new 250w lit 15g nano

[Xjinn]

 

quick specs:

 

15g aga tank

2.75x12x24" sump/refugium

9x12x24" (~11g) display

 

250w pfo minipendant, AB20k bulb, PFO HQI ballast

eheim 265gph powerhead for return

eheim 265gph for circulation (in tank)

CPR skimmer (built into tank, purchased cup) w/ 211gph RIO 800RVT

350w won pro titanium heater

 

to answer a few q's:

the mandarin eats like a pig

if not shown in the pictures, the tank is BRIGHT

light is ~3" off the surface, all light falls in tank

a desk fan blows at the tank/light keeping temps 77-80f

the pumps are both at ~1/2 power for the mandarin's sake (may be boosted later for sps sake)

 

other inhabitants not shown:

turbo snail

queen conch

white porcelain crab

emerald crab

scarlet hermit

electric blue/black hermit

 

SPS soon to come! (and possibly a mandarin mate)

 

more pics at http://www.rit.edu/~srp6740/

[Plastic Motif]

Hows the evaporation?

[Xjinn]

i've been doing it manually for the moment, fill up a 2L bottle with RO water, i think i've done about one bottle per day without too many exceptions

 

they'll be a float valve on there soon, along with a cover for the refugium and some cold cathode lights for the seaweed

 

i'm not worrying about calcium yet, but i'll probably be adding some home-brewed calcium acetate, or maybe b-ionic

[Withers]

how long ago was this tank set up? and what are you feeding that mandarin?

 

if he starts to lose weight you should quickly give him to someone with a large, mature tank.

[Whitten]

Oh lord...I hope you have a closet full of Nomex...or copepods.

[bertz_maru]

really nice setup there.. did you make this tank yourself??

 

when your skimmer is running it looks like its overfilling you collection cup with just water?? is it? also looks like when its running you might have a problem with micro bubbles gettin back into the display...

 

do you have any pics of the setup of this tank or or plans for building one? thanks

 

i really like this idea...

[Xjinn]

i've got some more shots up on http://www.rit.edu/~srp6740/ that include the back of the tank where the magic happens

 

also, though i hate to divert readers from this wonderful website, i have some more info on a mirror thread over at reef central

 

there is some information there about my mandarin for all the naysayers as well

 

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthre...threadid=463138

 

bertz: the skimmer runs fine, but you are right there is a huge micro bubble problem, worse than i expected

i only run the skimmer when i am not sleeping or viewing

 

if you are thinking of a similar design, you may want to consider putting the skimmer on the other side of the refugium, so that the outflow goes across that length to dissapate microbubbles before going back intot he display

 

i thought of this, but to keep the design elegant (i'm a perfectionist when it comes to these things) and to keep the flow through the refugium as low as possible, i chose to put it over with the return pump

[DitchPlains]

your tank looks like it will rock in time, 250watt over 15g jesus, holy envious of your light!! I have to say I love Mandarins, but I have read at leats 15 articles stating you need at least, and I mean the very least a 75 very well established tank for them to thrive. I would suggest adding a bigger refugeium with lots of Caulerpa. Something with a return that can suck the copopods out and back into your tank for food. or ass some Caulerpa directly to your display or Maidens hair, or more rockwork. Let me know how it turns out, would love to see someone keep one of these guys in a small setup just to prove'em wrong. I have serious doubts you can do it where others have failed, but like last quote, if you see him loosing weight bring him to LFS before that beautiful fish perishes. Good luck ...watch him close!!

[trmiv]

I'm not going to touch the mandarin thing. But, holy crap that is a nice light on a 15g! I want that setup! I'm thinking of going with that or the Aqua Medic 250w setup for my 40g when I upgrade to it. The more tanks I see with just a 20K, the more it grows on me. I think I will go with that for my new tank.

[BelowH2O]

There are alot of generalizations in the reefkeeping world. I remember trying to set up a nano-tank about two years ago only to be discouraged by the store owner telling me a reeftank has to be 30 gallons or more. I still see posts on RC saying nano tanks are too small. Anyways, my point is if you can keep the mandarin happy and eating (not only brine shrimp) in a 15, good for you. They are a beautiful fish, and if they weren't so picky about food I'm sure alot more people would keep them. BTW nice tank so far!

 

~BH20

[superedge88]

My guess is that the Mandarin is already starving (you can see the sunken belly in the last picture. To keep him alive you either attach a large refugium to this tank right away, or give him to somebody with a well established tank of 75 gallons or more. I know that it may seem like he is getting enough food, but a happy mandarin eats all day...literally, and the water parameters needed in such a small tank do not alow for the constant feeding needed, or the environment needed to keep enough live food thriving within the tank itself.

Sorry to come down so hard, I am not trying to be mean. This tank is awesome, and will be an incridble tank to keep clams, anemone, and just about anything else you would like to keep, just not a Mandarin. Let us know how things go.

[mamdike]

Wow, you are crazy man! I ran those exact lights on my 120 gallon sps reef that evaped over a gallon a day! And my lights were 9" above the surface. Your going to have the first 15 gallon tank that needs a 1hp chiller. Rock on die hard Reefers!

Mike

[Maxvan1]

you didnt happen to have bought that rock on ebay did you...?

[coral reef]

how the heat with that 250?