Aqua One 500 Nano Reef!

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Well I came home with something a tad unexpected. If he's not happy in the nano, I do ahve an empty 35g tank I can use instead, though I'd rather use the nano.

I got a valentini puffer, I've always wanted one but since I have a reef tank have always avoided them, this one was just to cute to leave so I bought him. Will post pics once he finishes acclimatising.

 

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Well I was right about the filter being too strong, the poor puffer couldn't even swim in the whirlpool, so I've throttled it back s much as I dare tonight, and tomorrow I'll switch it out with my Aqua Clear 50.

 

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What are valentinis emant to look like when they puff up?

Hamlet (the puffer) has this flap/fold of skin running from his nose to the start of his tail which he keeps dropping down and using to stabilise him as he swims. I can't find any pictures of valentins with this, nor can I find any pictures of what valentinis are meant to look like when their puffed up.. lil help?

 

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Heres Hamlet, he's gobbled the krill I gave him, and is still checking out the tank.

 

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Just an update, every year my parents give me a 'present' for doing well at school, my older brother spent his netire time at school sleeping and it was the only incentive that would amke him work, and my parents belive wholeheartedly in the idea of what one sibling gets, the other gets as well. Which is totally awesome as Bob my brother got heaps of stuff.

Anyways I just need one more test to come back to see how I did, but so far it's First in Maths, Third in Chemistry, and A's for Studies of Religion, Advanced English, Extension English and Ancient History which is all really good.

So I'm hoping it will all go well and I'm gonna see if I can get them to get me a new set of lights for this tank. The one I like is a 45cm set of twin power compacts. Two 36w lights, so 72 watts in total, just a bit more then 4w per gallon. One tube Actinic one 10000K, I reckon that would look nice and let me grow some of the more hardy corals that can withstand a valentini puffer.

Heres the link, though I'd buy new globes
http/www.guppysaquariumproducts.com.au/f...t/prod_133.html

Otherwise the whole tank seems to be doing well. The DIY LR is turning out well, it's still got a few more weeks before it can be used though....

Then a new light system, lots of LR and some hardy corals and Hamlet and i reckon it'll look awesome!

 

[Splatter]

Heres Hamlet, he's gobbled the krill I gave him, and is still checking out the tank.

He looks amazing!

( really great test results by the way, good job! )

DIY LR sounds like a great idea...might try to make a few peices for my 55gal ^^

 

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It works really well, the only irritating bit is the long wait, mine should be cured enough by the 20th so I can rinse them out. I've also packed them in their box with heaps of brown leaves of a deciduous tree (it's autumn here) so I'm hoping that should stain them slightly which'll make them even cooler.

 

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Just an update on the rocks, they've spent four weeks hardening, packed in a storage tub with heaps of leaves off a deciduous tree for colouring. I've now started soaking them to ensure pH is correct and to add a bit more colour to them.

They've turned out really well. Even the first batch that I had thought had failed has hardened up considerably and can be used.

The leaves have also helped with the colour so instead of a brilliant ivory colour then more a mottle cream/light brown the exact same shade as base rock.

I've pulled a test piece and am soaking it in water to see it's affect on the pH, should know the result in two or three days.

It should take one to two weeks for the pH to be stable and not too high, then I'm going to build a nice sculpture for the tank, and redo the decorations.

Hamlet the puffer is doing very well, if given a choice I think he would spend his life eating but he's now fine with the current in the tank, and has no problem with the whirlpool effect.

As for the pH the little piece of uncured DIY rock did exactly what I wanted and the pH is now stable at 8.4

Heres a couple more snaps

 

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Just an update as to how each LR mix worked out...

Batch One was 3:1 salt to cement and my first attempt, I made it too wet and removed it from the mold too early. Even so the flat pieces of this hardened well, the only piece that still is yet to harden fully is the large pyramid shaped piece which i think was too thick. This attempt is still listed as a failure, as even though it hardened, the stuff is so porous it floats, kinda not what I was after. They've been left in a tub of water outside in the hope at some point they'll become saturated enough to sink...

The largest floating pieces are Batch One

Overall I can definitely see some uses for floating rocks, and if glued to other rocks the floating component isn't a problem. The rocks are extremely porous and after a month outside they've hardened well. They aren't what i was after though.

Batch Two was 2.5:1 salt to cement the mix was dryer then Batch One and left in the mold for a longer period, the pieces were all like flat pancakes. This worked out well, the pieces are still extremely porous but thankfully don't have the propensity to float. I'm fairly happy with this mix, but not sure how well it'd work for thick pieces, all the pieces made were only about a cm thick.

Batch Two are the flat rounded pieces

Batch Three the salt to cement ratio was 1.5:1, the mix was still fairly wet. These rocks worked out well and salt released very quickly for such thick rocks. I'm quite happy with these and these ones also don't float. The three largest rocks are Batch Three

Batch Four was my rubble, a mixture of 1:1 was used and the mix was made extremely dry. This led to extremely porous rocks, but had the downside that about half of the rubble pieces floated, which is a tad irritating. This mixture would have worked better with larger pieces....

The smallest pieces in both pics are batch Four

The pH still rises quickly so at least another week of 100% water changes 2 or 3 times a day, but I'm getting there!

 

[littleme1969]

I had to laugh while reading this, I mean talk about hanging in there!..lol I think Id of given up long ago and thrown £150 quid at 20kg of live rock lol Good on you though as others who cant afford the real stuff will benefit from your trials
The puffer is also V CUTE in a *I'm a dairylee triangle shaped fish* kinda way

 

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Well the other pirpose of this is to make non impact LR, I'm avoiding buying LR from an LFS as much as possible, so far all my actual LR has come from other Reefers, so add this lot in and then none of the stuff I've got had to be pulled from the reef just so I could set up a tank.

It's turned out really well though, there are a lot of pieces in there that are shapes you don't get in LR.

 

[SkiFletch]

Looks really great man! I never could get the mix right myself... Like LM, I gave up after my first few batches came out crumbly messes. Went and bought base rock from an old reefer who had it sitting in his backyard instead.

 

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From the reading I've done there's too main causes for problems and brittle rock. The first is too much water, you need to get the mixture to the point where it sits up in stiff peaks but is gooey, a bit like clay, and ensure you don't mix it for too long or the salt dissolves and the whole batch is ruined, it should take about 20 seconds too mix it up and no more then a minute or two to get it in the mold, though bigger batches of course would take longer, I made about 6l of mix at a time. The other is impatience, the rocks ahve gotta sit in a mold undisturbed totally but at least 48 hours, preferably longer and the salt release must be fast, don't let em soak in it. Then they need to be left untouched for a month, which some people ahve a lotta trouble with.

If you get the mix right and don't get too impatient with the curing it'll work out fine.

 

[struvas]

Haha, im glad someone else has tryied using one of the small Aquaone tanks as a marine nano.

I set up my Aquastyle 510 as a marine reef. It was ace, the wet and dry filter worked well, just added a powerhead. Xenia, and toadstools even grew under the standard lighting, Ive now upped the tank size to a Juwel Vision 180, but would advise anybody who wanted a cheap nano to go for one of these tanks there great.

 

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Just an update

The rocks are still curing, the pH reading is still off the charts within 6 hours but we'll get there at some point.

It also looks like I will be getting those lights I listed earlier on 72w of compact flourescents, and I'll be moving a Torch coral from my reef to this tank, as the Torch aint doing well in the reef, I just can't get it poistuioned right, where it won't hurt other corals...