My new 5.5gal nano

[Prowland]

I had a previous thread with a 6.6gal that was made out of polystyrene(sp) and it was such a pain to clean with out scratching that I went and bought a 5.5 AGA

 

So I am going to start a new thread for it...

 

The tank ($5.50) 5.5gal:

 

 

 

The Aquaclear 50 ($20.00):

 

 

Mod to a refugium ($4.00 for the silicone):

 

 

Another mod to make it a surface skimmer as well ($2.00):

 

 

 

The paint for the background ($3.00):

 

 

I will post more pics when the camera charges.

 

As far as light goes I am going to use the 65W satallite CF ($60.00) that I had on my other tank. The moonlight will stay on 24/7 and the CF will be controlled by a Marienland timer ($9.00) for a 10 hour/day period.

 

I am going today to pic up a 20lb bag of Carib-Sea Arag-Alive Bahamas Oolite (ultra fine) LS ($17.00) from www.premiumaquatics.com. Any ideas on what I should do with the extra 15 or so lbs? Does it go bad after you open it and it sits a while? This is the smallest amount of the Bahamas Oolite they had. I am using it because I have a High Finned Red Banded Goby (17.00) that is going in the tank and wanted him to have fine substrate.

 

I have a 25W Finnex external control heater (13.00) that I am going to use to heat the tank.

 

I also have a Maxijet 400 (13.00) that I am going to use for added flow.

 

The tank is empty right now but here is what is going in from my other tank:

 

Livestock

 

1 red banded goby

Bad pic

 

1 false perc clown fish

 

 

3 blue leg hermits

 

1 scarlet leg hermit

 

 

4-5 various snails

 

1 porcelin anemone crab

 

 

 

Coral

 

1 Caulastrea furcata or candy cane coral ($15.00)

 

1 Tubastraea sp. or orange cup coral ($15.00)

 

1 Green button polyps don't know a scientific name ($5.00)

 

 

I do weekly water changes with Catalina real ocean water ($9.00/5gal) and use RO water ($0.37/gal) for top-off.

 

Since I am going to be getting some new LS and a few peices of LR I am going to have to let the tank cycle. Oh well at least there will be less scratches!!!

 

Off to work out then to premium aquatics. Tell me what you think about what I have so far.

[Daemonfly]

Looks like a good start. If you're getting PA rock, then you might not see much of a cycle.

 

As for the sand, just keep whats left over in the bag. There's not much "live" to it other than whatever bacteria is still living after sitting in the shelf so long. I don't even bother buying "live" sand.

[Prowland]

Daemonfly: Yeah... I just thought for $16 I might as well... plus it gave me an excuse to get some more stuff from PA.

 

Here is what I ended up getting from premium aquatics:

 

A 2lb chunk of marshall island LR I plan on filling all the crevices with zoos. ($12.00)

 

1 small zoo frag about 30 polyps ($5.00)

 

1.5lbs LR rubble for the fuge mod AQ50 ($2.00)

 

20lbs Bahamas Oolite LS ($16.00)

 

So right now I have the new tank under my current 6.6gal with the new LS and LR plus rubble. I have a cascade internal filter that is rated at 70gph for movement. This is just temporary while the silicone on the AQ50 sets.

 

I plan on doing a few tests and watching the cycle to see if there is any.

 

Can you cycle the rock w/o a heater??? Or do I need another one??

 

Another question... Could I switch the stuff into the new tank and have a small cycle just doing water changes often like every other day or so and be good or should I wait?

[MiNiReFeRx]

looks good

[Prowland]

Thanks Minireferx!

[Prowland]

Still wondering about the cycle if anyone has any experience they would like to share.

 

Can you cycle w/o a heater?

 

If i have good cured rock and arga-alive LS could I just get the tank up to temp and switch the rocks and corals and fish?

[Argent]

I'm cycling my 6 gallon eclipse without a heater - but then again the tank's been staying a between 76-80 degress without it too (I think the pump is generating heat to keep the tank warm)

[Prowland]

Okay so I decided that I would take a chance and make the switch this morning from my 6.6 to my 5.5AGA.

 

I made a decent amount of mess on my desk but oh well!

 

I got the tank up to temp with half new water and half from my 6.6gal. Then I started moving rock from one to the other. After that I moved the coral that I had to the new tank. In the process I lost some really neat zoo's. I hope that I will be able to locate them when I get home tonight.

 

It is hard to aquascape and place corals in a sand storm haha. We will see how I did when the dust clears.

 

Then I moved the fish. The False perc. was easy because i can put my hand in the tank and he will swim in it if I cup it. I know its a female now that its alone but oh well. The red banded goby was another story. I had to get everything out of the tank in order to catch him. After about 10 mins he just casualy swam into the net haha.

 

Pic of the new setup........ this light is way to big. Now looking for something smaller with the same watts or more.

 

 

When I was starting to clean up the room I noticed someone trying to make a run for it...

 

 

Silly snail. Don't worry he is back in the tank now!

 

As for the surface skimmer mod........ It works too good. I tried to feed my fish and the floting pellets were down the tube within seconds. I need to get one of those food rings now to prevent this.

 

Here is a pic of it in the tank:

 

 

 

I am planning on doing water changes every other day just in case the rock wants to cycle a little bit.

 

PS I love the blue background!!

[zachxlutz]

About the surface skimmer mod, are you concerned that if the water level drops to low you will just start to suck in air? Or do you have an ATO?

 

Edit: I see the holes you drilled lower down in it, are those to prevent a problem if it starts to suck in air from the top?

