33 Gallon Reef

[Sidius]

Finally after many years of enjoying this hobby, I am taking my first dive into the world of reefkeeping and saltwater aquariums. I've started to build a couple reef tanks in the past but never made it to the point that I was actually ready. Life always seemed to get in the way.

I still need some equipment but I'll post what I have and what I plan to have down the road. The plan at this time is to go sumpless and as simple as possible but I will likely add an ATO, skimmer and a doser at some point. I may not use all the equipment posted, I have most of it hanging around from old freshwater setups or prior reef tank builds I started. I welcome any and all advice or suggestions!

When it comes to livestock, I'm still on the fence and plan to take things very slowly. I've learned that even with my old freshwater tanks, patience and stability are key. Rushing things never ends well... again, I welcome any and all advice or suggestions


So I guess to start I'll post my tank info and current equipment list and go from there...

Current Equipment:
33 gallon tank (36x12x18)
Aqua Medic 36" 4 bulb T5 (undecided on which bulbs I'll go with)
AquaFX Barracuda RO/DI
3 x Acrylic dosing containers that I've had collecting dust for some time
Eheim heater
TLF Reactor (if I need to run carbon/GFO but won't be using it to start)
Aquaclear HOB filter (I don't plan to run this right now but I considered running it filled with rock rubble or MarinePure... or maybe even for a HOB Macro algae container)

Future Equipment:
Smart ATO Micro
Eshopps PSK-75H HOB Skimmer
Bubble Magus BM-T11 Dosing pump
Maxspect Gyre (XF230) or Jebao RW4 (x2)



Coral:
SPS/LPS mixed reef with a focus more on SPS (not a fan of most softies)

Fish (3 or 4 of the following):
Clownfish (Picasso or Da Vinci are favorites)
Firefish
Banggai Cardinal (love these but on the fence)
Mandarin Dragonet (Also on the fence as I know a 33g is a bit small for pod population but these are one of my favorite fish)
Flame Angel (on the fence because I've heard they can pick at corals)




Rocks are a mix of BRS Reef Saver rock and live rock from J&L... they've been cycling in rubbermaids for 2.5 weeks now to try and get as much sand/silt out of them as possible. Keeping an eye on phosphate levels before actually moving them into the tank and adding sand and critters.



I decided to set it up in the garage next to my salt mixing station so I can make a mess and not annoy my wife lol

[Sidius]

Not a whole lot to update right now.. I did a full water change in my rubbermaids last night while dunking and swishing the rocks in buckets of saltwater... It's surprising how much silt/sand comes out of those new dry/reef saver rocks from BRS when I dunk them.. its so cloudy after that I can't see the powerhead in the bottom of the bucket lol (and this is after a month of curing). I also painted the back of the tank black.

I will be picking up some sand tomorrow from J&L and moving the rocks into the tank once I've cleaned the sand a bit. After that, I should be ready for a clean up crew and then maybe my first marine fish!

[Sidius]

I finally have my first reef tank up and running.. I can't possibly convey how amazing this moment is for me lol.. I've been wanting a saltwater tank since I was a teenager and used to stare at a friends dads tank, mesmerized by all the creatures and corals that lived in there. No idea why I stuck with freshwater for so long but nevertheless I have one now

Here's my first attempt at a reef tank aquascape. Please feel free to point out any flaws or issues I might have down the road. I plan to search for an 8 inch long piece of rock to add to the middle as a bridge between the two structures and more surface for corals!



Here's one of the Scarlet hermits saying hello to one of the Blue Legged hermits (lighter shell)

[Dash]

Congrats on the new tank
I sure remember my first moments with my tank - couldn’t believe there were living creatures inside!

I like the scarlet hermits, very well-behaved and hard-working.

[DKoKoMan]

Awesome start! Before you know it you will be amazed at how much your tank has changed.

[Sidius]

Originally Posted by Dash

Congrats on the new tank
I sure remember my first moments with my tank - couldn’t believe there were living creatures inside!

I like the scarlet hermits, very well-behaved and hard-working.

Ya it's been a lot of fun.. I can't wait to get a fire shrimp and a few fish in there.. I'm waiting a couple months before I try to add any corals. I need proper wavemakers and I want to let things mature.

The Scarlet hermits are extra special since my daughters name is Scarlett

[Sidius]

Originally Posted by DKoKoMan

Awesome start! Before you know it you will be amazed at how much your tank has changed.

Ya I can't wait to see the changes along the way!!

[Sidius]

I'm sure a lot of you will laugh at this because you likely thought the same thing the first time you saw it but this morning I woke up and thought one of my Scarlet's had died.. I see a red shell floating around on my sand bed, lifeless and one of my Scarlet's was missing.. I search all over the tank and see what I thought was his empty shell tucked back behind my rockwork and reach in to grab it, only to see a hermit still living inside.. I guess one of them molted!

[Sidius]

I don't know if anyone else can see the pictures that I've been posting but for some reason I can't anymore... They were there when I checked last night...

[Dash]

I find stress will often trigger it. When I moved tanks, they all molted. Once I took one out to brush off a big hunk of algae on his shell, and he just threw his molt out in the cup he was in. I thought he died from the shock of being out of the water for 10 seconds, but when I peeked inside he was still in there.