My ( first salt water) 75 Gallon build

Tomorrow will make the 5 month mark for my tank.... I can no longer see changes daily now( some good some scary)...I've had minor bouts with cyno... green hair and nitrate spikes ( never over 20ppm).. all that I expected after researching the subject, but not nearly as bad as what I have seen some people go through... things have stabilized and I'm beginning grow some coralline algae. hair algae has been reduced to a few tufts here and there... now being fought over by my lawn mower blenny and my emerald crab( not really it's an exaggerating to explain how little is left).. this week when I did my water change it was the first time in 2 months that I did not need to scrape algae from the sides and front of the tank ( I leave the back glass as fodder for the critters) I've learned so much in 5 months about keeping a marine environment.. it is far more demanding ( for now anyway) than any of my fresh water tanks are ( or have been) but I'm thinking as my tank ( and sump/refugium )mature that in another 6 months or so it will only need minor help from me (small water changes and monitoring of the parameters).. my garden has been planted... I'm going to let it grow now... there will be no new additions until I see several months of growth.. on that subject...my toad stool leather has spawned 2 daughter colonies... my clove polyps ( one of my first acquisitions) have spread to the surrounding rock.. my maze coral has grown a new segment... my relentless stocking of 'pods allows for some interesting viewing an hour or so after the lights go out.. despite constant predation by my mandarin and Diamond watch gobie.. ... I cant believe the night life in that tank in such a short time...

 

6 month update... I've added a few LPS and mushrooms since my last post...rearranged the tank (again) fought with a little algae and cyno but all in alI like the way things are looking.. as per my post in the emergency thread.. I have a small leak.. so I must break down the tank and replace it ( Marineland has come to terms with me).. I'm going to replace the tank and stand ( which was damaged) and rebuild the stand and re-seal the tank..I'm sure I'll find use for it...

 

I'd go with a blue background. You'll thank me later.

Btw, tank looks good

 

I'm going to paint this one... BLUE...

I almost forgot my favorite picture...Mandy on the hunt...she's trained to the turkey baster as well ( as are all my fish and peppermint shrimp) she loves newly hatched brine shrimp but will take frozen brine and frozen red worms...