Apologies for my huge gap in updates!

Going off to college and such kept me from focusing on both the blog and the tank! But hey I've finally come back to update the tank log. I'll start from where I left off!

Adding some clean up crew

Added 4 small hermit crabs (red and blue legged) Should have been 5 but one turned out to be an empty shell

Added 7 Nassarius snails! Very active disappeared under the sand as soon as I put them in the tank!

Added a Peppermint shrimp! Wanted more, but this was their last one!

Met another member of the AC&C crew, Jeremy helped me to find what I needed today. I really need some turbo snails and some more peppermint shrimp, might need some more hermits too! Andrew wasn't there so I wasn't able to trade in my eshopps overflow box or coralife super skimmer for store credit like I had planned on. I'll be stopping by again next week sometime or maybe next weekend to trade those in, and hopefully pick up a few more inverts. Might grab a coral frag or two as well!

My clownfish and six line wrasse were picking on the snails and crabs when I put them into the tank! I haven't seen this behavior before, but I hope they get used to them and stop soon!

As a side note I ordered two koralia nanos, a media bag, and a pre-skimmer for my protein skimmer from Marine Depot today! Excited for those to arive!

I want this!! http://www.marinedepot.com/AquaC_Remora_Pro_Pre_skimmer__Accessories_for_Aquarium_Reef_Protein_Skimmers-AquaC-AC3311-FIPSAC-vi.html\
Maybe it will increase the gunk I get out of my skimmer, hopefully I can buy it soon... also looking at a new light in the future! Trip to AC&C soon for clean up crew!!

Downgrade

Wow. That was a ton of work.

Original 55 gallon

New 20 gallon Long 1 day later

Process

The downgrade was a success! Most everything went according to plan and  there were no casualties!  I followed the plan I laid out in my last post. Took out the 3 large rocks from the left side of my 55 gallon, and my yellow tang. Took them to AC&C and received $53 dollars in store credit! To be honest I didn't think it would bring this much so I was happy. When I got home I took out some water, most of the live rock, and then the corals.

Then moved everything to their respective holding containers, separated corals, fish, live rock, and bad live rock.

Then emptied the tank as much as possible and got it out of the way! Replaced it with the 20, wow what a difference...

Put in 30lbs of new rinsed aragonite sand! Then some rocks, the corals, and eventually the fish! Didn't quite plan on the water being so cloudy, but it didn't cause any problems.

Ran into my first real snag here, removed the fish from 78 degree bucket and put them into the tank which was only around 70 degrees. I hadn't let the tank heat up and I was more worried about getting the fish out of the bucket! I didn't know how drastic the temp change was until after putting the fish in. The clown and sixline wrasse seemed unaffected, but my yellow watchman goby was definitely temperature shocked. He was motionless on the sand bed for nearly 20 minutes, until he snapped back into it and was back to normal! Thought I was going to lose him for sure, won't make that mistake again!

Put on my penguin 200 HOB filter to help get rid of the cloudiness, and it did the job! Tank's really starting to come together at this point.

Then of course I had a few more temperature problems... the heater I wanted to use was too large for the tank and at its lowest setting was maintaining a temperature around 84 degrees! A bit high for me so I swapped out the heater and got it settled back around 78, which I am much more comfortable with! 

Tonight I removed the HOB filter, and set up the ATO system. Everything is coming together! One problem I've come across is water flow, all of my powerheads are far too strong for this little tank. I'm running one Koralia 1 (400gph) right now, I'm planning to grab a pair of 200gph powerheads next time I am at the fish store. I don't think one powerhead does a good enough job of providing random flow! I also plan on selling the large empty rock on the right side of the tank to the fish store, as well as some other old equipment in order to buy myself those new pumps and a new clean up crew of Inverts that is drastically needed!

The tank as of tonight! One day after the downgrade.

Left side

Right Side

Soon to be 20 Gallon Reef

20L glass tank with Coralife power compact fixture from my old 29 gallon! I plan to downgrade and put this aquarium where the 55 is now. Bought some new sand, and plan to transfer other equipment from old systems during the upgrade.

Downgrade Gameplan:

1. Clean new aragonite sand 
2. Remove Yellow Tang (Bubbles) from 55 and take him to AC&C, as well as a few pieces of liverock if they will take it!
3. Remove equipment from 55.
4. Move corals from 55 into holding container with water from the tank
5. Move 20 gallons of water to a holding container to be used in 20 gallon.
6. Remove live rock from 55 and place in its own holding container with some water from the tank.
7. Remove clownfish, six line wrasse, and yellow watchman goby from tank and transfer into holding bucket with water from the tank, also any cleanup crew I can find. 
8. Scoop a cup of sand from the 55 to seed the 20 gallon.
9. Empty the 55 and move away from the wall.
10. Put 20 gallon in place.
11. Put sand into 20 gallon, and fill it halfway full with water.
12. Transfer decent amount of live rock into 20 gallon along with corals.
13. Put fish into 20 gallon
14. Set up life support systems on 20 gallon
15. Clean up 55 gallon tank and extra equipment
16. Sit back relax and hope all went well!

Anemone's Clowns and Corals

Monday 11-7 

Tuesday closed 

Wednesday closed 

Thursday 11-7 

Friday 11-7 

Sat 11-6 

Sun 11-4 

Awesome LFS I found in Washburn, Iowa! Put their hours up to remind me in the future :P

Current Setup and Livestock

Equipment:
AquaC Remora protein skimmer
200 Watt heater
Current Sundial T5 4 bulb light fixture with moonlights
2 Hydor Koralia Evolution 750's and 1 Hydor Koralia 1
JBJ Auto Top Off System
Bulk Reef Supply RO/DI unit
Reef Crystals salt mix

Livestock:
50lbs of live rock
Yellow Tang (Since 2010)
Ocellaris Clownfish (Since 2008)
Yellow Watchman Goby (Since 2011)
Six Line Wrasse (2011)
Large Toadstool Leather Coral
Green Star Polyps
Kenya Tree Coral
Anthelia Polyps
Mushroom Coral
A few Zoas

Current Clean up crew is almost nonexistent, maybe a few cerith and nassarius snails