New to SW 10 gallon nano reef diary

[ItsDave]

Ok...I started my first saltwater tank with the help of my friend mark who knows his stuff. He has 2 very successful reef tanks of his own. Here is a list of what ive bought so far.

Aqua clear 30- 26.49
Live aragonite- 22.99
Reef crystals-14.49
Hydrometer-11.99
Total- 77.75(USD)
I also bought an actinic (sp?) bulb for my current light fixture until I purchase my better lights.
New bulb- 16.49
New total-94.24

Tank is currently at the right reading on the hydrometer and is now temping up.

All critisism is accepted and welcomed.

Now im wondering when I know i can add live rock and a cleanup crew. Any help is appreciated

Thanks in advance
-Dave

[phenom5]

hey dave,
live rock can go in as soon as your SPG and temp are good to go.

cleanup crew should go in after or near the end of your cycle.

theres one thing thats i see missing from your list...test kit.

[damnmyeye]

sounds weird but dont buy a cheap hydrometer. It's super important that you have accurate results for such a small tank.

[ItsDave]

Ok well i went to this marine shop today and decided what the hell...its only money. So I bought the light I wanted, the 96 Watt coralife 50 50 light, the legs for it, and a mix of 10 pounds of live rock. (fiji and tonga branch)
I set it all up in my tank and i think it looks pretty good if i do say so myself. As soon as i get a chance to snap a few pics i will and i will post them. SO i still need to put something dead in there. How about a dead feeder fish?
would that be a bad idea?

Thanks in advance,
-Dave

[phergus_25]

let the rock cycle it there is stuff on thte rock that will die so just let it set for a while

[ItsDave]

Ok sounds good thanks phergus.

-Dave

[ItsDave]

Ok, Ive run into a few problems. The temp on my tank is going way up because of the heat my light produces. It has 2 built in fans but thats obviously not enough. Maybe it will be ok today because the tank hadnt cooled down yet yesterday.
Is the coralife 96 watt quad 50/50 a good light for a 10 gallon?
Thanks in advance,
-Dave

[phenom5]

whats your temp with the lights on?

[ItsDave]

Check out the pics...sorry if there too big
Let me know what you think....I know...im not the greatest aqua scaper...but all critisism is appreciated.
-Thanks
Dave

http://www.geocities.com/civicsrhot/tank1.JPG
http://www.geocities.com/civicsrhot/tank2.JPG

[ItsDave]

When i filled the tank it was at 80.....so with the lights on for about 10 hours...it got up to 85...:-/.

[phenom5]

When i filled the tank it was at 80.....so with the lights on for about 10 hours...it got up to 85...:-/.

i would suggest a fan blowing across the top of your water. that should bring down the temp. it will also increase your evaporation rate though.

Check out the pics...sorry if there too big

don't see any pics...

[ItsDave]

http://www.geocities.com/civicsrhot/tank2.JPG
http://www.geocities.com/civicsrhot/tank1.JPG

[ItsDave]

So noone has anything to say? Is it that bad?
:confused: :(

[Paco1l1d]

LOL,:lol: I like the triangle thing you got going, your of to a great start. Your fish will love the rock work with all those ledges and caves. So what are you planning to add? Have you though it out?I wish I had an experenced friend when I started my tank could have saved a lot of heart ache. And Reef Central was what kept me in the hobby.

[ItsDave]

I plan on having some basic corals and such...and 2 perucula clowns...thats about it at first. Sad news though....my tank temp was 75 this morning....and with the lights on all day it is at 86 degrees. I guess ill set that fan up tonight

Thanks,
Dave

[phergus_25]

also see about running your lights reverse the day. also yu rock looks alittle rickty albeit cool

[dzhuo]

Originally posted by ItsDave
When i filled the tank it was at 80

i don't understand. how is this possible? is your room that hot? what water source do you use to have a 80F degree to begin with?

