Our first Saltwater tank!

lauremf2002

lauremf2002

Member
New Years eve a couple of friends of ours sold us this 58 gallon set up for a good price. We have always dreamed of having a saltwater tank so here it is!
This a pic from 5 weeks ago

first diatom bloom

with 38 lbs of liverock

Present day set up with 59 lbs of lr

and our new 10 gallon QT

Will post more! let me know if you have any suggestions or questions!
 
lauremf2002

lauremf2002

Member
We have 20 margarita snails, 10 astrias (actually like 8 I think 2 died
), 5 nassarius snails, 10 blue leg hermits, and 3 scarlet hermits

Dont know if you can see them but there are some tiny feather dusters that hitchhiked in

One of the MANY Cladonema jellyfish that just appeared on our glass one day
 
lauremf2002

lauremf2002

Member
Thanks, we want a reef tank, but at present we have 50/50 compact flourescents so Im not sure how that will work. Soft corals and mushrooms at first maybe, and lots of neat inverts. I would like to have a clown and anemone but Im not sure how it would do with those lights. May have to wait on that. As my name indicates I would love to have a mandarin and our tank has been teaming with copepods for weeks, but it may be because the tank is so new and nutrient rich. Well see! I need all the help I can get so if you have suggestions about anything, let me know!
 
scottallert

scottallert

Active Member
well, for the anemone youll need much stronger lights and a mature tank so you will need to hold off on that, and if you are able to buy live copepods at your lfs then you are able to get a mandarin
 
lauremf2002

lauremf2002

Member
O definately agree about the waiting thing, I dont have any money right now anyway (it cost me a fortune to get this thing going!) so it will be along time before I start adding anything beyond the 3 green chromis I plan to add when my nitrites finally go down to zero. They are currently at .3 so cross your fingers for another week or two. Any longer and I may cry.
 
lauremf2002

lauremf2002

Member
Heres an update:
My new clown fish!

Turning outside panels into doors and building a sump/refugium out of a 20 gallon tall

Three door now! A new hood and halfway done with the new stain...

new cabinet for fish supplies since there wont be room underneath any more

I will post more pics of the refugium and stand when they are done and some pics of our new coral frags
 
lauremf2002

lauremf2002

Member
heres an update:
Our new Clowns

turning outside panels into doors and building a hood and 20 gallon tall sump/refugium

Tank with 3 doors now and new hood and panel, halfway stained

new cabinet to hold fish supplies since they will no longer fit below tank

I will post pics of our new coral frags later, and pics of the refugium and stand when they are done!
 
flpriest

flpriest

Member
Great start! I like the rock formation you have set up! That BTW is a nice cabinet and hood you's are buiding for it!
 
lauremf2002

lauremf2002

Member
Ya I would have the fuge all set up by now but my order for the pump has been processing for 2 weeks. grrr. Im so impatient!
 
fish freak2012

fish freak2012

Member
Originally Posted by scottallert
http:///forum/post/2947877
well, for the anemone youll need much stronger lights and a mature tank so you will need to hold off on that, and if you are able to buy live copepods at your lfs then you are able to get a mandarin
I dont want to contradict you but,i had a condilactus anemone,and he did great under a standard flouresent light that came with my old ten gallon tank. I know it may not be what you are looking for,and they dont host,but they are easy to keep. and look very pretty.
 
lauremf2002

lauremf2002

Member
Well next week when I get some new bulbs I will have 168 watts of 50/50 compact fluorescent light. Thats only 6 watts shy of the 3 watt per gallon rule. Do you think I could keep an anemone with that? Its only a 58 gallon...
 
lauremf2002

lauremf2002

Member

Here is the tank hood and stand all done:

Heres another, please ignore the mess! and you can see the beginnings of the fuge:
 
fishkid13

fishkid13

Active Member
Great job on the hood and stand!

It is ok, I think every marine keep has a mess by their fish tanks.
 
lauremf2002

lauremf2002

Member
The refugium/sump

Another view

Woot woot im done!
PS i know i have a craptastic skimmer and I hate my overflow. Any time i stick my hand in the tank or pour even a cup of water in the dt it fills with air bubbles and eventually loses its siphon. Very scary thing my friends....
 
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