BitReef’s 29 Gallon Reef Build

[BitReef]

Refuguim
Finally added chaeto to my refugium last week. I recently discover what I thought was a diatom outbreak of as really Amphidinium dinos. So I started to treat the dinos. Raised my NO3, PO4 and started dosing bacteria and phytoplankton. I figured, with the big increase in nutrients it would be a good time to add chaeto. Plus it’s one more tool to try and out compete the dinos. So, far the plan is working. In a week my dinos have receeded by over 50%. The chaeto has grown pretty well. It started as a softball size ball and has at least doubled.

 

[BitReef]

Haven’t updated in a while. Just here to post a current tank pic. Things have been pretty stable and seem to be growing well. My candy canes are about the size of a softball. I may need to split them soon

 

[McCarrick]

Haven’t updated in a while. Just here to post a current tank pic. Things have been pretty stable and seem to be growing well. My candy canes are about the size of a softball. I may need to split them soon

Can we get a full tank stock list? Your tank looks great!

 

[Reefbuds]

Nice man! I run a 29g as well so cant wait to see the progress on this!

 

[BitReef]

Can we get a full tank stock list? Your tank looks great!

Sure. Here’s what I have right now

Livestock
2 Black Ice Clownfish
2 PJ Cardinals (known as the Pajama Gang)
1 Royal Gramma
1 Purple Firefish
5 Large Trochus snails
1 Turbo snail
1 Fighting conch that disappears for weeks at a time
1 very large Bristle Worm (we call her “Big Worm”)(As big around as a sharpie and at least 6 inches long)
I had a cleaner shrimp that recently died, not sure why

Corals
Birdsnest SPS
Sylophora SPS
Montipora Digitata SPS, maybe
Candy Cane
Octo Frogspawn
Favia, Spicy Lemonade
Various Zoas (LA Lakers, watermelon and an unknown one)
Palys
Hairy mushrooms
Green Star Polyps

I’ll post some pics of my coral. Early shots just after adding them vs now.

 

[BitReef]

Favia, Spicy Lemonade

 

[BitReef]

Birdsnest

 

[BitReef]

Stylophora

 

[BitReef]

Montipora Digitata?

 

[BitReef]

Candy Canes

 

[BitReef]

Octo Frogspawn

 

[McCarrick]

Wow! You've had some awesome growth!!

 

[BitReef]

Wow! You've had some awesome growth!!

Thanks! This is my second nano reef and it’s wildly more successful than my first. I took a lot of shortcuts with my first tank (20 gallon, no sump). Partially due to budget constraints, and partially due to lack of knowledge. I didn’t understand the Cal, Alk, Ph stuff at all. My first tank did okay, I kept healthy fish, but I was never really happy with it. I could grow blueberry palys like a madman, but nothing else. Even stuff like GSP didn’t survive.

This time around I consumed as much information as I could. I’ve probably watched every BRS video 10 times. And I gave myself a budget for nice equipment.

 

[BitReef]

Latest Tank Pic: