You can click on the pictures below for larger images.

The setup of my tank is simple. No sump, although I've been considering adding one. I don't have anything complicated at all. This setup is not for you to follow and I'm not claiming to know everything. I know my setup is very low tech and probably not as ecologically sound as some. But everything does work so far and if it stops working I'll change it. I just added this section because I like to read about the setups when I see photos of tanks.

I have about 100 lbs of live rock, 4 inches of sand, one power head (I tried two, but that seemed like too much current to me, so I dumped the other one) and a seaclone skimmer (yes, I know these devices are made by Satan, but I actually like mine!).

I do have a UV sterilizer, but I only run it when I get a new fish. I've had fish wiped out by ich, so I'm very cautious.

The most expensive part of equipment are my lights. I have 2 200 Watt halides and 2 110 watt VHOs. I bought the expensive Hamilton Lighting (at Marine Depot) because I'm not electrically inclined and was afraid to build my own hood. It's well worth the investment though. I leave the VHOs on 10 hours a day and the halides on 8 (I turn the VHOs an hour before and off an hour after the halides.)

I've never had any problems with Nitrates. I owe this to cleanliness. I clean the tank at least twice a month (I take out about 10 gallons). I add about 2-3 gallons of top off water a week (with kalk), occasionally add ESV B-ionic and weekly I add some "coralife marine trace elements". I also have a bottle of DT's Marine Phytoplankton (available at Premium Aquatics) that I add irregularly.

That's it! Simple, easy and it works for me, but your results may vary.

Animals in the tank and Where I got them

Fish

Maroon Clown Premnas biaculeatus - locally, a place called "Ocean Environments" which has since gone out of business
Green Chromis Chromis viridis - locally, a place called "Tropical Pets" which has since gone out of business (you can see why I shop online!)
Mandarin/Dragonet Pterosynchiropus splendidus - locally, at Tropical Pets
Powder Blue Tang Acanthurus leucosternon - Online, Flying Fish Express

Inverts

Christmas Tree Rock Spirobranchus sp.- Locally at, I think Fins, Fangs, Feathers and Furs. Could have been elsewhere.
Green Star Polyps Clavularia virdis - Locally at Tropical Pets
Long Tentacle Anemone Macrodactyla doreensis - Locally, Fins Fangs, Feathers and Fur
(and, yes, I know this isn't a natural host for my clown :-)
Cleaner Shrimp Lysmata amboinensis - Online, Flying Fish Express
Fan Sponge ?? - Online, Flying Fish Express
Red Mushrooms ?? - Online, Jeff's Exotic Fish
Pagoda Coral ?? - Online, Jeff's Exotic Fish
Bubble Coral Plerogyra sinuosa - Online, Jeff's Exotic Fish
Finger Leather Sinularia sp. - Online, Jeff's Exotic Fish
Watermelon Mushrooms ?? - Online, Jeff's Exotic Fish
Green Open Brain Coral Trachyphyllia geoffroyi - Online, Jeff's Exotic Fish
Hermits & Snails - Online, Indo-Pacific Seafarms
(I love IPSF, I also got their live sand booster, mini-brittle stars, and worms. My sand bed is brimming with life (you can see the underside of the tank a little through my stand and you can see all the critter swimming around) and amphipods are all over the tank. Their snails have kids too, so I see baby snails all over all the time.

Liverock/Sand

Everywhere above almost. Actually, I got the majority of my rock from ffexpress, but I got 10 lbs from one local store, 7 from another, etc. My live sand isn't actually "live sand". It's caribsea sand. I got it from That Pet Place. With the live rock and the IPSF live sand booster it's live enough for me.

Thanks for visiting my tank.

All photos copyright © Amanda G. 2000; her Little Rock page and email