I'm not really starting this thread to show anything off. I'm fairly embarrassed of my tank but I am hoping that being open to some criticism will help guide and direct me at least.
When I was 17 my parents got me this 75 gallon tank and stand. I grew up with lots of tropical tanks in the house. When it was my turn to have my own tank I went the African Cichlid route after a 1 year stint with Tiger Oscars. I did very well at raising Cichlids. After several years I decided to put the tank away. There it sat until this past November. After watching Tank with the family we all got amped to take what we had and get a reef tank going. My son helped me sand the oak tank stand and stain it a dark espresso color. We painted the back glass a medium blue. We bought 40lbs of fine white Bahama sand. We then filled it with tap water....ugh, I know.
Second step we threw a few chunks of uncured live rock and some chaeto in to help seed and start cycling. Through out November and December we slowly added more live rock and a CUC after the ammonia and nitrate levels dropped. After that we added two peppermint shrimp and a Diamond Watchman goby who jumped to his death about a month later. Before he died we got 2 small False Percs. After a few weeks we added more CUC and LED lights. Then one of the Peppermint shrimp died. After several more weeks we added a sandsifting star and a Mandarin. Several more weeks and we add a small Blue Hippo Tang and a bit of metallic green GSP. A few more weeks and we add more CUC. Few more weeks we add some zoanthids and a porcelain crab. Several more weeks and we add 2 small Banggai cardinals and a rock full of mushrooms. A few more weeks we add a cleaner shrimp and some rock (dead). At this point we have 72lbs of rock.
At this point one of our clowns who always slept on the sand dies. She had all the other fish sleeping on the sand too. When she died they all went back to sleeping elsewhere. We buy another small clown and a royal gramma. A few weeks later we bought a nice Frogspawn for the tank. At this point our fish start slowly dying off. They were all eating good then all of a sudden one of them would start having issues swimming, their fins would start to disintegrate and then they'd die. First it was one of the cardinals, then the newest perc, then the royal gramma, then the other cardinal, then the other perc. Everything looked to stabilize at this point. We only had the tang and mandarin left. Then the mandarin started to lose his color. One night he looked dead and I tried to fish him out and he took off all fast. He was eating the next morning. About 2 weeks later he died and he even ate the entire time. Then the Starfish died (arms slowly disintegrated and fell off on one arm).
Now we're left with our Hippo tang. She never lost a step and is beautiful. We were feeding once a day and since about 2 months ago I started feeding every other day. I feed frozen brine and Roger's Reef food, defrost, pour through strainer and only feed the food. All food is gone in 3-4 minutes. I also feed a 1/2" by 3" strip of nori 2-3 times a week.
So here is how it currently sits:
Inhabitants: Blue Hippo Tang, peppermint shrimp, cleaner shrimp, porcelain crab, 3 turbo snails, 2 Astrea snails, 1 small round snail, 2 Nassarius snails
Corals: green mushrooms, GSP, Frogspawn, zoanthids (some are green some are orangish red, on on same rock)
Tank: 75 gallon glass
Filtration: 72 lbs of live rock, (2) AC 300's HOB w/ live rock rubble, Reef Octopus BH-2000 HOB skimmer, old AC 402 powerhead
Lighting: Aqueon 48" Modular LED, all white with 4 blue moonlights
Maintenance: I change 10 gallons of water 2 times a month, I use kalk in my top off. Lights are on from 9am - 8pm, moonlights are on 7am - 9am and 8pm-10pm. As of December / January I started using RO for all water changes and top off. Before that it was tap water.
When I was 17 my parents got me this 75 gallon tank and stand. I grew up with lots of tropical tanks in the house. When it was my turn to have my own tank I went the African Cichlid route after a 1 year stint with Tiger Oscars. I did very well at raising Cichlids. After several years I decided to put the tank away. There it sat until this past November. After watching Tank with the family we all got amped to take what we had and get a reef tank going. My son helped me sand the oak tank stand and stain it a dark espresso color. We painted the back glass a medium blue. We bought 40lbs of fine white Bahama sand. We then filled it with tap water....ugh, I know.
Second step we threw a few chunks of uncured live rock and some chaeto in to help seed and start cycling. Through out November and December we slowly added more live rock and a CUC after the ammonia and nitrate levels dropped. After that we added two peppermint shrimp and a Diamond Watchman goby who jumped to his death about a month later. Before he died we got 2 small False Percs. After a few weeks we added more CUC and LED lights. Then one of the Peppermint shrimp died. After several more weeks we added a sandsifting star and a Mandarin. Several more weeks and we add a small Blue Hippo Tang and a bit of metallic green GSP. A few more weeks and we add more CUC. Few more weeks we add some zoanthids and a porcelain crab. Several more weeks and we add 2 small Banggai cardinals and a rock full of mushrooms. A few more weeks we add a cleaner shrimp and some rock (dead). At this point we have 72lbs of rock.
At this point one of our clowns who always slept on the sand dies. She had all the other fish sleeping on the sand too. When she died they all went back to sleeping elsewhere. We buy another small clown and a royal gramma. A few weeks later we bought a nice Frogspawn for the tank. At this point our fish start slowly dying off. They were all eating good then all of a sudden one of them would start having issues swimming, their fins would start to disintegrate and then they'd die. First it was one of the cardinals, then the newest perc, then the royal gramma, then the other cardinal, then the other perc. Everything looked to stabilize at this point. We only had the tang and mandarin left. Then the mandarin started to lose his color. One night he looked dead and I tried to fish him out and he took off all fast. He was eating the next morning. About 2 weeks later he died and he even ate the entire time. Then the Starfish died (arms slowly disintegrated and fell off on one arm).
Now we're left with our Hippo tang. She never lost a step and is beautiful. We were feeding once a day and since about 2 months ago I started feeding every other day. I feed frozen brine and Roger's Reef food, defrost, pour through strainer and only feed the food. All food is gone in 3-4 minutes. I also feed a 1/2" by 3" strip of nori 2-3 times a week.
So here is how it currently sits:
Inhabitants: Blue Hippo Tang, peppermint shrimp, cleaner shrimp, porcelain crab, 3 turbo snails, 2 Astrea snails, 1 small round snail, 2 Nassarius snails
Corals: green mushrooms, GSP, Frogspawn, zoanthids (some are green some are orangish red, on on same rock)
Tank: 75 gallon glass
Filtration: 72 lbs of live rock, (2) AC 300's HOB w/ live rock rubble, Reef Octopus BH-2000 HOB skimmer, old AC 402 powerhead
Lighting: Aqueon 48" Modular LED, all white with 4 blue moonlights
Maintenance: I change 10 gallons of water 2 times a month, I use kalk in my top off. Lights are on from 9am - 8pm, moonlights are on 7am - 9am and 8pm-10pm. As of December / January I started using RO for all water changes and top off. Before that it was tap water.
