Woot. Yes, is is finally here, all the waiting has paid off. Here it is, socks and all.

Are you going stock? I thought minibows were only allowed in the Custom?

You don't have to bail out. Custom doesn't have to be mega cool and expensive. It just gives you more options.

i agree. dont bail, just see what happens. you may win!

Okay, I love this hobby to much to bail because of a technicallity. Here is a pic of the tank with live rock. (will be adding a little more eventualy)

I will be upgrading the lights, and filtration to a HOB fuge, and buying a smaller heater. And I'm thinking about adding black sand.

Try to keep the rock off the wall, it makes it easier to clean that way.

Okay so I don't like being last in the fourm, so I figured I would do an update. Will be rearanging the rock work soon, I relly like how it is because I can see evrything while laying in bed, but I need to get it offf the wall. I added some corals on day two, used cycled sand and rock from my 29, and 1gallon of water was from my 29 also. I have on candy cane that was really struggling in my main tank, but looks AWSOME in this one. So I am lead to belive that the 2.5 has better paramaters that my main tank. Maybe a bad thing? oh well will post some pictures when I get home.

Well here is the pic I promised

Full tank.


And some of my corals:
Some zoa's that I am calling orange widows


More zoa's



Well I was planing on this to be an all zoa tank, but seeing how well my halameda is growing I figured I would add a small frag of monti cap, that has just been floating around in my main tank, to test it.




I can't belive I have coraline on the sides already. This I my first acrylic tank so I have no idea how to get it off with out scratching it. Any suggestions?

Wow, I cant belive I haven't even posted any specs.
Well it a 2.5 AGA minibow.
I spraypainted the trim and back black. Couldn't stand the TEAL!
For flow it has a AQUA-tech 10-20 HOB power filter rated at 120 gph
(walmart brand will be changing to an aquaclear fuge when I get the money)
Lighting is a 10watt power compact, which will also be upgraded to a 36watt coralife mini.
No heater temp stays right at 76 even at night.
about 1/4 in of sand from my main tank, I think I might change it to black. Good Idea?
and for filtration the HOB has some macro. The main tank has macro which I already had to trim. and about 2 lbs of live rock.

No clean up crew besides some small brittle stars in the rock and a buck of little snails that reproduce like crazy.

I would like to add an invert. of some kind but cant think of anything, just so tired of sexy shrimp and pompom crabs.


I am open to any suggestion and comments and they will be greatly appreciated.

Blood Red Fire Shrimp!

I was thinking of one of those, my fav. LFS always has them. Are you sure it wouldn't be too big for a 2.5?

Use a credit card to get coraline off the acrylic without scratching it. Kill that aptasia ASAP.

Thanks for the tip minimalist. I have already killed the little pest, they just keep popping up, but they don't get big enough to pose a problem before I inject them.

Wow, have I really been gone a month? Well there have been alot of changes in this little slice of the ocean, and for that I need the thank my neighbor who watched my tank while I was in Mexico. I moved the tank near a southern faceing window, so that it could get some better lighting until I upgrade, and reaquascaped the rock, again. I also added a small pepermint shrimp form my 29g to help with the a-pest-ia , he wont be a permanent resident though. I will post pictures as soon as I get back from my favorite LFS "Reef'n'Pond", Im helping a close friend set up his first tank and we are getting live rock today.

Well I promised pics, so here you go. Oh, new adition, my friend just couldn'y resist this little perc. so I told him I would hold it for him until his tank FULLY cycles.
Freak left side


Freak right side


full tank shot


The xenia/anthelia corner


and look at the growth of these zoa's went from 3 - 7+ polyps

fish... uggggh

It wont be in there for long, just for about a week or two. I just didn't want to put it in my 29 or my clarkii pair would kill lt in hours.

Looking good... but that perc is going to cause you probems.
I love the zoas!

thanks icenine, I lovethem too, but I really love how fast they grow. Perc is getting his own 10g so it is out of my 2.5 until my friend takes him back. Great fish though, just to small a tank.

okay, so my RBTA in my main tank is mid split, and I REALLY don't want two nems in my 29 so I'm thinking about changing my angle for this tank to a bubble anemone tank. Unless I find a good reson to how this would be ditrimental to the health of my daughter rose I will be upgrading my lighting to a Aqualight Advanced Series HQI Metal Halide 150 watt 20000°K fixture and an aquaclear refugium. Will this work? Or should I just stick with what I got going?

