Jump to content
SaltCritters.com

Mark's Nanobox Powered 40B -retired-


markalot

Recommended Posts

Once again I'm back to a 40 breeder for my smaller tank, an upgrade from a 29 gallon.

 

12-27-2015

wSFgMrl.jpg

 

Just after restart, before I let Alk spike and killed most of the SPS. :(

X7cz1b.jpg

 

40B starts on this page: http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/313051-marks-29-soon-to-be-40b/page-29

 

Last FTS of the 29, just when the colors really started to come in. :)

 

KHSHCX.jpg

 

20 long restart (2014)

 

This was restarted mid October to hold all my acros that were infested with AEFW. That didn't work out but I kept it running, added sand and live rock, and it's now a rescue tank for my purple firefish (pictured below) that was cowering in fear due to bad stocking in my 46.

The original history goes something like this.

Setup a 20 long as my second reef tank and my first real nano.
Had all kind of dumb issues mainly caused by poor planning and bad filtration.
Took my 46 planted down, cleaned it and converted it to a reef.
Moved everything from this tank into my 46 and took this down.

edit: Now upgraded to a 29 gallon. Same footprint, just taller.

Latest FTS

tp5g.jpg


Original startup below, the continuation starts here: http://www.nano-reef.com/topic/313051-marks-20-long-restarted/?p=4585408

----------------------------------------------------------------

Oct 16th 2012
p101045320ltrimmedorigi.jpg


Howdy,

Needless to say I've gotten a lot of inspiration pouring over each monthly featured nano and the member aquarium threads in here. I've been running planted tanks for 6 years, I started my first reef tank last February.

This tank was started Oct 1st, seeded with rock rubble from both inside my 40 breeder and the AC110 that I run on my 40B. I had added a bunch of rock rubble to the filter 3 months ago in preparation for a new tank. No ammonia was ever recorded and the uglies started 3 days after setup.

At startup:

- 20 gallon long
- Standard glass canopy
- 2 Current USA 30" T5HO light fixtures, 24" bulbs (Hagen Power-Glo, TruLumen 12K, TruLumen Actinic, TruLumen Actinic)
- 1 Marinelife 24" hidden LED strip, blue. Mounted under glass top on frame.
- Aquaclear 110 with a bag of carbon and Phosguard
- Koralia Nano 240 Flow Pump
- Fluval 100 watt heater
- 1 bag of aragonite sand
- unknown quantity of rock rubble plus 8 small live rocks from my other tank
- A 'mushroom rock'
- A small rock with zoas

I use Reef Crystals salt, Spectrapure (blatant plug) RO/DI water, test with a refractometer to 1.025, and run at 80F

I don't like the rock wall look in smaller tanks so I'm going to try rubble with a lot of flow.

This plan has changed twice but right now I envision mainly softies and LPS corals with 3 or 4 small fish. Lone inhabitant at the moment is a purple firefish. Planning on 1 or 2 neon gobies and, once the tank is mature, a small peaceful wrasse.

The flow is provided by the 110 and to some extent the Koralia. The 110, at full blast, starts moving the sand around. :)

Placing the rocks.

z201209boriginal.jpg

Filled and running.
20l02original.jpg

Side shot showing the hidden LED bar mounted to the inside front of the tank. This gets me some nice blue in the morning and evening but no shimmer since it's underwater.

p1010323original.jpg

  • Like 2
Link to comment
  • 2 weeks later...

Some updates.

 

Added more rocks from my 40 gallon tank, and then 3 nights ago, while staring at the tank, saw a shape in a hole that should not be there. Got the flashlight, MANTIS! Good grief. I was really lucky, got the rock out, extracted and killed. Cockroach of the seas. Apologies to those who love these ... creatures. :)

 

So the question is, did I get really lucky and move it from my 40, or did it come in with a mushroom rock I purchased. He was living in the hole in the rock visible in the previous photo, left side. About an inch long.

