via aqua update

Well, it has been about 2 months since I set up my Via Aqua 21 gallon and I thought I would give an update.

tank specifics -

2xRio 90 PH's

30 lbs Tonga LR

20 lbs LS

75 watt ebo jager heater

2x36 pc lights (came with tank)

water params-

ph - 8.1

ammonia - 0.0

nitrite - 0.0

nitrate - < 5.0

temp 81 degrees

SG 1.024

So far I have added 2 turbo snails, about half dozen hermit crabs, 1 greenstar polyp, some shrooms, and a red finger. Everything appears to be doing great! The greenstar polyp has really opened up, and I was even able to move a couple of polyps that broke off on another piece of rock.

Thanks to everyone for their posts, questions, and advice !

great to HEAR your tank is coming along..... now lets SEE some pics please!! by the way... how much evaporation does your tank have? I think you said it was cut way down with your cover... hopefully I'll have some pics of mine by New Years:D

Pics....we need pics! (love the via aqua tanks)

and before New Years too!

going from a pc to a Mac is such a PITA- had to wait to get in to work to resize em before they would load

the red finger...

greenstar polyp

the shrooms

Originally posted by Temecula Reefer

by the way... how much evaporation does your tank have? I think you said it was cut way down with your cover...

Yeah, the cover has cut evaporation way down - I don't know exactly as I only top off when I do my water changes, but I will be doing one this weekend and will pay attention and let you know.

If you were thinking of doing the Via Aqua with a cover, bit of advice, get some plexi-glass that is thick enough so it doesn't bow. Mine is maybe a 1/8(?) thick and is constantly dipping into the tank when the lights heat it up a bit. Gonna have to make a new one out of thicker material.

Some other info on the tank - not dosing anything up to this point, starting with calcium to get it to the proper level for a few LPS's - other than that, water changes, water changes and did I say water changes???

Tank is looking great... I was wondering how much rock I wanted to go with... looks like 30lbs is perfect.. did you mail order your LR or get it from your LFS? I already bought the plexiglass and fit it in there, I got the extra stong stuff from Lowes so hopefully it wont bow:( are those red fingers easy to care for? I love the bright color

yeah, I initially had 25 lbs and the tank still looked a little bare, so added another piece and figured the corals I was planning on would fill in the holes. I got mine at my LFS, but I have seen others get it online and that stuff looks great!!!

I actually just got the red finger last night. But, from my research, all I really need to do is feed them weekly (LFS recommended zooplankton(?)). In fact, a couple of branches broke off before I got the guy home (very upset), but I picked those pieces up and dropped them in the tank and a few hours later, the polyps were out in full force. The one thing I was warned about was to not expose the finger coral to air, always keep em in water.