Exsequor's 45 gallon (mostly) soft coral reef tank (NO SUMP - ALL HOB)

[exsequor]

Purchased the tank December 10th, brand new from Petsmart on sale including stand and top and strip light for $168 including tax.

My 2 year old watching the tank get filled with salt water for the first time

Leila check's out the 45 gallons first rocks and livestock

Stock strip light that came with tank (used during cycle / when accumulating the better gear)

Ten days later the 120 watt dimmable reef LED arrives and also the current makers

Hung light with command strips (thanks rental house!)

120 Watt LED Plugged in and lit up

First hanging of light before deciding to center it

 

[exsequor]

Added 6" Starry Blenny aka Bubba:

Early Rock and Coral

The Beginning of AQUASCAPING the wall (added 50 pounds of dry, "dead" ocean rock, which I paid $.94 a pound for including shipping). I originally added it to around 15-20 pounds of live rock

Ordered in a Skimmer:

Skimmer hooked up HOB style:

Massive Polyp Rock I acquired for $45 including tax thanks to my great LFS

Added a 10 gallon, 4 stage, 1200 L/hr canister filter with 9 watt UV

Reef tanks 2 month "birthday":

 

[exsequor]

Reef tank at 2 months and 10 days:

Added a very small blue tang, which will be added into a 250 gallon reef being built at one of my companies show rooms within two years:

Reef tank yesterday, at 2 months and 21 days old:

 

[3dees]

nice tank, but you may be going a bit too fast. might want to remove the hippo while you can. tank is way too small for any tang.

 

[exsequor]

I was under the impression based on the previous tangs I've had, that he would take at least two years to grow to that 4-5" size from his current 2.25-2.5" size (I know they reach up to 1' by 4-5 years, from what I know, correct me if I'm wrong). Anyways, I have the tank and the financials to house him properly as he sizes, do you still think it's a problem to house him in there? I have 5 fish in there total including a neon goby.

Also, do you think I'm adding coral too quickly? This is only my 5th reef tank, and my 9th saltwater tank in general. I actually just back into the hobby in June with the start of my Fluval Spec V (which is going well).

I appreciate any input or suggestions, have a nice day.

 

[exsequor]

Tank update 3/4/2016

 

[exsequor]

Tank updtate 3/5/2016

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[exsequor]

Added some cord management today

 

[exsequor]

Update:

Here's a picture of the tank on 3/23/2016

 

[exsequor]

4/26/2016 update / picture update

tank no longer is producing the red algae in the sand bed. Replaced the penguin 350 x4 filter cartridges and found at least 200 visible pods and mysis growing in them, so I am pleased with my pod population for not having a refugium and being all H.O. except my can filter with built in UV.

*knock on wood*.

Been dosing with the 3 part kent marine reef supplement kit, and also feed every week with a high quality phytoplankton I keep in my fridge.

I feed the fish 2-4 times a day, and feed them a large, large variety.

 

[exsequor]

 

[exsequor]

 

[Weene858]

Seems like you have quite a lot of bubbles floating around, or am I mistaken? Great tank nontheless.

 

[jmbmmb27]

nice tank! thanks for sharing

 

[exsequor]

nice tank! thanks for sharing

Thanks and you're welcome...hearing that means a lot! :fish1:

 

[exsequor]

Seems like you have quite a lot of bubbles floating around, or am I mistaken? Great tank nontheless.

They may have been the camera. I did have the canister filter producing air bubbles for a couple weeks there, due to one of the hoses getting a small kink, but I got the kink out and haven't seen any air bubbles come out the return since.

 

[exsequor]

Here's a picture of the 45g as of today 90/29/2016

 

[exsequor]

5/6/2017 Tank Update.








free picture hosting for ebay

 

[Gueeto]

Wow beautiful tank! Thanks for sharing and showing the progress!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[exsequor]

Thanks and you're welcome! I'd like to get more pictures of the progress up on this thread, and also create a complete build thread for my 150 soft reef!