My 55 Gallon Reef Tank

[hachadwick]

Hello everyone,
It's been a long time since I posted a update on my 55 Gallon Reef Tank. I've also learned sooo very much since I started the tank one year ago this month. :frustrat:

I set down yesterday and took several pictures on my tank which has come along way in the past year. Here is a link to my start up thread which if you read it, I was pretty green :mrgreen:.

I want to make a new thread because I feel like things have changed so much since my last thread. Here are some pictures of my tank now:

https://plus.google.com/photos/112345302366100291747/albums/5862028831780841777

 

[Barch]

Awesome tank. I hope mine looks like that some day!

 

[hachadwick]

Believe me! If you don't know half the things I did the hard way, you'll have a great tank:) By the way, is that info bar in your signature automated some how or do you manually update it? I like it.

 

[hachadwick]

Ok, I just clicked it. I understand now:)

 

[AnthonyTheNewbie]

Your tank has come a long way since you first started. I'm glad through all your trials and struggles you managed to succeed and stay in the hobby. Hard work and patience pays off in the long run :). Once I get the money together for lights for my 55, we'll be able to compare and contrast :).

 

[hachadwick]

Time for a update! :)
I got a steal on Frogspawn and Hammer Coral. I found a local reef club that has members that frag items and sell to the local stores. Well, they sold to me for 5 dollars a head! :bounce: Here are some pictures of the tank i took last week. I also added a 23 lbs rock in the middle of the tank. I needed more to fill in a large gap:)
https://plus.google.com/photos/112345302366100291747/albums/5862028831780841777

 

[ErinCahir]

Looks great! Also HELLO FELLOW PLUSSER!

 

[AnthonyTheNewbie]

Looks really nice bud :)

 

[hachadwick]

Thanks! You know, Erin I had to look the word Plusser up for the meaning:) I'd have to aggree with your assessment..LOL

 

[hachadwick]

Here it is for those like me who didn't know what it was:
"Noun. In horse racing, a horse that regularly shows or places, but fails to win. A horse you can't ignore, but yet can't seem to find the winners circle."

 

[ErinCahir]

Ha!!! I was referencing the site he linked.

Social media. :)

 

[one800nak]

tank looks phenomenal. what is your fish stock like? i have a 65 gallon. starting to add coral next week.

 

[hachadwick]

Thank you!
Lets see, whats in there:

FISH

• 1 - Blue Spotted Blenny
• 2 - Ocellaris Clownfish
• 1 - Yellow Tang
• 6 - Blue Chromis
• 1 - PJ Cardinal
• 3 - Domino Damsels (very territorial)
• 1 - bi-color dottyback

Inverts

• several hermit crabs
• 2 - conch
• several snails(got rid of turbos, kept knocking over my stuff)

Other

• 1 - bubble tip anemone

Coral (quantities are spread throughout tank

• Green Star polyps
• Richorida Mushroom
• Yellow sponge
• Hammer coral
• frog spawn
• two types of trumpet coral
• several types of colony polyps
• several tree coral - spreads like weeds
• three colonies of Glove Coral
• 1 cup coral - 6 inch diameter

I think that covers just about everything.

 

[Greenman]

holy hell that's alot of fish in a 55 lol. your chems stay stable?

 

[hachadwick]

Yes, they do. I built a skimmer that keeps it really clean (almost too clean) and I also have a very good refugium established. I do chemical checks weekly and I never had spikes tin Ammonia, Nitrite, or Nitrate. I keep my sand stirred weekly and vacuum out sediment weekly. I also feed only what they can eat without it settling to the floor. I shut off all water movement and feed fish and spot feed corals.

I have slowly built up this qty of creatures. other than the school of Chromis, they have been added several weeks apart.

 

[hachadwick]

The fish are all fairly small fish. The yellow tang is still young and when he grows to a large adult, he's going in my dad's 125 gallon across the street:)

 

[Greenman]

i'm upgrading to a 55 very soon may look into the chromis. I love how they school

 

[hachadwick]

Yeah, that is why I bought them. They are very nice and don't fight my other fish. My domino's like to chase them though, even though the Chromis just bolt and are gone..lol fast little guys. They are always hungry and will eat all day I have discovered. I feed them a little food every day.

 

[hachadwick]

Here is a picture of the Chromis and the domino that likes to chase them. You can also see my older clown fish, the PJ cardinal, and the yellow tang. The piping in the background is a DIY siphon i built to feed my DIY skimmer.

 

[one800nak]

How many chromis did you at at once