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

[wetworx101]

My girlfriend says bigger is better too... I wonder... he he he

[dickie52]

I know I am kind of late, BUT......2.5 gallon.....2.5 gallon.......You have to be be kidding me!!!!! YOU ARE THE "MAN"!!!!!!!! I tip my hat to you!!!! Great Job!!!!

 

Dickie

[blue fishies]

Hey, if reefers will say this once they will say it a thousand times, Very nice nano-reef. BTW, if you every decide the gorg is growing a little to big, I would like to buy a frag of it from you

[Brooklyn Johnny]

Congrats Liquid and a truly great job... that's definately a nano-reefer's nano... good touch on the 2.5... where in Jersey are you? I grew up in Passaic County... just curious... keep up the good work...

 

Johnny

[LiQuiD]

Thanks guys.

 

Johnny, I grew up in Wayne.

[Brooklyn Johnny]

That's funny... you go to Hills or Valley? I grew up in West Milford and worked all through high school and summers in college in Wayne at The Pet Place (used to be in front of the Regency House Hotel). Small world...

[LiQuiD]

Hills, Pet Place moved South on 23 to Packanack Lake (Still in Wayne). A small world it is.

[Brooklyn Johnny]

Yeah that was one of the last summers I worked with them... helping with that move. Haven't been there in years now. Oh the good old LFS employee days... was never really like working to me...

 

Anyway back to your nano... how's the nonphotosynthetic gorg doing (I believe the yellow variety of Diodogorgia sp.)? I'm thinking of trying that guy out along with the red variety. www.etropicals.com has both of them for just $12.

[JR Reese]

Very Inspiring, Tnx, Blessings

[LiQuiD]

The Gorg (Diodogorgia Nodulifera) is doing OK. It has recessed a bit due to my neglect in letting the Halimeda engulf it without trimming. It has been there for at least 4 month now so only time will tell.

[Tim Fitzpatrick]

Very nice nano reef! Love the stand and canopy...very well done....but the reef is simply gorgeous!

Excellent! How did you determine the lights? Did you

want 10 watts per gallon?

Tim

 

[LiQuiD]

Tim, thank you, I would prefer to have at least 20 per gallon over this tank but am waiting on an upgrade.

[shadofax69]

I had a quick question. I am on my third day of my nano reef and I was just wondering what the best way to place me heater and powerhead are. Should the heater be at a diagonal or should if be horizontal and if so at what depth. I was just wondering because I have 5lbs of live rock in my 2.5g and wanted to know the best way to position the heater so I can stack the rock around it and hide the powerhead and heater in the process.

Thanks

[o0synge0o]

WOW! Been lurking on Nano-Reef for a little while now, just came across this thread and read it from page 1 all the way through to the end, just had to register and give you props on your setup. Looks GREAT! I'm in the middle of setting up another 100gal reef, when I get that all settled and established, I think I'm going to try my hand at a nano after seeing how awesome yours came out.

[shadofax69]

Nevermind my last question. I was just wondering now if you could lay the heater on the substrate in the very back of the aquarium and stack live rock over it as long as there is enough room to get circulation?

[LiQuiD]

o0synge0o: Thanks and welcome.

 

shadofax69: I would try not to let anything lay on the heater glass or let the glass lay in the substrate. You can keep the stuff close, but not resting on the glass or laying it in the substrate.

[dickwayne]

Am I the only one who thinks this tank is overcrowded? The corals don't have room to grow or breath.

Also, that green chromis is way to big for tht tank, especially considering that they are an open swimming fish. A 2.5g is to small for any Marine Fish except for maybe the smallest of gobies. There's a boycott on Tetra for sending the wrong message, and I think your tank is doing the exact same thing, only with the diguise of TOTM. Chris, you can see that the fish is too big for the tank, please don't make this tank of the month because now newbies are going to think that they can cram babie hippos or pygmy angels into a 2.5 nano.

Sorry, I can't give any props to your tank.

[MacnReef]

Dickwayne, I think you are wrong, except for the fish. I agree the fish is too large and will not live a FULL and HEALTHY life.

 

As far as the corals, they all look pretty happy to me and only an aquariust with exteme knowledge, like Liquid, should have an aquarium like this. Smaller aquariums are not for just anyone!

 

So you are saying that Liquid has no right to show off his aquarium to the rest of us. He is just a hobbiest that is giving out info about his set up to other hobbiest that should have some knowledge of reef aquariums, so how you can compare him to tetra is ludicris. Tetra is and was targeting anyone watching that show, even people with no knowledge of reef or saltwater aquariums and showing how "EASY" it was to set up a saltwater aquarium. In no way has Liquid made it sound easy or made it out to be for the beginner!

[dickwayne]

How cute, a funny picture mocking my avatar with a clever saying. You really put me in my place.

