My hex tank adventure into the saltwater.

[hex_reef_guy]

So heres my break down

Tank: $0
Stand: $0
Hood: $0
Sump: $22
Overflow: $50
PVC parts: $17
Surround: $8
Filter sock $5
LED light $106
Return pump $25
Tubing $0
Skimmer $36
Lexan $6
Heater $0
(Rock,
hammer frag,
hammer coral,
some other coral,
turbo snail,
three hermits,
30g stable water,
5 lbs substrate) $120

Total: $395

 

[hex_reef_guy]

I am feeling a little embarrassed to post this but I am going to anyway and just see what happens. yesterday a post on the new to reefing forum stated that "crystal reef sand is not aragonite." I about pooped my breaches when I saw that because I had just added it to my tank two days ago. I hope that this does not effect my tank in anyway. Being a eBay shopper I picked up 30 lbs of it for $35 shipped, love the way it looks, just have to wait and see I guess. My water is still testing fine so far, I think I would know by now if anything would have happened. I cleaned the heck out of it, small amounts at a time, with ro di water and placed it in my tank at about 2 cups at a time. two hours later my tank looked like this.

No joke, I picked up a new micron filter for my Magnum HOT canister ahead of time and ran it for 12 hours over night and found it the next morning looking like this. granted I basted the settlement off the rock and moved the corals into the bottom sand bed but holy moly was I surprised.

I also added some chaeto to the sump main and some small pieces of LR rubble that I bought from the lfs for $15 combined.

Tank: $0
Stand: $0
Hood: $0
Sump: $22
Overflow: $50
PVC parts: $17
Surround: $8
Filter sock $5
LED light $106
Return pump $25
Tubing $0
Skimmer $36
Lexan $6
Heater $0
(Rock,
hammer frag,
hammer coral,
some other coral,
turbo snail,
three hermits,
30g stable water,
5 lbs substrate) $120
Crystal Reef sand $35
Chaeto $10
LR rubble $5
Micron filter $15

Total: $460

 

[Samhain]

Your other coral looks like a duncan.

 

[hex_reef_guy]

Sucks that I buried the bottom 2 inches of my live rock, probably close to 10 lbs worth covered. I was going to build a dry rock base first but i jumped the gun on the sand. IDIOT! I think I will add some more live rock to it in the next couple weeks. I have found a lot of life growing on the rock I have.

Here is some sort of duster

I pulled my chaeto out to look at it and found this little guys in there. Coming from the fish store I assume these arent the bad bristle worms. I really looked it over and only found these four but if they are the bad ones Im gonna be pissed.

Here it is. Should these corals be moved up onto the rock or will they be ok on the bottom?

 

[Smitty]

Looking damn good bro...and +1 on the duncan coral. You can leave the corals on the sand for a few days until they adjust to your lights, then gradually move them up to where you want them. That's a micro brittle star in your rock, and is considered a good hitchhiker, so are the bristleworms. Good job with the set up so far.

 

[hex_reef_guy]

So yeah! total I spent under $500 for everything if i did my math right. Lucky I had some freebies thrown my way with the tank and stand and a full test kit from a buddy who was going to do a salty then wussed out. Wish I had 100 lbs of rock in my tank but thats just not in the budget. Im going to ask for money for xmas and continue to feed my addiction. But hey, its less destructive than meth or cocaine. However my girlfriend is a little concerned about this new obsession and that I come home from work to stare at my tank. She admits she likes the tank.
Side note: the cheap little skimmer is now broke in and skims very well now. Im rather impressed.

Tank: $0
Stand: $0
Hood: $0
Sump: $22
Overflow: $50
PVC parts: $17
Surround: $8
Filter sock $5
LED light $106
Return pump $25
Tubing $0
Skimmer $36
Lexan $6
Heater $0
(Rock,
hammer frag,
hammer coral,
some other coral,
turbo snail,
three hermits,
30g stable water,
5 lbs substrate) $120
Crystal Reef sand $35
Chaeto $10
LR rubble $5
Micron filter $15
Digital Thermo $10
glass thermo $4
Testing kit $0

Total: $474

Any feedback is greatly appreciated because like I said at the beginning, this is completely figure it out as I go but if you notice something that will probably crush me later a friendly heads up is cool. Thank you all for your own tanks and posts because I learned the most from this site alone. Any suggestions on what the next fish should be. I only want to do one or two more.

