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Aviators 3 gal Zoalogical Gardens...Big Redirection


aviator300

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I just finished cycling and adding some life to my 5 gal PicO Aquariums tank which i have a build thread going on in "Members Aquariums" subforum but i wanted to turn my attention to a new build that i'm starting. I've had a JBJ Picotope collecting dust for awhile and i thought i'd pull it out for a project i've wanted to do for some time now. I have always been fascinated with Zoanthids because of their generally common shape and habit along with a tremendous variety of colors. I want to dedicate this tank to Zoas and possibly one or two centerpiece type Palys but i'm going to try to stay purely with Zoanthids. No SPS, no LPS, no softies.

 

TANK. 3 gal JBJ Picotope

FILTER. AC 50 with In Tank Media Basket. (Chemipure Elite or Blue + SeaChem De-Nitrate+ floss

ROCK BRS Reef Saver dry rock (about 3 lbs)

SAND 1/2" Caribsea Hawaiian Black sand

HEAT Still deciding

FLOW RIO 50 (if needed) I think Zoas like strong flow.

LIGHT Coral Compulsion PAR 38 20K light, dimmable. on timer.

(Do i see another NanoBox in my future?) STOP THAT NOW, would someone slap me please!!

FISH One very small Gobi

INVERTS CUC. Possibly small shrimp or crab.

TOP OFF ME or poss another DIY

SALT RSCP and distilled water.

 

Well, I just painted the back Black today using Krylon Fusion spray and am about to start putting together a scape.

Estimated time to WETNESS. About a week.

 

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to read this and I hope you will follow me along on this journey with comments, questions, and most definitely suggestions.

Catch Y'all later.....AVIATOR

 

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And always remember one piece of advice?

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Copycat! Actually it's funny, just like our other tanks these are going to be really different. I'm not planning on doing any zoas at all because I want sexy shrimp.

 

You don't see the black sand very much. Is this one all black? Or the stuff that's like regular sand with the black pieces in it? Be careful when you clean your glass. I've read a lot of places that some of the black pieces are magnetic and are prone to getting stuck and scratching your glass.

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Nice man. Im here in scottsdale too. I run a picotope too hahaha. You've inspired me to create my own thread.

Cool. Check out my main thread under "Aviators flight log" in the Members Aquariums sub forum. Your tanks looks great, when did you start it and what is that large coral mass just left of the Birdsnest?

 

How long have you been in Scottsdale and what brought you here?

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Cool. Check out my main thread under "Aviators flight log" in the Members Aquariums sub forum. Your tanks looks great, when did you start it and what is that large coral mass just left of the Birdsnest?

 

How long have you been in Scottsdale and what brought you here?

I honestly don't know when I started, maybe 2 months ago? Oh and thats some pulsing xenia... I know it grows like a weed but it's really quite neat to watch.

 

I've been in Scottsdale for 15 years now... parents moved here when I was about 3, so I came with. It's really a sweet town imo, so many lfs, its just super hot right now.

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OK gang, I threw a scape together using 3 small rocks and some epoxy. I used BRS ReefSaver dry rock and it weighs in at 3 lbs. I'll cycle it using Instant Ocean "Bio Spira" and liquid ammonia drops. I figure it will take about 2 weeks or less to get it cycled.

I prefer to do a lighted cycle to generate some algae for the clean up crew to eat when i add them and besides, the lighted tank looks cool.

 

I like to leave a lot of open space around the scape for viewing and circulation and that's why i didn't pack it full of rock. I purposely left an area to the right front open for possible Zoa colonies already on small rocks. Here is a view looking from the front and the top/down of the dry scape. Do you guys think i need any more or less rock?

 

I hope to get it wet by this weekend.

 

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I hereby christen this tank the s.s. Zoa money pit. Looks great I'm considering something like this so I'm def following. Scape looks good, you may end up with decent colonies that are already attached to rock so I wouldn't add any more rock.

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I hereby christen this tank the s.s. Zoa money pit. Looks great I'm considering something like this so I'm def following. Scape looks good, you may end up with decent colonies that are already attached to rock so I wouldn't add any more rock.

Could be a money pit but I hope to be careful what i spend it on. I normally purchase inexpensive 1 or 2 polyp frags and watch them grow out so this wont be one of those "instant color tanks" that i'm seeing more of on the forum all the time. You know, the ones that go from cycle to full in about a month after someone puts in a 500$ coral order. Haha.

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Well i thought it would be wet right now but it hasn't rained here since last week..OH,,,the tank you mean. well in that case, i thought that would be wet also by now but i've been busy the last few days so tonight or tomorrow for sure and i'll post pics.

 

I'm still trying to figure out the heater situation. The tank is only 7.5" deep and take away 1/2" of sand and that makes it pretty shallow for a heater. I'll be using an AC 30 instead of the 50 and the 30 is to small for a heater also. I've been thinking about getting an Archaea mini heater from "Aqua Forest Aquariums" but at 29.00 i'm going to try something else first.

 

I have an old heating pad for sprouting seeds that i think i'll put under the tank. I'll have some thin insulating sheet between the pad and the tank so it wont overheat. I'll also buy a cheap standard light dimmer in hopes that it can control the heat from the pad. I suppose i could go all out and buy a controller to regulate the heat but i'll just try it manually first. If this thing works, it will get the heater out of the tank completely.

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Why don't you look into the Aqeuon Betta heater ? They fit in a AC20 fine,I'm sure it'll fit in to a AC30. I think they are like $10-$15 at Petco and Petsmart.

 

I love the scape in this tank though the black sand sets it off well !!

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  • 3 weeks later...

OK, i've been playing with this thing for a few weeks now and i've decided to go in a different direction altogether. Instead of this being a "Zoa only" tank, it's now a community tank. I decided to use my PicO Aquariums 5 gal as a pico Mantis tank with one of the smaller species of Mantids. I'm doing this because of the thicker glass in the 5 gal and because it's an AIO tank, I can put the heater in the back (thus avoiding any glass breakage). Build thread to come.

 

I put corals in the picotope along with my Clownfish and Cleo (my Porcelin crab). I wont need top notch lighting in the Mantis tank, so i moved my NanoBox to this one.

 

Well, here's what it looks like after about 3 weeks up and running even though i still don't have a decent camera yet. Oh BTW, i decided to go BB.

 

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I guess now i'll just wait for it to grow out some.

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Looks really good, what lfs do you usually go to?

 

Edit: That's crazy that you're doing a mantis tank because that's my next project. Just waiting on dryrock from reefcleaners. Maybe a mantis playdate?

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  • 4 weeks later...

I had to sell my NanoBox to raise some funds for a non aquarium issue so i put a Coral Compulsion PAR 30 18K over this tank and i really like the 18K look.

 

Anyway, here is a couple recent shots for your viewing pleasure.

 

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Ever do any fishin out at Old Hickory Lake?

Oh yeah.... I've been on about the whole lake from above the 231 bridge in lebanon to the dam and into the Cumberland down to ashland city... I live closer to percy priest and fish there more but Old Hickory is a decent lake to fish! Small world...

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I was on a job assignment for 6 months in Hendersonville and just loved the whole area. I actually lived in Hendersonville but worked in Goodlettsville.

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