The 3.7 Experience

[SemperReef]

Picked up a 3.7 Imagitarium all glass AIO aquarium at Petco

The idea is to be an office reef but may end up staying at home as the wife likes the idea of it being in our bedroom.

 

 

 

 

will run the stock light for a bit until I upgrade to an ABI 18k LED bulb and fixture.

I don't plan on using the ceramic filter media and may turn the media area into a chaeto farm if possible.  

Still need a heater

 

Since I have rock from my main display I wont need to purchase any.

rolling the idea of putting in a small clown but if not maybe some small simple gobie

CUC-may go with interesting hermits like the Halloween one or similar

 

Any ideas on coral or other livestock?  

Any crabs that specifically host in a RFA?

i Have 5 GBA two which are small I could use

Open to coral ideas

@Brandon429?  

BTW Brandon, use to post as LordNikon at RDO years ago.  Always fascinated with your picos

 

[SemperReef]

Any feedback ?  Yes? No? Up yours?  

[SemperReef]

Well Dukes, not getting any feedback.  I was thinking black sand, does anyone still do black sand.  It was a fad several years ago but it's always looked pretty dope to me.

[yungKitten]

7 minutes ago, SemperReef said:

Well Dukes, not getting any feedback.  I was thinking black sand, does anyone still do black sand.  It was a fad several years ago but it's always looked pretty dope to me.

I used black sand in my most recent build. I like it. The tank is still cycling.

[TripleTrouble]

I've got black sand and I like the way it looks. Plus it's a bit easier to keep looking clean imo. I attached a pic

 

[mbarton2010]

I like black sand. I used black in all my freshwater planted tanks. And it always looks clean lol. I also like the super fine oolite sand

[DevFishe]

awesome tank, love the black sand. Is that picture with the ABI 18k? 

[Han Solo]

You could look into dwarf seahorses if you already have some experience in saltwater.

[Lula_Mae]

I love the dimensions on this little tank.  I'd totally go for black sand, makes the colors pop imo.  For a heater look at this one (that I conveniently have a link to as I just recommended it to someone else lol).  How about macros? Yoshii used this tank (I think she took out the back section) for her most recent tank until she upgraded to a 5.5 a while back, looked really nice.

 

I have a smaller tank with similar proportions, the Penn Plax Vertex, I always thought it would look sleek with gorgs and macros to take advantage of the height.

[TripleTrouble]

@DevFishe was that question for me? I didn't see any pics other pics....if so... I'm running a Kessil A80. If not...well...now you know I'm running a Kessil A80 

[DevFishe]

@TripleTrouble that was a question for you, thanks! 

[SemperReef]

10 hours ago, Han Solo said:

You could look into dwarf seahorses if you already have some experience in saltwater.

I've thought about that in the past and if I keep this at home that is a great idea.  So black sand it is.  Something I always wanted to do.  Now finding a fish in case I make this an office tank

9 hours ago, Lula_Mae said:

I love the dimensions on this little tank.  I'd totally go for black sand, makes the colors pop imo.  For a heater look at this one (that I conveniently have a link to as I just recommended it to someone else lol).  How about macros? Yoshii used this tank (I think she took out the back section) for her most recent tank until she upgraded to a 5.5 a while back, looked really nice.

 

I have a smaller tank with similar proportions, the Penn Plax Vertex, I always thought it would look sleek with gorgs and macros to take advantage of the height.

If I go seahorse/home tank, macros would be a goid idea.  Gorgs are one of my favorite corals so I can throw some in.  Looking for easy simple corals, most of which I can supply from my main but maybe a few I don't currently keep would spice it up.  Thx for the heater link

[Ranjib]

This is an awesome tank. I have one . I'll recommend skipping sand and have aragonite or something coarse grained and white (easy to get a sense of dirt), but I have never used black sand,  so it might be just fine.

I am using kessil A 80, and love it. I think LED bulbs are fine too , i ran ABI 12w for first 3 months, my only advice will be use couple of papers to reduce the intensity when adding new corals, else you can risk bleaching them (I lost a rico :-( ).

I run just a HoB filter (aquaclear 20) with BRS carbon and filter floss. 

 

In term of corals, I have mostly acans (I tried couple of acro sticks without success) and some common LPS/SPS (purple death paly, pink zippers, red monti, green pociliopora).

I dont keep fish in them, to make it easy on filtration. Rarely feed the tank. Inverts include couple of sexy shrimps, a small blue legged hermit crab, a trocuhs snail and several asterina stars.

 

best of luck

[SemperReef]

1 hour ago, Ranjib said:

This is an awesome tank. I have one . I'll recommend skipping sand and have aragonite or something coarse grained and white (easy to get a sense of dirt), but I have never used black sand,  so it might be just fine.

I am using kessil A 80, and love it. I think LED bulbs are fine too , i ran ABI 12w for first 3 months, my only advice will be use couple of papers to reduce the intensity when adding new corals, else you can risk bleaching them (I lost a rico :-( ).

I run just a HoB filter (aquaclear 20) with BRS carbon and filter floss. 

 

In term of corals, I have mostly acans (I tried couple of acro sticks without success) and some common LPS/SPS (purple death paly, pink zippers, red monti, green pociliopora).

