Sara's first reef

[Sceh]

Tank started 4th october 2018. My tank is a eheim aquastar 63 marine kit (63l-around 16 gallons).

Some of the equipment.

Planing to upgrade skimmer to a Tunze Comline 9001 or 9004, also planing to add a Tunze Comline Filter 3162 to use for filter media (carbon, phosphate reducers).
A wave maker is also planed.

Most of the saltwater was added.

The scape. Like how it turned out. I used araund 2 pounds live rock and another 7 dead rock.

Some pictures were taken when the cycling started so they are a bit uglier.
Back painted black.

Cable management, for now...

I don't like the stand, in the future I am planing to get one with a cabinet where I can store stuff and maybe even upgrade to a sump.
I am still waiting to get more test kits so that I can bee sure the tank is cycling and if my water is good as I suspect the RO unit I have isn't doing its job butt there is quite a bit brown stuff on the rocks so I also started as per recommendation cycling with no lights.

Plan to keep mostly soft corals, easy to keep as it is my first saltwater tank, and also 2 clowns.

 

[Reefpuck]

Love the rock work!

 

[vetteguy53081]

Great start and way to protect all electronics and keep lines neat.

 

[Jason mack]

Looks like your off too a good start .. looks great .. .your tank is cycling , the brown on the rocks and sand are diatoms and perfectly normal in a new tank ..here a link too a thread
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/cycling-an-aquarium.306554/

 

[Wuzzo]

My evo is a mess in the back with all the wires everywhere.

 

[Sceh]

UPDATE: got more tests from salifert tested the water today. Also saw that Hanna instruments has a shop in my cuntry and for future planing to get some checkers.
PH 8-more like 8.1
KH/ALK 9.6
NO2 0-0.01
NO3 25-50(more 50)
PO4 0.03-0 (more 0)

Stil got alge, need to buy DI filter for my RO unit.

 

[JumboShrimp]

Congratulations! Remember: Go slow... no, slower... no, even slower! Lol

 

[cromag27]

love that rock! what country are you in?

 

[Sceh]

love that rock! what country are you in?

Im from Slovenia Europe

 

[Pbh-reef]

Welcome! Like your arch and wire management! Looking forward to seeing the tank grow

 

[reef lover]

Welcome!! Love that arch!

 

[Sceh]

UPDATE.: So did a water change yesterday with shop water and nitrates are going down are around 25 now so I plan to slowly add a clean up crew.
Also notoced some tiny white things moving on glass i think they are some type of pods from my research and also noticed some white patches on glass guess bacteria.

 

[Sceh]

UPDATE: As nitrate level drooped below 25 I decided to introduce 2 clown fish and 1 turbo snail. They are all doing fine, I am just a bit worried about one clown fish as his bottomfin appears to be injured or missing, noticed it today. He also has a white spot but he is acting normal.

 

[Katrina71]

Beautiful rock and clown pair

 

[Sceh]

UPDATE: Got a new Tunze filter for media and some filter media for phosphate and silicate reduction just so the water quality stays good. Also cause I didn't use good RO unit I got a lot of brown algae. Got also some media socks, green algae for fish snacks and a feeding tube

 

[Craigb350]

Looking good so far!

 

[Katrina71]

I did notice something white on your orange clown. The white spec on his left side above his fin. Just a little sand?

 

[Sceh]

I did notice something white on your orange clown. The white spec on his left side above his fin. Just a little sand?

No its not sand, Its some kind of growth. I am planing to buy some medication next week as the dark clown probably has some internal parasites and also plan to buy something for ick just in case. They are behaving normal for now.

 

[Katrina71]

I was hoping it was just a little sand.

 

[Sceh]

I was hoping it was just a little sand.

I hope its nothing serious drove extra 3h just to a bigger store so that I would get healthy fish :/ and its so difficult to find medication in Europe but I'll find it somehow..