Vic's 45gal tank digest "updates"

[vic622]

System Update Feb 8, 2010

Current System:
45gal Display
29gal sump with refugium
Lifereef overflow (600gph)
Mag 9.5 return pump
Koralia 1 on Naturalwave timer
Corallife 2 x 96w CF 3x10,000k & 1xActinic tubes On ~12hrs/day
2x LED Moonlights

Refugium:
12"x12" center section of Sump
1x26w Spiral CF 6700k
Various macro
Chaetomorpha

Treatments:
IO Sea Salt 1.0028
NLS flakes/1mm
Kent Essential Elements ~5ml/week
Kent Zooplex - when I remember

Stock:
Coral Beauty Angel
Royal Gramma
2x PJ Cardinals
6-Line Wrasse
Lawnmower Blennie
Coral/Pixie Hawkfish
Tangaroa Goby/Pistol Shrimp pair
Coral Banded Shrimp
Peppermint Shrimp
Sandsifting Star
Various Little critters
__________________________________________________ __________
Hi all, I'm new to saltwater but not to tanks, been doing fw for a few years including planted tanks with co2.
I have been getting together the tank & equipment since last year and this is what I came up with:
45gal tank, 29gal sump with refugium, LifeReef overflow, Mag7 pump, Coralife 96wx2 lights.
Fast forward to 1 week ago - I rescued 45 lbs of liverock from a friends tank that needed to get taken down.
Now I have a saltwater tank!!!!
Here's the setup and pics from last weekend
Vic
sw-setup00.jpg
waiting for the water
sw-setup01.jpg
Refugium: Mag-7 with headpipe and ball valve & heater
sw-setup02.jpg
Return side of Regfugium
sw-setup03.jpg
LifeReef overflow - this is quieter than my fw tanks!
sw-setup04.jpg
Starting to fill-er up!

[vic622]

sw-setup05.jpg
Ooops! Add a bit of salt & look what happens!
sw-setup06.jpg
Thought it might clear up after I added the substrate ...
sw-setup07.jpg
Much better! About 2-3hrs after adding the liverock - looking clearer.
sw-setup08.jpg
fuge is looking better, too
sw-setup09.jpg
1 week ago with 3x 4-line Damsels & 3x Half Yellows

[vic622]

sw-setup10.jpg
More fish & rock
sw-setup11.jpg
dito
sw-setup12.jpg
Pencil urchin
sw-setup13.jpg
Sand shifting star
fuge00.jpg
Refugium with Caulerpa

I got 5 turbos, 5 Astrea and 10 nassaria snails from JL Friday and added them to the main tank
3 nassaria to the refugium along with a bunch of caulerpa.
This past weekend I added 3 blueleg hermits to the tank and 1 blueleg to the fuge.
At the same time, I picked up a Tangaroa goby (C. tangeroi) and added him to the main tank. Gonna get an Alpheus to keep him company.

I'm going to make up a batch of replacement SW, in case the rock can't handle the load and I need to make a quick, big water change.

So far, everything is looking good. All the critters are active and the rock and it's inhabitants (some sps, tube worms, brittle stars, macro) are starting to color-up and look good.

Vic

[365seasons]

Looking good! Salt water is far too addictive. We find our freshwater getting ignored since we got into salt.
Have fun!!

[Leah]

Hope you mean Fowlr and not Fowl
Looks good by the way

[vic622]

Originally Posted by 365seasons

Looking good! Salt water is far too addictive. We find our freshwater getting ignored since we got into salt.
Have fun!!

Luckily my fw tanks are pretty stable and don't need a lot of attention ... they have strong biological filtration - or is that algae?!?

[vic622]

Originally Posted by Leah

Hope you mean Fowlr and not Fowl
Looks good by the way

Ooops
I hope that's not a sign - I think I'll go and change that right now...

[Leah]

What other fish are you thinking of? It was pretty funny though.

[vic622]

Originally Posted by Leah

What other fish are you thinking of? It was pretty funny though.

I would really like a pair of Bengai Cardinals, but after reading in TFH about the trashing of their habitat, I'm not so sure anymore.
I'd also like to get either a Flame Angel, Coral Angel (C. bispinosis), or an African Pygmy Angel (C. acanthops).
Instead of the Bengai's, I might go for Pajama or Polka Dot Cardinals, instead.
The only other fish I've got in mind is a Royal Gramma.
So, I guess that's a pair of Cardinals, one Angel and the Royal Gramma.
I'll decide later whether to keep the some/all of the Damsels, later, but I'll definately keep the Goby and get it an Alpheus sp. at some point.
Not sure what all to put in the refugium at this point. Was thinking of Mangrove, but I woke up and decided that wasn't such a good idea.
P.S. Glad to be of service with the typo

[BlueAbyss]

Hmm, the Bangai cardinals are threatened in the wild but easily bred in captivity, tank bred specimens are common.

So, you are going for a FOWLR? Almost looks like it's on the verge of reefism Looks good!