20 Fusion Build

[Franco's UP]

Not new to the hobby but been away since 2006...oh how the tech has changed. Here was my first tank.

55gal http://i.imgur.com/NkBoIdR.jpg

 

New build

 

20g IM Fusion

Ikea Besta Stand

MarsAqua 165w LED lights

About 20 lbs LR

2 Hydor powerheads in tank

Overflow contains - filter floss (cleaned/rinsed daily), LR, ceramic rings, chemipure pro

ATO

 

 

2 tank raises clowns

1 fire fish

1 cleaner shrimp

2 emerald crabs

various snails and hermits

 

Tank, stand and setup

http://i.imgur.com/K3ac7KD.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/Rdixq8F.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/9pR7Cmi.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/jWLkLPI.jpg

 

Contents (green star polyps in there also but mainly closed up at time of pics)

Green BTA

http://i.imgur.com/G17hCEN.jpg

 

Green Cabbage and Kenya

http://i.imgur.com/fEPN12C.jpg

 

Xenia and Shrooms

http://i.imgur.com/Ila4XT7.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/bnnbByp.jpg

 

 

Cactus and Monti

http://i.imgur.com/6E72dsH.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/WqvrS8y.jpg

 

Buttons and Zoa

http://i.imgur.com/CP8LhD2.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/HfUvFjp.jpg

http://i.imgur.com/FhgzcSx.jpg

 

 

A couple of notes so far.

1 - there was a question about the Ikea Besta stand. It is great, dont hesitate to get it.

 

2 - BTA - I picked my BTA up locally. I purposefully picked up one that looked as if it had been fragged by slicing and fully healed. I only say this because it was a little lopsided. My theory here was that if it could survive that it would be more hardy. I brought it home and acclimated it using my own personal method same as I do all my corals and left it alone. First couple of days it moved around and look awesome. Then it spend the next 5-6 days looking like death. Every day I looked at it and wanted to pull it out and toss it so it wouldn't crash my tank. One night I was bound to get it out. I reached in to get it and poked it a couple of time and I knew there was no way I was getting it out. First grip on the rock and completely balled up. Figured if it was attached that well, it must be ok. So I left it. Next day I must have pissed it off because it moved back across the tank into the light (it was a bit in a cave) and opened up and looks great. Seems to be fine now...pesky little boogers.

 

3 - IM marine grate they use as a cover. DO NOT FILL the water above the very bottom of the plastic clips on the inside. If you do water will self siphon over the side. Learned this the hard way. It was slowing dripping up and over the top edge and my ATO was refilling. One day tested salinity and it was down to 1.023 (this could have contributed to crappy looking BTA). Spend a couple of days raising it up to 1.025-1.026.

 

Overall I like the tank and all equipment I used.

[Balix]

really dig your scape. Not sure if I would be able to pull off all that balancing of the rocks .

[Franco's UP]

really dig your scape. Not sure if I would be able to pull off all that balancing of the rocks .

 

It wasn't bad with the regular lr mixed with branch and shelf rock. Plus the added epoxy. Gives me good water flow everywhere. The cave on the right even has a skylight.