Just added rock sand and water

[Easyflip]

Vazter, I'll totally check out your tank! Mines 30 gal, just getting started : )

 

[Pisces3473]

Pisces, what's your next coral? Addicting isn't it? What are you feeding them? I put in some kent microvert and they totally blossomed and all sorts of sweeper tentacles came out of the rocks! I'm gonna stick with beginner but I want sway in the current and super pop color, green star polyp is easy but they say it grows like crazy, I don't care, I think a big mass of it would b cool, maybe covering the back wall, eventually I want the rock completely covered with color, the more fluorescent the better!
How's your 40 coming? Ready to set it up?

I'm not sure about my next addition, I really like the GBTA, and I actually thought 'Hammer' was GBTA. So, I think Hammer will be my next addition, plus I dig the way the clown looks if they start hosting. Interesting you mention my 40 as I've found a replacement trim for my 55. It was missing the cross brace. My 3.5 foot corn snake is going to get a new home in the 40 gallon and the 55 will be my next reef. Now, that'll be a proper size reef as the addiction grows... As for the set-up... the wife has made it clear I must prove myself with the 10g before I step-up. I figure it this way. I'm out in the Palm Springs, CA area and the summers are brutal! I'll need a larger indoor hobby!

 

[Easyflip]

They say no anemone til 6 months. Hammers are cool! 55 gal is a good size, you can trick it out with all the latest gadgets, maybe even turn the 10 into a sump or refugium. Can't wait to see pics!

 

[Pisces3473]

They say no anemone til 6 months. Hammers are cool! 55 gal is a good size, you can trick it out with all the latest gadgets, maybe even turn the 10 into a sump or refugium. Can't wait to see pics!

Believe me I know about the 6 months... I don't know about turning the 10 into a sump, I've looked at doing that and it doesn't seem to difficult, but that's the next level of reefing in my opinion and I'm just not ready. Today, I'm not ready today. I've just automated the lights and feeding on my 10g so that's pretty nice. The biggest issue with doing the sump and the recommended drilling of and plumbing of the tank. Granted I've had my 55 for so long it doesn't matter, but drilling glass make me nervous. Besides would I need a sump for a 55?

 

[Easyflip]

Sump adds water volume and a place to put skimmer, ato, heater and other stuff. Don't really need it but it gets equipment out of the dt. I agree about drilling glass, I'd be nervous too! There are hob overflow boxes, be careful with plumbing, I'm sure the wife would love it if you flooded the house!

 

[Pisces3473]

Well the great thing would be that the 55 would likely be in my garage cause we've already got a 55 Fresh in the house. I've got two 55 gallon tanks, my garage is my man cave and it's climate controlled. I just may do that and of course there'd be pics, I'm a photographer. Now you've got me thinkin like a 5 year old again!!!!!

 

[Easyflip]

Lol, I know the toys in this hobby are fun. I'm going to try to squeeze a uv sterilizer and a media reactor into the back of my nano!

 

[Pisces3473]

I've heard the UV Sterilizer is optional and that it's good to have as a back up plan. I found a thread about them and some mixed reviews on them. Do some homework before you get that, maybe ask Convict2161 or Mr.X for their input, both are very knowledgeable. What's the media reactor for?

What corals are you going to add? That pillar will look dope covered with colored corals!

 

[Easyflip]

Sorry, work. Just toying with the idea of UV, if I get seahorses they are prone to infection. Some of my rock came with some hair algae so I want to keep it in check by stripping out phosphate, I read a reactor is a good way to do that. And wouldn't you know it innovative marine came out with a nano reactor that fits my tank perfectly! More $$ of course lol

I want green star polyps low, looking kinda like grass and more colorful going up the spire, maybe super colorful mushrooms. I like candy cane and brain just sitting on the sand looking alien. I want stuff that grows like crazy, how about you?

 

[Pisces3473]

Sorry, work. Just toying with the idea of UV, if I get seahorses they are prone to infection. Some of my rock came with some hair algae so I want to keep it in check by stripping out phosphate, I read a reactor is a good way to do that. And wouldn't you know it innovative marine came out with a nano reactor that fits my tank perfectly! More $$ of course lol

I want green star polyps low, looking kinda like grass and more colorful going up the spire, maybe super colorful mushrooms. I like candy cane and brain just sitting on the sand looking alien. I want stuff that grows like crazy, how about you?

I love the way the brain looks and the candy cane too. Sounds like you've got lots of cool ideas. I scuba dive and I've rarely seen it the way you're describing but that doesn't mean it doesn't exist. I like keeping the corals off the sand, I'm accustomed to seeing things attached to rock and such. I've moved the Blue Mushroom up off the sand bed and onto the side of a rock, I think it's sprouting a couple of new pieces as are the Zoa's, but I don't know for certain. I keep finding starfish (teeny tiny). It's amazing to me. It's like scuba diving with a magnifying glass, just amazing...!

 

[Easyflip]

I was wondering what you were going to do about topping off with fresh while on vacation. I saw on you tube some DIY top offs using no moving parts, just the same principle as a water cooler. Or you could make it less salty when you leave and let evap take towards normal

 

[Pisces3473]

that is the one thing I will allow the receptionist to handle for me. I've picked up a container of distilled water and she should only need to top off once while I'm gone. I'll fill it to the tips and then just have her check it once a day to make sure the water doesn't drop below the black trim. Should be pretty easy for her.

 

[Pisces3473]

How's it goin? Any changes?

 

[Easyflip]

I don't know if I'm cycling, .25 ammonia spike then 0 then 2.5 nitrates today which is day 6. Mini spike? Never any nitrites. Added 250 pods to seed the rocks in preparation for fish. I'm leaving the lights on but a shorter time cause I have the corals, the 6 palys are now 9 which is cool so they're not acting like the tank is cycling either. Cuc in 2 weeks so well see what happens to parameters. Can't see the hunks of shrimp (about 2 cc) that I started the cycle with anymore. Tank looks clean (the pods?)

 

[Jmkb02]

I have a little trick about cycling a tank... I dose ammonia, to make the tank test 3 ppm, then I watch... It should go through all three cycles completely. If it stops or slows, well it's not done yet... The polys you have should be alright with this method, I personally have only done it with a single green blue mushroom which survived. Hope this method helps and your tank does what it should do.