John,s Reef Journal {experience Newbie}

[john.o]

12v custom led light in the lid over the middle chamber for cheato refugium
Tools & Equipment needed
Philips screw driver / power drill / 8mm drill bit / 3mm drill bit / 2 X Miniature Female Spade Connectors / Heat shrink / 42mm solvent pipe strait /pvc pipe weld adhesive / small hack saw / AC to DC adaptor 12v / G4 ceramic lamp holder / panel mounting 2.1mm dc power socket / 12v 6 led g4 bulb
WARNIG IF YOU ARE NOT SURE ON WIREING OR ELECTRICITY DON’T ETEMPT TO CARRY OUT THIS MOD 12V CAN STILL KILL!!!!!!!!!!!!
THE MOD
1st remove the lid and flip it up side down and place on a towel on a flat surface to help stop the lid getting scratched ect
2nd remove the screws holding the cover glass and remove and put to one side
3rd drill 2x 8mm holes in the back off the lid 1 in the outer skin and 1 in the inner skin directly in line as in the pic

4th take the G4 lamp holder and crimp the Miniature Female Spade Connectors on to it then slip some heat shrink over each connector and wire { about 1 ½ --- 2 inch long on each one don’t heat and shrink just yet
5th put the 2 wires & female spade connectors through the 8mm hole in the inner skin
6th take the 2.1mm panel mounting dc power socket and connect the 2x female spade connectors
{test the wiring to make sure you have the correct terminals on the 2.1mm panel mounting dc power socket if alls ok then pull the heat shrink up over the female spade connectors and heat and shrink in place {I used a hair dryer to do this and it worked really well} how pull a larger piece of heat shrink over the top of the 2.1mm panel mounting dc power socket and the 2x female spade connectors and wire off the lamp holder and shrink in place. As in pic

7th you can now mount the 2.1mm panel mounting dc power socket in to the outer 8mm hole
MAKING THE G4 BULD HOLDER BRAKET
1st take a 42mm solvent strait pipe {from B&Q ect} cut to fit snugly between cover glass and lid
2nd cut a slot in the pipe so the bulb holder can slip in nice and tightly

3rd mark and drill 2x 3mm holes in the pipe and bolt the g4 bulb holder in place
4th solvent weld the pipe to the tank lid between the 2 wires for the main lights

5th reassemble every thing and enjoy

 

[SkiFletch]

Looks great John, got any pics of the tank with it running?

 

[john.o]

Hello ski
Thanks for the comment
You can’t really see the refugium light when the lid is closed and there is only a very very faint glow on a night time when the tank lights are out. I don’t even think the camera would pick it up to be honest it’s that faint but that’s exactly what I wanted all the light going striate down into the refugium and not into the main display tank.
So I will have to order some cheato now { don’t know how much I will need} and let it bed in while I do some research on corals ect. I have 1 piece of xenia which has been in the tank for 2 weeks now and it has opened up very nicely since I got its much bigger than it was in my LFS tank and 1 clove polyp which are also doing very well.
I was thinking of getting some zoa, s and mushrooms next but not to sure what’s good for a nano only got the xenia because I was told it is a good newbie coral and hard to kill which is a good thing with a newbie right and I got the clove poly given. I am open to any suggestions then I can do some research on them THANK YOU GUYS

 

[SkiFletch]

Zoas and mushrooms are both fine choices. I'd stick to rhodactis or ricordea species mushrooms (hairy ones) as they grow slower and are less of a competition nuisance than their smooth colored cousins of the actinodiscuss genus. Leathers could also be a good choice for you

 

[john.o]

Tanks skifletch
Well I have looked at the rhodactis or ricordea species mushrooms that you kindly suggested and I really really like the look of them. My problem is I have been around all 3 of my L,F,S and none of them have any rhodactis or ricordea species mushrooms (hairy ones) the only place I can find them is on the internet for mail order, and well I am not so sure about ordering living things off the net {DOA ect not good}
As for the zoa,s well I was doing some reading online today and apparently, zoanthids carry one of the most powerful toxins in the world. Palytoxin, and there is no anti-toxin. (Scary stuff} I have also read Navarre’s post Zooanthids, A WARNING, True Story and that just reinforces how dangerous a reef tank can be even for a experienced keeper never mind a newbie {my gloves are on order }But that has not put me off just made me more aware off what I am dealing whit here. I really like the look and colors of both the zoa,s and the ricordea mushrooms you suggested I am just a little worried about feeding some people feed and some don’t what method do you guys use? also chemical warfare ect would both these species be ok with each other { assuming I can get some rhodactis or ricordea mite have to phone around some F,S and then travel a little further for them}

