Jump to content
Innovative Marine Aquariums

Nano Sapiens 12g - Ye Olde Mixed Reef


Nano sapiens

Recommended Posts

Nano sapiens

A nice Yuma I picked up from BuddytheLion:

 

GoldCenterYuma041212.jpg~original

 

Said Yuma surrounded by the 'Old Timers':

 

Mushies041212.jpg~original

 

One of BuddytheLion's Zoas that came in as a single polyp and after only two weeks now has 2 additional polyps (sorry, couldn't get a sharper image tonight):

 

MagicianZoas041212.jpg~original

Link to comment

A quick question about your ATO...

 

Do you think this would work well if I was to mount the water bottle in my canopy and run rubber tubing down to the water line?

Link to comment
Nano sapiens
A quick question about your ATO...

 

Do you think this would work well if I was to mount the water bottle in my canopy and run rubber tubing down to the water line?

 

If the tubing is large enough and the length kept as short as possible, it should work. Make sure that no air leaks into the bottle from the metal spout-rubber tubing connection.

Link to comment
buddythelion

Glad to see all of the corals are doing well for you, especially the magician paly, already sprouting babies!

 

That ATO idea is neat, I think I might have to try it...

Link to comment
Nano sapiens
That ATO idea is neat, I think I might have to try it...

 

Simple ATO, but works really well. Makes dosing easy and provides consistency, too.

Link to comment
  • 3 weeks later...
Nano sapiens
For the ATO... is it I just put the hamster water feeder into the tank? That's it?!

 

Pretty much. When set up, the top of the tip needs to be just barely submerged. As tank water evaporates, air sneaks into the bottle and water flows back out...until the tip is again submerged. Simple, non mechanical, self-regulating mechanism that requires no outside power input :)

Link to comment
Nano sapiens
I love this tank! The rockwork, the colors, everything. Looks great :-)

 

Thank you. Its been an interesting 4 years working with this little tank.

 

Looks like you have some nice tanks coming along (the 2G has a lot of coraline algae!).

Link to comment
bear-hugs

its so great to see this tank running for so long. good feelings, and i can only the amount of joy it has given to you for so long.

Link to comment
Nano sapiens
its so great to see this tank running for so long. good feelings, and i can only the amount of joy it has given to you for so long.

 

It has been very interesting and enjoyable and even though I've been keeping reef tanks since the mid-80's there is always something more to pick up on. On this tank's 4 year anniversary in July I plan to run through some of the 'lessons learned' and 'things to watch out for'.

Link to comment
  • 2 weeks later...
Nano sapiens
moar pics

 

Well, since you asked :)

 

GumdropCoralCroucherCaracanthusmaculatus.jpg

 

I've only seen one of these 'Madagascar Spotted Coral Croucher' (Caracanthus madagascariensis) before and I just couldn't pass this little guy up when I saw him this afternoon. I've never seen a fish settle into a tank so quickly. I took the pic about 1 hr ago and he's still in the same position watching me type. He even gives me a head-nod every so often as if to say "Yeah, I see you", but he's probably thinking "Where's the food".

 

Just came back from a 2 week vacation and I left the tank on auto-pilot. I covered most of the tank top with plastic wrap to keep evap down and my ATO bottle even had a bit of water left when I came back.

Edited by Nano sapiens
Link to comment
eddiecorrea

Is your hamster ATO still functioning without issues? How long does the water typically last?

Link to comment
Nano sapiens
Is your hamster ATO still functioning without issues? How long does the water typically last?

 

I have 2 bottles and they typically last from 5-7 days, depending on the weather. When I go on vacation I can stretch it to 2 weeks or more if I cover the top with saran wrap, leaving about a 1" gap to allow for gas exchange.

Link to comment
eddiecorrea
I have 2 bottles and they typically last from 5-7 days, depending on the weather. When I go on vacation I can stretch it to 2 weeks or more if I cover the top with saran wrap, leaving about a 1" gap to allow for gas exchange.

 

So you run 2 bottles at once? I'm going on vacation for a week in the end of June so I'm trying to figure out a good ATO for my 8 gallon cad lights. I think I'll go pick up a bottle tomorrow and test it out for a few weeks before we leave.

Link to comment
Nano sapiens
IIX said:
ooooooweee, they venomous!!! careful.

 

Yeah, I've read up on that. I'm not convinced that they do have venomous dorsal spines. They belong to the Scorpaeniformes family, so I think that may be why they are assumed to be venomous. Fishbase.org makes no mention of venom and when I look at the dorsal fin its all soft ray, similar to a typical 'Gumdrop' type Goby.

 

But, to be on the safe side, anyone keeping one of these should be careful.

 

eddiecorrea said:
So you run 2 bottles at once? I'm going on vacation for a week in the end of June so I'm trying to figure out a good ATO for my 8 gallon cad lights. I think I'll go pick up a bottle tomorrow and test it out for a few weeks before we leave.

 

Yes, 2 bottles as you can see here:

 

ATOBottleStabilizer.jpg~original

 

I've been using these for over 3 years without issue.

Link to comment
Nano sapiens
GumdropCoralCroucherCaracanthusmaculatus.jpg

 

RIP little fella...

 

Looked fine yesterday evening (even ate some Mysis) and this morning he's a goner.

Link to comment
Nano sapiens

12GNano060312.jpg

 

4th year anniversary! Couple of ups and downs over the years, but all in all its been quite a resilient little system that is relatively easy on the pocketbook and doesn't require much work to maintain.