 

[hex_reef_guy]

shoot, I pulled those bristle worms out last night because I was afraid they were bad and they died. If there are more in the chaeto I didnt see and they make their way into the main tank I should leave them alone and grow?

 

[JustinsReefTank]

Looks Good!

 

[JustinsReefTank]

Yeah Bristle worms are a good part of your CUC. They eat all the leftover food and other crap in your tank!!

 

[little_fish]

Im sure you have more bristle worms in the tank :)

Also you want your total tank volume turned over at least 20 times per hour, I personally prefer around 40. What you have going through the sump is just perfect but you should pick up a few power heads for inside the tank to get up to the higher flow rate.

Also your rocks should be sitting on the glass bottom, your substrate can move around over time, which could lead to a rock slide, which in a glass tank could be disastrous.

But your tank looks great! Your corals look very happy! And for a fish suggestion how about one of these guys:
Saltwater Aquarium Fish for Marine Aquariums: Kaudern's Cardinal - Tank-Bred
Saltwater Aquarium Fish for Marine Aquariums: Tail Spot Blenny
or another tomato clown

You want to wait about 3 weeks between additions, unless you are going to add another clown. In that case, I would add one right away, of the same species, and of a very different size than the one you have. That will minimize fighting between the new additions.

 

[hex_reef_guy]

I have the rocks on the bottom and filled in sand later so they are sitting on the glass howver on glued together. would this be an issue? I am trying to add more rock and build it up and towards the back to create a staircase for coral placement. I have been looking at the koralia powerheads. Any suggestion on flow rate and/or brands?

 

[NanoReefer]

+1 lil, a clown pair is always cool, thats a great looking tank you have btw!

 

[little_fish]

Good!

I would look at the koralia powerheads or the maxi jet powerheads. It also usually better to have a couple of smaller ones than one big one. That will allow you to better distribute the flow, and will help prevent algae problems. Algae prefers to grow in low flow areas where things can settle out, providing fuel for the algae.

 

[NanoReefer]

if you can afford a vortech mp10 i would do it, they run about 200 bucks, but are awesome for simulating real ocean currents

 

[beeguiles]

Your tank looks great! I also have the marineland reef ready leds and have nothing hut success with them. For powerheads I have two koralia 425's. I have a 29 gallon so you may wanna go one size up on those. Your corals look happy! Good job so far and for a good price. I've had my tank set up almost 7 months I think now and I've spent about 2500! And that's not including the tank bc I already had it as a fresh before I started salt.

 

[hex_reef_guy]

I found your thread about a month and a half ago and was pretty much sold on the marineland led reef cap lights after I read your success. Being the beginner in salt I prefer sticking with softies for now and graduating into a larger tank someday. Someday when I own a house that I can run plumbing through the walls into a basement where I have a seperate room for water changes, water mixing, ro di setup, the works. But until I win the lottery I will stick with nano size. I will look in the 425s, aka bargain shop.

 

[hex_reef_guy]

The next step up is the 550s. Would two be two much for my tank. That 1100 gph combined. That 31x my display tank. Maybe I should go with the 425s? I think the koralia brand is my best choice. Im too cheap for that vortech mp10, admittedly its pretty sweet but looking at what I paid for my entire setup so far......

 

[marcah]

I would go with the two 550's wont be to much flow at all and you will be happy you did later..

 

[beeguiles]

You could go with two 550's or three 425's. I have two 425's in my tank but I'm thinking of adding one more. I like to have mutiple powerheads so you can have different directions on flow. I have one for the surface to make it ripple and one for the rest for the tank. It's preference really. But get at least two.

 

[NanoReefer]

i only have one 400 in my 37 but i plan on adding an mp10 when money allows... also thinking about buying that 125 the guy posted on here