Smileys Reef

[Smiley1]

So heres my deal. I My beginning adventures landed me into a job with a well known aquarium pharmaceutical company a while back. I had no clue about aquariums but I always loved fish. So in my office I had this tank with the craziest filtration system(pic #1). I intrigued me hardcore. So while I worked there, I learned some crazy stuff as well as learned how to manufacture $20 medications to save a $1 fish. I also learned that Nemo can't survive in a fresh water tank.
Then one day, I had to move back home due to various reasons and landed a job doing reef care and aquarium maintenance. I learned the ins and outs of aquarium systems, the equipment used, and how to assemble it all. I also learned how to maintain a reef and keep it alive. This all got me into the chance of having my own aquarium system.
Like most people, I was on a budget and couldnt afford much so I started myself out with a 55 gallon fresh water tank. I raised a pair of Jack Dempseys and managed to keep them alive and allow them to breed like rabbits. Had a new batch of fry every 5 weeks. It was awesome but still not quite what I wanted. A friend of mine had this HUGE reef tank that made me dream like no tomorrow(pic #2).
So in Feb 08 my wife landed a job with the USDA which made us pack up and move to sunny freakin California. I brought my 55g with me in hopes to maybe build myself a small reef. The wife was paranoid about earthquakes so I had to attach my tank to the wall somehow so it wouldnt fall over on our 9 month old daughter. So after months of trying to figure it all out, I decided to start to put together my set up. My stand could hold 2 55 g tanks so it was a perfect idea of having a 55g DT with a 55g sump. I had 2 emperor 400 filters, 3 heaters, a few maxi jets, a submersible quiet one pump, and an old red sea berlin PS. I also had 2 coralife 65w pcs. Somewhere along the line I decide to make due with just my 1 emperor and the lights to get a reef started. The idea of having a sump was put to a quick end by my daughter deciding that it should be her toybox. So until she gets a little older, I will have to make due with what I got. Also since Cali seems to be very expensive, and my job is watching my daughter, I have no income except for the $30/month allowance my wife gives me. So heres the pics and ill add more as I can afford more.

[Smiley1]

Right now as it sits, the contents are:

60# Carib LS
30# LR
3 broken clay pots
2 Blue Devils
1 Yellow Tail Damsel
1 6-Line Wrasse
2 Peppermint Shrimp
1 Gorilla Crab
1 Serpent Star
?? Astrea Snails
10 Nassarius Snails
15 Dwarf Blue Leg Hermits
5 Cerith Snails
2 Emerald Crabs
Duncan coral
4 Green Zoa Polyps
1 Crazy Zoa polyp
Kenya Tree
Purple Shrooms
Strawberry Shrooms
Some green plant thing.

[Smiley1]

Wish List:

48" Light Fixture with moon lights
some plumbing
something to keep my mini reef lover out of the sump
50# LR
new powerheads
overflow box
and one of those blue spot jawfishes cuz I have been reading about Lynns pair.

[yungreefer2410]

i would seggest a 48'' t5 fixture

[Smiley1]

Someone told me that Nova had the best 48" T5 fixtures for the money. Is this still true?

[SeahorseBT]

The tanks both look good.

[jbob]

i have a 36" nova extreme pro and i have no complaints. the factory bulbs aren't the best but they work fine untill they get old ,then just buy better bulbs. good luck

[jbob]

only thing it doesn't have that you want is moon lights

[Dentoid]

Good start. I hope santa is good to you this year!

$30.00/month? I hope you don't smoke!

[Smiley1]

nope... quit that habit almost 2 years ago before my daughter was born. I used to spend $150/month on that habit.

[yungreefer2410]

good job quiting

[ReefGuy69]

Hey nice looking tank. i love to follow those fellows reefers with 55 gal setups. i think they are the perfect size. not to big but not to small. Wow $30 per month... i did some hard thinking. I couldnt do $30 per week. So hats off to you for self control. And if you need me to chat with the wife to see if she can slip you some more.. im more then happy to..... Cuz if all goes bad. im here in Chilly NY.

[Smiley1]

eh $30 isnt bad. Gives me a good size water change once a month and a frag if I can find one I can have under my lights. Everything the LFS carries is sps, clams, and a few mushrooms. Kinda sucks really.

[Smiley1]

new pic.. added multi-colored frogspawn, candy canes, cheato, frag tray, more snails, gsp, xenia, and 2 pc fixtures (pic only shows one)

Still waiting on new lighting and overflow which will be after Christmas so I can get my sump running.

[yungreefer2410]

lol fuge on one side corals on the other.....nice tank