Copedog's 60P First Reef Tank

[Copedog]

After a lot of reading and research I have finally started my first saltwater tank, an ADA 60p. I have maintained a Spec V freshwater tank in my oldest sons room for 3 years. The 60p tank is in my 6 year old twin boys room on top of the dresser. My plan is to have a low maintenance soft/LPS tank that is lightly stocked with minimal equipment.

Equipment

Spectrapure RODI
MP10wqd
Cobalt 75w
Nanobox Duo
Misc cleaning/water change equip
Fritz RPM salt

Tank was set up and leak tested for a couple weeks with RODI while I waited on my light to arrive.

I ordered 10lbs of KPA live rock which arrived last Tuesday.

 

[Copedog]

I arranged the rock after a couple days and added the sand.

I have really enjoyed finding all the life on this rock in the past week. There are feather dusters, fan worms, spaghetti worms, several kinds of macro algae, a red mithrax crab, and I have heard the snap of a pistol shrimp. On the not so good side, I found this guy as well.

I'm pretty sure its a cirolanid isopod. I saw him on the rock one night and then the next morning he was just under the sand up against the glass. Sucked him up with a turkey baster. I'm not sure if it is the scavenging type or the parasite type. It doesn't have the menacing eyes of some I found while researching. I tried to get it to eat some flake food, but it has ignored it. This is the closest pic I could find since I do not have a camera with a good macro lens.

I tried to catch more in a stinky water trap, but have not seen any others. I will continue to try and hope to find no more.

If anyone can help with IDing this thing I would appreciate it.

Anyway, I will continue to observe the tank and depending on what I find my next step is some sort of CUC in a few weeks.

Scott

 

[saullman]

After a lot of reading and research I have finally started my first saltwater tank, an ADA 60p. I have maintained a Spec V freshwater tank in my oldest sons room for 3 years. The 60p tank is in my 6 year old twin boys room on top of the dresser. My plan is to have a low maintenance soft/LPS tank that is lightly stocked with minimal equipment.

Equipment

Spectrapure RODI
MP10wqd
Cobalt 75w
Nanobox Duo
Misc cleaning/water change equip
Fritz RPM salt

Tank was set up and leak tested for a couple weeks with RODI while I waited on my light to arrive.

I ordered 10lbs of KPA live rock which arrived last Tuesday.

That is really nice rock.

 

[NY_Caveman]

That is great. Rock looks excellent. I love looking for critters in live rock.

 

[Copedog]

Monthly update time.

I caught one more isopod a few days after the first one and I have not seen any sign since. Hopefully that was it. Fingers crossed.

Parameters have been stable with a little algae growth, so I added a cleanup crew from ReefCleaners. Ordered one with hermits, but they did not survive the trip. Snails are all doing well. Algae is under control.

I'm not sure if I lost my red mithrax. I found what could have been a molt a couple days after adding the snails. The nessarius snails were already on it and when I removed it, i couldn't tell if was a molt or not. I haven't seen him since. Have also seen what I think is a tiny gorilla crab. We will see what he grows up to look like. He is pinky fingernail size now.

I'm trying to get my design together for the coral layout. Thinking about ordering some photo-synthetic gorgonians and ricordea from KPA. I also live pretty close to Austin Aqua Farms so adding some of their acans is also on my list.

Not sure what to add to the bigger rocks. Any advise or comments are welcome!!!!

Reminder, this system only has a light, heater, and an MP10 so it will probably be on the "dirty" side. Nitrates are ~ 5 now.

Current plan.

 

[Copedog]

Anyone have any idea if this hitchhiker coral is NPS or photosynthetic?

Edit: Research leads me to some kind of Star or Starlet coral. Lesser Starlet Coral seems to be the best fit so far.