Empty Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 Woot! I set up my nano on 12-27-03- it's a 5 gallon bowfront with 26w PC 50/50 10k/actinic in AHSupply Brite Kit reflectors in a DIY hood. 8 pounds LR(from 2 different LFS's), 4 lbs LS + 1/2 lb shells/aragonite mix for texture (the LFS live sand was very small particulate). It's got a Whisper Mini on it for flow and as a place to put the 50w VisiTherm. I had an AC mini on it, but the impeller was being a bit rattly so I put on the Whisper. I also have a Rio 50 in the other end of the tank from the Whisper. My water specs are currently: (tests from Red Sea Marine Test Lab) Constant: SG 1.023 Temp 81f pH 8.2 Alk: "Normal" Today(01-13-04): .0ppm Ammonia .0ppm Nitrite .0ppm Nitrate 01-10-04: .0ppm Ammonia A few weeks after that goes in, I will probably add my first coral (probably a shroom, but maybe a small zoo colony or GSPs), then proceed to add my first decorative inverts. Then another coral, then a fish. After that, I will play it by ear. The eventual stocking plan: Mobile: 1 neon goby 2-3 sexy shrimp 1 emerald crab (utility and I think crabs are nifty) 2-3 astrea, depending 2-4 hermits, depending Sessile: ricordea florida(probably 2 different kinds) pulsing xenia leathers(probably colt and/or finger- hesitant on colt as it is said to grow like a fiend) zoos! many hues of zoos! zoos in blues, zoos in shoes... oops, Dr Seuss moment there Bright GSPs possibly a photosynthetic gorgonian in foreground possibly montipora (upper rockwork, from what I hear with my light it may do pretty well) Does anyone see a problem with this load? Also, FWIW, in the next month or two I will be DIYing a sump/fuge from a 10 gallon tank. It will be a fuge, in that I can use it for growout and macroalgae for nutrient export. I plan to use a 13w PC 6500k to light that fuge, and the fuge will probably end up holding around 7-8 gallons of actual water. I have been having fun already spotting hitchikers. I have some of the two-tentacled tube worms that are pretty cool (amazing how long those things stretch). I have a little featherduster who is very cute. He seems to be doing well. Also, I have some form of worm that crawls the substrate when I am not around. I had two down on the sand (hard to tell what they are, they are covered in sand, literally. One of those has crawed up a piece of LR and attached his tube. He has yet to poke anything out of the tube. One unwelcome hitchiker was the Aiptasia. A powerdrill and a remodel of his cave and voila! No more aptasia So, what do you all think of the setup? Am I ready for 2 hermits 2 ~Empty Link to comment
caja Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 Get a couple of nassariuss snails and cerith snails to stir up the sand bed. Link to comment
drdrew Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 i agree, increase the snails. they're cheap, effective, and could head off an algae problem. a few different species always works best for me. Link to comment
nalbar Posted January 13, 2004 Share Posted January 13, 2004 you also might want to raise your SG a little. the sexy will be happier. nalbar Link to comment
Empty Posted January 13, 2004 Author Share Posted January 13, 2004 Snails: OK, will do. I am a bit concerned about starving the poor cephalapods, but if they look thin I'll toss 'em a cube of frozen spirulina I guess SG: Yes, I had it at 1.024 when I filled the tank, I suspect test kit water and overzealous top-off procedures have lowered it slightly. I will address this when I do a water change tonight(IE change 1g with 1.027 or so) and see where I get from there. Also, is the emerald crab OK to put in at this stage? I assume so, but I don't *know*. ~Empty [edit: there're *2* e's in emerald I hear] Link to comment
nalbar Posted January 14, 2004 Share Posted January 14, 2004 yes, emeralds go in with the clean up crew. nalbar Link to comment
Empty Posted January 14, 2004 Author Share Posted January 14, 2004 Well, they are in, or the start of cleanup is in. I now have two Astrea snails, 4 red-and-blue hermits, and an emerald crab. I will pick up other species of snails at the next fish store I go to- the LFS I was at only had the Astreas in. ~Empty Link to comment
Empty Posted January 15, 2004 Author Share Posted January 15, 2004 Here are some pics (Without the murk this time!) I thought I would be different, and I wanted an intricate rockwork (with many areas for things to duck in and out of sight, especially when some shrooms are draped around, etc) so I got a few pieces of boulder-looking rock and a bunch of Fiji branch. I think my total rock volume is more than some others here, as the fiji branch is noticeably less dense. 01-01-13 Nano pics ~Empty Link to comment
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