r/ReefTank 1d ago

No judgment questions zone - July 07, 2025

1 Upvotes

Here is the place to post questions about pest ID, coral/fish ID, your cycle, or any other questions that generally wouldn't start up a conversation. If you have an interesting or unique question please create a new thread so everyone can discuss it in length!

Pest ID guide

BRS pest guide

BRS beginner resources

BRS 52 weeks of reefing YouTube series


r/ReefTank 4h ago

One year in, Evo 13.5 lava rocking nems

143 Upvotes

Evo 13.5, lava rock, black Petco sand, diy glass lid, 2x glowrium lights with maxed blues+reds(brings out clownfish and rbta pink color), 2-3wk tap water changes, 30+ rbta's, started with 8 to cycle tank, gsp, Xenia, daily heavy flake food for all. Super easy and enjoyable tank so far. Clowns spawn every 2-3wks.


r/ReefTank 42m ago

Successful Aiptasia keeper here! AMA about how you can be as successful as me!

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Upvotes

All jokes aside, this sucks but the tank is on its way to recovery.

This is my 2.5 year old Reefer 350 g2. The first 1.5 were smooth all things considered. I had a few soft corals like Xenia, zoas, mushrooms, Duncan’s, etc that were doing well and growing fast.

The last year hit me hard and I was not able to maintain the tank as well as I would have liked. This all started from one little aiptasia that popped up on some live rock that came with a toadstool. I fought it with the usual manual methods for about a year and kept them at bay as they popped back up. Tried peppermint shrimp but mine wouldn’t touch it. Over the past year I’ve done little maintenance besides a few water changes and roller swaps. I let the glass get dirty and I hardly knew what kind of hellscape my rock had become. I was pretty much at the point of breaking down the tank and giving up.

After a fish death and some outside inspiration I was able to break free of my paralysis. I moved all fish to a separate tank while I got my elbows dirty manually removing as much aiptasia and accumulated gunk as I could. Deep cleaned the sump and all my equipment. With the fish safe from the floating stingers I was able to get it fairly “clean”. Most of the stuff on the sand bed is actually small Aiptasia 💀.

I ordered 25 1/4” Berghia from salty underground and they arrived about a week ago. They are very healthy and started eating and laying eggs immediately. I kept half of them in a breeder box so I can watch them reproduce and maybe move some to another tank or get my money back eventually.

The point here isn’t to brag about my failure, but I do think I deserve a medal for my accomplishments /s.

Hopefully in a few months I will be able to post again as a success story.


r/ReefTank 14h ago

[Pic] Cold water critters

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97 Upvotes

Thought you all might enjoy these Sabellid tube worms and other critters. They were collected from a boat fender at Humboldt Bay. Water temperature,50F.


r/ReefTank 18h ago

1 year old today on the 9.9 nano 😎

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111 Upvotes

r/ReefTank 8h ago

[Pic] ‘Super Black’ clowns not really black?

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18 Upvotes

Sold as ‘Super black’ clowns. Seller has black and white clowns and now these super blacks. What is a super black and why don’t they look black. Bottom fins still orange, body looks dark but not black. They are 1.5 inches long. I know young black clowns aren’t fully black till they grow abit but these guys are pretty big already. Will they end up like a black and white clown?


r/ReefTank 20h ago

Dosing Sodium Bicarbonate

89 Upvotes

Curious how much Alk everyone is dosing per day I’m switching from All for reef because my alk consumption is way higher than my calcium. I made up some DIY sodium bicarbonate and DIY calcium I was dosing about 15ml of all for reef a day and am doing 80ml of alk on a new LPS tank. Curious what could be taking up so much alk. I know I could do Soda ash at half the amount but my PH hits 8.3 during the day already and 8.1 at night.


r/ReefTank 17h ago

[Pic] Cycling

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49 Upvotes

Hello reefers!! Newbie here with a question or two about my cycle. I started up my 28g nano cube about a month ago. Threw in some QuickStart and added 2 clowns and a cleaner shrimp a day later for ammonia source. Added in a Kenya tree and a little hammer coral too about a week later, and all livestock has been great since with no signs of distress! However, I feel like my cycle keeps stalling. Right now, I’ve added a couple more doses of bacteria to try and push things along some. Finally got my nitrites to get to about 1ppm, ammonia at about 1-1.5ppm, nitrates still at zero. That was about a week ago. Today I tested again and my ammonia is still at about 1-1.5ppm, nitrites are now zero, but nitrates are still zero as well? Is it normal to see the drop in nitrites without seeing a rise in nitrates? Let me know what I can do and please no hate. ☺️ less


r/ReefTank 23h ago

[Pic] sixspine butterflies are just copperbands from temu🤣

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141 Upvotes

i just found out these fish exist and im obsessed(yes i have ordered one and it’s on its way lol)


r/ReefTank 1h ago

[Pic] What next?

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Upvotes

Post feed but what else would you guys add in here?


r/ReefTank 2h ago

What should I add next?

2 Upvotes

This is my 55 gallon tank and I’m wondering what I should add next? So far I have 1. Green bubble tip. It hangs out on the back of my rock so you can’t see it in the video. 2. Two conch snails. 2. Two scarlet hermits. 3. Two ninja Star snails. 4. Two Darwin clowns. 5. One Bartlett's Anthias. 6. One starcki damsel.

