My First Ever REEF AQUARIUM! Day 1 to 100

100 days ago I set up my first ever reef tank! This video will show everything that happened in that time (the good & the bad)
Everything I've used so far
Tank
US: bit.ly/3Le1cfO
EU: bit.ly/3LCR1CX
Light
US: bit.ly/3oTrj42
EU: bit.ly/3LiuJoM
Wavemaker
US: amzn.to/45qLKWe
ATO
EU: amzn.to/3qBqqhU
US: amzn.to/3KOL8Sh
Heater
EU: amzn.to/3sbtsK6
US: amzn.to/3P5SMuk
Sand
US: amzn.to/3ZtDlOe (similar)
EU: amzn.to/3TTFphf
Refractometer
US: amzn.to/3JPFKgB
EU: amzn.to/42Pa7fF
🚨Watch this next!🚨
Inspiration playlist! • Build Videos
CO2 buying guide! • BEST CO2 SYSTEM FOR BE...
How to SETUP your CO2! • EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO...
Simple fertilizer dosing! • SIMPLE AQUARIUM PLANT ...
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#plantedtank #aquascape #mjaquascaping

[@takeitsleezee6970]

thats it. thats the final straw. I'm buying a 10 gallon cube. saltwater nano reef. im doing it. my wife will not stop me.

[@jax6230]

Go a bit bigger, will be easier I promise

[@bryankelly8047]

🫡

[@jared9643]

Its been 8 months, what's the new? Tell me you did it.

[@SilentBiscuit17]

@@jax6230wrong

[@choboy9242]

Its official. You're a Reefer!

[@MJAquascaping]

Whooop! 😎

[@keesprins6632]

is certainly an expensive hobby. I just point out to him that he has aiptasia. he can also get red sea aiptasia x. then you run the risk of making it worse. and the Nudibranch tackles the source immediately.

[@JulesSt]

You are very skilled at aquascaping! The bookshelf and tanks look splendid! I think I miss having a reef tank now!

[@sophieannice3419]

This has been a super encouraging video! It’s easy to watch all the other ‘pros’ telling you how to establish a tank with success, without ever really hearing them touch upon things that have gone wrong in their own experience. I’m also a beginner and currently cycling my tank, so only a couple of weeks in. But this video has been super refreshing and helpful to watch!

[@jonniefast]

everyone has their ups and downs part of the hobby some of the stuff people recommend is quack stuff honestly you dont need a 200$ test kit just CHANGE 20-30% of the water every week (much cheaper)

[@jonniefast]

biospira works, "live sand" is always a no-go

[@thestrawberryaniahomegarde7228]

​@@jonniefastwhy? Can you explain? Every video I watched recommended live sand. I don't want to make a huge mistake from the beginning

[@jonniefast]

@@thestrawberryaniahomegarde7228 its filled with dead organic matter / just use normal aquarium sand even black live rock is always good, add macro algae don't go crazy adding corals (better yet do none as chemical warfare poisons the tank)

[@layheeee3782]

Don’t be afraid to cycle your tank for an entire year when your starting, wish I did.

[@dusk1947]

Oh, boy. You caught the coral bug. Welcome to the party good Sir. You're in good company. It's looking good! It also sounds like your LFS is giving sound advice. Yes, saltwater will always take significantly longer to cycle. The "ugly phase" can also take much longer do to the myriad and sheer diversity of marine microbes and algae's that have to all fight through succession. It's not uncommon for Marine tanks to remain unstable for six months. And when it comes to stony corals and the tanks which house them, Reefers usually consider any tank under a full year to still be establishing itself. And the reason you start with fish and inverts first, and then coral. Is because coral are also animals. They have a symbiotic algae within them. But, the tank should fully support complex and resilient animals like fish, snails, or crabs, before it will support far more sensitive animals like corals. Technically, you can add corals day-1. But, that's better left to veteran reef keepers, as any small swing or instability will kill those day-1 corals. The other critical idea is that with coral: water flow is often more important than lighting. They are photosynthetic like plants, and their zooxanthellae use nutrients in much the same way; but they are animals with non-existent circulatory systems. That water flow is their circulatory system, so great choice with the Nero 3. And you're right. Saltwater really isn't more difficult than a planted tank. It's just slower paced, more work, and more research. With a few notable caveat's: When you get into highly sensitive corals like Acropora, their is a genuine difficulty spike in keeping stable water parameters. When people say "SPS are hard", they don't mean Stylophora or Montipora, that comment is specifically targeting the genus Acropora. The other are fish that have very specific diets are are difficult to feed in captivity, those take an extra level of care. Again there not harder, just more work and more research Anyway, I'll stop nerding out. It's just good to see a prominent planted tank creator jumping into reef tanks. And doing it the right way: through research and patience.

