Mark's Nanobox Powered 40B -retired-

[markalot]

I re-arranged the basement (wife's orders) and cleaned up a lot of junk.  As a result my old stand now has the 29 gallon tank sitting empty on it (the 20 long fit nicely in a shelf, sideways, holding more junk).  It's really very tempting.    lol.    Must talk myself out of it.  Rules would be NO SPS, period, end of story.  I will not auto dose and I will rarely do water changes.   No skimmer, just a HOB filter (because I have one) and a couple of circulation pumps.    All LED lighting.    

 

Must talk myself out of this.  

 

 

[Christopher Marks]

[vlangel]

3 hours ago, markalot said:

 

Thanks Dawn, colors go up and down, right now in an up phase.   🙂

 

I purchased the Basslet around May 2014 so he's the oldest.  The first Tailspot died a little over a year ago and I took the yellow clown goby back to the LFS.  The first possum wrasse jumped through a small opening near the back of the tank. The top almost fully sealed now to prevent any more accidents.  

 

The Basslet lifespan says 2 to 4 years, possibly longer.  He looks healthy all the time, big and fat and super purple.  Hopefully he continues to live.   

 

Thanks Christy.  

That is very cool Mark.  My royal gramma that I gave to my son last year is also about 4+ years old.  My son said the gramma was the fattest fish he ever saw.  He was hinting that I fed it too much but I noticed that it has not slimmed down any in his tank, LOL.

[vlangel]

1 hour ago, Christopher Marks said:

You sir are a bad influence!

[jedimasterben]

10 hours ago, markalot said:

I re-arranged the basement (wife's orders) and cleaned up a lot of junk.  As a result my old stand now has the 29 gallon tank sitting empty on it (the 20 long fit nicely in a shelf, sideways, holding more junk).  It's really very tempting.    lol.    Must talk myself out of it.  Rules would be NO SPS, period, end of story.  I will not auto dose and I will rarely do water changes.   No skimmer, just a HOB filter (because I have one) and a couple of circulation pumps.    All LED lighting.    

 

Must talk myself out of this.  

 

 

do you have a planted tank?

[markalot]

I think I know the theme if I do it.  I have a really tall frogspawn branch and an unhappy torch.  Not sure if I'm good enough to keep them happy in a newer tank though.   Those plus a sprig of nepthea and some other softies .... and more euphyllia ... maybe.  When healthy that torch gets  HUGE ... if I can nurse it back to health.

[markalot]

2 minutes ago, jedimasterben said:

do you have a planted tank?

 

No, I think I'm done with planted, but it's tempting.  It's more work than saltwater IMO ... but I know I have a python hose long enough to reach the tank.   I do not have lights ... well, I can run the nanobox quad with whites and blues only, but I lack a good 5K or 6K light and I don't want to purchase or do T5.  But yea, I thought about it.  :)

[jedimasterben]

19 minutes ago, markalot said:

No, I think I'm done with planted, but it's tempting.  It's more work than saltwater IMO ... but I know I have a python hose long enough to reach the tank.   I do not have lights ... well, I can run the nanobox quad with whites and blues only, but I lack a good 5K or 6K light and I don't want to purchase or do T5.  But yea, I thought about it.  🙂

Like a reef, it's as much work as you make it to be. My most successful tank to date was a 55g tank using some 8w 5K CFL in some clip-on reflectors from home depot, and a cheap canister filter. Maintenance was every couple of months, only interaction between that was feeding the fish and once a week squirting some all-in-one liquid fertilizer. Trying to get back that mojo now, though with a bit nicer lighting and some glut dosing 🙂

[markalot]

On 9/25/2018 at 9:56 PM, jedimasterben said:

Like a reef, it's as much work as you make it to be. My most successful tank to date was a 55g tank using some 8w 5K CFL in some clip-on reflectors from home depot, and a cheap canister filter. Maintenance was every couple of months, only interaction between that was feeding the fish and once a week squirting some all-in-one liquid fertilizer. Trying to get back that mojo now, though with a bit nicer lighting and some glut dosing 🙂

 

Yea, I still have some Daylight CFL bulbs I used to use.  Never went canister.  My Bowfront was planted until I converted it to salt and then moved everything from it into the 150.    

 

I'll just leave this here.  All Softie 29 gallon.  

 

 

 

[markalot]

Think I've talked myself into planted.  I was surprised how much light an old Reef Breeders fixture put over the 29 with just the white channel on.  250 PAR with no water, so should be plenty for medium light plants.  Going no filter, but in tank circulation ... which I've never done before.  