[ItsDave]

Well it was 90 something degrees out...and i only run my ac at night. But yeah im going to try the fan thing and hopefully that will work out...
Thanks
Dave

[gfk]

mmmm bean burrito

[ItsDave]

I made about 50 of those yesterday...they are good though...without onions

[ItsDave]

there is a very strange looking anemone type brown thing in my tank on a rock...its small...and it has lots of little tentacle like things that retract if anything comes near it. But anyways great news. The Fan works!!!!! i hooked it up and right away the temp started dropping. So now i am getting my heater set right. I bought a 7 inch clip on fan for 8 bucks. Not a bad deal. <3 walmart. Thanks for the advice phenom
Dave

[phenom5]

no problem.:thumbsup:

do some searching...make sure you LR hitchhiker isn't a aiptasia.

[ItsDave]

idk i actually have been doing research...it kind of looks like that..but at the same time it doesnt...the tentacles or whatever you want to call them are still short. But i will be sure to keep a close eye on it. There is also a strange skinny worm that was just in the middle of my sand...i believe it to be a bristle worm....should i take it out?
Thanks,
Dave

[Sugar Magnolia]

Your tentacled thing is probably aiptasia, a common pest anemone hitch hiker. Zap it with some heated lemon juice, kalk paste or Joe's Juice.

No one has really commented on your rock work, so I will. What you have going there is an accident waiting to happen. You have way too many small rocks, barely holding each other up. I'd suggest getting a couple of larger pieces to create a firm base then fill in with those smaller pieces. Your scaping, as it is, will tumble when you add your snails and crabs.

[ItsDave]

I actually like the smaller rocks...yes...this way is much more unstable...which is why i put the large ones on the bottom. It is much better and more sturdy now. I am thinking of buying one large peice though as more of a centerpiece. But thanks for the input on the layout Super Magnolia, I appreciate it. I tested my water..These are the params.

Ph- 7.9
Nitrite-0 ppm
Ammonia- .25ppm
Nitrate- 5ppm

Let me know if things need to change and if things look decent so far.

[ItsDave]

So i'll take it they do? I know my ph has to increase but thats about it

[Cluckr7]

Hey Dave,

1. Heat - if you only run your AC at night, and during the day, it gets 90 degrees outside, how hot does it get inside (the room your tank is in)? If Room temp gets above 80, there is no way you are gonna keep your tank cool unless you do some more active cooling methods. Fans aren't gonna cut it if your room temp is too hot. If your room stays cool enough the fans should be fine.

2. Rock - I would look around here at pics of peoples tanks to see good aquascaping. I personally like "islands" of rock, with some open space too. If I could rescape my tank, I would do a better job. I just have the typical wall of rocks along the entire back of the tank. And keep ur rocks away from the sides of the tank (back doesn't really matter) so you can scrub algae off the glass.

3. Plan out what you want to do with your tank. You've already bought a pretty good light for a 10 gal, and lighting won't be holding you back from keeping soft corals and LPS. Trust me, you'll probably want to keep corals sometime down the road, so plan that out first. If you keep two percs, they'll do fine in a 10 gal, but they will also throw out nutrients like it's their job. You may find that you'll have trouble keeping nutrient levels low enough to keep corals happy with two full grown percs. A lot of people with nano's don't even keep fish, but that is a judgement call, and has to do with what you ultimately want to do with ur tank. Just keep reading and plan ahead :P

Looks great so far though!

[dzhuo]

Originally posted by ItsDave
Well it was 90 something degrees out...and i only run my ac at night.

this still seems unreasonable. you put a 10g water in your house and it heats up to 80F just because outside is 90F? are you sure your thermometer is functioning? maybe it's me but good luck.

[ItsDave]

no...its heating up so much because of the heat generated by my light. But i have solved this problem now with the fan.....So yeah heat wise its good. Also...what false perc and I believe to be a Majano(sp?) Anemone is in my tank on a piece of live rock i purchased. Which is pretty sweet. But yeah amonia is up to .5 ppm so its increasing...hopefully it will spike soon so i can get on with my reef life.
Thanks for the replies.
Dave

[mmd]

put a blue or black background on it.

