Tbred's
Tank Profile
Hobby
History
When I was growing up we had a few
freshwater fish tanks, but my interest in aquariums peeked
while I was in college. My sister was trying to get rid of
her tank. She had a single African Cichlid which she
gifted to me. While at college one of my friends began a
Nano-reef. I was in awe of its beauty. I watched his tank
grow over the course of several months. I began doing my
research and in 2012 I began my first 29 gallon tank.
Tank
Specs
Dimensions: Standard 40 Breeder 36”x18”x18”
Lighting: 4x39w Coralife Aqualight T5
Biological Filtration: 50 lbs of live rock, shallow sand
bed, and a refugium with chaeto and flame algae
Protein Skimmer: SCA-301 (Clone of Bubble Magnus NAC 3.5)
Heater: Tetra 200w
Circulation: 2 Koralia Nanos and Mag 5 return pump
Maintenance
Routine
- Feed fish every other day alternating
between LRS coral blend, Mysis Shrimp, Brine Shrimp, and
Flake food.
- Manually top-off water every other evening
- Preform a 20% water change every other week
- Clean glass daily
- Test parameters bimonthly
Parameters
Temperature: 79 F
SG: 1.026
pH: 7.8
NH: 0 ppm
NO: 0 ppm
Livestock
Fish
- Pair of Snowflake Clownfish
- Yellow Watchman Goby
- Long-nosed Hawkfish
Inverts
- 2 Rock Anemones
- Coral Banded Shrimp (Fuge)
- 2 Porcelain Crabs
- 1 Hermit Crab (Fuge)
- Tons of Snails
Coral
- Frogspawn
- Teal Candy Cane
- Red Mushrooms
- Green Star Polyps
- Pulsing Xenia
- Magician Palys
- Red/Blue Acan Lord
History
Before I set up my first tank, I created a
budget. I wanted to be able to maintain a reef and still
eat. I spent a year researching what equipment I needed. I
parted together a barebones system. I had a used 29 gallon
tank, 2 Koralia Nanos, a heater, and a Coralife T5HO
fixture. It was enough to run a nano reef without breaking
the bank. As I progressed through the first year, I needed
up buying a HOB skimmer and a reactor to fight a nasty
green hair algae outbreak.
Near the one year mark, my wife and I got
jobs in a new city and we had to move. I took the
opportunity to upgrade to a 40 breeder. I wanted a sump to
hide all of the equipment which had become an eyesore. I
ended up building a custom stand for the tank. I got the
tank set up and moved everything 3 hours without a loss.
After the move, I had a strange ammonia
spike, which I can now attribute to having the liter box
too close to the tank. I ended up losing a few soft corals
and losing coloration in my LPS. I am still trying to
recover from this ammonia spike.
Future
Plans
Right now I am looking into a few things. The first one is
an auto-top off unit. I am tried of having to add a few
gallons of water every other day. The second item is a new
fixture. I want to get some LEDs. I am currently leaning
towards Reefbreeders Photon 24. The final item I am
looking to upgrade are my pumps. Right now I seem to have
a few dead spots in the tank and cyano algae is growing. I
want to get a pair of MP10s.
Future livestock includes getting a cleaner
shrimp and a flame angel. I want to get a few moer acan
lords as well, but I am holding off until my other corals
recover.
Advice for Fellow Hobbyists
Research! Before you begin a tank, think
about what you want to have in it and what it is going to
look like in a few years. My main regret is not getting a
standard sized T5 fixture. I got a light that would fit my
current tank. However when I needed to replace the bulbs,
I learned that the only options I have are the Coralife
bulbs which are poor quality.
Acknowledgements
I want to thank my wife for allowing and
tolerating me and my tank. Second I want to thank my
college friend Matt who got me into this money pit. Third
I would like to thank the online reefing community for
providing information.
Photos
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