1st tank two months in!

Just finished aquascaping with my REEF CLEANERS rocks awesome, awesome awesome! Let me know what you guys think, I think I finally decided on a design that I like!

Now onto gathering more information about sumps! That is the next project!

 

The scape is alright, but IMO, it looks kind of like a wall.

ahh, is the tank tempered on the sides? You shoulda' drilled it for an overflow. Oh well you could always buy an overflow box with a U tube.

Reef Aquarium Filtration: Eshopps Overflow Boxes

 

Seano- most of what you said sounds foreign to me as I'm new at this...So this box would eliminate the need to drill, transferring the water from the tank down to the sump?

 

Looks good but that seems like a lot of fish for two month old tank. What did you use to cycle it? How much live rock did you use?

 

+1 with Spotter. Did you use LR to seed the base/other rock? I am new to this also as I have yet to put H2O in my tank. Long process! I have been researching for almost a month now. I did however learn and performed my own plumbing and had my 72G bowfront drilled. Got a Megaflow model 2 sump and have since modded it for a fuge and in sump skimmer. Now I am trying to grasp the whole cycling timeframe on saltwater. Anyhoot, congrats on your tank and hope it turns out as you desire. Welcome!

 

+1 to what spotter said about stocking fish.

Did you have sand and then take it out?

yes the overflow box removes the need to drill the tank. The Eshopps ones work with a siphon,using the 'u-tube' & will not break siphon' or run dry. Which is good. Eshopps also uses the baffle you see in the one I showed you(see link). This baffles helps to keep away the gurgling sund you may get from some other OF boxes.

 

Looks good

 

The tank was cycled with dead shrimp. Temp was raised to around 84-85 degrees, around four days after this both ammonia and nitrites spiked, as well as nitrates began showing on tests. About a week and a half later ammonia and nitrites dropped to zero ppm. That's when the Clowns were added as I had read that once ammonia and nitrites were zero ppm the tank would be fully cycled. The tank has about 30 lbs of live rock with around 50 lbs of base rock.

Was this done wrong? I tried gathering as much info from 3reef as I could as my LFS knows close to what I do.

 

I like it Matt
but with 2 comments

the large rock on the left side being sloping like that - it may be Ok depending on your coral selection - but IMO another rock placed under that one to create another cave and a flattish rock to place corals on would be ideal

other than that - did you turn your water flow off to take images?
becuase the surface looks a bit calm to me and there is a scum/ white film of protiens building up which affects gas exchange and cuts down on light etc - more sureface ripple would be ideal IMO

Steve

 

Steve, yes, the rock on the right does need some better placing, paychecks come tomorrow and I'll be heading to my LFS to find some usable pieces that would provide a more feasible area for corals!

As for the water surface water circulation, I have noticed that over the past week or so; I guess having an HOB mechanical pump lessens the surface water circulation? What ways can that be increased? I'm new at this! Ha

Thanks in advance