K9s 20g Reef - Warning: Image Intense!

[K9]

As some of you may know, I recently made a rapid upgrade from a standard 10g AGA tank to a 20g long (30x12x12) AGA tank. Just wanted a little more space, that's all :D. Well, I got my VHO lights today and wanted to post some pictures of the tank with the new lights. There are two 24" 75-watt URI bulbs with one being Actinic 03 and one Actinic White (50/50). FYI, the shots were taken with a Canon PowerShot G5 and simply cropped and compressed in Macromedia Fireworks to make them download a little quicker. The colors you see are real, not doctored. Obviously, the darker blue photos are with only the actinic bulb turned on.

The other equipment is just 2 Maxi-Jet 600s (160gph/each) and the tank is currently skimmerless.

I will keep this thread constantly updated with new pictures of my fish, corals, and inverts, so enjoy. Sorry there are no photos of my Ricordea, they were camera shy :lol:. Now, on to the photos!

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/090205-01.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/090205-02.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/090205-03.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/090205-04.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/090205-05.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/090205-06.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/090205-07.jpg

[The Yellow Longnose]

very nice pictures, nice setup you got going on
Joe

[kyman_33]

Very nice tank. I like your zoos. :)

Keep it up!

[Agu]

Nice pics !!


Notice it's not barebottomed . ;)

[K9]

Thanks for the compliments so far! :DOriginally posted by Agu
Nice pics !!

Notice it's not barebottomed . ;) Most certainly not :D. I wisely heeded your suggestion Agu. There's a nice green and purple Short-tentacled Plate at my LFS just screaming to be bought and put in this tank :). Oh, and what's that I hear?....I think it's the neon green open brain calling me as well. Don't worry guys, you'll be "home" soon enough :lol:.

[Kigs]

Awesome pictures K9! i love the rockwork

[nonamesright]

good move with the sand. i think most great successes in this hobby have come about through attempts at emmulating the ocean. and if im not mistaken, the ocean is NOT a b.b.

[K9]

Originally posted by vsny2k5
Awesome pictures K9! i love the rockwork Thanks! It's only 15lbs, and I may add 5 or 7 more, but I wanted the tank to look like a shallow reef outcropping. That's why I have a couple pieces sitting out on the sand by themselves. The rockwork is also shallow to allow for future corals to have plenty of room to grow upwards. It's only a 12" deep tank, so it'd be silly to have rocks going upwards to within a couple inches of the surface.Originally posted by nonamesright
good move with the sand. i think most great successes in this hobby have come about through attempts at emmulating the ocean. and if im not mistaken, the ocean is NOT a b.b. I definitely like the look of the sand. I didn't want a DSB, just a 3/4-1 inch bed to give it the natural touch. :D

[Treevore]

Looks cool, I really like it.

It looks like the only equipment is a pair of powerheads... is that all that you have in there? If so, are you planning to add fish, and how is it working out for you so far?

Keep up the great work.

[K9]

Originally posted by Treevore
Looks cool, I really like it.

It looks like the only equipment is a pair of powerheads... is that all that you have in there? If so, are you planning to add fish, and how is it working out for you so far?

Keep up the great work. Thanks! :D Yes, the only equipment in the tank is two Maxi-Jet 600s. The tank is currently skimmerless, but I will be adding a skimmer in the next month or two. My old 30g tank was skimmerless for almost a year, and I never had algae or nitrate problems. Just changed 10% of the water weekly as I am doing on this 20g.

There actually is a couple critters in there however. I have a Six-Line Wrasse who was in his mucus cocoon during the pictures, and a Skunk Cleaner Shrimp who hides behind the rocks when the lights are on.

Time for pictures of my canopy and VHOs! Just built the canopy today. I will be getting some wood trim tomorrow for the corners, and then painting it all glossy black. The stand still needs panels on the front and sides, but I'm in no rush to finish it. Why buy plywood when you can buy corals and fish?!?! What's in the tank is what counts! Enjoy the photos :D. Feel free to ask any questions!

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/090305-01.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/090305-02.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/090305-03.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/090305-04.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/090305-05.jpg

[K9]

My wiring bird's nest :lol:
http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/090305-06.jpg

The 10g tank you see is going to be a sump...someday :rolleyes:
http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/090305-07.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/090305-08.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/090305-09.jpg

[phenom5]

looks good K9...no comment about the sand...traitor.

[K9]

Originally posted by phenom5
looks good K9...no comment about the sand...traitor. :lol: Sorry man. I just couldn't come over to the dark side.

[Jeff]

The way you take pictures you could work for Playboy...great job:mixed:

[K9]

Originally posted by Engine 7
The way you take pictures you could work for Playboy...great job:mixed: Haha, I don't know about Playboy, but thanks for the compliments :D.

Today I got some new Hagen test kits from the LFS. One to test calcium, and one for carbonate hardness. I bought these since I'm dosing Kalkwasser and Kent Marine pH & KH buffer. Like the saying goes, "Don't dose it, unless you test for it!". After measuring the levels in my tank, I'm happy to mention that both tests returned good numbers :thumbsup::

Ca: 420ppm
dKH: 9 (160ppm)

I also just bought a new Cherub Angelfish today and put him in the tank about an hour ago after a 3 hour acclimation. The little guy is just barely over an inch in length! He hid for about 20 minutes, but he's out swimming around with my 6-Line Wrasse and pecking at the live rock now. I feed them marine flakes and Prime Reef frozen. Here's some new shots I just took a few minutes ago.

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/090405-02.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/090405-01.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/090405-03.jpg

[lil_fishey]

nice pics so clear

[Soccer]

Nice looking tank!

Everthing looks nice and healthy, and those are really great pics!

Good job

[WarEagleNR88]

K9, that 3rd pic of your first post in this thread is really good. I like the spread out look of your reef. Lots of room there for some good corals. And yes, definitely turn that 10G into a sump. It will most likely be the best decision in the long run.

Willing to give any help I can, but it looks like you're rolling just fine. Looking forward to watching it develop. Good luck.

[kyman_33]

Very cool fish.

What kind of shrimp is that?

[WarEagleNR88]

Skunk cleaner shrimp. Bold red & white stripes down their backs with bright white antennae. Very active and very common SW shrimp.

[leaffish75]

nice setup. I have a 20L but im running 4 vhos

[Brewen]

Great tank, even better pics. Best of luck Brewen

[K9]

Thanks for the compliments everyone! I'm a bit of a shutterbug when it comes to my reef, so you can expect lots of pictures whenever I add a new coral or critter to my tank.Originally posted by WarEagleNR88
K9, that 3rd pic of your first post in this thread is really good. I like the spread out look of your reef.Thanks alot. I thought about buying a few more lbs of live rock, which I still may do, but I'm happy with the low-lying design of the rocks. I didn't just want the live rock to be covered with low-profile corals like zoas and ricordea, so that's why I left plenty of room corals that grow upwards.

I'm eventually going to put in some taller-growing things like a toadstool leather, a green finger leather, a hammer or frogspawn, or I might even try a Montipora capricornis. I plan to fill some real estate on the sand bed with two of my favorite LPS: a short-tentacled plate and an open brain (wellsophyllia). You can definitely expect new pictures as soon as I put in anything new. Thanks again for the generous compliments! :thumbsup:

[vanmo92]

very nice pics.

[WarEagleNR88]

Can you go into further detail about your lights? Ballasts, where'd you get them, for how much? They're pretty sweet and they light your tank very well. I just wonder if they'll really benefit SPS when you start putting them into your tank. I've been wondering about the differences between VHO and PC. I'm running 3x96W PCs about 4" off the water and I have to use a couple of PC fans inside the canopy blowing over the fans and out of the canopy to keep the water around 80-82 degs. Are VHOs that hot as well?

But good job again going with the 20L instead of the 10G. They're pretty sweet and I like the wide angled look of the 20L. It's similar to the look of a widescreen TV compared to a normal sized screen. I kind of want my next tank to be either a 20L or a 40 breeder and if so I've got to wonder about the whole MH/PC/VHO question of lighting.

[K9]

Originally posted by WarEagleNR88
Can you go into further detail about your lights? Ballasts, where'd you get them, for how much? They're pretty sweet and they light your tank very well. I just wonder if they'll really benefit SPS when you start putting them into your tank. I've been wondering about the differences between VHO and PC. I'm running 3x96W PCs about 4" off the water and I have to use a couple of PC fans inside the canopy blowing over the fans and out of the canopy to keep the water around 80-82 degs. Are VHOs that hot as well? OK, here's the lowdown on the lights. I bought this ballast from HelloLights.com: http://www.hellolights.com/22elarovhoba.html and added the options of two pairs of endcaps, a power cord, no reflector, and two 24" URI bulbs. It was $95.50 w/o shipping and I chose 3-day UPS ($18.00 more), so the total was $113.50 with shipping. I got one actinic bulb and one 50/50 bulb. It was a VERY cheap route to go in order to get 150w of light. Plus, VHOs are more intense per watt than PCs. As far as heating is concerned, my canopy is totally enclosed except for about 1/2" in the back for the wires to come out, and the top has a little hinged door about 3" wide (and runs the length of the tank) that I leave open during the day when the lights are on. The temp goes no higher than 80F during the day and drops to about 77 or 78 at night. I don't even have a heater on this tank. I asked a question in the SPS forum about keeping SPS corals under VHOs and got some very positive responses. That thread is located here: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=663369 if you'd like to read it. Oh, one last thing, the bulbs are 3" above the surface of the water.Originally posted by WarEagleNR88
But good job again going with the 20L instead of the 10G. They're pretty sweet and I like the wide angled look of the 20L. It's similar to the look of a widescreen TV compared to a normal sized screen. I kind of want my next tank to be either a 20L or a 40 breeder and if so I've got to wonder about the whole MH/PC/VHO question of lighting. I really like the low-and-wide look as well. It's funny you compare it to widescreen TVs because when I buy a DVD, I only get the widescreen version and my TV is a Hitachi 46" widescreen HDTV as well. It really is the ONLY way to watch a movie :D. As mentioned above, I don't have any heating issues whatsoever, and I only spent $113.50 on 150w of light when a 150w MH retrofit would have cost me closer to $200 and no doubt caused some water temperature issues. So, for my money, VHOs were definitely the way to go. Also, if I ever need to, I have room in my canopy to add two more 24" bulbs, giving me a total of 300w of light for just over $200 after I ordered another one of those ballasts and the options I mentioned to go with it. A very good bargain indeed. I had 190w of VHOs on my old 30g tank and absolutely just loved them. For the money, you can't go wrong, and they're brighter and run cooler than PCs. Rest assured WarEagle, when I get that first SPS, I will post pics of it and keep you all up to date on it's progress under VHOs. :thumbsup: Thanks again for the compliments and feel free to ask any other questions.

[WarEagleNR88]

Sweet! Glad to see the details K9. Sounds as though VHOs rock. I can tell from the pics they are pretty bright and you've just confirmed they're cooler and cheaper than PCs--but not by much because I got 288W of light for a little over twice the price.

I went the AH Supply way and got three bulbs for $99, a 3x96W bulb kit for $170 and I think there was like $30 bucks of shipping for it too. Oh and they sent me some very good water heaters all in the same box. Can you believe that? I was like, if you guys can just leave out the heaters, I'd really appreciate it. Needless to say they sent them anyway. Really great reflectors though. Amazingly bright when they're clean ;)

VHOs may be my route to take next. They look nice.

