8 gallons on my desk

[Dula]

Well everyone this is my first build thread. It is a work in progress and this is my second tank ever. I have been reading a lot and trying to learn everything I can. Hopefully you all enjoy reading this as much as I am enjoying writing it.

 

So I work for an oil drilling company pushing paperwork and making phone calls all day so I decided that I should have an aquarium on my desk... cause why not right?? Also since my department here is slightly spoiled (we just got a dishwasher to wash our two coffee pots, 3 spoons, 2 forks and maybe 3 bowl) we have a 3 stage R.O. filtration set up and I have salt at home... so it just kept making more and more sense to start a tank. Anyway enough babbling here we go.

 

I went to my local fish store and I purchased an little Evolve 8 gallon tank. I search online for many different options but I really felt that this tank was simple and clean and would support just about anything I wanted to do to it.

 

 

 

The R.O unit only produces a couple of gallons an hour... so it took some time to fill it up but eventually I got it all. I decided to go with a black sand base and kept it relatively deep sand bed. I have read debates on deep vs. shallow beds but decided to put what I put because well I put it in already and wasn't going to try and put it back in the bag. Now time for some rocks!!

 

(notice that crappy light)

 

I went to another Local store and looked at some rocks because I don't like to discriminate between my stores. I wanted to be flexible on what I put in the tank so I only purchased 2 rocks to let my tank still have some water volume and not limit myself to the amount of coral I put in it just yet. I am debating at some point adding another rock in the middle to give it some more vertical height but I have yet to decide. Please feel free to comment/criticize I would greatly appreciate any of your feedback!

 

 

 

Well I let the tank set for a few weeks and I dropped in some flakes of food and brought the filter from my tank at home in and stuck it in the back to give it some of my good bacteria (hopefully) that I have been growing. I decided to do this based off of countless of hours laying down not being able to sleep and holding my phone reading on forums about the best way to start a tank. In my reading I came to the conclusion that everyone is going to tell you something different and most people do have valid points but there is no set way to do it. So I am just trying something I feel comfortable with and am going to roll with it.

 

The next thing for the tank was to order a new light because the only thing the OEM light would grow is... just about nothing from what I understand. So more countless hours of research and deciding on how much money I want to spend (I just purchased a new car, 2014 Ford Mustang GT Premium so the gas tank is what is taking most my money... not the fish tank )

 

I called a few different vendors and finally settled on one who really stuck out to me. The owner at Coral Compulsion was very kind to sit on the phone with me and answer all of my ridiculous questions. So I went ahead and ordered a 22k PAR 30 bulb with their Gooseneck attachment. Ordered it on Friday or Thursday and received it at work on Monday (today).

 

So big shout out or #hashtag or like or whatever the kids are doing nowadays to Coral Compulsion! Thanks!

 

So I kept refreshing the tracking page and calling our receptionist to see if my package had arrived. I finally went to lunch and I come back and lo and behold!!!

 

 

Woot woot!! A box!!! I was extremely excited! I immediately called our receptionist and told her thank you and emailed her a pic of the new tank with my awesome light on it!

 

 

I did notice that I already have one Aptasia growing but oh well... I have some aptasia X but am not too thrilled with the product or I'm not using it properly (a very real possibility lol)

 

I called another Local fish store and I ordered a Black Ice Clownfish because I wanted something a little different but did not want to break the bank too much. Hopefully it will get here soon and then I can put that in and add some coral too!! Here in the next day or so I need to go pick up a CUC and add some more stuff to my tank to just get her rolling.

 

If anyone has comments on anything please feel free to comment and let me know what you think. If you have read this all the way through thank you and I hope you have enjoyed it!

[k4ndyk1ng]

Looking good man, I'm here for the ride, any stocking plans?

[Dula]

Right now I don't have any solid plans. I really want to have a small anemone and possibly a clam. But I have one clown fish on the way. Other than that I am open to suggestions!! I don't have a huge knowledge base on what is available especially for nano tanks. I would love to have a little sand sifting gobi... but idk

[BattleAthletics]

Did you get to mod the tank?

[Angel<3Nanos]

Looking good! I think there is a thread for evolve tank hacks here somewhere in NR. Might be worth searching for it.

 

I say do a YWG with a Pistol Shrimp.

[k4ndyk1ng]

Looking good! I think there is a thread for evolve tank hacks here somewhere in NR. Might be worth searching for it.

I say do a YWG with a Pistol Shrimp.

Love this idea thinking about doing it in my upcoming 16g, but I do t want sand :/

Or bb lol so I want nothing. Haha

[Dula]

I have not modded the tank... Is it too late for the modding? and I will definitely look into those. I have a skunk shrimp in my 10g at home and I really like that but I'm afraid it will get too big.

