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Coral Vue Hydros

5.5G Reef Tank Diary


Darold

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I really like. But.... and this is just an obligatory prod here... you are going to have hair algae problems unless you involve some sort of nutrient scrubber. I got cured, cycled, prim (wonderous) LR from someone, and I still had a bloom with no cycle. Go fig.

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Not sure exactly what a nutrient scrubber is. Carbon? I had a small rown algae (Diatom) outbreak show up. Just when I thought it was going to be bad it went away. I now have a small amount of green hair algae showing up in certain spots, but it looks like that is under controll too. Let me know exactly what I can do to prevent any buissance algae from showing up.

 

Felt bad about constantly bumping my post to the top with updates, so I have edited this post to add another:

 

Replaced my glass top as well as picked up a variety of food for my shrimp and crabs. All the parts needed for my auto-top-off are here as well, so when I feel ambitious I might build that as well. The light has been replaced with a 50/50 bulb in the refugium, but it doesn't seem anywhere near as bright.

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Sept 21: Big Update

 

Items added today

 

 

Livestock

Bicolor Pseudochrmois

Baby Cleaner Shrimp

3x peppermint shrimp in 'fuge

1 Red Foot Snail

2 Nerite Snails

Pompom Xenia

Several Mushrooms on branch rock

 

Equipment

CoralLife 2x9W PC for refugium

 

 

I decided to go with an upgraded lighting for the refugium so that I can place mushrooms in there. Also added to the refugium were two turbo's from the main tank. I added the new snails to the main tank for diversity. I believe that they will completely demolish the algae that are there, and anticipate a lack of food eventually. Until then I will enjoy their company. Although I was going for variety, I am also going for functionality. The bicolor Pseudochromis was a great choice. He should be small enough to remain happy in the 5.5. Although his diet contains bristlworms, I rather like mine and hope he does not decide to eat them, but I will not be too heartbroken if he does. The peppermint shrimp were added so that their reproduction will help feed the main tank. I know this sounds like overstocking, but I plan on purchasing a 2.5g or smaller aquarium for a pico tank that I hope to loop in with the 5.5 and refugium.

 

Pictures will be added to this post when I have time to take them, resize them, and upload them online. I have several tests coming up soon and must devote my attention to them. I would post them now, except that the tank inhabitants are sleeping, and probably would not appreciate me turning on the "sun" to take a few pictures.

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I have a few questions for you - I'm going from a 20 gal tank to a 5 gal tank myself so fill me in :D Where did you obtain your lighting from and about how much did it cost? I still have a set of 24" T5's from my 20gal which aren't going to do me any good, so I need some new lights. Also, what powerhead did you end up going with? I had a penguin 550 on my 20 gal and I am worried about having any kind of overkill with a powerhead on a tank that size. Tank looks awesome by the way, keep it up!

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I got the lighting from the LFS. I probably got killed price-wise. I can't remember off the top of my head how much it was though. I am using a "powersweep 212," I think. THats what it said on the box, however on the powerhead itself there is the number 301. It does a perfect job, and I even turned it down a setting or two.

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Livestock:

 

Aussie seems jealous I added another red thing to the tank. Here he is checking out the Red Footed Snail:

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Pics of Merlin the Bicolor Pseudochromis:

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The baby of the tank, a new cleaner shrimp:

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The peppermints were hiding in the refugium, but I will post pics soon.

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Here is an awesome piece of shroom rock I have in my refugium right now. I am planning on adding a 2.5g that will be a part of the same water system as everything else that will probably by a mushroom only tank. I might add an arro crab or some other unique creature that people don't usually keep with tankmates in there as well. I know an arrow crab will outgrow the tank, but a small one will be fine for a while.

 

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This right side of the tnak is doing really well, so I decided to post a picture of it:

 

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Love that tank!

 

One word of advice, part of the idea of a refugeum is that its predator free for worms and pods and other detrivores, but you have 3 shrimp in there, IMHO you should take them out (maybe put them in the main tank, no change in bioload and still natural food from spawning)

 

gedemeister

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The purpose of the peppermints was so that they would mate. I thought that people kept them in their 'fuges so that the eggs would feed their corals etc? Seems pointless to trade pods for eggs though. I guess I should move them to the main tank then. Thank you for your advice.

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This is no longer my 5.5 diary. I will have to update it to my 5.5g, CPR Aquafuge, and 2.5G system with a .75 on the side.

 

Thats right, I now have a 2.5g using the same water as the 5.5 and fuge. I also got a .75g that I want to eventually turn into a pico. For now it is holding my betta though, so that will have to wait a while.

 

Here are some pics of the new setup:

 

Both tanks with a view of my auto-topoff system.

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Tanks:

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Since the refugiums water level is a little higher I thought about gravity feeding that to me 2.5, but decided on another setup instead. I hooked up a tube going from the refugium (the final part that is the same water level as the other tanks), and hooked it up to the intake part of my filter. This way the filter is pulling water in from the refugium without disturbing the water current in the part that needs to be calm. Another bit of hosing goes from the 2.5 to the main tank. I made the hosing long enough so that I will never have to worry about the siphons breaking. For backup I added an extra U bend from a preveious filter between the 2.5 and 5.5.

 

Here are some pictures of my plumbing (look above fore far away pics):

 

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The 2.5 now houses a mantis shrimp. I was also considering a harlequin, but did not like the idea of feeding it starfish. The mantis was not costly, and if I decide to get a harlequin instead, I can find someone who will take it. The books will be replaced by a stand I will make.

 

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I created a nice home for him on the left, but instead he decided to dig a different home on the right. He has punched the glass a few times, and it scared the ----- out of me. Luckily he has stopped, and no damage was done to the glass.

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Just a quick picture to show off my new light timer/powerstip. This strip allows me to set up all my lights on the same time, and to turn off the main tank light a little before all the others to simulate dawn. Hopefully it delays it in thr morning as well (not as important since the room is naturally lit from sunlight before the tank lights go on). Also, this picture is a little bragging of how clean I kept all the tank wiring.

 

 

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And finally, pictures of my next project:

 

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I am going to leave the beta in there for a while, but plan on setting up a .75g reef. All of the LFS's in the area have set up their pico's. I am so excited to do this. As you can see, my top issue of coral is about pico's.

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format32, the books are not underneath the refugium. They are under my new 2.5. I needed some way of keeping the new tanks water level at the same height as the 5.5. I plan on fixing this soon. The tubing connecting the tanks will surely be fixe as well. I already have some of the equipment ready, but need a saw to make the J bend fit. Also, the lighting will be fixed later. I had to order a glass top for my 2.5. I plan on putting my corallife 2x9w on the 2.5, and putting a special bulp on the lamp for the refugium to help the macro grow. Soon it will be far less ghetto.

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