milk Posted August 15, 2011 Share Posted August 15, 2011 Picked up this tank off a fellow on RC. It is a 10 gallon tank with an acrylic wall with an overflow and return pump making the display around 8 gallons. The custom wood housing was built by the previous owner. Still got to do some work on the housing, but I am enjoying the possibility of daydreaming more about the possibilities! The tank has been running For about 3.5 months. This will mark my third tank since i began the hobby a little over a year ago. I started out with a fluval edge (overstocked, lighting was a disaster, horrible time keeping the salinity and nitrates in check). Got rid of that and moved onto a sweet 30 gallon long I chatted off a coworker for a steal. Had a fun time with this tank, but found what a pain it was to move to any new living situation; chucked it. Now I'm on to this little looker, and so far, third time has been a charm. I used the water and rock from the 30 gallon to start the tank. It has been running for about 3.5 months. Already had to move it once, but it was relatively easy. Hopefully my next apartment will be my abode for some time. Filtration: I'm running a simple media chamber with carbon and filter floss. I had an octopus nano skimmer, but the motor went out when a friend of mine sitting the tank let the thing go dry (still looking to replace this lovely skimmer). Flow - MP10 on short pulse Lighting : Par30 LED - so I've found the optimum height for this lighting is actually above where the wood lid over the housing sits. Still tinkering with a way to achieve this lighting arrangement while keeping the lid on the housing. Probably will just make a good ol fashioned hole. Livestock - Around 12 pounds of rock I figure. Most of the rock has been with me since the first tank I started, so its nice and broken in. Inverts - I have a few margarita snails and a turbo snail that keep the glass pretty slick. - A scrumptious featherduster worm. - A good size hammer colony that was marked down because a part of it had died off (got it for $30). - A nice torch (its short tentacle, I believe aussie?) with 4 heads (almost 5) - a Duncan/whisker coral that likes to watch all the other corals from his top prime perching post. Already seeing a bud on this one. - A small green, blue mushroom that was thrown in by accident. - A nice throbbin' greeeeeeen Kenya tree that is wonderful. I have a few hermits up to no good in the tank, they seem to rest a lot though- they seem very crabby when I wake up in the morning and force them to get back to work. haha. I found out the hard way that shrimp do not tolerate the salinity, temp and PH swings that can go down in a small volume of water. I wonder if sexy shrimp are different? Lost a cleaner, a pep and a tuxedo urchin that I had from the 30 gallon. I would love some advice on some good inverts to put in this tank though! I eventually want to get some nice bright green GSP to coat the bottom on the bare glass, some sun coral and maybe some xenia! FISK - A NAKED clownfish named cacahuate that I couldn't resist buying instead of the normal ocellaris at the sto. I was told that he has been there for about a year and has never been seen hosting in anything. Took to my feather duster the first day in the tank! - in the process of buying my first fish from the internet (live aquaria) - hopefully a Tailspot Blenny would be gettin his yolks up in this tank! Parameters: Looking good so far. The salinity swings a little bit from .025 where I try to keep it, to a little high around .026,.027,.028! Don't know why as I top off with distilled water everyday. Water changes weekly of course. Here is a pic of it when it began day 1 with the first scape. After being stocked somewhat. NEW SCAPE and Hammertime! HEY Dood! Always been a favorite way of viewing the tank! Cleaned Glass Looking down to see acrylic wall and back media chamber Housing from the side and lighting setup so far Tank Housing with top - Piano hinge seperating the two top pieces for easy access into media side without having to take the whole top off. Future Plans: I'm going to cut out the otherside of wood panel so that you will be able to view the tank from 3 sides, and have a peninsula type design. I am going to paint the tank with more visual stimulation to do it real big. I have a gal who paints, as well as I. We'll work on it together, listen to the howard stern show and maybe get lunch at some point! - The previous owner had spray painted the tank pollution gray, but I had