Reef Casa Studio 12 Mixed Reef

reaper93

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Hi guys!

This is the my first dive into a saltwater tank that I got as a Christmas gift last January

I took it slow and just started getting corals in September... and since then I have a slight addiction! Hoping to document my journey and pick the brains of people on the forum.

Equipment
Tank: Fluval Evo V
Lighting: AI Prime HD with gooseneck
Filtration: InTank Media Basket with Filter Floss, stock biomedia, and a bag of carbon
Return Pump: Cobalt Aquatics Mini MJ-606
Heater: Hygger 50w Mini
Controller - Inkbird Temperature Controller
ATO - Water bottle ATO

Stocking
Hi-Fin Red Banded Goby
Pistol Shrimp
2 Astrea Snails
1 Spiny Star Astrea Snail
1 Emerald Crab

Corals
Eagle Eye, Orange Oxide, Sunny D, Scrambled Egg, Utter Chaos, Fruit Loops Zoas
Two green hammers, a blue hammer, and a gold hammer
Various mushrooms
Blastomusa
Various Acans
Monti Cap
Bubblegum Montipora Digitata

Maintenance
Daily:
-Inspect corals/fish, ensure temperature is at correct range
-Dose Microbacter7
-Use turkey baster to blow off detritus and stir sand
-Check to see if I need to fill up ATO bottle

Weekly:
-20% WC
-Testing of Alk, Ca, Mag (Salifert for Ca, Mag, and Hanna for Alk)
-Dose with ESV 2 part based on test results
-Clean glass, change out filter floss, clean salt creep and also wipe down the AI prime

Feeding
I feed every other day with Mysis shrimp cubes but very recently switched to LRS Reef Frenzy Nano and enjoy it. I feed the goby and shrimp a few pieces and also try to feed whatever corals accept the food. I have also experimented with Reef Roids after getting some samples at Reefapalooza

Here are some pics now!

20220630_155332.jpg 20220630_155350.jpg

My newest additions are from Reefapalooza NY which include the Fruit Loops, Digi, three acan frags, and two mushrooms
 
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Eagle_Steve

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Hi guys!

This is the my first dive into a saltwater tank that I got as a Christmas gift last January

I took it slow and just started getting corals in September... and since then I have a slight addiction! Hoping to document my journey and pick the brains of people on the forum.

Equipment
Tank: Fluval Evo V
Lighting: AI Prime HD with gooseneck
Filtration: InTank Media Basket with Filter Floss, stock biomedia, and a bag of carbon
Return Pump: Cobalt Aquatics Mini MJ-606
Heater: Hygger 50w Mini
Controller - Inkbird Temperature Controller
ATO - Water bottle ATO

Stocking
Hi-Fin Red Banded Goby
Pistol Shrimp
2 Astrea Snails
1 Spiny Star Astrea Snail

Here are some pics now!

20220630_155332.jpg 20220630_155350.jpg
Looking good. Keep up the good work and before you know it, a larger tank will be in the place of that one or added to the addiction.
 
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reaper93

reaper93

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How do you all think the par is on this tank? I feel like if anything I could slightly raise them which could maybe increase growth, let me know what you think. Also, where it says 40 on the top is where a monti cap is (attached to the back wall)
Par Map.jpg
 
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reaper93

reaper93

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Tried using some of the reef roids samples I got at RAP. Not really sure how much I am supposed to use but it seemed I barely made a dent in the 5 gram bag they gave me. I guess a good thing about having a small tank is samples last a long time...lol! So far it seemed, as usual, the Duncan loves any food I throw at it. The new acans I got seem pretty hesitant on eating any food I try feeding them (normally I give a piece of mysis to each of the corals that will accept it).

Any reef roid users willing to chime in? Last thing I want is to create a nutrient spike

20220703_131716.jpg
 
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reaper93

reaper93

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7/4 Update -

One of my Flordia Ricordea's let go of where it was and is now underneath one of my rocks. Not really sure what I can do about it since I don't believe it is attached to anything

20220703_191811~2.jpg
 
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reaper93

reaper93

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Looks great! Very clean considering size and bioload IMO.

What is your maintenance schedule like? And feeding?
Thanks for the comment! I do weekly maintenance where I do a 1g WC, change out the filter floss, and dose anything I need after I test. For feeding I feed mysis every other day to my shrimp and goby and some to the corals that will eat it.
 
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reaper93

reaper93

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Update 7/27/22

Felt like taking some pics!
20220727_130200.jpg

My orange oxide zoas are doing incredible
20220727_130229.jpg

However I feel like the monti I attached to the back wall is not getting enough light and is slowly losing its color and doing poorly. Let me know your opinion on this
20220727_130314.jpg
 

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