[crazyboutnemo]

I am also starting up a new 20g long. Just set it up yesterday. It has 20lbs of live rock and branch with 20lbs of live sand. I am going to do the same trick as you with my lights. You seem to have a really great idea and I am a big DIYer. I currently have a 40 watt total 50/50 double light strip above the tank. Do you think that will be ok for the time being. I also have a Emporer 280 running just to cycle the water but will add a skimmer later on. I am real excited about the lighting system that you have set up. Are there anymore great websites like that for us DIYers. Here is a picture of mine. I will add more rock and branch later one but spent my limit yesterday so I have to wait for a little bit. I also have a 45g tank that I have been working on for the past 6 months. I am only 6 months old to the hobby so any information you have is really helpful. I am going to follow your tank because it is exactly what I want in mine.

http://xs45.xs.to/pics/05363/New-20g-Tank.JPG (http://xs.to)

[K9]

Thanks again WarEagle. If you go the VHO route, definitely let me see some pictures! crazyboutnemo, looks like you're off to a nice start. Once you start putting some real corals in there, I'd paint the back a nice jet black or deep blue color and do away with the fake background, but that's just me :D. Some other lighting sites you may want to check out are:

www.hellolights.com (bought from them, highly recommend)
www.bigalsonline.com (bought from them, highly recommend)
www.diyreef.com
www.premiumaquatics.com
www.marinedepot.com (bought from them, highly recommend)
www.ah-supply.com

Best of luck with your tank. When you get some new lights and more pictures, start up your very own thread to keep us updated on the progress! :thumbsup:

Unfortunately, I have some rather ill news to report. Last night, after looking completely normal in the morning when I left for work, my Pygmy Angel and Six-Line Wrasse were COVERED with white spots (Ich). The angel was on his side on the sand and barely moving/breathing, so I euthanized him first. I've read about different methods, but I've always immersed the fish in a Zip-Loc baggie with some rubbing alcohol in it. Death is instantaneous. Then, the Six-Line was next since he was swimming, but just barely and having difficulty even staying upright. :( Sadly, this now means that I will have to leave my tank fish-free for at least 4 weeks (I'm doing 6 just to be sure). However, in the meantime, I will still be adding corals and inverts, so the pictures will keep coming. Take care.

[SOREVIV476]

i love the 20l tanks . i want to set one up next. i like how your tank is coming along. please keep the pics coming.

[crazyboutnemo]

my wife likes the fake background but I agree with you and will probably wind up doing that, but for now while nothing is in there I'll comply with her wishes and keep the background. I will definately start a new thread and keep updated. Thanks for the help and websites

[WarEagleNR88]

Damn, sorry to hear that K9. Ich is bad, grrrr.

Where was that cleaner shrimp at?!? Probably jazzing around the side of the tank like a retard.

Good luck dude.

[K9]

Originally posted by WarEagleNR88
Damn, sorry to hear that K9. Ich is bad, grrrr.

Where was that cleaner shrimp at?!? Probably jazzing around the side of the tank like a retard.

Good luck dude. Yeah, Ich is an evil SOB, isn't it? I don't mind waiting 6 weeks though because when I'm ready to add a fish to my tank again, it will be just that much more mature and have many more corals in it by then. I've already marked the day on my calendar too :D.

The Skunk Cleaner Shrimp was probably hiding away because coincidentally, he just molted last night. They don't show themselves much just before, during, and right after a molt. It would have been too late already though, because I'm sure some of the parasites had made it into my sand bed by then :(.

[K9]

Well, as the winds and rain of Hurricane Rita whirl around outside, I unfortunately don't have much more to report at this time. I bought a Toadstool Leather just over a week ago, but have been too busy with work and classes to take any pictures. I will post some as soon as I can. One of my Ricordea split as well, so I have three purple/green polyps now.

The tank remains fishless (treating for Ich) as I wait for the 6-week mark to get here. Unfortunately, that won't be until October 18th. In the meantime, my Skunk Cleaner Shrimp never ceases to entertain me by immediately pouncing on my hand to clean it the minute it goes into the tank.

I'm still debating whether I should add a protein skimmer or a refugium to this tank. I'd like some additional filtration as opposed to just 15lbs of live rock. I'm leaning towards the skimmer because I'm sick of seeing that scummy film on top of my water.

If anything new happens, or I take some new pictures, I'll be sure to update this thread. Take care.

[GunMoto]

Looking good! Can't go wrong with the VHO's, good choice.... ;)

[vanmo92]

looks good

[jcopp24]

Awesome setup I have just recently bought a 20 gallon to make into a nano reef after seeing the results some of you have had.
I have a 50 Gallon SW Predator tank currently that has been up and running for about 2 and a half years, what I am wondering is if I take water out of the 50 gallon for water changed and add that water to fill the 20 gallon would that get me better results in water faster than if I were to mix up salt and water and start new? I took about 10 or so lbs of LR from the large tank and added that into the 20 gallon, along with 1 bag of Live Fiji Pink Sand. I just want to obtain my water quality as fast as possible, my Undulated Trigger has the 50 gallon to himself and a couple other tank mates... now I want some coral : )
Thanks for the help
Jay
PS how do I put a photo of my undulate as my icon to the left of the post... all I can find is the avatars.

[K9]

Hi Jay,

Thanks for the compliments. I feel honored that at least a couple people now have vowed to start nanos based on my humble little setup :D. BTW, did you buy a 20g regular, or a 20g long tank? Mine's a 20 long because I wanted the shallower water and longer swimming distance for fish.

You will speed up the cycle by using water and live rock from your existing tank. I can't guarantee how quickly the tank will cycle, but if your ammonia stays at 0 for a couple weeks, it's safe to say you won't see a cycle and you can start S-L-O-W-L-Y stocking the tank.Originally posted by jcopp24
PS how do I put a photo of my undulate as my icon to the left of the post... all I can find is the avatars. Unfortunately, you can't have a custom avatar until you reach 100 posts. Also, you need 500 posts to change the "Registered Member" text to something else. So just ask lots of good questions and you'll be there in no time. Thanks again.

-Ted

[jcopp24]

I bought a 20 Gallon Long because the coffe table I want it on is longer and I thought I could put more into it... I dont really like the talls.

Are there any beneficial snails, crabs ect... to help cycle the tank?

I have a spotted pink lobster in my predator tank that I would like to rescue and put in my coral tank. Would you happen to know if this is a reef safe buddy? He is the only crestation that I could find that the trigger wouldnt kill it is wierd they actually share the same sleeping space. But I never see him because the tank is so small.

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/showphoto.php?photo=89654&papass=&sort=1&thecat=500

[K9]

No, anything you put into the tank during the cycle will not have a good chance at living. I wouldn't put the pink lobster in your reef either. I've read too many stories of those lobsters eating fish and other crustaceans.

[jcopp24]

I retro'd a old florescent light with a SunPaq Retro kit. It is a remote balast and the two lights on the inside are 1. Sunpaq Dual Actinic 32w 420nm and 460nm in the same side 2. Sunpaq Dual Daylight 32w 10000K Daylight and 6700K daylight. Sound good for the tank?
Then I guess the lobster will stay in the predator tank where he belongs.
Thanks agian,
Jay

[MalawianDude]

Wow! my eyes hurt for a 2nd on them purple pics, coming along great what kind of skimmer running on that system?

[K9]

Originally posted by jcopp24
I retro'd a old florescent light with a SunPaq Retro kit. It is a remote balast and the two lights on the inside are 1. Sunpaq Dual Actinic 32w 420nm and 460nm in the same side 2. Sunpaq Dual Daylight 32w 10000K Daylight and 6700K daylight. Sound good for the tank?64w isn't much for a 20g tank. You could probably keep some softies like shrooms or leathers in there though.
Originally posted by MalawianDude
Wow! my eyes hurt for a 2nd on them purple pics, coming along great what kind of skimmer running on that system? Thanks for the compliments :D. To answer your question, as of right now, this is a skimmerless tank. I'm pondering buying a Coralife Super Skimmer, but not sure yet. I do 2g water changes every weekend and things are running pretty smoothly so far. I've also been thinking of adding a CPR Aquafuge as well, but haven't made a concrete decision yet.

[K9]

It's picture time! Here's 4 new pictures I just took. I was able to work on my stand and canopy some more this weekend after yet another trip to Home Depot. I put panels on the stand and started the corner molding on the canopy. After I finish the corner molding this week, I'm getting an electric sander from a buddy, sanding everything down, and painting it a nice glossy black. Then I'll be applying a clear-coat to protect everything. Instead of having double doors like most stands, I went for a single, completely-removeable panel. The panel is attached to the stand via 4 heavy-duty magnets. I went this route so that anytime I need to get under the tank, I just pull the door down and/or completely remove it and set it aside. This makes it much easier to access the space in the stand. I also posted a new full-tank shot and a picture of my Toadstool Leather I just picked up recently. This thing is growing like a weed under my VHOs and has increased in size from 3 to a full 5 inches across in less than two weeks! It's clearly visible on the right-hand side of the full-tank shot.

For those of you who are eagerly waiting for me to cram this thing full of corals, just be patient! I'm going coral shopping tomorrow afternoon after I hit Home Depot again and I'll pick up at least one new goodie :D.

I've been going back-and-forth all last week about whether or not I should buy a skimmer. I know it can't hurt, but I just tested nitrates today and I'm now at 0-5ppm (hard to exactly tell the colors apart on the card) before my weekly water change. I'm not surprised by the results (my old 30g was skimmerless for 10 months and nitrates never above 10ppm), but just very pleased at how well this tank is coming along. I'm sure the fact that I don't have any fish right now and don't feed the tank have something to do with it.

Thanks for following along, now enjoy the pictures!

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/092505-01.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/092505-02.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/092505-03.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/092505-04.jpg

[jcopp24]

Is the main use for the skimmer to get rid of fish waste? and overfeeding waste? I would like to not have a skimmer on my tank, and if that means no fish so be it... I am doing 10-15% water changes weekly.
You said that the light might not be enough for the tank... if I added another set of the same lights would 128 watts be enough to grow whatever I want? ( within reason )

[vest0830]

nice tank. looks very good.
what did you set your g5 on to take those pics?

also, are you adding any additives to the tank, or just letting it do its thing?

-frank

[K9]

Originally posted by jcopp24
Is the main use for the skimmer to get rid of fish waste? and overfeeding waste? I would like to not have a skimmer on my tank, and if that means no fish so be it... I am doing 10-15% water changes weekly.
You said that the light might not be enough for the tank... if I added another set of the same lights would 128 watts be enough to grow whatever I want? ( within reason ) A skimmer pulls out any wastes before they can break down into ammonia and eventually become nitrates. Some people believe that a skimmer on a nano-reef isn't needed because you remove so much waste and lower nitrates each week when you perform a water change. My tank is skimmerless and I never have excessive nitrates. They were up to 10ppm when I started this tank, but as of this past weekend, have dropped to 0-5ppm. I do a 2g water change each weekend. Since my tank is actually less than 20g (liverock and sand take up some space), I'm probably changing about 15% of the volume each week. I just would rather spend the $100-150 on something else for my tank other than a skimmer since I feel that I don't really need one. On anything larger than 30g though, I'd definitely buy a skimmer.Originally posted by vest0830
nice tank. looks very good.
what did you set your g5 on to take those pics?

also, are you adding any additives to the tank, or just letting it do its thing?

-frank Thanks Frank. The four pictures above were taken with my girlfriend's Sony Cybershot 4.1MP camera. I just used the automatic settings and turned the flash off. When I use my G5 from work, I turn it to manual, set the white balace to "flourescent", turn off the flash, and use a tripod and the camera's 2-second timer to get perfectly still shots.

To answer your other question, I'm adding Kent Marine Kalkwasser in my top-off water and Kent Marine pH buffer as needed. My calcium is at 420ppm, dKH at 9, and pH at 8.1, so I'm happy with my levels as of right now. Thanks again :D.

[K9]

I broke down today at the LFS and "rescued" a huge stylophora that was fading fast. They originally wanted $100 for it, but after working the manager, he saw things my way. I explained to him that no one in their right mind was going to pay a Benjamin for a Cat's Paw that was in this poor condition, so I'd "do him a favor" and take it off his hands :D. Well, $50 later, it's in my tank. Maybe I got taken, maybe I didn't. Either way, I felt it was a good purchase and I love this coral. The toadstool I bought from the same LFS was lying on the sand, and was only 3 inches across with hardly any polyps extended. Two weeks later now, it's about 5 inches across and doing very well. I can only hope the stylophora does just as well.

