Big Reef in a Small Package

icedearth15324

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I just recently joined R2R and since I saw such a nice looking nano reef forum, I figured I'd show the history of my tank.

My tank utilizes the Fluval Spec V, which I bought on black friday. I was initially going to set it up as a freshwater puffer tank, but then I decided if I was going to have to add salt anyway, might as well make it a reef tank.

So I bought some live sand and some pre-mixed saltwater, and I started it up. By sunday, I had a few pounds of live rock in it as well, and my cycle began.

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A couple days later, I bought some more live rock and also got new lighting. I bought a 9-watt 50/50 LED strip.

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By the end of the following week my cycle had ended, and I bought my first livestock. Snails and hermits.

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A couple days later I bought an emerald crab to help combat the algae growth I had:

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Fast forward another two weeks, and I was at almost a month since tank setup. I bought a pair of clownfish (one semi-picasso percula and one fancy ocellaris)

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It was around this time that I knew the single pump wouldn't be enough, so I copied some other people's ideas and bought a second pump and outflow valve, and drilled a hole in the overflow chamber. This was the result:

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I now had around a total of 170 gph of random flow.


I then decided it was time to add my first corals. So I went to my local LFS and bought some coral frags.

One was a rock with a few red mushrooms on it:

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The other was a Xenia frag:

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I also picked up a Pom Pom crab because I think they are awesome:

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About 2 weeks ago I bought a nice branching Torch Coral as well as a Joker Zoa (don't have a close up of the Zoa):

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And last week I also picked up a Hammer Coral as well.


Here's my current view of my tank:

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So far this has been a very fun build, and I can't wait to add some more unique life to it.

Let me know if you have any questions or comments, and I look forward to showing how much beauty you can fit in a small package.
 
Tank is looking great! Glad you shared it. :D I am digging the aquascape!
 
Nice looking spec. Where did you get the LED strip and what was the cost on it?

I bought the strip from one of my LFS. I paid about $70 for it with the power supply. My dad was then able to make me a modified hanger for it out of a solid piece of aluminum instead of the stock one, it is about 2 inches higher up.
 
The tank is looking good!! I can't wait to see what else you add to the tank.
 

IF YOU HAD TO TAKE A REEFING EXAM, WOULD YOU PASS?

  • Yes!

    Votes: 32 45.7%
  • Not yet, but I have one that I want to buy in mind!

    Votes: 9 12.9%
  • No.

    Votes: 26 37.1%
  • Other (please explain).

    Votes: 3 4.3%
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