[@TheChillG]

Beautiful reef aquascape 🐟

[@MJAquascaping]

Thank you kindly

[@TheChillG]

@MJAquascaping Thank you. You have inspired me to get into the fish keeping hobby. Im starting my first shrimp tank next week🪸

[@Jaak3y]

Thank you for showing us that things went wrong for you! Super encouraging.

[@jax6230]

I switched my 400 litre tank to a reef tank. I absolutely love corals and marine fish. They are very expensive but also very beautiful. I still have a small 30 litre tank though with a betta

[@ricardotolosa2671]

Hi MJ, it´s comming beautifull, congrats. Buying the auto top off was your best move as corals are really sensitive creatures. Having said that watch out, the xenia and green star polips are fast and furious when propagating. The harder the water flow the more they propagate. Green star polips do grow over the sand also.

[@Coolbreeze589]

Congrats MJ on the beautiful reef tank! Recently I started my first salt water nano tank too, a fluval sea evo 13.5. This video brings me a lot of inspiration for different corals. I look forward to seeing more progress as fish are added and time goes on.

[@tracys.6033]

What a journey you have been on. Thanks for sharing. The corals are beautiful. Look forward to seeing what fish you choose. Enjoy your vacation.

[@andrescontrerasvargas5865]

Absolutely beautiful, congrats man!

[@chuckgillespie1]

I used to watch your videos back in my planted freshwater days. Just started my first reef tank and look who showed up on my feed. As before, thanks for sharing your insight.

[@aquarium.doctor]

Great progress! My first reef tank looked worse. 😂 I really like how you stick for simple corals for now. Softies are fascinating. Although losing a fish is always hard it‘s a good und thing that you learned something from this. I lost a Elacatinus goby (the blue one) as well a few years ago - similar story - it jumped thrugh a tiny gap of my lid.

[@lindapeppin2441]

That looks amazing, well done for persevering with it.

[@frhaber]

This video may encourage me to add a salt water tank to my collection. If your tank has a removable grill, as the Fluval tanks do, I've added a piece of coarse foam in the back of the grill, which keeps the small critters from getting through. The same idea as putting a pre filter foam on the intake of your HOB filter.

[@jonniefast]

another step would be to spam the foam that soaks phosphate/nitrate and swap it every month or so

[@jonniefast]

i get mine at an aquarium supply store 15$ lasts about 7 months (you cut it yourself to size)

[@nga.nguyen]

so beautiful, please do an update of this tank soon! I'm now week 2 of my saltwater journey also and I'm pretty sure my tank is not cycled yet.

[@grantschultz1115]

Great work, thanks for sharing!

[@HugoLemos1]

I love your videos😊

[@nancywaterhouse3135]

Good for you for persevering with this tank. Looking beautiful!

[@MJAquascaping]

Thanks Nancy :)

[@madhatterjones4781]

Nice mj great to see an update. Good on you for pushing through those discouraging moments

[@formgeben]

Looks really beautiful!

[@nicamnad]

I have been Reefing for 30 years. I love your excitement. Good on you!

[@suchanjv]

Very cool video! I'm very inspired to start my own small tank now.