[k4ndyk1ng]

I have not modded the tank... Is it too late for the modding? and I will definitely look into those. I have a skunk shrimp in my 10g at home and I really like that but I'm afraid it will get too big.

it will be fine in that tank, im getting one for my 4g, but i will be upgrading

[Dula]

So the other day I added a skunk shrimp, 1 turbo snail, and 3 hermit crabs. I also added one little frag of zoas. I'm debating on adding a hydor nano. I really want to run one pump. Do you think this will suffice? When I get to work tomorrow I will add an updated photo!

[Sk8n Reefer]

Looking good- I like the shape of that rock in the front. Also interested in seeing how you like the black sand- I was almost going to go in that direction- if my lfs would of been carrying it I think I would have. A spin stream will give you some nice random flow from your return

[Dula]

Well today I walked into my office and the first thing I did before even turning on my computer was to turn on my tank light and see how it was doing. I was able to find all my little hermit crabs moving around and the snail puttering along but could not find my little skunk shrimp. This little bugger is a lot more shy than my skunk shrimp at home so I continued to look for him. I saw an antenna in the dark tunnel that goes through my center rock. I immediately thought the worst and figured that he died

 

So I removed the antenna and found that the little shrimp had already molted. I am assuming that this was from the stress of the move or that he is really happy he now lives in my tank... which is what i am leaning more towards haha

 

Then today on my lunch break my co worker made the mistake of suggesting a place that is across the street from one of our small local fish stores. So after having lunch we hopped across the street with the intention of "looking"

 

Well a few hundred dollars later...

 

Thanks to a sale on some coral, buy 2 frags and get one free, I picked out a few different frags; a duncan, cluster of zoas, and a sps thingy (I forgot what it is called)

 

Then I decided while I was there I may as well pick up a power head for my little tank. I purchased a MP10W because that is what seemed reasonable (I am still trying to justify this purchase lol) The owner of the shop decided to hook me up with some pretty cool mushrooms too!!

 

Let me tell you that this thing is awesome! I did have to call the IT department to bring me up another power strip because I had run out of places to plug all the new cool toys for my tank.

 

Looking good- I like the shape of that rock in the front. Also interested in seeing how you like the black sand- I was almost going to go in that direction- if my lfs would of been carrying it I think I would have. A spin stream will give you some nice random flow from your return

That front rock is my favorite! You may not be able to see it in the picture all too well but it has a pretty cool natural tunnel that my skunk shrimp likes to play in.

 

As soon as I get to work tomorrow I will post up some new pictures of all the cool new frags. Hopefully my clown will be in soon!!

[Sk8n Reefer]

Cool- looking forward to seeing the pics!

[Dula]

I forgot I had some on my phone!!! These are just some cell phone pictures. I need to drag out my Samsung NX-11 and learn how to use it. I am not really sure what is the best way to really capture the beauty of the 22k light on these. I did not think I would like the light being that blue... but it brings out so many of the fluorescent colors I am really loving it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Dula]

Today I have noticed my two wonderful aptasia are growing wonderfully. I have some AptasiaX at home but it didnt work too well with my tank at home. Does anyone have any recommendations on how to use the product better or better yet something that I can put in there that will eat it??

[Sk8n Reefer]

Today I have noticed my two wonderful aptasia are growing wonderfully. I have some AptasiaX at home but it didnt work too well with my tank at home. Does anyone have any recommendations on how to use the product better or better yet something that I can put in there that will eat it??

 

I believe Bengali Nudi branches will eat them- I've also been working the Ap-x with some success- I think it's pretty technique sensitive - you gotta inject just as they close around to get to the mouth- I don't always have success

 

[Dula]

Okay so I have got really busy... aaannd neglected the tank. It got taken over by hair algae and cyano to the point it killed some of my coral. I ended up paying a lady to come out and do a tank cleaning (for only 20 bucks completely worth it. I am now dosing with NO3-PO4-X to kill the rest of the hair algae that is left over.

 

I will be uploading some pics soon

 

In good news I did go out to lunch today and he suggested a burger joint that was conveniently located near one of our LFS so I walked in and picked up a Dragon Soul Favia and yesterday I purchased another favia and will be putting in about 10 more crabs in the next day or so. I just need to go pick them up.

[Dula]

Here is a FTS with my clown who would not get out of the way so I could take pictures. With my phone the light looks really spotlighted the way it is, I have the light about 5.5 in off the water.

 

 

 

 

Here is a picture of Favia I got the other day. I am unsure what kind this one is. The purple actually comes out much deeper when you are in person.

 

 

The new Dragon Soul Favia!!

 

 

 

Thank you everyone for reading! I will do my best to keep this more active to help me pay more attention to this tank. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!

[Dula]

Latest FTS