My stylo is about the size of a canteloupe. This thing looks MONSTROUS in my 20L nano, but I feel it has so much potential. It's hard to tell from the pictures (didn't have my good camera from work), but it's about 1/4 to 1/3 bleached. At the LFS, the "paws" that were still pink had VERY neon green polyps and gave the coral a cool two-tone look. Anyways, it only took a few hours in my tank for the polyps to start coming back out, and it seems happier already. As an added bonus, it came with an acro crab and two small snails as hitchhikers. Well enough jibba jabba, here's the photos. BTW, it's under 150w VHOs. Any comments are welcome and invited!

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/092605-02.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/092605-01.jpg

[levon15]

once it recovers (if it recovers), move it somewhere else, it looks crazy big sitting on top oif evereything in the middle. I am sure it there for best flow and light right now.

good luck with it and the tank looks great

I actually think that coral looks really outa place anywhere in a newer tank. It being bigger than anything else in the tank.

[K9]

Originally posted by levon15
once it recovers (if it recovers), move it somewhere else, it looks crazy big sitting on top oif evereything in the middle. I am sure it there for best flow and light right now.

good luck with it and the tank looks great

I actually think that coral looks really outa place anywhere in a newer tank. It being bigger than anything else in the tank. You are correct, it's where it is now for the best light and highest flow, but it does look incredibly huge in my tank, that's for sure. However, there is a method to my madness :D. When it recovers (which it will :)), I plan to frag it out and exchange the frags for other corals. This way, I can pretty much completely stock my tank with corals for a mere $50. Anyone would be happy with that deal. :thumbsup: Thanks a lot for the compliments.

[Malla]

Your tank looks great! In fact, you inspired me to make the switch from pc to VHO. I followed your link and bought the same setup from Hellolights. I highly recommend them to anyone needing lights they are extremely fast, and I got the kit the next day. Though we are both in California, I placed the order at around 2:30pm and had the tracking numbers that night. One problem I had though on a test run, the lights did not seem as bright as my power compacts. I guess since your tank is lower it seems brighter on your pics. Well, I'm an alarmist and I might have acted too quicly, but I ordered another kit to have 300watts of VHO over my 20g. We'll see how it turns out, at least I'll be able to have a dawn and dusk effect from having two ballasts.

E

[K9]

Sounds great! Definitely post a picture when you get all 4 bulbs running. I'd like to see how they look. Also, what colors of bulbs did you buy? I have one actinic and one 50/50, but was considering swapping the 50/50 with a 10000k or 6500k. The URI 50/50s look awfully pink to my eyes. I'd prefer a bluer look to the tank. Thanks so much for the compliments :D.

[Malla]

I ordered one URI actinic, and one 10,000 aquasun. The actinic bulb really made the greens pop out like my pc bulbs never did, but the aquasun was a little of a let down. I wanted to order a 150watt MH, but then I didnt want any heat problems, and then I would have had to order another actinic bulb anyways.

I'll try to post pics later to compare both setups. I still have to build a canopy for the reflector.

[pimp2daizzo]

hmm i'm thinking about adding a stylo to my 5.5 do u think 79 watts of light is good?

[K9]

Originally posted by pimp2daizzo
hmm i'm thinking about adding a stylo to my 5.5 do u think 79 watts of light is good? I don't know if SPS are doable in a 2.5g. The flow you'd need to keep it happy would cause a sandstorm in that small of a tank.

[K9]

Originally posted by Malla
I ordered one URI actinic, and one 10,000 aquasun. The actinic bulb really made the greens pop out like my pc bulbs never did, but the aquasun was a little of a let down. I wanted to order a 150watt MH, but then I didnt want any heat problems, and then I would have had to order another actinic bulb anyways.

I'll try to post pics later to compare both setups. I still have to build a canopy for the reflector. I thought about the AquaSun too, but heard that it was too yellow, which I definitely don't want. I am looking forward to seeing your photos of the setup though. Keep me posted. :thumbsup:

[K9]

More Photos!

Brought home the good camera tonight from work. Enjoy the pics gang! :D

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/092705-01.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/092705-02.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/092705-03.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/092705-04.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/092705-05.jpg

[nonamesright]

I think you made a good gamble with the cats paw. If you can heal it you can get a good 20-30 frags off it so that means 20-30 more corals, or in worse case scenario, your out 50 bux. I like those odds.

[K9]

Originally posted by nonamesright
I think you made a good gamble with the cats paw. If you can heal it you can get a good 20-30 frags off it so that means 20-30 more corals, or in worse case scenario, your out 50 bux. I like those odds. Well, if EVERY branch heals up, I would get about 15-20 nice sized frags. Yeah, for only $50, I like the odds of the possible big payoff too :D. I can frag this thing and COMPLETELY stock my 20L from trades. I wouldn't have to buy a single coral again! Heck, I can even sell them off and upgrade my equipment and/or tank. I purposely made my stand 36" long and 15" deep so that I could fit a 30g (36x12x16) on there in the future if I wanted to. :thumbsup:

[JustFin]

nice new pictures! good luck with that cats paw

just curious- was it intentional or just coincidence that the SPS, leather and zoos are all shades of red/pink?

[K9]

Originally posted by JustFin
nice new pictures! good luck with that cats paw

just curious- was it intentional or just coincidence that the SPS, leather and zoos are all shades of red/pink? Pure coincidence :D. My favorite colors, in order, are blue, green, and orange. That's why I'm not too thrilled right now with the pink tint that my VHOs are making. :mad: I'm going to get my tank to look blue somehow.

[pimp2daizzo]

well to late lol..i have a lil frag of sps and adding some more tomor at work...but idk i think it will be ok but i need to find a smaller one..b/c right now i ahve a rio 60 and a prizim 100 dx on it...and i have a lil 1" sps lol looks good for from and a lut of soft crap

[nonamesright]

I know what you mean about the stand. when i built mine i made it big enough for a 55 just in case i ever felt the need to upgrade.

[K9]

Originally posted by pimp2daizzo
well to late lol..i have a lil frag of sps and adding some more tomor at work...but idk i think it will be ok but i need to find a smaller one..b/c right now i ahve a rio 60 and a prizim 100 dx on it...and i have a lil 1" sps lol looks good for from and a lut of soft crap Uh, did you accidently post this in the wrong thread? :lol:

[pimp2daizzo]

Plz comment back how in the hell do u get your pics so high of KB???mine look like crap b/c i cant get them over 30 lol

[pimp2daizzo]

Originally posted by pimp2daizzo
hmm i'm thinking about adding a stylo to my 5.5 do u think 79 watts of light is good?

I don't know if SPS are doable in a 2.5g. The flow you'd need to keep it happy would cause a sandstorm in that small of a tank.


and no i meant to post it here lol just was in a big rush lol

[K9]

Originally posted by pimp2daizzo
Plz comment back how in the hell do u get your pics so high of KB???mine look like crap b/c i cant get them over 30 lol I take the photos using either a 5.0 megapixel Canon PowerShot G5 or a 4.1 megapixel Sony CyberShot camera. The originals are about 1.5 megabytes each to begin with. I crop, reduce, and compress them in Macromedia Fireworks using JPEG compression of about 80-90 depending on the picture. Finally, I upload them to my Web site and reference to them when I post in this, or any other thread. This way, I'm not limited in file size to what Reef Central allows you to have in your RC photo gallery and I can post photos of much higher quality and resolution. I hope this at least somewhat answered your question. :D

[pimp2daizzo]

Grrr i need to get my music website back lol..yes it does i was thinking that how you did it..thxs for the help and nice tank ;p

[pimp2daizzo]

I WANT YOUR ZOOS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[K9]

I finally got around to drilling my tank and adding a 10g refugium this weekend. I bought myself a 3-speed Black & Decker rotary tool, diamond drill bits, two 3/4" bulkheads w/strainers, a bunch of 3/4" PVC elbows, 10' of 3/4" PVC pipe, 10' of 1/2" ID vinyl tubing, and a Maxi-Jet 1200. The drilling was actually easier than I thought it would be, and took about 30 minutes to drill each hole. Below are photos from each step of the process...

Here are the diamond bits that I bought for $5.99 from Sears. The pack includes one ball bit (to drill pilot hole) and one cone bit (for cutting the circles out).
http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/100105-01.jpg

Here's the back of the tank as I trace the hole using the nut from one of the bulkheads. You never want to drill too close to the edges of the glass, so my holes were 3" in from the side and about 3" in from the top edge.
http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/100105-02.jpg

This is a shot after I'm half way done with the first hole. The washcloth you see is for keeping the work area cool. I'd squeeze water from it onto the hole and the bit about every couple minutes.
http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/100105-03.jpg

Here is a front shot of the empty tank after I finished both holes and installed the bulkheads.
http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/100105-04.jpg

This back view of the tank clearly shows the placement of the bulkheads. Not bad for my first glass drilling job if I do say so myself! :D
http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/100105-05.jpg

[K9]

These next two photos are of the plumbing on the back of the tank. I have both bulkheads feeding into a single pipe leading into the refugium in the stand. The vinyl tubing you see is the return from the Maxi-Jet 1200.
http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/100105-06.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/100105-07.jpg

A shot from inside the stand. I still have to get some baffles from my local glass shop and silicone them into the fuge.
http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/100105-08.jpg

One last shot before I fill up the rest of the tank and give the new overflows a test-run!
http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/100105-09.jpg

As soon as I finish the refugium, I will be sure to post more pictures. It will be lit with two 20w 6500k screw-in PCs and will contain live sand, live rock, and chaetomorpha macro algae. Stay tuned!

[pimp2daizzo]

Are yout taking out the sand????

That would be much better whit sps...you will be able to keep the tank nicer

[pimp2daizzo]

You want to come down to ga and rill my 5 gal ;p lol...

[WarEagleNR88]

You should paint or stain the stand while you've got stuff disassembled. Just my thoughts if you were going to do it eventually. It gets a lot harder to do once you've got PVC plumbed up and everything in place.

It was really that easy to cut holes in the glass? Wow, I think I may need to stop by Sears sometime and pick up that little $6 jewel for cutting my tanks. I've got a really good Craftsman cordless drill that shifts into three different speeds as you squeeze the trigger, maybe that would be ok? What are the RPMs of your rotary tool you purchased?

Another thing I thought of is a closed loop. You might want to go and drill it's holes now while you've got the tank like this. That is if you were planning to do one.

Otherwise, things are looking good. I'm thinking of upgrading my FW Planted 10G into a 20G long Planted FW with a sump. And you can bet I'm making mental notes of your progress. Great job!

[K9]

Originally posted by pimp2daizzo
Are yout taking out the sand????