 

I initially set up this tank with a 5 year goal in mind, so let's see if it'll keep on...keeping on :)

Edited by Nano sapiens
Link to comment
albertthiel

Wonderful. Great looking reef indeed .... Impressive I have to say

 

Albert

 

 

 

CADLights 12 gal. Nano tank. Most current FTS pic will be posted directly below:

 

July, 2012 (4th Year Anniversary!)

 

12GNano060312.jpg

 

Feb, 2012

 

12GNano020512-2.jpg

 

July 2nd, 2011

 

Cadlight12g070111.jpg

 

March 27th, 2011

 

Cadlights12g032711.jpg

 

June 29th, 2010

 

12gCadlights062910.jpg

 

March 25th, 2010

 

12gNanoFTS032810.jpg

 

January 24th, 2010

 

12gNano012410.jpg

 

 

November 2009

 

FTS110109.jpg

 

LR110109.jpg

 

LRActinicsOnly110709.jpg

 

 

SPECIFICATIONS (as of May 2012)

 

TANK

 

  • CADLights 12 gallon Nano tank

 

LIGHTING

 

  • CADLights Canopy: 16W T5s - (2) 8W bulbs w/individual reflectors, (1) CADLights Actinic, (1) Hagen Power-Glo + 12W LED - (2) Ecoxotic 10k/Actinic Stunner Strips

MISC.

 

  • CADLights stock pump (250 gph)
  • Hydor oscillator
  • (2) 50W submersible heaters (one set at lower temperature as a backup)
  • (2) large 'Pet Bottle' ATO units

 

MAINTENANCE

 

  • Water Changes: (1) gallon/week (Microbe-Lift Reef Salt/RO)
  • Evaporation Control: RO
  • Alkalinity: Kalkwasser (added to ATOs)
  • Calcium: Kalkwasser (added to ATOs)
  • Iodine: Few drops/week Kent Iodine

 

FEEDING:

 

  • Mysis Shrimp/raw fish scraps/shrimp

 

TESTING (Monthly)

 

  • Alkalinity
  • Calcium
  • Ph
  • Nitrate
  • Magnesium
  • Specific Gravity

 

POWER USAGE (YEARLY)

 

  • CADLights pump - (11.5W/hr. x 24 hrs. x 365 days = 100740W/yr.) = 100.74 Kwh/yr.
  • T5/LED lighting - (28W/hr. x 8 hrs. x 365 days = 81760/yr.) = 81.76 Kwh/yr.
  • 50W heater - (est. 50% usage/yr. = 219,000W/yr.) = 219 Kwh/yr.
     
    Total Kwh/yr. = 401.5
    Total cost/yr. (June 2009 baseline rates) = 401.5 Kwh @ 0.11531 = $46.29

 

Tank inhabitants:

 

Corals:

 

  • Assorted Montipora Species:
     
    Reefkoi LE 'Superhero' Monti (M. tuberculosa?)
    'Sunset Monti' (unknown species)
    Tyree LE True Undata (M. undata)
    Tyree LE Orange Setosa (M. setosa)
     
    Metallic Gold Pavona (P. maldivensis)
    Green Pavona (possibly P. decussata or P. cactus)
    Leptastrea sp. (standard)
    Leptastrea sp. ('Golden')
    Acanthastrea
    Assorted Ricordia Mushrooms (Ricordia yuma, Ricordia florida)
    Blue Striped Mushroom (Discosoma sp.)
    Discsoma calgreni Mushroom
    Various Zoanthids & Palys

 

Fish:

 

  • Madagascar Spotted Coral Croucher (Caracanthus madagascariensis) - RIP

 

Inverts (CUC):

 

  • Collonista snails
    Limpets
    Bristle Worms

 

Early pic of the tank at around 1 month (August 2008):

 

12galnanofrontview.jpg

 

July, 2009:

 

12gCADLightsNanoCloseup062809.jpg

Link to comment
albertthiel

Very nice and a joy to look at ... and I like your comment about what he/she is thinking :)

 

Albert

 

 

Well, since you asked :)

 

GumdropCoralCroucherCaracanthusmaculatus.jpg

 

I've only seen one of these 'Madagascar Spotted Coral Croucher' (Caracanthus madagascariensis) before and I just couldn't pass this little guy up when I saw him this afternoon. I've never seen a fish settle into a tank so quickly. I took the pic about 1 hr ago and he's still in the same position watching me type. He even gives me a head-nod every so often as if to say "Yeah, I see you", but he's probably thinking "Where's the food".

 

Just came back from a 2 week vacation and I left the tank on auto-pilot. I covered most of the tank top with plastic wrap to keep evap down and my ATO bottle even had a bit of water left when I came back.

 

 

Here is what Fishbase has to say about your fish but then you may already have looked it up :)

 

Albert

 

http://www.fishbase.us/summary/Caracanthus...scariensis.html

 

Very nice and a joy to look at ... and I like your comment about what he/she is thinking :)

 

Albert

Link to comment
Nano sapiens
Wonderful. Great looking reef indeed .... Impressive I have to say

 

Albert

 

Thank you very much. Its still a work-in-progress as I am allowing the coral frags to gradually take over the space that they want to. Maybe in a couple of years it'll fill in completely :)

Link to comment
  • Nano sapiens changed the title to Nano Sapiens 12g - Ye Olde Mixed Reef
  • Christopher Marks locked this topic
  • Christopher Marks unlocked this topic

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recommended Discussions

×
×
  • Create New...