My Newest Reef- 20 Gal build- lots of pics

[Grenade Glass]

I got a free 20 gal tank about 2 weeks ago, I was originally going to use it for poison dart frogs. last weekend I was looking at my 55 gal which at this point only had 1 fish and some zoas, gsp and a few inverts. I have about 60 lbs of live rock, and it just didnt look they way I wanted. there was too much negative space inside the tank, and I was over having large fish (at one time I had a large fox face, lion fish, clowns, puffer, and a few others). So I made my mind to setup the 20 gallon with the stuff I had and start a mixed reef.

So I had a 2x 24watt T5 fixture that fit over this tank and a 48" 2x 65watt PC fixture. I decided the 2x 24" T5 setup wasn't enough light for what I wanted so I took apart the PC fixture and took all of the guts out so I could mount it inside a hood next to the t5's.

didn't get many pictures of the hood being built but you get the idea.

So once the lighting situation was all settled I started adding live stock. I wanted a few small fish that would add a lot of life and color to the tank and I wanted to try a few corals that I never have had before.

 

[Grenade Glass]

First the fish:

I had this tassel file fish in my 55 gallon, he has never bothered any of my zoas but I'm keeping a close eye on him as I've heard that they can nip at some softies.

Then I added 2 pajama cardinals

and a fire fish

and a McCosker's Flasher Wrasse (who is really hard to get a good picture of )

 

[Grenade Glass]

And a spotted mandarin

and last but not least a bi-colored Blenny

 

[Grenade Glass]

On to the corals

I had a few zoas but ive added quite a few color combos and even a single polyp of mary jane that im going to try to grow out. here is how they currently look:

I got a nice cap frag from ABC pets

A toadstool leather

 

[Grenade Glass]

large tube fan

Candy

GSP Colony

and large yuma

the clean up crew consists of about 5 red scarlet hermits, 5 blue legged hermits, 5 zebra hermits, and 3 of a species I dont know.

a mini brittle star that hitchhiked in

about 20 assorted snails and a coral banded shrimp that I got for free from ericdamangus here on URS

 

[Grenade Glass]

I dose purple up, mag, DT's Phytoplankton, and feed once daily. everything seems really happy at this point. i'm thinking about getting an over flow and setting up a sump, but that would be in a week or 2 from now.

 

[dreaminmel]

Very nice! :thumbsup: Love all the pics.

 

[shawna1972]

Nice!

 

[Henry Colf]

:thumbsup: Nice job it bet it'll look sweet when it fills in....

 

[jdoenumber2]

Nice Zoas. I have all of those. Where did you get yours?

 

[Bluephish13]

your xbox is ON. LOL what you playing.

 

[Grenade Glass]

thanks for all of the comments!
joednumber2- mostly from abc pets, Caribbean forest and the reef shop
bluephish- just cause 2

 

[solRNY]

looks great, cant wait to see it grow out

 

[toddmh]

that shot of the hermits is great lol

 

[Grenade Glass]

some new pics, added some euphyllia over the past couple of days, some frog spawn, and a hammer. Hammer had just been put in when pics were taken.

 

[Dave VG]

Nice

 

[Grenade Glass]

The hammer has opened up quite a bit and im worried there might be some contact with the frog spawn. would that cause trouble?

 

[Dave VG]

They should be ok.

 

[superkat]

very very nice.

 

[solRNY]

missing me some frogspawn
nice additions, what does your fts looks like now?