Hello all! After being a lurker for nearly half a year, I finally made an account to engage more with y'all. Nice to "meet" you! For starters, I wanted to post information on my current (first) saltwater tank. Here it is:
Display Tank (DT)
Tank: Innovative Marine Fusion Pro 25 Gallon Lagoon (w/ overflow protection and hightide risers)
Light: 1x Nicrew 50W Aquarium LED Reef Light (w/ simple on/off timer)
Lid: Red Sea DIY Tank Lid Kit (24x24) w/ Neat Aquatics feeder hole
Filtration:
Heater: hygger Titanium Tube Heater 100W
ATO: autoaqua smart ATO Lite (w/ pump)
Reservoir: Innovative Marine 5 gallon reservoir
Security:
Salt: Red Sea Coral Pro
Miscellaneous
Refugium
Refugium: Medium CPR Aquafuge2 (~3.6 Gallon)
Filtration:
Substrate / Live Rock: CaribSea Mineral Mud w/ ~2lbs Live Rock rubble
Macroalgae: Algaebarn Ulva Sea Lettuce, Algaebarn Red Ogo, Algaebarn Chaeto
Pods (dosed + brought in on rock): 1x Algaebarn 5280 Pods, 1x Algaebarn Ecopods
Livestock (Refugium):
I also wanted to give y'all an idea of my planned upgrades and welcome any comments/ideas on such:
Upgrades (future)
Lid: ReefinaintEZY custom acrylic lid
Dosing:
Light(s) (DT): 2x AI Prime 16 HD LED Reef Light (black) (w/ bendable brackets)
Light(s) (refugium): 2x Innovative Marine ChaetoMax Refugium Light 9W
Powerhead(s): 1x AI Nero 3 Powerhead (2000 GPH)
Heater: Cobalt Neo Therm Pro 100W
Testing:
For more information, my tank has been up and running for 4 months with live rock from the beginning. I have not had much NTS (new tank syndrome) other than a bit of diatoms here and there (mostly from what I believe was dosing expired Oceanmagik). Also, I recognize the difficulties with keeping a mandarin dragonet in such a small system and did extensive research and preparation beforehand. I have quite an extensive pod population (as well as annelid detritus worms) and the Paul B feeder to supplement. I planned him being my first fish (and possibly only, until I upgrade tanks this next summer), hence the large live rock volume for the system. I also purchased him from Eliot at Marine Collectors to ensure proper selection and treatment before he went into my system.
As I said before, it is great to "meet" y'all and I will be posting some tank shots at some point as well! Thanks!
Display Tank (DT)
Tank: Innovative Marine Fusion Pro 25 Gallon Lagoon (w/ overflow protection and hightide risers)
Light: 1x Nicrew 50W Aquarium LED Reef Light (w/ simple on/off timer)
Lid: Red Sea DIY Tank Lid Kit (24x24) w/ Neat Aquatics feeder hole
Filtration:
- Pumps: 2x Sicce Syncra Silent 1.0 w/ Random Flow Generators on each nozzle and each pump attached to each return nozzle individually
- Powerhead: 1x hygger Mini Wave Maker (1600 GPH)
- Media: 1x inTank filter floss holder (tank specific) w/ inTank filter floss
Heater: hygger Titanium Tube Heater 100W
ATO: autoaqua smart ATO Lite (w/ pump)
Reservoir: Innovative Marine 5 gallon reservoir
Security:
- Water Level: autoaqua water security (high level)
- Skimmer: autoaqua skimmer security
- Temperature: autoaqua temperature security
Salt: Red Sea Coral Pro
Miscellaneous
- BBS Feeder: 3D printed Paul B feeder designed by sisterlimonpot (Humblefish)
- Hatched using Brine Shrimp Disk Hatchery from BRS (and their eggs) and enriched using Selcon Concentrate
- Dosing: Algaebarn Oceanmagik (1/2 oz. 1x / day)
- Fish:
- 1x Mandarin Dragonet (male)
- Snails:
- 1x Banded Trochus
- 1x Tiger Conch
- 2x Nassarius Vibex
- 1x Tongan Nassarius
- 4x Bumblebee
- 2x Virgin Nerite
- 2x Astrea
- 1x Ninja Star Astrea
- 2x Dwarf Cerith
- 5x Dwarf Planaxis
- Invertebrates:
- 2x Harlequin shrimp (male / female)
- 3x blue legged hermit crab
- 1x Mexican red legged hermit crab
- Corals:
- 1x radioactive dragon eye zoanthid
- 1x fire and ice zoanthid
- 2x mystery zoanthids
Refugium
Refugium: Medium CPR Aquafuge2 (~3.6 Gallon)
Filtration:
- Pump: 1x Sicce Syncra Nano Pump
- Media: CPR AFBT (Bubble Trap Box) w/ inTank filter floss
Substrate / Live Rock: CaribSea Mineral Mud w/ ~2lbs Live Rock rubble
Macroalgae: Algaebarn Ulva Sea Lettuce, Algaebarn Red Ogo, Algaebarn Chaeto
Pods (dosed + brought in on rock): 1x Algaebarn 5280 Pods, 1x Algaebarn Ecopods
Livestock (Refugium):
- Snails:
- 2x Astrea
- Invertebrates:
- Chocolate Chip Starfish
- varying amounts to feed Harlequin shrimp
- 1x emerald mithrax crab
- 2x Mexican red legged hermit crab
I also wanted to give y'all an idea of my planned upgrades and welcome any comments/ideas on such:
Upgrades (future)
Lid: ReefinaintEZY custom acrylic lid
Dosing:
- Pump(s): 2x Kamoer X1 Bluetooth micropump
- Reservoir(s): 2x 16 oz. glass dosing containers (etsy)
- Fluid(s): Tropic Marin All-for-reef, Red Sea Reef Energy AB+
- Miscellaneous: Icecap 2-tube magnetic holder
Light(s) (DT): 2x AI Prime 16 HD LED Reef Light (black) (w/ bendable brackets)
Light(s) (refugium): 2x Innovative Marine ChaetoMax Refugium Light 9W
Powerhead(s): 1x AI Nero 3 Powerhead (2000 GPH)
Heater: Cobalt Neo Therm Pro 100W
Testing:
- Test Kit(s): Hanna Mineral Reader Kit(s) (alk – dKh, Ca, phosphate – ULR, nitrate – HR, pH), Red Sea Magnesium Pro Test Kit
- Miscellaneous: autoaqua magnetic stirrer.
For more information, my tank has been up and running for 4 months with live rock from the beginning. I have not had much NTS (new tank syndrome) other than a bit of diatoms here and there (mostly from what I believe was dosing expired Oceanmagik). Also, I recognize the difficulties with keeping a mandarin dragonet in such a small system and did extensive research and preparation beforehand. I have quite an extensive pod population (as well as annelid detritus worms) and the Paul B feeder to supplement. I planned him being my first fish (and possibly only, until I upgrade tanks this next summer), hence the large live rock volume for the system. I also purchased him from Eliot at Marine Collectors to ensure proper selection and treatment before he went into my system.
As I said before, it is great to "meet" y'all and I will be posting some tank shots at some point as well! Thanks!
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