[@DaansTinyEcosystems]

Looks amazing!

[@sjfarrell2.03]

Looks great, Mark. I can't wait to see how it turns out in the future. Enjoy your holiday.

[@Loanfrosty]

i’m starting mines soon, i’m so excited

[@logan.vanderbeck]

Love that you got the reef itch. Can't wait for more content!

[@cherylmartin9994]

So beautiful!! Congrats on 100 days and looking forward to seeing what fish you get. Enjoy your holiday ☺️

[@MJAquascaping]

Thanks so much!

[@dndndndndn419]

The pulsing ones are wild! It all looks so good!

[@Urodoc2011]

Thats a awedacious documentary MJ..Cheers ..Thoroughly enjoyed the process

[@inland_reef]

Wonderful recap of your first 100 days! The tank is gorgeous and you picked out some great corals for the system. If I were to recommend a fish for the setup, I would look at a tail spot blenny or some type of smaller blenny. Most sw tend to get big but a tail spot would be a fun perching fish on that aquascape you have. Keep it up!

[@akmaleache4735]

Really enjoyed ur reef tank journey.

[@leigh8130]

So glad that you had such amazing success with this tank! It is beautiful, and the corals are mesmerizing to watch. Excited to see what fish you decide on. Hopefully the next fish isn't an escape artist lol

[@sarahjohnson9026]

Wow!! That’s so beautiful!!

[@jonathanwong8487]

Finally!! i was waiting for this update! Nicely done Mj, hope you create a in depth tutorial for beginners...really want to start Saltwater too

[@aquarius2570]

Wow, congrats !!!

[@moereefer]

Great job research is everything and you choose the the right easy starter corals. 👏 Great job

[@SoNiels]

Loved this video, beautiful coral tank!

[@noodlechild666]

Looks beautiful. I hope we get a full fish shop tour video when you go to get the inhabitants.

[@danieltolentino6782]

looks so beautiful

[@rhondafitzpatrick1646]

beautiful! can't wait till you add the fish!

[@tombarb2864]

Good for you my friend!

[@francescom4829]

Really beautiful scape

[@brenef]

The tank looks amazing..great job. Do you feed the corals and if so what do you feed to them??

[@thenewtetrafish]

I started my first saltwater a few months ago after 15 years of having freshwater tanks. Boy was I missing out! Corals and saltwater fish are beautiful and maintenance really isn't as hard as it seems.

[@user-yb2my9uj1i]

Very cool good luck with future projects

[@Krishnath.Dragon]

Beautiful reef tank. As for fish suggestions, the Blue Chromis (Chromis cyaneus) and the Pyjama Cardinal Fish (Sphaeramia nematoptera) are both easy and popular options for Nano reef tanks, and they are unlikely to attempt to escape.

[@yuzansewak9776]

Beautiful 👍

[@melissaskinner4501]

Can’t wait to see what fish you get for your stunning tank

[@tedblack2163]

There is a competitor of Waterbox, that makes a overflow gaurd to go over the weir opening. It would allow you to choose any fish you would like to add.

[@Taladrane]

Hey MJ your waterbox is looking fantastic! One thing though - some of your corals came with aptasia on them. I can see one on the Kenya Tree and one on the Xenia.

[@jonniefast]

a peppermint shrimp will remove them all in a week or two then take it back or gift it to a friend

[@jonniefast]

i dont trust inverts with corals lol nature likes to munch on expensive tankmates too often

[@selimelasad8435]

Did you see what happened in Gaza and Palestine? 😢

[@selimelasad8435]

​@@jonniefastDid you see what happened in Gaza and Palestine? 😢

[@jonniefast]

@@selimelasad8435 what happened?

[@OneMoreTank]

Very nice progress! I would recommend a Springer's damsel. They are a striking blue color and are one of the smallest and most peaceful damselfish. They are also known to eat pests such as flatworms.

