36G (mostly) SPS mini reef

[chris_pull]

I've been a long time lurker, generally spending more time on a UK based reef forum (as I'm in UK). But I find I use R2R a lot when searching for chemistry answers, among other queries, and decided to make a retrospective build thread.

Current (March '24) shot (excuse the DIY nem basket holding some rock flowers I'm selling!):

I will add details in upcoming posts!

 

[brandondavidson]

Looks awesome!

 

[lubeck]

Excellent looking tank. Can you share more about it. How old?

 

[Gumbies R Us]

How long have you had your tank? You have some a ton of neat looking coral in there!

 

[chris_pull]

Thanks guys!

This tank is coming up to 3 years old this summer. I grew it out once with mostly very easy sps and lps, trimmed and sold a few things, and now I'm trying more acropora.

One my favourite corals at the moment is a pink milli. This is 6 months apart.

 

[chris_pull]

For lighting I run an evergrow light (a slightly different unbranded version of the Reef Breeders photon; it doesn't have the warm white) paired with a lumen bar shipped over from Reefbreeders.

 

[PR_nano]

Looks great what is your fish stock for this reef?

 

[chris_pull]

Looks great what is your fish stock for this reef?

My focus is on many small fish, and those that are a bit more cryptic. That said, due to power cuts I recently lost some of my prized fish, including a Pygmy hawk fish, possum wrasse, and Swiss guard basslet I also recently lost a my favourite fish, the pink streak wrasse, for no reason I can establish cause for. It'll definitely be replaced when I see another one. I also recently rehomed my silver belly wrasse as he was becoming a bit too large and doing a fair bit of fragging himself!

But fish loses aside, I have:

• 3 x Springers Damsels
• Talbot Damsel
• 6 x Black Bar Chromis
• Purple fire fish
• Sharknose goby
• Randall's goby and pistol shrimp
• Mated pair of orchid dotty backs
• Coral croucher
• Circus goby
• Banggai cardinal

I will definitely try to source another pink stream and/or possum, and I'd like to get another Pygmy hawk fish, but I see these very rarely for sale.

 

[chris_pull]

I also have a monster abalone that is my secret weapon against algae! Along with the usual clean up crew of other snails.

 

[chris_pull]

The coral croucher is a fun fish that lives in the stylo colonies...

 

[chris_pull]

A non-glamorous photo of the tank...I had planned to razor down the hard algae that's accumulated where I had frag racks, but I've run out of steam for this weekend!

I've managed to take the big frag rack out after having sold most of my surplus, so the right side of the tank is finally clear to view after about 4 months. I can actually see the hammers in the back again and it's really nice having it more open. Still have a pink lemonade acro acclimating on a rack at the front, but hopefully not long until it goes onto the rock work.

I swapped the electric myagi tort and TNT anacropora, so the tort can fill in the back right corner. The TNT is stuffed under the ledge as it's quite light sensitive and this way can grow out slowly into the light. In making this change I removed a lump of setosa that's been growing as a hump and kind of looked a bit ugly - I was hoping it would branch out but never has. My clam also threw itself out of the zoa garden, leaving behind a large chunk or what I'm sure was its foot. I expected it to die but I've given it its own rock on the sand bed and so far it seems happy. Not sure what I'll do with the setosa, but it sets off the other corals around it nicely just chucked in the corner

I moved some new acro frags to a space I cleared on then let that previously held a large blue acro that was very similar to another I already have. I've added a "Pac-Man", a supposedly true "Oregon tort", and a "purple beacon". They are next to a "yellow" Bali shortcake (which is green and has done nothing for 8 months) and a tenuis that always looks really happy but just slowly bases.

My next problem to solve is this pavona that's started shooting out inch long tentacles and stinging all its neighbours. My tank is too small for overtly aggressive corals so this coral will likely have to go, which is a shame as it's so unusual and fills the space nicely.

My snails decided to spawn as I was taking the above pics, hence all the dots in the water!

I also ripped a load off zoas out that were smothering these blastos and cyphastrea, and created space for a milli that's moved around a bunch in the tank trying to find the right space. I had some lovely purple zoas that had been taking off, but when I pulled the rest out I think they got annoyed and have since been closed up and started melting

The hammer garden in the back right that doesn't photograph well because of the angle!

Some of the corals are getting too large and need fragging again!

 

[ReeferHD]

Probably the most beautiful SPS dominated tank I've seen!

on a side note, how long have you kept the croucher for?

 

[chris_pull]

Probably the most beautiful SPS dominated tank I've seen!

on a side note, how long have you kept the croucher for?

Thanks!

I must've him the croucher at least 2 years now, probably not far off 3.

 

[chris_pull]

Gave the glass a good razor blading and moved the pink lemonade off the frag rack and onto the rock, meaning no more rack on the front glass!