20g long reef build

[reefrunner69]

As many problems as I've had with this tank, I do believe the end of the 2.5 month cycle is coming to an end, so hopefully I will be adding more things sooner than later.

Equipment
-AllGlass Aquarium 20 long aquarium
-DIY HOB refugium run by a Rio 1100 pump
-Aqua-C Remora skimmer with MaxiJet 1200 pump
-Surgemaster wavemaker
-Custom Sea Life Prism Pendant ( 1 X 250W MH [XM 20k lamp] and 2 X 32W PC CSL "true" actinics)
-DIY open topped canopy to reduce light spillage
-6" clip on fan to cool the water
-100W Visitherm heater
-Red Sea coral pro reef salt

Live Stock
-37lbs of Live Rock
-1.5 - 2" live sand
- 1 skunk cleaner shrimp
- nassarius, cerrith, Astrea snails
-assorted "reef safe" hermit crabs

I think I'll start cycling the quarantine tank this week, hopefully it goes better than this tank!

 

[DWilliams]

Looks like your off to a good start there

 

[Rhino]

Good looking tank. I love my 20 long. So excited to start putting in coral.

 

[reefrunner69]

Thanks, I'm ready to have more to look at than what's there now, lol.

 

[gman42]

I plan on getting a 20g long reef in the future. Im def following!
Great looking tank btw

 

[reefrunner69]

Thanks, I am taking this one very slow and it's killing me, lol.

 

[reefrunner69]

Well, this tank finally cycled, I put a couple of corals in around Labor Day and they died pretty quick, so the notion that is was done and there was something interfering with the testing kits was a wrong one. I thought it was done again a couple of months ago, and bought a damsel and put it in the tank, ammonia immediately spiked and I was sure the poor fish was toast, especially when the cleaner shrimp died, but she has pulled through and the tank finally tests at zero. I am going to do several water changes over the next couple of months (gonna make absolutely certain it's ready) and then add some corals and another fish. This is a first for me, never had a tank that took 8 months to cycle before. It's almost certainly something I did, but I sure cant figure out what it was.

Here are some pics, hope you enjoy them.

Whole tank, the pic is not that great, but I really hadn't planned on doing a whole tank shot.

The damsel that had been given up for dead.

There are bunches of snails in the tank, here is a little nassarius snail. Pic is not that great, but was having to shoot down and the angle to the glass distorted/softened the image.

Some tube worms. These are all over the tank, and have been for several months.

 

[Beengirl]

Wow. That is a really long cycle! Glad your fish made it through! Like the tube worms, look cool with the white/black on them. keep us posted on your progress!