75G Reef Build

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I read somewhere to turn the return off to keep food from getting into the sump, but if I'm trying to feed something in the sump then I guess it makes sense to leave it on. I've been leaving the powerheads on, to move the food around. Guess I've been doing it backwards :rolleyes:. Not the first time, nor the last.

My son's nano should be ready to add LR later this week, so I'll order it in the next few days and get it all done at once. Cool.
 
The bacteria on the live rock down there will also need an ammonia source to consume, hence letting the food run thru it IMO.

My powerheads were always equipped with a feeder button to shut them down while feeding. The return flow kept the food moving around the main enuf.
 
Updated Pics

I haven't posted any pics in a while so I thought I'd put some up :-D. The tank has been up since Oct. I had a cyano or diatom bloom but that is just about gone. Water test last night showed pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate all good. Expanded test kit (phospates, etc) is on order.

Livestock right now is:

2 Clownfish
3 PJ Cardinals (had 5 but lost 2 somehow)
1 Feather Duster
2 Sally Lightfoot Crabs (that are getting pretty big)
3 Porcelain Crabs
1 Serpent Starfish
1 Emerald Crab
3 Red Leg Hermit Crabs
Many Nerite & Nassarius Snails and small Hermit Crabs

I've also got some zoas, a red mushroom and a green mushroom, and a leather toadstool. (At least, that's what I think they are - a friend gave them to me and I forgot what he told me.)

Now for the pics:

Full Tank Shot
Full Tank Shot.jpg

Clown (and snail)
Clown and Snail.jpg

Zoas
Zoas.jpg

Red Mushroom
Mushroom.jpg

Trying to decide what's next. I think a cleaner shrimp of some kind and probably a tang. Thoughts and comments appreciated.
 
Thanks. Any particular kind you recommend? I've seen Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp - they look cool. The LFS sells Peppermint Shrimp. Any recommendations?
 
The skunk (gold, red, and white) cost less than the scarlet (red). Either that strikes your fancy would do. Don't ask me to explain why, but my scarlets always lived longer than the skunks. The peppermints stay hidden an awful lot and only seemed to serve the purpose of aptasia munchers anyway for most. Peps aren't cleaners. Didja know that a cleaner shrimp will actually clean the other fish by either setting up a "cleaning station" that fish would swim to and just lay there as the shrimp picks things from their body? I've actually seen a fish lay motionless while a cleaner shrimp holds them and flips them over and over whilst picking from the body and open mouth.

My cleaner shrimp would clean my arms or hands when they went into the tank.
 
Aggressive Clownfish

When I got my clownfish (three weeks ago or so) I got two, one slightly larger than the other one. Now the larger one is very aggressively chasing the smaller one all over the tank almost constantly. Anything I can do to make it stop? (So far saying "Stop" doesn't appear to work. The fish listens as well as my dog, or my kids.)
 
When I got my clownfish (three weeks ago or so) I got two, one slightly larger than the other one. Now the larger one is very aggressively chasing the smaller one all over the tank almost constantly. Anything I can do to make it stop? (So far saying "Stop" doesn't appear to work. The fish listens as well as my dog, or my kids.)


Normal behaviour, The bigger one is letting the little one know that its going to be the female. My 2 did it for about 3 days, Then after that they didnt spend much time together, Now you cannot separate them. Both hosting a Carpet Anemone and in Love. Haha.

But yeah, If they dont fix it themself, Maybe get rid of the small one and buy a smaller one if possible.
 
Cool - thanks. They're also looking like they're trying to host my feather duster. I know they say to wait a year but I may get an anemone for them.
 
I guess it got to be too much for the little guy: I found him (alive) in the overflow this afternoon.

Nemo in Overflow.jpg

I guess we really do have to call him Nemo now.
 
Sorry no posts for a while. Tank seems to be doing well. Parameters are good but I need to boost the calcium. Current livestock: 2 clowns, 3 PJ cardinals, 1 yellow tang, 2 sharkface gobies (1 living in the overflow) green bubble tip anemone, feather duster, xenia, red mushroom, green mushroom, zoanthids, 2 sally lightfoot crabs, 3 porcelain crabs, 1 emerald crab, and a bunch of nerrite and nassarius snails. The xenia's been around for a month and already split. The red mushroom is sprouting a new head on one side.

Only problem area is the tang. He has some black spots on him and looks like he's rubbing against the rocks. The goby is picking at him but not sure it's helping. Any advice?

Full Tank Shot (not the best pic - it's from my iPhone)
4 Jan Tank Pic.jpg
 
That's what I thought, too, but maybe not. My sharkface goby (aka neon goby, I think) picked at him for a day or so and now the Tang looks good.
 
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