My 40B softie reef

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Elite Fish
#1
Jul 19, 2004
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Cape Cod
#1
My new 40g breeder set up. Got it filled up and completed the plumbing to the sump on Wed. Added my fish and live rock from my previous 20g on Thursday (5/2/13).







As I get everything settled in, I will be taking out the heater in the tank (replacing it with a smaller one in the sump). Also painted the back of the tank blue. Had a few leaks in the plumbing at first but I seem to have gotten them all squared away now. A friend from work helped me drill the back of the tank for the overflow / return, since I don't own a drill, and it went very well. I highly recommend glass-holes.com if you need to do similar - good company to work with and very detailed instructions, plus they ship candy with orders!

Some background - years ago I purchased a 45g tall FOWLR setup off a classified ad, and had it at my parents during college (and beyond). When I brought it to my current home last year, I had to downgrade to a 20g. I promptly regained my fishy obsession and started collecting everything to upgrade it back to a 40g breeder, done right with a sump and good lights so I could try some corals.

All my rock crammed into the 20g:


I was amazed when I started pulling it out, how much I actually had managed to get in there and still have "swimming room." Though the way my clown (Lucy) swims around the new tank, I'm sure she quite likes the actual open water again.

Equipment - Glass-holes overflow, 20g sump, Reef Octopus 110 skimmer, Sicce return pump, hydor koralia powerheads, and AquaticLife dual T5HO light.

Livestock:
- 1 clown (anyone looking at the photos care to let me know if she is a percula or an ocellaris?)
- 1 neon blue goby





As a side note, it is *MUCH* easier to take decent fish pictures with good lights on a tank...
 

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Elite Fish
#2
Jul 19, 2004
3,682
33
48
38
Cape Cod
#2
I then went to the OSRAS reef conference in RI Sunday, and picked up a few more goodies - won a Hydor wavemaker with 2 powerheads, which I hope to get going in the next week. The powerheads that came with it together would be too strong for a 40g but I've got one in there now and it doesn't seem too bad. I've got a 1400gph and a 750gph, along with my return, and once the powerheads are alternated on the wavemaker it should be about right.

Picked up a cleaner shrimp and 2 peppermint shrimp along with 32 snails - nerites, cerith, and nassarius - for $1 a snail (normally around $3/snail here).

It was my first frag vendor experience - and there were lots of cool things. I've done all my research just online and in books, so although I could recognize a lot of things I'm not sure how to pronounce a lot of it. Plus when you look at photos online, many are cool macro shots so they are a bit harder to differentiate in person (small). I stuck with the cheap stuff since everything is so new. Ended up with 3 types of zoas, some yellow lined clove polyps, and a frag of blue sympodium (which was pretty cheap and I was actually looking specifically for, so that's great).

One vendor threw in a freebee green mushroom, so it's on a rock surrounded by sand in case it decides to try to spread through the tank. I'm not sure if I want mushrooms long term, but I figured hey it's free, and if I kill off the zoas at least that gives me something cool aside from the rocks.

New goodies went into the tank last night, and everything but the sympodium opened today eventually so in the next few days I hope to get some pictures. The cleaner shrimp has already cleaned under my fingernails... so fun, but I have always been afraid I'd kill one with my poor water quality in the previous tank. I can see why they have so many fans.
 

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Elite Fish
#5
Jul 19, 2004
3,682
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Cape Cod
#5
Thank you much!

I have screwdrivers... pliers... no power tools. Have had to borrow a few during this project. Also have acquired a few - level, tape measure, various glues and such.
 

KcMopar

KcMopar

Superstar Fish
#6
May 11, 2011
1,854
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Louisiana
www.americanhotrodsolutions.com
#6
Hello,
The tank looks great. My fav is my 40B. I would have to say your Lucy is an Ocell but it may be a cross breed with a Perc due to its darker top/front section. Its really hard to say until its full grown but the thick black line in its tail is an Ocell trait. Post some pics of those Corals already!!!!!! Lets see the goods!!!!!
 

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Elite Fish
#8
Jul 19, 2004
3,682
33
48
38
Cape Cod
#8
So my cleaner shrimp hunted down and partially ate a peppermint shrimp, and is going to be finding a new home by Sunday. The other peppermint is secluded in solitary confinement for his own safety for the time being - the cleaner was also appearing to stalk him. Had read that those two shrimp species usually coexist fine. I also saw the cleaner pick up and inspect a snail, so I fear that he is just over-zealously carnivorous.

Had a late work night 2 days in a row, will try to get new pictures tomorrow or otherwise Sunday (also plan to get a new fish or 2 to start in QT on Sunday :D). The sympodium is now opening as well. Did find an aiptasia on one zoa frag, I shall nuke it with boiling water and/or vinegar tomorrow. And if that doesn't get it the peppermint shrimp should, once he is re-released.

Also have been hearing my candy pistol shrimp and see some burrows forming - I thought it was lost in the sand when I moved, I sifted pretty thoroughly but thought I missed it anyways. Must have been tucked up in a rock. Cute little bugger that I've seen probably 3-4x in 9 months.

Lucy is around 8 years old :) so that is her permanent coloration. She is small at about 2.5".

This fixture can be upgraded very easily (it is built to connect up to 3 fixtures, for 6 bulbs). But with a shallow tank and not really interested in SPS or LPS other than frogspawn / hammer types, I don't want to have overpowered lights. Twice as much to change bulbs and lots brighter, for no real benefit. I'm intentionally aiming at the "weed" corals, as well as zoas.
 

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