Reef Journey:29 to 90 and maybe beyond?

[badger126]

Hey friends,
I was looking back through my aquarium pictures on my computer here and was feeling a bit nostalgic about some of my old tanks - the challenges I've been through and lessons I've learned. So I thought I'd post up a tank thread that starts with my beginning tank - a 29 gallon - and goes up to my current tank that I can update with new stuff I get etc. So here goes:

I started my reef journey when my wife got sick of my freshwater fish habit and told me to go saltwater or quit. She knows nothing about the aquarium hobby except that saltwater is prettier, but I didn't need any more encouragement. I got to work on researching saltwater tanks and after learning a bit I found some live rock that someone was giving away and decided to get started.

So my beginning stock consisted of about(not sure) 90lbs of live rock crammed into a 29 gallon tank(all I had), 2 clowns, pj cardinal, 1 chromis, and assorted snails/hermits. I ran this tank with a magnum 350 canister filter, a seaclown skimmer, and a coralife pc fixture. Here's a couple shots:

Like 3 weeks after I had this set up my parents were down in Salt Lake(nearest decent LFS for SW 3 hours away) and so not knowing anything I had them pick me up some corals and a long tentacle anemone(pictured above). Here's my first corals, hammer and star polyps:

The anemone was my first casualty. I didn't really have any cycling going on - I think it was just a combination of my low nitrates and transportation. The LFS had just got them in the day before and my inexperience was against me.

This tank also taught me to use aragonite. In the 29 gallon I had a black synthetic sand and I could never completely get rid of my nitrates. As soon as I set my 75 up with aragonite I got rid of my nitrates for good.

Shortly after this I got my act together and got my 75 gallon up and running. initially it was run with the magnum 350 plus an AC70 for filtration and a aqua c remora until I could get the sump up and running. I built the stand for this one and installed a door in the side of the stand so I could access the sump from the side. when the sump was installed I hung the remora on the side of it using the side door of the stand.
Here's some pics:

This was my favorite rockscape I've ever done - the rocks were set up in a long island that the fish could swim completely around

 

[badger126]

Somewhere along the way I triggered an algae that began and bloomed into this within 3 days. It was so long my clowns were hosting on the back of the tank. They were so mad and lost when I mowed their lawn!

Shot of the back of the tank - if you look close you can see the clowns:

I added a bunch more corals in this tank against popular advice but they all made it:
Two millis, green and purple

a favia

got an RBTA

\

 

[badger126]

And then we move onto the current tank:
90 gallon
6x54w nova extreme t5ho
bulbs are:
4xATI blue +
1xUVL Actinic White
1x Current 10k
moved from the AquaC remora to a more appropriate Euroreef RS5-3
flow provided by a Rio 17HF return pump and two older Koralia 3s

Here's some pics to get started - they are from a while ago but I'll post some updated pics when I get the glass scraped:

Here's my sump system - I embarrassingly picked up white silicone instead of clear. Other than that I've always been very happy with the way it's laid out.

And finally here's some more current coral pics that I'll add to soon:

Awesome Blossom zoanthid

Magician

Florida Blues(don't know the actual name)

Pink Dalmation Paly

 

[returnofsid]

Looks great!! Now scrape that glass and get new pics up!

BTW, be careful with that "silicon." If it's white, it's NOT 100% silicon. 100% silicon won't accept any colorant. It's possible that it's acrylic sealant, or a mixture of silicon and other additives. A lot of the additives contain mildewcides, for use in bathroom or kitchen environments. These are BAD news for our tanks.

 

[badger126]

It's the same stuff I normally use - GE 1 Door and Window. Hopefully the color won't cause problems, but it doesn't have the mildewcide, and I've had it in the tank now for ~5-6mos and no problems.

 

[returnofsid]

GE I is aquarium safe, regardless of the warning on the tube...lol. I used to manage a paint supply company and had a lot of dealings with GE, directly. The only reason the warning, against aquarium use, is on the tube is to meet a contractual requirement. The tubes of Aquarium Sealant, that you can buy at your LFS, are the exact same ingredients as that in the larger tubes, and is also manufactured by GE. However, because GE packages the Aquarium Sealant, for a different company, their contract requires them to put the NOT FOR AQUARIUM disclaimer on the larger tubes. It's nothing more than a Marketing Contractual agreement.

However, any silicon that is anything other than clear, is not 100% silicon, regardless of what's printed on the tube...lol. Silicon will not accept colorant, so they have to add something to it, to enable it to be colored. From everything I've read, the additive in colored forms of GE I is safe to use.

You should be good to go!!

 

[luisse25]

looking very good

 

[bens63imp]

Was that wrinkled up foil in the first pick for the background? I did the same thing on my first tank but painted it black, Looked kinda neat!

 

[badger126]

Ya I used to do the same thing on my freshwater tanks so it naturally made its way to my first saltwater. Now it's paint/coralline all the way though. Here's some current shots I took the other day:
FTS

Left side

My z/p garden

Purple Hornets

My favorite pink monti cap(accidentally fragged the other day)

blastos:

 

[badger126]

Just a few more for tonight:

Scoot scoot

Digi rock

Milli rock

Frogspawn

 

[luisse25]

love those blastos....