45G Mixed Reef - 1 Year Anniversary

terraincognita · Aug 30, 2020

FULL TANK SHOTS PROGRESSION

CURRENT August 7th

JUL 23rd 2021

MAR 21st 2021

DEC 16th 2020

Nov 2nd - progress

October 23rd 2020

Progress Sept 20th

Re-Scape Sept 7th

Transfer Sept 1st

START UP
August 25th 2020

HARDWARE/GOODS LIST: $2,495 - Oct 3rd 2020
Tank $900
AI Hydra w/ Arm - $340
AI Nero - $300
Temp Controller - $50
Heater - $50
Dosing Pumps - $200
Dosing Container - $50
ATO - $90
Simplicity DC Pump - $180
IM Spinner Nozzle's - $40
Filter Socks x10 - $35
45lbs Wet Rock - $220
40lbs Carib Sea San - $40

LIVE STOCK LIST: $1,080 - Oct 3rd 2020

Mystery Wrasse - $220
Golden Angel - $220
Osc Clown - $25
Snowflake Clown - $50
Juvi FoxFace - $60
Tailspot Blenny - $50
Skunk Shrimp - $15
Peppermint Shrimp $20
Randall's Prawn Goby - $70
Tiger Pistol - $30
x5 Hermit Crabs - $50
x9 Snails - $40

Randall's Prawn Goby - $70 (VANISHED....)
McCrosckers Fairy Wrasse - $80 (DIED 2 DAYS LATER?)
Red Fairy Wrasse (after McCroskers $80) also died 2 days later...

CORAL STOCK LIST: $1,405 - Oct 3rd 2020
Millie Frag - $90
Millie Frag - $90
Acro Frag - $80
Acro Frag - $90
Acro Frag - $50
Acro Frag - $20
Acro Frag - $20
Birdsnest Frag - $45
Digi Frag - $25
Stylo Frag - $25
Cyphastrea Frag - $35
Chalice Frag - $30
Favia Frag - $20
Favia Frag - $30
Acan Frag - $25
Maxi-Mini Nem - $30
Goniastrea Frag - $40
Clove Frag - $20
Zoa Frag's x8 - $200
Riccordea - $80
Mushroom - $40
Torch - $35
Frogspawn - $70
Trachy Frag - $50
Blasto - $20
Blasto - $25
Monitcap - $20
Xenia - $20
Leptasrea - $30
x2 Poly Frags - $50

--------------------
All in all cost $4,750

Alright.... well.... kind of depressed me earlier today hahaha, after I realized bit and piece, really what this has costs me.

This doesn't include probably a few to $500 i'd say of other random equipment scrapers, salt, water, my RODI unit, etc etc etc.

Just what's ON and IN the tank....

*sigh.

BUT! Hey! In my opinion it was worth it.

And if I think about it, If over the next 6 years, I can frag out, and sell at least 3 frags of every of my coral above, I'll have made back my money. (IF I STICK TO IT AND ACTUALLY DO IT HAHA) But realistically it sounds like I could probably possibly maybe.

That requires a lot more time and effort, but that's kind of my game plan from day 1. Invest and then make it pay for itself.

Lets see how it goes

.

Otherwise I picked up my last SPS frags today, they're on the back wall in the photo on the frag racks. All my nice millies and Acros.

Lets hope they live! HAHA jk.

This tank has been a challenge at times, but I love it so much. My fish all have so much personality, and they all really seem to get along.

I'll spot my blenny and wrasse swimming together for some reason sometimes for like 10 minutes haha, and my clowns just go around patroling and making sure everyone is where theyre supposed to be.

I thought the juvi fox-face and dwarf angel would also be a little more territorial, but they share the same cave at night.... and they swim together and pick at algae together.... kind of funny.... lol....

I know FoxFaces can get big. I've seen them up to 8 Inches so when he gets to 4-5 I've got a friend with a 200G who said he would take him

.

I'm finally happy with the stocking and everything inthis tank though, and now I'm going to sit back, and just enjoy the growth.

Most of my updates from here on out will be just growth, or if anything crazy happens.

So, this is it.

. Finally stocked and ready for growth

Otherwise the progress parts of this thread is still under construction

terraincognita · Aug 30, 2020

Progression Thread. To be updated.

terraincognita · Sep 5, 2020

Progression Thread. to be updated.

terraincognita · Sep 18, 2020

Getting ready to de-frag and mount this weekend! who's along for the ride?!?!?

terraincognita · Sep 20, 2020

Got everything mounted mostly....

Also moved my Carpet Nem, he is finally happy, I don't know why he didn't like that earlier spot but I never saw him fully inflate and he's finally getting back to it:

Aang and Momo with Mr. Krabs and the not yet named Carpet.

FTS:

Also got my Hygger Auto Dosing fully set up and tuned in, going to finish my thread about it here

was a ***** to get set up but now i'm so happy. Will be testing a lot this coming 2 weeks to dial in dosing amounts and get params perfect.

LOL Lost a screw XD, will have to figure that out.

Super nice sweet little dosing container for $55.

OH Yeah! My new Fish!

Ah I'll post it tomorrow.

saltnut · Sep 24, 2020

You are too funny with all those "insert" lines in the first post. Tomorrow was about 3 days ago. LOL so picture of new fish and mounted frags are over due.

terraincognita · Sep 24, 2020

saltnut said:
You are too funny with all those "insert" lines in the first post. Tomorrow was about 3 days ago. LOL so picture of new fish and mounted frags are over due.

Haha finally someone gets my humor

lol yeah I know it's been super crazy recently with work and life.

Have a baby on the way, 8 weeks now! OMG, first kid, WOHOO!

But I will get to it! I promise

saltnut · Sep 24, 2020

No worries. A new baby! That's great but if your going to post pictures of the tank it better be before the new reefer arrives. After that I will be looking for baby pictures. Maybe baby and puppy. Of course you might be too busy to post at all for awhile.

terraincognita · Sep 26, 2020

Mystery Wrasse Sneaking a peak!

He's definitely top 5 of my favorite fish I've ever kept.

terraincognita · Oct 3, 2020

Well.

Finally updated the first thread. I like to have the first shot and current info there.

I also got the last frags for me that I decided I will buy for this tank today. Was a cool $300 ouch. but I think worth it for the frags. They were $200 designer frags on sale for great prices and I got 4 for $300.

But when I got home, I decided to really add up during this COVID period at least what it fully took me to get my tank to the point where I'm at least finally happy with the stocking....

Must say... I was a bit stunned after... didn't even realize....

I bought a $900 tank thinking I would keep it cheap... dang was I wrong....

Oh well... Onwards and Upwards!!

I love how it looks, and that's all that matters.

But in-case someone is looking to start a mixed reef from scratch right now, with a similar stocking list and equipment.....

This is probably what you're in for hahaha.

terraincognita · Oct 3, 2020

August 25th

to October 3rd

pretty big transformation. I’m impressed and happy with myself

must also of course include probably about 125hours of man work as well. A lot of blood sweat and tears here for this work. Not just magic.

And some macros:

saltnut · Oct 4, 2020

That is just the money you have been saving on not going out to eat, hosting those huge parties, and vacations . Right.

terraincognita · Oct 4, 2020

saltnut said:
That is just the money you have been saving on not going out to eat, hosting those huge parties, and vacations . Right.

Oh yeah. This is basically all i've done except work and be home hahaha

It's right in my living room where we'd just hang out anyways so it's basically the same thing... with some saltwater smell when i'm tinkering haha

terraincognita · Oct 7, 2020

HAHA! GOTCHA!

Finally got a super tiny clip of them. They always swim together and graze like this, they get close enough to rub bodies, it's funny I've never seen such separate species be so friendly.

Golden Angel and Juvi One Spot Foxface.

Needless to say it's really hard to get footage of them because every time I get close they do exactly what happened here. Angel runs, fox flashes those spikes.

They're slowly and surely trusting me more and more though, the more I feed them hahaha.

terraincognita · Oct 8, 2020

Oh man...

Just kidding it was air bubbles my ATO ran out of water.

But don’t you hate that feeling when you first wake up in the morning and from afar your tank looks like you had something very very bad happen and it’s just air bubbles.

I mean like come on bro, it’s only 8:00AM why you gotta do it to me?

All better.

terraincognita · Oct 23, 2020

Lol. This still is fun for me every time. It's like a mini gas chamber of nutrients XD I always make voices for my fish when I dose my AB+ like they're running.

terraincognita · Oct 23, 2020

Finally got everything mounted.

Idk why sometimes I just hate doing it, removing frag plugs is just such a burden on SPS sometimes after they start to encrust haha.

But It went off without a hitch, my mounting skills are leveling up.

This birdsnest fell off and was under a rock for a week, but is making a comeback....

and for some reason it's STILL growing XDDD.. the colors improving though.

finally did a WC yesterday, been about 2 weeks.

I'm going to be doing about 40G of water changes of the next week, I know most people think this is backwards, but now that It's established I want to do a good hefty WC to get the water nice and clean so I can really dial in my dosing a bit better.

Got rid of the hyger doser and upgraded to a WiFi unit. It's okay but not the best. But works just fine, no pumps shutting down. Just sometimes super laggy on the repsonse.

Looking better without those frag racks though for sure. Waters a little yellow from the AB+ still but w/e. I took the photo as is.