tycam Posted March 25, 2003 Share Posted March 25, 2003 My 10g Via Aqua Nano It's relatively new and doesn't have a lot in it yet! It started only because someone told me I couldn't do it (*wrong* thing to tell me!). It's only been set up for about 3 weeks now but everything was fully cycled when I added it and I only had a minor diatom bloom that lasted for less than a week. My nitrates are a bit high so I'm working to bring them down with frequent water changes but because of the tank/hood style I can't add a skimmer without modifications. My mushrooms aren't opened up fully in this pic, I just turned the lights on a little bit ago. Specs: 10g Via Aqua Tank w/built in over the top filter Smartlite 32w retrofit lighting 50w Via Aqua heater approx 10-12 lbs LR Grushed Granite substrate Inhabitants: 1 Spotted Hawkfish 1 Impatiens Cucumber 2 Astrea Snails Mushroom rock Link to comment
R*Frost* Posted March 25, 2003 Share Posted March 25, 2003 Like the tank looks real cool, so does the hwakfish. Is your aquarium hood kinda blue or is it the atinics or have you used a 50/50 bulb on your tank? p.s post another pic when shrooms open nice reefing. hope you didnt just start the reef because it was a dare did you want to do it before being told you couldnt? Link to comment
tycam Posted March 25, 2003 Author Share Posted March 25, 2003 Thanks for the compliments! The trim of the tank (including the hood) is bright blue and it has a 50/50 bulb in it so it looks even more blue. No, I didn't do it only because someone told me I couldn't. I wanted to do it anyway but everyone I knew with salt experience said I couldn't do it and should stick with a larger one. That made up my mind for me, I'm one of those horribly annoying people that if I'm told I can't do it, I have to try it! I keep a very close watch on all of the levels and so far have not had any problems. It was FO with a blue damsel for about 2 weeks before I got my good lighting and added the rocks and shrooms. I just put the Hawk in last week and he seems very happy in there. The tank is located at my work (I live in the same building and check the levels/feed daily) and he comes out to greet everyone who walks near the tank. I'll get a couple of new pics posted in a few minutes. One of the tank with the mushrooms opened and a close-up of the mushrooms. Link to comment
tycam Posted March 25, 2003 Author Share Posted March 25, 2003 Tank with mushrooms opened up... Link to comment
tycam Posted March 25, 2003 Author Share Posted March 25, 2003 close-up of mushrooms... Link to comment
changhsu Posted March 26, 2003 Share Posted March 26, 2003 Nice setup! Could you post more details about your lighting retrofit? I have the same tank but I'm still stuck with the original light. E.g. source, cost, installation, etc. Besides the Smartlite, what are the other lighting options? Thanks!!! -chang Link to comment
tycam Posted March 26, 2003 Author Share Posted March 26, 2003 Thank you Chang! I'll be ordering some more frags for it soon and will post pics when I get them in. I ordered the lighting retrofit from Dr's Foster & Smith. It's the 13" one (page 62 of the current catalog, item #FF-518529) and the cost was $51.99 plus shipping. This price includes a 32w 50/50 bulb (8800K Ultra-Daylight/Ultra-Actinic) We had to make a slight modification to the hood to make this fit because the inside of the hood is sloped. To fix this, we screwed a piece of 1x2 to the inside and mounted the light to that. The switch on the smartlite didn't fit the original hole for the switch so we cut it off and used the old vinyl covered switch that's originally on the hood. It took a total of about 20 minutes to install. The ballast on it is lightweight and sits on a shelf under my tank. It's an instant start too so there's no flickering when you turn it on. I wanted to keep the original filter and hood combo and this is the only retrofit I've seen that will fit into the existing hood on this tank. It was also the least expensive of any of the options I had. The other options were a pendant light or a small clamp type light. I could have gotten more wattage with the latter options but prefer the look of the complete tank this way and I still have plenty of light for the stuff I want to keep. Link to comment
changhsu Posted March 27, 2003 Share Posted March 27, 2003 Wow, thanks for all the info! I want to keep the original hood as well, but still can't find a drop-in replacement bulb. I've placed live rock crumbles in the filter, it seems to work well. -chang Link to comment
tycam Posted March 27, 2003 Author Share Posted March 27, 2003 You're welcome. I don't think there are any true drop in replacement bulbs other than the 13w made specifically for it. That's why I ended up going with the complete kit. I hadn't thought of doing that with the LR crumbles. I still have the original filter media in there. I had planned on pulling all of the media out once I got a bit more rock in the tank and just using the filter for circulation but I think I'll try your idea instead. Link to comment
Littlegreeny Posted March 27, 2003 Share Posted March 27, 2003 Great Setup! Where can I buy that tank online? Thanks! Link to comment
tycam Posted March 27, 2003 Author Share Posted March 27, 2003 I haven't seen them offered in the different colors recently, only oak finish. Dr's Foster & Smith carries the oak right now for $129.95. You might do some checking around though, Via-Aqua makes an 11g one that comes with PC lighting instead of the lighting that comes with this one. I've looked a little and haven't found them yet but I've heard froms everal people that they are out there. Link to comment
tycam Posted March 27, 2003 Author Share Posted March 27, 2003 I just found the 11g. It comes in black, chrome, or silver and has a 36w light. It's the same price ($129.95 or $139.95) as the 10g one thru F&S. http://www.customaquatic.com/customaquatic...CatID=aq-glass# or http://www.customaquatic.com/customaquatic...D=aq-TMLV418H2B Link to comment
tycam Posted April 23, 2003 Author Share Posted April 23, 2003 Here are some updated pics and specs of my 10g. The tank details are: 10g Via-Aqua with original trickle filter 32w PC Smartlite retrofit 100w titanium heater approx 20lbs live rock 1" substrate of crushed granite The inhabitants are: 2 small Oscellaris Clowns a small Yellow Watchman Goby (he'll be moved to my big tank when he gets bigger) 2 Astrea Snails 2 Mithrax Crabs 1 Impatiens Cucumber the original mushroom rock (if anone knows what kind these are please LMK!) another small rock with one small blue polyp a couple of different macroalgaes small condy anemone The Spotted Hawk that was in there was picking on everything so he had to go. I added the clowns in his place. This worked out well because the tank is in my office and the clowns are always much more visible. My ammonia and nitrites have always stayed at 0 but my nitrates went up to 15 for a short time. I have started doing small daily water changes and the nitrates now stay down at 0. pH runs about 8.3 and the temp is a steady 79. Hopefully I'll be able to go to Missoula soon and will get some more corals for in here. I've got the bug bad after seeing all of the gorgeous pics posted! Link to comment
tycam Posted April 23, 2003 Author Share Posted April 23, 2003 Oops, the picture didn't attach! Link to comment
Mnesarchus Posted April 23, 2003 Share Posted April 23, 2003 I love the shape of those tanks, nice aquascaping. Link to comment
Reefy Posted April 23, 2003 Share Posted April 23, 2003 Looks great! The new one looks even better. Link to comment
tufty711 Posted April 24, 2003 Share Posted April 24, 2003 Mnesarchus you have the best signiture going. she is fiiiit. and the tank looks kinda natural but i would move the rocks slightly but when corraline covers it will look good Link to comment
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