[ItsDave]

actually put a blue backround on it today...used the vasoline method....it was messy but it came out very nice. ill post some pics later on.
Dave

[ItsDave]

ok...problem. Well not really a problem just something im wondering about...number one: is it worth putting a protien skimmer on my 10 gallon? and number 2: I want an auto top off, how do i make one and about how much will a DIY one cost.

[phenom5]

number one: is it worth putting a protien skimmer on my 10 gallon?

well, that's a hotly debated topic amoung nano reefers. IMO, a skimmer will definately help out any system, and if your looking to keep sps its a very good idea to add one, otherwise its optional. weekly water changes will keep everything in line. IMO, if you've got the money and the room for one, go for it. if not you can go skimmerless on small tanks...i'm sure there are plenty of people that will agree and disagree.

number 2: I want an auto top off, how do i make one and about how much will a DIY one cost.

cheapest and easiest is a "glug jug". jug is filled, sealed up, and turned upsidedown, there's to tubes running in to the jug, one that sits at your waterline and runs all the way to the top, one that sits below your water line and goes just inside the jug. when your water line drops air is let in and the water from the jug drains into the tank until the airsupply is cut off when your water line returns to the desired level.
or you can buy a floatswitch...or these (http://www.californiareefs.com/home.htm) are very popular over on NR.

HTH

[ItsDave]

Thanks for the replies. Im thinking about buying the float switch and doing it that way. As for the protien skimmer im most likly going to get one just have to wait for some more paychecks.
Thanks
Dave

[Blazindrgn]

I like the way you had the live rock origionally, but since it would be ricetky, you could buy some of the under water glue and glue it together, thats what I would do. That glue is meant for glueing rocks and corals to each other etc... a LFS should have it.

Unless I missed it, you could try getting a glass canopy I don't know if that would help or hurt the temps however.

[K9]

As far as a skimmer is concerned, I didn't have one on my old 10g tank, and I don't intend to have one on my new 10g I'm setting up (at least initially). As I used to do, I will perform a 10% water change weekly and see how that goes. If I find my tank developing any scummy problems, I'll spring for the skimmer.

I agree with the others in stating the fact that your rock work does seem somewhat unstable. You definitely don't want a rock falling and damaging a coral in the future, or worse yet, cracking your glass. You seem off to a pretty good start though, so just keep following the advice of Reef Central and you'll be OK! :D

[ItsDave]

ok thanks guys. Ill post some updated pics soon. Ive been kind of busy latley. But i did put a glass cover on it which drasically helped with evap and the temperature problem. I just keep my fan blowing across the glass. I added an emerald crab and a turbo snail to get rid of my hair algea and my red sea weed stuff, there doing a great job :). Ill post some pics later today, im not at home right now.
Thanks for the replies,
Dave

[ItsDave]

Havent updated in awhile. OK...I have now a yellow tail blue damsel in my tank. As far as corals I have button polyps, a hammer coral, a candy cane coral, and some small anemone....no, its not an aiptasia, still not sure of what it is tho. I have also added a new heater which has ended the temp fluxuation problem. Also added a coralife moonlight, 34.99 and worth every cent. Looks beautiful at night. As soon as possible i will post updated pics of everything.

-Dave

[ItsDave]

Wow, had a bit of an issue last night. Made a big newbie of myself. So i realized my new corals werent doing to well. Tested all the params except salinity, thinking well ive been adding water with a salinity of 1.025. I guess it never occured to me that salt water doesnt evaporate. So yeah the salinity was not even readable by my hydrometer. SO i fixed that, got the salinity back down to 1.025 and things are starting to look up. Hammer coral let out its sweeper tentacles right away. The candy coral also bubbled? Swelled? idk how to decribe it but it got bigger. The green stars still havent opened yet, but its only been one day since the big change. IS this normal?

