Search the Community

I've been spending the last 6 months looking at some of the gorgeous tank builds here and now that my own tank build is taking off, I will introduce myself. I go by Variant on forums and I love good coffee, hiking, and my miniature schnauzer Mona. I travel frequently for work but will try my best to document my reef tank journey. I'm hoping to build a mixed but SPS dominated tank for my living room. Nothings set in stone so we'll see how things change over time. Equipment List Tank: 30" x 25" x 12" (760mm x 635mm x 300mm) Crystal Dynamic Aquarium Sump: 24" GEO Auto Filter Roll ("AFR") Light: 8x24 ATI Powermodule Wifi Flow: x2 Vortech MP10QD Skimmer: Deltec 600i Controller: GHL Profilux 4 Doser: GHL Doser 2.1 Quick pictures of the setup after picking up the tank today. Will be traveling in a bit so updates might be a tad slow!

Hi! I have recently joined the saltwater community (I keep freshwater nanos) and I'm going to catalog all of my tank goings in this journal! This is going to be an -attempt- on a mini reef with fish tank.  A little background on me: I am a PhD student in Illinois and I have 6 5 freshwater aquariums that I have been maintaining since March 2017. The reason for 5 is that I have converted on of my 10 gal tanks at home to saltwater (this journal). My freshwaters are detailed later in this post as the saltwater stuff is first and foremost in this journal.  My setup as of now is: - 10 gal Aqueon tank - just your boring, cheap, rectangular, regular tank, but it's the best - 1 HOB AquaTech 5-15 gal rated filter with filter floss - 1 100W heather (usually off as my room runs a little warm and it doesn't seem to sense the water needs to heat (good!), thermometer reads steady 78F at various times in day - 1 Elite mini underwater filter (powerhead) with filter foam removed --> this is being replaced with 1 Hydor Koralia Nano 425 and will eventually be fitted with one of those rotating water flow things - 1 random light I found --> to be replaced with AI Nano bought from forum member here - 1 HOB breeder box (med) because I needed somewhere to put the LR rubble while I scaped tank --> probably grow some macros here once I move the rubble into the main display - lid will be acrylic custom made by my friend and I as I can get acrylic for cheap and he can laser cut it - woo!  And now the stock list! Here's where I'd like some advice - I've read plenty of stuff on the forum here about not over stocking and such (researching is a major part of my job actually), so I'd like specific advice as it concerns to my stocking list. Maybe there's nothing that could be said, but I'm sure you all have great advice to give to someone just starting out.  Fish (2 total): - 1x Onyx true percula -OR- black and white ocellaris (or teardrop, undecided on pattern) - 1x Purple firefish -AND/OR- Orchid basslet/ dottyback  CUC: - variety of snails, about 5 of larger species (turbos, nerites) and 10 of smaller species (nano conch) - 1x electric blue hermie - I'm not too keen on hermits so let's say this is just a test, I can always take him back if I'm unhappy  Shrimp: (2 total) - here's where my LR rubble is going to do wonders for hide-outs/ territories - 1x Fire shrimp - 1x Skunk cleaner shrimp  Corals: (not terribly picky on colors though I love purple, xenia is a non-negotiable - does anyone have any?) - 1x torch coral - 1x hammer coral - 1x star polyp - 1x pulsing xenia (soon to be 1M hopefully?) - 1x purple blade gorgonian  I am planning to get some good water tests for my tank, but as of now I'm just taking my water to the LFS for testing (actually a dependable LFS *gasp*). I should be ready to add something small this weekend. Oh! Also I'm using DI water with IO sea salt to 1.024 - 1.025 sg and 30 - 31 ppt salinity. I used a combo of dry rock (extremely white) and fully cured LR to cycle my tank. I see a few tiny feather dusters probing the water, but no microfauna as it's obviously been long blown away from my LR.  The photo I attached is my tank today. If you've read this far, congrats!  -Freshwater musings- My freshwaters are: (and a ton of plants - maybe I'll post pictures tomorrow of the freshwaters if anyone's interested) -home- - 2.5 gal betta tank for 'Magmar' - 5 gal shrimp tank: 4x amano shrimp, ?x orange rili neocaridina - 10 gal community tank: 1x betta 'Sonic', 4x guppy (3f, 1m 'Sticky fin' xD), 6x pygmy cory cat, 3x guppy fry that haven't been eaten yet.... -office- - 5 gal community tank: 1x f gardneri killifish (f), 6x lampeye killifish, 1x CPO, 2x amano - 5 gal shrimp community tank (?): 6x white cloud, 1x nerite snail, 2x mystery snail

VIDEO: Will it Fit? SR-60 and SR-80 Aquariums Today we'll show you which items fit—and which do not—into the back chambers of Innovative Marine's two largest aquarium models, the SR-60 and SR-80.

Hey Guys, I havent been on the form for a while and figured i'm due for an update! I upgraded my 30g IM fusion 30L a little over a year ago to a 100g ish custom reef. (yes bigger than a nano.. but tsill a nano relative to the ocean right? I still have a 2g Jelly tank if that counts haha) My "new' tank is a 5-5/6' Custom shallow reeftank. this is my (4th?) reef tank and was completely throughout and designed by my self. its currently against the wall but will eventually be turned into a peninsula. Here is my latest updated video.. let me know what you think!