I have been setting my reef tank up for the past 2 1/2 months.
I have a 55g that came with a
HOB bio wheel 350 filter
HOB skimmer
UV sterilizer
I have added
2 Hydor Koralia 1500 powerheads
300w maxspect razor 16000
BRS 5 stage RO/DI unit
It was a fish only tank when I purchased it but I have more than doubled the LR to about 60 lbs
Added many different Zoas and Palys that are propagating ( big deal to the newbie). My favorite corals that I have added are my purple tip hammer, pink hammer, and my green tip frogspawn. All branching and doing well. My orange monti cap struggled for a while but is on the rebound since adding more flow and light( no brainier right lol). My acans and chalice are growing on me as well. I also have a favia that us doing well. A small Duncan and tongue coral round out my additions to the two unknown and ugly anemones that came with the tank and will be moving to another tank very soon. I want the real estate back.
Unfortunately I have had a few coral casualties over the past couple months. A cup coral frag, war coral frag, and a green star poly frag died. The GSP frag never opened in my tank and the cup coral just never really adjusted. The war coral fell victim to my saddle puffer (now in a different tank)
I have a BTA, KO Nightmare, Darth Maul, and Orange Mauls arriving this week
The only fish in the tank are 3 damsels that came with the tank (I hate them and they are gone when I upgrade tanks if I only knew then what I know now)
2 maroon clowns
1 prawn goby
1 mandarin goby
Next on the agenda is to add my ATO. Then it is to build a new stand and upgrade tanks to at least a 75 with a 20 or 30 gallon long sump, new skimmer, GFO and Carbon reactors, and refugium, I will also add a 2 part dosing system followed by the Apex. The stand, sump, and new tank will all happen at the same time. Part of me wants to jump to a 120 but I have enough rock here at the house already cycled in tanks for a 75 maybe even 90 so I will probably go that route then make the jump to a 120 or larger in due time (cycling the LR in my other tanks). A 55 is just doesn't have the room I want for my aqua scape. My ramble is now complete. Thanks for reading.
December was 10 years for my current tank. Recently I re-aquascapped and switched to LED from a MH/VHO combo. Here's a photo from just after the switch about a month ago.