Thanks.
-Dave

[K9]

Yeah, if they survived the initial shock of the super-high salinity, they'll recover over time now that it's back to normal.

[ItsDave]

Ok Thanks!
Everything looks to be doing fine except for the crown leather. :(
I never got to see it fully opened either. Im hoping it will pull through.
THanks
Dave

[ItsDave]

Added some new Zoos today. They look sweet. Also added 2 percula clowns which are doing surprisingly well with the damsel. I think im going to be giving the damsel back to where i purchased it from though just because i know they can be mean and i dont want to risk it. Do you think i should?
Thanks
Dave

[Jimsmowen]

Haha yes get rid of the damsel they are a pain in the ***!! One day you will wake up to all your fish dead except the damsel!!! Good luck getting it out btw, 99% of the time they are a pain in the ***.

Please post some pics of your new corals :)

[ItsDave]

A lot of them are ugly because of the salinity shock they went through and some still havent even opened yet. Ive been waiting til they do to take more pictures but maybe i will take pics of the ones that areopen like the candy coral the zoos, anthelia, hammer, kenya tree fragg and my little flame mushroom. I got work in an hour, but maybe i will take some pics when i get home.
Thanks for the reply,
Dave

[vanmo92]

cool tank pics

[WarEagleNR88]

Pics pics pics! Hows it look?

I think 2 percs will be tough for a small tank because they'll pollute the water fairly quickly. Best thing I can see is to invest in a BakPak-like skimmer if you want to keep them as a skimmer will help you out tremendously. Do some searching for skimmers here on RC--especially check out Anthony Calfo's sticky thread in his forum about skimmer improvements--to really get the most out of your skimmer if you decide to use one.

And I agree about the damsel. It will most likely just be hassle down the road. Invest in more compatible corals--that will play nice with each other--instead of fish. Crabs, snails, shrimp are good additions as well. On small tanks, fish typically cause more problems than they're worth. I've got a blue velvet damsel in my 50g against a larger gold striped maroon clown. I'm hoping the maroon vs the BVD will be a good fighting pair for the future. Great color combo.

A comment about the rockscaping, create overhangs if you can. Go with some smaller branchlike rocks on the bottom with the larger rocks on top of them to minimize dead spots in the tank. If you do this, add a lot of circulation for brisk underwater movement. 20-30x turnover would be prime with an efficient skimmer taking out all organics and baddies. Remember, just my comments.

But yeah, pics would be nice to see how things look. Good luck man. I'll follow this thread and help you out if I can from my Exp. I know how it feels making your best efforts even if they are mistakes.

[ItsDave]

hey thanks a lot. If my money wasnt so tight right now i would def have a skimmer on there. I will post some pictures asap. Im gonna see if my brother will let me use his cam for a while.
THanks for the replies.
Dave

[ItsDave]

Pics! Let me know what you think
Thanks,
Dave
http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/98216IM000072.JPG

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/98216IM000071.JPG

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/98216IM000073.JPG

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/98216IM000074.JPG

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/98216IM000075.JPG

[ItsDave]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/98216IM000070.JPG

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/98216IM000069.JPG

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/98216IM000068.JPG

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/98216IM000067.JPG

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/98216IM000066.JPG

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/98216IM000065.JPG
Thanks for looking!

[ItsDave]

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/982161.jpg

[phenom5]

looking good Dave. you've got some nice frags.

full tank picture tip: turn off the flash & turn off all the lights in the room.:thumbsup:

[ItsDave]

YEah i know but by the time i dumped the pics i was too lazy to go take another one lol sorry about that.
Thanks for the comment tho.
Dave

[vanmo92]

good job. nice pics

[ItsDave]

thank you I try my best. This site really has helped A LOT

[Fizhstiks]

I like the way you placed the rocks :)

[ItsDave]

Thanks :)

[ItsDave]

bump

[WarEagleNR88]

bumping your own thread after a day of no responses and it's a weekend at that? :confused:

How about posting some new pics now that phenom5 has told you how? And work hard on getting good pics, don't play it off as laziness that you weren't able to get some decent ones.

