180g tank, 9 months anniversary

[Jutta]

Hello Everyone

In August last year I bought a house where the previous owner left me this:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/JuttaHeider/reefcentral/Sv402957.jpg
and this
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/JuttaHeider/reefcentral/Sv402960.jpg
Well, I managed to battle through endless threads here on RC, discussions with the guy from my LFS and some "trial end error" excersises and finally ended up with this: (sorry for the blurry photo - but HOW HARD is it to take a decent full tank shot!!!)
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/JuttaHeider/reefcentral/Sv403952.jpg

I also changed the skimmer, the lighting, added a QT, bought a RO unit etc.
Current setup:
Garage: Sump with skimmer, RO Unit, 500l storage tank (to make saltwater)
Fish Tank room (above garage): Main Tank, QT, Chiller

The display is in the entrance area of the house, opposite the formal lounge area. You don't need a TV in there, just watch the fish!

So, what do you think? For someone, who, a year ago, never even had a goldfish, I didn't do bad at all (oh well, I think so anyway).
Nine exhausting and expensive months. Not everything went that well and I had to learn a few lessons. I lost quite a number of fish (most of them to ich introduced by a pair of reef banner fish which I did not put in QT). I also thought I could get away without a chiller - WRONG! Australian summer is just too hot.
So far, I haven't got a refugium nor a calcium reactor.

This is where I need some advise:

Do I really need a refugium? If yes, should the water from it flow into the sump or into the main tank?

With the calcium reactor - I know my calcium is way too low (appr. 350). Is this really a big worry? Do I need to invest in the reactor or can I get away without one?

Also, I haven't got that many fish for a 6x2x2 tank and I am happy for stocking suggestions.

Current inhabitants (incl some pics):
4 Cleaner shrimp
Regal Angelfish
Lawn Mower Blenny
Pair of Clown Fish
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/JuttaHeider/reefcentral/Sv403446.jpg
4 Red Fire Goby
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/JuttaHeider/reefcentral/Sv403557.jpg
Naso Tang
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/JuttaHeider/reefcentral/Sv403908.jpg
Purple Tang
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/JuttaHeider/reefcentral/Sv403250.jpg
Clown Coris Wrasse
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/JuttaHeider/reefcentral/Sv403143.jpg
Coral Beauty
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/JuttaHeider/reefcentral/Sv403486.jpg
Marine Beta
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v299/JuttaHeider/reefcentral/Sv403428.jpg

Would very much appreciate any advise/comments etc.
Thanks for your time and thanks for looking
Jutta

[Shooter7]

Congrats...and lucky you on having all that there for you already when you got the house! I think the tank looks great, very nicely done.
:thumbsup:

[meco65]

Wow looks great you can tell you put in a lot of work keep us posted.

[shoddyk]

Great job.

[ERICN]

Looks great man, with that bioload and amount of corals in that tank I cant see how you going without a refuge. they are great all you need for that size tank is maybe like 20-30gal tank setup a lil higher then the sump you want to tee off your return pump and have prolly about 300gph going to refuge and have that spill back into sump

[Jutta]

To to space limitations, I am looking at putting the refuge into the fish tank room , not into the garage. Therefore it would be tricky having it spill back into sump. Can I have it returning to the main tank?

[zoltetov]

absolutely. In fact, it's probably better that your refugium water spill directly into the main tank. This way the critters have a shorter road to cross