Nicole's 72g Reef Tank

[Aneata]

Tank has been up and running for a year and a half now doing pretty well I think. Been reading a lot of posts here and I think I broke a couple rules but so far it has worked for me. I'm always looking for advice though so please let me know any suggestions.

First of all tang police please don't yell at me. The tangs are only temporary while my friend's aquarium cycles and gets started. Yes I know 72 is too small for one let alone 2 but the LFS sold them to my friend who only had a 30 gallon so I feel like I'm helping at least. They are going to a 200ish tank in the next few months and if it hasn't happened by September I'll take them to the store or get rid of them. So far they have been very healthy and I upped my water changes because they are messy. I can't help but enjoy them even if it is briefly.

Secondly.. Now after reading some posts on here I know this might upset some people but I do not have a sump I have a canister filter *gasp* I know. Crazy right? Yes it requires maintenance but I am good at keeping up with it. I would eventually like to switch over but for now it is staying. Also have a HOB protein skimmer.

I have LED lights and I'm gonna find out exactly what they are. One 48" strip white and blue ones and one 24"strip that is super cool and does the whole sunrise and sunset thing that I love.

Current stock

2 yellow tang
2 snowflake clowns
1 royal gramma
2 azure damsels
2 engineer gobies
Cleanup crew

Torch coral
Neon green candy cane coral (I think)
Bubble coral
Elegance coral
Open brain coral
Waving hand Xenia
Kenya tree
Long tentacle plate coral
Couple zoa frags
Rock flower anemone (came as a hitch hiker been with me since the beginning)
Long tentacle anemone

Tank today


Anemone went for a stroll. Wasn't too happy with the gobies. If it detaches again I'll return it


Brain


New zoa's can anyone ID?



And I guess I just reached my upload limit for pics.. What do I do?

Testing water now because I'm sure I will be asked. Thanks for reading

 

[carey]

Looks great.

I am, I think I am anyways, considered the "tang" police. i am glad you have a plan for them, all anyone wants is whats best for the fish.

looks like you have done a good job with the canister filter, i ran one on my 55g forever and never had nitrates or anything else problematic. I;d be curious to see what your water tests at, you do have a kit for at home use I am assuming? API is a great test for the basics like ph, nitrites, ammonia and nitrates. When you wanna start testing for other things like calicum, magnesium, phosphates and alkalinity i would strongly suggest you go up a step as far as test kit quality. I use salifert for mag and calcium. I use the electronic hanna testers for phoshpates and alkalinity.

Good luck and let us know how those tests come out.

 

[bribo12]

Nice tank, that bubble coral is amazing!

 

[TheTodd]

For the Zoas (I'm no expert, but learning names)...I think the red/blue to the left are Blue Polar Ice. The four to the right of those...first ones...not sure, second Radioactive Dragon Eyes, third Eagle Eyes, far right...not sure. I've seen them all before, just can't recall the names.

BTW...nice tank!

 

[Ravden]

Nice tank, as far as tang you have planned for growth so enjoy them now, lol

Sent from my HTC One using Aquarium Advice mobile app

 

[Aneata]

Right now I only have API test kits. I didn't know they weren't great. I found the salifert tests you mentioned. I will order them in the next couple days. Do you need electric testers for phosphates and alkalinity? Or would the salifert ones work for that too?

Currently with my API test kits my parameters are:

Salinity 1.025
Calcium 420
Alkalinity 8
Mag 1340
Nitrate/nitrite/ammonia all zero

Thanks for the ID on the zoas. I've never had them before I want them to spread they are so tiny in my tank.

Also I took the long tentacle anemone back. It obviously hated the gobies cuz it went for another stroll. I think it had some damage too cuz part of it almost seemed to be falling apart. Sure annoyed my corals when I took it out. Did a 50% w/c just in case.

Elegance coral has gotten so big since I bought it. Almost a foot long.


Bubble coral eating


Torch coral. Started as the tiniest frag and has almost tripled in size since January. I think it's trying to grow a new head but of course it's growing towards the back of the tank. Anyone know what that long tentacle is? Good bad? It makes me nervous.


Long tentacle plate coral. Took a while to figure out how to keep it happy. It loves shrimp. Eats almost as much as the anemone did. I think it's happy now but definitely finicky. First one to get upset if the water needs to be changed. Pic doesn't do it justice. Glows blue and orange at night


Night time

 

[bribo12]

It's a frogspawn, not a torch . The long tentacle is a sweeper tentacle to Sting others. Salifert is fine for alkalinity but to get a good idea of phosphates I'd use a digital tester like Hanna. However, if you don't have much algae or poor coral growth I wouldn't even test it.

 

[Kimlafeiet]

Agree with Bribo, that looks like a frogspawn.
I love your brain coral, very pretty. Nice tank

 

[Aneata]

Been a while since I updated. Moved my tank twice this summer which was quite unfortunate but unavoidable. Had to keep it at a friend's for a couple months while my new place was getting renovated. Tank has been up and running at my new place for about two weeks now and seems to be pretty well settled.

Have all the same fish except for getting rid of one tang. I just have the one now and he seems much happier.

Lost a bunch of corals during the moves which was awful to watch but not nearly as hard as not buying anything new for the tank for the whole summer. So happy to have my little reef back in my life.

Added a couple things but the tank still looks pretty naked. Definitely needs some work.

New bubble.. Finally got it in a spot it likes.. Finicky little guy



New brain



New elegance










Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[Mattyfelts]

lookin good!

 

[Sk3lly]

Gorgeous fish! Beautiful tank! I'm so jealous that I havnt got a salty tank in my life


Sent from my iPad using Aquarium Advice

 

[Aneata]

Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[Cichlid-dude]

Your tank is looking beautiful! Keep up the good work.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[khanhbnp]

Beautiful

 

[Aneata]

New potters angel ?



New doughnut coral that I'm trying to save. Some of it's skeleton was showing at the LFS but I think I can get it back on track.





Tank currently




Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[TheTodd]

Love the Potters Angel. I want one for my tank. Hopefully the "reef safe" question plays in your favor as well as the "difficult/ expert only" care. That is what has prevented me from pulling the trigger on buying one.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[Rockster2]

Beautiful tank. Everything looks very healthy. Great diversity and aquascaping. Well done ?


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[Animal-Chin]

Really nice looking tank! I love seeing clean tanks like this, you can see the care for it in the pictures. Great coral choices and placement!!!

One peice of advice if I could, that patch of Green Star Polyps up top can take off one day and start covering everything up there. I had some up on my rockwork and all of a suddend it really took hold and became a real pain to deal with. I moved mine to the sand where it isn't touching any rockwork to stop the weedlike spreading.

 

[Rockster2]

Funny, I wholeheartedly agree on the Green Star polyps. I have three different variations in my tank and I'm constantly having to prune them back from overrunning other Corals. They grow and spread like weeds.


Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice

 

[Aneata]

I've heard that before but it was the first coral I put in my tank a year and a half ago and it's barely grown to cover the rock it came on. It's the slowest growing coral I have. Maybe I got a dud.




Sent from my iPhone using Aquarium Advice