[Andrew]

Looks like a good start :)

[ItsDave]

okay tomorrow i will take some more pics with my dads new camera. IF he lets me.
Thanks for the replies.
Dave

[ItsDave]

Wowwwww...its been a long time since ive posted here. Ive been quite busy. But, I took some new pictures today...hopefully people will see an improvement in my tank :confused:

http://www.geocities.com/civicsrhot/Anthelia.JPG
http://www.geocities.com/civicsrhot/AntheliaandShroom.JPG
http://www.geocities.com/civicsrhot/Buttons.JPG
http://www.geocities.com/civicsrhot/CleanerShrimp.JPG

[ItsDave]

http://www.geocities.com/civicsrhot/ClownGoby.JPG
http://www.geocities.com/civicsrhot/GreenStars.JPG
http://www.geocities.com/civicsrhot/KenyaZoofrag.JPG
http://www.geocities.com/civicsrhot/TheClowns.JPG
http://www.geocities.com/civicsrhot/Torch.JPG
http://www.geocities.com/civicsrhot/Zoo.JPG
http://www.geocities.com/civicsrhot/Zoos.JPG
http://www.geocities.com/civicsrhot/Fulltank.JPG

[ItsDave]

So any feedback what so ever would be greatly appreciated
Thanks
Dave

[ItsDave]

Guess its not that great...:(

[Adonis Mt]

Your tank looks very nice to me.

I wouldnt add any more fish

and bigger pics, too! Hard to see much.

[ItsDave]

yes im aware that i should not add any fish
Weekly water changes and a close eye on my tank will help me keep things stable with my 3 fish. Those are the only fish i plan on having in this tank. Thanks for the feedback.

[ItsDave]

Anymore feedback?

[ItsDave]

I used to get a lot of feedback from this site...what happened?

[ItsDave]

Wow this forum really is dead...or my tank sucks.

[Jovreefer]

I see X's...:(

[ItsDave]

yeah that just means too many people are looking at once....so please check again...i want some feedbackkkkkkkkkkkkk
Thankss
Dave

[ItsDave]

Alright i took some new pictures...got 2 new ricordia mushrooms.
Let me know what you think :)
So I went up to my lfs yesterday and picked up a nice pair of ricordia mushrooms.
And i took a lot of pictures of my tank cause I already had the camera out. Let me know what you think.
Thanks.
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/11-17-05/100_0286.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/11-17-05/100_0287.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/11-17-05/100_0288.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/11-17-05/100_0289.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/11-17-05/100_0290.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/11-17-05/100_0291.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/11-17-05/100_0310.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/11-17-05/100_0360.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/11-17-05/100_0364.jpg

[WarEagleNR88]

Awesome, it's looking really good! Lots of coralline growth there!

[ItsDave]

Moreee

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/11-17-05/100_0366.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/11-17-05/100_0367.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/11-17-05/100_0368.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/11-17-05/100_0369.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/11-17-05/100_0370.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/11-17-05/100_0374.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/11-17-05/100_0376.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/11-17-05/100_0377.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/11-17-05/100_0386.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/11-17-05/100B0320.jpg

[ItsDave]

Thanks War Eagle, I appreciate the comment after all the work ive put into it. It may not look like much to some of you...but its my first reef. And i like it a lot :)
All feedback greatly appreciated. Criticism too!

[FalsePerc]

Awesome! :)

[kaserpick]

Really nice looking tank! Especially for your first reef. I did a 10 gal. for my first reef. Loved it, but unfortunately I had to take it down because of summer break. Keep up the great work!

Thumbs up!
~Kasey

[trottman]

sweet tank, here is my 10 gallon nano!

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b336/trotreef/finalmtank.jpg

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b336/trotreef/P1010111.jpg

[ItsDave]

Well thanks for all the replies!
Your tank looks really nice!
How long has it been up for?

