The pictures look great, and they give me a great visual on what your whole system is like.

I would say blue or black for a background, but I'm kind of a traditionalist in that sense. Some people have painted the bottom black and then transitioned into a blue to give the illusion of depth.

I see you reduced your photoperiod. Did you choose the early on & off times because they coincide with your lifestyle? If the sunlight doesn't hit your tank, it probably won't affect it that much.

So what is your next step? Just waiting for everything to finish cycling? Are you going to be adding a refugium, or reactors?

Any thoughts on what you eventually want to keep for livestock?

Yes I am going to add a refugeum but it might be quarantine tank(quarantine tank will be refugeum as well as hospital tank) I wil most likley add a calsium reactor with in the next year and half.

lol for the lighting i chose the shorter light span because of the heat the MH generate and my + my heater is a bit to strong but this morning when i checked the temperatue it was around 73 deggers much beter than befor when it was at 80 degrese. To cool the water i froze a water batle and placed it in the sump and honestly it helps alot.

my livestock plans are as follows
2x true percs
3x blue green reef chromis
fire goby
tiny tiny naso tang
orcird dotty back
yellow wachman goby
lawnmore bleny

Maby list
flame angle (nice fish but it nips corals)


Invert
rocca clam carpet anenmoe blue leg hermits red scarlet hermits
bumble bee snails
nassarius snails
cleaner shrimp red sea star flame scalope

One suggestion that I have heard from a lot of people is that the flame scalops dont live very long.

Thanks that one is of my list:lol:

I would scratch the orchid dottyback. pretty fish but it can get mean. you know the naso will outgrow that tank... plan to upgrade or have someone who will buy it off you.

I would also skip the flame angel for the same reason you listed. a better dwarf angel is a coral beauty... not quite as prone to coral sampling, but still no guarantees.

Some people complain that their lawnmower blenny spills sand over all their corals which stresses them. just be aware of it.

hermits have come under fire lately... many people dont consider them reefsafe anymore. I dont. only ones that are even close to it though are the scarlets. some agree, some dont.

definitely skip the flame scallop.

as a general rule of thumb, i discourage sea stars in any but the most mature tank in the hands of a conscientious capable disciplined and experienced aquarist. lol unfortunately you dont qualify (and neither do i). maybe one day though.

Ya for the naso i know that he/she will out grow my tank so im gona eventuly trade it once it gets to big.

One problom with the dottyback my mom ABSULUTY LOVES THEM and i dont know if she will listen to me(:lol: )

Lawnmore maby off my list---more like probably

Hermits i dont know scarlrts defenetly

sea star latter on

thanks JustineL

You may want to opt for a pair of shrimp, as their eggs are often a good souce of food for other inhabitants.

how often do the lay eggs?

My pair seemed to do it about once every week or two. Its pretty cool to see.

lol do fish go crazy over the eggs?