That would be much better whit sps...you will be able to keep the tank nicer Well, the sand is still there, it's just down in the fuge now. The sand is much deeper in there as well since it's only a 10g tank, so it will aid in denitrifying my water better. I am going to try to find some cutting board for the bottom of the tank from the kitchen section of my local Marshall's or Ross store. You can finds all sorts of stuff dirt-cheap at those stores.Originally posted by WarEagleNR88
You should paint or stain the stand while you've got stuff disassembled. Just my thoughts if you were going to do it eventually. It gets a lot harder to do once you've got PVC plumbed up and everything in place.I still have to finish the corner molding on the stand before I can think about sanding and painting it. It was just too much for me to cram into this weekend. It will eventually get done. :DOriginally posted by WarEagleNR88
It was really that easy to cut holes in the glass? Wow, I think I may need to stop by Sears sometime and pick up that little $6 jewel for cutting my tanks. I've got a really good Craftsman cordless drill that shifts into three different speeds as you squeeze the trigger, maybe that would be ok? What are the RPMs of your rotary tool you purchased?It took me about 30 minutes to cut each hole. Unfortunately, you can't use a regular cordless drill since they don't spin fast enough. You'd be there for hours just trying to cut one hole, and your battery would run out long before you could finish the job. My Black & Decker rotary tool has three speeds. Low is 12,000rpm, medium is 24,000rpm, and high is a blistering 30,000rpm. By comparison, my B&D 12v cordless drill only spins at a maximum 700rpm. The rotary tool was a necessity to get the job done. Now, if you had a diamond hole saw, you can use a regular cordless drill to cut the glass, but for a hole saw in the diameter I needed, it was about $40 online. Plus, after I used it for my tank, it would sit and gather dust. The rotary tool I can use for other things like cutting through SPS corals to frag them in addition to other uses around the house. The rotary tool was $35 at Home Depot and as I mentioned, the bits were just $6 at Sears, so it was a much better way to spend $40 than just to buy the diamond hole saw itself.Originally posted by WarEagleNR88
Another thing I thought of is a closed loop. You might want to go and drill it's holes now while you've got the tank like this. That is if you were planning to do one.I have no immediate thoughts on making a closed-loop. Right now I'm happy with my dual drains and single vinyl tubing return from the fuge. I don't think I'll take this tank so far as to need a closed loop. Maybe someday when my Maxi-Jets die, I'll do it, but they're only a couple months old, so they have plenty of life left in them.

Thanks as always for the kind compliments. :thumbsup:

[WarEagleNR88]

Sweet. Reasonable comments. I see what you mean about the RPMs on the rotary tool vs a drill. I've never cut class before ;)

Looking forward to the next pics! :thumbsup:

[WarEagleNR88]

Hey K9, can you go into detail on your stand? How much material, how long, what type, etc? Did you buy a big sheet of ply or were they the smaller pieces that are more/less precut? What thickness of ply did you use?

Also I noticed you had a floor to your lower shelf back on the first page, how do you have that installed in there?

[pimp2daizzo]

my **** that lol go to homedepo and get acillic (cant spell it) but get the one you cant see through its like $8

[K9]

Originally posted by WarEagleNR88
Hey K9, can you go into detail on your stand? How much material, how long, what type, etc? Did you buy a big sheet of ply or were they the smaller pieces that are more/less precut? What thickness of ply did you use?

Also I noticed you had a floor to your lower shelf back on the first page, how do you have that installed in there?The stand is all pine. The four vertical 2x4s are 36" long and the stand is 36" long and 15" from front-to-back. The plywood is 1/2" pine and it came in 4x2 foot sheets and then I cut it down from there. The corner molding is all pine as well. The stand is held together by 3" long drywall screws. I predrilled all the holes first so I wouldn't risk splitting the wood. The shelf on the bottom is just a spare piece of plywood I had lying around. It's only held to the stand by a couple screws. If you have any other questions requiring more detail, don't hesitate to ask!

[K9]

Here's some pictures of the tank and refugium after the water had a chance to clear. I will be putting sand back into the main display tank sometime in the next couple days. Only about half an inch or so just for looks will go into the display, and whatever's left in the bag will go into the fuge. Sorry the photos are a little blurry, but I've had a long Sunday and was a bit jittery taking them. :lol: Those of you who remember my 10g nano I had not too long ago will recognize the hood on the fuge. It has the two 6500k 20w screw-in power compact bulbs. I'm sure these lights will make any macroalgae I get VERY happy :D.

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/100205-01.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/100205-02.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/100205-03.jpg

[K9]

Tonight I did some more work on the refugium as well as the stand. I bought 20lbs of Samoa Pink sand for the display, but only put about 15lbs of it in there to create a 1" deep bed for looks. The other 5lbs went into the fuge, where the sand bed is now about 4" deep. Even after a thorough rinsing, the sand still made my water really cloudy, but it's almost back to normal now. I was sick of my tank looking pink, so I swapped my URI 50/50 VHO bulb with a 10000k Coralife bulb and I'm VERY happy with the result. The tank looks brighter and the pink tint is gone! :D

I also bought a 4" PVC joint to help keep sand away from the intake of the MJ1200 in the fuge (picture below). I also added a sprayer bar to the refugium, which I really love (picture below). It helps keep the water aerated, and helps to provide some flow in the fuge. I have a couple corals in there now, just for the heck of it before I add them to the main display and add some chaetomorpha to the fuge.

I also put some more corner molding on the stand. I'll get around to painting it someday :lol:. I know you all are getting sick of seeing the same corals over and over, but I'm fragging my Cat's Paw and will be selling and/or trading the frags to get some new corals. Pictures of anything new will be posted the day I get them for the tank. Well, enjoy the pictures, and as always, questions and comments are welcome :D.

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/100405-01.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/100405-02.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/100405-03.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/100405-04.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/100405-05.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/100405-06.jpg

[n1ack]

what substrate are you using? how do you keep it so clean?

[K9]

Originally posted by n1ack
what substrate are you using? how do you keep it so clean? It's Samoa Pink sand. The reason it's so clean in the latest pictures is because I just bought it two days ago :D. The sand in the fuge is partly Samoa Pink, but mostly CaribSea Aragonite.

[JC VT]

K9, that looks amazing! How do you like your overflows? Are they fairly quiet? I am setting up my 29 this week and I am wanting to do the exact same type of overflow.

[K9]

Originally posted by JC VT
K9, that looks amazing! How do you like your overflows? Are they fairly quiet? I am setting up my 29 this week and I am wanting to do the exact same type of overflow. Hey, thanks so much for the compliment :D. The overflows are pretty quiet. Not totally silent, but they make very little noise. The sprayer bar in the fuge makes more noise than the two overflows, but it's inside the stand, so you can't really hear it. Overall, the tank is pretty quiet.

[MCWarhammer]

K9, any reason you chose to not get the reflector? I think I'm going to order the VHO's tonight that you picked up with the 50/50 and actinic URI's. I was just curious why you chose not to get a reflector.

When you painted the back of your tank, did you use any special type of paint?

[K9]

Originally posted by MCWarhammer
K9, any reason you chose to not get the reflector? I think I'm going to order the VHO's tonight that you picked up with the 50/50 and actinic URI's. I was just curious why you chose not to get a reflector.

When you painted the back of your tank, did you use any special type of paint?No reason in particular. I just would rather have saved the $20 or whatever the reflector costs. I'm going to paint the inside of the canopy high-gloss white enamel and a clear-coat when I get around to painting the rest of the stand.

When I painted the back of the tank, I used Krylon high-gloss black enamel. Just make sure you clean the glass really well and wipe it down with some rubbing alcohol as well. This gets any fingerprints/grease off the glass.

[pimp2daizzo]

you can mkae them your self not hard i did it for my pc on my 5 and my new mh on my 28

[pimp2daizzo]

Now you need to make a skimmer...and you can call it your diy tank

[MCWarhammer]

Originally posted by pimp2daizzo
you can mkae them your self not hard i did it for my pc on my 5 and my new mh on my 28


how did you make yours?

[Malla]

Nice job so far, your tank keeps getting better and better. Maybe I should build a stand too. I really need a sump, my tank looks too cluttered.

So, the coralife 10,000k bulb is working better? My URI 10,000k looks so pink, so I ordered a 70watt MH retro, and will just use the VHO actinics. I hope it will be enough white light for the 150watts of actinics.

[K9]

Originally posted by Malla
Nice job so far, your tank keeps getting better and better. Maybe I should build a stand too. I really need a sump, my tank looks too cluttered.

So, the coralife 10,000k bulb is working better? My URI 10,000k looks so pink, so I ordered a 70watt MH retro, and will just use the VHO actinics. I hope it will be enough white light for the 150watts of actinics. Thanks alot! Yeah, I like the Coralife bulb MUCH better. I kept the URI 50/50 of course as a backup or in case I order a second set of the VHOs I'll only need to order another actinic bulb.

[K9]

Hello everyone. In the past few days, I've added some new things to the tank. I now have a 2" long Maroon Clownfish, some new pink/purple Ricordea, and a new 5-6" wide Galaxy coral. I've also bought a few more lbs of live rock and re-organized my aquascaping.

Earlier this week, I fragged out my huge Cat's Paw SPS. Unfortunately, some of the frags didn't make it since they were already too far gone to save. For those who don't know the details, I bought this coral from the LFS for half-price since it was already about 1/3 bleached and/or dead. Fortunately, 4 good frags did make it and are going to be allright. Well, below are the latest pictures. I hope you all enjoy. Have a great weekend everyone!

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/100805-01.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/100805-02.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/100805-03.jpg

A high-res version of the picture below is available here (http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/100805-04_high-res.jpg).
http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/100805-04.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/100805-05.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/100805-06.jpg

[WendyMc]

Beautiful tank, you have a great, level head about your reef (something I've always tried to get, never really successfully =) When you fragged the cat's paw, did you use a dremel, or snippers?

[Phyxius]

K9,
I PM`d you about a question on your lights..Trying not to side track your thread here.

[nonamesright]

nice updates. keep up the good work.

[K9]

WendyMc,

I fragged the Cat's Paw using a Black & Decker rotary tool (most people just say a Dremel). I used this instead of snips because the branches were quite thick, and a rotary tool just made a nicer cut. Thanks so much for the kind words as well. I try to be level-headed with my tank, but some might call it something else: obsessive :lol:.Originally posted by Phyxius
K9,
I PM`d you about a question on your lights..Trying not to side track your thread here. Hey, PM'ed you back. No worries though. If you're asking about my equipment or anything having to do with the tank, please feel free to post it here. If you read back through the thread, other people have asked me about my stand and canopy, the lights, drilling the glass, and other related things. As long as the question is about reefkeeping, you won't be sidetracking the thread :D.

nonamesright,

Thanks for the kudos! :thumbsup:

[K9]

Sorry, double post. :rolleyes:

[KING OF THE REEF]

um k9, any chance we could work out adeal for so me zoos (i love the ones you have in that first pic) pm me if interested

[MCWarhammer]

this may sound dumb... but could you provide a little more detail on how you drilled your holes? I picked up a dremel and a diamond bit for it as well this mroning and plan doing it tonight.

Is the tape there just for your guidance? or does it serve a purpose? Did you put any on the other side to assist in preventing cracking?

Also, where you cut it looks green.. Is the picture just showing an odd reflection from the other piece of glass? or is that something of significance?

thanks

[K9]

Hey MCWarHammer, I responded about cutting the glass in your own thread about your tank :D. The tape was just sort of to help as a guide because my tank was already painted black so it was hard to see the circle I drew with my black Sharpie on the back. The green you see is because I taped a green plastic cup to the inside of the tank to catch debris and water.

[Dyceskynes]

K9 Are you running glass under your lights? I am going for the 3 lamp setup plus 1 or 2 PC as well and was wondering if you feel its required.

[K9]

Originally posted by Dyceskynes
K9 Are you running glass under your lights? I am going for the 3 lamp setup plus 1 or 2 PC as well and was wondering if you feel its required. Nope, no glass. The bulbs are about 4-5" off the surface of the water and I have absolutely zero splashing anyways, so they stay dry. The only thing I do is clean the bulbs (when the ballast is unplugged :D) once a week with a slightly damp cloth to remove any saltcreep that may have built up. I don't even remove the bulbs from the endcaps, I just lift the canopy and give 'em a quick wipe down.

If you don't mind me asking, why are you getting VHOs AND PCs?

[jcopp24]

Originally posted by Dyceskynes
K9 Are you running glass under your lights? I am going for the 3 lamp setup plus 1 or 2 PC as well and was wondering if you feel its required.
I am also running a three light setup and was wondering the same thing... and I am in a 20GL as well.
Also I was wondering if you could recomend a timer cycle for the three lights that I have 1 twin tube of 6700K and 10000K Day Light, 1 Twin tube of 420nm Actinic 03 and 460nm Actinic, and a 75 w PC 50/50.
If you could recomend a timer cycle for the three that would be great...

