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Yoshii's 5.5g Macro Reef


yoshii

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»Current FTS«

idk when I even took a FTS last, whoops

 

3.7g AIO (Previous version of this tank)

Aug 7th 2016

PAR LED + Daylight

IMG_995822.jpg

 
3.7g Started: Sept 4th 2015
5.5g Upgrade: Aug 8th 2016
»Background & Goals«
If you have been following my other threads, you might know I'm about to move to San Diego for school and have to break down my current tanks. I'll only be able to keep a small pico.
A little bittersweet, but I just realized it's been 5 years since I started a new reef, so I'm very excited to be starting my second pico tank!
 
I would like for my 10g macro/gorg tank and my 3g pico reef to live on in this tank. My goal is to have a mix of my favorite macros, softies, gorgs, and maybe 2-3 LPS.
 
»The Tank«
I picked up the Petco brand 3.7 Cubic glass AIO tank, it seems like a pretty nice little tank! The back chambers are bigger than I'd thought they'd be, but they stuffed quite a bit of filtration media back there. So far I'm liking it!
The overall dimensions (including the back chambers) is a 10" cube.
Upgrade: A standard 5.5g glass tank from Petco
 
»Equipment«

LED daylight bulb & BoostLED PAR 30 bulb Upgrade: Kessil A80

Mini-Jet 606 Return Pump Upgrade: Aqua Clear 20

◆ I think it's a Tetra brand heater

 
Camera: Samsung Galaxy S5 or (if I'm not lazy) Canon EOS 60D
 
»Livestock«
Fish:
Pudge, the Yellow Clown Goby (Gobiodon okinawae) (jumped out :tears:) - in the 3.7g
◆ Pocky, the Darwin Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) - in the 5.5g
◆ Peppero, the Common Clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) - in the 5.5g
 
Inverts:
Tongan Nassarius Snail (Nassarius distortus) - this snail finally passed away after over 5 years (got it as an adult too!)
Smudge, the Black Stomatella Snail (Stomatella sp.)
 
Corals:
Tyree Neon Polyp Toadstool
Green Cabbage Leather
ATL Frost Bite Blasto (Blastomussa merletti)
Corky Gorgonian
Blue Snowflake Polyps
Red Mushrooms
Some yumas, Rhodactis
◆ "Acan" lords (Micromussa lordhowensis)
◆ Bowerbanki Acans
◆ I forgot the name of this fuzzy red encruster
◆ Aussie Blastos
◆ WWC Sunburst Montipora
◆ Gold-Tip Clove Polyps
◆ Green Duncans
 
Macro Algae:
Greens
◆ Green Tuft Algae (Cladophora sp.)
Caulerpa prolifera
◆ Money Plant (Halimeda sp.)
Chaetomorpha sp.
Codium fragile
Green Sea Fern
Reds
◆ Dragon's Tongue (Halymenia sp.)
◆ Red Grape (Botrycladia sp.)
Gracilaria hayi
Pink Galaxia (Galaxaura sp.)
Red Spiny Algae (Bryothamnian triquetrum)
◆ Purple Bush Algae (Laurencia sp.)
◆ Knobby Red Algae (Rhodopeltis sp.)
Red Fern Algae
Branching Coralline sp.
Rhodymenia (R. pacifica?)
◆ Unk Leafy Red (probably Fauchea sp.)
◆ Unk Flat Branching Red
Browns
Dictoya sp.
 
»Inspiration«
newy%20fts_zpsdz6jztbf.jpg
 
fulltankshot.jpg
 
New Scape Inspo - Stella's Sixty-Six
UmGAVYk.jpg
 
 
 
Looking forward to sharing another tank's journey with you guys!
-Yoshii/Christina
20160808_202200resize.jpg
  • Like 32
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Picture time! Here's the tank! I'm not sure if I'll be able to use the lid since San Diego can get pretty hot.

IMG_8343.jpg


Here it is without the lid

IMG_8348.jpg


The side of the false wall facing the display is lightly textured, so I guess I won't be able to scrape it clean of algae :/ oh well

I kinda wish the back chambers were smaller to give more room for the display area, but the stock filter media is actually really great for a tank this size, even a bit overkill.

IMG_8355.jpg


Ah, there's that Petco quality shining through

IMG_8350.jpg

I'm guessing this is a feeding hole thingy, looks weird though. At first I thought it maybe go towards the back (for cords?) but the egdes are curved on this side.

