hey all..im a long-time reefer but very low-tech so Im quite hesitant to even post..but i figure what the hell Ill never get support and answers if i remain silent 
. The story is, I inherited this tank when a friend of mine got divorced, and her hubby left and abandoned his 55 gallon reef in their empty home. When I got it( i had to tear it down, move it, etc.), it was half evaporated, and the water was dark green. Ide kept freshwater tanks for years but knew next to nothing about reefkeeping. I still bear a large scar on my right forearm from a cut sustained from a dead coral..i couldnt see what i was dealing with in that murky water..it was SO nice having to keep working in that saltwater with that big cut on my arm BTW lol. When I got water in it( i used tap and red sea mix), i discovered a motley collection of corals and fish, mostly pacific but all kinds, with different needs i discovered. Many of the fish died soon after or were already dead.. although i still have the clownfish who was in the tank(Clyde). many of the corals lived for years and died off gradually because of my lack of experience and...cash basically. Ive only relatively discovered the necessity of keeping my chems right and lugging jugs of Ro home from the fish store..which Im doing religiously now..and things are getting better. My rock is acting like its a brand new tank and is growing me some hair algae..buts that beginning to die off in a record time of 3 weeks.
Most humbly do I post what im 'running' lol:
20 gallon tank
150 pounds of LR which Ive had in a 55 for over 10 years and recently moved to the small tank.
'aquaclear 300'..lol for water movement mostly and a couple of times Ive thrown some nitrazorb in there for my recurring nitrate issue.
2 power-glos and one marine-glo (Im still using traditional hood strips like that come with a tank from the store
4 powerheads, two behind the rock at the base, and 2 at the front of the reef, i get a lot of circulation.
Cheap CHEAP direct current skimmer(hagen)... barely does the job..i like to pretend Im running a berlin system lol.
I have a deep gravel bed- 3 inches in some spots and im using aragonite(lovely dark gray stuff I know nothing about)
'clyde'-15 year old(atleast) percula clown
'tinkerbelle' yellowtail damsel
1 lysmata amboininsis
3 pyramid turbos
2 blue legged hermits, 1 yellow
Sea mat
green clavularia
small candy coral(new)
and yes im COVERED in green striped mushrooms
Im saving for some power compacts..and im patiently waiting for a red-lipped blenny to show up in my fish store.
Its not as bad as it sounds, i have pictures hehe:
. The story is, I inherited this tank when a friend of mine got divorced, and her hubby left and abandoned his 55 gallon reef in their empty home. When I got it( i had to tear it down, move it, etc.), it was half evaporated, and the water was dark green. Ide kept freshwater tanks for years but knew next to nothing about reefkeeping. I still bear a large scar on my right forearm from a cut sustained from a dead coral..i couldnt see what i was dealing with in that murky water..it was SO nice having to keep working in that saltwater with that big cut on my arm BTW lol. When I got water in it( i used tap and red sea mix), i discovered a motley collection of corals and fish, mostly pacific but all kinds, with different needs i discovered. Many of the fish died soon after or were already dead.. although i still have the clownfish who was in the tank(Clyde). many of the corals lived for years and died off gradually because of my lack of experience and...cash basically. Ive only relatively discovered the necessity of keeping my chems right and lugging jugs of Ro home from the fish store..which Im doing religiously now..and things are getting better. My rock is acting like its a brand new tank and is growing me some hair algae..buts that beginning to die off in a record time of 3 weeks.Most humbly do I post what im 'running' lol:
20 gallon tank
150 pounds of LR which Ive had in a 55 for over 10 years and recently moved to the small tank.
'aquaclear 300'..lol for water movement mostly and a couple of times Ive thrown some nitrazorb in there for my recurring nitrate issue.
2 power-glos and one marine-glo (Im still using traditional hood strips like that come with a tank from the store
4 powerheads, two behind the rock at the base, and 2 at the front of the reef, i get a lot of circulation.
Cheap CHEAP direct current skimmer(hagen)... barely does the job..i like to pretend Im running a berlin system lol.
I have a deep gravel bed- 3 inches in some spots and im using aragonite(lovely dark gray stuff I know nothing about)
'clyde'-15 year old(atleast) percula clown
'tinkerbelle' yellowtail damsel
1 lysmata amboininsis
3 pyramid turbos
2 blue legged hermits, 1 yellow
Sea mat
green clavularia
small candy coral(new)
and yes im COVERED in green striped mushrooms
Im saving for some power compacts..and im patiently waiting for a red-lipped blenny to show up in my fish store.
Its not as bad as it sounds, i have pictures hehe:
