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Innovative Marine Aquariums

5.5g Reef Islands


Sandeep

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Looks good! How is the HOB-only filtration been working out for you with regard to the amount of feeding that the system is subjected to (be it little or a lot)?

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The tank is at a equilibrium.

 

The AC 30 HOB is primarily used for water circulation and basic mechanical filtration, it is running with two sponges that I clean out once a week. I'm not running purigen or chemiphure or any form of chemical filteration in the HOB because I don't want to remove any of the beneficial nutrients from the water column - as I add protiens, vitamins and amino-acids weekly. I spot feed the dendros and the clown fish twice a week and feed all of the other corals once every two weeks (with as much spot feeding as I can). This feeding regiment combined with weekly 1 gallon water changes have helped ensure the good water quality of the tank. Corals are growing and I have had no outbreaks of nuisance algae or cyanobacteria and algea buildup on the glass has been minimal.

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Very cool tank!

 

If you had sps, do you still think the ac30 would be enough flow?

 

SPS are a whole other ballgame, not sure if it would be enough flow for them.

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Yeah! How do I find one? looks amazing.

 

That micro-elegance is an interesting story. I've been propagating and fragging a Indo Elegance in my 50g tank for 7 years now, I'm currently on my 7th generation frags. Here is a shot of my 50 gallon, what looks like a giant Elegance is actually 9 frags.

 

50g_20130904_1.jpg

 

In the middle of the tank you can see three of my micro-elegance frags. They are now about 1 inch to 2 inches in diameter and are now 3-5 years old.

 

50g_20130904_6.jpg

 

For your reference, this is what these three micro-elegance frags looked like 3 years ago, in the pic two of them do not even have a mouth, while the third one (two years old at that time had eventually developed one).

 

P_2010_05_02_5.jpg

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Solarflare8806

Amazing elegance! I love your filtration philosophy! Maintaining great water quality through water changes is great. I'm concerned about utilizing so much chemical media. You never know what it might take out, counter balancing any effort you may have put into your reef.

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Again, this is a very nice setup. You've done a good job hiding the heater too. However, is there any chance of putting it in a HOB or something? I'm in the planning stage for a 5.5, so I ask because we trust the same brand heater and would have the same size tank. cheers

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Unfortunately the Eheim Jager heater cannot fit in my AC 30 filter in the back. My 50W is the smallest that I could find made by Jager and it sits from bottom of the tank to the top. You could try one of those small titanium heaters and it might fit, but I would only do that with a reef controller with temp probe to turn off the heater power if it gets overheated.

 

Again, this is a very nice setup. You've done a good job hiding the heater too. However, is there any chance of putting it in a HOB or something? I'm in the planning stage for a 5.5, so I ask because we trust the same brand heater and would have the same size tank. cheers

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Tank has a new fish! A lovely little Yellow-bellied Blue Damsel (Pomacentrus caeruleus). Ive always believed that Damsels make the perfect fish hardy, intelligent, active, intense colours and they never bother corals or invertebrates. I used to have a yellow-tail blue damsel in my previous 5.5g pico that ran from 2007 to 2010 and he still lives happily in my 50 gallon as a senior citizen.

 

One of their qualities is that a damsel will defend its territory fiercely against any fish of any size without being intimidated. Problems arise when people add fish to a tank (especially a small tank) where a damsel has already established its territory. As long as you add a damsel to your tank AFTER having added your other fish first and letting them established their territories before adding the new damsel you will be good without trouble.

 

pico_20130915_1.jpg

 

pico_20130915_2.jpg

 

My clown is no longer lonely and has something to do with the damsel being in the tank. Its funny to watch the clown try to chase the damsel every once in a while. The clown has zero chance of catching him as he is slow, while damsels are super fast as anyone who has tried to catch a damsel with a fish net knows.

 

pico_20130915_3.jpg

 

pico_20130915_4.jpg

 

Tank bio-load is now two fish and two blue-legged hermit crabs, pretty maxed out, Ill keep an eye on tank parameters, but water quality seems good so far. Fish are spot fed twice a week to keep waste matter under control. Spot feeding involves putting one or two flakes into the tank at a time and waiting until they have been completely eaten before putting in some more and repeating this process until the fish are full. This prevents uneaten flakes from polluting the tank.
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This tank is really looking awesome, I can't wait to start seeing it grow out. And I love your simple 'HOB filter only' approach, pretty much the same as I've ever done with regular water changes. I think it creates the most stable systems, no extra chemicals or dosing devices or anything to fail. I do keep a couple carbon bags on hand though just in case.

 

Any other plans for your tank or are you just starting to let it grow at this point? Love the clown/damsel combo too, seems like a messy bio load but I have no doubt that you can handle it haha. Good luck!

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Always plans when you are dealing with a small universe like this :)

 

Trying to get a killer acan that I've been talking to the owner about fragging for a few months now. The flat top part of acan island is reserved for that new addition. Plan to add one or two more zoo varieties to zoo island.

 

Any other plans for your tank or are you just starting to let it grow at this point? Love the clown/damsel combo too, seems like a messy bio load but I have no doubt that you can handle it haha. Good luck!

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Why are you using sponges instead of rock and chaeto? I have a Fluval Spec V I'm hoping to start in a few weeks and you have given me everything I needed to know in setting up my first saltwater. I'm thinking of doing rock and chaeto in the filtration compartment which will look a lot like your first tank you did on here. Also thinking of adding a small breeder box of chaeto in front of the out take as my filter area is smaller and I'm worried about any thing growing in the chaeto getting chopped up in the pump. Love your tanks!

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thesmallerthebetter

thanks for sharing the story behind the elegance corals! that is remarkable indeed. I have never had any luck at all with indo elegances and were talking shipments of hundreds that FandW have dumped on me before. They always do well for a handfull of months and then melt into brown goo....ive all but given up. I applaud your success

 

maybe the next time you get a little micro frag you can send one my way ;) it would look killer on my sandbed in the 1g cube.....

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Why are you using sponges instead of rock and chaeto?

 

Rocks trap waste material.

I've really not noticed a buildup of algae in the tank which would indicate excess nitrates and phosphates, so don't really need a refugeum with chaeto. The sponges are easy to clean of waste matter and the weekly 1 gallon water changes are keeping the tank chemistry stable.

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Boy the Dendros sure is one happy camper - tons of very fine tentacles developing now which stay extended most of the day. He is spot fed twice a week as they are voracious eaters. They have to be fed frequently because they are non-photosynthetic.

 

pico_20130921_1.jpg

pico_20130921_2.jpg

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Thank you for replying back! How do you achieve and keep the correct PH?

 

As long as you do regular water changes your PH, Hardness, Calcium and Magnesium levels will all be good. You really don't have to dose or add chemicals to your tank beyond doing regular water changes. Chemical dosing really comes into play with larger tanks. In my 50 gallon I use additives for Hardness, Calcium, PH buffer and Magnesium weekly, but with the pico no need.

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