1st aquascape attempt...

Hi all - here are some pics of my "new to me" FOWLR 90 gallon. It's my 1st attempt at aquascaping, and I'm pretty happy with it so far, but I'd like to get some feedback from the pros. I feel like I need more rock, but I'm not sure where, and I don't want ti to get jammed up. But it seems like all the reef tanks I'm drawn to, are just PACKED with LR and corals...

I have plans to start adding corals and turn it into a reef tank, as well as add more fish. Currently I have a blue hippo tang, 2 perc clowns, a tomato clown, a yellow watchman goby, a Kole tang I just added, and clean up crew of snails, hermits, some cleaner shrimp, a sally lightfoot, a coral banded, a sand sifter star, and a serpent star.

I also added a pic of my sump and "command center", just because I think it's super awesome. My goal was to have no wires or plumbing visible from the display tank, and I'm pretty much there. Everything is hidden and runs through the wall to this area under my workbench. I love it. And yes, everything has drip loops!

Mike

 

looks good!
and welcome to 3reef!!!!!!!

 

Looks great, I would say for a FOWLR tank you are doing fine with what you have. If you were to add I would say on the right side, but definitely do not hide the great piece of branch.

 

Thanks! Any suggestions on what to do to it to turn it into a reef, other than start adding corals?

 

What lighting are you using?

 

I have six 54 W T5s. 2 x 10K, 2 x blue, 2 x 6700. I run the blues for 12 hours/day and the whites 10 hrs/day.

 

And what types of corals do you want?

 

The T5s are good. one thing to think about on your next bulb purchase(not needed now but may help when you really start digging the corals), is those 67k bulbs. they are great at growing algae. of so, maybe adding a cooler white bulb instead of one and another blue ish for the other. Or if u want to keep more of the white base, replace them with 10k bulbs.

EDIT: Also on the next bulb purchase, get a high quality bulb. Dont settle for cheaper ones. They really do make a difference for corals.

 

Cheap and easy to start? I think I want to start with some LPS, and then move into SPS, mostly for cost reasons...

 

That would explain my recent algae problem that I was just going to ask about in the algae forum...Thanks!