my 46 Gallon

[michika]

Your plan seems sound for lighting. Is your tank near a window? What do you plan to keep with that lighting? SPS, LPS, softies, or mixed system? You may have to cut your photo period down temporarily in the near future if you develop an algae outbreak. Otherwise I don't see why you should run it for so long. I run mine for around the same time.

As for your earlier question about your ballast ontop of your canopy, you could try tie wraping your cords together to clean it up a bit. Do you have other placement options for your ballast?

How about another full system shot? I see in your lighting photos that you have a sump and skimmer under your tank.

[Mik_101]

Hi everyone.
Yes my tank is near a window but sunlight never realy strikes the tank at all. Also applyina a back groun any ideas on what colour backgroun I should apply.

Im goning to have a mixed system a bit of everything and also some fake corals that look like acroporas the are acctuly a copy of acroporas. But yes im going to have mainly real corals. Planin on geting10-15 sps 10-15 lps andaround 10 soft coral.Im not very crazy about softeis but I do gota edmit ther are defenetly some nice ones.

Yes im cuting my phot period down a bit during cycleing but i might go back to my old one or stay with this one.
6:30 AM- actinics on
7:00 AM- 175 watt left halide on
9:00 AM- -175 watt right watt halides on
9:30 AM- actinics off
5:30 PM- actinics on
6:00 PM- 175 watt left halide off
7:00 PM- 175 watt right halide off
8:00 PM- actinics off



Yes I will tie up the wires to clean it up a bit (thanks Cathrine) and build a box on top of my canopy for the ballasts.

No i dont realy have any other placement optens because the dresser is going to be relocated soon.

http://s201.photobucket.com/albums/a...Picture050.jpg <---- that is a full system shot with the halides on

http://s201.photobucket.com/albums/a...Picture049.jpg <full system shot with actinics on


http://s201.photobucket.com/albums/a...Picture051.jpg <left side of the sump


http://s201.photobucket.com/albums/a...Picture052.jpg <--- right side of the sump



Sorrey that i couldent get a better picture of the sump because A- their is a bar running down the middle of the stand and B- I couldent back up because ther was a couch ther.

[Mik_101]

Do you guys think i could get away with adding two or three blue green reef chromis because the LR is about 5 years ol ther is about 25 pounds?

[michika]

The pictures look great, and they give me a great visual on what your whole system is like.

I would say blue or black for a background, but I'm kind of a traditionalist in that sense. Some people have painted the bottom black and then transitioned into a blue to give the illusion of depth.

I see you reduced your photoperiod. Did you choose the early on & off times because they coincide with your lifestyle? If the sunlight doesn't hit your tank, it probably won't affect it that much.

So what is your next step? Just waiting for everything to finish cycling? Are you going to be adding a refugium, or reactors?

Any thoughts on what you eventually want to keep for livestock?

[Mik_101]

Yes I am going to add a refugeum but it might be quarantine tank(quarantine tank will be refugeum as well as hospital tank) I wil most likley add a calsium reactor with in the next year and half.

lol for the lighting i chose the shorter light span because of the heat the MH generate and my + my heater is a bit to strong but this morning when i checked the temperatue it was around 73 deggers much beter than befor when it was at 80 degrese. To cool the water i froze a water batle and placed it in the sump and honestly it helps alot.

my livestock plans are as follows
2x true percs
3x blue green reef chromis
fire goby
tiny tiny naso tang
orcird dotty back
yellow wachman goby
lawnmore bleny

Maby list
flame angle (nice fish but it nips corals)


Invert
rocca clam carpet anenmoe blue leg hermits red scarlet hermits
bumble bee snails
nassarius snails
cleaner shrimp red sea star flame scalope

[NateL]

One suggestion that I have heard from a lot of people is that the flame scalops dont live very long.

[Mik_101]

Originally Posted by NateL

One suggestion that I have heard from a lot of people is that the flame scalops dont live very long.

Thanks that one is of my list

[justinl]

I would scratch the orchid dottyback. pretty fish but it can get mean. you know the naso will outgrow that tank... plan to upgrade or have someone who will buy it off you.

I would also skip the flame angel for the same reason you listed. a better dwarf angel is a coral beauty... not quite as prone to coral sampling, but still no guarantees.

Some people complain that their lawnmower blenny spills sand over all their corals which stresses them. just be aware of it.

hermits have come under fire lately... many people dont consider them reefsafe anymore. I dont. only ones that are even close to it though are the scarlets. some agree, some dont.

definitely skip the flame scallop.

as a general rule of thumb, i discourage sea stars in any but the most mature tank in the hands of a conscientious capable disciplined and experienced aquarist. lol unfortunately you dont qualify (and neither do i). maybe one day though.