Start of another reef tank - 55g

[Duddits]

Well I landed a great deal on a reef ready 55g tank. Here is the equipment being used:

Custom stand (tank w/lights sits 70" tall)
55g drilled tank
Coralife in sump super skimmer
Rio 2500 return pump
In-line Coralife UV Sterilizer
Sump suitable for a 100+ gallons
4 bulb t-5 ho lights with moonlight led
- 2 white 54w 10K and 2 54w actinic
Zoomed power sweep ph
Koralina 750 goh ph

Roughly 70lbs live sand
Roughly 50-60 lbs live Rick

All this except for 1/2 the rock I pad $150 for

Plans are soft corals, clean up crew and maybe 5-6 fish. Any recommendations on coral with this set up would be greatly appreciated. As of now I figured pulsing Xenia, mushrooms, leather, frogspawn, various polyps and zoas and possibly a flowerpot or hammer coral.

Fish would be six line wrasse, yellow head goby, green chromis, a pair of cardinals and maybe a flame angel.

 

[Duddits]

Cloudy from the salt mix. Just set up a few hours ago

 

[Sniperhank]

I'd skip the flowerpot. They are just too hard to keep alive. I'd skip the UV too. It seemed to actually slow my coraline growth. I was displeased.

Other than that, it looks good man. I like the aquascape.

 

[Duddits]

Well that just sucks lol, I love the flowerpot. I thought the UV was preferred by reef keepers too. But I'm always open for advice and opinions specially those with personal experiences.

Thanks

 

[Duddits]

This is a Xenia correct? I saw it in another members video

 

[tsharkey]

This is a Xenia correct? I saw it in another members video

It appears to be Xenia yes. If you want Xenia take precaution not to put it within the flow of your power head or it will spread all over the tank just like colt coral does. Even out of the flow it grows quickly and must be maintained or it will take over. It still should have flow but not direct.

 

[Duddits]

Ok thank you. I will buy and place it with caution.

 

[Duddits]

Tank is all clear

 

[Bearchumjs]

That looks beautiful!

 

[Beengirl]

That is so nice!!! Great job!!

 

[Sniperhank]

My current train of thought on xenia is that it is a nice coral, especially the pulsing varieties. I have not tested this, but putting some sand and rock in Tupperware in the tank might be able to stop the spread from going all over the tank.

 

[Duddits]

Thank you. Any other suggestions on corals?

 

[Bearchumjs]

I don't know if your light is high enough, but worm brains are really cool. Duncan's too.

 

[Duddits]

I don't know if your light is high enough, but worm brains are really cool. Duncan's too.

Very cool looking coral

 

[Duddits]

Lol sitting here starring at my tank and the new live rock, what do I find? A blue leg hermit crab crawling on my sand bed. I know he probably won't make it through the cycle. Just shocked me to see him crawling around when I thought it was nothing but water, rocks and sand. Now I've heard of people adding a handful of crabs to help with cycle. Can I?

 

[Duddits]

Ok so just for giggles I tested my water

Calcium - 440
kh - 286.4
Phosphate - .25
ph - 8.0
Ammonia - 0 - .25
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 0-5.0

Are these perimeters right?

 

[Duddits]

Salinity is @ 1.027

 

[Bearchumjs]

Salinity is @ 1.027

I'd try get got the salinity to 1.024 or 1.025.

 

[Duddits]

I'd try get got the salinity to 1.024 or 1.025.

I'm gonna do a partial water change with RO water in the next few days. But why the high calcium and kh reading?

 

[Bearchumjs]

I'm gonna do a partial water change with RO water in the next few days. But why the high calcium and kh reading?

I think it comes from the salt mix.