I actually like it better without the black trim, so in the end it was a positive! :)


»Upgrading Stock Equipment«


The stock return pump is so tiny it's almost cute

IMG_8334.jpg


Here's my old Mini-Jet 606, I used to use it in my first pico before I got an AquaClear HOB filter.

You probably can't read it, but it's rated at 159 gph, four times as powerful as the stock pump.

IMG_8335.jpg


The light is surprisingly bright to the naked eye, but obviously won't grow coral.

Also, who chose this light for this tank?? "Yeah I really want to light up the false wall and those back chambers. very important to do that" :blink:

IMG_8356.jpg

Oh look there's already cat fur in it


The "switch" to go through the different light modes is fun to play with though :lol:



So...my big problem right now is finding a light. I have a PAR30 from my 3g, but it's too blue. I want a 10-12K look, but most LED lighting/pico lighting has tons of blue. Which makes green macros look poop brown :(

Before everyone tells me to get a NanoBox Tide...please remember I'm a terribly broke college student who is about to move and spend a ton of money on textbooks :(

Even an AI Prime is out of my price range. I really can only spend $90-100 MAX on the lighting. And then go cry in a corner and eat instant ramen.


It seems like I only have two options, find a 10K PAR30/38 or go with power compacts. I like power compacts, and I even found this nice little $55 [urlhttp://www.catalinaaquarium.com/store/product_info.php?cPath=71_74&products_id=1565]10" 27w fixture[/url].

I used a light from the same company as the first light for my old 3g pico, and it was great...except in summer. And I think that fixture might just boil away my water in the San Diego heat :/


For LEDs, I'm trying to find bulbs that are meant for freshwater or a fuge :lol: All the reef ones are too blue.

Here's some I found today, but I really don't trust the color temp estimation. I want to actually see what it looks like. But that would involve ordering like 2+ and then returning the ones I don't like. Which I don't really have time for (moving in about 2 weeks).





What do you guys think?
  • Like 7
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Lawnman had a 16" MH for like $70 shipped. The outer orbit. Great light. Pick that up if it will fit. Not sure the tank specs.

San Diego heat + MH = probably 100 degree tank :(

Maybe you could sell off some of your older equipment for a tide?

 

Dang.... There should be a TOTM discount at Nanobox!

I'm already planning on selling my older equipment....for textbooks :tears:

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I had a Deep Blue 7.5 gallon and I ran softies in there and used the ECOPICO LED light with 2 additional strips and it grew my softies just fine. Sadly I only had the tank up for about 1 year because I was getting ready to move and be deployed but I'll be setting that cube back up once I'm home using the same light. You can get the light with the 2 additional strips for $100.

 

You can see my thread I did for it here and see the difference from the crappy light I had from my wifes fresh water tank. http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/339959-75-gallon-deep-blue-will-live-again-post-deployment/ I really enjoyed the light and was very impressed with it, actually managed to get it to grow my Green Birdsnest as well.

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San Diego heat + MH = probably 100 degree tank :(

I'm already planning on selling my older equipment....for textbooks :tears:

 

 

Small fan will keep it cool no problem. I also bet anything the place you are staying will have AC. It is Cali. Nearly everyone has AC.

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Cute!!!

Isn't it! I love small tanks :)

 

I had a Deep Blue 7.5 gallon and I ran softies in there and used the ECOPICO LED light with 2 additional strips and it grew my softies just fine. Sadly I only had the tank up for about 1 year because I was getting ready to move and be deployed but I'll be setting that cube back up once I'm home using the same light. You can get the light with the 2 additional strips for $100.

 

You can see my thread I did for it here and see the difference from the crappy light I had from my wifes fresh water tank. http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/339959-75-gallon-deep-blue-will-live-again-post-deployment/ I really enjoyed the light and was very impressed with it, actually managed to get it to grow my Green Birdsnest as well.

Thank you!

 

I'm looking at the website, seems like I can't order the arm? Just the strips? :blink:

But if I got an arm with 3 strip lights, that would be 9W. Maybe it would be better to get a more powerful LED light for less/same $$$?

 

Although I do like the crisp whiter light

 

 

 

Small fan will keep it cool no problem. I also bet anything the place you are staying will have AC. It is Cali. Nearly everyone has AC.

You'd be surprised. I currently don't have AC, and I'm in a two story house. I have friends in LA that don't have AC.

 

I had issues keeping my old 3g cool when I ran a 2 bulb PC fixture over it, so I really don't want to go the MH route.

