ClowningAround Posted February 17, 2006 Share Posted February 17, 2006 Hi everyone, after much planning and research, many ideas, and long nights dreaming of a tank instead of doing school work... i am finally up and running. I have aquascaped it 3 times already and i think i am happy at where it is now. Let me know what you all think Equipment 5.5 AGA Coralife 96w Powerquad w/mounting legs AC300 modded fuge My somewhat DIY Mod and setup thread 50w AGA heater Red Sea Marine Lab test kit Instan Ocean Salt and Hydrometer lifeguard Digital time or temp Marina Magnet tank cleaner Turkey Baster! LiveStock 8lbs of Live Rock from LFS Approx 7lbs Live Sand 1 small blueleg hermit Hichhikers My Hitchhiker ID thread 1 Astrea snail 5 small feather dusters 1 Curly cue Anemone...(i know bad, but it has no corals to sting so im experimenting) Ok i started this tank 2/10/06, and it has been 6 days curing here are my Parameters as of 2/16/06 Ph.......... 8.4 Amonia... 0 - .25 Nitrates... 5 - 10 Nitrites.... 0 Alk.......... 1.7 - 2.8 SG.......... 1.024-1.025 Temp...... 81.5 2/17/06...P.S. I HAVE COPEPODS!!! i can see them scurrying around on the glass Front View Side View Blue leggeg Hermit Astrea Snail Link to comment
ADough Posted February 17, 2006 Share Posted February 17, 2006 Looking good! I like the layout. Link to comment
accord86 Posted February 17, 2006 Share Posted February 17, 2006 Nice start. Take your time and have a plan. Are you planning on a clown? Link to comment
ClowningAround Posted February 17, 2006 Author Share Posted February 17, 2006 thanks aDough, and accord86 i do want a clown im just not sure if it will do alright in this size tank. As much as i like them i think i might have to make due with a damsel or small goby for now (not for at least a couple weeks though) . the life i have in there now i think will hold me over for a while.... Link to comment
ClowningAround Posted February 18, 2006 Author Share Posted February 18, 2006 well i went to the LFS and they had crap, it stinks i wish i had a good one right down the road. Anyways i picked up another tiny blue legged hermit, and a black snail or so it was labeled...Do these go by another name or are that what they are called? it has a rounded shaped snail with a black body. I guess i will post a pic when i get one Link to comment
ClowningAround Posted February 28, 2006 Author Share Posted February 28, 2006 **update** Battleing a bit of an algae problem(green and brown) i added some more clean up critters. so i have a total of 2 astreas 2 certh 2 small blue leg hermits I also added a small aquaclear 20 powerhead to break up the flow coming down from the HOB. it seems to work pretty good it doesnt dig a hole in my sand and i am reaching some dead spots i had in the back, well i think it is anyway. Any suggestions, comments, concerns, requests, yada yada yada, let me know Link to comment
Toomin Posted February 28, 2006 Share Posted February 28, 2006 for a 5.5g you can add only 1 fish.around there. i am just thinking...would you chose a goby, a damsel, a clown, or a firefish? Link to comment
I'm the same guy as reefer9391 Posted February 28, 2006 Share Posted February 28, 2006 I would add about 3 more blue leggs and some of the Nass snails for your sand later when you can handle it with your algea growth mabye astrea too. Link to comment
annamarie421 Posted February 28, 2006 Share Posted February 28, 2006 Looks great so far! I'd love to see some updated pics! Keep it up! Anna Link to comment
ClowningAround Posted March 1, 2006 Author Share Posted March 1, 2006 thanks guys! 3 more blue legs? really? i am hopefully going down to a good NLFS (NOT Local Fish Store) this friday so i want to see if i can get some more. what about maybe a turbo snail? as for fish, i have put that on the back burner for now because i still probably have about 2weeks of cycling. but most likely a baby clown or small goby well i have been cleaning my tank for the past hour or so, i had a bunch of algae on the glass and i had use the ole turkey baster to suck some stuff up. Since i cut down on the lighting to about 6-8hrs i can see a difference in the algae growth. home sweet home some green spots its alot better than what it was Link to comment
Bluelegs Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 good luck! I hope your sand stays that clean, it looks cool. if you want a turbo snail, get a big one, like 1in and it'll tear through hair algae and anything similar. Link to comment
dubsmcfly Posted March 3, 2006 Share Posted March 3, 2006 really like the aquascape and looking pretty clean...good luck with everything else Link to comment
ClowningAround Posted March 3, 2006 Author Share Posted March 3, 2006 hey everyone, thanks for the nice comments. Thanks alot to Sheen for the Cheato and Green Gracilaria microalgae i couldnt find any around here and he offered to ship some for cheap. Im leaving it in the display for now until i can find some lighting for the ac300. I also recieved my moonlights i just bought off of ebay and i am really happy with how they work. its a tiny unit with three 1w blue LEDs in it. i was going to make my own but the people at radio shack are idiots and didnt know what an LED was, also i didnt need my RA comming in and seeing some jimmy rigged eletrical stuff near water . click here to see the LED auction Ebay LED auction Link to comment
