My nano-reef - Fresh pictures

Well, Here it is...Back up again after last months freak accident (All pumps failed at once) I have now restocked the tank with fish...Current in habitants are listed bellow...All opinions welcome, This setup is reaching its 1 year aniversary and when that time comes, I get a house, And I have a 125 G Tank with all pumps and everything ready to go for when I do, Then this tank and my other Octopus tank will merge into the 125...

Specs

KNOWN TANK INHABITENTS

1 Pink Faced Wrasse

1 Gold Striped Maroon Clownfish

1 Baby Snowflake Eel

1 BIG ASS PEPPERMINT SHRIMP  

2 FEATHER DUSTERS

20+ Mushrooms (Who really counts)

1 Star Polyps

1 Bubble Coral

1 Colt

1 Red Sponge

1 Leather (small frag)

1 POLYP COLONY

1 PULSING XENIA

1 Calupera

15 Red Leg Hermits

20 BLUE LEG HERMITS

15 ASTREA SNAILS

2 Zebra Hermits (Dont know how they got in there)

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30 LBS Fiji live rock

10 LBS Marshal island live rock

10 LBS Aquacultered live rock

.5" inch lower Large grain quartz bottom layer of sand

1" Natures Ocean LS bed

2 LBS Crushed shells

3 LBS Crushed coral

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HARD WARE

Tank: 29 Gallon All Glass

Custom acrylic canopy (POS)

Lighting:

Smart lamp 1x65   1.10k,1.Actinic

NO 15 Watt Actinic

High Lite Underwater lighting system

Filtration

SEA Clone POS-100 Protein Skimmer

AQUA- Clear 300 Powerfilter - Running low ammount of carbon

Wisper 30-60 Powerfilter - Running low ammount of carbon

CAP 200 Provides Additional Circulation along the back wall

Maintinence and water paremeters

5 Gallon 20% weekly water change with RODI and Instant ocean

Bi-Daily Kent Iodine dosing

Bi-Daily ESV two part Alkaline + Calcium Dosing

BI-Daily ESV Spray Dried Phytoplankton

Feeding fish on a variety of foods Krill,Macro Algae,Flakes,Premade herb. food,Shrimp Pellets,Fw Flakes (I like variety)

Salinity 1.025

PH       8.2 with shifts about .1 depending on time of day

Amonia 0ppm

Nitrates 0ppm

Heat 100 Watts constant 76f

Nice looking tank Asterix. I don't know if it's the camera or what but your tank seems a tad bit on the dark side...

A very natural looking setup!  I really like it.

Is that a red sponge coral?  It really stands out.

Really nice.

sahin is right that red sponge really stands out in that dark shady area. nice looking tank man. cant wait til my 29 gal look something like. so many shroom. i really like that buble coral. they can be a host for clown fish right?

Your tank is awesome! I can only hope that someday mine will look so good!!!

Can you post a pic of your octopus tank too?

Thank you for your replies and complements, I will answer each individual question in this one post.

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My Alife 7, The tank does look a little on the dark side, I am not sure if its the camera, Or the person using the camera(me), I have a DC-120 thats like 10 years old... So Ill blame it on the camera

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Sahin, That is indeed a red sponge, Non incrusting - However, a small correction and something I recently learned, Is that sponges are not considered corals., The way my tank is scaped, there is a dark Eel cave, Since sponges are happy in dark areas I figured that would be great choice for the placement

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HuBu, Yes, Some clownfish will host to the bubble coral, my marroon clown has started to take the bubble as a host, But I dont think the bubble coral likes the clownfish, Because that bubble is litteraly 2 times a big as it was when I snapped that picture, it takes up the whole top of the tank...Ever since last week when I put the CF in it started to harrass the bubble coral...Ill give it some time and see what happens

fishymissy, I will be happy to put up some pics of my octo tank. Give me some time though so I can borrow my bosses camera again

Thank you for all of your kind words

-David-

PS, Does anyone live close to Louisville KY? I can never find anyone to trade frags with, Theres nothing but cows...moooo

What do you do to keep that red sponge looking so nice?  I've tried several types of non-encrusting sponge, but they all seem to deteriorate and/or begin growing "gunk" on them after a period of time, although they do grow.  i haven't had much trouble though with the several encrusting types that i've tried.

flaunt, To keep the sponge looking clean, I point the powerhead thats in the back behind the rock towards it about once or twice a weak and this keeps sediment and fish pooh, and everything else from resting on it, I would just up the flow in the area if your having problems...Every once in a while it gets covered with crap and the powerhead wont work, When this happens I pick up the sponge and shake it litely underwater until everything falls off...Also, Remember not to keep it in direct light, If algae grows on the sponge it will prevent it from filtering food from the water...Hence it will starve to death...Hope this helps

-David-

thanks asterix, i'll try that.  i have had some luck with a particular blue sponge (i believe that's what it is) that i cut off of a rock not too long ago and isolated in a part of the system that gets almost no light.  it still has some problems which may be from detritus and sand particle buildup, but it grows much quicker and it doesn't get that algae growing on it.  for some reason i have had great luck with an orange encrusting and a pink encrusting sponge, and also with one dark orange sponge that is about 4" long.  everything else usually vanishes.

how many watts total for lighting? 80 watts or 210 watts? i am confused?!

probably 210W cant be 80W over that size of a tank.

pretty looking tank

I have some green star polyp and a single head candy cane frag, and live in Louisville. If you have any colorful zoo's would be interested in trading or buying frags.