Intro and Tank set up

Tkroll0321

Premium member
Hi guys finally have started finding some time to really read on here and hopefully start posting some questions. Wanted to start off introducing myself. My name is Tyler I'm from Waukegan and this is my first attempt with a reef tank. I've done FO a few years back and a good amount of fresh water as well.

Kind of an odd occurrence on how this all started, a coworker of mine had kept reef tanks for years. Recently he started a business of his own and the tanks fell by the wayside so he offered one up to me if I was willing to try and revive it. IE not start from scratch. It's been a rough course so far and am still in a pretty epic hair algae battle.
 

Tkroll0321

Premium member
View attachment 17055

Here is a pic from several months ago I will get a more current one up this week. I've changed the layout several times as I've gone through scrubbing algae. I have finally started to feel like I'm gaining ground with weekly water changes and a whole new set-up equipment wise.
 

tkh

New member
Welcome, looks like you're off to a good start! "Dealing" with problems is part of the hobby, lol, so may as well start from the beginning! (There are good parts too!)
 

frostyjay1

Active member
What size is the tank and what equipment do you use, also what are you upgrading to?

Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2
 

Tank2379

Active member
What type of lighting and skimmer are you running? Those are too key components when starting a reef?
 

DB9181

New member
:welcome:

As several other people mentioned, a full rundown of your tank size, specs, equipment, etc would be great - we may be able to offer up some other suggestions to assist getting your tank back on the right track.
 

DD

"Rambo"
Welcome to the group! As others have stated, we would love to see your equipment list as we can offer some assistance. Glad you found the site :)
 

Tkroll0321

Premium member
Hey guys thanks for the support! Don't worry I wasn't done without a more detailed write up just got too late so here goes nothing. The tank is a 55g 36x18x20 it's drilled and gravity fed to a 20g sump that I keep about 15g in so 70g total water. When I started it had a HOT prizm skimmer and an eheim canister filter with carbon and filter floss. I ditched both of those and am now running a reef octopus 110 and a TLF reactor with GFO. I also change out a bag or carbon that I have my overflow flow onto in my sump. My lighting started as a 250 MH and is now a Chinese LED. It's 55x2W led half white half blue and am hopefully buying one of Kratos' IT2080's for a final upgrade once he is done with them.

I am running the tank bare bottom as it seems a little easier for me to control and especially get as much detritus out as possible. The bottom is almost completely covered in coraline now so it really isn't that noticeable. That being said I have my return through a SCWD which is about 1500gph if I remember(can't really without looking ?) and the 3 power heads trying to create a lot of flow and not allow things to settle. Two of the powerheads are 1000gph and 1 600. I have tried moving them all around and still haven't found an exact placement I love except for the smaller one. It is currently in the back right corner underneath my rock work blowing out to the middle so I don't get build up.

I currently have a very basic ATO consisting of a garbage can gravity feeding a float valve which I only put a few gallons of water in just so it can't flood the house and I refill twice a week or so. I am in the future going to be putting together an ATO pumped up from the basement so that I can run my RODI to a large reservoir and mix up batches of Kalk and top off with that. But that's still a ways off. (Maybe Christmas!)

I have a few fish in there:
Clown
6 line wrasse
Blue spotted watchman goby
Bicolor Blenny

I got a clean up crew of snails from reef cleaners and maybe 6 hermits.

-Coral wise I have:
green button polyps that bounced back like nothing happened
-Green trumpet coral that bounced back but are being choked by hair algae and I have been fighting back with tweezers and a tooth brush
A few blue mushrooms
A random Gorgonian of some kind

I have also added (free from another reefer, said they weren't doing well)
A cabbage leather which has grown already and looks great
Star polyps which have almost tripled and my clown tries to host (much to their disliking ?)


Well that's the end of lunch break ill see what you all have to say and get back to it later.

Thanks!:goldfish:
 

1mg

New member
welcome let me know if your over this way ill give you some radio active dragon zoas I didn't know they were what I had already so I have a bunch now ill cut a few for you if u want them
 

Tkroll0321

Premium member
welcome let me know if your over this way ill give you some radio active dragon zoas I didn't know they were what I had already so I have a bunch now ill cut a few for you if u want them
Sounds awesome! I'm down there once a week doing a vegetable delivery but I don't think they would be happy in my truck for half a day LOL. I may just have to make a separate trip!
 

Tkroll0321

Premium member
Come on guys everyone tells me to put a tank write up on there so I can get more advice and then no one responds? I've been dooped! Haha I'm just kidding but if anyone does get time to read through it and see any fatal flaws or friendly advice I'd appreciate it. So far everyone has been so awesome it makes me wish I had jumped into the hobby sooner!!!
 
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