wingster
Community Member
- Joined
- Dec 24, 2025
- Messages
- 39
- Reaction score
- 40
- Location
- 38843
- What state or country do you live in
- Mississippi
I added the water to my first saltwater aquarium on January 18th of this year, and it has easily been the most enjoyable experience I’ve ever had with a tank. Research was many months prior to that, it took a while to settle with my final choices.
System & Equipment:
JBJ 45 AIO
Axis 40 return pumps (replaced stock pumps)
Filter socks (hex style, not felt)
BRS 100W titanium heater system
Bio media in rear chambers
Two AI Blade Coral Grow 21” lights
(One unfortunately took an unexpected dive into the tank…lesson learned. However I ordered the wrong replacement version - Freshwater Blade and have to replace that now)
For the scape, I used a mix of Moani dry “live” rock along with some live rock, rubble, and live sand from a starter pack.
Now at week ten, things have settled in nicely. Parameters have been stable for the past few weeks. Diatoms came and went, about five aiptasia were handled by my “Peppermint Twins,” and I lost one hermit crab.
My goal from the start was a more natural, slightly “wild” look, macroalgae focused, with a mix of corals and a few fish.
Macroalgae:
20+ varieties (the main focus of the tank)
Corals:
3 Duncan corals
3 varieties of Xenia
2 types of gorgonian
1 pipe organ
Green star polyps
One very small zoanthid (impulse buy)
One unidentified hitchhiker coral (will post separately)
Inverts / CUC:
Clean-up crew Snails, hermit crabs, shrimp etc
Tuxedo urchin (rarely seen)
Fish:
3 Pajama Cardinals
Two-spot blenny
1 clownfish (also an impulse buy—apparently I can’t leave the LFS empty-handed)
Interestingly, the clownfish has decided to host in the Caulerpa.
For now this is where I want to leave it for the next few months before I add or change anything.
Thank you all you reefers for making this easy and being so helpful!
Birgit
System & Equipment:
JBJ 45 AIO
Axis 40 return pumps (replaced stock pumps)
Filter socks (hex style, not felt)
BRS 100W titanium heater system
Bio media in rear chambers
Two AI Blade Coral Grow 21” lights
(One unfortunately took an unexpected dive into the tank…lesson learned. However I ordered the wrong replacement version - Freshwater Blade and have to replace that now)
For the scape, I used a mix of Moani dry “live” rock along with some live rock, rubble, and live sand from a starter pack.
Now at week ten, things have settled in nicely. Parameters have been stable for the past few weeks. Diatoms came and went, about five aiptasia were handled by my “Peppermint Twins,” and I lost one hermit crab.
My goal from the start was a more natural, slightly “wild” look, macroalgae focused, with a mix of corals and a few fish.
Macroalgae:
20+ varieties (the main focus of the tank)
Corals:
3 Duncan corals
3 varieties of Xenia
2 types of gorgonian
1 pipe organ
Green star polyps
One very small zoanthid (impulse buy)
One unidentified hitchhiker coral (will post separately)
Inverts / CUC:
Clean-up crew Snails, hermit crabs, shrimp etc
Tuxedo urchin (rarely seen)
Fish:
3 Pajama Cardinals
Two-spot blenny
1 clownfish (also an impulse buy—apparently I can’t leave the LFS empty-handed)
Interestingly, the clownfish has decided to host in the Caulerpa.
For now this is where I want to leave it for the next few months before I add or change anything.
Thank you all you reefers for making this easy and being so helpful!
Birgit
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