25-gallon Lagoon Mixed reef Build

[Townes_Van_Camp]

Looks great. I wish you were close by. I just made a bunch of oak flooring transitions so I have a gallon of water based satin poly for floors. Stuff sets up hard as a rock

 

[DDenny]

Looks great. I wish you were close by. I just made a bunch of oak flooring transitions so I have a gallon of water based satin poly for floors. Stuff sets up hard as a rock

Wish I was closer also.

 

[DDenny]

stand is done and in the house with tank on it. Perfectly level but the adjustable feet help. Pardon the mess around the stand had to rearrange the area. Wife was a little upset but hey she likes the stand.

 

[DDenny]

Picked up 40 pounds of special grade dry sand the other day going to get it washed up this weekend and dried back out and place about 30-35 pounds in the tank fro 2" sandbed. Have to wait until after the holidays to order rock from Tampa Bay Saltwater as they won't start shipping untill after the New Year around the 9th or so.
Benn battling golden algea in my little tank so I dont want to put that little bit of rock in this tank.

 

[DDenny]

Ugh went to order live rock for shipping after the new year and now have to wait u til end of January. Got a lot of the algae under control in my small tank so I might get it going with that and then when available order the rock from gulf live rock. Only need 10 or so pounds and there is only one reef store in my area and all they sell is the dry stuff.

 

[DDenny]

Finally put water in the take this morning. Still have to order live rock but going to let it clear up a bit and then brush the rock that I have in my lifegard pico and place it in. Then when TBS or GLR has stock will order 10-20 pounds to add to the tank.

 

[DDenny]

Got the 16HD on this morning and moved what little rock I had in the 4g in. Now just waiting for live rock to be in stock. Might have to change lights depending on shadowing with just one light.

 

[Fishy Guy]

Bummer about the live rock delays but progress nonetheless. I've just setup the same tank over the last few weeks.

 

[Daniel92481]

Got the 16HD on this morning and moved what little rock I had in the 4g in. Now just waiting for live rock to be in stock. Might have to change lights depending on shadowing with just one light.

Hey Denny! Looking good. I’m glad to hear that your 4.1 is still rocking and rolling. Best of luck with your new set up. These lagoons are great.

 

[DDenny]

Hey Denny! Looking good. I’m glad to hear that your 4.1 is still rocking and rolling. Best of luck with your new set up. These lagoons are great.

It was until this one. It was on cruise control hadn’t added anything to it for a while.

 

[DDenny]

Just checked and live rock back in stock ordered 10lbs for now just to get it going really good will order more in the near future. I have never liked the packed full tank look.

 

[DDenny]

Got my live rock in this morning at 9:55am. Let’s see what come out of the rock over the next couple of days. There was a small crab but I couldn’t get it out of one of the crevices. Couple of snails and stars. Still need to work on the aquascape but wanted to get the rock in before heading back to work.

 

[DDenny]

Now that I have a little time to try and take some good pictures and look around. Looks like I got a couple extra snails and keyhole limpet along with a few brittle stars. Going to break out the red light tonight and what’s crawling around in the dark. Disregard the Cyanobacteria on that rock it’s slowly dying off Going to give it two to three weeks and then add a couple fish. Definitely a bicolor blenny but not sure about the second yet. Wife wants a coral banded shrimp as well.

 

[DDenny]

Found an anemone coming out of the rocks and with a little research it’s a light bulb anemone. Will try and get some pictures of it but it’s not very big about the size of a quarter.

 

[DDenny]

Hitchhikers found so far.
Medusa worm
Tiny crab (about the size of a pencils eraser)looks like a spider decorator crab
Bristle star
Bristle worms I have tunnels along the glass/sand
Light bulb anemone
Feather dusters
Keep finding new stuff daily. Thinking about ordering another 10 pounds of live rock to add more to the tank. Trying to build up toward the light so I can add some easier SPS.

 

[DDenny]

Try g to get pictures but had to use the wife’s phone. Mine was run over by my tractor and the camera will not focus on close up shots. First three not sure what they are. Thinking the first is Christmas tree worm. Next two I don’t know. The last are what I moved over from the 4g tank.

These are tunicates
Still trying to ID these next two thinking Hydroids

Lightbulb anemone

 

[DDenny]

Water test day
Phosphorus .049
Ca 420
Mg 1440
KH 7
PH 7.6
Ugh not sure about my KH test kit now. Kh of 7 is really low. But so if PH. Might take a sample into my local LFS and get them to test everything. Using Awuaforest Reef Salt so the Ca and Mg are spot on. I like where the phosphorus is at but my nitrate kit expired so I need to get a new one.

 

[DDenny]

Guessing I have silicates coming from somewhere. RODI reads 0 TDS so not sure. Ordered new 1 micron filters and new 100gpd membrane just to be on the safe side. Going to take some water into LFS to have them do a water test and check my results. Need to get a new nitrate test kits just haven’t had time to order one and LFS was out.
PO4 .02
Ca 440
Mg 1400
Alk still reading 7-7.2
Salinity 35ppt
Going to get a sample and take a look under microscope pretty sure it’s diatoms though.

 

[DDenny]

The better half surprised me today. She has been watching me research and it turns out after microscope view I have Dino’s. I was talking to her about increase nutrients specifically nitrates and phosphorous and that a couple of fish would help in that area. Well after certifying my testing with LFS notates are at 2 and phosphates and 0.01. That was three days ago. Today she comes home with a red firefish (wanted a purple firefish but I’m not telling her that) and a yellow bellied damsel. I couldn’t say no so know after a month we have fish. I hate my phone camera you fun over it with a tractor and for some reason it doesn’t take good pictures anymore.

 

[Fishy Guy]

Awesome, she sounds like a keeper!