100-gallon mixed reef

[maxone]

My 100 Gallon Reef Tank Journey | 1 Year and 2 Months In​

Hey everyone!

I've had this tank set up for about a year and two months now, and I've made quite a bit of progress. I figured I'd share my setup, equipment, livestock, and everything I've tried along the way. I'll also go over what equipment I'm still using, what I've taken offline, and why.

I'm definitely still learning, so any advice or recommendations are welcome!

Current Equipment​

• Return Pump: Used EcoTech Vectra M2 purchased from Facebook Marketplace
• Lighting: Used ATI 60 inch non-dimmable T5 fixture
• Sump: Trigger Systems Ruby 30
• Plumbing: Everything is hard plumbed using Schedule 80 PVC from BRS
• Manifold: Three outlet manifold connected to my return pump. Currently, only one outlet is being used for a BRS carbon reactor. I'm planning to add a larger UV sterilizer and possibly a GFO reactor or something else if needed.
• Heater: BRS 200W titanium heater controlled by an Inkbird thermostat
• Flow: Two EcoTech MP40 QuietDrives and an older Innovative Marine wavemaker running at full power in the back to eliminate a dead spot
• Protein Skimmer: Eshopps skimmer, currently offline
• ATO: None at the moment. Too broke lol, so I'm manually topping off.
• Refugium: Lots of rubble rock with a sand bed, including rubble transferred from my previously established 20 gallon cube. The section has essentially become a cryptic refugium.

How It All Started​

When I originally set up the tank, I decided to take my time with the cycling process rather than rush into adding livestock.

I used the Brightwell cycling kit from BRS, dry Marco Rock for my aquascape, and CaribSea live reef sand for the substrate. I let the tank cycle for a little over a month before introducing fish.

One thing I did differently was keeping the lights off during the early stages to help avoid nuisance algae. I was loosely following an older BRS video about skipping the ugly phase by properly establishing a tank.

The idea wasn't just to complete the nitrogen cycle, but also to establish a more diverse bacterial and microfauna population before introducing light and increasing the bioload.

During this time, I used MicroBacter7, MicroBacter Clean, and copepods to help establish biodiversity.

Once I finished the recommended dosing schedule, I started dosing phytoplankton and slowly introduced my first fish.

If I remember correctly, my first additions were:

• A pair of Banggai cardinalfish
• Juvenile orange shoulder tang
• Juvenile two spot bristletooth tang
• Juvenile blue hippo tang

I continued dosing phytoplankton for about two or three weeks before I got lazy and honestly just forgot about it lol.

Fortunately, nothing noticeably bad happened after stopping, and the tank continued doing well.

Adding More Fish and Learning Along the Way​

As the tank became more established, I slowly started introducing additional fish.

One of my earlier additions was a foxface rabbitfish, which is still with me today. He actually has some pretty unusual coloration.

Around four months into the tank, I started experimenting with adding more fish, and this was where I ran into some problems.

I attempted to add:

• Black leopard wrasse
• Six blue barred zebra dartfish
• Kole tang
• Sailfin tang
• Naso tang
• Sixline wrasse
• Pink streaked wrasse

Unfortunately, things didn't go perfectly.

Several of the zebra dartfish jumped out of the tank, which is why getting a lid is now one of my priorities.

The kole tang died, possibly from ich while in quarantine. The sailfin tang eventually died after being bullied, and the naso tang also ended up getting bullied.

The sixline and pink streaked wrasses both disappeared, and I never figured out exactly what happened to them.

On the positive side, my black leopard wrasse survived and is still doing great today. He's actually become one of my favorite fish in the tank.

After those experiences, I decided to give the tank a break from adding livestock for a while.

More Recent Additions and Quarantine​

Around June of this year, I introduced a scopas tang.

Then, around July, I decided to add a few more fish:

• Gem tang
• Desjardini sailfin tang
• Yellow coris wrasse
• Cleaner goby

All four fish went through quarantine, and I actually changed my quarantine procedure to follow something similar to the system used by Tanknicians.

All four had ich during quarantine, but after following the treatment process, they made it through quarantine.

Unfortunately, my Desjardini didn't survive long after being introduced to the display.

He was a little slower and weaker than the other tangs, and during the night he ended up getting stuck against one of my MP40s. Sadly, he didn't make it.

That was definitely one of the more frustrating losses I've had.

I've also noticed that my nassarius snails are incredibly efficient scavengers. Sometimes, if a fish disappears, it's difficult to even find evidence of what happened because of how quickly the cleanup crew gets to work.

Current Fish Stocking​

As of right now, my fish list consists of:

• 1 Banggai cardinalfish
• 1 Valentini puffer
• 1 Blue hippo tang
• 1 Two spot bristletooth tang
• 1 Orange shoulder tang
• 1 Scopas tang
• 1 Gem tang
• 1 Foxface rabbitfish
• 1 Yellow coris wrasse
• 1 Black leopard wrasse
• 1 Cleaner goby

Most of these fish have been with me for quite some time, and overall, they seem to be doing well.

However, I am planning on making some changes to the stocking list.

I want to remove my two spot bristletooth tang because of aggression toward some of the other tangs.

I'm also planning on removing my Valentini puffer before I start introducing more LPS corals, since I don't want to risk him picking at them.

Eventually, I'd like to try adding another blonde naso tang and a Desjardini sailfin tang.

