35g reef noob

[Photoevangelist]

I know I'm going to get some beef about my tank. But here it is...

Tank is 65cm x 45cm x 45cm around 35g in display + around 10~15g sump.

Started tank with tap water (no way to do RO water at work).

Eheim 2000 return
Sump Korea skimmer (it's nice I'll attach a photo later)
Currently cheap Chinese lights x2 (each has 3 bulbs, 2 white & 1 blue) totaling 4 white and two blue fluorescents. However LED upgrades are in the mail. Korean brand with a good reputation.

Fish and inverts
Two spot bristle tooth tang small (can trade when he's too large got him for CUC since options are small for me)
2 yellow clown gobies (one likes my dark sump better for some reason)
2 blue green chromis
1 small lawnmower blenny
1 Yasha goby and pistol shrimp
2 sexy shrimp
Added today 2 true perculas
Sand shifter star
2 turbo snails
1 electric blue hermit (always hidden)

Coral
Button polyp
Yellow polyp
Starburst polyp
White pulsing Xenia
Yellow leather
(can't recall the type) leather
Mushroom
Blueberry sea fan (discovered might have been premature purchase but it's doing fine in my tank so far)
Added today more live rock and two touch corals - not pictured

Am using filtered water from drinking water machine at work for top off and water changes. Except for a delay in my tank cycle and extended high phosphate phase water conditions are fine. Not dosing anything yet except for Brightwells (did I get the name right-I did mention I'm a noob) Bacteria and carbon solutions recommended by my LFS for new tanks.

Water filter may or may not be RO it's all in Korean. Gives me a headache trying to read it. I can read the fish and corals expressions and they are all happy so far. I even have some of the alien looking green algae (neo-something) that is difficult to maintain. Using instant ocean but ordered ocean crystals for the added trace elements and calcium since I'm not dosing.... Yet. Any comments and criticism are welcome. But no matter how beneficial it is to my aquarium I can't get RO water. I can't install a filter in the work bathroom and RO water can't be purchased at the store. So far things are going okay. My wife won't let me do a tank at home so this is my fix. Yes, tang is going when he looks frustrated. LFS actually suggested a hippo tang-at least the bristletooths are smaller and arent as big of swimmers. For now he enjoys chasing my blenny and doesnt show any signs of stress. I worry more about one of my chromises that chases the other one around. Same with the yellow clown goby that spends his days in the sump next to the Ehiem 2000 return pump. LOL

 

[Photoevangelist]

Photo before new live rock and torch corals added

 

[Photoevangelist]

My LED lights came today! Much better. More blue and some red lights as well to make the tank a subtle violet tone. In this pic are the perculas and touch corals I acquired yesterday. Tank is looking spiffy. I tried placing the green leather (dead center) of the rock, don't like it. Will try another location on Monday when I go back to work.

 

[joy13]

Very nice tank.

FWIW chasing can be a sign of stress. This tank isn't big enough for all of us and you are the first on my hit list. I have noticed when I do something in my 45 and up set the lemon peel he will go after my blue devil. In my 55 when I upset my lawnmower he takes it out on my clown fish. My tanks aren't overstocked in the 45 that is the only 2 fish and in my 55 I have a yellow coris, royal gramma, lawnmower blenny and the clown. They only get stressed out when I am digging around in the tanks or when the clown hosts a coral.

 

[Photoevangelist]

Ok thanks for the info. All my fish are small so I don't guess over stocking is the problem. I've read the kole tang and lawnmower blenny don't get along. This was a customers comment on live-aquaria. Mines a bristletooth which I believe is a similar type of tang - the ones that don't get massive. He is gonna have to go, just hope its later than sooner. Probably shouldn't have added him but I needed a better CUC. Hermit crabs are rare imports (got two but I had to remove one because I found out it was a yellow spot hermit which isn't reef safe and grows to 8inches+!). Only snails are turbos. Only stars are choco or sand sifters. Really pitiful. Mr. Tang helped me clear 4 inch long hair algae. Now that phosphates are down I guess I could part with it. Would a tang kill cardinals? Two of my first fish were Bengal cardinals. One went MIA the other died shortly after. Such a shame I know they are endangered. I'm going to stay away from them. They were so beautiful.