-Dave

[BiG_FiSH83]

Dude it looks so much better. Im jw, do you use a skimmer? Im deciding whether or not to use one on my future nano (someday;).....

[waterfaller1]

It looks great..nice coraline.How about an updated full tank shot?

[ItsDave]

Ill take a full shot tonight when i get back from the 311 concert...if my lights are still on. Thanks for all the replies!
-Dave

[lakebound]

Not a bad set up for just outta high school and working at Taco Bell!! Back when I had my first job... well, lets just say I waisted my money and your not!! :beer: Love the greenish Xenia. Keep up the good work! :thumbsup:

[ItsDave]

To answer a previous question...no i do not use a skimmer on this tank....a water change a week and top offs almost everyday is what i rely on. Those arent xenia either..there anthelia. Thanks tho! I like them alot too...they grow like crazyyyy. Haha i waste my money on plenty of things...but a lot of it does go to that tank. Thanks for the kind words all
-Dave

[lakebound]

Ooops, my bad. Looked like xenia at first now I see, sweet just the same.

[timschmidt]

Ok newbie question here, what is that stuff on the back plane of glass? Calcium deposits? And the next question, is there a way to control that or remove it easily?

[pimp2daizzo]

the pick spots?????

[lakebound]

its called coraline growth, and is generally a sign that tank parameters are in good levels. Most people scrape it off with a razor blade when it gets extreme. No real way to control it...but you really dont want to, this is also what colors up your live rock.

[pimp2daizzo]

sorry i did not know what he was asking about.

[ItsDave]

Yep thats coraline algea...you can always scrape it off...i only scrape it on the front and some of the sides.
Thanks for all the replies
-Dave

[timschmidt]

Nice tank, any problems with any of the corals? Trying to choose a set for my 10g now, and seem to be hitting a "reef block"?

[ItsDave]

nope havent had any real problems...my rics lost color and died...which was upsetting...not sure why...but other than that and a toadstool leather everything is doing very well...many things have even brightened up since i got them.

[ItsDave]

Hey rearranged the tank and took some pics.

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/100_0419.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/100_0418.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/100_0423.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/100_0422.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/100_0421.jpg
http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/100_0424.jpg

Let me know what you think.

[TheUltimateNoob]

nice pics. your tank is turning out to be very nice.

[ItsDave]

Thanks!

[MeuserReef]

looking good!

[chocolateblnt]

Good Job rearranging the rock work ... I was going to mention the instability of those rocks earlier... sometimes crabs wedge themselves in between rocks when they molt and push a rock loose :eek2: don't want any "crushed coral" :p

Being a 10 gallon it should fill up pretty quick :D Also you mentioned you had temp problems ... it's because you have lid! So that fan won't help ... so I guess lose the lid since you have no real jumpers! Seeing how you have a bit of surface scum on your water in the recent pic get a power head to blow near the surface of the water this will agitate it and disolve the scum into the water where your filter will suck it up and it will help with evaporation and keep your tanks temp stable! I hope some of this helps!

[ItsDave]

I really dont have temp problems anymore...and the fan does keep air circulating under the light and helps cool it. The lid has helped a lot with evap and idk if i should take it off....any more reasons that i should?

[itstheantitang]

are the featherduster worms still there?

BTW did you feed your rics and toadstool?


I've never had a coral so my opinion isn't to be held by.

[ItsDave]

The toadstool died because of a salinity shock and i have no idea why the rics died
yeah there are still featherdusters...they just keep reappearing

[mathias999us]

Nice tank. I think the only reason you should take the lid off is if you were having high temp problems again... and that would of course, just allow more evaporation to cool it off.

Beautiful though, great job.

[ItsDave]

Okay thanks for the advice :)
So does anyone have any input on getting a BTA for the lower left hand corner of the tank?
(being that it likes that spot...if not i can adjust the tank so it fits.)

[ItsDave]

Anyone?

[ItsDave]

hmm guess nott...

