Jeff’s Reef v2.0

[Murica]

I left the R2R world for a bit but now I’m back with a new build thread.

-450 gallon display
-250 gallon sump (dry, actual gallons about 100-150)
-This is a reef tank, but only have 4 corals in it now because I’m trying to get everything in line before investing in an entire reef.
-34 fish
Azure Damsel
Banggai Cardinal
3 Blue Green Chromis
Male and female blue throat trigger
Diamond Watchman Goby
Dusky Wrasse
2 fire fish
Kole tang
Midas blenny
Blond naso tang
4 ocellaris clowns (no aggression whatsoever)
One spot fox foxface
Orange back fairy wrasse
Pajama Cardinal
Powder blue tang
Powder brown tang
Purple tang
Lubbocks fairy wrasse
Blue hippo tang
Sailfin tang
Springeri dottyback
2 tail spot blennies
2 yellow tangs
2 zebra barred dartfish

For inverts, I pretty much only have snails (various)
Blood red shrimp
Lots of peppermints which devour aiptasia.

 

[d2mini]

That's a lot of water. And a lot of fish! I always wonder how larger tanks deal with keeping track of the fish they have.

 

[Murica]

That's a lot of water. And a lot of fish! I always wonder how larger tanks deal with keeping track of the fish they have.

Yeah.. I like it ha and I still feel like I could go bigger.

I use aquarimate, it has a few functions to it but I primarily use it as an inventory tracker.

 

[Daniel@R2R]

Awesome!! Welcome back! I'm excited to follow this build!

 

[Murica]

Big shoutout to @AlgaeBarn . I just received my macro algae 4 pack and not only were all off the algae’s extremely healthy, they were a decent size too (took up a standard Mason jar)

and if you’re wondering what the white dots are on my refugium, they’re silicone (I only had white!) holding a fiberglass screen to the inside of my nuvo 25 so that way I get some good GHA growth

 

[Murica]

I might consider getting another photon v2 or something like that for the fuge, but first I’ll see how these do. I know they’ll grow the gha and chaeto, but I’m not sure if the other ones will have enough light

 

[Murica]

This tank definitely needs some color in it!

 

[Murica]

wish you could just post pictures without a message

 

[Murica]

I’m hoping the 25 gallon fuge I have is enough to keep the nutrients down on the tank. I’d honestly prefer like a 50-100 gallon foot fuge but I had the 25 gallon just collecting dust. Time will tell but if it doesn’t do the trick in a few months I may have to upgrade

 

[hebdizzle]

How many Photons?

 

[Murica]

How many Photons?

I have 4x24”. As you can see they’re perpendicular to the tank so I get some nice coverage.

 

[hebdizzle]

Nice coverage

 

[Murica]

To my surprise it looks like the chaetos already growing, but there’s also terrible dinos in the new fuge.

I’m kinda kicking myself for not just waiting to put a bigger tank in for the fuge. I’m hoping the 25 will make an impact once i start getting some good growth, especially with the GHA

 

[Murica]

My PH has been under seven.. pretty much since I started the tank (except for when we open up all the windows in the house) but since I’ve gotten the fuge, it hasn’t dipped below 8.

I certainly don’t want to strip the nutrients out of the tank, especially since my plan is to jam pack the display with corals, so maybe having a smaller fuge is better in the long run?

 

[Murica]

I had to scale back my lights a little bit, chaeto was turning white so now I have the lights on a 12 hr on 12 hr off cycle.. I’m hoping that helps. The other 3 algaes, however are doing really well

 

[dstockwell]

Nice tank

 

[Murica]

Nice tank

Thanks! Hopefully it just keeps getting better with time…

 

[Murica]

Finally cleaned up the sump room. Don’t mind the walls, I focused on “practical” over aesthetics.. still, I might put some drywall up at some point.

 

[Murica]

I couldn’t take the small refugium so I rearranged my sump, eliminated my DIY sediment filter and make it into a huge refugium. The red ogo and ulva are taking off! The pom pom meh and the chaeto is basically useless. I’ll probably end up trying the chaeto again at some point but honesty, I’ve never had luck with it and I hear ulvas better anywhere. Red ogo is apparently decent too? Not quite sure.

The DIY algae scrubber would be filled with GHA by now but these bubble snails are multiplying like crazy and absolutely destroying it (the algae).

 

[Murica]

Since removing the sediment filter to add the fuge, now I’m getting constant haze in the tank… If it’s not one thing it’s another. I blame my Diamond watchman goby but he’s bitter sweet.. makes the tank cloudy but my sand is always clean.

I’ll probably invest in a roller mat at some point but for now, it’s just going to be a bit cloudy from time to time.