My 55 Gallon Intro Build

[sphaller]

So this is actually my second salt build at this point. I started out years ago with a 20L that got all sorts of overrun with Xenia and I decided to break and turn my 55 gallon that was fresh into a salt tank.

At this point it’s a very non conventional build.

• Canister filter (Fluval 306)
• Tap water
• Three clowns

Stock list as follows:

• Aforementioned 3 ocellaris clowns
• Purple firefish
• Yellow watchman goby
• Pistol shrimp
• Peppermint shrimp
• Sally lightfoot crab
• Rainbow BTA

Coral stocking:

• Purple tip hammer
• Gold hammer
• Some other random hammer I acquired…
• Rasta zoas
• Some other green paly that I don’t know an ID on.
• Red monti
• Crater chalice
• Green blasto
• Duncan
• Toadstool that just recently colored up

Recently upgraded my lights from some Amazon mess that wasn’t giving anything the lighting to grown in any way shape or form, to a pair of Nicrew HyperReef 100s.

Trying to figure out what the next steps are as far as piecemeal improving the tank.

 

[EgotisticObeseChihuahua]

Really nice build! Those euphilias look nice and healthy too. How did you end up with 3 clowns though? I have 3 clowns because I ordered 2 but they sent 4 and one died from shipping stress.

 

[sphaller]

Really nice build! Those euphilias look nice and healthy too. How did you end up with 3 clowns though? I have 3 clowns because I ordered 2 but they sent 4 and one died from shipping stress.

Thanks! Work in progress, but aren't they all?

So I broke the 20L down as mentioned, but had already started to covert this to salt. Initial plan was to run both. But threw the lone clown left in that tank (other had gone the way of the buffalo a month or so prior) initially in the large tank as a "gotta put it somewhere" and they all coexisted, so he's still in there.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

So this is actually my second salt build at this point. I started out years ago with a 20L that got all sorts of overrun with Xenia and I decided to break and turn my 55 gallon that was fresh into a salt tank.

At this point it’s a very non conventional build.

• Canister filter (Fluval 306)
• Tap water
• Three clowns

Stock list as follows:

• Aforementioned 3 ocellaris clowns
• Purple firefish
• Yellow watchman goby
• Pistol shrimp
• Peppermint shrimp
• Sally lightfoot crab
• Rainbow BTA

Coral stocking:

• Purple tip hammer
• Gold hammer
• Some other random hammer I acquired…
• Rasta zoas
• Some other green paly that I don’t know an ID on.
• Red monti
• Crater chalice
• Green blasto
• Duncan
• Toadstool that just recently colored up

Recently upgraded my lights from some Amazon mess that wasn’t giving anything the lighting to grown in any way shape or form, to a pair of Nicrew HyperReef 100s.

Trying to figure out what the next steps are as far as piecemeal improving the tank.

Tank looks great!

 

[sphaller]

Tank looks great!

Thanks!

Also of note, if anyone has an "actual" ID on any of the corals in there, let me know, I'm just going off what I could discern after getting them from random sources. A great LFS opened up in the area now though, so I'm likely good moving forward.

Also, any thoughts on a 10g sump? I know it's not a ton, but fitting anything under a 55g is real tight. I'd like to get away from canister, but not sure if it's worthwhile.

 

[kevgib67]

Really nice upgrade! The last picture, the green coral on the left is a sinularia.

 

[sphaller]

Really nice upgrade! The last picture, the green coral on the left is a sinularia.

Thanks! Of course it was sold as a kenya tree...

Also just added a pin cushion urchin to clean up some of the rock. He's doing yeoman's work at present.

I did also splurge and grab an RODI system... so also slowing switching things over there.