Here's my build thread. I'll try and start from the beginning when I started before ending up with the 20gallon AIO I have now. May take me a few days to find pics and get them posted. Here's how it started:
A Fluval Chi 5g (was freshwater, but the pump failed and I decided to repurpose), a small heater, some Hawaiian black sand, and a Aquaclear 30, a Coralife mini led light, and two live rocks from petco....man did I have a lot of learning to do.
After a few weeks of letting it cycle I broke up the rock so I could rearrange it better and got my first fish. a pair of really really small Ocellaris clowns and my first two frag's a Goni and a Hammer. At this point I had done a little more research and upgraded my filter to a Penguin 100.
Everyone was happy and thriving, but then one day I came home and the smaller of the two clowns had decided he wanted to become a carpet fish. Was crushed but learned then I needed some sort of cover. Ended up with a small piece of plexiglass and things were happy for a few months, but I had caught the bug....I wanted more....A few months go by and I started learning about PAR and PUR and what you need to really grow coral and decided to upgrade my lighting. I upgraded to an AI Prime 16HD and not really having plan or really understanding the difference between corals, got what looked good at my LFS frag rack.
There it sat for a few months, everyone doing OK but not really growing (except the zoa's). From there I upgraded my freshwater tank out of a 10gallon into a 36 bowfront, and upgraded my little chi into the 10 gallon before making it's way to this:
I'll have to find some pictures of the 10gallon intermediate stage, that's where I really learned the most.
Now:
IM NuvoFusion 20gal AIO
2 AI Prime 16HD's
Protein Skimmer
2 Nero 3's (45% max)
ATO
Apex, with Trident, DOS, DDR, AFS.
2 clarkii clowns,
3 Pajama Cardinals,
1 Yellow Clown Goby,
assorted CUC (snails, crabs, and bristle worms),
and a handful of frags and zoa colonies.
A Fluval Chi 5g (was freshwater, but the pump failed and I decided to repurpose), a small heater, some Hawaiian black sand, and a Aquaclear 30, a Coralife mini led light, and two live rocks from petco....man did I have a lot of learning to do.
After a few weeks of letting it cycle I broke up the rock so I could rearrange it better and got my first fish. a pair of really really small Ocellaris clowns and my first two frag's a Goni and a Hammer. At this point I had done a little more research and upgraded my filter to a Penguin 100.
Everyone was happy and thriving, but then one day I came home and the smaller of the two clowns had decided he wanted to become a carpet fish. Was crushed but learned then I needed some sort of cover. Ended up with a small piece of plexiglass and things were happy for a few months, but I had caught the bug....I wanted more....A few months go by and I started learning about PAR and PUR and what you need to really grow coral and decided to upgrade my lighting. I upgraded to an AI Prime 16HD and not really having plan or really understanding the difference between corals, got what looked good at my LFS frag rack.
There it sat for a few months, everyone doing OK but not really growing (except the zoa's). From there I upgraded my freshwater tank out of a 10gallon into a 36 bowfront, and upgraded my little chi into the 10 gallon before making it's way to this:
I'll have to find some pictures of the 10gallon intermediate stage, that's where I really learned the most.
Now:
IM NuvoFusion 20gal AIO
2 AI Prime 16HD's
Protein Skimmer
2 Nero 3's (45% max)
ATO
Apex, with Trident, DOS, DDR, AFS.
2 clarkii clowns,
3 Pajama Cardinals,
1 Yellow Clown Goby,
assorted CUC (snails, crabs, and bristle worms),
and a handful of frags and zoa colonies.
