My 52 Gallon Reef Journal

[N1z]

Well i went to my LFS today after earning some money and took back my camel shrimp after finding out it can get the munchies for my corals . So i went and bought 5 green chromsis, and will be puttin about 3 more in so its a bigger school as they look sick i didnt realise in my last tank as i only had 2 lol.

Here is a Video for all you peeps.
http/www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnpbUDUeEEc
Im gunna be fraggin my colt coral btw (cacking it, so i need help plz), so if you interested give me a PM or summit otherwise they will be going as credit.


Also For long time ive had hairy rock, not like algea but like life on the rock... here is a pic they basically look like roots.....

And try and guess what my coral spawns are, they look like star polyps but wrong colour for a base and they have long necks...

Also just got a better pic of my bargin frogspawn and zoos

 

[Ricey]

n1z your tank is looking great!

I'm in the process of setting up a tank almost exactly like yours!
can you list all your equipment and everything you use?
like lighting, Ro unit, filters, water additives, weekly/monthly maintenance etc etc

much appreciated!

keep up the amazing work!

 

[Miss Wiggle]

Also For long time ive had hairy rock, not like algea but like life on the rock... here is a pic they basically look like roots.....

And try and guess what my coral spawns are, they look like star polyps but wrong colour for a base and they have long necks...

we had hairy rocks for a while too at the same time as having algae/diatom/cyano issues so i think it's some sort of algae, when we got our CUC sorted it all died off and the hairy rocks went with it

are the corals xenia?

 

[N1z]

Thanks Ricey, yer nps.
Juwel Rio 240 with filter cut out
arcadia 48" 4 54wat t5 luminaire
TMC v2 400 skimmer run 24/7
2 seio m620s
2 seio m820s
35 -40 kilos of fiji LR
30-40 lbs of Aragonite sand
I do 10% water change a week using instant ocean gives me a good ph and alk boost.
Dont add really any additives cos the mixed up salt water renews all the levels in tank, however i do use TMC tripple buffer for top up water that has low PH.
I use a osmotics 50gpd Ro unit aswell.

Any other things let me know.

Yer i hope miss wiggle just got my snail CUC of 12 ceriths, 12 turbos and 12 nassaruis snails.
Urm tbh i thought that but its lot more like a toadstool as it got the same polyps as my giant toadstool. Plus ive only had xenia once for about 4 months in my old tank which was over a year ago and i think this bit of LR was added later on so must be my toadstool spawn.

 

[Ricey]

cheers niz

got a few more quick questions for you, if you dont mind!

- the wooden skirting you have around the top of the tank, is that a DIY job or did that come with your rio 240?
- the arcadia 48" 4 54wat t5 luminaire; how do u rate it? you pleased with it? how aften do u need to change the T5 bulbs?
- would your luminaire (the one above) be suitable for keeping tube worms/feather dusters and/or anenomes?
- where/how have u got ur RO unit set up? do you have it running all the time? or just turn on the tap once a week when u top up etc? do they dry out if u dont use them? I'm thinking of putting mine on an outside tap in the garden... is this possible? or can you only plumb them in under a sink? sorry n00b questions hehe
- if i didnt run a skimmer on a tank of your size would i be ok just running loads of activated carbon in an external caniter (fluval 304) and changing the carbon like once a month? (and weekly 10%-15% warter changes of course)

thanks

 

[N1z]

The wooden skirting comes with the tank.
I would rate it very good if u cant afford or not allowed metal halides, but i think im guna have to change the bulbs in next few months cos they have changed a little in colour when cold but they have lasted a year.
The lights can keep every thing from tube worms up to LPS corals, not anenomes as they are hard to keep and need MH lighting.

My RO unit is hanging up in my garage. and i just connect my garden hoze to it but careful u need a minimum of 60psi pressure to get good water and luckily my tap does during the none busy times.
here is a pic:

And no i dont keep it connected all the time cos i cant lol. But you can plumb it into your sink which they actually advise.
Urm its probs better to get a skimmer cos they will pay for themselves in a few months if u think of paying out for carbon the skimmers are only 70 quid now which is very cheap for a good skimmer.
Dw about sounding a n00b i was once also.

 

[N1z]

Right, i went to the LFS today (world of fishes) got offered a job there but thats another story. Anyways those 2 colt frags i did well i gave up trying to sell privately so i took them to the shop and swapped it for a Trachyphyllia radiata! its a baby one but tbh its exactly what i was aiming for and it was free! minus petrol money!

So enjoy

Also this week getting matts pink zoos and a green torch very excited!

 

[N1z]

Right, this probs the most corals ive added in a week then in the last few months lol. Anyways i would like to first thank Matt for letting me buy some great pink zoos and a lovely torch coral after spining round in circles trying to find him hanging out of his window on the phone .
So here matt the pics are perfect cos as u might remember my camera is crap.

I love these and will love when fully spread over.

And the green torch the colour on the pic doesnt show up as in real life but its doing nice need to get some epoxy to just make the frag stay there

Also i had to take back the Trachyphyllia radiata shamefully but i swapped them for a nice pulse xenia and some green/brown/red zoos

The pulse isnt very good cos my camera dont take good moving things.

Also got a nice one of my frogspawn macroshot if you like to see

Ill have a video put up tomo as Utube takes a ages to fully upload so you can see how the tank is looking.
Also started my new weekend job at world of fishes my LFS and ive asked them to get in some blue mushrooms that are actually fragged by a practical fishkeeping writer, and some green striped mushrooms and prehaps some nice yellow polyps.

 

[atmmachine816]

wow great looking corals. Love the frogspawn.

Congrats on the new job

 

[SkiFletch]

Love that frogspawn

 

[leecara]

yup i agree to love the frogspawn how much u buy it 4?

 

[N1z]

yup i agree to love the frogspawn how much u buy it 4?

Thanks, it was from atlantis aquatics for only £17.50 bargin! it was the last one they had so it wasent a frag as they described online cos it obv had time to grow lol. Looking at it today its reaching 2-3 inches across all around.

 

[Matthew5664]

Looking good N1z

Hope the bags were not to much of a PITA to get undone!

Forgspawn looking Grand and at 17 squid you got a deal and a half! PM me with the directions to your new works I'll have to come and have a look at the Marine section. (cough *discount* cough)

Hows about a full tank piccy??

 

[N1z]

Lol, yer well i shall try let me know as i might not work there for much longer infact, my other fish shop that doesnt do marine but i love and have worked for over 2 years really doesnt want to loose me. And well i was chatting to the 2nd manager and he was saying that i would be offerd full time this week if i cld and obv get more pay. Plus we think in about 5 years time the shop will be for sale so probs try and get into buying it .

Yer ill do one tomo as the lights etc arent on yet. When do your lights come on and off, should it be only 10 hours a day or 12?

But if you wanna come this weekend (sunday). Its simply in felbridge east grinstead, here is the address:
31 Northend
Felbridge
East Grinstead
West Sussex
RH19 1QJ

Ive got a video which is even better! take note ive taken out 2 of my pumps and now just got 2 seio m620s so the currents alot calmer and more spaceous.
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[Matthew5664]

I'm free all weekend so I'll try and make it down

as for the lights my Actinics (150W) are on for 12 hours 12.00 till 0.00 and the MH's (500W)are on 7.5 hours 14.30-22.30,15.00-23.00 staggered.