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Terry's 15gal column office desktop tank


no694terry

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rock scaping is driving me NUTS!!! I cant get it right, the rocks are just a little too big for a column tank.

You can always break off a little, so that they fit. A chisel (or old flat head screwdriver) and hammer should do the trick.

34_cold_chisel.jpg

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i settled on this, i wanted the "fiji" peice on top so i can just stick sps frags in it like a pin cushion. Also wanted bigger caves for shrimp/crabs/fish.I'm not super happy with it but once it all colors up I'll fell better.

 

Hoping my heater and test kit come in today.

 

shown with the 5k bulb on min. it will be off during cycle. I still need a 18/20k bulb

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all the par38 reviews here seem pretty dated, and half the bulbs arent sold anymore. Guess I'm going to keep looking at that coral compulsion G2, but they're out of stock

 

and i cant decide between the 24w 20k full spectrum or the 35w 18k trucolor

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After being frustrated with my scape on the same tank i just got some aquarium putty and a hammer and coal chisel and went to town. I put together the main rock then piled others next to it to make a little cave/bridge. it was a pain, but now is the time to do it if your not happy with the scape!

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when i filled tank i added 1/2 cup of reef crystals per gallon, after i was done i checked SG and it was 1.024 but water was 66°, today its 78° but the SG is down to 1.018? I added another 1/2 cup diluted in water and I'm up to 1.019. Something seems off, but the hydrometer reads a perfect 1.000 in tap water

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There's a bit of an art to using swing arm hydrometers. It can take multiple tries to get a good reading. Often there are bubbles (sometimes very small) that can affect the readings. In general, hydrometers aren't as reliable as a calibrated refractometer; however, I still use hydrometers more than I use a refractometer.

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so im looking at 75gpd rodi sytstems. its between a typhoon or brs, any recomendations?

 

it would be for my 90 at home as well as bringing in water to work for the 15

 

and on a budget here, prefer to keep it around 175

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bulbs here, pretty sure its the 18k, looks awfully blue though and i cant really see the UV's looks like 3 blues and a white in each cell

 

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~25%

 

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full blast

 

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wait now i can see the UV's when i use camera, I'll have to bring DSLR in next week and do a proper WB shot.

20160115_103451.jpg

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bulbs here, pretty sure its the 18k, looks awfully blue though and i cant really see the UV's looks like 3 blues and a white in each cell

Yeah, 18,000K is very blue/purple (but not as much as a 20,000K bulb). I tend to prefer a spectrum closer to 14,000K.

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now what to do with my old 5k led bulbs. Might aim the 20w at my grill so i can cook at night, then put the 13w on my 90 gallons sump and try growing chaeto again

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test kit came. 5 days in im at

 

ph 8.0

ammonia 0.5

nitrite 0

nitrate 0

 

and i spotted living fan worms on some of the live rock i brought in as seed

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So, no filtration whatsoever and 2 fish planned in a 15 gallon tall tank? I think your oxygen levels are going to be a problem. Surface agitation is helpful but can only do so much. IMO 2 clowns would be a lot of bioload for a 15 gallon tank with no filtration and that's not counting the dank dimensions problem.

 

If I were you I'd be looking at something like 2 tiny gobies or something instead considering your plans. This is just my opinion and I wish you luck, but the tank you are setting up seems "challenging" to put it lightly imo.

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i dunno if id call 30+ pounds of rock and sand no filtratrion, and i used bigger rocks to try and get more anearobic areas. For my office this is whats worked best for me, i trt and rely less on mechanics and more on water changes. When i switched from a 5 gallon to a 20gal and added a, sump, skimmer and reactor, it was all down hill. So im back to basics.

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i dunno if id call 30+ pounds of rock and sand no filtratrion, and i used bigger rocks to try and get more anearobic areas. For my office this is whats worked best for me, i trt and rely less on mechanics and more on water changes. When i switched from a 5 gallon to a 20gal and added a, sump, skimmer and reactor, it was all down hill. So im back to basics.

I think you will be ok. I used to maintenance tanks for a lfs and if the return pumps crapped out I was forced to rely on powerheads and LR along with WCs to keep the tanks viable until the pumps could be ordered. When tanks went down as a result of power outages, tripped circuits ect.. I found clowns, cardinal fish and puffers could survive the oxygen deprivation better than other fishes. They are a lower respiration fish. Just make sure you have surface agitation and are regimented about your WC schedule and you should be fine.

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one thing im kixking myself over is that theres room on left side of tank for a HOB, but i set tank up with the trim cut out for the HOB in the back, so id have to remove paint from glass and redo rocks. OR just make my own cutout on the left side for a HOB, i may try and find on deep enough to hold my heater and some carbon

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swung by petco and saltwater santuary today. kids wanted a bigger bedroom tank so petco, while i was there i picked up a tiny clown for my big clown. they seem to be getting along in the 90. then all that looking made me want a pistol shrimp again. so i went to saltwater santuary. while there i found a couple canidates for my 15. A Sharknose Goby and a Talbot Damsel.

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swung by petco and saltwater santuary today. kids wanted a bigger bedroom tank so petco, while i was there i picked up a tiny clown for my big clown. they seem to be getting along in the 90.

I would quarantine fish from Petco. Hope everything is fine with him. fingerscrossed

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swung by petco and saltwater santuary today. kids wanted a bigger bedroom tank so petco, while i was there i picked up a tiny clown for my big clown. they seem to be getting along in the 90. then all that looking made me want a pistol shrimp again. so i went to saltwater santuary. while there i found a couple canidates for my 15. A Sharknose Goby and a Talbot Damsel.

I did a double take when you said you went to Saltwater Sanctuary. I forgot you lived in the Pittsburgh area although I feel like we already talked about that. Your Petco must be nicer than mine, it barely has anything saltwater, not even much dry goods.

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