Welcome to my first tank! I come from a deep fascination with the ocean, some axolotl breeding, and an obsession with glass boxes full of water.
2018: I finally find myself renting an apartment that allows pets, and a job that allows some pocket money. What choice do I have but to start a reef tank? So I did, about 2 months ago.
My main philosophy with the tank is simple, natural processes, combined with efficient, modern technology. I want low maintenance, not out of a lack of wanting to be involved, but because it just seems more stable. At the same time, I want something that people can be inspired by, and enjoy learning some marine biology through. And of course, I want something unique! I've built the whole thing on an antique table that's been in my family for years (generously covered in vinyl), and am after a coastal theme, from a long love of tidepooling and observing the life where land meets sea.
I hear you like pictures. I'll start with some full shots, go over the tank critters, and then get into the hardware. Critique is very welcome! Also have a weird hitchhiker to ID at the end.
Livestock:
Bullseye Pistol Shrimp
Tiger Pistol Shrimp
2 Blue Sapphire Damsels
Sharknose Goby
Mangrove sapling
Coral:
2 Acans
Hammer
Toadstool
Branching GSP
Actinodiscus
Ricordea
Caulastrea
CuC:
Emerald Crab
4 Nassarius Snails
~8 Hermit Crabs
~8 mixed Cerith and Trochus Snails
Fun hitchhikers:
Pink Sponge (I think), Stomatella, strange little clam thing (more on this later), tiny scrap of yellow coralline.
Haven't had a ton of luck with SPS, although the morning after this photo, they started to get some color back! Also featuring my hitchhiker sponge behind the acans.
Tri-color Acans from Tampico Coral Farm
Ricordea duo and one of the tiger pistol's hidey holes
Hardware:
Tank is centered around AutoAqua's auto water change system, and of course, the double HoB.
Nutrient control is through the 2-gallon HoB refugium equipped with a HoB filter, Kessil Tuna Flora, Marine Pure balls, and sea lettuce because it's also tasty.
The AWC controller replaces 3% of the tank volume per day, regularly removing bad stuff and replacing minerals for stability. The controller will also ATO with kalkwasser to stabilize ph, calcium, alk, and salinity. Currently I'm running plain RO and using two-part until I get steadier levels. Wastewater goes directly to the kitchen sink, all I have to do is mix SW and kalk every couple weeks. Loving this thing! Anyone else using one?
Temperature is controlled by an Inkbird temp controller, bimetal heater, and cooling fan. Currently hot as heck so been fluctuating between 80 and 81. Currently a cheap, temporary solution until I can afford an Apex down the road.
Water circulation is achieved with a Tunze Nanostream and Hydor Nano, with pump and rockwork placement allowing for semi-random flow circulating throughout the tank without wave controls, and heavy turbulence in the rockier section.
Lights are Fluval Sea 46W Marine LED, 12/12.
My half-finished wiring, controllers, and UPS backup.
Sump is live rock (and aiptasia..) storage at the moment. When I first got the tank I went seriously overboard with sand and live rocks. Then I decided my fish should really have more than 4" to swim in..
The first tank denizen!
Hitchhiker ID Time
What the heck is it? Looks like a baby bivalve of some sort? Has at least 4 tentacles that extend many times further than its body length. Yellow shell part is maybe a millimeter across.
Thanks for reading, and for the warm welcome!
2018: I finally find myself renting an apartment that allows pets, and a job that allows some pocket money. What choice do I have but to start a reef tank? So I did, about 2 months ago.
My main philosophy with the tank is simple, natural processes, combined with efficient, modern technology. I want low maintenance, not out of a lack of wanting to be involved, but because it just seems more stable. At the same time, I want something that people can be inspired by, and enjoy learning some marine biology through. And of course, I want something unique! I've built the whole thing on an antique table that's been in my family for years (generously covered in vinyl), and am after a coastal theme, from a long love of tidepooling and observing the life where land meets sea.
I hear you like pictures. I'll start with some full shots, go over the tank critters, and then get into the hardware. Critique is very welcome! Also have a weird hitchhiker to ID at the end.
Livestock:
Bullseye Pistol Shrimp
Tiger Pistol Shrimp
2 Blue Sapphire Damsels
Sharknose Goby
Mangrove sapling
Coral:
2 Acans
Hammer
Toadstool
Branching GSP
Actinodiscus
Ricordea
Caulastrea
CuC:
Emerald Crab
4 Nassarius Snails
~8 Hermit Crabs
~8 mixed Cerith and Trochus Snails
Fun hitchhikers:
Pink Sponge (I think), Stomatella, strange little clam thing (more on this later), tiny scrap of yellow coralline.
Haven't had a ton of luck with SPS, although the morning after this photo, they started to get some color back! Also featuring my hitchhiker sponge behind the acans.
Tri-color Acans from Tampico Coral Farm
Ricordea duo and one of the tiger pistol's hidey holes
Hardware:
Tank is centered around AutoAqua's auto water change system, and of course, the double HoB.
Nutrient control is through the 2-gallon HoB refugium equipped with a HoB filter, Kessil Tuna Flora, Marine Pure balls, and sea lettuce because it's also tasty.
The AWC controller replaces 3% of the tank volume per day, regularly removing bad stuff and replacing minerals for stability. The controller will also ATO with kalkwasser to stabilize ph, calcium, alk, and salinity. Currently I'm running plain RO and using two-part until I get steadier levels. Wastewater goes directly to the kitchen sink, all I have to do is mix SW and kalk every couple weeks. Loving this thing! Anyone else using one?
Temperature is controlled by an Inkbird temp controller, bimetal heater, and cooling fan. Currently hot as heck so been fluctuating between 80 and 81. Currently a cheap, temporary solution until I can afford an Apex down the road.
Water circulation is achieved with a Tunze Nanostream and Hydor Nano, with pump and rockwork placement allowing for semi-random flow circulating throughout the tank without wave controls, and heavy turbulence in the rockier section.
Lights are Fluval Sea 46W Marine LED, 12/12.
My half-finished wiring, controllers, and UPS backup.
Sump is live rock (and aiptasia..) storage at the moment. When I first got the tank I went seriously overboard with sand and live rocks. Then I decided my fish should really have more than 4" to swim in..
The first tank denizen!
Hitchhiker ID Time
What the heck is it? Looks like a baby bivalve of some sort? Has at least 4 tentacles that extend many times further than its body length. Yellow shell part is maybe a millimeter across.
Thanks for reading, and for the warm welcome!
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it's amazing how addicting playing around with rockwork is. 
