My 29g Reef - former AP24.

[Nebthet]

Hi I am new to the site and I thought I would share my journey of my first reef tank. It is 20 days old now, but things are happening great.
I received the tank and set everything up on November 7th.

24 gallon aquapod
comes with standard:
- 200gph power head
- 65 watt lighting with atcinics and lunar lights. (upgrading to 130watt coralife power compact with 12,000k, atcinic and moon lights)
- bioballs being removed and replaced with Chemi-pure
- Crushed coral subtrate (came with it from Jimskoi)
- 17.5lb Cured premium Fiji Live Rock transported home in bucket with water.
- 3 small mushroom heads from Jim.
- Koralia 1 400gph powerhead.. in the mail on it's way.



24hrs later:
So far my reading have been extraordinarily good. At first I thought I was doing them wrong so I did the reference check and they came back right and so I redid my tests 3 times and they came back the same.

PH: 8.3
Salinity: 1.225
Alkalinity: 4 meq/L
Ammonia: free = 0.05, total = 0.1 (after the 30min wait)
Nitate: 1.5
Nitrite: 0





Nov. 10th: The white pods and diatoms appear.
Nov.11th: Feather dusters appear.



Nov. 12th Parameters:
PH: 8.2
Salinity: 1.225
Alkalinity: 4.5 meq/L
Ammonia: free = 0, total = 0.05 (after the 30min wait)
Nitate: 0.1
Nitrite: 0



Nov 19th: Added CUC, Hammer Coral and Xenia frag on shell.



Nov. 20th Parameters:
PH: 8.3
Salinity: 1.223
Alkalinity: 4.5 meq/L
Ammonia: free = 0, total = 0.07 (after the 30min wait)
Nitate: 0.15
Nitrite: 0




Nov. 26th Parameters:
PH: 8.3
Salinity: 1.223
Alkalinity: 4 meq/L
Ammonia: free = 0, total = 0.05 (after the 30min wait)
Nitate: 0.1
Nitrite: 0

Hammer (I purchased as a frag for $20) is very happy now and loves flowing all over during the day.




Xenia Coral obviously growing and has now split into 3 stalks.




Here is an idea that I have for the future of the tank... many months down the road. I don't plan on placing fish in the tank until the third month in.




- Acropora at the top, only a couple of those.
- Back left GSP, to grow out and train to grow on the back of the tank.
- Back Left top on hammer skeleton a small torch frag.
- Front left, sponge on it own, and on the rock some Zoa's.
- Middle a crocea clam as long as it gets good light. Will double check on that one once I get the upgraded lighting done.
- Front right, Bubble Tipped Anemone (Hoping it likes the spot)
- Back right, Toadstool.
- Front middle right on rocks, sun coral, above that back further candy canes, to the left of that Duncans, and a Monti Cap just behind the sun corals to block the light for them.

Let me know what you think.