BR480's 40 Breeder Build

[BR480Reef]

I have been in the hobby for about 3 years total now, I began with a (still running) Waterbox 20 AIO which I will end up documenting eventually, but having purchased a home and settled in, I have moved in my main system, a drilled 40 breeder with a Fijicube 20 sump. This system itself is about two years old, but has undergone many changes, problems, restarts, and fine tuning to get to the basic level it is at today.

The scape for this tank is new only about 5 months wet, which is why the rock looks very clean, and completely lacking corals! I have a good rate of coralline algae growth, but Im still hesitant to add in more corals until I feel that the tanks rock has matured more. I have lost corals in this tank in the past, mainly while using my last rock, I dove in to SPS a little too excitedly and didn't do my due diligence tracking Alk, along with other parameters, queue a major crash and I am back to square one. In the meantime I have been curating my frag tank, and carefully planning my new additions. The livestock in this tank right now consists of a marine betta, the original inhabitant I set this tank up for, a coral beauty angel, a christmas wrasse who took the place of a missing yellow coris wrasse (missing this fish all the time), and a starry blenny. I am running a skimmer and have the equipment to dose ESV B-ionic once my parameters (now tracked weekly) require. Im always looking for seasoned reefers to give me pointers and help, but I think my biggest struggle is raising my nutrients without starting an endless losing battle with pest algae.

For lighting right now I only plan to keep LPS, but I have 2 AquaIllumination Blade grows, and 2 AI Prime 16HDs on a hanging fixture that I will post some pictures of later on. I'm definitely excited to start putting some coral into this tank and getting these rocks covered up, I have a lot of fun stuff cooking in my frag tank.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Excited to follow the progress of your tank!

 

[mdpitts]

I have been in the hobby for about 3 years total now, I began with a (still running) Waterbox 20 AIO which I will end up documenting eventually, but having purchased a home and settled in, I have moved in my main system, a drilled 40 breeder with a Fijicube 20 sump. This system itself is about two years old, but has undergone many changes, problems, restarts, and fine tuning to get to the basic level it is at today.

The scape for this tank is new only about 5 months wet, which is why the rock looks very clean, and completely lacking corals! I have a good rate of coralline algae growth, but Im still hesitant to add in more corals until I feel that the tanks rock has matured more. I have lost corals in this tank in the past, mainly while using my last rock, I dove in to SPS a little too excitedly and didn't do my due diligence tracking Alk, along with other parameters, queue a major crash and I am back to square one. In the meantime I have been curating my frag tank, and carefully planning my new additions. The livestock in this tank right now consists of a marine betta, the original inhabitant I set this tank up for, a coral beauty angel, a christmas wrasse who took the place of a missing yellow coris wrasse (missing this fish all the time), and a starry blenny. I am running a skimmer and have the equipment to dose ESV B-ionic once my parameters (now tracked weekly) require. Im always looking for seasoned reefers to give me pointers and help, but I think my biggest struggle is raising my nutrients without starting an endless losing battle with pest algae.

For lighting right now I only plan to keep LPS, but I have 2 AquaIllumination Blade grows, and 2 AI Prime 16HDs on a hanging fixture that I will post some pictures of later on. I'm definitely excited to start putting some coral into this tank and getting these rocks covered up, I have a lot of fun stuff cooking in my frag tank.

Oh, I love all these! I know the Rastas zoas but what is that gorgeous yellow/green chalice and purple and red monti?? I hope I got that right. Sometimes those two types confuse me.

 

[BR480Reef]

Oh, I love all these! I know the Rastas zoas but what is that gorgeous yellow/green chalice and purple and red monti?? I hope I got that right. Sometimes those two types confuse me.

Those are correct, the yellow/green chalice is actually a JF Orange Zombie and the monti is an RRC Red Roses. I think the only way to get the chalice to show its green coloration is by allowing part of it to be shaded, I have a larger colony which is a uniform yellow but that piece was in much lower PAR for a while!