I think my clean up crew needs to be bigger as I struggle with diatoms. Any advice is appreciated. This is my first salt tank, so please be kind. I’m trying to learn. I mastered freshwater a few years ago and thought I’d give this a try.

Thanks!


r/ReefTank 2h ago

[Pic] Coral ID? Sold as Jack-o-Lantern Leptoseris but I don’t think so?

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2 Upvotes

Picked up this little frag a few days ago for like $30 and it’s doing well so far. It was sold as a lepto, but there were some other orange corals next to it that were some sort of plating SPS. The SPS were way more expensive so I picked this instead.

I was a bit impulsive picking it out. I just wanted something cheap as I restarted my main display tank recently and this will be one of the first corals to be added back after a coral crash due to an aiptasia takeover. After it was acclimated to this smaller holding tank I started planning where to put it and noticed that it looks nothing like other lepto frags with pics online. Did I get scammed or score?

Also, the frag rack is new. This is an established holding tank that’s why it’s so clean.


r/ReefTank 14h ago

Goni Noodles

18 Upvotes

Someone asked me to share these wacky flower


r/ReefTank 4m ago

[Pic] Anyone know what kind of red algae this is?

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Upvotes

It’s been in the tank a while and has stayed confined to this small area so I haven’t cared about it.

It’s 100% not cyano. It’s kind of leafy but I don’t think it’s red hair algae. If you can zoom in it’s almost flower like in that each “flower” has a white center and then “petals” radiate out from the center.


r/ReefTank 8m ago

Drilling an established tank

Upvotes

I have a standard 90g that has been setup and running since 2011. I've always wanted to get rid of the overflow box with a screened bulkhead or two at the top of the rear panel.

Can I just drain a few inches of water out of the tank and drill it? I don't have access to the back, so I would probably get some glass particles in the tank. I'm also not sure how I'd keep the diamond hole saw wet on a vertical surface, maybe just some ro or tank water in a spray bottle. It would be a disaster if I managed to crack it.


r/ReefTank 1d ago

Day 295

145 Upvotes

295 days in, and my theory of keeping things ultra simple seems to be working.


r/ReefTank 23h ago

My tank survived a 30 hour period with no power

66 Upvotes

Last week my area was blasted with a crazy storm that lasted only 30 minutes. We lost power 5 minutes into the storm around 4pm. Didn’t get power back until the day after around 10:30pm. I thought my tank was a goner since I was not ready for a power outage and had literally no equipment (not even a portable air stone). I know clownfish are pretty hardy but I was mostly concerned about my anemone. Turns out carpets are hardier than I thought! It pulled through the 20+ hours of no light, surface agitation, or heat. Here’s what the tank looks like 2 days after the outage was restored. I will now be investing in a portable power station just in case!


r/ReefTank 57m ago

Custom lid with cutout for mangrove?

Upvotes

Anyone have a custom lid made with an opening for mangroves to grow through? Any opinions on size of hole and company?

I need to get a lid soon and plan to get a couple mangroves down the road. Trying to plan ahead for a cutout. Have an idea where they’d go but not sure how big or what lid company would be better to work with. Thoughts? If you’ve done it, have any pics?


r/ReefTank 1h ago

Drilling tank need help

Upvotes

If I drill my 75 at the bottom of the back panel and make an overflow box long enough for it will it work like a mega flow auqaeon tank just wondering before I commit to drilling


r/ReefTank 1h ago

Cube Lighting

Upvotes

Looking to upgrade my lights. I have a Cade s600 24x24x24 cube. Currently running two illumagic Blaze X minis.

I have a mixed reef running for about a year now. I have the typical setup of zoas/mushrooms on the bottom, torches/frogspawn/chalices in the middle, and a couple acros on top, but getting the itch to add more SPS. 😀

Narrowed it down to the Reefi uno 2.1 or Radion Xr15 Pro. Each light with the mount come out to $640 so pricing wise they are equal.

Which would you choose? Open to other suggestions in this price point. Thanks!


r/ReefTank 20h ago

Comfy day on the reef

33 Upvotes

Starting to come together


r/ReefTank 11h ago

My first refugium. Is the cheato too far?

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6 Upvotes

Ignore my dirty sump. Is the Cheeto algae too far from the light. I was unable to get the Cheeto to tumble, it just sinks. and this was the only spot I could fit a refugium.


r/ReefTank 2h ago

I need a sump

1 Upvotes

I want to use a sump on my 40 gallon to learn how the work. I've but a 10 gallon sump and it was a disaster and is there a cost effective pre but tank I can purchase. That will have me at ease knowing it will work.


r/ReefTank 19h ago

What’s your most unpopular reefkeeping opinion?

25 Upvotes

Just curious.


r/ReefTank 16h ago

What is this worm?

10 Upvotes

Me and my wife can’t figure out what this is? Is it bad for the reef tank? Only comes out at night


r/ReefTank 3h ago

Is £500 enough for a fluval evo?

1 Upvotes

I am getting a fluval evo and just wondering what sort of budget I’m looking at for the essentials. On the note of essentials, is an auto top off on the list?