 

[john.o]

Well lost one of my clowns its been missing for 2 days now I noticed on Saturday night the little one was getting bullied by the bigger of the 2 I just thought it was all part of the bigger more dominant one morphing into the female. I have spent all day looking for the small one but I cannot find it any ware. Assuming it has been killed will the other fish – critters of eaten the body that fast. Just I can’t find it. I have had all the media out filter chambers looked under all the rock ect its no ware to be seen {no spikes in tests yet} got 5 gal mixed on stand by

 

[SkiFletch]

Check the carpet?

 

[john.o]

I get what you’re saying skiflech but I can not remember leaving the tank lid open at any time. Perhaps I have a touch of amnesia as it’s the only possible answer really as there are still no spikes in the tests. So its looking more like the cat got an expensive supper.
My next question is should I replace it? And if so should I get a juvenile, or a one of about the same size as the one I have in the tank now?
Thanks again guys

 

[SkiFletch]

You're better off with a Juvi and get it soon

 

[john.o]

Thanks for the advice skiflech I have been to my L, F, S today and they have clowns in stock so I will get one tomorrow, they also had a long nose hawk fish which I like the look of the shop owner said it would be ok in my tank but I would just like to make sure and get a second opinion off you guys. What do you think would the hawk be ok in my tank?

 

[SkiFletch]

Longnose hawks are one of those gray areas in reefkeeping. Rarely they will target ornamental shrimp/crustaceans and will also rarely become aggressive. Sometimes you can get away with one, sometimes not...

 

[john.o]

My internet order of cheato finally came today!! I had given up on it,


any way I immediately sprung into action without any real action plan and that was my first mistake. I started ripping the filter media out of chamber 2. I them put the cheto in and it sank to the bottom of the chamber I then realized I would want to keep the rowaphos and activated carbon. so I ripped every thing out of chamber 1 by now the tank was full of decaying sh** that I had disturbed off the bottom of the filter chambers {that’s correct I hadn’t even switched the pumps ect off :stupid: } I immediately realized what I was doing and switched every thing off. Took a step back and thought things through I how have in chamber 1 {from top to bottom} filter floss 1x sponge 1 x bag of Rowaphos and 2x bag of activated carbon chamber 2 1x big hand full of cheto and 10x bio balls just for how to help float the cheto up to the top of the chamber so it gets more light and grows more quickly hopefully. I went to switch every thing back on and nothing would work thank god for RCD safety devices that,s all I can say . WOW I learned some very important lessons today that I will never forget any way going to do some tests {that 5gal I have on stand by could come in useful}

 

[BigC]

Thanks for the LED Mod info john. Filed that one away for future reference.
Any more full tank pics
Regards
BigC

 

[john.o]

thanks for that big C

I have looked for the rhodactis and ricordea species mushrooms that skifletch kindly suggested and My problem is the only place I can find them is on the internet for mail order, and well I am not so sure about ordering living things off the net {DOA ect not good } I would really appreciate any comments on the experiences you guys have had? and can you recommend any mail order companies in the UK?
In the mean time I have decided to go for the next best thing and get a medium size frag of the rhodactis and ricordea mushrooms smooth colored cousins. There a deep purple color and there is about 15 of them on the piece of live rock they have been in the tank for a few days now and seem to have settled in really nicely the corals have just been randomly placed for now I have also just added a fan worm {feather duster} yesterday, it seems to be ok it opened up with in 2 minutes of going into the tank, so really pleased with that. I have reaquascaped the tank as you can see in the pics, I was thinking of taking the large piece of live rock in the top right of the pic back to my lfs and exchanging it for 2 or 3 smaller pieces that I can place more easily.

 

[john.o]

Well I should of listened to my head and not my hart , after a lot of coming and going to my LFS and talking to the shop owner I decided to buy the long noise hawk fish.i have had nothing but problems with him bullying the other fish one of the clowns went AWOL yesterday, I found it in the filter chamber so that was a relief I have now made a small mod to the top of the filter chambers to stop any thing jumping over there again. I also phoned the LFS and he is going to take the long noise hawk back so that will only leave me with 3 fish so I was think off getting a purple or red fire goby and a Lemon Meringue Wrasse
Would these fish all be ok with the 1x Banggi Cardinal and the 2 x percula clowns I have in the tank now?
any comment or suggestions on alternatives would be much appreciated THANKS GUYS