Hey everyone!
I’m Darren (37/M/Toronto, eh) and I’m excited to be joining the reefing community! I’ve always been fascinated by the ocean and the incredible ecosystems that thrive within it. After some research and a lot of learning, I’ve finally taken the plunge into the world of reef tanks.
I’ve started with a 25 gallon shallow lagoon reef tank from Reef Casa, and I’m focusing on creating a balanced and sustainable environment for coral, inverts and fish. Right now, I have:
Inverts:
2x Mexican Turbo Snails
1x Scarlet Reef Hermit
1x Halloween Hermit
1x Skunk Cleaner Shrimp
1x Feather Duster
Freestyle feeding just a small pinch (4-8 pellets) of Vitalis Platinum Marine Pellets once in morning, once evening before lights off.
Fish:
None... yet
Coral (Zoa Frags):
1x Armageddon
1x Pipe Organ
1x Utter Chaos
1x Green Star Polly
2x Unidentified Zoas (photos for ID to come)
Equipment:
1x Bubble Magus Mini Q Protein Skimmer
1x XPAqua Duetto2 ATO (Connected to 16L RODI water)
1x Reef Casa Dual Random Flow Generator
1x Reef Casa Wavemaker Mini
1x Reef Casa Aquarium Heater
1x Reef Casa Halo Reef Light
1x Nano Flipper Float
1x Digital Thermometer
3x Bacteria 'Hotel' in sump
1x Ammonia Alert tag
1x Small bag carbon (placed under filter pad)
1x Salinity Refractometer
I run the lights 11AM-7PM (8 hours) daily and occasionally run lowest (1/100) blue light setting after 7PM until bedtime around midnight
Given I started my cycle Dec 29, 2024 and maintaining perfect or near-perfect water parameters to date, I’m eager to cautiously add more to my setup as I grow in experience. I’ve been spending a lot of time reading, watching tutorials, and connecting with other reefers, but I know there’s always something new to learn and every tank is different!
I’d love to hear about your experiences and get advice, especially when it comes to coral propagation, tank maintenance, water parameters, etc. I’m also happy to share my own experiences and what I’ve learned so far.
Open to any and all suggestions and feedback. Looking forward to connecting with all of you and sharing our reefing journeys!
Happy Reefing,
D
