Mermster's 75 gallon first reef tank

[mermster]

Hello everyone, I'm Matt from northwest Arkansas. This is my first tank, it's been running since 02/2016. I feel like I'm getting the tank to where I want it, but it's slow going, and there's always more I need to learn [emoji1]

[bold]FTS from tonight[/bold]

Currently running fallow until the middle of June, we had a beautiful Kole Tang ich out on us and we weren't following best practices. Lost quite a few fish, but the survivors have been doing well in quarantine since April 3rd.

[bold]Survivors[/bold]

Just our original clownfish and our foxface [emoji20]

Haven't really been seeing great growth, but nothing is really fading either.

[bold]Livestock[/bold]
Onyx Percula Clown x2 (in quarantine)
Foxface Rabbitfish (in quarantine)
Pincushion urchin
Coral Banded Shrimp
Cleaner shrimp
Probably a dozen or more hermits
Abajillion ceriths, nassarius, and nerites snails

Rose Bubbletip Anemone (two now, he split back in March)
Trumpet Coral
Platygyra maze coral
Pocillopora
Duncan
Sunburst montipora
Encrusting montis
Stylophora (was green with blue polyps at the LFD, it's been pretty dull since I added it last year)
Bottlebrush acro
Riccordia mushrooms
Green star polyps (refuse to grow, 6 months in baffled)
Scolymia
Favia
Torch Corals
Bubble Coral
Acans
Plate Coral
Hammer corals
Frogspawn
Galaxea
Setosa (didn't make it)
Various zoas and palys
What I think is a chalice?

Big pic dump coming for corals

[bold]Equipment[/bold]
SBreedlights 32" LEDs (40% white, 65% blue)
Maxspect Gyre 250 (20% in 10 second pulses)
PF-800 overflow
Trigger systems 20 gallon sump
ReefOctopus 110-INT skinner
10 gallon custom ATO
Forgot what return pump I'm using [emoji53]
BRS CO2 scrubber (started in march, pH never went over 8 before, now is consistently 8.2)

Was running a phosban reactor with biopellets but took it offline in March.

I've also got the sump setup to try and grow chaeto, but the last time I tried it all disintegrated. I'm thinking with the tank being fallow, there wasn't enough nitrate to sustain it (this also earned me a nice cyano outbreak, came in with the chaeto from the LFS)

I've got a jaebo dosing system in the garage that I purchased from a local club member, but haven't felt confident enough in my tank to set it up yet.

Switched from Reef Crystals to Red Sea 2 months ago, chasing a lower KH.

[bold]Parameters[/bold]
As of 5/3 (API kit unless specified)
80F
8.2 pH
0 Ammonia
0 nitrate (salifert)
0 nitrite
8 KH
420 ppm calcium
1.025 salinity (refractometer)
0 phosphate (Hannah ULR, hated the salifert color test)
Haven't checked mag since February, was 1320

Any comments or questions shoot, would love to hear everyone's thoughts. Or your secrets to see better growth [emoji51]

 

[hybridazn]

Thanks for sharing! Let's get this tank going, started off a little rocky with ich but take your time and all will be well.

Best of luck! I'll be following

 

[mermster]

Hammers and Frogspawn

Galaxea

What I think is a chalice? And the BTA

Trumpet and Maze

Pocillopora

Bubble Coral

Duncan

Torches (wife's favorites)

Montis

Stylopora (looks like butt)

Acro

Scoly

GSP rock that won't grow [emoji58]

Riccordias

Acans

 

[mermster]

Hammers and frogs didn't post [emoji58]

 

[Zack K]

Your water is too clean for the GSP to grow. Just an FYI. Your tank is looking great! I like your little euphyillia gardens. And the Scott coloration is out of the world! Where did you get him if you don't mind me asking?

 

[mermster]

And the Scott coloration is out of the world! Where did you get him if you don't mind me asking?

Thanks for the info, I've been suspecting I was under feeding the tank, that would cause it! And pardon my new guy ignorance, but what is a Scott?