[K9]

Originally posted by jcopp24
I am also running a three light setup and was wondering the same thing... and I am in a 20GL as well.
Also I was wondering if you could recomend a timer cycle for the three lights that I have 1 twin tube of 6700K and 10000K Day Light, 1 Twin tube of 420nm Actinic 03 and 460nm Actinic, and a 75 w PC 50/50.
If you could recomend a timer cycle for the three that would be great... For your answer about the glass, see my post just above yours :D.

About the light cycle, here's just a suggestion:

8am: actinics on
9am: actinics and daylights on
7pm: daylights off
8pm: actinics off
8pm - 8am: moonlights on (if you have them)

Hope this helps answer your question! :)

[pimp2daizzo]

If you rread up on lighting its better to have your 10k come on 1st...the
Actinic is the strogest light and the corals do not like having it on the longest..and at the sametime the 10k is better for them

[K9]

Originally posted by pimp2daizzo
If you rread up on lighting its better to have your 10k come on 1st...the
Actinic is the strogest light and the corals do not like having it on the longest..and at the sametime the 10k is better for them You may or may not be correct. I'm just going on experience. I've followed a light cycle similar to the one I posted for quite some time and have never come across any problems. To each his own though :D.

[jcopp24]

Originally posted by K9
For your answer about the glass, see my post just above yours :D.

About the light cycle, here's just a suggestion:

8am: actinics on
9am: actinics and daylights on
7pm: daylights off
8pm: actinics off
8pm - 8am: moonlights on (if you have them)

Hope this helps answer your question! :)

When would I turn the PC's on? and Off?

[Dyceskynes]

Originally posted by K9
Nope, no glass. The bulbs are about 4-5" off the surface of the water and I have absolutely zero splashing anyways, so they stay dry. The only thing I do is clean the bulbs (when the ballast is unplugged :D) once a week with a slightly damp cloth to remove any saltcreep that may have built up. I don't even remove the bulbs from the endcaps, I just lift the canopy and give 'em a quick wipe down.

If you don't mind me asking, why are you getting VHOs AND PCs?

Honestly, because I have them :). I may re-think the whole lighting issue. Still going back and forth between VHO and t-5s. Just too many options, may come down to price more than anything. How do you control when your lights turn off and on? I was planning on getting the IceCap ballast and it only has one plug so I am not sure how I can turn each one seperatly.

[KING OF THE REEF]

k9, did you see my post earlier? nice tank and corals, if you ever frag that first zoo in the first pic please let me knowi as i would like a piece

[K9]

Originally posted by Dyceskynes
Honestly, because I have them :). I may re-think the whole lighting issue. Still going back and forth between VHO and t-5s. Just too many options, may come down to price more than anything. How do you control when your lights turn off and on? I was planning on getting the IceCap ballast and it only has one plug so I am not sure how I can turn each one seperatly. Actually, I don't have my lights on a dawn/daylight/dusk cycle. They turn on at 12 noon and go off at around 10pm. My window faces east, so I get that nasty early morning sun in my room (despite vertical blinds) that helps "wake up" the tank. If I decide to get another VHO ballast and two more bulbs, I'll for sure have two actinics on a timer and two daylight bulbs on a timer.

[K9]

Originally posted by jcopp24
When would I turn the PC's on? and Off? Well, since they're 50/50s, I suppose you could have them come on when your daylight bulbs come on. It wouldn't make much difference.

[K9]

Originally posted by Imareefer
k9, did you see my post earlier? nice tank and corals, if you ever frag that first zoo in the first pic please let me knowi as i would like a piece Thanks for the compliments. Yeah, I saw your post. Actually, I have 3 colonies of those zoos growing right now. One has about 10 or 12 polyps, one has around 15-20, and the biggest one has over 25-30. PM me with something you'd be willing to trade for one of the two smaller colonies. I like the biggest colony :D. I'll trade for just about anything other than SPS. After my Cat's Paw frags heal and I sell/trade them, I most likely won't keep any more SPS in this tank. I'd like it to just be a softies/LPS mixed reef. Well, maybe a clam or two. Talk to you later.

[gibson981]

K9,

So, what is the final outcome on lighting equipment? I read where you bought the ballast and added the end cap option and added two bulbs. I think I got lost among all the replies to this popular thread. What are the two best bulbs you ended up with? I am thinking 1 actinic and 1 10000k. Am I correct? Also, I understand that you are running only 150 watts. Would that wattage work for me if I get a 54 gallon bowfront corner tank? I don't want it to be too yellow. Right now I only have a spaghetti leather, a pagoda cup coral, a flower pot, a feather duster, a false perc, a cleaner shrimp, a few emerald crabs, blue leg hermit crabs, and a few snails. I eventually want to add clams and SPS.

Gerald (gibson981)

[K9]

Originally posted by gibson981
K9,

So, what is the final outcome on lighting equipment? I read where you bought the ballast and added the end cap option and added two bulbs. I think I got lost among all the replies to this popular thread. What are the two best bulbs you ended up with? I am thinking 1 actinic and 1 10000k. Am I correct? Also, I understand that you are running only 150 watts. Would that wattage work for me if I get a 54 gallon bowfront corner tank? I don't want it to be too yellow. Right now I only have a spaghetti leather, a pagoda cup coral, a flower pot, a feather duster, a false perc, a cleaner shrimp, a few emerald crabs, blue leg hermit crabs, and a few snails. I eventually want to add clams and SPS.

Gerald (gibson981) Hey Gerald,

I have ended up with 150w of VHOs.....for now :D. I have one URI Super Actinic R bulb (highly recommend) and one Coralife 10000k bulb (also highly recommend). The color is just right for me. If you look at the latest few pictures I've taken for this thread, they are with the actinic and the 10000k bulb. I still have the old URI 50/50 bulb (12000k), but I'll keep it just as an emergency back-up I guess :). As far as your 54g tank is concerned, I'd go with 4 of the 24" VHO bulbs if VHO is the way you wanted to go. VHOs aren't for everyone. This would give you 300w of light or 5.5 watts per gallon. In a 54g corner tank, you can definitely keep softies and LPS. Clams and SPS wouldn't be a good idea though unless they were within a foot or less of the surface. For your size tank, I'd go with a 10000k, 250w metal halide and two VHO URI super actinics. But that's just me. If you like the look of VHOs, then go for it! Best of luck with your system! :thumbsup:

[K9]

As a side note, for those of you who don't know by now, my name is Ted. If you want, you all can call me that instead of "K9". If you're really lazy and prefer to type two characters instead of three, then K9 is OK too :D :lmao:.

[KING OF THE REEF]

ted, i really dont have anything to trade, but will you accept cash, and maybe you would like to come to a club meeting (ill drop you a pm so we dont get in trouble)

[K9]

Originally posted by Imareefer
ted, i really dont have anything to trade, but will you accept cash, and maybe you would like to come to a club meeting (ill drop you a pm so we dont get in trouble) Sure, sounds good to me. PM me and I'll let you know the price per polyp.

[pimp2daizzo]

Sounds good to me... i do the sameone but i'm going ot the other..my friend ryan who has been in to reef for sometime just told me and should me what he was talking about and i have to say his corals look better when he goes whit the 10k 1st

[jcopp24]

Okay I went with the actinic on first because overwhelmingly everyone says those on first.
My friend gave me a good size bubble coral, I brought it home and put it in the water and it was fine the first day/night.
The next morning the bubble is very very mad... all deflated and flat. Does the bubble have a preference of what kind of light it likes more... or where it should be in the current of water flow ect... please help it is pretty and I want it to be happy again.
p.s. I have no criters in the tank that would be pecking at it either.

[K9]

Here's some links on caring for bubble corals. Yours could be suffering from the stress of being moved, light conditions, or water quality/flow. See if any of the information in these links can help you out. Good luck :D

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=2048

http://www.marinedepotlive.com/bubble--pearl--coral---physogyra-species-corals--large-polyp-stony.html

http://www.wetwebmedia.com/caryophyllids.htm

[vest0830]

I am really impressed on the tank. I know lots have been discussed on lights but how are the lights working for you after a few weeks? I am highly considering building the same set-up that you have. It looks fairly simple to wire up. I am somewhat mechanically inclined so it shouldnt be to difficult I would assume. How are the lights though. Are you still satasified with them? Everything is thriving? I mostly plan on running soft corals and maybe a BTA once the new lighting gets put up. What would be your thoughts?

[K9]

I love the lights, I really do. I don't know if you read further back in the thread, but I swapped out the URI 50/50 bulb for a Coralife 10000k bulb and I'm really happy I did. The color is much more to my liking now. As far as wiring, it's very easy to wire up. The wiring diagram is even on the ballast itself. My corals are all doing very well under this light too. I have polyps, softies, LPS, and SPS that are all doing just fine. I would suggest more light though for keeping SPS as they will color up more. After I get rid of my frags of the Cat's Paw, I won't be keeping any more SPS in this particular tank. I will eventually get a clam or two though. Not sure if I want an anemone though since they can move around and might get into mischief (i.e. getting sucked into a powerhead or overflow).

Overall, I am very happy with the lights. :thumbsup:

[vest0830]

good to hear. I will be ordering them soon! (hopefully they ship USPS/priority) and yes, I HAD an anenome in the 38gal, but when I added more sand to the tank, it didnt like it to well...tried to hide and his tennicals got sucked into the powerhead. Im really hesitant on getting another one in the big tank but the wife wants another for the clowns. We will see....

Good to hear though on the lights. So you went for the 10k K buld instead of the 50/50. I will consider that. I appreciate your help.

any new pictures? :)

[K9]

Hey, no problem. Glad to help!

New pictures? No, unfortunately not. I haven't bought anything new for the tank recently because it's been "bill-paying" time this past week :rolleyes: and I've been saving up for my girlfriend and I to go snowboarding in North Carolina this Christmas.

I might pick up something new this weekend though. I'll post pics for sure when something changes with the tank. :thumbsup:

[nonamesright]

^ hey k9, my aunt is looking into setting up a reef, and was looking at lighting. this would be a 75 which is 48x18x21 deep. would you suggest 4 or 6 48" bulbs for softies and maye some lps, but nothing technical. I was just looking for some first hand experiance with this type of lighting, as I have none.

[K9]

Hey, sounds like a cool project. For a 75g, I'd definitely go with 4 110w VHOs. They will let you keep softies and LPS with no problems whatsoever. Heck, you can probably even keep SPS in the upper levels of the tank. Good luck with it!

[KING OF THE REEF]

hey k9, are you planning to come to the pbmas meeting on the 22nd? if so pm me and ill give you the run down

[K9]

Originally posted by Imareefer
hey k9, are you planning to come to the pbmas meeting on the 22nd? if so pm me and ill give you the run down No, sorry man. I won't be able to attend.

[nonamesright]

Thanks. When I told her the price of halides and replacement bulbs she almost rethought her decision. If the VHO's will do great, thats what i'll recommend.

[K9]

Hey, sounds great :D. I'm glad she's going ahead with the project. If you get the VHOs like I have from www.hellolights.com you can just get the same ballast and two 4ft bulbs instead of 2 footers. That ballast will fire up to 8ft or 220w of combined VHOs. Two ballasts with everything will run just over $200 with shipping. Try getting 440w of MH for that kind of money :D.

[nonamesright]

She started out with the idea of getting the best of everything, then after looking at the cost of 2x250 DE halides and 4x65 watt acticnic pc's that was about 1/3rd of what she wanted to spend on lighting alone.

[K9]

Originally posted by nonamesright
...that was about 1/3rd of what she wanted to spend on lighting alone. Ha ha. Yeah, if you want the best, it'll cost ya! VHOs make good quality light IMO. People keep SPS and clams under them quite frequently, so since the price is right, it's a good choice. They certainly don't lack very much in the intensity department. When I get a bigger tank (75-125g), I'd even consider having only VHOs then. MH are nice, don't get me wrong, but VHOs have definitely earned my respect. Wish your aunt good luck on her tank :D.

