exsequor
New member
So I was out of the hobby since 2009. My last tank was a 6.5 gallon nano reef. Before that I ran a 75 FOWLR and a 37 FOWLR.
Anyways I'm excited to be back in the hobby. I was 12 years old when I first set up my 37 FOWLR. I'm 27 now and being in the hobby is a lot different now.
Before it took a big financial sacrifice to start and run a tank. Now it's not so big deal. In fact I've got 3 reefs going at once now, and I just got back into the hobby in July so the bug has bit me haha.
Anyway's the Spec V is running an updated return pump (96 GPH return) and a 80 GPH corner powerhead with a 100 watt very accurate italian heater.
I keep the temps at 80, salinity 1.026, and Nitrates have been around 40 - 60ppm.
I started out with the stock lighting, and upgraded it by adding a 465nm blue 3.7 watt LED strip and a "Cool white" 3.7 watt LED strip, I siliconed them to the original light, and daisy chained them and run them off the same dimmer.
If you include the 1.7 watts of the stock lighting, I'm technically running about 9.1 watts with 5.5 gallon capacity.
The tank has 20 pounds of caribsea live sand and 15-20 pounds of live rock.
I am running GSP, Kenya Tree, Xenia, Shrooms, Featherduster, 4 hermits, 2 snails, false percula clown, and a few types of Zoa along with two corals I don't know the names for (one looks like a brain, and one has bubbly green polyps).
I'll keep everyone updated on how things progress. Most major problem so far happened last week when our purple dottyback got caught under an 8 pound rock because of a slight rock fall. It didn't crush him/her to death, but a few mornings later I found her in a hiding hole, dead, so I'm assuming the blow eventually killed it.
Tested levels and they were all good except nitrates which were at 60ppm. Haven't been able, yet, to get the levels back down to the 20ppm they were at, but I think they will go down eventually. Can't change too much water too much too fast, afterall. It seems to have had an effect on my false percula clownfish. He is always a great eater, but has had phases in the past where he will go up to a week where he just doesnt seem as interested in food and just doesnt seem to eat nearly as much. Well he's doing that this week. Before miss dottyback died, they were both eating great like normal. I'm thinking as the nitrates settle, or as the clownfish's natural metabolism kicks back in, he'll start eating like "normal" again.
I am no expert and am learning something new everyday.
Anyways I'm excited to be back in the hobby. I was 12 years old when I first set up my 37 FOWLR. I'm 27 now and being in the hobby is a lot different now.
Before it took a big financial sacrifice to start and run a tank. Now it's not so big deal. In fact I've got 3 reefs going at once now, and I just got back into the hobby in July so the bug has bit me haha.
Anyway's the Spec V is running an updated return pump (96 GPH return) and a 80 GPH corner powerhead with a 100 watt very accurate italian heater.
I keep the temps at 80, salinity 1.026, and Nitrates have been around 40 - 60ppm.
I started out with the stock lighting, and upgraded it by adding a 465nm blue 3.7 watt LED strip and a "Cool white" 3.7 watt LED strip, I siliconed them to the original light, and daisy chained them and run them off the same dimmer.
If you include the 1.7 watts of the stock lighting, I'm technically running about 9.1 watts with 5.5 gallon capacity.
The tank has 20 pounds of caribsea live sand and 15-20 pounds of live rock.
I am running GSP, Kenya Tree, Xenia, Shrooms, Featherduster, 4 hermits, 2 snails, false percula clown, and a few types of Zoa along with two corals I don't know the names for (one looks like a brain, and one has bubbly green polyps).
I'll keep everyone updated on how things progress. Most major problem so far happened last week when our purple dottyback got caught under an 8 pound rock because of a slight rock fall. It didn't crush him/her to death, but a few mornings later I found her in a hiding hole, dead, so I'm assuming the blow eventually killed it.
Tested levels and they were all good except nitrates which were at 60ppm. Haven't been able, yet, to get the levels back down to the 20ppm they were at, but I think they will go down eventually. Can't change too much water too much too fast, afterall. It seems to have had an effect on my false percula clownfish. He is always a great eater, but has had phases in the past where he will go up to a week where he just doesnt seem as interested in food and just doesnt seem to eat nearly as much. Well he's doing that this week. Before miss dottyback died, they were both eating great like normal. I'm thinking as the nitrates settle, or as the clownfish's natural metabolism kicks back in, he'll start eating like "normal" again.
I am no expert and am learning something new everyday.
