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48x24x16 Rimless Reef ready build...it has begun!!!

Throwing this out there for advice. I am to the point that I think I might have room for one more fish. MIGHT. Plenty of room in the 48x24x16 and probably a total water volume (including sump of 85-90 gallons) My current stocking is as follows:

  • Fire Shrimp
  • Coral Banded Shrimp
  • Tiger Pistol Shrimp
  • Flame Hawk
  • 3 Clowns
    • Probably should have stuck with 2 but I loved the baby black storm and it was an impulse buy
  • Tail Spot Blenny
  • Yellow Watchman Goby
  • 6 Line Wrasse
  • Coral Beauty
  • Hi Fin banded goby
    • Thought this one died or I wouldnt have bought the YWG. Then he showed back up one day. Lives in same borrow as the pistol and YWG
  • Emerald Crab
  • general clean up crew of assorted hermits and snails
All of my current friends are rock dwellers...swimming in and out of the rocks and caverns. Would really love an active fish that swims freely in the upper regions of the tank. Was contemplating a Naoko Wrasse but have not been able to find one anywhere. I have contemplated tangs but would be afraid of the tang police if I ever did. Any thoughts / recommendations?
 
As long as it is not like this:

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Trio91

Administrator
Staff member
Moderator
A tang could work, maybe like a kole tang as they stay on the smaller side for the most part...but I wouldn't do more than 1.
 
It has been a while. I have had a very unhappy month. Twice in September I had a near tank crash. In the beginning of September, I had a nitrate and phosphate bottoming out and a major dino outbreak. Did my three day black out, dosed Microbacter7 and thought I got things under control. Lost a couple of montipora but nothing that really caused me to go crazy. Then at the end of September, I had a couple of things happened. I was talking with my buddy on R2R and he was talking about high Alk, High Par and low nutrients causing SPS skeletons to outgrow the flesh resulting in burnt tips. Wouldn't you know it...i had the exact same thing happening. As such, I turned my G5 Radion Xr15s on AB+ down from 70% to 40%. At the same time, I went down to Florida to see my brother and left my wife in charge. To limit he need to be super involved, i put a lid on the tank to limit evaporation. Unfortunately, I dose nitrates and phosphates through my ATO. Yup...nutrients bottomed out AGAIN. Dinos and Cyano came back with a vengeance when I came home. I could already see a number of my named SPS going through RTN. Again went through a black out, dosing microbacter7 and tried to bring my nutrients back up. Unfortunately, the RTN hit me hard. Lost a JF homewrecker, Bill Murrary, ASD Rainbow Millie, RMF Break out your Wallet Millie just to name a few of the SPS I lost. Everything was going so well, good growth, good encrusting then BANG. In total, easily lost over $1,000 in SPS in September.

Needless to say, I am still licking my wounds and debating on my path forward. Although I have successfully kept SPS in the past and was doing so now...to lose this much in such a short period of time for such a small oversight really has me debating if I am cut out for SPS. I might just stick with LPS and softies. Very much a shame given the investment I made in lighting, dosing and pumps to support an SPS tank. Anyway, just wallowing in self pity. As my tank continues to recover from the last outbreak, going to take my time and do some self reflection on where I go from here.

Edit: And to top it off, I apparently did a poor dip job and have an outbreak of medusa worms. JOY!!!

:grief: :(:mad:
 
Last edited:

john90009

NJRC Member
I know it sucks , I have gone through a tank crash as well when. My tank I grew the frags from quarter inch nubs into 8 year old colonies. It is rough but you just learn from it , let the tank re adjust and get back to normal and then rebuild. You know if you stick to softies and nice lps you are going to start dabbling in a few sps at a point lol.
 

amado

Dal
Staff member
Board of Directors
NJRC Member
I would say in my Expirience 90% of the problem with corals Are with 10% of the hard sps. my tank now I only have Easy LPS and soft corals I have a few splash of sps
But I focus mainly on LPS.

The vendors and LFS love pushing SPS but in reality
LPS are much more forgiving and are easy to replace.
 

MadReefer

Staff member
NJRC Member
Moderator
I would say in my Expirience 90% of the problem with corals Are with 10% of the hard sps. my tank now I only have Easy LPS and soft corals I have a few splash of sps
But I focus mainly on LPS.

The vendors and LFS love pushing SPS but in reality
LPS are much more forgiving and are easy to replace.
Agree 100%.
 

amado

Dal
Staff member
Board of Directors
NJRC Member
I find it funny that Ryan from BRS.
That has sold high ends products in the quest to grow SPS
When he is setting up his dream tank he is making it a
LPS tank. What happened to wall to wall SPS tanks they
Are always promoting
 
Keeping sps brings a lot of headaches attached.
But it’s also rewarding when you see them starting to do anything even encrusting!
In the last month and a half I lost
2 WD
2 cherry bumb
And one Pink Floyd I think!
It’s just part of the learning curve
You will forget this sooner than that you think!!
Good luck buddy
 
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