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.

[Parker]

Looks good. I look forward to seeing it grow!

[brizzo]

Very good start! Be aware SPS, Clams, and Anemones won't survive under PC lighting. Though, I did notice you say "Will double check on that one once I get the upgraded lighting done. ", You may want to wait up to a year with a nano before trying any of the above.

[justinl]

Yeah I would not put any SPS (except easy montipora... definitely no acropora), clam or anemone in there. I also get nervous about anemones in small tanks because if they don't like where they are, they'll get up, move and sting everything in their way. Also, you need to very carefully consider whether or not you are willing to feed that sun coral almost every day; I know too many cases where people have bought them and just got fed up with the high maintenance they require.

Your ammonia has to be zero. Also, salinity of 1.225?! I assume you meant 1.025? Are you measuring that with a refractometer?

[Myka]

I agree with the above two, and also be aware that the SPS will be brown without super intense lighting.

[oilfieldsafety]

I have been keeping an unknown Acro and a RBT anemone quite happy for a year now in my 14g biocube with std pc lighting. Although for Christmas they are getting a 90 gallon upgrade.