forrestp38829 Posted March 4, 2006 Share Posted March 4, 2006 lookin great:) if i may make a suggestion: you could try another VERY low flow PH on the opposite side of the tank. It will also help breakup some of the downward flow from the AC300. I took the PH off my P.O.S. Fission skimmer and used it as my add. PH. made a wold of difference. Im wating on another PH to come in, for my DIY Wetworks nano skim. Once again ill definately be following this, Lookin great though. Forrest Link to comment
ClowningAround Posted March 15, 2006 Author Share Posted March 15, 2006 Ok tank is doing fairly well. Over the weekend i left off my lights and it basically took care of my green hair algae problem. I just left the moonlight on and light from a window. not too much to update on i did get a shrimp thinking he was a little peppermint but soon found out he was a camelback and i didnt want him preying on my one and only coral hitchiker zooanthid. If you know anything about this variety let me know...like if it is a button polyp or zooanthid...i dont know the difference Here is the little guy all by himself, he was just a white nub on a rock and i stuck him in the light and crossed my fingers. dont laugh cause i only have 1!!! it is really cool with just the Moonlights on because he has a Highlighter yellow center! too bad i couldn't keep this little bugger i really did like him, but he had to go because i liked my little zooanthid better :happydance: Link to comment
Sea_Of_Treachery Posted March 15, 2006 Share Posted March 15, 2006 good idea, camel shrimp are not reef safe Link to comment
ClowningAround Posted March 19, 2006 Author Share Posted March 19, 2006 I got a chance to get to go to a cool fish store in brewster NY, and i picked the correct type of shrimp. here is my new peppermint hopefully he will start munchin on the aiptasia called him flip b/c he does running back flips off the glass Link to comment
nanospoof Posted March 19, 2006 Share Posted March 19, 2006 good call on taking the camelback back and getting the peppermint. I am thinking about getting one for my 5.5 aga nano, same thing hoping he will eat the aiptasia. let us knwo if yours eats the stuff. Link to comment
ClowningAround Posted March 19, 2006 Author Share Posted March 19, 2006 i picked up another small peppermint because i felt bad when i saw that they do better in small groups. they are both about an inch long. I do have a rather large aiptasia anemone( about 1-1.5in tall) that i thought was a curly cue and i will deffinatly let you guys know if they start picking at it. i did also pick up some "college budget" corals lol. one small mushroom and a single zoanthid polyp which i think is an eagle eye for 5 bucks for the two!!! Link to comment
ClowningAround Posted March 24, 2006 Author Share Posted March 24, 2006 well i have been having some trouble with that little eagle eye not sticking so i researched and used some super glue gel, and i am still waiting to see if he survived the ordeal. i also got a tiny little emerald crab, this guy is really cool i like to watch him eat, hopefully he will eat the couple spots where i have a little bubble algae. here is a video of him, it should work My Emerald Crab Link to comment
ClowningAround Posted April 4, 2006 Author Share Posted April 4, 2006 I got some new Fox macro lens for my Kodak Z740, and i got to take some pictures of my tank after i did a water change today. Im still learning to use them so bear with me. little green and purple mushroom little brown button polyp cliffhanger peppermint shrimp Also to my suprise i had a bad anemone(aiptasia) that i have been actually keeping around to spawn off little ones to feed my 2 peppermints. i know for a fact that they have eaten the little ones cause i saw them do it. But what shocked my was that i came back from not beeing here for three days and the 2-3inch anemone was completely gone. I have been hand feeding my shrimp frozen brine, and i even fed the anemone a couple times(it was pretty cool to watch it eat) but i guess they got hungry and ganged up on it! so if you have an aiptasia problem get a couple of these guys and they should take care of it. - Link to comment
nanospoof Posted April 4, 2006 Share Posted April 4, 2006 nice tank! i have the same setup. i recently lost my peppermint shrimp was hoping he would eat my apista. but i have to figure why the guy died before i get anymore. Link to comment
ClowningAround Posted April 12, 2006 Author Share Posted April 12, 2006 update, tank is going pretty good, picked up a baby clown because he was being picked on big time at Petland discounts, also i went to Exotic pet warehouse in yonkers again and the owner gave me a little blue/green ric (i think it is anyway)....ALSO i recieved some great lime green zoos from ALTHEFISHGUY. i will post some pics of everything when the zoos open up Link to comment
ClowningAround Posted April 13, 2006 Author Share Posted April 13, 2006 Got this little guy for free becuase i was staring at 60 dollar corals for an hour, and asked to buy this little detached guy and the owner said just to take it! is it a ricordia? This is Gili, named by my wonderfully understanding girlfriend, he was the runt in a tank where he was being picked on so i brought him home, he is eating frozen brine and nutrafin sinking morsels as well as playing tag, it seems like, with my peppermint shrimp still waiting for my lime green zoanthids to open up to get a good picture....sooon Link to comment
nanospoof Posted April 13, 2006 Share Posted April 13, 2006 FREE that is awesome. I also like the clown. The wife wants to get one but i still don't know what killed my peppermint. Nitrates still around 20 maybe a little less. I think the PhosGuard is helping out. Did you get your nitrates to come down? Link to comment
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