My 20 gallon softie/LPS tank build

Tonedeafviolinist

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Greetings! I am new to the hobby, and my tank has been running for just about 10 months. It was a budget build, with the tank itself and quite a bit of the supplies coming from a box of aquarium stuff i found at a yard sale last summer for $5. I am currently in the process of setting up a display refugium, switching out the sand to something courser, and curing DIY live rock. I will post updates.

Specs:
Filtration/nutrient control: I use a Coralife/protein skimmer combo that I run carbon in. It is rated for a 30 gallon tank.
Lighting: up until 2 months ago, I used a Current USA Orbit Marine light, which went out. Salt creeped up into the housing of the LEDs because I never cleaned them, so it was in part a user error. However I like the light I am using now MUCH better, which is a HIPARGERO. It has a shimmering effect that the other light didn't come close to. I just wish it had a timer.
Flow: VERY low flow. I had a powerhead go out and electrify the water a few months in (nothing died), so I've been down to one cheap powerhead plus the flow caused by the filter. I am in the process of switching out the sand to a larger grain so that I can install 2 aquaneat wavemakers.
Rock: I definitely don't have enough rock for a 20 gallon tank, so I am making my own bonsai-shaped rock structure, using the tutorial posted by @Paul B
Sand: I don't know what it's called, It was the only sand my LFS had and I regret using it (too fine).
Maintenance: At first I did regular weekly water changes with RO water bought from my LFS, but due to COVID-19 I was away from home (and unable to pick up RO, so I stopped water changes all together (I dose calcium and stuff). Shout-out to my grandma for feeding the tank while I was away from home quarantining.

I will post pictures and updates in the comments:
 
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Tonedeafviolinist

Tonedeafviolinist

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September, 2019: The tank has water in it!
 
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Tonedeafviolinist

Tonedeafviolinist

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Mid October, 2019: a bunch of livestock additions, some of which I killed! What kind of LFS sells monitora digitata to someone with a 2 month old tank? I'm an idiot.
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A few months later with fewer corals
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Blue lights
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My hammer (still alive, what a trooper )
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Nemo, my best friend
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May: after getting back from quarantine, replacing the light that went out (tank was dark for a week), and cleaning out all the algae growth, I painted the rim of the tank black and managed to get it looking halfway acceptable PSX_20200519_150644.jpg
 
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Tonedeafviolinist

Tonedeafviolinist

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January, 2020: red discosoma (it usually doesn't look so boring). There are 3 babies now!
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December, 2019: my Duncan, which has 5 small heads now
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An excellent picture of Nemo, taken with snapchat's orange lens (I need to get and actual orange lens for my phone)

Nemo has an instagram account now, you can follow him @heres.that.*****.nemo
 
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Tonedeafviolinist

Tonedeafviolinist

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Finally, pictures of the DIY rock project. It is nowhere near ready to go in the tank, and i struggled with getting the mortar to adhere to the PVC because i didn't follow the directions and cover the PVC with cotton string.
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Now with mortar: (i had to touch up some spots that fell off with a different color of mortar, so it looks kind of funky)
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Soaking in the water tub: (it has 1 month left, I will post updates when it is ready to go in the tank)
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Ooh I also use a Hipargero! It was nice being able to buy a good light that wasn’t as expensive as many of the other quality lights for reef tanks. And if you want a timer on it there are always cheap ones you can buy that the light will plug into which is what I did and it worked great keeping the tank lit when I wanted while I was out of town recently.
 
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Tonedeafviolinist

Tonedeafviolinist

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Working on my photography skills, this is with flash
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This is with a yellow gel filter, it turned out more green than I would like
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Some zoas with the yellow filter
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The newest livestock addition: Zelda the royal gramma

I moved around the rock and put in a new powerhead since the last full tank shot, but I can't seem to take a picture that doesn't look like garbage.
 
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I finally got the rock sculpture thing in the tank. I took all of my rocks out at the same time and brushed all the bryopsis off, so there's a huge bacteria bloom. I will take more pictures when the cloudiness has subsided
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 79 38.2%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 69 33.3%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 26 12.6%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 31 15.0%
  • Other.

    Votes: 2 1.0%
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