[yankeereefer]

Edit: I see the holes you drilled lower down in it, are those to prevent a problem if it starts to suck in air from the top?

 

The holes in the bottom portion are so that crud / water is pulled from another level in the tank besides the surface. I guess it would also serve to prevent it sucking air if water drops to low as well.

[Prowland]

zachxlutz: I drilled the holes to stop a gurgling sound as air got in also to take water from another level. I also have about a 1/4in to 1/2in where the water level can drop before it dosent take in water off the surface and uses the holes drilled plus if it for some reason were to lose say 2-3 gals I still have the bottom intake to bring water up. I don't see any reason to lose this much water but JIC. So i am taking water from 3 levels of the tank.

 

The holes work great. Just start with a few small ones and then make them larger as you go while testing it to get it right. To big and you might not get any suction from the surface.

 

 

 

Now what to do with the other tank. I was thinking of doing a FOWLR with some trimma gobys and a shrimp or two for my mother at work. Will there still be coraline algae growth with 18W lighting over it? Might just have to make it a planted FW tank if so.

[Prowland]

Obsessedreefer hooked me up with a signature pic! check it out

[Prowland]

Okay so the tank cleared up most of the way before I have to go to work so I took more pictures... tell me what you think about it.

 

[twan]

Looking good, I'm gonna follow along.

[nanoDarth]

nice job on your tank. hope it keeps looking cool. as for the bag, maybe you can ziplock it or use one of those vacumm packing things you see on the info-mercials. forgot what its called.

[Prowland]

I just now saw your reply argent! Yeah my tank was running around 75 with the 2 internal filters I had.

 

Thank you twan and nanodarth

 

nanodarth: That would be the best way imo to keep it fresh but...

 

I got to thinking about the life that is "supposed" to be in the LS and realized it is probibly as benifical as SUPER OXYGENATED WATER haha. I mean really how much life could possibly survive in a warehouse on a shelf for a long period of time....... sorry that was just a rant.

 

I am letting the sand dry out in a bucket outside so there will be less oder when I do decide to use it for something else!

 

I have also decided aginst painting the surface skimmer plumbing and just wait for the coraline algae to cover it.

 

Next order of business, my goby must really be mad at me. I cant find him. I made a good amount of cave/tunnel area for him so I am sure he is just hiding out for a bit.

 

Now for my next question...

 

Has anyone had any experiences in keeping a Cerianthus Anemone or tube anemone in a small tank like mine? Or any other type of anemone that a clown would host in... The GF really wants one and I don't want to just go out and get one without any info on it.

 

Thanks everyone!

[NanoClown]

Nice clown i am breaking the rules also by keeping a juvi maroon (.75-1.25 in) in my 5g. I do plan on putting him in a 30g breeder in "07". how is your clown doing?

[Prowland]

nanoclown: He loves it as far as I can tell. Its neat when I feed my orange cup coral i fist take a mysis shrimp and hand feed the little guy. He loves that.

 

I am trying to find one of those 33gal oceanic cubes at petco for the $1.00/gal sale. There are a few up north of me that are supposed to get shipments in on friday so I might snag one of them if I can.

 

The clown will stay put till I can afford the lighting and what not for the larger tank. I want to be able to keep anything I want in the new tank so lots of lighting and lots of rocks for overhangs for low light stuff.

 

But that is in the far future as I am a broke college student.

[NanoClown]

well i feed him a comination of frozen brine, flake, and live brine. mine is funny i think i am going to get a torch hammer or frogspawn for this guy. but my LFs has these really cool rare low light beautiful anemones. they are 20 for small anemone (1-1.5in diameter), 25 for med (1.5-2.75 in diameter) and 30 for large (2.75+ in diameter) i think i am going to get a large one. they are hot pink at the base with neon pink teticles and white centers. under atinic they look great!

[Prowland]

Nanoclown: They will host in frogspawn? I didn't know that! This will make it easier to find someting for the clown. Thanks for the info.

[yankeereefer]

Sure clowns will host frogspawn - The will also in a torch and I've seen them in hairy mushrooms and xenia as well.

 

Remember though, just cuz you put it there doesn't mean the clown will take to it. I have a pretty decent 2 headed froggy and 2 types of xenia, but my clown doesn't go near 'em.

 

I've read that it may help to add the coral before the clown, but why and when a clown hosts is still a pretty big mystery

 

YR

[NanoClown]

from what i have heard they false perc and true perc will hoset torch hammer or frogspawn in stead of a anemone without all of the light. they like the light sting (guessing) that these coral put out like anemones do. i have seen seen it once at my LFS in their 200 bowfront about 2 weeks ago. that perc was huge! lol it was like a 6 headed torch.

[Prowland]

yankeereefer: I am going to go looking for a nice frogspawn or the like here in the next week and see what happens. Thanks fo the info!

 

nanoclown: That must have been pretty cool to see. My LFS suck other than premium aquatics but they are more of an internet store.

 

 

I also forgot that when I was putting the fuge filter together I made room for a small wisper internal filter cartridge:

 

 

It slides right in between the intake pipe and plastic piece that seperates the fuge compartment.

 

 

 

Thanks for the comments.

[yankeereefer]

I also forgot that when I was putting the fuge filter together I made room for a small wisper internal filter cartridge:

 

Just remember to keep that filter swapped out - I change the foam pad in my AC110 when I do water changes.

 

YR

[Prowland]

yankeereefer: Yeah I bought 5 packages of the little filters and they come 2 to a pack. Do you do weekly water changes?

 

I am also running in the filter some purigen that I had going in my other filter. Might be a little overkill but it keeps the tests looking good.