[nonamesright]

OK, went to hello lights, and found this, prewired, reflector included, single ballast, with 2 actinic and 2 10k bulbs only 255, what do you think?

http://www.hellolights.com/4lamvhoretki2.html

[K9]

Looks pretty good to me! :thumbsup:

I think you've found her a winner :D.

I was just pricing out the ballast that I currently have, only with 4ft bulbs for my future 75, 90, 120g tank (all 48" long) and I can get 3 ballasts and 6 VHO bulbs with all the trimmings for only $305 + shipping. 660w for only $305!?!?! Can't beat that!

EDIT: WHOA! REALIZED I JUST CRACKED THE 3000 POST MARK! :D :bigeyes:

[nonamesright]

:celeb1: :celeb2: :celeb3:

YAY!!! Lets get this party started!!!

[pimp2daizzo]

good pick whit the corallife 10000k they are rly nice...i was testing them last night at work...you should get a t5 actinic..you will rly rly rly like it..has a rly like out put to it and a rly rly rly rly nice blue to it...and if u get the right one it will run u at $35..i have been looking in to them for a 20 long planted tank lol...and maybe my 5gal but i dont know yet..but look in to it and tell em what u think

[K9]

Are you making the suggestion about the T5 actinics to me? I thought about T5's initially, but after seeing how much they were for a complete hood, it was easy for me to go with the VHOs instead.

[pimp2daizzo]

Well at my work we tock $100 of of them...so right now for a 34 it is only $89...but if u just want a actinic t5 i can get a a good deal on line for them..they will run u about $34 for 1 and thats all u woudl need.

[K9]

Thanks for the offer. However, my 75w VHO actinic is just fine for me. :D

[nano_angel]

this is just so awwweeee purteee....

[pimp2daizzo]

sounds good......if u ever want a t5 to put a other 10k in tell me ill get u one cheap and send it tp you..as long as u send me a frag lol ;p

[WarEagleNR88]

pimp2daizzo, do you ever check what you post before you post? This IM jargon you always post is confusing--at least to me anyways. I cant figure out if your brain is too slow for your hands or if your hands are too slow for your brain. From now on, can you please take your time, spell out the words you're trying to say, and try to make your thoughts somewhat professional instead of having them look like a long instant message? The "submit reply" button doesn't have a timer on it.

[K9]

Let's just all understand that there are many different people here on the board and that clear, concise typing will be the easiest to understand by everyone :D. Typos happen, but plain English will be acceptable. :D :thumbsup:

Anyways, here some new pictures I took tonight. I have two new inhabitants in my tank. The new additions are a 3" Lawnmower Blenny and a 3" Purple Stripe Pseudochromis. I only have pictures of the Pseudo because the Lawnmower Blenny photos were dark an a bit hazy, as were all of them I guess (didn't have my good camera tonight). But, I'm sure you all know what a LMB looks like. Well, enjoy! BTW, my Toadstool Leather is getting bigger by the day. It's now a solid 6" across!

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/101605-01.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/101605-02.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/101605-03.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/101605-04.jpg

[MCWarhammer]

gorgeous! everything looks great

[K9]

Originally posted by nano_angel
this is just so awwweeee purteee.... Um, what? :confused:

[WendyMc]

Ted, do you still have that little cherub angel in there?

[ahchung]

Nice tank. I want to ask one question: Did you encounter any algae problem (i.e., either micro or macro)? Your tank is so clean in terms of algae.

[K9]

Originally posted by WendyMc
Ted, do you still have that little cherub angel in there? No, unfortunately, he succumed to Ich over a month ago :(. After he and my 6-line Wrasse died, I went fishless for 5 weeks and added all-new substrate to eliminate the Ich. I now have 3 new fish that are all Ich-free :D. I have a Maroon Clownfish, a Lawnmower Blenny, and a Purple-Striped Pseudochromis. I'm pretty much maxed with my fish stocking now.Originally posted by ahchung
Nice tank. I want to ask one question: Did you encounter any algae problem (i.e., either micro or macro)? Your tank is so clean in terms of algae. Thank you for the compliments :D. I had a little bit of a diatom (light brown algae on everything) problem, but that only lasted for a couple days at most.

[pimp2daizzo]

Gorgeous tank your doing a grate job; I really like how clean your tank looks I’m trying to keep mine like that.


90% of the time I don’t look this over because I’m doing this is school and don’t have the time to, But for now I ill try to if my teacher is not right there.


Last thing, where did u get your vho lights and ballast? Second why did u not go whit metal halide lights?

[pimp2daizzo]

Hopes that’s better!!! :D








Is it? :confused:

[K9]

Originally posted by pimp2daizzo
Gorgeous tank your doing a grate job; I really like how clean your tank looks I’m trying to keep mine like that.

90% of the time I don’t look this over because I’m doing this is school and don’t have the time to, But for now I ill try to if my teacher is not right there.

Last thing, where did u get your vho lights and ballast? Second why did u not go whit metal halide lights? Thanks for the compliments. Ha ha, don't get busted at school surfing RC! You're not there to learn about reefkeeping! :lol:

As for the lights, you'll find the 411 on them somewhere earlier in this thread. I put links to them and everything. I got them from HelloLights.com and went w/VHOs instead of MH for a few reasons. Cost and heat just being a couple of them.Originally posted by pimp2daizzo
Hopes that’s better!!! :D Yes, much clearer and easier to read! Thanks :thumbsup:

[nonamesright]

I was just wondering how your cat paws are doing. Any growth or healing yet?

[KING OF THE REEF]

is the psuedo aggressive?

[pimp2daizzo]

I understand the heat but I mean u could went whit a halogen light, and then get a Hqi Metal Halide ballast and put a hqi in. The light would only run u around $15, and then the hqi bulb would run u about $40 I don’t know about the ballast but probably around $89; that’s not to bad for Metal Halides.

That’s what I’m running on my 10g heavy planted tank… but I’m ruining 350 watts

What do you think about 89 watts of pc for some little sps? I’m doing it now but I don’t know if they will die out of nowhere; as of now they are looking really good a lot of new growth.



Last thing my 3rd period teacher saw me on RC but good thing it was my chem. teacher.

[pimp2daizzo]

I think my teachers catch on when they see my class work and it has protein skimmers all over. Ha ha:lol:

This is what my 1st teacher of the day looks like when she sees me draw planes for my tanks. :mad: :confused: ....and her face before i tell her what it is used for :eek: (The 1st time she saw a skimmer she thought it was a bong) hahaha

[WendyMc]

Originally posted by pimp2daizzo
I think my teachers catch on when they see my class work and it has protein skimmers all over. Ha ha:lol:

This is what my 1st teacher of the day looks like when she sees me draw planes for my tanks. :mad: :confused: ....and her face before i tell her what it is used for :eek: (The 1st time she saw a skimmer she thought it was a bong) hahaha

Whoa, Whoa, WHOA, I think you meant Tabacco Water Accessory :eek:

[pimp2daizzo]

ya that works to haha

[K9]

Originally posted by nonamesright
I was just wondering how your cat paws are doing. Any growth or healing yet? Ugh, the Cat's Paw frags :(. Eh, they're doing so-so. Now only one or two look like they have a chance, and all the rest are bleaching/dying. We'll see. :rolleyes:Originally posted by Imareefer
is the psuedo aggressive? Nope, not in the least. Not yet anyways :D.Originally posted by pimp2daizzo
What do you think about 89 watts of pc for some little sps? I’m doing it now but I don’t know if they will die out of nowhere; as of now they are looking really good a lot of new growth.I'm not really the person to ask about lighting for SPS. Try asking that question in the SPS keeper's forum: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?s=&forumid=73

[WarEagleNR88]

Sweet Ted, I didn't know you picked up a Maroon clown as well. White or gold stripes? Are you thinking about an anemone? I've a Gold Striped Maroon Clown and have been thinking about getting one for it. Not sure though, just thoughts. Maybe a RBTA? I've no idea.

Surprisingly my Blue Velvet Damsel and the Clown get along fairly well--not at first though. Hopefully as they both grow, it will stay that way. I've heard BV Damsels turn impressively aggressive as they reach maturity and kill all the rest of your fishes. But I've also heard GS Maroons can do the same. Hoping to find that peaceful medium. Maybe an anemone would give the Maroon that extra bit of say-so in the tank's hierarchy?

Looking forward to future updates. And I also wonder about the Pseudo. I've wondered if I could work in a Fridmani Pseudo into my tank and not have everyone kill each other.

[pimp2daizzo]

God i love your tank!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[K9]

Originally posted by pimp2daizzo
God i love your tank!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Well, considering His tank covers 75% of planet Earth, it is pretty impressive :D.

[ahchung]

Put the SPS on the top of the tank and you will make it, but you have to make sure that the water parameters in the tank are good enough (with the simpliest terms, NO3=0 and PO4=0 ;) ).

You may visit my photo gallary to look at my tank of SPS's which have 5x36W of PC.

Originally posted by pimp2daizzo
What do you think about 89 watts of pc for some little sps? I’m doing it now but I don’t know if they will die out of nowhere; as of now they are looking really good a lot of new growth.

[pimp2daizzo]

Ha Ha... True

well it does not matter is the top or bottum a 5.5 whit 89 watts... lol

[WendyMc]

I've always wondered about pairing a pseudochromis w/a larger clown like maroon. It seems they have a similair reputation, I'm very interested in hearing how this goes.

[ahchung]

Originally posted by pimp2daizzo
Ha Ha... True

well it does not matter is the top or bottum a 5.5 whit 89 watts... lol
It does matter. There are quite a few factors that led to lower PAR value received on the bottom of the tank (e.g., water clarity, poor reflector, light shadowed by live rocks).

[nonamesright]

^ I believe he's referring to the bottom of a 5.5 being the same distance from the surface as the top of rockwork in other tanks, and I believe for the most part he's correct.

[K9]

Originally posted by WendyMc
I've always wondered about pairing a pseudochromis w/a larger clown like maroon. It seems they have a similair reputation, I'm very interested in hearing how this goes. With these three fish, I wanted to try and have a balance of power in the tank. Despite what some Web sites say about lawnmower blennies, the ones I've had in the past could definitely hold their own and were sometimes even the aggressors. I gave the Maroon a couple weeks to get comfortable, then added the LMB and Pseudo together to lessen the aggression. So far, after the first couple days, all are doing well together and leave each other alone.

[ahchung]

Originally posted by nonamesright
^ I believe he's referring to the bottom of a 5.5 being the same distance from the surface as the top of rockwork in other tanks, and I believe for the most part he's correct.

Not many people keep SPS in good shape under PC due to the lack of light intensity issue. I have a difficult time in keeping deep purple, light green and blue for my SPS's even I put my SPS's within 4 inches under the PC light.

[pimp2daizzo]

mine are growing like crazy on the floor of the tank ill put some pics up of them later do day after school.

[pimp2daizzo]

today*

I was in class hehe

[WendyMc]

Originally posted by K9
Despite what some Web sites say about lawnmower blennies, the ones I've had in the past could definitely hold their own and were sometimes even the aggressors.

That's been my experience as well. When I worked in the LFS, I had alot of customers complain about it.

Not that it pertains to fish aggressiveness, but my 2nd lawnmower blenny I owned in the 55g was a clamivore! My roommate saw it grazing on the mantles & I thought for sure she was overreacting at him cleaning the shell, but my clams started suffering. I stayed home from work on a stakeout day, & sure enough, the little creep was going to town on my poor maximas! :mad2: I think he was a freak case, I haven't heard of a lawnmower before or since do this.

[K9]

Well, this will probably be my last update for a little bit. I'm really happy with how the tank is maturing now. I've been extremely busy with work and classes lately, so not much will be happening anytime soon. I'm already at my fish stocking limit, and will let my corals grow out some more. If anything changes with the tank in the near future, I'll be sure to post it here or in a new thread.

