2.5 gallon - 4th months old and I think it is complete! (for a week at least)

[LiQuiD]

Had to make it.

[invert]

Liquid what are your plans for this tank in the future? you mentioned turning it into a sps reef a few million posts back. Also do you feel that you non-photosynthetic corals were suitable candidates for your 2.5 if you had of kept up with the dosing and maintenance of your tank?

 

ps nice tank and good luck with it in the future.

[LiQuiD]

Well considering I have not done a water change in about 2 months or dosed anything but top-off, I don't think SPS dominant is going to play out, just yet that is. There is just too many softies in there at the present and basically no place to mount any more frags. The one remaining Acropora is totally surrounded by GSP and has stopped encrusting at the base.

 

Basically, the corals have taken over the tank and unless a crash happens and everything dies, I can't do what I wanted to. I may slowly move some things around with time and add more SPS but only time will tell.

 

As far as the non-photosynthetics go, I still have the dendronepthia well over a year now. It has shrunk due to the fact that I have not been dosing the tank in many many months but is still surviving somehow. It has lasted longer then most that I have seen that were kept in large fully controlled environments (temp., PH, SG, etc. in check). I am looking at it now with the lights out and the polyps are all open as usual. I do not see it lasting another year though. Non-photosynthetic corals are basically no good for any tank as they all eventually die off, just some sooner then others, considering other corals will outlive you. It is like some gardeners like annuals and don't mind when they go because they are so pretty and others just want the easy evergreen varieties regardless of non-dramatic appearance.

 

This tank still amazes me. It has a total of about one gallon of water that I used to monitor every now and then, but now I don't even change the water, let alone check anything, and it is doing better then it ever has. During the weekends, when I am doing water changes to other tanks, I look at it and think "wow, those corals look happy, I'll wait until next week for a change", but next week never comes. I don't get it, it makes no sense. I am not complaining though.

[invert]

I would disagree with u about the non-photosynthetic corals not being maintainable in captivity. I have been working with them for the past three years in an attempt to sustain them. I will be posting my results some time this year but I’m hesitating because I don’t want to tell everyone it works if it doesn’t. Your dendro is infact a Scleronephthya that is why it is still alive. No doubt the fact that you have been lazy with your water changes is aiding it in it survival. I would imagine the higher concentration of dissolved organics combined with the increased algae reproduction is aiding it in it survival. I hope you are able to get your wild 2.5 back under control soon as your tank was a big inspiration to me.

[LiQuiD]

I really like it the way it is. It was too sterile looking the other way. It is now, how would you say it, well as ESPI would say lagoonal looking. I will try and take a pic of it lately so you can see what I mean.

[invert]

From looking at you pic in more detail I can see that your chilli coral that has survived, are you sure that the Scleronephthya has as well. If it is the chilli don’t give up on it. I had one as a newb a few years back that got covered over by slime algae for a howl year. I didn’t even know it was there until I scrubbed the howl tank to get rid of the algae. It came back with amazing speed and strength just by feeding phyto and what it got from the fish food and from the tank itself. I would recommend that you move it away from those zoo as they are likely detrimental to its health.

 

ps chillies can grow extremely fast when they are in good conditions it may well shock you. Hope this helps ya if it is the chilli that is still alive.

[majestic sea life]

wow super wow nice 2.5

[Mark.olson1]

Your tank is just Truely amazing...I love it....Awesome work

[LiQuiD]

invert: I just re-read what you have been typing and am starting to get confused. I don't have a Scleronephthya nor have I ever. I have a single Dendronepthia. You say the Chilli coral I have which would refer to my red Dendro. Although Alcyonium species are more often refered to as Chilis, red Dendros oftenuse this common name as well.

[invert]

Sorry about the confusion. If you look back at the third picture in this thread there is a small orange coral in the bottom left side of your tank, which is a Scleronephthya. In the middle of the same pic there is a red coral. Which is a Alcyonium sp (chilli coral).

 

Now if you look at the latest posted pic you can see a small red patch in the middle of your tank, which looks like your chilli coral but your chilli isn’t a dendro. I cannot see the Scleronephthya in the updated pic. So I am assuming it has perished.

 

I was mentioning that with regular feedings your chilli coral can come back to full health and you should remove the zoos from around its base as the will be detrimental to its health.