Also, I'm going to have roommates, and I want this tank to be as quite as possible.

  • Like 1
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Looks like a challenging little tank. Can't wait to see what you do with it.

 

Edit: You might check out some freshwater LED arrays but some of them are pricey.

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Great start - it looks a lot like my CADLights 4G! I think you're right, controlling heat will be a challenge. Even just running the minijet will increase the temperature in a pico.

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I'd say a par bulb man,that'll probably be your best bet.

 

But I did go to rapid and added some LEDs to the car: 2 neutral white,1 lime,2 royal blue and 2 violets 1x rapidled 0-10v dimmable driver with a pot and thermal adhesive is $77.35 and a heatsink from ledsupply.com is $3 about 2.5"x2" (I've used quite a few of these) and ships for free. So $80 all together really isn't bad.

 

You could use some fishing string (I've used mono style line and it literally looked like the light was floating lol) and L brackets for shelving ($3-$4).

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Looks like a challenging little tank. Can't wait to see what you do with it.

 

Edit: You might check out some freshwater LED arrays but some of them are pricey.

Thanks, I'm excited :)

 

Yeah I was looking at freshwater fixtures too, unfortunately it seems like a lot of led fixtures are either 6500k or 14K+

 

Great start - it looks a lot like my CADLights 4G! I think you're right, controlling heat will be a challenge. Even just running the minijet will increase the temperature in a pico.

It does, doesn't it! I got a chance to play around with that 4g a few years ago and I liked it, so I think I'll like this tank

 

I'm doing a leak test right now with the mini-jet running. I forgot about how much heat the pump will put out. I'm going to stick a thermometer in there and find out, thanks :)

 

I'd say a par bulb man,that'll probably be your best bet.

 

But I did go to rapid and added some LEDs to the car: 2 neutral white,1 lime,2 royal blue and 2 violets 1x rapidled 0-10v dimmable driver with a pot and thermal adhesive is $77.35 and a heatsink from ledsupply.com is $3 about 2.5"x2" (I've used quite a few of these) and ships for free. So $80 all together really isn't bad.

 

You could use some fishing string (I've used mono style line and it literally looked like the light was floating lol) and L brackets for shelving ($3-$4).

I was looking at rapid's freshwater par38 (link in first post) but idk what color temp it will look like :/

 

I'm used to rigging stuff together for my aquariums, and as long as what's inside the tank is pretty, I don't mind ugly around it. But I'm worried my roommates won't approve of an "ugly" fixture. And I don't want to upset them since they have to sign a form to even let me have the tank (school rules). Also, I wouldn't be allowed to install any hanging equipment

(Sorry to burst your bubble)

 

Following for the hot tank selfie.

And the tank.

:lol: well thanks for following!

 

Is that the light that came with tank? I want something small again for zoas and mushrooms. It's definitely a cool little tank.

Yes, it comes with the tank. It's a neat little light, but I don't think it would support even low light softies :(

  • Like 2
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Not a problem man,it happens. eBay some shit,you can find a more white 12k bulb. I have a feeling the par bulb from rapid will be just a planted tank bulb.. Which will just dull colors in retrospect.

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This tank is great, I've had it for about a week or so. Its home to emerald crabs, snails, and maybe some macros soonish. Very interested to see what you do with this tank. Following! :lol:

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Isn't it! I love small tanks :)

 

Thank you!

 

I'm looking at the website, seems like I can't order the arm? Just the strips? :blink:

But if I got an arm with 3 strip lights, that would be 9W. Maybe it would be better to get a more powerful LED light for less/same $$$?

 

Although I do like the crisp whiter light

 

I got mine at a LFS in the area, just call around and you'll find one. The arm is nice and solid too and won't bend and perfect for rimeless tanks. I was concerned about it only being 9W but again for a year my softies flurished and birdsnest as well. With the tank being that shallow and the light that close it is a champ!

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Cant wait to see you pico tank up and running. What will you Call it? Dorm-?..

Are you making you 2 tanks in to one? Or seling it all and buying new stuff? (I need to follow the clown).

 

My own pico is 1year soon do you know what to get it?

Do i get a new light or a sps coral or a realy rare st.thomas in red or maybe a 4.blastomussa(blue or?)

 

What do you get yours for birthdays(cant find the post in your thred) or is it just me that do stuff like that.

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San Diego is a great move. We have some awesome LFS here. And a good local forum with some great people. sdreefs.com If you need anything reach out. We have a tight reef community here and many people to help with anything you may need.

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