Hey all, I've been lurking around MASA and desiring a marine fish tank for about 5 years now. I always thought I was too busy and bills were too tight to afford such a luxury and had resigned myself to live vicariously through other peoples' TJs. Then I got pretty crook. Next thing I knew, I had ample time... Bills were still tight, but priorities had shifted... So, finally, in February I bit the bullet and decided to invest in a tank of my own (tangible and everything!).
Despite lurking around the forums for so long my knowledge is very novice. I was more enjoying the aesthetics of everyone else's tanks as opposed to thinking of the pragmatics of keeping them running. So if I make any noob mistakes, or if you have any advice, then I am all ears.
Full Tank Shot
System Objectives: To take things slowly and learn as I go. I aim for this tank to be FOWLR initially until I gain confidence in my ability to maintain water parameters and keep stability as a priority. Once I am confident that I'm not the butcher of all things marine then I'll start to transition the tank to a full reef system.
System Type: FOWLR before evolving into a Reef system
Display System:
Strike up Date: February 2013
Display Tank: RSM 130D
Display Lighting: Stock RSM T5 Lighting
Stand: Stock RSM Stand
Hood: Stock RSM Heat Trap
Sump: No sump for the time being. I may, later down the line, consider running a HOB overflow box in the future.
Support systems:
System Water: NSW and RO top up
Display Water circulation: None as yet. I don't believe I need too much additional circulation whilst I'm FOWLR but will upgrade either with a MP10 or Tunze Turbelle once I begin to seriously consider corals.
Return Pump: 2*Stock RSM return pumps
Skimmer: I upgraded to the Tunze 9002 and Steve T media rack about 5 weeks after strike-up. Much happier.
Evaporation Top Up: Tunze Osmolator upgrade after 10 weeks.
Chemical Support: Activated Carbon for first three weeks. Removed after I noticed how much detritus it was trapping. Purigen and Chemipure Elite used from Week 6.
Current Water Chemistry:
14 April
Temp: 26
Salinity: 1.026 (Refractometer)
PH: 8.0 (RS)
KH: 7dkH (RS)
Ammonia: 0 (RS)
Nitrite: 0.05 (RS)
Nitrate: 0 (RS)
Calcium: 400 (Dupla)
Magnesium: 1495 (Dupla)
Phosphate: 0.02 (Hanna)
Biological Filtration:
15kg LR I also have about 3 inches of 1-2mm aragonite forming the tank's substrate
Current Inhabitants:
Fish
Bicolor Blenny (Pop) Purchased 14/4/13
Inverts:
2 * Nassarius Snails (Hide & Seek) Purchased 28/3/13
Strombus Snail (Elly) Purchased 12/4/13
3 * Turbo Snails Purchased 28/4/13
HitchHiker Red Cerith Snail (Red Snail)
HitchHiker Turbo Snail
HitchHiker Purple Sea Cucumber
4 * HitchHikerBrittle Star Fish
Coral:
Eagle Eye Zoos Purchased 12/4/13
Common Brown Zoos Purchased 12/4/13
Green Polyp Toadstool Leather Purchased 30/4/13
Gold Tip Torch Coral 2* Zoo frags Purchased 7/5/13
Candy Cane Orange and Blue Acan Purchased 7/5/13
Bright Red Morph Purchased 7/5/13
Purple with Orange Spots Morph Purchased 7/5/13
HitchHiker Favia
HitchHiker Green BTA
5 * HitchHiker Fungia Factories
2 * HitchHiker Different Leather Coral Clusters