Hi everyone. This is my work in progress of 3 years. This is my first reef tank; my first fish tank for that for that matter. Hope you all enjoy!
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Earl's 55g mixed reef
- Thread starter dirtycontour
- Start date
Very nice earl. Welcome aboard. Corals look great!
Sent from my SGH-T769 using Tapatalk 2
Sent from my SGH-T769 using Tapatalk 2
Great looking tank you have there!! 
Thanks all! As for a stock list:
Softies-assortment of zoas, ricordea mushrooms, some red and green mushrooms and a toadstool
LPS-Frogspawn,candy canes, pagoda cup, Duncans, bubble coral and a couple of heads on a new acan frag
SPS-three random acros, Pocillepora, green monti and a new birdsnest frag
Fish-black and white Ocellaris, bi-color blenny, yellow watchman goby, royal gramma, bengaii cardinal and a yellow tang(I know, my wife won't let me get rid of her yet...)
CUC-1 beast of an emerald crab and 1 hermit...Oh and of course the best clean up crew ever, me and my siphon!
Softies-assortment of zoas, ricordea mushrooms, some red and green mushrooms and a toadstool
LPS-Frogspawn,candy canes, pagoda cup, Duncans, bubble coral and a couple of heads on a new acan frag
SPS-three random acros, Pocillepora, green monti and a new birdsnest frag
Fish-black and white Ocellaris, bi-color blenny, yellow watchman goby, royal gramma, bengaii cardinal and a yellow tang(I know, my wife won't let me get rid of her yet...)
CUC-1 beast of an emerald crab and 1 hermit...Oh and of course the best clean up crew ever, me and my siphon!
Tank looks great Earl. Glad you found us and made it through the troubles signing up.
Thanks guys/girls! Here is a couple pics of my set-up. I built the stand, canopy and sump box(I'm a little proud of it). I was working on a budget when I built the sump so I used my HOB skimmer. It's a Reef Octopus BH 2000. I'd much rather have an in-sump skimmer but this little guy does kick some butt. Tunze ATO, BRS GFO/carbon reactors ran off of one MJ1200, Mag 5 return pump and home-made filter sock on skimmer output. The light hanging in the middle is a 5100k reflective CFL to be used for growing Macro algae(nitrates tested at 25 ppm). I have about 100watts of Cree LEDs over display, eshoppes HOB overflow and about 88x turnover in DT due to 300gph return and 4 Koralias. Questions and critiques are always welcome.
Well, I bought a ball of chaeto today to try and help with this brown film algae that is growing on my overflow box and glass. I have no experience with macro algae but I've done a little reading. Here goes nothing..
I didn't want to post asking for anything since I'm new here but thank you. What is your lighting schedule like for the chaeto?
Truthfully we all started sometime with the club and the cheato I have came from another member helping me out when I was starting out too
I have a few leds on mine so i just run it 24/7 since it's not much power. I trim mine almost weekly, but I have a nano tank at the moment while I piece together the plumbing for the bigger tank. I'll probably keep the same schedule on the 90 too when it's ready.
I have a few leds on mine so i just run it 24/7 since it's not much power. I trim mine almost weekly, but I have a nano tank at the moment while I piece together the plumbing for the bigger tank. I'll probably keep the same schedule on the 90 too when it's ready.
I have a 5100k CF bulb over the sump. I've heard people say run the light 24/7 and some say opposite of DT. I'm actually contemplating getting some grape caulerpa as well. Just to see which macro will fit my needs best.
the reason i stick with cheato is the very small risk of it going sexual. you can run either 24/7 or opposite of DT. they say to do it opposite of the DT to try to keep PH even between lights out & lights on, but i don't see it yet. I'm still new to this(tank is just turning 1 yr old in Jan.) but I've had cheato in it from the day it was cycled & I ran the light opposite of the DT originally & then I got the LEDs & haven't seen much of a change other than nitrates dropped to pretty much zero when I run 24/7 because it's always absorbing. but i don't keep SPS other than monti caps so I'm definitely not the best source for lighting schedules.
I'm leaning towards running the light 24/7. I'm not really interested in keeping the pH stable, as my swings are pretty minimal as it is. I am a bit worried about the macro going sexual but I check up on my tank often enough to hopefully catch it before it becomes a problem.
You have a year's more experience than me keeping chaeto, thanks for the help. Zero nitrates sounds excellent. I tested mine at 20ppm with a Salifert test and was unpleasantly surprised...
You have a year's more experience than me keeping chaeto, thanks for the help. Zero nitrates sounds excellent. I tested mine at 20ppm with a Salifert test and was unpleasantly surprised...
Running the macro light opposite of the tank lights is merely a way to help keep the pH stable. If you find that your pH doesn't swing much with it on 24/7 (and you don't mind the additional electric usage) then by all means run it 24/7.
If you only want to run it half a day, then I'd recommend running it at night for the pH balance help.
Yes, the biggest key to macro algae working is to trim it often to physically remove the phosphates it absorbs.
If you ever need more chaeto, please ask for it. I'd much rather give my trimmings to someone than throw it in the garbage... and I'm sure many others feel the same way.
If you only want to run it half a day, then I'd recommend running it at night for the pH balance help.
Yes, the biggest key to macro algae working is to trim it often to physically remove the phosphates it absorbs.
If you ever need more chaeto, please ask for it. I'd much rather give my trimmings to someone than throw it in the garbage... and I'm sure many others feel the same way.
Thanks fellas! I recently put the CF light on a timer opposite the DT. My wife was complaining about energy usage. I'm going to test for NO3 tomorrow. The chaeto has only been in there a few days but I'm anxious.
Well, my Bengaii Cardinal decided he didn't want to be in the tank any longer and jumped out...
I going to build a mesh cover. I picked up my supplies today and it will be up tomorrow hopefully.
I going to build a mesh cover. I picked up my supplies today and it will be up tomorrow hopefully.
What kind of screen is that? I saw your WTB post, I have some extra 1/4" clear screen if the screen you have does not work out.