MidnightWolf

Temperature Range: 76 - 82 Have Chiller?: No Size of tank: 80gl Lighting (type and wattage): 2x150w HQI + 2x96W actinic Predominant type of corals kept (LPS/SPS/equal): LPS

I've been taking it somewhat slow to build out my tank. My tank's been up for a year now and I want to start moving things along. I'd like to add some additional items but would appreciate your thoughts around the importance of the following type items: 1) UV sterlizer 2) anything else I should consider to maintain a thriving and healthy environment I'm considering adding a Foxface, Blue Throat Trigger, Tiger Wathmen Goby and potentially some Bartlett Anthias. I had considered a midas blenny instead of the goby but am concerned about its tendancy to dig holes. For corals, I'd like to add some pink or hyacinth birdsnest, staghorn and clams as well as some pulsing xenia (last batch slowly disappeared and not sure why) My biggest challenge thus far has been regulating the temperature which I do by continually running a 12" oscillating fan on the sump. I have an 80gl bow front with a 20gl sump and an 8gl refugium (chaeto and a LR only). The sump houses an RS-80 skimmer and an eheim 1262 pump. I use both pipes in the overflow to return water to the sump. The eheim returns the water back to the tank and to the refugium. The refugium then gravity feeds back to the sump. I also have an iwaki MD-40 running a closed loop on 1" pipe. The closed loop is like a manifold buried beneath the sand that has 6 outlets just above the sand pointing upward. For lighting, I have 2x150W HQIs + 2 x96W Actinics and 3 Blue LEDs. I dose the tank manually with calcium and buffer. Livestock: 2 Clowns, 1 Melanarus Wrasse, 1 Kole Tang, 1 Emerald Crab, 1 Coral Banded Shrimp BTA, Multiple Green & Redish Frogspawn, Green Star Polyps, candycane, green & red monitcap, multiple mushrooms, devil's hand, kenyi trees, brain coral, and green sinularia coral, 2 types of zoas. This is my first attempt to load a picture. I had to shrink it to get it below the max upload size. Guess I have some learing to do.

I was aquascaping my new 80 gl tank this evening and found two worms that I think maybe bristle worms - about 3 to 5 inches long. Should I remove them or leave them in the tank? Heard good and bad comments. Will try to post picture tomorrow..

I was aquascaping my new 80 gl tank this evening and found two worms that I think maybe bristle worms - about 3 to 5 inches long. Should I remove them or leave them in the tank? Heard good and bad comments.

This is my second tank. I've been enjoying my 20gl for a little over a year now and am excited about getting this new one running. Everything is plumbed and I am finally ready to fill her up. The tank is an 80gl bowfront I picked up from Fishwife. It has a built in overflow and I am using both the 1" and 3/4" for draining to the sump. The sump has a I have a 22gl sump with an RS100 Euroreef skimmer and a Eheim 1262 for the return. The return comes over the back into outlets at the top and middle of the tank. I also have an Iwaki external pump running a closed loop through a lower manifold. I have a 48"pc light sitting on top. 1) I am in need of LR, preferably large pieces. Anyone know of good places to pick up reasonably priced LR or anyone that is looking to get rid of some? 2) Lighting - I am looking into obtaining either T5s or halides and have not determined which would be the best approach. I understand T5s run cooler and longer. Any suggestions or personal experiences that would assist me in making a decision would be greatly appreciated.

Good day! I am new to the group and fairly new to the saltwater/reef hobby. I've always been interested in keeping a saltwater and tank and was encouraged to pursue my interest last year when given a 20gal tank. I started up the tank in September last year with a basic filter, powerhead, heater and live rock. In October I added a couple yellow-tail damsels and then added a couple Ocellaris Clownfish in November. I was able to maintain good levels and healthy fish and I had a nice growth of coralline algae. In the spring of this year, I added a mushroom and then during this last summer, I added a Xenia which I unfortunately watched suffer. It was only at its demise that I became more aware of the need to test for calcium. During the summer I also noticed an outbreak of red slime algae and decided it was time to invest in a skimmer. Now that the skimmer is running and I've kept up on water changes, I have been able to maintain a healthy Kenyi tree that is spreading all over the tank, a leather finger and a leather coral. All this said to say that I am fascinated with the craft and the time spend just watching underwater life and have decided to expand. I now have an 80 gal. bowfront awaiting decisions on a filtration system. Since all I have known is hang-ons, I've been reading up and am leaning toward a refugium/sump or ecosystem. Have any of you used the ecosystem (miracle mud and no protein skimmers)? What things would you suggest I consider? I am concerned with either approach as space under the tank is limited to probably a 30x12 tank - is this a large enough space for a refugium/sump to actually work?