My first reef tank build.

LordNeb · Mar 23, 2022

This the the first reef tank I have ever setup. My son and I build the rock scape ourselves. It is a 16g Biocube that is currently cycling. I plan on it being mostly soft corals and maybe one or two SPS, not really sure yet as we are still doing lots of research before deciding on what corals to get.

Right now it's mostly stock. I pulled out the bottom of the first chamber so I could put in a Fluval heater. I cut the wall between chamber one and two so there would be more flow over the filter media. Since I cannot use the stick filter cartridge I am going to just have filter floss on top of chamber two and carbon in the media rack along with some biological media.

blaxsun · Mar 23, 2022

Like the purple mushroom!

LordNeb · Mar 23, 2022

Thank you. My wife saw it while we were looking at different places to get rocks and had to buy it.

LordNeb · Apr 2, 2022

My first coral has gone into the tank and has survived it's first week. I was worried about it the first couple days since it really wasn't opening up, but now it fully opens during the day and looks really good. It's just a small GSP I got from my LFS for $10 but it's doing really well. I placed it on a small angled rock in the rear of the tank to try and encourage it to grow up the back wall.

LordNeb · Apr 12, 2022

I've been slacking on the updates lately but here's what head been going on. I changed the main rock structure a little and added a few new corals. I now have a small Rhodactis mushroom, a small Duncan, an encrusting Montipora, a feather duster, and what I believe is a tiny Rock Flower Anemone. I'll post pictures later, I just can't seem to get any good one with this phone for some reason.

prattosphere · Apr 13, 2022

LordNeb said:
My first coral has gone into the tank and has survived it's first week. I was worried about it the first couple days since it really wasn't opening up, but now it fully opens during the day and looks really good. It's just a small GSP I got from my LFS for $10 but it's doing really well. I placed it on a small angled rock in the rear of the tank to try and encourage it to grow up the back wall.

GSP is one that I want to get as well! I love the green! Awesome that it was so affordable!

prattosphere · Apr 13, 2022

LordNeb said:
I've been slacking on the updates lately but here's what head been going on. I changed the main rock structure a little and added a few new corals. I now have a small Rhodactis mushroom, a small Duncan, an encrusting Montipora, a feather duster, and what I believe is a tiny Rock Flower Anemone. I'll post pictures later, I just can't seem to get any good one with this phone for some reason.

I look forward to the pictures! Are you planning on adding fish? I plan to add clowns to mine after the cycle and maybe after I add some CuC

LordNeb · Apr 13, 2022

Here are some updates pictures. Some things look a bit washed out from the white lights that are currently on, but it's the only way I can get pictures to sort of come out, my phone refuses to take good d ones with the blues on. For some reason the GSP is refusing to open. If it doesn't open in a couple days I'll see if I need to clean it off. The only thing I couldn't get picture of it the little anemone since it's wedged itself between a rock and a shell, it's smaller than a pinky nail right now.

I'll be adding some ocellaris clown fish soon I hope since they stay on the smaller side. I was trying to find some that where a different color than the normal orange and white. My LFS said they often get the black and white ones in so I might do that. And I'll probably add a goby or blenny of some sort to help keep the bottom clean.

I changed some of the rocks around since the first update so this is what it looks like now.

bnord · Apr 13, 2022

blaxsun said:
Like the purple mushroom!

it'll be really interesting to see it with Coraline!

bnord · Apr 13, 2022

LordNeb said:
Here are some updates pictures. Some things look a bit washed out from the white lights that are currently on, but it's the only way I can get pictures to sort of come out, my phone refuses to take good d ones with the blues on. For some reason the GSP is refusing to open. If it doesn't open in a couple days I'll see if I need to clean it off. The only thing I couldn't get picture of it the little anemone since it's wedged itself between a rock and a shell, it's smaller than a pinky nail right now.

I'll be adding some ocellaris clown fish soon I hope since they stay on the smaller side. I was trying to find some that where a different color than the normal orange and white. My LFS said they often get the black and white ones in so I might do that. And I'll probably add a goby or blenny of some sort to help keep the bottom clean.

I changed some of the rocks around since the first update so this is what it looks like now.

looks good and small tanks rule... and there really is nothing wrong with "classic clowns" if they were all white or black in nature, imagine how much an orange and white banded one would cost...

Buy 2 young ones and they should do fine for you...

here is my 15 peninsula _ you can pack a lot in there…

LordNeb · Apr 13, 2022

I have actually stolen a couple empty shells from my son's tank that are covered in coralline to try and get it to grow cause I want to see it covered also.

I love this little tank and I know that once I get everything situated and working correctly it's going to be amazing. My last hurdle I believe is my wavemaker. If I turn it off I don't have enough flow and if I turn it on I'm blasting everything with too much flow. Just have to find the best location for it.

I didn't mean that there is anything wrong with the classic orange and white clowns, I love them. I have just always liked the darker colored ones more. I would love a maroon clown but the tank is too small for it which is why I decided to try and get the black and whites, but if I can't get them or I get impatient I will just get the classic ones.