[muzscman]

how long has your tank been up and running? if it's less than 6 months or so i would say no.

and i wouldn't bet on a BTA staying were you put it. they move until they are happy and they will sting and damage any of your other corals along the way...

[trottman]

an anemone is not a good addition to a small tank. they grow big and could cause a problem.

[Bluemorningwind]

Personally, I think a BTA is totally feasible. It will get large, so have a plan to off load it in a year or two.

Like others have said, a BTA will move around.

You should try one

All the best.

[ItsDave]

Ok im thinking of getting a small one and keeping a close eye on it to adjust my tank to its movements. If it starts to look bad i will return it or give it to one of my friends who all have systems that the anemone would thrive it. Im hoping it will thrive in my tank.
Thanks for your input
Dave

[ItsDave]

I purchased the bta and it seems to be doing great so far. What is everyones advice on feeding. I was told that I CAN feed it by one worker at my lfs and another told me not too. Anyone else have any imput on this. Also i got a spectacular open brain, and added my AC 500 refugium. Ill post pics soon.

[ItsDave]

Hey everyone thanks for looking,
I recently finished modding my AC 500 into a fuge, So on that note if anyone in Greece, NY or close to it has any spare LR or live sand let me know. I put a sponge in before the baffle so if there is something that isnt right letme know. This is my first attempt at making anything for my tank so im pretty sure i did something wrong. I took the black ring off to reduce the flow and the flow is great, no sand disturbance at all. So let me know about it. Here are some pictures.

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/100_0547.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/100_0548.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/100_0549.jpg

Also i bought an open brain and a BTA at Carribean Forest.

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/80cd5d46.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/c1d9ba2c.jpg

And my Anthelia is growing like wildfire. Anyone want some for trade or free? I really dont want to ship.

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/f4d96b5c.jpg

Thanks,
Dave

[pimp2daizzo]

ill ask for some for free and if there is shiping i guess i can try to pay for it.... e-mail me pimp2daizz0@hotmail.com

[ItsDave]

Well it might come down to that so i will let you know.
Any advice or feedback on the refugium?
Thanks
Dave

[pimp2daizzo]

if u give me a good price ill pay for them i rly would like some just cant find it around here

[cmondo]

The tank looks good man. I would suggest putting macro algae in the fuge, i didn't see u mention it but since u had the light there i wasn't sure. If you do decide to put the macro in I would reccomend a few different kinds, or different sources, that way you get a greater biodiversity of pods and such along with the macro.

[Bluemorningwind]

In regards to your fuge, you could use white contact or paint to cover the outside surfaces of the HOB. Also, you could squash the lamp's reflector so the light is thrown into the fuge a bit better. Maybe lower the lamp a little, too.

I like the brain coral. Also, Don't forget to keep the BTA well feed. Every second day or so, give it a chunk of something different.

All the best.

[ItsDave]

I was told by 2 guys at CF that you dont need to feed it. One of them actually said dont feed it. So idk?! I did feed it a piece of krill today and it gobbled it up. Anyone else have any input on this idea?

[trottman]

feeding just makes it grow faster and bigger, the colors mihgt get better too. they are just like ricordia, the more you feed the faster they grow

[ItsDave]

Ok thanks!

[ItsDave]

Ok so I took the plunge, I got some Bionic and also a protien skimmer. Its a sea clone 100. Question: My tank is filled with micro bubbles does this go away?

[pimp2daizzo]

it should

[ItsDave]

Ok the skimmer is starting to work well. No more micro bubbles! Also i rearranged the tank a bit so i will be posting new pics most likly tomorrow.

[Cutiewitbooty]

Glad to hear everything is going good for you. You have the lighting i have decided to get. :D Nice looking tank BTW :p

Here is a pic of my 10 gal, not much to it just yet lol

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b316/Amber1983/DSCF1866.jpg

I saw you were adding a skimmer to yous, here is the skimmer i have for mine and i'm plumibing a sump/refugium to the tank too. Does you skimmer pull out alot on a 10 gal?

