My first 125l (33g) nano reef - 80x35x41cm (31.5x14x16")

[Sasquatchv]

Welcome to my build thread, comments, advice and creative criticism very welcome.
I decided to share my build process, partly to keep me occupied and curb the urge to put more stock too soon. Probably very common new reefer syndrome.

I bought a used juwel rio125 marine, not ideal propotions for a reef, but at £150 couldn't find anything better.
As a bonus it came with D-D mesh cover.
I didn't like the internal massive box hoding the filtration, removed it and added Oase Biomaster Thermo 250.
I did consider adding overflow box and a sump, but there isn't much room in the cabinet, 8-10l sump would be max.
Biomaster's quick clean prefilter is awesome, it takes 2 minutes to do bi-weekly clean.

Aquascape:
CARIBSEA FIJI PINK REEF SAND 15lb / 6.8KG , 1 bag.
12 KG of dry marco rock, small rock from LFS's sump to kickstart nitrogen cycle.


Lights:
Original Juwel lights are...dissapointing, 22W split evenly between blue and 14000K white LED tubes.
Tank is divided into very blue and very white halves, plus I doubt any but least demanding corals would be happy.
Light got upgraded to PopBloom T50. Claimed 60W, measured 50W at full whack, fully programmable controller, split between 4 channels, supposedly gives 300PAR at the bottom of my tank.
Anyone in UK, Essex willing to lend a PAR meter, or visit and measure it for me(I live in SS postcode area)?

Flow:
2x Jebao SW-4 4000l/h each (Incoming).
900l/h from filter.

Water:
Portable 3 stage RODI from finest filers, fed from undersink 2 stage filter(1 micron+carbon), 2 point TDS meter.
Instant Ocean salt.
Parameters after 4 weeks (2 weeks with 2 crabs and boxer shrimp).
SG 1.026 (Hydrometer), tad high - will bring it down to 1.025.
PH 8.0 (API)
ALK 8.6 (RED SEA PRO)
CA 490 ppm (RED SEA PRO)
MG 1440 ppm (RED SEA PRO)
PO4 0.10 ppm ((RED SEA PRO)
NH4 0 (API)
NO2 0 (API)
NO3 10 ppm (API)


Photos coming soon, phone ones come out cr*p and DSLR is charging.

Aquascape photos:
hermit crab property market up front(one move already happened)

side view and boxer shrimp:


overview, light may be tad high:


cover:


filter return flow:

It's a "rain" attachment set just above water to break surface and aerate water without creating curtain of bubbles.
Sadly Oase fittings would put it about 30mm under water level so I had to cut it up a bit.
It was between not broken surface within whole system, water level 25mm below rim, or hacksaw to the plastic pipes. Choice was obvious for me.

 

[Sasquatchv]

Stocking plan, Mrs choices:
2x clowns with bubble tip anemone.
1x blue yellow tail damsel, coming soon
1x green mandarin, coming when I find one.
1x 6 line wrasse.
2x hermit crab(already in)
1x boxer shrimp(already in)

Maybe some snails when algae decide to show up.

Hopefully that's not too many.

Mix of soft and LPS corals, Mrs Sasquatchv is in charge of picking them.

Equipment wise:
DIY ATO, parts on their way, by accident ordered the pump from China.

Glass cover for winter to limit heat loss and evaporation. I've lost 2.5 liter in a week with mesh cover .

Im planning on 4 channel dosing pump, most likely jebao or diy:
Kalwasser, micro/macro/trace as needed, carbon as/if needed and one spare for whatever I didn't account for(probably alkalinity).

Chateo algae reactor when/if need arises, DIY.

As a last resort, hang on the back skimmer, I would rather avoid it.

 

[Sasquatchv]

New addition to the tank yesterday.
Yellow fin blue damsel.
Not the gereatest photos but he is very shy. It's a first time I see him out in the open, and if I get any closer he jets back into his cave.

 

[Sasquatchv]

Week 5 overall shot:

Diatoms and green hair algae came to visit, 2x Mexican Turbo Snails are tasked with control.
Intrestingly, not a hair of algae on a rock claimed by blue legged hermit, accidentaly it's also only piece of live rock bought live. Not sure whever age/maturity or hermit are to "blame".

Wavemakers arrived, decided to use one, and keep other as a spare. With both set to 50% fish got blown around the tank.

2 clowns and green mandarin dragonet were added.

Pink Gorgonian, and Pulsing Xenia frags were added, after RedSea DipX. Xenia started pulsing after 30 hours in the tank, looked dead after the dip.


I think i have a fireworm problem too:

I noticed it crawling from under the rock this morning, it was gone before i had time to grab better camera.
Same ones fell off Xenia rock in RedSea DipX. I'm on a fence between bristle and bearded fireworm. None of them were this big, it's 5-6mm(0.2-0.25") in diameter.
No way this one could have hidden anywhere in that rock,I'm sure came with the "hermit crab" rock, and I didn't dip it.
Also couple of days before xenia was bought I've seen coral banded shrimp munching on something unidentified, now I think it was smaller fire/bristleworm.

If corals start dissapearing i'll know which one it is...