Of course, I'll always be happy to answer any questions about the tank, equipment, or inhabitants. A big "THANK YOU!" to everyone who has read and replied. Take care. :D

-Ted

[melev]

How about some current images? It's been days!!! :D

[K9]

Originally posted by WarEagleNR88
Sweet Ted, I didn't know you picked up a Maroon clown as well. White or gold stripes? Are you thinking about an anemone?He has white stripes. Not really thinking about an anemone though. I've never been really into them I guess. My Maroon is hosting in one of my Maxi-Jets right now, so I'm hoping he'll maybe move into the Toadstool or Galaxy sometime soon. The Maroon I had in my old 30g tank eventually started hosting in my large green Wellsophyllia brain. It was about the size of a grapefruit and the clown couldn't get enough of it!Originally posted by melev
How about some current images? It's been days!!! :D Allright, allright. I'll try to bring home our nice camera from work in the next day or two. I've been home sick today and probably tomorrow as well, so sit tight! :D

[K9]

OK, back by popular demand (melev) :D, here's some new photos I just shot a few minutes ago. My Lawnmower Blenny is very photogenic, but my Pseudo was a little too active to get a still shot. Anyways, enjoy!

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/102105-01.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/102105-02.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/102105-03.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/102105-04.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/102105-05.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/102105-06.jpg

[melev]

Niiice. Those ricordia look fantastic. I wish I could get mine to grow like that. I don't have much success with them for some reason.

[WendyMc]

Are you feeling better, Ted? Is the lawnmower taking prepared foods? Also, what type of flow do you keep the ric florideas in, & do you feed them?

[K9]

Originally posted by melev
Niiice. Those ricordia look fantastic. I wish I could get mine to grow like that. I don't have much success with them for some reason. Thanks Marc. Actually, I've read and heard that some people have mixed results w/Rics. Either they do really well or very poorly. Just another one of those mysteries of reefkeeping, I guess :D.

I've been waiting anxiously for those monsters to split. They're all at least 2.5-3" across now. :rolleyes: Ah well, patience pays, I guess. :thumbsup:

[K9]

Originally posted by WendyMc
Are you feeling better, Ted? Is the lawnmower taking prepared foods? Also, what type of flow do you keep the ric florideas in, & do you feed them? LOL, yes, much better today, thank you :D. I even dragged myself out of bed to go to work.

The LMB is indeed taking prepped food. And quite eagerly at that! I feed him Seaweed Selects Green Marine Algae (http://www.marinedepot.com/aquarium_fish_food_ocean_nutrition_dry_algae_seaweeds_selects.asp) from Ocean Nutrition. They're the same co. that makes Formula pellets, Prime Reef, etc. I tried a veggie clip, but he's lazy and doesn't like to swim. So, I take a small 1x2inch piece and rubberband it to a golf ball sized piece of live rock and drop it in. He just swims on over, perches next to the rock, and goes to town! I feed Prime Reef frozen cubes to the Maroon and Pseudo and throw in a single small chopped up prawn for the Pseudo too. The couple hermits just mooch off of what floats around.

I think I've picked 3 perfect fish to go together in this tank. The LMB is an herbivore, the Pseudo is carnivorous, and the Maroon is omnivorous. This makes for no fighting whatsoever during feeding time. Also, I think they all respect each other's fighting talents, because there hasn't been a single fight, bite, or nip yet.

For flow, I have two Maxi-Jet 600s at 160gph/each plus about 200gph more from the MJ1200 return from the refugium. The Rics are kinda low and out of direct flow. If you could see them in person, they don't blow around hardly at all. I don't feed them anything as far as target feeding. When I feed the fish though, they may get some particles that float around.

[K9]

Oops, sorry. Double post. :rolleyes:

[True Percula]

nice tank

[leaffish75]

wow, just finished looking at the thread. nice colors. I dont get those colors with my corals and im running 4 vhos over the 20.

[K9]

Thank you and thank you. :D

As far as colors are concerned, lighting isn't the only factor that can effect the colors of corals. Overall coral health is influenced by water quality and flow as well.

[pimp2daizzo]

Love it!!!!!!!!!!!

[jcopp24]

K9 the pink leather looking coral you have in the pictures look like one that is in the 75 Gallon at my work. We have three Percula clown fish in that tank and they seem to be eating the leather when it sheds... they shake all over it and bite the crap out of it any idea?
I just added my first fish into my 20 gallon L about a week ago and everything seems to be going great. I mimicked the timing that you posted earlier for the lights. I also have two jets in the same location as you in the tank... I think that some of the corals are not liking the flow now... for instance since I added the second jet the bubble coral seems to have smaller sacks... even though I have put him in a spot were the turbulance is less. Think I should go back to just one?

[K9]

As far as the Toadstool Leather getting beat up by the clowns, I can't really help you on that one. I've never heard of them biting their host like that. The Maroon I had in my old 30g was hosting in an open brain, and he'd occasionally nestle in the brain and then shake himself, but he never bit at it.

With the flow, what type of powerheads do you have? Do you have two Maxi-Jet 600s like I do? The bubble may not be fully opening because of water quality or lighting in addition to flow. My Galaxy coral (my only LPS right now) is doing very well with my current flow setup. If you are experiencing too much flow, try pointing the nozzles of the powerheads towards the back or front glass to try and break up the flow a little bit.

[pimp2daizzo]

K9 the pink leather looking coral you have in the pictures look like one that is in the 75 Gallon at my work. We have three Percula clown fish in that tank and they seem to be eating the leather when it sheds... they shake all over it and bite the crap out of it any idea?

You got some ****ed up fish!!!!!!! haha

[jcopp24]

Yes the 600's are the same jet's... I am going to trying putting them both more towards the back glass tonight. The reason why I thought the bubble is mad at the water flow is because he only started this when I added the second jet in...
Tommorow I am going to try and film the clowns ruffing the Leather up... they neved do this when the tentacles are out... just when the leather is in the shedding phase... or so I call it.
Also do you think the Purple Fishfire Goby is a good choice for my 20GL ? I cant find much on Reef Central about them... He unlike the coral seems to love the current...

[K9]

Originally posted by pimp2daizzo
You got some [expletive] fish!!!!!!! haha I know you are only joking, but if you're not going to post something beneficial to the thread, please keep it to yourself. Thanks.Originally posted by jcopp24
Tommorow I am going to try and film the clowns ruffing the Leather up... they neved do this when the tentacles are out... just when the leather is in the shedding phase... or so I call it.

Also do you think the Purple Fishfire Goby is a good choice for my 20GL ? I cant find much on Reef Central about them... He unlike the coral seems to love the current... Some video of the clowns would be really cool. I think a Firefish is great for a 20g tank. For future reference though, you may want to do a little more research on a particular creature before you buy. Here's a little more info on the Purple Firefish for your reading enjoyment:
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?pCatId=173

http://www.marinedepotlive.com/purple-firefish---nemateleotris-decora-fish--gobies.html

[K9]

I was finally able to get a moderately clear shot of my Maroon Clownfish tonight. Nothing spectacular, but here it is:

p.s. - wish me luck facing Hurricane Wilma! :D

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/102305-01.jpg

[jcopp24]

The Purple Firefish seems to have found his spot... I am going to feed his a combo of marine cuisine and Marine pellets, but I dont want to over feed at all.
The Clowns are not attacking the leather today because it is not shedding (its tentacles) are out. They only pilage the leather when it is shedding... it almost looks like the clowns are helping it shed... you know when your skin peels and you girlsfriend picks it off in big parts... prob. not... but it looks like the same thing.

[vest0830]

Been a few days. How was the hurricane? Did everything make it?

BTW, after reading through your set-up for the past countless days, I have decided to build a 20g long tank and ditch the 5gal I have. I will pretty much copy what you have built. I cant do it until after Christmas, but its in the planning.

[pimp2daizzo]

K9, i dont know if you know this, but can i put a little baby clam under 86 watts of pc?

[Cluckr7]

K9, if you don't mind me asking, but how much were those rics? I really want a ric colony but I'm too cheap to shell out what people want for them.

[vest0830]

I have a baby clam under 90 watts of PC. doing fine now for 3 weeks...

[K9]

Hello all,

Sorry it has taken me so long to respond to your questions, but we just got power back a couple hours ago after being without for almost 6 days. Over 600,000 (yes, that's six hundred thousand) people down here are still without electricity as of right now, so I consider myself extremely lucky. :D

Anyways, here's some responses I know you've been waiting for:Originally posted by vest0830
Been a few days. How was the hurricane? Did everything make it?
BTW, after reading through your set-up for the past countless days, I have decided to build a 20g long tank and ditch the 5gal I have. I will pretty much copy what you have built. I cant do it until after Christmas, but its in the planning. The hurricane sucked big time, but I'm incredibly happy to report that EVERYTHING made it through unscathed. All fish, corals, and inverts are alive and well thanks to a couple battery-powered airstones. Those things are without a doubt livesavers. :thumbsup:

Very glad to hear you're setting up a 20L. You'll be much happier with that then your current 5g setup. Just remember to go slowly and ask for lots of advice along the way and you'll be just fine :D.Originally posted by Cluckr7
K9, if you don't mind me asking, but how much were those rics? I really want a ric colony but I'm too cheap to shell out what people want for them. I got my ricordea from a place down here called Reef's Edge. I paid $10 per polyp for them, which may seem expensive (esp. for the plain green rics), but they are really good quality corals and I was happy to support a nice local business.Originally posted by pimp2daizzo
K9, i dont know if you know this, but can i put a little baby clam under 86 watts of pc? If you're talking about a Tridacna species, I think you could get away with it if you kept the clam within a foot of the lights. Remember though, water quality and flow also come into play with clams. I'm not guaranteeing anything though, so attempt at your own risk :D.

It's nice to be back after the storm, and thanks to those who were concerned with my tank's well-being.

-Ted

[melev]

Ted, that is amazing. 6 days without power. No doubt you had to tend to your tank carefully.

[K9]

I certainly did Marc. I had the airstones running 24/7 and also did a couple 1 gallon water changes as well. I was watching temp, SG, pH, and pretty much all other parameters like a hawk. I was very pleased to see that the airstones would run for over 48hrs straight on just two "D" batteries. They even produced enough flow to make my Galaxy and Toadstool polyps sway back and forth a little bit. They're worth their weight in gold IMO/IME.

One tip I will share is that I would scoot my tank right in front of my window in the mornings for a little bit so the corals could get some natural sun. My window faces directly east, so there was plenty of "free" lighting to go around. I believe this helped make it a little easier on them until my artificial lighting could be revived. I love my nano and would have stirred the water manually with a spoon if I would have had too! :lol:

I'm just happy that things are back to normal now. You can bet the farm that I will be the proud owner of a shiny new generator when June 1st of next year rolls around. :thumbsup:

[pimp2daizzo]

k9- thxs i found a place out by my work that sells them for $19 for lil baby ones, and yes i know flow/ water have to be rly good i takr care of them at work. i just never asked if they coudl go under pc light.

Thxs for the help.

[pimp2daizzo]

i know what you need in your tank, but if orgot the name ill try to find out tonight.

[melev]

I can't scoot my tank to the window. Maybe if things get that dire, I'll cut a huge hole in the roof. :D

[vest0830]

thats good everything made it through! I kept checking this thread to see if everything was ok...I was hoping i wouldnt find another "everything lost" thread.

We have really been thinking about getting a bigger tank to replace the 5g. We also got a 38gal that is doing awesome. Its all 100% local livestock. everything from the water to the rock. The 5gal is doing fine as well...but we just want something bigger. Partly a interior design idea, mostly another cool place for an aquarium. It will happen...probably after the holidays. IT will also be a all local tank.

glad to hear everything is doing well.
-frank

[Cesar357]

WOW I just read the whole thread. You have beauty there K9. It looks so nice and clean. Your photo taking skills are amazing too. I remember when my 20 looked like that, so clean. Congrats on a beutiful set up.