 

Lights (front to back):

 

Coralife Powerglow (purpleish)

TruLumen 12K

ATI Blue Plus

ATI Coral Plus

 

Fish:

 

Purple Firefish

Neon Goby

Reef Chromis

 

Inverts:

 

Scarlet Skunk Cleaner Shrimp

6 Astraea snails

5 Nassarius snails

3+ Stomatella snails

 

pests:

 

At least 2 very small Majano anemone

2+ Aptasia anemone

Some hair algae

 

 

Latest FTS

 

p1010616trimmed.jpg

 

 

** right click / view image to see full size (Firefox and Chrome) **

 

Red Mushroom rock

p1010620web.jpg

 

Euphyllia cristata

p1010617webo.jpg

 

Branching Hammer

p1010618web.jpg

 

Leather

p1010619web.jpg

 

Duncan and shy Purple Firefish

duncanfirefish.jpg

 

Pipe Organ

p1010625web.jpg

 

Acan

p1010626web.jpg

 

Pulsing Pompom Xenia (this is growing alarmingly fast in my 40) Also a Stomatella snail on the rock. Apparently these guys had an entire family living in the dark in a rock rubble filled AC120 on my 40B.

p1010628web.jpg

 

My quick pseudo refugium in the AC 120. I used some cheap Petsmart LED lights (from a bubble wand). I'm not sure it's enough light so looking into other options. I want the lights internal to the AC 120.

 

p1010611web.jpg

Edited by markalot
Link to comment

Woops. Forgot some new Zoas.

 

Understand I'm not a collector. A LFS has random frags available, all $25. Sometimes I get lucky.

 

If any of these have names please let me know.

 

redzoas.jpg

 

morezoas.jpg

Link to comment

Howdy,

 

not running a sump, just the AC110 and doing weekly 2 gallon water changes. So far no measurable nitrates, but time will tell.

 

I like the rock rubble and I don't like the rock rubble. :) Need some more time to make a decision on it.

 

Thanks for dropping in.

Link to comment
Isteallunch$$$
Howdy,

 

not running a sump, just the AC110 and doing weekly 2 gallon water changes. So far no measurable nitrates, but time will tell.

 

I like the rock rubble and I don't like the rock rubble. :) Need some more time to make a decision on it.

 

Thanks for dropping in.

Appreciate the info bud!

Link to comment
morezoas.jpg

 

The red center ones seem like watermelon/eagle eyes but the mouth has a rectangular rim instead of round. This might be unique as I have never seen it before! You might want to try posting in the zoa thread on here and contacting coralpedia or zooanthid.com

 

The green with orange centers are green bay packers.

Link to comment
The red center ones seem like watermelon/eagle eyes but the mouth has a rectangular rim instead of round. This might be unique as I have never seen it before! You might want to try posting in the zoa thread on here and contacting coralpedia or zooanthid.com

 

The green with orange centers are green bay packers.

 

Hi, thanks for dropping by. When I get a chance I'll post some pics over on the zoa thread.

Link to comment

Thanks to all for the feedback!

 

Updates.

 

FTS, Nov 5th. You can see I had to move my Flame Angel from the 40 into this tank due to nipping at some SPS corals. It's really not large enough, though she's not extremely active and has some hiding places the balance has been thrown off and now my purple firefish hides all the time. Will wait another week and then decide what to do longer term.

 

p1010645trimmed.jpg

 

I found a LFS about 40 minutes away that is simply amazing. I was able to purchase a large cutting of really colorful Duncans plus some $15 frags and a rock with a few Palys and a neatly colored shroom (also for $15).

 

p1010648a.jpg

 

p1010647f.jpg

 

I had to move most of the rocks in my 40 and ended up fragging my sympodium. The original piece, plus the always present Daisy polyps made it into the 20.

 

p1010637p.jpg

 

This was a forgotten frag in one of their frag tanks. Some clove polyps had grown on it, $10 ... I took it. Again, randomness over art.

p1010633ew.jpg

 

I also moved some Pop Pom Xenia into this tank. I moved 3 clumps 5 days ago, now there are 5 clumps. -gulp- ... left 2 clumps (feet if you will) in the 40. I see more Xenia in my future!

