Newbie reefer build journal

[Joey Justa]

Plans are I have a 20g L that sits on my kitchen island. I placed it there because I'll be able to see it from both sides, unlike any of my other tanks.

Pair of clownfish
1 Fire shrimp
Nassarius snail
Turbo snail

I have a bunch of base rock
Fiji pink sand caribsea
Modified aq 70 refugium w chaeto
Jaebo sw2 wave maker
Black box led ( Haven't decided yet)
Jager 75w heater

Cycling is going to be some coralline and bb in a bottle and ghost feeding until I feel everything is stable enough for the clowns.

Once the tanks mature probably 6 months or so, start with some zoa's and definitely a gsp.

 

[SPR1968]

Looks great Joey and welcome to R2R!

 

[reacclimating 2 the hobby]

Welcome to R2R! I'd start with some Fritz Turbo start or Dr. Tims. Can add the coralline once cycled.

 

[bsn_rn_cen]

I dont think my wife would let me put a tank in the kitchen. Welcome to reef2reef.

 

[NY_Caveman]

Looking good! Do you have the other tanks currently running?

 

[Joey Justa]

Y

I dont think my wife would let me put a tank in the kitchen. Welcome to reef2reef.

Yeah I was surprised

Looking good! Do you have the other tanks currently running?

Thanks just freshwater

 

[Joey Justa]

Got some miscellaneous in the mail today from Foster smith.
Hooked up my rodi and I am pretty impressed with the lil guy. Going to Walmart today to see if I can find a water jug to store water and also some sort of containers to mix the initial 18 gallons or so and a smaller one for weekly couple gallon water changes.

 

[Joey Justa]

On my 5th day of cycling with Dr.Tims one and only and ammonia chloride. I ended up buying a 29g kit for a sweet deal. This way I can use the 20 as a qt. Mars Aqua light is about 11" from the water level and each channel is on a smart plug. The AC 70 is blacked out and ready for cheato. Built a screen lid today with clear .25" netting. Also got this sweet case to keep some necessities in. Thinking about adding a prawn goby as the first fish and the 2 clowns later. What do you guys think about everything?

 

[Joey Justa]

3 month update


Stock list:
Midas blenny (best fish ever)

2 clowns ( worst fish because they bite me everytime)

6 astrea snails ( great algae eaters for rock and glass)

10 blue leg hermits ( very cool to watch, eats anything including algae, hasn't killed any snails)

Lots of copepods and amphipods ( feeding phytoplankton)

Green digitata ( hasn't done much spreading, but getting very thick)

montipora capricornis ( 2 kinds, ones a designer type one and the other is just a regular)

emerald eye palys ( very cool, no regrets)

Kenya tree ( fastest growing)

Hollywood stunner ( insane sweeper tentacles, idk if it's normal that they are out during the day and night)

pocillopora ( most delicate, not growing as fast as I expected)

leptastrea ( 2 kinds, I think one is a Halloween designer type? Other is green and blue, very cool underrated)

micromussa ( again I don't know the names, fast growers, cool to watch eat, glueing them tonight to 3" disks)

hammer ( wasn't looking good for him at the beginning, looked kind of different when I bought him like deformed hammer tentacles, my first coral, has 2 heads now and is growing very fast, my wife's favorite, name is Marley)

Blue trumpet ( has doubled in size in less than 2 months, hard to feed because it takes a long time to put out it's feeding tentacles, 7 heads)

Ricordia Florida ( has twisted itself in a weird way the last week or so, I think it's splitting, I want to buy more because they are so beautiful)

An unknown coral that was given to me by a friend, he had killed it practically, had 2 polyps the size of a bb 3 weeks ago, now its double in size and 2 more polyps)

I really want to add more biodiversity. Like a feather duster, porcelain crab, red serpent star or a black and white banded, and a cleaner shrimp. Anyone have other ideas on what to add?

 

[Captain Quint]

Welcome to R2R