Cali Kid Corals

New to Forum (Kinda)

Greetings Bay Area Reefers. My name is Joel and while signed up on these forums a year ago I never posted or commented so here goes.
Last March I got back into the hobby last year after almost 2 decades. I had fish since I was a kid from goldfish in a bowl up to 150 gallons I always had some tank going. Eventually, in High school, I picked up my first saltwater setup along with the old Martin A. Moe classic "The Marine Aquarium Handbook: Beginner to Breeder", which I read cover to cover over and over. After a year or so I spent so much time in the local shop I got a job running the salt water system. And spent most of the money on employee discounted upgrades and livestock. I progressed from basic rock and fish only to live rock and coral shortly after. I started propagating a few corals and bringing them back to the shop. Eventually, I had to move and a fish tank was not possible at the time so I ended up giving mine all away.
One thing led to another, I started a family and a few years back we got a freshwater tank for the kids. This got them interested and when we would go to the Monterey Bay Aquarium they would ask about all the reef fish in the upstairs kid's area. It started my itching for a reef setup again and a lot has changed since then. I got my feet wet again with a simple all in one, the Fluval Evo 13.5. The tank was almost totally wiped out with a heatwave upsetting the livestock and then velvet taking out the fish. I had no quarantine tank to treat in so I used "reef safe" treatments. The fish died and a few corals did not make it.
I added the Chill solutions Thermoelectric cooler and heat was no longer an issue. and the tank was without fish and a bit neglected for about 9 months.
Then last month I decided it was time to get over the tank losses and get back to it. I removed the Fluval skimmer and put the InTank media baskets in Chambers one and two. Floss, Chemipure blue nano and carbon in chamber one and added a tiny fuge in the chamber 2 basket with the bio media below the basket in chamber 2 and the IM ChaetoMax. I also added a reef controller to control my lights on a schedule that is better than my memory to turn it off and on. Finally, I added a pair of clowns and two emerald crabs.
Here is the tank as of now. It's a little messy and the rockwork is still being re-arranged. It's a work in progress.
Tnn1pdg.jpg


My wife said she wants to upgrade to a 50-150 Gallon Red Sea in the next year. Worst case I guess this one can become the quarantine tank then.
 
Welcome! Looking forward to seeing that upgrade!
Me Too.
Welcome very cool looking clowns!
Thanks.
Cool lookin clown fish! i love how the colors just on the fins.
Yeah, I really liked them. They are Wyoming whites and I loved their color. You can't see it well in the photo but the edges of the white have an iridescent blue color that really made me have to pick them up.
you can kinda see it here but it is clearer in person.
Welcome! You are fortunate that your wife is on board with the upgrade
I am indeed. She is also the one who thought the 42"LCD looked too small once mounted on the wall and that we should definitely replace it with a 65".
 
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