[eskymick]

This is my first ever post on a site, so please bear with me.

I'm beginning a process of converting my FOWL 35gallon AGA hex to a mini-reef system. I'll summarize my plans and then plead for your advice, comments and/or criticisms.

Current Specs:

35 gallon AGA Hex (set up for 6 years as FOWLR)
2-3" crushed coral bed
Fluval 303 canister filter (running empty)
Two oversized powerheads (getting more than 20x turnover/hour)
50# live rock and base rock (all but 3# have been in the tank for 6 years)
1 - 55 watt Power Compact
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Ph 8.1
Temp 81 degrees
SG 1.025
This tank has NEVER been medicated:


Livestock:

1 - Ocellaris clown 2.5" (3 years in tank)
8 - Misc snails
2 - Scarlet hermit crabs
I feed very lightly (flake food). The clown gets one flake at a time .. no uneaten food ever reaches the bottom. He's so tame he eats out of my fingers.

Here is my plan for conversion to a mini-reef:

1. Upgrade the lighting to a 250 watt 14kMH pendant.
2. Leave the power heads and Fluval in place.
3. In the Fluval I will run only carbon (replacing ever other week)
4. Do weekly 20% water changes.
5. Keep fish livestock to a minimum. I may add another (small) Ocellaris and perhaps a blenny or goby.
6. I want to stay away from mushrooms and most leathers, and instread have a few LPS specimins (mid tank) and a few SPS "show" pieces (at the top).

Here are a couple of pics of my LR pile:




As you can see, the base rock is covered in a moss-like growth of dark green algea. It is not unattractive or even invasive, and it has been this way for years. The undersides of the base rocks are populated with calcerous, red tube feather dusters (see pic above).

My number one question. Is this kind of algea a problem? Will it decline with improved lighting? Should I leave it? Should I start over?

I ask your advice and comments on my plans You are the experts.

Thanks in advance ..

P.S. I'm sticking with the Fluval and carbon for the time being. I want to see if light feeding, regular water changes and low population will work at keeping nitrates at zero. Plan B is to add a skimmer if the cannister method doesn't work out.
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[almostdiva]

eskymick,

You are going to WANT a skimmer if you plan to keep SPS, I think. Even if you feed your fish lightly. The corals will exude stuff (chemicals) you want to pull out of the water column... My recommendation is the Aqua C Remora with the mag pump upgrade . It's like $160 online.

Rebecca

[BubbaWPB]

The moss like stuff... if it's not invasive, I wouldn't worry about it, especially if it has been there for several years.

[Reefland]

Agree with the above 2 comments and will add a little bit more to the skimmer recommendation. Other than that, it sounds like you have a healthy tank and a good plan.

Oh and by the way,

[eskymick]

Thanks for the input. I've already begin looking at skimmers, and I realize the Remora is the best.

As for lighting, I'm leaning toward a CoralVue 250w MH 14k pendant. I may just order that this coming week.

I was concerned about the algae, but I guess I should realize that in 6 years time something would colonize the base rock. My greatest fear is to be overrun with pea soup green hair algae.

I was considering replenishing the pod population in the tank. Does that sound like a reasonable idea?

[Reefland]

It's definitely not a bad idea, but only you can tell if it is necessary. In regards to the lighting, there are some great deals to be found on our sponsors page for lighting setups. There are a lot of bulb options; I personally have never used the Coralvue. However I am not using a Phoenix 14k and it is not what I expected, although nice. It is very blue, just like the 20k's I have used in the past.

[eskymick]

Thanks again for your input, Reefland. There are so many lighting options that it's hard to know what to choose. I see good and bad reviews about nearly everything. No matter what bulb I get, it'll last no longer than a year. If I don't like it by that time, I'm sure I'll have read about another interesting possibility to replace it with.

Like you, I'm leaning toward a 14k bulb because I don't want one that's too blue (20k), and I'm not so sure I'd want something so white as a 10k either. It's nice to have some actinic suppliment, but the trouble with a hex is that it's difficult to put multiple fixtures over it.

btw ... nice website! It's a great help.

[Reefland]

We do not run any actinics on our 75-gallon which is why I have run some bluer bulbs.