 

My main concern is the algae. I had this in my 40 as well and it was eaten or died out over a month so patience might be key here ... but it's not slowing down. Added 5 Nerite snails to try and help.

Edited by markalot
Link to comment

very nice looking tank Mark,

 

Thanks to all for the feedback!

 

Updates.

 

FTS, Nov 5th. You can see I had to move my Flame Angel from the 40 into this tank due to nipping at some SPS corals. It's really not large enough, though she's not extremely active and has some hiding places the balance has been thrown off and now my purple firefish hides all the time. Will wait another week and then decide what to do longer term.

 

p1010645trimmed.jpg

 

I found a LFS about 40 minutes away that is simply amazing. I was able to purchase a large cutting of really colorful Duncans plus some $15 frags and a rock with a few Palys and a neatly colored shroom (also for $15).

 

p1010648a.jpg

 

p1010647f.jpg

 

I had to move most of the rocks in my 40 and ended up fragging my sympodium. The original piece, plus the always present Daisy polyps made it into the 20.

 

p1010637p.jpg

 

This was a forgotten frag in one of their frag tanks. Some clove polyps had grown on it, $10 ... I took it. Again, randomness over art.

p1010633ew.jpg

 

I also moved some Pop Pom Xenia into this tank. I moved 3 clumps 5 days ago, now there are 5 clumps. -gulp- ... left 2 clumps (feet if you will) in the 40. I see more Xenia in my future!

 

My main concern is the algae. I had this in my 40 as well and it was eaten or died out over a month so patience might be key here ... but it's not slowing down. Added 5 Nerite snails to try and help.

Link to comment
I think you need a stronger power head than that Koralia Nano 240 Flow Pump for that size tank.

 

Hi Tran,

 

most of the flow in this tank is from the output of the AC 110, which is turned down to the lowest setting and still creates a ton of flow. :)

 

I love those duncans! The "stripe-y" pattern on the polyp is really nice.

 

Yea, me too, but the camera color isn't right. I moved some bulbs around and now everything looks good to the eye but bad on the camera. :)

Link to comment

Took some more pictures and a video, mainly for me to keep track of growth. Going to try and keep my hands out for a while and let it grow up.

 

I changed bulbs again to re-add the 12K bulb in front. This really helps with photos.

 

front to back:

ATI Coral Plus

TruLumen 12K

ATI Blue Plus

PowerGlo

 

 

A short lame video of the tank:

 

FTS, Nov 8th.

p1010654trimmed.jpg

Edited by markalot
Link to comment

A couple of images of my AC110 fuge. I purchased some LED lights on sale at Lowes, used aquarium silicone to seal the lights from moisture, then attached them to the AC110 lid and siliconed the edges to keep out moisture.

 

p1010679web.jpg

 

p1010680web.jpg

 

This satisfies my light needs and my requirement that the lights are internal to the filter. Very little light bleeds back into the tank.

 

Another picture of my Duncans plus what appears to be a baby hammer coral from a rock that was purchased months ago and moved from the 40 to here when the tank was setup. It's doubled in size over the last month.

 

p1010675web.jpg

Link to comment
yep, that's it. my next investment is a long. looks awesome!

 

Thanks. I'm not sure I'm happy with the look but time to let it grow out and see what happens. I need to keep my hands out of the tank for a while, except for water changes of course.

Link to comment

FTS. Made one more change, moved the leather to the back, and moved some green hairy mushrooms to the 40 to make room for moving my new Alveopora to the front. The Xenia has added another foot ... or three. :mellow:

 

p1010691ftsweb.jpg

 

Alveopora.

 

p1010695web.jpg

 

Frogspawn This is over twice this size today!

 

p1010693web.jpg

Edited by markalot
Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recommended Discussions

×
×
  • Create New...