There was a change on the lights.  I got a killer deal from a local reefer on a Coralife T5 light.  It is 10,000k instead of 14,000k but I can always change out the lamps later.

I've been shopping for days to find the best deals, and so far I have

An Aquatic Life Twist-in 100 GPD RO/DI system
Seaclone Protein Skimmer for the sump
80 lbs of Nature's Ocean Coral Base Rock
140 lbs of Nature's Ocean Bio-Activ Live Aragonite Reef Sand - Samoa Pink
Your every-day 6500k LED sump light
Sump Return Pump
Two SunSun 800 GPH Power Heads
A Refractometer
300w Heaters
A Return Jed Assembly


I realize that on Saturday when I put this all together, I'll be missing something.  However, that's what I have so far.  I realize I'll need to run to the hardware store after tubing, but I can do that later.

The Future

Here are some things I have in mind for this new tank.

First off, the lighting needs to improve.  The tank came with your every-day fluorescent lighting fixture.  That just won't do!

Lighting :
I'm going with an LED light that has 14,000K daylight and then blue lunar lights on a timer.  I found the perfect light bar on Amazon.  It's funny that my old blog has helped me create the new tank.  I couldn't remember which lights I liked, and I do remember having a set that was too yellow, and another that was too blue, and then I found a post about the 'perfect' lighting of 14,000K.

Clean up Crew:
My local fish store has a clean up crew package that has 40 snails, 40 crabs, and 2 emerald crabs.  I'll start off with those.  When things begin to flourish, I would eventually like to get a horseshoe crab and peppermint shrimp.

Fish:
Yep, it'll be a while before I get any fish.  Some of my 'must haves' are :

• 2 false perculas
• 2 banggai cardinals
• 1 lawnmower blenny
• 1 royal gramma

Inverts:

Some of my 'wanty' list

• Brittle starfish
• Rose bubble tip anemone
• Condy anemone

Coral:

Even longer aware are the corals.  I won't be doing LPS or SPS for a while, if ever.  I know I won't do SPS again because I won't mess with metal halide lighting.  I hated those and the electric bill they came with.  I prefer soft, flowing coral.

• Lots of mushrooms
• Frogspawn
• Zooanthids
• Green Star Rock
• Kenya Tree
• Xenia

The Tank

This time around.  I'm going with a 150 gallon tank and 40 gallon sump.  I already have the tank, which has been drilled twice with 1" bulkheads.  I have the back of the tank painted solid black with a black oil-based paint.  The old tank had latex paint and it beaded up when I painted, so I never got a solid color.  This oil-based paint looks amazing!

The bulkheads have strainers on them to keep fish out of the sump.

In the bottom of the 150 gallon tank, I have made a platform out of PVC pipe and fluorescent light grate.  I had one of those in my old 90 and I loved it!  It gives inhabitants a nice cave, plus it saves on rock by building up a little bit.  Once I get the silicone in, I'll glue the grate to the PVC using silicone.

It has a basic black stand, which will house the sump.

The 40 gallon breeder tank (which I bought used for $40) will eventually have baffles separate it into 3 compartments.  I have a protein skimmer and return pump ordered.

Returning

Hello all!

I took an 8 year reef tank hiatus.  First off, I got rid of my old tank for numerous issues.  When I set up my old tank, I went cheap on absolutely everything!  The rocks came out of the Utah desert.  The sand came from a bucket that'd been in someones garage for years.  Nothing was done correctly.  I caved to peer pressure and moved from a 90 to a 120 gallon, and nothing ever survived in it for long.  Even with metal halide lighting, I couldn't keep coral alive.  It go to frustrating that I sold it off.

Now?  Now I have a bigger house and the PERFECT spot for a new tank.  I'm going in a completely different direction.  The tank is going to have real live sand put into it, live rocks, and it's bigger and better than before.  This old blog has helped me a ton.  I'm old enough that I've forgotten a lot of things I did.  Some I liked and will replicate, and some I hated and won't do.  I'll try to detail this new journey.

It LIIIIIIVES

Geeeeesh, creeeepy! My beloved tongue coral that I nursed back from the brink of death, my favorite coral that flows so softly in the current... it is a MONSTER! I dropped a piece of scallop in it's tentacles and.. no kidding.. a MOUTH appeared! It has a huge, gaping, mouth and it devoured the scallop and now has a bulge. o.O

Figured I'd share a picture of it's creeeepy mouth.

Updates

It's been a few months so here are some updated pictures.

Right side of my tank



Left side...


My torch, it hasn't grown much and I don't know enough about them to know if it's doing well or not.



My tongue has put on an inch over the last month! The skeleton is still there, not sure if it'll re-cover that spot but it's growing well.



One of my sponges, it's slightly bigger than a silver dollar.


Mushroom Rock



This is my RBTA, it's usually bigger but he crammed into a crevice. My clowns got a divorce... or one snores... one sleeps in the RBTA and one in the Condy.


GSP Rock



Green fuzzy mushroom


Frogspawn


Digita, a lot of it died off when I first got it but it's recovering slowly.



My condy and it's hosting clown.


Purple clam, he's planted his foot up against the front glass


My candy canes recently split again.


This is one of the baby Bangaii's, they are growing fast!


I think this is an Acro, it's never grown, never dies, just glows green in it's spot.

Hosted!

I thought I'd be nice and buy my little clownfish an anemone that's native to their part of the ocean and preferred by wild ocellaris clowns, I even made sure it was a gorgeous red and orange bubble tip, one that almost glows under the lighting... then what do they do?? They host the condy. ONLY in my tank!