TingeOfGinge
New Member
Hi everyone.
First time poster, but long time lurker here. I thought I'd make a build thread since I'll probably start asking a bunch of questions here and it'd be good to track the history.
I've done freshwater tanks for several years, but this is my first attempt at saltwater. I'm trying to go low budget and low tech, which I may end up regretting in the future :D
Anyway, here's my tank so far:
I got a 29 gallon used tank off of FB Marketplace that came with a mesh lid. Once I had the tank, I bought the BRS "Bring Your Own Aquarium Saltwater Starter Kit - 20/29 Gallon" that came with a HOB filter, Caribsea Sand, Marco rocks, a heater, and a Sicce powerhead. I also got a couple of pieces of live rock (honestly, probably just wet dry rock) from a couple of local LFSs in hopes to add diversity.
Additionally, I bought a Smatfarm G5 85W reef light.
Here's what the tank looked like shortly after setup:
After the cycle finished, I got my first fish. A Firefish, which is actually the fish that inspired me to start thinking about a saltwater tank. Of course, since he was supposed to be my favorite, he has since permanently hid himself under a rock and only comes out for like 10 minutes a day for food.
Since then, I've added a pair of orange storm clowns I got at a super deep discount, as well as a tailspot blenny (who unfortunately didn't make it past a few days).
I was also super excited about corals, so I added a bunch (maybe too many too quickly) to my tank. Currently, I have:
- Bam-bam zoa
- Rasta zoa
- Fire and ice zoa (that one I won at a local auction and is the tiniest thing I've ever seen)
- Fireworks clove polyps
- Yellow trumpet
- Duncan (my current favorite)
- Willy Wonka hammer
- Green petal alveopora
CUC currently consists of 2 hermits, several astrea, cerith, bumblebee (trying to get rid of some vermitids), and nassarius snails, as well as a turbo snail.
The most recent picture I have, though from several weeks ago before I got the hammer and alve:
Unfortunately, now I am currently battling dinos, but I'm working on getting the nutrients back up and I'm planning on silicate dosing as well. My inverts aren't taking it well, with about half of the snails acting larthargic or not moving at all. Also, my clove polyp was completely overrun by either algae or dinos, and hasn't opened back up after I did a peroxide dip a week ago.
That's all I have for now, but I'll try to keep this thread updated.
First time poster, but long time lurker here. I thought I'd make a build thread since I'll probably start asking a bunch of questions here and it'd be good to track the history.
I've done freshwater tanks for several years, but this is my first attempt at saltwater. I'm trying to go low budget and low tech, which I may end up regretting in the future :D
Anyway, here's my tank so far:
I got a 29 gallon used tank off of FB Marketplace that came with a mesh lid. Once I had the tank, I bought the BRS "Bring Your Own Aquarium Saltwater Starter Kit - 20/29 Gallon" that came with a HOB filter, Caribsea Sand, Marco rocks, a heater, and a Sicce powerhead. I also got a couple of pieces of live rock (honestly, probably just wet dry rock) from a couple of local LFSs in hopes to add diversity.
Additionally, I bought a Smatfarm G5 85W reef light.
Here's what the tank looked like shortly after setup:
After the cycle finished, I got my first fish. A Firefish, which is actually the fish that inspired me to start thinking about a saltwater tank. Of course, since he was supposed to be my favorite, he has since permanently hid himself under a rock and only comes out for like 10 minutes a day for food.
Since then, I've added a pair of orange storm clowns I got at a super deep discount, as well as a tailspot blenny (who unfortunately didn't make it past a few days).
I was also super excited about corals, so I added a bunch (maybe too many too quickly) to my tank. Currently, I have:
- Bam-bam zoa
- Rasta zoa
- Fire and ice zoa (that one I won at a local auction and is the tiniest thing I've ever seen)
- Fireworks clove polyps
- Yellow trumpet
- Duncan (my current favorite)
- Willy Wonka hammer
- Green petal alveopora
CUC currently consists of 2 hermits, several astrea, cerith, bumblebee (trying to get rid of some vermitids), and nassarius snails, as well as a turbo snail.
The most recent picture I have, though from several weeks ago before I got the hammer and alve:
Unfortunately, now I am currently battling dinos, but I'm working on getting the nutrients back up and I'm planning on silicate dosing as well. My inverts aren't taking it well, with about half of the snails acting larthargic or not moving at all. Also, my clove polyp was completely overrun by either algae or dinos, and hasn't opened back up after I did a peroxide dip a week ago.
That's all I have for now, but I'll try to keep this thread updated.
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