a few idea for what to paint on this blank canvas. It turns out that acrylic doesn't really hold to spray paint well, so I began to sand it down. I didn't really think going with an aquatic theme was appropriate because, well, there is enough of that already. Instead, I thought I would do something like a roman relief http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&biw...sa=N&tab=wi But I also like forest themes, so I was thinking of painting some sort of misty forest type of environment with a twist of magic - maybe some ents or trolls wandering around, a gathering of elves in a clearing, stuff like that. I'd like that kinda thing. http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&biw...898&bih=900 If you guys have any ideas let me know before I lay that paint! My inspiration for this tank has come from Erik Satie, Dogglounge.com and reef-safe sunscreen! Here are some pics of my old tanks Fluval Edge 30 g with Custom Foam Rock wall Thanks for checking it out! STay tuned for more updates! Link to comment
milk Posted August 15, 2011 Author Share Posted August 15, 2011 had some good ol fashioned aiptaisia roundup and slaughter today. That Aiptasia X is something else, they love that stuff for a few second and then they hate it and implode! Link to comment
milk Posted August 24, 2011 Author Share Posted August 24, 2011 Here is the new blenny blocker I constructed from bird netting. Hopefully it works to keep this guy!, my new tailspot blenny, in check. Link to comment
milk Posted October 15, 2011 Author Share Posted October 15, 2011 Well - time for another update - lots has changed in this small glass box of water... picked up some new pieces - a nice pagoda/cup coral from my girlfriend - first go with birdsnest, and a nice GSP rock with some zoas and a kenya tree i got for $20. ALSO added an ALGAE SCRUBBER which is doing a tremendous job, has my trates at 0, corals love the extra feeding / food in the water column. Also built a battery powered ATO that cost about $20 from plans I found on the forums (Weta's battery powered ATO). However - I'm looking to sell this tank along with the rock and a few of the coral pieces for an ADA 60-F. Some updated shots Scrubber's 3rd harvest - after 3 weeks.. about the size of a golf ball Link to comment
milk Posted October 15, 2011 Author Share Posted October 15, 2011 Listen - i'm really thinking about selling off this tank with the LR and some of the coral and buying a 60-F. I'm really intrigued by the idea of minimalist aquascaping. The reef is a sanctuary, a small oasis in the open ocean for life to thrive. I think minamilst tanks really represent this. I would probably only have one small rock jutting out of the water, keep the pagoda/ cup coral, the kenya tree, birdsnest, GSP rock, monti cap, the duncan, the welso brain and some of the xenia. Actually, probably just include the hammer when I sell the tank - its a pretty piece but I think its too much. Would really like to add a long tentacle torch and a gorgonian or two. Link to comment
Builder Anthony Posted October 15, 2011 Share Posted October 15, 2011 maybe consider a waterfall someone hasone on here and the water flows intot he tank from a waterfall it looks so cool and it looks like a river flowing into the ocean with the rocks as cliffs thqat poke out of the water.He has fidler crabs running around on the exposed rock as well. Link to comment
milk Posted October 15, 2011 Author Share Posted October 15, 2011 Hmm!!!! I like the idea of it anthony! A waterfall for the return flow? Sounds enticing .. referring to this tank perhaps? Link to comment
milk Posted October 15, 2011 Author Share Posted October 15, 2011 anyone know what tank he's talking about? Link to comment
JoelRHale Posted October 15, 2011 Share Posted October 15, 2011 Odd's are it's Johnny's Tank. Just checked the video, that is Johnny's tank. Here's some more inspiration. Link to comment
milk Posted October 16, 2011 Author Share Posted October 16, 2011 most likely johnny's tank! thanks joel - guess I'm gonna go with the overflow kit from glass hole, not a bad price - Link to comment
littlelactose Posted December 2, 2011 Share Posted December 2, 2011 can i ask you on a date? Link to comment
mmcguffi Posted December 4, 2011 Share Posted December 4, 2011 what's that on the right chameleon? Link to comment
milk Posted December 4, 2011 Author Share Posted December 4, 2011 what's that on the right chameleon? word Link to comment
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