Reef Tank DIY - For Dummies

[mrdss]

Originally Posted by Dash

Hi all,
I've been stalling on my tank upgrade because I'm feeling way out of my depth (see what I did there), and I've been hesitant to start a build thread here because you're all so intimidating to a newbie like me. Anyway, I thought perhaps others out there like me would be interested in something like this instead of the amazing tank builds you usually see here, so I'm taking the big leap forward.

My 75-gal tank will be 2 years old this November. I bought 2 green spotted puffers that the LFS told me were freshwater, and long story short, eventually ended up buying a used tank on CL and setting up a SW tank for them with the help of some nice folks on the Puffer Forum. I learned about live rock and mixing salt, and now I think I'm hooked. My current set-up is pretty medieval. All second-hand stuff except for the lights. No sump, hob Remora skimmer, SB Reef lights. I do a 16-gal water change once a month with buckets, and manually top off water twice a day. I do not use RODI water. (Please don't hate me).

My fish in order of when they were added: 2 green spotted puffers, YWG+shrimp pair, ocellaris clown pair, long nose hawkfish, mandarin, tail spot blenny, flame hawkfish.
Coral...a bit of everything including RBTAs (a lot of 'em), zoas, and some lps & sps.

I've been having a real blast thus far and luckily have all my original livestock, except for a lawnmower blenny who wouldn't eat and a long-nose hawkfish that jumped (RIP Lenny & Fergus).

However, I know my skimmer is barely able to keep up, I need to learn about dosing, and I'd like to set up a sump so I can have a refugium to increase pod population (for future girlfriend for my mandarin).

*note: apologies for crummy iphone pics



My immediate hurdle - I have no idea how to plumb this.

Those little puffers make all fresh water guys turn. I ALSO got into to salt because of those little puffers and never looked back. Not even close to being the same thing.



A sump is JUST another tank and nothing more no matter what others might say. A hang on filter is fine. Although I am a firm believer in a good skimmer.

[Dash]

mrdss...
Glad to hear there's another Green Spotted Puffer fan out there These guys are the most personable fish around and it's easy to get very attached to them. So much smarter than the other fish, and of course the expressive eyes are wonderful. Would love to see pics of your GSP? How long have you had them?

Puff Diddy:


Nancy:

[DKoKoMan]

Hahaha those puffers are hilarious! They look like lots of fun.

[Dash]

A long while back, I noticed there were hitchhikers on my turbo snail. At first I thought they might be babies, then harmless symbionts scraping the glass alongside their host.



Now, I noticed one on the shell of my Halloween hermit and decided to pry it off as it was getting big. I saw it had worn a little hole in the hermit's shell, and then I remembered my big turbo dying a couple months ago (I have my original 4 snails). Could they be parasitic? Anyway, I fished out my remaining turbos and pried all the little guys off. Sure enough, they had damaged the host shells. Then, because my puffers said please, I gave them a little treat. They were like oysters on the half shell for these guys.

[smokinreefer]

Those guys look awesome! My kids will want them for sure if they see them!

I'll entertain this...

They need to be found at a freshie store and acclimated to salt correct?
They'll decimate the bunch of trocus snails I just bought? And my cleaner shrimp?

Anyways I enjoy the pics of your tanks progression! Looking good!

[Dash]

Yeah they’re usually sold as freshwater. I haven’t seen them around lately, maybe because of their reputation for being “difficult.” I haven’t found this to be the case. Some people acclimate them by slowly raising their salinity over months but I took the advice of doing a 24-hour drip. They were totally fine.

They love shellfish as much as I do, ha ha. Crustaceans are their natural prey. Most CUC have enough protection against them - I have snails, hermits, urchins and have not lost any. However I would not keep shrimp (although I do have a pistol with YWG).

They are my faves for sure.

[DKoKoMan]

I cannot believe the puffers are freshwater lol. They look like they have some awesome personality in the tank.