 

After thinking about my previous post, I was wrong about the corals. I have seen some tanks much more packed, and I thought they were lovely. Size of the tank does not change convergence, only speed. It is okay as long as proper care is given to keep corals held back.

As for the fish, which you do agree is too big, that is what I am refering too. The tank of the month is an example to people on this site, newbies and all. It should not be overcrowded like this. If my 20g, which is 8x the size of this tank, had 8 chromis in it, do you think it woud be TOTM? That is why I am comparing this to Tetra. Because newbies look at this and think they can put any fish in any tank. No one else has said anything about it, I did. Maybe I'm blowing it out of proportion, whatever, its my opinion, and I'm voicing it. So flame me all you want, I don't really care.

 

I will not post on this thread anymore because I do not want to hijack Liquid's thread with a flame battle. So have a good day.

[cuteios]

dickwayne: I think you're being too harsh on Liquids tank. It's beautiful and triving...which is more than I can say about most of our tanks. I'll conceed your point on the fish though. Perhaps it is time he was given more room to move. But I still believe that Chris did the right thing in making this TOTM.

[LiQuiD]

No battle wanted here as well but I feel I should at least respond to the post.

 

The chromis is not even an inch long (3/4" actually) and less than an eighth of an inch thick. At the inch per gallon rule of thumb(that I don't agree with), that would be the same as 3 fish in a 10 gallon tank that is seen plenty without anyone saying that the tank is stuffed. I mean it's not a tang for gods sake.

 

This fish is very happy in this tank. It feeds from my hand, has it's own "hang out/hiding" spot, has no other fish to dispute territory with and for a "reef fish" as it is known, I think it has a nice surrounding living quarters.

 

You call the Blue-Green Chromis (Chromis Viridis Pomacentridae) an open swimming fish, such as a Tang. Well the fact is that these fish, which are commonly known as "Reef Fish" never are far from the reef and school closely to it in case the reef needs to be used as a refuge. These fish are rarely away from the reef (as is the same for me) and rarely are caught swimming out in the open. Its natural habitat is inshore areas, lagoons, and coral growths at depths between 3 to 30 feet. There is nothing cruel about keeping this non-open water swimmer.

 

Next time you talk to a Marine Biologist, ask him about the emotional states of a happy or sad Damsel. Its main goal of eating is taken care of nicely and it's "big fish eat little fish" fear is nearly non-existant, so both its main survival problems are keeping it "happy".

 

The other 2 things that make it "happy" would be reproduction and schooling which it can not do, but 8 of the same size in a 20 may be happier, which has been done many many times by many aquarists. I have seen show tanks in the 100 gallon range with schools of 30 swimming around wit other fish that often reproduce as well.

 

This juvenile is living up his first year. Maybe by year 2, I will move him into a larger community tank and have him have to fend for himself. I have mentioned before, it will be moved if it grows large enough to require the move, but fo the time being, this year and maybe the next, it will enjoy its stay in its current home.

 

By saying that since I have this fish in my tank "

now newbies are going to think that they can cram babie hippos or pygmy angels into a 2.5 nano" would be the same as saying that someone displaying a 5.5 or 7 gallon that has a fish in it would mean that they were giving the impession that they could cram a Tang or Pigmy Angel in it also, which makes no sense.

 

Why would you compare my personal tank to a huge corporations marketing ploys to get more people into the hobby to buy their products? Go boycot the LFS's selling Clowns and Tangs to 6 year olds for profits. Businesses BS for profits, my tank is for my enjoyment and others and my experience has helped many without profit only enjoyment and satisfaction.

 

As well, I don't want to continue this in this thread so if you want to discuss fish, we can do it in the fish forum.

[jflysmooth]

Wait a minute, are you saying I can't put a tang in my 2.5?!?

[FlaGuy]

An absolutely incredible tank Liquid:) :)

 

I was looking at an earlier post in this thread trying to figure out how you mounted the clips for your lights in your canopy. If you could explain how you did this, I would really appreciate it. Also, do you think that two 13w bookworms give you enough light, or would you prefer more.

 

Also, what brand/model of powerhead are you using?

 

Thanks and keep up the great work.

[SLOreefer]

i believe liquid has said he would like more light and if i remember right he may have even added a 3rd 13watt? anyway...great tank as i have said before...you are the inspiration for my new 5 gallon and hell we have the same desk....i hope i dont get negative feedback when i put some fish in my tank...maybe a hippo or two

[LiQuiD]

jflysmooth: Kid'n, right?

 

FlaGuy: The clips that came with the Bookworms were just unscrewed from the original gooseneck stand and then I used a screw and washer on each to screw them to the underside of the lid. Very simple.

 

I would prefer to have more light and have not placed a 3rd 13 watt as of yet. I am planning on adding a 70 watt Metal Halide very soon (38 watts per gallon should work well), I just need to make sure with the glass I am going to put in the hood along with the size as well as the distance from the water that I will have proper cooling with a couple fans.