30 Gallon Nano Reef Diary

[sianeds]

Ha ha well at least I know now I'm not the only one who can't cut a straight line

 

[chrissaysyes]

had my levels tested today. pH and nitrites were perfect but ammonia is up...meaning my nitrites will probably jump in a couple of days while my ammonia goes down. May take a little longer than expected...we'll see. Having another test on tuesday, hopefully my paycheck will be pretty healthy so I can add some more parts to the tank.

 

[chrissaysyes]

btw, no more new pics for a while unless theyre from the camera phone...my boxer decided to use my cameras uplink cable as a snack today while I was out...I still havnt found all the pieces of it

 

[chrissaysyes]

same ole same ole, levels get checked again on tuesday then I wait for perfect stats or algae...weird coral-ish grow things on one of my chunks of LR....also...there is a man taking down his niger trigger tank and he's wanting to give away 20lbs of LR...only problem is one of the clowns in that tank has popeye...I know popeye is usually caused by some other ailment like bacterial infection or stress...wondering if I should take the rock or not risk spreading infection...what would be a good way to treat it?

 

[chrissaysyes]

no response to the popeye question I see...oh well...added about 7lbs of LR roday plus some coral frags my parents brought back for me from the caymans...also they brought back a 15" or so conch shell...thought it was pretty nifty so I boiled it, shocked it, and plopped it in the tank...camera is still screwed so I took a pic with my phone, feedback please:

 

[FishyTank]

kewl dude

 

[chrissaysyes]

thanks! Had my levels tested again today, everything was good. Went ahead and dropped a turbo snail in to see if the tank could sustain life...he's not too active but then again...he's a snail.

 

[chrissaysyes]

Snail lives on heh. There are a few feather dusters in the tank now from the live rock, one is huge! Im starting on the sump/refugium today...10 gallon tank, got the acryllic sheets to start making my compartments today, also got my overflow box, the box that the overflow siphons to, had that box drilled and fitted with pipe, all I need is to finish the sump/refugium tank, buy a water pump, and some hose...I already have hose to go from the pump to the tank and a powerhead attachment on the end of that...coming along well so far..the only problem is the tank that will be used for the sump is currently inhabitted so Im going to have to find a new home for my blue lobster before I can do anything...thinking of a 2 gallon fish bowl for now.

 

[chrissaysyes]

So Ive been working on building an in sump refugium...it's coming underway...here are some pics:

PLANS:

Overflow - outtake:

Sump/'fuge:

Oh and, I recently figured out through beta testing that the aquaclear 30 will not be enough to send the water back to the tank...currently saving up a bit for the maxijet 606...the gph is lower but when the aquaclear was being used it didnt focus all the water into the hose, water seemed to be shooting out of the seems of the pump. Hoping for better with the 606...maybe oneday someone will give me some feedback heh.

 

[chrissaysyes]

Im doubting that anyone is reading this thread buuuut...the sump/fuge is complete and running...it still needs LR and whatever algae I add but it's functioning...there is still a hob filter until the sump/fuge gets settled, plus I need a new powerhead and the penguin hob adds a lot of flow until then...anyways... tada:

 

[for_my_fish]

keep it up. great thread. Be good if you could add water stats every so often.

 

[steelhealr]

Chrissy...before you get things really going here, I'd pull that rock off the left side of your tank. I try and point that out to many new reefers here because by leaving it that way it causes problems. To reiterate:

• applies pressure to the glass; why risk a crack?
• prevents a hand from getting in there for maintenance
• you won't get your MagFloat in there and detritus/coralline algae will build up causing unsightly patches and obstruction to view
• creates dead areas of flow

Just a suggestion before you really get into this.

SH

ER...is that a conch shell??? SH

 

[chrissaysyes]

welllllll.............
water params are great

Sump/fuge is running reat

Moved rocks off of the glass...and yes, that is a conch shell...

I added some LR to the fuge, purchased a bunch of chaeto/copods...havnt added much of a clean up crew yet...just a snail and a monkey shrimp...probably adding a coral banded later even though he will eat the monkey....but...I did something bad...

I put in a young spotted sweetlips...or harlequin snapper...whatever you want to call him...he's probably the prettiest marine fish I've ever seen...I think it's the colors plus the fact that he moves like an oc. clown...either way...I know they get to be 2ft in the wild and he needs waaaaay more room but for now I like to think Im renting him. He seems to enjoy the tank a lot and he's eatting silversides and krill. Anyways, before you guys flame me for putting him in the 30gal, just know he wont be there for too terribly long.

 

[steelhealr]

GRRRRR......I'll leave the flames for someone else. That conch shell...what do you think is going to build up inside that thing, hmmm? SH

 

[SkiFletch]

*waves hand*

I know, I know. Detritus B)