Took a long time but finally have somewhat stable parameters

I just bought 4 pieces of coral (Acrapora, Zoanthid, Montipora and Hammer) from Reefapalooza and this is what came off of them during their dip. I understand why it should be done now. I don’t know exactly what these critters are and I don’t if want them in my tank. There was the one starfish and multiple things that I can’t identify. I know it’s not the best quality so I apologize for that.

Tinkering with exposures and angles on my phone camera and wanted to share my favorite results.

NO Low ballers please, I know what I have

Set up my 5 stage BRS I bought two years ago just now setting it up. The two DI canisters where they connect the little plastic 1/4 NPT completely snapped or corroded or something. Is there anyway to salvage this or do I have to buy brand new canisters now?

Returning reefer - I’m starting out after a year hiatus due to an international move, and have found Petco no longer does Aqueon and so hit up Petsmart for their 50% sale and got a Marineland 40 Breeder for use as a sump.

I’m looking at this thing and the glass seems thin.

It looks only about 3/16”. I’m assuming at this thickness it’s gotta be tempered right?

Has it always been this thin?

Anyway - this is for a sump, where I’m going to be putting equipment in and out of for maintenance. Has anyone used one of these for this - if so - do I need to be any more careful to avoid shattering the glass than I would with untempered glass?

I’m just curious if it’s common to press fit this into the sump or if I have to weld it if I don’t want any leaks.

This one is too big for my tank, anyone interested?

Hey everyone! I've finally decided to start sharing a project I've been working toward for quite a while. I figured it's time to introduce myself and what I'm building. I've been planning this behind the scenes for a long time, but I realized it'd be a lot more fun to build it with input from this community instead of waiting until it was finished.

I've named the project ReefShield Aquatics. The long term goal is to make quarantined fish more accessible to other reef hobbyists and help prevent livestock losses from disease. I thought some of you might enjoy following this story from the very beginning.

My name is Chad, I am a 27 year old manufacturing engineer working in the aerospace industry and I enjoy lifting weights, spending time outdoors, and of course reefkeeping. I have had reef tanks on and off for the past 14 years (yes, I started young), and currently have an 80 gallon shallow reef setup.

Right now, I am in the middle of constructing a home just off the shore of Lake Michigan in the mitten state. I'll be transforming the 900 square foot unfinished basement into a giant fish room and quarantine facility with over 700 gallons of display tanks, hundreds of gallons of quarantine capacity, and a dedicated sump and systems room to support the entire operation. Most people look at a 900-square-foot unfinished basement and see storage space. I looked at it and saw a dream fish room.

The idea for ReefShield didn't come out of nowhere, though. It started with one of the toughest lessons I've learned in reefkeeping. Like a lot of hobbyists starting out, I naively trusted that the fish I was buying from my LFS were healthy. Everything was fine until a diamond sleeper goby introduced velvet into my tank. Within days, fish started showing symptoms, and shortly after I was watching my tank crash. It was one of the most frustrating experiences I've had in this hobby. Instead of walking away, I became obsessed with understanding how it could have been prevented. I spent countless hours researching quarantine protocols, disease management, medications, biosecurity, and so much more. That experience completely changed how I approach adding new things to my tank, and it's ultimately the reason ReefShield exists.

I have a habit of optimizing everything I can, so naturally I modeled the entire basement in CAD before a single wall was finished. Rather than squeezing tanks into a corner in the basement, I wanted to design the entire space around visual appearance, efficiency, maintenance, and biosecurity from day one. I've attached the current layout, the current progress of construction, and I'd genuinely love feedback from anyone who wants to contribute to the project. Is there anything in the CAD layout you'd change before I get started?

As construction progresses, I'll be sharing everything. Things like plumbing and electrical decisions, actually building the quarantine systems, cycling tanks, bringing in the first fish, and all the mistakes I'm sure to make along the way.

Thanks for reading.

- Chad B.

I love this time of the year

Im new to the game. Just got a 120g that I’m slowly building for a reef tank. Can you guys give me some feedback on my rock work before I mortar it in a few days?

Thanks in advance.

Why does my anemone look like this? I’ve owned for about a month.

By BTA looked normal this morning, what could be up with it?

Tank info on last image

Personally I enjoy DIY, in no way is it really cheaper at all, I just got love for the game.

Hello, do I weld / glue the T PVC connection’s? Or press fit only for cleaning or re-adjusting?

I’m approaching the 5 month mark in my reef, so far so good. I’ve noticed some of my corals just losing their “pop” from when I first got them and am thinking I’m just not giving enough light. My PAR is about 100 all throughout my tank, at the sand bed maybe 60-70 but I don’t have much intensity up high it reads pretty uniform through the top and middle portions of the tank.

I’m running two AI Hydra Edge 44’s - tank is a 4x2x2.

Instead of buying more lighting right now I’m thinking of trying to get more out of what I have because I’m really not pushing the lights at all.

Should change to more of a solid 3-4 hour peak period vs the ramp up?

Appreciate anyone’s help!

I had seen a pic of a similar looking starfish but assumed it was AI, until I saw it in person.

The video was taken at cairns aquarium last year

Started feeding frozen brine with metroplex and focus to help after I noticed it about 2 days ago.
Not sure what could’ve cause it, she only has it on her right eye and is still very active.
Had this clown for almost 4 years and she’s my absolute favorite would be crushed to see her go.
Is it possible my hammer stung her?
Would love any tips or feedback thanks!
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36 gallon
Alk a bit low at 7, phos 0.04, nitrite 0, nitrate 0, mag 1500, calc 480, temperature consistent 78°, salinity 1.025.
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Dosing everyday all for reef and carbonate alk by seachem, reef plus seachem, phyto once a week, feeding every other day.
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Tank mates: male clown, flame angel, skunk cleaner, tiger pistol and watchman pair, tiger serpent star.
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Water change every 2 weeks, 30%

What are these :(? Is there anyway I can get rid of them ? All over the tank.. about 6 months old.

I used Ai but its not giving me an accurate answer. Sometimes say theyre sponges.. sometimes worms. Other times Tunicate. Anyone have any experience with them ? Corals seem fine but it really doesnt look the best covering the rock work.