Hey all, just upgraded from my 38 gal that was running for about 5 months to a 46 gallon bowfront, which has now been running for a month and a half. I have a members tank thread on a2reef so I think I'm going to just move alot of my stuff from there to here as well. ( So Sir Patrick and 2pairs don't feel the need to have to post everytime I make a update lol!)
Well a bit about myself..
My names Will Battle, 23 years old, lived in Ann Arbor my whole life. I have had a fish tank my whole life, but they have always been freshwater. Had a nice 120 gal deep FW Oscar haven for quiet a few years, but that tank is back at the parents still
I've been reefin now for 6-7 months and it really has been a blast!
Right now I run a cpr backpack skimmer that I replaced the Rio 600 pump with a maxijet 1200 and added a wooden airstone.
Two aqua clear 50 filters ( one running Sponge + carbon, and the other used to house chaeto and lighted 24/7) on the lowest flow setting possible for both.
Sponge is cleaned every week or so and replaced every month. Carbon is changed monthly as well.
RO/DI water for every change and top off. I do a water change of 4 gals weekly.
Lights - I am running 2 SolarMax HO 36" lights, so 4 T-5 bulbs. Replaced stock lights with ATI's 2 aquablue specials and 2 actinic blues
As well as a Aquaticlife expandable 36" LED Fixture, 15 W 10,000k / 460 nm
2 Korilia wavemakers on either side of the tank one 600 GPH and one that is 400 GPH
250W heater
Tons of different foods I have collected for the fishies-
Frozen Foods-
PE- Mysis
Rods Original
Hikari- Krill
Sallys - Brine
Ocean Nutrition - Prime Reef
Refrigerated-
Arctic Pods
Non Frozen-
Instant Ocean- Cyclop-eeze
then also Ocean Nutrition Flakes and Pellets.
Live-
Baby brine once week or so
Adult brine enriched with Selcon every couple weeks.
Also ( with 2pairs help) I am starting my own culture of Copepods more for fun than anything, but also to help keep my Mandarin happy.
My goals with this tank are mostly softies. I do not think I have the equipment nor the water stability to keep most SPS. I have started my coral collection with mostly zoas and palys, and will look to be trading and buying for more exotic type zoas and palys in the future.
Note: attached thumbnail is from a few days after upgrading to this tank. Not super recent, but I will update with new pics and Live stock list later today!