5.5g Reef Islands

[Sandeep]

Latest FTS (October 12, 2014)

 

===================Original Posting Below===========================

 

It’s been quite a few years since I posted here. I used to have an award winning 5.5g pico reef island that I ran from 2007 to 2011 before shutting it down. It was the Jan 2010 Featured Tank of the Month, you can find it here: http://www.nano-reef.com/featured/_/2010/sandeep-r38

 

Well I’ve decided to start up a pico reef again using the same 5.5g tank but this time striving to make it even better than my last tank. I really like this glass aquarium because it has rounded edges on the front and I like its wide aspect ratio because it gives more room to spread your corals to give them better perspective and a more harmonious less crowded look vs the typical ‘rock wall’ or ‘one mountain’ look.

 

I’ve decided to scape this tank out with three distinct coral islands. I had some really nice pieces of dry coral and I glued some of them together to come up with these three coral islands. Each varies in height for greater visual appeal and a sense of depth.

 

Here is the tank in the planning stages

 

The obligatory ‘just filled’ cloudy water shot

 

This is what it looked like with all the particles settled down, you can see the 3 distinct coral islands of this design.

 

And here is what it currently looks like

 

Filtration is a standard AquaClear 30 set to its minimal flow and running with just two sponges. They are rotated as one is cleaned each week.

 

Current inhabitants include two small blue-legged hermit crabs, a clown and in the future a fire shrimp and possibly two more hermits. One of the most unique corals in this tank is my signature ‘micro-elegance’ frag. I’ve been successfully fragging a hardy Indo Elegance over the years and am on my 7th generation frags from the original. This tiny little guy is about the size of a nickel and about 6 months old.

 

 

I’ve also added a torch coral piece from my 50g reef tank. Hopefully his placement with the parts of the coral island around him will prevent his tentacles from stinging any other coral.

 

Heater is a 50W EHEIM Jager and Jager is the only brand of heater I trust and have the most confidence in over many years of performing. I cannot stress enough the importance of buying the best quality heater you can for your tank.

 

Lighting is currently being provided by a ecoxotic PAR38 12,000K LED bulb (3-6500K White 2-455nm Blue) in a $20 Staples desk lamp. The lamp is rock solid and can easily support the weight of the bulb. I might switch to a full-spectrum Par 38 bulb, but for now I’ll see how it goes with this bulb.

 

The tank is covered by a glass top. It’s mega important to keep your parameters stable and limit evaporation related salinity changes in such a small volume of water and a glass top helps tremendously. I never ever run a reef tank with a bare open top.

 

Long term the plan is to have Acans all over the tall coral island on the left of the tank and zoas on the coral island on the right. The stocking plan currently is:

Acanthastrea echinata – red
Acanthastrea lordhowensis – green
Euphyllia ancora – Hammer Coral
Catalaphyllia jardinei – Elegance Coral
Euphyllia glabrescens – Torch Coral
Ricordea florida – Ricordea
Zoanthids

 

I’ll keep this thread updated as thing develop. Let’s see where this reef islands tank goes over the next few years!

[Clarinet_Reefer]

Welcome Back!! Your AIO Picos are an inspiration to all nanoreefers! This tank will be fantastic.

[HardDog]

Your featured tank was absolutely beautiful. I can't wait to see what you do this time around!

[lnglostsurfer]

This is going to be an awesome build, I love the idea for the three different islands of different coral groups. I'll definitely be following along to see if I can get any ideas for my 5.5g. Good luck!!

[MeepNand]

Dang, looked at the TOTM, and it looks impeccable! Very little equipment too. I'll be sure to check up on this.

[Zia]

Haha, wow the three separate pieces of scape are awesome. Powerful looking little tank, love it

[jtwisconsin]

Sandeep, I have looked at your previous tank many times over the past year before taking the plunge with my own tank. I am very much looking forward to see how this version turns out.

[Sandeep]

Got some prospective inhabitants in the tank. Just letting the corals chill in the tank bottom and get used to the tank chemistry and lighting for awhile before I start placing them on the three reef islands.

 

latest FTS:

 

Some nice zoas

 

Lovely electric blue mushroom, acan echinata, acan lord

The acan lord is really a happy camper, fat and puffed, tenticles extended and devouring flake food.

 

Neon tip hammer

 

some Ricordeas

 

[Grom]

A well thought out build.I like the idea of using old coral instead of live rock,it looks really good.

I'll be following this one so don't skimp on the updates.

[lnglostsurfer]

man, this is really coming along nice!

[ALNN]

Nice addition! Love the hammer

[K3nnyG]

Wow awesome set up

[IanM]

Glad to see you back in the game! lookin' forward to the tank's progress

[Christopher Marks]

Welcome back to the community! I look forward to seeing your new pico reef evolve

[Lalani]

Glad you're back, sandeep!

[Boneshaker]

No power head ...??? What do you have for flow...???

[Lalani]

He has an HOB filter. Aquaclear from the looks of it, plenty of flow.

[Leatherneck3755]

Very cool. I love simple

[Boneshaker]

He has an HOB filter. Aquaclear from the looks of it, plenty of flow.

 

Tank & setup looks very cool. I like the simple approach & look.

 

I saw that AquaClear 30, It kind of surprised me that that is the only flow right now. They're great filters. I use a couple AquaClear 20s on my 20 long freshwater setup, and a Fluval C4 on my 30 gal Cichlid tank. I guess I've seen so many power heads tucked into so many tiny tanks, that it caught me off guard for a minute.

[Sandeep]

Good to be back folks, thanks for all the greetings and good wishes.

 

It's quite nice to see that the AIO pico tank concept that I pioneered all those years ago has now been picked up by manufacturers and we have readymade tanks now. Wow 90,000 views on that old post over the years.

http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/132714-my-55g-pico-with-built-in-fuge/

 

Some memories, should look familiar to the folks with Spec V and Evolve type tanks...

 

 

that tank ended up looking like this eventually

Anyway, enough of the memories. I'm excited to work on this new Reef Islands pico tank!

I like to keep things simple and visually uncluttered, one of the best quotes I read once and try to live by with my tanks: "More biology, less technology."

 

I'll endevour to keep this thread updated with meaningful posts as the tank develops, I'll try to avoid the "I picked my nose today", type updates which will just clutter the thread.

 

See you around...

[dsim]

great tank, how often or how much do you feed the clown?

[Sandeep]

Normally I feed my fish twice a week. He's getting just a couple of flakes.

[Sandeep]

Latest Update:

I have now glued some of the frags in place. Ended up getting a few more frags. Moved the torch coral. Neon tip hammer (at the back and not visible in the photo) is doing fine.

 

FTS

 

Acan island

 

Micro Elegance & Ricordea island

 

Zoo island

 

Will be attending a frag meet at the end of the month, hopefully I’ll get a few more nice frags for the tank, still room for a few more.

 

For photography I’m using a Fuji X-E1 body and a manual focus Tamron Adaptall 90mm f2.5 Macro lens (the 2^nd version model 52BB).

[rocksmom]

Love the scape. That torch looks like a little palm tree sitting up there on that island.

[Based]

Tank is looking awesome!