Nikki's 40g Mixed Reef

[MechanicalEngineer]

As the 1 year anniversary approaches for my tank, I've decided to honor it with a tank profile.

It's been a crazy first year into the hobby, but I hope everyone will enjoy looking back as much as I do.  I've made a lot of mistakes (damsels, gorgonians, flame scallops, cheapo equipment), but I've learned from them all. 

[MechanicalEngineer]

Picture 1:  Me building the stand.  December 2006
Picture 2:  Sand, rocks, and water go in!  January 2007
Picture 3:  Time for fishies!  (stupid damsels)  January
Picture 4:  My flame scallop and arrowhead crab developed a symbiotic relationship.  It was weird.  February

[MechanicalEngineer]

Picture 5:  My boyfriend brought me home a *present*...not knowing we couldn't keep either one!  - March

Picture 6:  Tank - March

Picture 7:  Tank - April

Picture 8:  Tank - May

Picture 9:  Tank...The GHA got so bad that I took everything out of the tank to scrub it.  - June

[reefman]

Looks nice!!

[MechanicalEngineer]

Hold on now!!  No one was supposed to see this until I was done...you're up too late MISTER!!! 

[MechanicalEngineer]

Picture 10:  My first clam...and hopefully my last!  - June

Picture 11:  I started getting into blastomussas.  - June

Picture 12:  ...Until I found Acan's... - June

[MechanicalEngineer]

Picture 13:  Then I found SPS...sweet.  - June

Picture 14:  But then I realized I still have too much GHA to have SPS... - June

Picture 15:  So, I got a skimmer - Tunze Nano running wet - July

Picture 16:  Adding more SPS - August

[MechanicalEngineer]

Picture 17:  My rescue Bubble coral - August

Picture 18:  Montipora Confusa - Frag Swap - October

Picture 19:  Orange Crush Echinata - Frag Swap - October

Picture 20:  Sunset Montipora - Frag Swap - October

Picture 21:  McCosker's Flasher Wrasse - December

[MechanicalEngineer]

And for the Finale...

December Tank

[micki]

Looks good Nikki

[ohioreef]

Looking really good!! I feel for you ref the GHA!! I was about to give up my tank before I got it under control.

[saltybuckeye]

looks great.Love the wrasse.Where did you pick it up at?

[MechanicalEngineer]

looks great.Love the wrasse.Where did you pick it up at?

You had to ask, didn't you.  I'm a little ashamed.  I took in some ugly corals to Jack's for store credit (usually I just get salt), but the Jack's in Centerville had two male flasher wrasses...one was a McCosker's & the other one I'm not sure of.  So, I got both.  I've been trying to get some good pictures of them, but they swim a bit too fast for my photography skills.  But thank you.   

[mhhauser321]

looks hot

[Secondgen]

I think I have said this before in this thread, but my posts are missing  . Very nice looking tank.

[REDPYRO]

is that a scarelt pumperninkle?

or an Engelbert Humperdinc?

[MechanicalEngineer]

both...at the same time.

[REDPYRO]

wicked sweet

[MechanicalEngineer]

Latest pic with the MH's...weeee!

[MechanicalEngineer]

Tank Equipment:

40g long SPS dominate
20g sump/refugium with Chaeto, Caulerpa, and a DSB
2x150W 10K HQI MH + 2x130W PC Actinics
Tunze Nano 9002 Skimmer
Two Little Fishies Phosban Reactor
Carbon Filter run 4 days/month
Auto-topoff with Kalkwasser
2 Maxijet 1200's + 2 other generic brand powerheads
Mag 5 return pump

Tank Chemicals/Additives:

Mixture of Reef Crystals, Instant Ocean, and Red Sea salt @ 1.026
Temp:  76-78 F
2-part solution when needed
Top-off with Kalkwasser

Feeding:

Mixture of Coral Snow, Cylopeeze (freeze dried and frozen), spirulina flakes, Roti-feast, enriched brine shrimp, and Spectrum once per day. 

[Riderc82]

Looks Good,  I have taken some frags to Jacks in Centerville as well but they never look half as good as they did in my aquarium.  Although I must say they have a pretty good selection of fish.

[Amstar]

I like free frags.  they can go in my mantis tank.  or my newly created (well 3 months ago) nano. 16 gallon bowfront aquarium.

nikki your tank looks awesome.  I remember when I got MH and saw my tank with them.  it makes the fish the corals even the water look better. LOOKS AWESOME

[MechanicalEngineer]

Thanks!  It's really hard for me to not post more pictures than I already do.  Day by day I can tell a difference.  The colors on my SPS pop so much, that I hate having any space dedicated for softies or LPS.  I'm trying to convince my man that we should upgrade to a bigger tank.  Hopefully in less than a year we'll go up to at least a 75g. 

[aquavista99]

Very nice job, Nikki!!!

[MechanicalEngineer]

Thanks!  Wow, I just looked back at that last picture from January...I can't believe how much those caps have grown!!!