

 

Before

 

After

 

and the FTS

[A C]

Ok time for an update. I have some new additions to the tank. First off my water tests have all been spot on.

and I have been doing weekly 10% water changes.

The first addition is a Ritteri Anemone, I have had him in the tank now for about 3 weeks and he seems to be doing well.

 

Both clowns tried to host it as soon as I put it in the tank. They both fought over it for about 2 days then finely one seems to have claimed it as his new home.

 

The next thing I have added is a nice sized rock covered in Red Mushrooms. I Just added them into the tank about a day ago so they are still trying to get use to the new tank. But I think they will do fine.

 

And the FTS

[A C]

How should I feed my Ritteri Anemone?

The diet should include mussel, fish, crustaceans, and frozen foods.

What have you guys had good results with?

What is the best way to feed him?

 

Oh and when should I start dosing the tank with supplements such as Calcium, Magnesium, Strontium, Iodine, Trace Elements?

[Rocket]

How should I feed my Ritteri Anemone?

The diet should include mussel, fish, crustaceans, and frozen foods.

What have you guys had good results with?

What is the best way to feed him?

 

Oh and when should I start dosing the tank with supplements such as Calcium, Magnesium, Strontium, Iodine, Trace Elements?

 

 

 

Not sure for a Ritteri but my Condy loves frozen krill and mysis. I have a extend-able feeding tube. At the tip is also a spike I can place hard foods on.

 

You dose when your normal water changes cannot keep acceptable levels in the tank. 10% weekly is a good number for a 55. I'm a mostly kinda of person though.

 

Besides an algae scrubber this is my second most useful tool for my aquarium. I like to keep my hands out of the tank as much as possible.

[A C]

Got a cool pic of my anemone and clown today.

Hope you like.

[MGDMIRAGE]

Very nice pic, the tank is coming along great