[@hjacques]

It's looking good! Kept big salt water tank for years. Miss it. Cardinal would look nice,small & easy!

[@graciliraptor3990]

Mashaallah suuuper pretty results 😍💘

[@gfunkHP]

Always have fun watching your videos with the girlfriend! We setup our first nano about two and a half months back and it is going well. 75 g coming up next with G. Sveni's and some other larger tetras; and talks of a small saltwater tank too. Thanks for sharing and the hard work!

[@silviamorales9855]

Congratulations 🎉 you did Awesome.

[@thehollowknight1331]

A couple pearly jaw fish would be a nice addition to the scape. They tend to stick to the bottom of the tank and can form a group, just be sure to add them in groups of two or more if you do

[@notwoke1041]

Tank too small for jawfish

[@thehollowknight1331]

@@notwoke1041 for blue spots maybe, but for pearly/yellow heads it’s a fine size. Besides they only occupy the sandbed and not the water column

[@MrDoldora]

Loved watching and learning from your experience. Maybe one day i'll take the plunge into marine aquariums.

[@Pibblepunk]

You can solve one problem just by attaching a piece of filter sponge to the intake with super glue. Congrats on getting the tank up and running! It already looks pretty good as it is. Can't wait to see how it develops

[@ravenviewent]

My friend, welcome, but you will never escape it now. Coral is just too addictive lmao

[@danielpivnick1092]

Just curious where you got the shelving system that holds all of your tanks? It must be strong to hold all of that weight! I'm looking for something similar. Thanks

[@thestrawberryaniahomegarde7228]

Great video. Thank you. Were you doing water changes when the tank was cycling? I'm trying to collect the information so I can possibly create one :)

[@Miraklum]

Thanks so much for this. Ive been meaning to delve into saltwater too and now have a little bit more courage. Glad the Oceonàrio in my home country inspired you so much. It's a beautiful exhibition.

[@Evil_Genius_888]

The Waterbox is a nice choice. I have the 20 and even though I’m still doing freshwater I also put a mini ATO on it. It just makes it easier.

[@yanmohd5160]

happy reefing!!

[@rickyabdullah4758]

Nice reef aquarium 👍🏻

[@nourhanmattar7933]

Great job not giving up! I’m so afraid to enter salt water.. looking to master my fresh water skills first.

[@TimEdwards]

Looks brilliant. In 2 minds whether to do a macro algae tank or a reef tank next. Do you ever have the tank on the blue light setting and what are you feeding the corals?

[@kandyrew]

reminds me of my first saltwater tank! Sadly i sold it years ago but this video is making me wanna revisit saltwater again ohhhh boy

[@Giftig--Daniel-P]

Thanks Mark, good stuff. Makes me want to try a reef tank. Space and money. And time. Pesky little problems :)

[@jt23371]

Amazing video as always!

[@AicitelSaldana]

i cut a bio media cloth bag, and use the netting to block the filter intake holes, i use black cable tape to stick it on. I have malaysian trumpet snails and didn't want them to get in the filter, i mean the babies still do, but i prevents 90% of them from getting in. Also prevents fish from getting in there.

[@MandyJane123700]

Looks so cool! I never knew you could make a small salt water tank until you set up the macro algae one, and really didn't know you could make a small coral reef tank. It's looking beautiful and magical already. I have no idea about salt water fish, big or small!

[@selimelasad8435]

Did you see what happened in Gaza and Palestine? 😢

[@kbye5323]

That is beautiful! Definitely seems like more work but is amazing to look at! You should get some shrimp to help as a cleaning crew when you get the fish. I live in Michigan in the United States so I know about freshwater only. We have a lot of it here.

[@iDestr0ya]

Welcome to the dark side! I have a few nano fish suggestions. A lot of people may recommend clown fish, and it will work. But I do warn you, they will bite your hand as they get older, and it will not only sting, your hand will bleed! Cardinal fish will do well in your tank. They are peaceful. Maybe 2 of them would be fine in there. Other suggestions are Clown Gobies, Firefish, Possum Wrasse, and Damselfish. Some varieties of firefish and damsels are very colorful and you might enjoy them.

