INTRODUCTION
After a long battle with cancer undergoing long chemo sessions and a bone marrow transplant, I was forced to retire, and I needed a hobby to keep me busy and keep me from going nuts. I started with a fresh water tank. Always having loved saltwater I started doing lots of research. I enjoy the challenge and have been keeping fish more than half my life.
SETUP
– 37 gal bow front with an open eggcrate top, 40+lbs live rock, penguin 250 bio filter serving as a hob sump. I have 2 HO Aquatic-life T-5 fixtures: 1 10k white daylight , 1 super blue actinic, 2 blue actinic along with a WavePoint HO led ultra blue fixture (this really brings out the colors in coral)
– Lights stay on about 8 hrs in stages 2/4/2
– Circulation is from 2 500 gph and 1 250 gph powerheads
100 watt heater, sea clone skimmer
MAINTENANCE
10 gallon partial water changes 1x a week. I use Kent Marine reef salt, and dose 1 drop iodine 1x a day.
Parameters
- Temp 81.1*
- Salinity : 1.025
- Nitrite : 0ppm
- Nitrate : 0ppm
- Ammonia: 0ppm
- Ph: 8.2
- Phos: 1.0ppm
- Calcium: 480
- Kh/alk: 12.8
INHABITANTS
Fish
- 2 bangii cardinal
- 1 pj cardinal
- 1 Clarkie clown
- 5 damsel assorted
- 1 mandarin
- 1 lawn mower
- 1 engineer Gobi
- 1 orange fire fish
Invertebrates
- 100+ Assorted snails/hermit crabs
- 2 serpent stars
- Clam
Plants
- Assorted macro algae
Coral
- Zoa/palys
- Hammer
- Candy cane
- Star polyps
- Mushrooms
- Xl Feather dusters
FEEDING
I feed two times a day. Every feeding is different. My fish are so spoiled – sometimes they eat frozen sometimes pellets/flake, other times they get live foods, Brine shrimp, mysiss shrimp, and pods. I raise all my own feeders so I always have fresh plump nutritious feeders.
CONCLUSION
I am honored to be chosen TOTM here at Aquarium Advice. After a long year of hard work this tank has come a long way. Thanks to everyone who helped me through this awesome journey!
