First Reef Tank

Here are a couple of after shots with the added rock. I also added about 8lbs of rubble (fist sized pieces) into my fuge.







Some of the rock was really light, I tried to find pieces that were not too chalky but it still feels like I could break pieces off with my hands on some of them. I tried to get rock that was really porous and not too dense, some of them I did get just based upon how they looked I will admit.

I like having lots of nooks and crannies for things to hide in so I am trying to set it up with a lot of caves and tunnels. I really do wish I had gone with a 90 or 110g tank though, I feel like I need more room in front of the rock.

My plan is to take the pile up to about 6" from the top of the tank, but if I build it up any further I would have to build the base out further, or maybe find a way to secure the rock pieces to each other. Suggestions?

 

Here are some pics of what I have in the tank now. I took all the fish out and set the FOWLR tank back up. Thankfully I never really had it broke down so I didn't have to wait for a long cycle.










I really like the anemone, I know they are hard to maintain but they are also such beautiful creatures to observe. He seems happy and healthy so far.



This is an old picture of the chocolate chip starfish (Fred Durst by name) that inhabits the reef tank. The blue Damsel that photobombed the shot now resides in the FOWLR tank.

So besides those few small frags and the anemone and the star the only other residents in the tank now are about a dozen small hermits and a dozen snails. My plan from here is to wait a while and let everything get nice and balanced, then slowly start adding more reef. Once I feel like it's stable enough I will start adding fish. Until then I guess I am stuck running two 55g tanks side by side.

 

Nitrates back down to 5ppm, seem to be falling steadily.

 

Does anybody know what the SPS is in the top of this pic?



I thought it was a Neon Green Frogspawn but I see that is a little bit different, the frogspawn split at the end and form different heads, this just has several stalks emitting from a base. The stalks can contract and shrink when disturbed. Is this a Frogspawn?

 

Also, anybody have any comments on my aqua scaping? Any ideas of how to secure the rocks better so I can build it up higher? I really would like something that would still be able to be broke down if necessary, I thought about using superglue but I am not sure if the bond will be strong enough to trust it, the rock might break etc,.

 

Here are some pointers....
1. First off lemme say I LOVE that back wall..it would make glueing corals to it awesome...
2. Your rock scape is missing something IMHO...go buy a BUNCH of smaller rocks (1-2 pounders and less and fill in the gaps)
3. Get that Choc Chip star out of ur reef...they will...WILL eat your corals, shrimp and any other invert/fish it can get its little tubefeet on.
4. Get rid of that Condy Anenome....its wont host ur clowns, and it will eat anything it can sting.

But you are off to a great start....remember to go slow and let it grow my friend

 

How can you be sure it's a Condy? It was sold as a Haitian Pink Tip Anemone, or Giant Caribbean Sea Anemone (Condylactis gigantea), I thought those were reef safe?

Thanks for the tip on the star I will get him outta there.

 

I picked up a bunch of LR rubble, most of it is in the fuge at the bottom, I will pick up some more and "fill in the gaps" as you say. I do like the looks of lots of caves and crevices though, so I probably won't fill it all in completely.

 

Lol, I realized why you called it a "Condy" when I reread my post (slaps forehead)! I really like the way he looks but if the general consensus is that he isn't a good reef inhabitant then I will return him to the LFS and look for a different type. Suggestions? Bubble maybe?

 

U could have a large acrylic U-tube (more of an arch than U) and bridge the 2 tanks together ;D