[@alino61]

thnx tank looks great ... i thought you scrapped it havnt seen update for ages ..gj :)

[@charlottefalconer8602]

Looking fantastic! You are def a reefer!

[@zsoltjehn2512]

I just started my first nano reef. Thanks for the tips.I like your video.

[@MJAquascaping]

Good luck!

[@257ersSupport]

Hey MJ, Been enjoying your freshwater scapes and videos a lot. Quiet interesting to see saltwater beeing added now, really curious how it will develop. Would love to see a Firefish or Basslet, purple/yellow or something like that! Would look awesome. Regards

[@isinox]

this was really cool, thank you for the video!

[@MJAquascaping]

My pleasure!

[@tintran4265]

Great start, you got some quality parts. I highly recommend doing a par test, and be careful with those pulsating xenias and green star polyps. They are consider pest corals for a reason.

[@theaquaticdesert]

Fun video. literally what i was expecting to happen lol.

[@sergeiz.5815]

Nice looking salt water tank😊 had pancakes eggs bacon n coffee watching youtube😊😅

[@mgrootjans7051]

Eindelijk een update😃 iet er prachtig uit. Ik ben ongeveer rond de zelfde tijd met mijn eerste zout water begonnen. Eigenlijk doordat jij er mee begon deed ik het ook maar. In mijn mening is het wel een stapje hoger dan zoetwater kwa stabiliteit maar super leuk en mooi(er). Jouw bak ziet er echt top uit hoop echt dat die van mij er ook zo mooi uit gaat zien❤️

[@MrDoncarnage]

Congrats on having beautiful salt water tank! 👍 any chance you wanna do short video about the amonia testing kit you use in many videos? Those liquid colorful bottles😊

[@Bruno_Amaro]

I just started my first nano reef. let's see how it will goes. Thanks for the tips.

[@alexandrostsiagkas1175]

Nice relaxed video, thank you for that! I would also appreciate a video with the routines like cleaning etc. Also where did you buy that shelve? I want one of them to put my mini aquariums. It looks fantastic!

[@narcisoeusebio4867]

Amazing 👏 👍👍👍👍👍

[@lefinnee4393]

That is one cute man-made reef aquarium man! 😍

[@jasonyang5296]

I would recommend spotted blenny and yellow goby. Super small with big personalities and reef safe.

[@bubblerings]

Ready for the second hundred days... 😊🙏🍀🎈 Will see if I want to try this level.. Thx for the first one! Scotty on Maui. We have Whales!! All winter! 🐳😉

[@bigjay4142]

Looking good auto top off or one of the best things to have on a saltwater tank I would not worry about a protein skimmer in your tank and just do water changes to keep nitrates down you could put a filter sponge pad behind the grates, so the fish cannot go down

[@denischuiko3901]

MJ, this is such a beautiful tank! Keep doing it! How about bigger project? :)

[@SH-wz3jo]

My reef tank is covered. Looks like you introduced aptasia also. Continue the good work.

[@xisotopex]

how do you get the coral off the plug without damaging the coral?

[@jonathancoldwateradventure]

Now I recommend get macroalgea before considering fish. Macroalgea does look very good and help balance tank so algea issues are less likely to occur or parameter issues

[@andyproctor696]

Wonderful video!

[@mrvlees76]

What kind of glue did you use?

[@chewing0031]

I enjoyed your video! Great job making the nano reef. If you were going to get one fish, I'd recommend the Tailspot Blenny!! They are easy to care for, do well alone, eat algae and are great characters! They are also out and about a lot. A Yasha Goby and pistol shrimp are a cool combo, but they hide 95% of the time.

[@AB-sp5hm]

Great tank The first mushrooms are rhodactis mushrooms the green ones are rhodactis as well just the green fuzzy type, again great tank mate cheers