Vector's 75g Reef -Updated July 18th 2019

[vector824]

Welcome to my 75 gallon tank build thread! I hope you enjoy the progress of my tank that I started in August of 2017. First we'll begin with all the tank info on this post (with pictures), and the start of my tank on the second. See the last post for the most recent update. Thanks for viewing and Happy Reefing!

Start to current:

Livestock:
One Spot Foxface
2 Ocellaris Clowns
Green Chromis
Melanurus Wrasse
Flame Angel
Coral Catfish
Rainbow Bubble Tip Anemone x3
Rose Tip Anemone

Inverts:
2 Brittle Starfish
2 Mexican Turbo Snails
2 Zebra Turbo Snails
Blood Shrimp
Purple Urchin
Scarlet Hermit Crab

Coral:
Duncan Colony (Duncanopsammia axifuga)
Green tip Torch (Euphyllia glabrescens)
Finger Leather
Hammer Colony (Euphyllia ancora)
Galaxea
Multiple Zoa colonies
Green Spotted Mushroom Colony
Candy Cane (Caulastraea)
Acan Colony
Green Toadstool x4
Meteor Shower Cephastrea
Jingle Bells Cephastrea
Fender Bender Cephastrea
Incredible Hulk Lepto
Red Lobophyllia
Bird's Nest SPS
Bibble Gum SPS

Equipment:
75 gallon display with 30g custom sump
Eshopps Skimmer
Eclipse L Overflow Box
Orbit Marine 48" LED
48" Amazon T5 with actinic and ATI Coral Blue Plus bulb
IceCap 1k Gyre
IceCap ATO
Cobalt Aquatics 300W Neo-Therm Heater
Amazon 100W LED 'fuge light

Here are a few macros:

And some fish!

 

[vector824]

Here's the start! This is my 75g display with 30g sump. I've been researching for over three years, and it's finally time to dive in. I got it as a birthday gift from my parents (wife approved)! Here's my tank, rockscape and sump setup:





Plans include lots of softies and LPS corals. Including but not limited to toadstools, leathers, duncans, and zoas. Fish that I'm set on include a clown pair, flame angel, small yellow tang, shrimp/goby pair, and six line wrasse. I'll set up a refugium in a couple weeks once the cycle really gets going.

I'm excited to share this journey with you all!

 

[vector824]

September 4th '17:

Tank is progressing nicely! I have algae and diatoms growing and my nitrite/nitrate are off the charts!

 

[vector824]

September 9th '17: Algae is going crazy, lots of diatom growth. I did some cable management and set up my fuge lighting today. Ammonia drops really fast now, I'm dosing once it hits zero and my nitrites are still off the charts.

 

[vector824]

One Month Update! 9/24/17

Cycle is still going strong. I've got massive amounts of algae. Added a tiny bit of chaeto to get some nutrient export going.

 

[vector824]

Here's a shot of the tank in November. Algae... algae everywhere...

 

[vector824]

January 16th 2018

The tank finally cycled right before Christmas! Foxface and two clowns in now. I added few zoas, a duncan and CUC as well. The Foxface cleaned out all the algae, I literally didn't feed him for two weeks and he was fat as a hippo. I upgraded my lighting to a Current USA Orbit Marine LED, looks so much better.

 

[vector824]

Jan 20th '18

 

[Daniel@R2R Verified Admin]

Looks like stuff is doing good!

 

[vector824]

Looks like stuff is doing good!

Thank you! It's been quite the learning process!

 

[vector824]

February 13th '18

Added a Royal Gramma and Yellow Headed Sleeper Goby. The Goby has already made three borrows and landscaped the bottom of the tank. I moved my ATO behind the chair so it's out of the way. My nitrates also spiked to over 80 , got them down to ~25 and everyone is happy. Dan the Urchin also decided to relocate my palys so they got glued down.

 

[vector824]

Feb 19th


Got an Acan and took some actual macro pictures. We'll start with a cloudy FTS due to that Goby, followed by a few macros.

Bonus critters from my Acan coral dip! Suckers are gone now.

 

[vector824]

March 12th

I'm settled into my routine of weekly water changes and biweekly Reefroid feedings. My duncan loves that stuff. Picked up three Mexican Turbo Snails and a free frag (4th pic down) from my LFS. The duncan has two new polyps growing and all my zoas are doing well.

Family picture time!

 

[vector824]

Here's the update from May 29th '18!


FTS:

New corals!

AND a Green Wrasse and two Lubbock's Multicolored Wrasse:

 

[vector824]

Real quick, not quite an update, but here is my water mixing "station." These buckets are quite sturdy. I can mix close to 20 gallons at a time, with it on the dolly I can do a full +20% water change in one go.

For my weekly regimen I siphon out the water into one tub, replace into the DT with new water, then pump the old water into the now empty tub to go back to the bathroom and down the drain.

 

[vector824]

New RBTA!

 

[vector824]

Here's today's FTS and my new RBTA I got next to the hammer head.

New lights!

 

[ParsedOut]

Hopefully that RBTA stays put and more importantly stays out of those powerheads. Love your tank and coral choices.

 

[vector824]

Hopefully that RBTA stays put and more importantly stays out of those powerheads. Love your tank and coral choices.

Hey! Yeah he moved from his original spot to there. I was quite happy because it's the perfect place to see him and he seems to like it!

Thank you so much!

 

[vector824]

Traded the Coral Banded Shrimp for a Peppermint at my LFS. He got a hold of a my foxface and scratched him so it's time to go! I'm pretty sure it killed my Green Coris as well.

Bought two new guys for the tank, a Bicolor Blenny and Pygmy Angel. Excited for this Angel, worried about my LPS but I read most people have success keeping them with Pygmys.