Taking the plunge! Slow and steady.

tanooki

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 9, 2025
Messages
11
Reaction score
28
Location
USA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hey fellow reefers! After years of jealously watching reef videos on YouTube I finally decided to take the plunge after moving out of an apartment and into a house.

My current setup is a 40g breeder with the FijiCube AIO drop in, two Sicce Nano powerheads, a Tunze 9004 nano skimmer, a Tunze ATO with 10 gallon reservoir, two Kessil Tuna Blue 360 lights with the Wi-Fi dongle, CaribSea Life Rock, and CaribSea live sand.

I’ve got two clowns, and a royal gramma. For my clean up crew I have 4 Astraea snails, 4 trochus snails, and a hermit crab. I’ve had bad luck with the hermit crabs, they seem to die off quickly; I had 7 originally and they all seem to disappear.

My tank has been running since late July and so far no issues except with diatoms and the hermit crab die off. I stocked the clowns on August 17th after the tank cycled and then put the royal gramma in two weeks ago. Going to get a watchman goby in a few weeks after the gramma is settled in.

The plan is to get some easy beginner corals in a few months once the tank is mostly stocked and the nuisance algae is gone.
20250927_103554_B8E34FE9-EE67-4768-9E48-B3B144AF0DCB.png
 

revhtree

Owner Administrator
View Badges
Joined
May 8, 2006
Messages
53,910
Reaction score
118,914
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Welcome to your new home for saltwater reef aquarium resources and fun! Welcome to the family! :D
welcome-home-logo-greeting-png.1484246
 

vetteguy53081

Well known Member and monster tank lover
View Badges
Joined
Aug 11, 2013
Messages
108,108
Reaction score
242,675
Location
Wisconsin -
Rating - 100%
17   0   0

Evil1

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 28, 2023
Messages
2,029
Reaction score
10,740
Location
Staten Island
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hey fellow reefers! After years of jealously watching reef videos on YouTube I finally decided to take the plunge after moving out of an apartment and into a house.

My current setup is a 40g breeder with the FijiCube AIO drop in, two Sicce Nano powerheads, a Tunze 9004 nano skimmer, a Tunze ATO with 10 gallon reservoir, two Kessil Tuna Blue 360 lights with the Wi-Fi dongle, CaribSea Life Rock, and CaribSea live sand.

I’ve got two clowns, and a royal gramma. For my clean up crew I have 4 Astraea snails, 4 trochus snails, and a hermit crab. I’ve had bad luck with the hermit crabs, they seem to die off quickly; I had 7 originally and they all seem to disappear.

My tank has been running since late July and so far no issues except with diatoms and the hermit crab die off. I stocked the clowns on August 17th after the tank cycled and then put the royal gramma in two weeks ago. Going to get a watchman goby in a few weeks after the gramma is settled in.

The plan is to get some easy beginner corals in a few months once the tank is mostly stocked and the nuisance algae is gone.
20250927_103554_B8E34FE9-EE67-4768-9E48-B3B144AF0DCB.png
I’d start off with some zoa and maybe a mushroom or two. Do you have a quality test kit?
 
OP
OP
tanooki

tanooki

New Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 9, 2025
Messages
11
Reaction score
28
Location
USA
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hey fellow reefers! After years of jealously watching reef videos on YouTube I finally decided to take the plunge after moving out of an apartment and into a house.

My current setup is a 40g breeder with the FijiCube AIO drop in, two Sicce Nano powerheads, a Tunze 9004 nano skimmer, a Tunze ATO with 10 gallon reservoir, two Kessil Tuna Blue 360 lights with the Wi-Fi dongle, CaribSea Life Rock, and CaribSea live sand.

I’ve got two clowns, and a royal gramma. For my clean up crew I have 4 Astraea snails, 4 trochus snails, and a hermit crab. I’ve had bad luck with the hermit crabs, they seem to die off quickly; I had 7 originally and they all seem to disappear.

My tank has been running since late July and so far no issues except with diatoms and the hermit crab die off. I stocked the clowns on August 17th after the tank cycled and then put the royal gramma in two weeks ago. Going to get a watchman goby in a few weeks after the gramma is settled in.

The plan is to get some easy beginner corals in a few months once the tank is mostly stocked and the nuisance algae is gone.
20250927_103554_B8E34FE9-EE67-4768-9E48-B3B144AF0DCB.png
I’d start off with some zoa and maybe a mushroom or two. Do you have a quality test kit?
That’s what I was thinking. I have API liquid tests.
 

Evil1

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 28, 2023
Messages
2,029
Reaction score
10,740
Location
Staten Island
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
That’s what I was thinking. I have API liquid tests.
That’s ok for a Fowler tank but once you start getting into corals especially SPS & LPS your parameters need to be monitored with more accuracy. I use Salifert test kits but there are plenty of good options out there.
 

Crabs McJones

Regional Reef Manager (AKA Revhtree's Boss)
View Badges
Joined
Jul 24, 2017
Messages
33,586
Reaction score
153,815
Location
Wisconsin
Rating - 100%
3   0   0

Peace River

Thrive Master
View Badges
Joined
Apr 29, 2014
Messages
24,734
Reaction score
172,781
Location
USA
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Welcome to Reef2Reef!!!

Clownfish.gif
 

TOP 10 Trending Threads

WHAT AMOUNT OF LIVE ROCK AND SAND SHOULD BE PRIORITIZED FOR OPTIMAL BIODIVERSITY/FILTRATION?

  • 100% live rock + bagged sand

    Votes: 38 26.6%
  • 100% dry rock + 100% live sand

    Votes: 48 33.6%
  • 50/50 live/dry rock, 50/50 live/bagged sand

    Votes: 32 22.4%
  • 75% live rock, 25% live sand

    Votes: 15 10.5%
  • 25% live rock, 75% live sand

    Votes: 10 7.0%
Back
Top