I dont keep fish in them, to make it easy on filtration. Rarely feed the tank. Inverts include couple of sexy shrimps, a small blue legged hermit crab, a trocuhs snail and several asterina stars.

 

best of luck

Great advice.  Don't know if I'll go with Kessel, at least not in the near future.  I was thinking ABI 18W.  I doubt I'll do the AC HOB's (done that in the past plus limited space.  You know they expect me to work at my desk LOL.  I just never liked the HOB method.  I would like to turn the back into a mini chaeto factory but I don't think I'll be able to run a reverse 24hr cycle due to space.  I was/am going to remove stock filter media.  If I go fish it's going to be something small.  Hell I had a Hectori goby in a smaller tank.  Somewhat successfully years ago.  I ended up bringing it home because I took the tank down so not sure.  I was thinking like a barnacle blenny or yellow clown Goby  

 

Also if someone has some spare zoo's they'd be willing to frag.  Some colorful ones for a reasonable price I am open.  I live rural Nv so not easy to get Reef livestock.  

[Ranjib]

Clown gobi might work, but even that's a stretch I think , for this size. If you don't feed well, the fish will starve, if you feed well, u'll need better filtration 

[SemperReef]

4 hours ago, Ranjib said:

Clown gobi might work, but even that's a stretch I think , for this size. If you don't feed well, the fish will starve, if you feed well, u'll need better filtration 

Yeah I have to weight the pro's and con's.  I'm still up in the air where to put this tank.  Home or office

[Lula_Mae]

Fish poop is good for macros...

 

And re: the light, if you go for the ABI bulb you should probably be fine with the 12w, especially if you're doing lower light corals.  Heck, I've got a 7w bulb from Reef Radiance and that's all that I have on my 5.5!  Stuff seems to be loving it, and it's not so strong the softies hate it.

[DevFishe]

I have a hi fin red banded goby in my 2.5 that's doing great, and if you get pistol shrimp they form a nice symbiotic relationship. My goby pretty much stays in or near his cave 24/7 so he doesn't need much swimming space. I think a yasha goby would be pretty cool too. If you feed sparingly and optimize the filtration space you should be able to keep a fish, I have a really small (rated for 10 gallons) walmart HOB on my 2.5gal which has handled my one fish for about a year.  

[gulfsurfer101]

I bought the same tank in February. I would avoid black sand in any rounded front tank mainly because it's magentic and when you go to use your mag to clean the tank it's going to get scratched all to hell. I ran the stock media for months but I'm running the sponge in second compartment and a bag of purigen in the first chamber. Seems to do well. I'm running mostly euphyullia frags and lps such as acans, brain frags, blastos, & a rhodactis. As far as sps I'm just running a bright red plating monti. No fish and all natural cuc along with one or two nano conch snails. 

[SemperReef]

3 hours ago, DevFishe said:

I have a hi fin red banded goby in my 2.5 that's doing great, and if you get pistol shrimp they form a nice symbiotic relationship. My goby pretty much stays in or near his cave 24/7 so he doesn't need much swimming space. I think a yasha goby would be pretty cool too. If you feed sparingly and optimize the filtration space you should be able to keep a fish, I have a really small (rated for 10 gallons) walmart HOB on my 2.5gal which has handled my one fish for about a year.  

I have a ycg and a Randalls pistol pair in my main tank

3 hours ago, gulfsurfer101 said:

I bought the same tank in February. I would avoid black sand in any rounded front tank mainly because it's magentic and when you go to use your mag to clean the tank it's going to get scratched all to hell. I ran the stock media for months but I'm running the sponge in second compartment and a bag of purigen in the first chamber. Seems to do well. I'm running mostly euphyullia frags and lps such as acans, brain frags, blastos, & a rhodactis. As far as sps I'm just running a bright red plating monti. No fish and all natural cuc along with one or two nano conch snails. 

Do you have pics of the tank?  I would like to see it

[Weetabix7]

10 hours ago, Lula_Mae said:

Fish poop is good for macros...

 

And re: the light, if you go for the ABI bulb you should probably be fine with the 12w, especially if you're doing lower light corals.  Heck, I've got a 7w bulb from Reef Radiance and that's all that I have on my 5.5!  Stuff seems to be loving it, and it's not so strong the softies hate it.

I was about to say the same thing about Macros!!!

 

If you had Macros in there to help balance nutrients, you could prob get away with a Barnacle Blenny or Greenbanded Goby. 

[gulfsurfer101]

8 hours ago, SemperReef said:

I have a ycg and a Randalls pistol pair in my main tank

Do you have pics of the tank?  I would like to see it

Not atm. I'm running stock lighting as well along with a rb led bar I made so pics are really washed out. I'll try and get a good one and post it up. 

[SemperReef]

6 hours ago, Weetabix7 said:

I was about to say the same thing about Macros!!!

 

If you had Macros in there to help balance nutrients, you could prob get away with a Barnacle Blenny or Greenbanded Goby. 

I am considering perhaps some of the redder macros.  Gracillaria or the likes.  

[Lula_Mae]

I like the dragon's breath with the orange tips.  Looking for some now for my tank!

[Lula_Mae]

Here's some macro inspiration for your tank.  Started out in the exact same tank.