 

Hope that’s helps

[LiQuiD]

The red DENDRONEPTHIA is all I currently have. The small orange Sclero. (which I forgot I had), was choked out by some shrooms a very long time ago. So all I have and or remember is my Dendro., it is not of the Alcyonium sp.

[majestic sea life]

u have a nice duster

[invert]

I’m not trying to be an a$$ and cause an argument but that isn’t a dendo. The polyps are way to big, the branches are to thick and it doesn’t have spicules in its polyps.

[air_doc28]

wow!!! that is absolutely beautiful!! i saw this about 4 months ago. Now you are guilty of inspiring me to become a nonoreef freak! Thanks a lot!

 

in fact I'm in the stages og aquiring a 2.5 gallon tank with a penguin mini and a coralife 18 watt compact fluorescent, glass cover. All for about $40. Pretty good deal don't you think? I'm getting a littele bored with my 3 gal FW tank. So i am really looking forward to this.

 

i hope you are planning to post more pics and to update us on how your tank is doing soon.

 

Thanks!

[D_Licious]

Hey Liquid,

 

First of all, I love your tank. It's amazing. I've seen this thread many times before but I've never actually read it. Thanks alot for posting on my "Glazer and 2.5 owners" thread. Where did you get your bookworm lights and how much?

[LiQuiD]

Thanks guys.

 

Yes, more pics to come, probably this weekend if I find time.

 

Bookworms I tracked down to a local grocery store by calling Bayco for around $15 a piece (that was almost 2 years now though).

[palaegic]

I still don't think the 2.5 thing is going to work out. I've been patiently waiting to see what happens with your tank before I set up my own. Of course I'll have to clean a year and half's worth of dust out of my setup first ... but I'm pretty sure that the damselfish you have in there will crash that sucker any day now ... yup, any day now.

[IUnknown]

palaegic, I'm in the same boat. I went out and bought my 2.5, but its been sitting around. I still don't know anything about nano tanks (guess I need to just give it a try). But what do the experts think. Are there corals that stay small enough, or that can be trimmed and do well in a tank this small? I'd be happy without a fish or even the fancier soft corals that were in this tank (just shrooms and polyps and zoos). The aquascaping in the beginning was the best I've seen out of any nano tank ever. LiQuiD, do you think you could have kept things under control if you had the time? And would you still recommend someone else to try this kind of setup, looking back at things.

[LiQuiD]

Yes, I would absolutely say try it. I basically have all the original corals in it with a few exceptions, as well as original fish. The tank is not badly over grown, I just only touch it every couple months for a water change and a quick scrub down. The daily maintenance is just throwing a pinch of food in for the fish and a quick chug of top off from a bottle, thats it.

 

I have to run, but will try and post a shot I just took of the tank when I return tonight. The shot is of doing nothing except top off for several months and it still looks fine, as well as all is healthy.

 

I have said it many times before, this is the easiest and best tank I have ever had.

[palaegic]

You've already been running the 2.5 longer than many people stay in the hobby.

:

[Deleted User 8530]

UPDATE! WooHoo!

Awsome tank.

[Cesar]

Awsome dude!

[NanoReefTexas]

It's purdyful! I am so jelous.

[Deleted User 8530]

Any updates?

[LiQuiD]

It is less then a month until the 2 year anniversary of this tank.

 

I have been asked several times for an update and felt I had no excuse this weekend. A few corals are no longer in the tank and a few have been added as you can see. I have moved a few things around but it has stayed generally the same over the years.

 

Yes, that is the original fish that was added a couple years back. He has remained around 1 1/2" and I would not move him from his home for anything. That is his reef and he loves it, regardless of what some may say. I am still thinking of adding additional fish as I had thought a year or so ago. He can still live happily, without bio-overload, with a friend I feel. Hmm, maybe a small gobie and a male percula.

 

I will definitely be updating more often, as winter is approaching and my reefkeeping is a winter sport for me. The tank has been good to me with the once a month water change and the single small pinch of food per day. This little sucker is the most stable, easiest to maintain, and favorite tank of all I own. I was recently offered over $1000 to sell it, and turned it down as it has become priceless to me.

 

Well, here ya go...