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b316/Amber1983/DSCF1889.jpg

[ItsDave]

Looks great so far!
Um...well this is my first skimmer so i really dont know what a lot is. After one day the collection cup had about a half centimeter of skimmate in it. Not sure if thats a lot. Im not even sure if mine is properly tuned. Best of luck to you though.
-Dave

[ItsDave]

Ok so I ended up modding my Seaclone 100. The performance is 10x better. If anyone wants to know exactly what i did pm me.
Heres some updated pictures.

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/100_0599.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/100_0603.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/100_0584.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/100_0586.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/100_0587.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/100_0588.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/100_0590.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/100_0591.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/100_0592.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/100_0593.jpg

Let me know what you all think!
-Dave

[OCDep]

looks good so far...keep posting pics

[sandlot13]

what is the 6th picture down??? great tank! i have almost the same setup, except not the great looking corals! im working on it though!!! keep up the good posts

[Cutiewitbooty]

Looks cool, i can't wait for corals lol, what is this though?

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/100_0587.jpg

[ItsDave]

6th picture is the recently moved BT Anemone. That coral amber is a frag of a SPS i believe its a Monti Cap but im not really sure but when i do know ill be sure to post the name. Thanks for all the compliments though!

[sandlot13]

awesome dave! nice work........ is that tank in your dorm room? Thats where mine is, and ill tell ya that i love having my little slice of the ocean right on my desk.

[ItsDave]

No but when i leave my community college its going with me. Right now its just in my room at my house. I commute. Started with a 10 gallon for that reason too. I know i wont be staying in one place for too long.

[ItsDave]

Here they are, struggling with a little bit of an algae problem but its gotten 10x better, now just the green hair algae.

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/8-2-06/fts.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/8-2-06/100_1170.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/8-2-06/100_1168.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/8-2-06/100_1167.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/8-2-06/100_1166.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/8-2-06/100_1165.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/8-2-06/100_1164.jpg

[ItsDave]

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/8-2-06/100_1163.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/8-2-06/100_1162.jpg

http://i25.photobucket.com/albums/c55/evaDsIcixelsiD/8-2-06/100_1161.jpg

Thanks for looking :D
-Dave

[ItsDave]

bump for some feedback

[directional]

Wow this tank is amazing.. I will be starting a 10gal nano sono. Can you please list your live stock and how long its been running, how often you change water. I think thats the light I was going to get too. Sweet.

Mad inspiration :)

[ItsDave]

Well i dont know if i could really list all live stock, Ive got 2 maroon gold bar clowns, 4 hermits, sand sifting star, for corals i have the open brain, candy cane coral, Brown Digi, Tan Acro, Acan, Blasto, hammer coral, torch coral, green stars, assorted zoos, anthelia, pulsing xenia, kenya tree, and a bunch of flame shrooms, i think that about covers that. Been running a little more than a year. I do a 2 gallon water change every 2 weeks or when i feel like doing them. Run a 96 watt power quad, aqua clear 110 refugium with a 13 watt clip on light, and a seaclone POS skimmer.
Thanks for the comments I really appreciate them.

[directional]

Dave I noticed you live in NY.. I will be starting a 10g reef tank very soon w/ the same light.. ( Hopefully I can make it look somewhere even close to that )

I was wondering if you would be able to hook me up with some frags?

[ItsDave]

Where abouts in Ny do you live, Im in upstate Ny Rochester to be exact

[directional]

I am Suffolk County Long Island.

[Kigs]

ahhh you're in rochester. =\ i wanted to trade zoo frags with you. those zoos in the last pic are real nice! i'm up by long island too. well at least during the break, right now i'm up in RI for college. ;)

[aquarius77]

What are your feelings on the skimmer after adding it to the tank?

I must say it is beautiful.

[directional]

Perhaps you can help me out with some frags kigs?

I really cant wait to make my reef tank :D