Ps. I got rid of the clown he has his own 10g tank all to himself.

Well I belive it is time for an update.
Here it is with a few new additions can you find them?

no....i cant...how is you BTA doing...what lighting you got??? you dont have MH's do you???

oohhhh.is it a blasto???

Fishfreak, I cant belive how well the BTA is doing in this small of a tank. For lighting I an using 1 15wt, coralife 50/50 bulb, along with natual sunlight to the south facing window just to the left of the tank. Yes it is a blasto, how did you know its not even in that pic?

Well here it is the one thing I promised my self I would never buy, but $15 for five heads I couldn't resist, and besides they really are nice corals. So these may be my next fav. thing, next to zoa's of course, nothing can replace them.

i knew b.c. on the homepage it showed your pic and it said my first Blasto... just assumed from there...that is was....i think the reason the BTA (is it GBTA, RBTA, or just BTA??) doing well is the sun...lol..i said the same thing about acans. then i bought one and i love them ...except i had a little accident and it bleached...so i need a new one ...lol

This tank looks mature already, good job. I love the anemone, does it stay put or wander around leaving a trail of chaos in it's wake?

Best regards

Ann

Thanks for the great comment Ann, The nem prttey much stays put now that its found a nice hole to put its foot in. It did move a little when I first got it, but didnt really kill or sting anything, and it has really settled down.
I will have a few more pics just as soon as things settle down around here, just added an acan that I got for FREE!, a small ric, and another blasto.

Free Acanthastrea? Now why can't I score one of those??

Waiting for the pics.

Best regards

Ann

Well I got rid of the bubble moved it to the anemone corner of my main tank, and upgraded the lighting to a 9" 18 watt coralife power compact fixture. I moved the nem because I put my blastos and acan a little to close and when it got up to a size I didn't know it could get to stung the s**t out of them, plus I didn't like having to feed it, was really getting some surface film. The blasos and acan could recover as there is still a little tissue and atleast one whole polyp on each frag, keep your fingers crossed. I hate to kill things.

Well I had promised pics so here they are. Sorry it took so long, many new upgrades. I changes out the sand gravel mix for gray ocilite(is that right?), and I upgraded the lighting to a 9" 18 watt, coralife fixtue with actinic and a 10000K bulb but will be swaping out the actinic for another 10000K I just cant stand the coralife actinics they SUCK!
A FTS

so this pic really sucks but it is they best I can do at the time, I have a few things from my main tank as I am having problems with the ny sump/refugium. The green toadstool is not a permanate resident along with the large pink zoa/palys. And the large xenia will be moved into the main to replace the pompom that was lost.

The new blasos

this picture really doesn't do them justace the left is almost blood red with bright green centers, and the right has almost teal centers with a few sploches of brown.

ANd the Free acan

well this was three polyps but the anemone got to it and reduced that nuber to one but the remaining polyp is doing well.

oh man, that would suck! If i got a free acan and it got beat up, i would be ###ed! haha, but then again, thats because I dont have any acans and would love some...... keep up the good work man

Ouch, sorry to hear that your Acanthastrea took a bit of a beating from the anemone. Still keep feeding that remaining head and it'll be back to 3 in no time at all.

I love the green leather, pity they grow so big and so fast too.

Best regards

Ann

Thanks guys,
The acan Is doing much better, I have feed it but only about one mysid shrimp.
Ann, Suprisingly this green is one of the slowest growing toadstools I've had, so hopefully it wont outgrow this tank anytime soon. Of couse I could always frag it if it does, I have had a lot of offers for frags here in Colorado.

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Well I figured it was WAY past time for an update, many new addidions but sorry no pics the cameras on the fritz hopefully it will be replaced in a few days here.

Added,
brownish clown goby
5 new mushrooms of assorted colors
1 ric.

Removed,
Pinks protos.
okay it may not seem like much but it seems like alot in such a little tank.

How's the Acanthastrea doing now, has it fully recovered from it's ordeal?

Best regards

Ann

Thanks Ann, the acan is show great signs of regrowth the one polyp left has show great growth, and has even budded off a "baby" polyp.

I added a pink and green frogspawn that a friend gave to me.
This things sting is sooo powerful, it has even stung me. just kinda like a very mild bee sting but some how the clown goby has the ability to purch on it. really weird.