I'm thinking about introducing a small to medium Desjardini alongside a roughly 5 to 6 inch blonde naso with streamers, hopefully around the same time to reduce aggression.

I'd also like to add a kole tang, a few more blue barred zebra dartfish, and possibly another wrasse.

Of course, I'll be getting a lid before trying the dartfish again.

I'm still figuring out the best approach to introducing these fish, especially with the tangs that are already established in the system. I'm open to suggestions about whether adding any more tangs is realistic with my current stocking.

Filtration and Why I Stopped Using My Skimmer and Filter Socks​

This is probably one of the more unusual parts of my setup.

When I first started the tank, I was using my Eshopps protein skimmer along with BRS felt filter socks.

I was replacing the socks anywhere from every day to every two or three days, depending on how dirty they got.

After roughly four months, I decided to take the skimmer offline.

It honestly felt like more of a headache than anything else, especially with constantly having to adjust it and maintain it.

Around the same time, I also stopped using filter socks entirely.

Since then, the tank has essentially been running without either of them.

My current filtration setup mainly consists of:

• Biological filtration from the live rock and rubble
• A cryptic refugium section in my sump
• A BRS carbon reactor
• Water movement from the return pump and powerheads

That's pretty much it.

Despite how simple the filtration has become, I haven't experienced any major nuisance algae outbreaks or bacterial blooms since the tank finished cycling.

I also haven't experienced what most people describe as the typical ugly phase.

I'm not necessarily saying this is the best way to run a reef tank, but it's been interesting seeing how the system has developed without relying heavily on mechanical filtration.

Feeding Habits​

I definitely feed on the heavier side.

My fish get at least two sheets of nori every day, along with a rotation of frozen foods.

My usual foods include:

• Hikari Spirulina Brine Shrimp
• PE Mysis
• Rod's Herbivore Blend
• Nori sheets
• Occasional Selcon supplementation

I originally dosed phytoplankton but stopped after the first couple of weeks.

I've been considering starting phytoplankton and copepod additions again, especially to support the biodiversity in the sump and display.

Coral Growth and Current Challenges​

This is the area where I'm currently struggling the most.

Despite having a pretty established tank and healthy fish, I've had very little success keeping corals.

Right now, the only coral that's really thriving is my green star polyps.

I have a couple of GSP colonies that are growing extremely well, but I haven't had much success with anything else.

I previously tried adding a Bubblegum Montipora, but unfortunately, it died.

I'm thinking that my elevated nutrients may have played a role, although I'm sure there could be other factors involved.

My most recent nutrient readings were:

• Nitrate: 63.4 ppm
• Phosphate: 0.90 ppm

I know these are pretty high, especially considering that I'd like this tank to eventually become an LPS dominant mixed reef with some SPS.

Because of this, I'm considering bringing my protein skimmer back online to help with nutrient export.

I'm also thinking about adding a refugium light to the sump so I can grow macroalgae rather than continuing to use the chamber strictly as a cryptic refugium.

I might also install a small Nero or another compact circulation pump in that section to improve water movement.

Another thing I need to address is my lighting.

I'm currently using an ATI T5 fixture, but the bulbs are overdue for replacement. I'm planning on replacing them before investing heavily in corals again.

Future Plans​

Over the next few months, I'd like to focus on improving the system and getting it ready for more coral.

Some of my plans include:

1. Replacing my aging ATI T5 bulbs
2. Getting a proper lid for the display
3. Potentially bringing my protein skimmer back online
4. Adding a refugium light and possibly macroalgae
5. Improving circulation in the sump
6. Adding a large UV sterilizer through my manifold
7. Considering a GFO reactor if phosphate remains elevated
8. Rehoming my aggressive bristletooth tang and Valentini puffer
9. Gradually introducing LPS corals once water parameters are more stable
10. Possibly restarting phytoplankton and copepod additions

I'd eventually like this to become a primarily LPS dominated reef with a few SPS and soft corals mixed in.

Final Thoughts and Looking for Advice​

Overall, I'm pretty happy with how far this tank has come in a little over a year.

I've definitely made mistakes along the way, especially when it comes to stocking and introducing new fish, but I've also learned quite a bit.

One thing I find interesting is that despite running without filter socks or a protein skimmer for most of the tank's life, I've managed to avoid the major nuisance algae problems that seem pretty common in newer reef systems.

My biggest challenge now is transitioning from what has essentially been a fish focused setup into an actual reef tank with healthy, growing corals.

I'd especially appreciate advice on a few things:

• Nutrient control: With nitrate around 63 ppm and phosphate around 0.90 ppm, would you bring the skimmer back online first, add a refugium light and macroalgae, or consider another approach?
• Coral success: Besides elevated nutrients and aging T5 bulbs, what else would you look into before trying LPS again?
• Tang compatibility: Given my current stocking, would adding another Desjardini or blonde naso be a bad idea, even if I remove the aggressive bristletooth tang?
• Filtration: Has anyone else successfully run a heavily stocked reef without mechanical filtration or a protein skimmer for an extended period?
• Refugium: Would you keep the rubble filled cryptic refugium as it is, or convert part of it into a traditional macroalgae refugium?

I know there's still a lot I can improve, but that's part of why I wanted to share the tank and hear what other hobbyists think.

Thanks for reading, and I'm looking forward to hearing everyone's thoughts!