[jedimasterben]

Should do well like that, though with that much light you're going to need pressurized CO2 or put some gluteraldehyde in a dosing pump. I dig it 😁

[markalot]

1 hour ago, jedimasterben said:

Should do well like that, though with that much light you're going to need pressurized CO2 or put some gluteraldehyde in a dosing pump. I dig it 😁

 

I can dim it, I was just testing for max light potential.   Last time I had a planted tank I didn't have a PAR meter. :)

 

I put an old bag of aragonite in so I can still go either way.   Mix it with something more neutral or acidic if I go planted, or ready for another reef tank.  I do think I will go planted ... yet another reef is nothing new and different.  

[markalot]

Right,  

 

I'm not sure anyone has planted threads on here or not, since it's not a reef.  

 

I got everything I wanted except Rotala, and PetSmart had Alternanthera reineckii which I have tried before, and failed.   Always a chance everything will melt, so fingers crossed.  :)

 

My local store, where I buy reef supplies, is also a big freshwater store.  Got the wood with anubias, plus a few extra weeds that should grow fast and help 'age' the tank quickly.  Hopefully I have lots of snails as well.   So here's a couple of pics, then back to reefing.  :) 

 

 

[jedimasterben]

13 hours ago, markalot said:

Right,  

 

I'm not sure anyone has planted threads on here or not, since it's not a reef.  

 

I got everything I wanted except Rotala, and PetSmart had Alternanthera reineckii which I have tried before, and failed.   Always a chance everything will melt, so fingers crossed.  🙂

 

My local store, where I buy reef supplies, is also a big freshwater store.  Got the wood with anubias, plus a few extra weeds that should grow fast and help 'age' the tank quickly.  Hopefully I have lots of snails as well.   So here's a couple of pics, then back to reefing.  🙂

 

 

I actually got some of that same cardinalis a week or two ago and it's in my home tank, though too early to tell at this point whether it will do well or not. Will you add any floating plants? I put some red root floater and Salvinia minima in mine yesterday and my lazy POS SOB male betta moved his resting spot from sitting on the top of the return nozzle and now resides mixed in with the floaters' roots.

[markalot]

3 hours ago, jedimasterben said:

I actually got some of that same cardinalis a week or two ago and it's in my home tank, though too early to tell at this point whether it will do well or not. Will you add any floating plants? I put some red root floater and Salvinia minima in mine yesterday and my lazy POS SOB male betta moved his resting spot from sitting on the top of the return nozzle and now resides mixed in with the floaters' roots.

 

I'm thinking about it.   I have 100 PAR on the substrate, middle of the tank, with this led fixture a foot above the tank and running all white at 30%.  I *think* my target PAR should be more like 50.  Floating plants would help cut down light, that's for sure.   

[A Little Blue]

Planted tank would be nice. But, every time I think about how much work and frustration it’s going to cost me, Idea of the tank disappears quite quickly. 

I wish you luck and success. 

 

On the the other hand you could use it as a breeder for Interruptus Angels.  I would be the first one to preorder at introductory price.😉

[jedimasterben]

3 hours ago, markalot said:

 

I'm thinking about it.   I have 100 PAR on the substrate, middle of the tank, with this led fixture a foot above the tank and running all white at 30%.  I *think* my target PAR should be more like 50.  Floating plants would help cut down light, that's for sure.   

Yeah, as it is, 100 PAR you will definitely need CO2 or you'll have an algae farm! I have about 40-60 in my tank at home, before adding the floating plants, so far it has not been growing any algae, but I also dose glut.

[jedimasterben]

2 hours ago, A Little Blue said:

On the the other hand you could use it as a breeder for Interruptus Angels.

I think that would be a bit more work than he had in mind.

[markalot]

Just a bit.  :)

[A Little Blue]

1 hour ago, jedimasterben said:

I think that would be a bit more work than he had in mind.

 

4 minutes ago, markalot said:

Just a bit.  :)

Yeah but imagine if he was successful...... 

 

[jedimasterben]

14 hours ago, A Little Blue said:

Yeah but imagine if he was successful...... 

Some place in Hawaii already breeds them.

[markalot]

Going to spoiler hide the non reef stuff.  :)

 

 

Spoiler

Already broke my no CO2 rule after I found my old regulator.  The bubble counter assembly is what blew up and knowing what I do now I think it was a pressure setting problem.  This is a true dual stage regulator.  

 

 

I remembered going to Meijers years ago to get plants and sure enough they had plenty of good quality plants for cheap.  Only mistake was the onion looking plant in back ... I don't think it's a true aquatic. 

 

 

 

 

[skyscraper2290]

The planted tank looks to be off to a great start! Looking forward to watching it develop so keep the updates coming.

[markalot]

iPhone pic.  I love Android, work now forces me to use an iPhone.  Hold to adjust exposure (I had to look it up) worked fairly well, then edited in Google Photos.   I mean, it's closer than most cell phone pics.  :)

 

[Lauraaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa]

Little tip, If you want a good source for plants check out https://dustinsfishtanks.com he's always supplied me with great stuff at reasonable prices.