[K9]

Originally posted by melev
I can't scoot my tank to the window. Maybe if things get that dire, I'll cut a huge hole in the roof. :D Sorry Marc, I forgot that you can't really move that 280g in-wall behemoth anywhere, let alone over to the nearest window :lol:. Cutting holes in the roof.....now that's one I had yet to consider. :DOriginally posted by vest0830
thats good everything made it through! I kept checking this thread to see if everything was ok...I was hoping i wouldnt find another "everything lost" thread.

We have really been thinking about getting a bigger tank to replace the 5g. We also got a 38gal that is doing awesome. Its all 100% local livestock. everything from the water to the rock. The 5gal is doing fine as well...but we just want something bigger. Partly a interior design idea, mostly another cool place for an aquarium. It will happen...probably after the holidays. IT will also be a all local tank.

glad to hear everything is doing well.
-frank Thanks for the thoughts Frank. I can't wait to see what you can put together after the holidays. I'm sure you can get your hands on some great stuff over there in Japan.Originally posted by Cesar357
WOW I just read the whole thread. You have beauty there K9. It looks so nice and clean. Your photo taking skills are amazing too. I remember when my 20 looked like that, so clean. Congrats on a beutiful set up. Thanks so much Caesar, the compliments are always welcomed and make photographing and documenting the tank's progress well worth the effort. :) :thumbsup:

[WendyMc]

Ted, I'm so happy for you! I'm very glad everything made it. 'round these here parts (I'm using my very bad hillbilly voice right now) the generator's the only thing at'll git er done. We had an ice storm back in '96 & nobody saved anything w/out a generator. Funny how those critters don't like 28 degree weather...:eek:

[Kigs]

I just read through your post,

beautiful and amazing tank Ted! I wish my lawnmower blenny was as photogenic as yours. Mine simply hides before I even get a chance to sit down near the tank.

[K9]

Originally posted by WendyMc
Ted, I'm so happy for you! I'm very glad everything made it. 'round these here parts (I'm using my very bad hillbilly voice right now) the generator's the only thing at'll git er done. We had an ice storm back in '96 & nobody saved anything w/out a generator. Funny how those critters don't like 28 degree weather...:eek: Thanks alot Wendy. I'm happy that everything made it too. I honestly think that even if I was without power for several more days, the airstones and my water changes would have kept everything alive just fine. However, I am definitely going to buy a generator next summer before the season starts again on June 1st.Originally posted by vsny2k5
I just read through your post,

beautiful and amazing tank Ted! I wish my lawnmower blenny was as photogenic as yours. Mine simply hides before I even get a chance to sit down near the tank. Thanks so much for the compliments Vince! I have to admit that my LMB has the most personality of my 3 fish. He has already learned that my hand in the tank is harmless and not something to be afraid of. He comes right over to me when I strap some new seaweed on his rock and lower it back into the tank. That little guy eats like a pig! He'll devour a 2x1 inch strip of the algae sheet in just 24 hrs! They're awesome little fish. Be patient with yours, he'll come around sooner than later. :thumbsup:

[K9]

Hello again all. I have just taken a few snapshots of the tank after I rearranged a couple corals. The Toadstool has been moved to the left side now since it was growing too large and blocking out the Galaxy coral. Now, both of them can be easily seen and enjoyed. I also took the very first video of my tank tonight as well. It's in MPEG format and is 22 megabytes in size, so dial-up will have to miss out I guess :(. Anyways, enjoy!

It's easiest if you right-click then "Save Target As..." for the video. It runs more smoothly when it's saved on your computer.
Video Link: http://www.nova.edu/~giro/video/110405-video1.mpg

New Photos:

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/110405-01.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/110405-02.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/110405-03.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/110405-04.jpg

http://www.nova.edu/~giro/nano-reef/images/110405-05.jpg

[pimp2daizzo]

looking good.

Maybe you should frag that leather.

[melev]

Downloading now.

Nice pictures. :)

[MarvinsReef]

those are definitely awesome pictures..

[MCWarhammer]

looking great, thanks for the video!

[K9]

Thanks everyone for the compliments! pimp2daizzo, I thought about fragging the Toadstool, but I think it's kind of cool to have just one monster coral in my nano. I bought it as a damaged 3-inch wide specimen, and it's now reached 6-inches across, so I'm kind of rooting for it to grow as large as it can. Thanks again all. :D

[Cluckr7]

Beautiful tank again K9.

Do you notice any fighting with any of your fish? Particularly the pseudo and the Maroon? Also, how's the stylophora doin?

[K9]

Originally posted by Cluckr7
Beautiful tank again K9.

Do you notice any fighting with any of your fish? Particularly the pseudo and the Maroon? Also, how's the stylophora doin? Hey, thanks alot again!

Nope, no fighting whatsoever as of yet. The three of them have been together for quite some time now and all get along very well. You can even see in the most recent whole-tank shot I posted that all three fish are hanging out together on the right-hand side of the tank.

As for the Stylo frags, it looks like only one is going to make it. I was pretty frustrated about losing all of the others, but that's a chance I took when buying a dying coral. Well, lesson learned and I won't make that mistake again.

[melev]

It's even more frustrating to lose a brand new healthy coral. ;)

[pimp2daizzo]

Thanks everyone for the compliments! pimp2daizzo, I thought about fragging the Toadstool, but I think it's kind of cool to have just one monster coral in my nano. I bought it as a damaged 3-inch wide specimen, and it's now reached 6-inches across, so I'm kind of rooting for it to grow as large as it can. Thanks again all.

Thats becaouse your tank kills.

my friend gave me a leather and it was 1" and now its about to be 2" .

[vanmo92]

nice tank

[K9]

Originally posted by pimp2daizzo
Thats becaouse your tank kills.

my friend gave me a leather and it was 1" and now its about to be 2" . What do you mean by "your tank kills"? Kills what exactly?

[brainiac]

i think it was a compliment...anyways... whats the gph of the two drains and are they 3/4 or 1/2 ??

[K9]

Originally posted by brainiac
i think it was a compliment...anyways... whats the gph of the two drains and are they 3/4 or 1/2 ?? They're both 3/4" and according to the RC drain/overflow calculator, a 3/4" drain can move roughly 330gph.

[brainiac]

so you're doing +/- 660 gph ?? well thanks and nice tank.

[K9]

Originally posted by brainiac
so you're doing +/- 660 gph ?? well thanks and nice tank. Not exactly. My two Maxi-Jet 600s in the tank circulate a combined 320gph. My Maxi-Jet 1200 return from the refugium pumps 295gph at 0' of head, but it's pumping a vertical 3.5' or so. My best estimate is that it's moving around 150-175gph. That would give me a combined total somewhere around 470-495gph or 23.5-24.75 times turnover. Hope this helps answer your question. :D

[pimp2daizzo]

Your tank kills = it's one of the nicest tank i have seen in sometime.

[K9]

Originally posted by pimp2daizzo
Your tank kills = it's one of the nicest tank i have seen in sometime. Ah! Thanks for the clarification and compliment! :thumbsup:

[pimp2daizzo]

HeHe anytime.

[kyman_33]

I remember when you started this thread. Haven't checked it in a while.

Things are looking magnificent. :)

[K9]

Originally posted by kyman_33
I remember when you started this thread. Haven't checked it in a while.

Things are looking magnificent. :) Thanks alot! Yeah, I saw that you haven't posted in this thread since WAY back on the very first page :lol:. Don't be a stranger now, ya hear?!

[pimp2daizzo]

you should try a birdnest.

[vest0830]

I like that huge toadstool! I have a toadstool in my 5gal and it is growing like a rocket! It will probably have to be transfered to my 38gal here shortly. -although, I alredy have 3 toadstools (2 are smaller) in that tank. lol.

your tank is looking great! I cant wait to get started on my 20gal long....

[K9]

Originally posted by pimp2daizzo
you should try a birdnest. No, no more SPS in this tank for me. I'm actually considering a few options. I'm either going to make it LPS dominated or I'll try to get my hands on every possible color of zoanthid and ricordea I can and just let them overrun the tank. Originally posted by vest0830
your tank is looking great! I cant wait to get started on my 20gal long.... Thanks! I can't wait to see your 20 when you get started on it either!

[pimp2daizzo]

That sounds good, but why nomore sps?????

[pimp2daizzo]

You shoudl try some sps thats not hard to keep like the sps i have in my 5, but i forgot the name i'll look it up at work for you.one good thing about mine is that it's cheap.

[kyman_33]

He doesn't want anymore, it's his tank. Let him have it be "his". Just because you like SPS doesn't mean he will.

I'm sorry if that came off as harsh, but he wants what he wants. I don't think we're going to change that.

[melev]

K9, like this one? http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-08/totm/index.php

[melev]

Or this one? http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-08/totm/index.php

[K9]

Originally posted by melev
K9, like this one? http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-08/totm/index.php

Or this one? http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-08/totm/index.php WOW!!! Bingo! :thumbsup:

EXACTLY like those Marc. I love the myriad of colors in those tanks. Man, I think you've helped me make what was previously a hard decision. :D

My tank will be covered with Rics and Zoas and then there will be this HUGE Toadstool sitting in one of the corners :lol:. I love that coral. I don't think I'll ever frag it!

[WendyMc]

:eek1: amazing tanks! That will be awesome!! The thing I love about those corals is they are so tolerant of human error (yes, unfortunately I have tested that theory :rolleyes: ). I'm just like you Ted, I'm so torn between the sps dominated or the zoas & rics. I can't make up my mind, so I'm going to have 2 sep. setups someday....aah, someday...Right now I just have them all thrown together in my 12g & pray they don't war on eachother too bad. It's nerveracking!

[K9]

Wendy, I'm definitely sure I don't want any more SPS in this tank. I'm actually already planning on selling/trading my Galaxy coral in exchange for some more Rics and Zoas so I can get this colorful project going. You are right on about their ability to withstand some less-than-pristine water conditions. That's what I need right now though since I'm so busy with work during the day and classes at night. I need an easy, low maintenance tank that I can just enjoy when I come home from work at night and not have to worry about having enough flow, enough light, clean enough water, something bleaching or RTNing, etc. Something colorful to look at is enough for me. :D

[WendyMc]

Oops! Excuse me, I meant to type LPS. Hehe, freudian slip. I guess deep down I still dream of that SPS setup...

I don't have any SPS in my nano, just a mix of LPS & softies. Sorry for the typo.

[jcopp24]

K9 - Quick question I was thinking about getting some pulsing xenia's (the shorter white ones) I just wanted to ask someone if I should knowing that I do not have Halide lighting... would you think I would be okay?
By the way check out the Reefkeeping article about Damsel Fish you'll see I made it : ) with my domino damsel named Mike Vick :)

[K9]

Xenia's are just fine under power compacts, VHOs, or T5s. Halides are not needed to keep them happy. Congrats on the article. :thumbsup:

[K9]

Tonight I sold my Galaxy coral, which has put me one step closer to making my tank look like this:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-08/totm/images/full.jpg
From the August 2004 issue of Reefkeeping Magazine

That's right, I'm going to have ONLY Ricordea and Zoanthids in my tank. Well, those and my monster Toadstool which I love too much to get rid of. I'm going Wednesday to buy some new Rics and/or Zoos, so I'll post pictures when I get something new. Stay tuned! :D

[WendyMc]

hehe, good riddance! Can't wait to see what you score.

[Cluckr7]

Better dip/quaranteen your Zos then :P Don't wanna get a nudi problem from the last Zos you get.

[jcopp24]

If you wanted color... just add food coloring :)

[pimp2daizzo]

cant wait to see it.

[trottman]

nice close up shots

[pimp2daizzo]

how much you get for your sps?