Llj's 2.5G - I Swear, The Last One!

[lljdma06]

Well, since I'm getting the upgraded lighting for the 8g from Monochrome5, I decided to see how that absolutely adorable LED light looked on a different tank. I just had this 2.5g lying around... So... well...

I think it looks really pretty nice! Much more light than I expected. I don't expect to do much. No fuge, just a rio 50+ and waterchanges for now. Will keep really simple things. Will add some macro to this tank as well to keep things nice and stable. What do you think?

These are some details on the light.

30LED with the following breakdown...

27 at 8k Luminous intensity 1400mcd whatever that means.
3 at 12k Luminouse intensity 300mcd whatever that means.

I've been thinking about bringing sexy back with regard to stocking this little tank. I've seen sexy shrimp thrive in tanks without anemones, but I'm not sure. These shrimp may be a possiblity for the 8g as well, where I can keep coral species that are more anemone like. There is also Trimma cana to consider.

I swear this is the last tank. I just don't want to let a perfectly nice tank go to waste. It's so cute. I'll be good and not do anymore, I promise.

llj

 

[ian]

you're bringing 'sexy back'! I want to see Justin Tmbersnakes head in that tank!

wow you really have taken to SW

 

[lljdma06]

you're bringing 'sexy back'! I want to see Justin Tmbersnakes head in that tank!

wow you really have taken to SW

You, of course, know that in whatever tank has the sexy shrimp, video of the shrimp will always feature that song. Evidently, they dance & do super cute things.

I like it, Ian. It's so refreshing to buy supplies & not get frustrated because they don't have what I need. With planted in Miami that ills often the case.

 

[bae1994]

Refugees from Endor will be marine before you know it (joke guess it probably won't lol)

I think I'd go azoox flame scallop sun coral etc then you could feed then do a 90% water change twice a week half an hour or an hour after you feed

Or if you fancy hatching brine shrimp every day dwarf Pygmy seahorses , I know you said you don't like them but a few sexy shrimp and a group of pygmy's would be awesome

Bae

 

[lljdma06]

Tank in situ...

All filled up...

Like the 8g, tomorrow I'll put in the sand and the LR. Then we wait. I've got a Rio 50+ in this tank and I have to say, I'm very satisfied with the Rio 50+ in this system. Efficient, good water-movement, and it doesn't take up space. I also got a very small 10W heater, for the winter months. But I won't need one now. House temp is 78. Will have a thermometer in the tank. Still no fuge planned for this one.

Stocking still not sure, but I am looking at some of the very tiny inverts and perhaps a very small fish. The lighting isn't particularly strong, so I expect to have to feed whatever corals I do put in there, and I expect their colors won't be as intense. I also expect growth to not be fast. With only 2.5g of real estate, I don't think raging coral growth is all that necessary. Macro algae will provide some small spots of color. I may try some of the smaller NPS corals or your typical hardy species.

Some video for you...

llj

 

[lljdma06]

Adding the LR...

The more I read about Pompom crabs, the more I want one for this tank. So when I added the LR to this system, I did it with a crab and a goby/shrimp pair in mind. Here is the rock I worked with.

There were a few more pieces. Most of the rock was given to me for free when I purchased the stuff for the 8g. I also had one larger piece that I took a hammer to to get a couple smaller pieces that were easier to work with. I also ended up with some rubble that a pistol shrimp could lift and play with. I wanted to construct a triangle scape with several locations that would form natural caves in the hardscape. I came up with this initially with the larger pieces...

Then I added the sand. I was improving. I opted to add the sand in one location and then use some planted tank utensils to slide and scoot the sand to where I wanted it. Got much better resuts. This one is much clearer. I added some other smaller pieces and scattered the rubble about and got this result.

Again, I've got caves for crabs and possibly the goby/shrimp pair and I think I've got room for extra rocks to mount corals on. The scape is quite stable too and the flow is good.

Thanks for looking.

llj

 

[lljdma06]

Water's cleared up rather quickly. Still a bit murky, but not at all bad.

Some pictures...

fts

This is what I see from my bed... I designed the scape to be viewed from two angles.

I've got a bit of sand drift on the right side of the tank. I think I can sort this first with better placement of the powerhead. If use a rock to buffer the flow somewhat, the sand won't get blown around in the corner. It isn't bad, but I've got an interesting dune forming.

Time for the nitty gritty...

Day 1 stats

I'm opting to test at roughly the same time every morning. I start work next week and I'm up early, so testing can certainly be incorporated into my morning routine, like a yummy cup of Cafe con leche.

pH - 7.4 (very low, I don't love this reading )
Amm - 0ppm
sg - 1.0027 (a bit high, but not bad)

I guess me mucking around kind of messed with the pH, hopefully the sand and the rock will do it's work and the pH will go up. Nothing starts off perfect.

 

[ian]

this is going to look waaaaay to cool!

 

[Donya]

Ah...yep, this is how it starts. Spare equipment is the devil! Once you get used to little ones they tend to propagate onto every sufficiently flat surface in the house.

1400mcd whatever that means

1400 more clownfish dangit?

pH - 7.4 (very low, I don't love this reading )

If it sticks there after a few days and KH checks out, you might need to look into Mag/Calc and see if something's amiss. Could also be something dead or other debris trapped in the rock mucking things up.

 

[lljdma06]

Ah...yep, this is how it starts. Spare equipment is the devil! Once you get used to little ones they tend to propagate onto every sufficiently flat surface in the house.

1400mcd whatever that means

1400 more clownfish dangit?

I don't know what it means either. I leave that to the techies...

pH - 7.4 (very low, I don't love this reading )

If it sticks there after a few days and KH checks out, you might need to look into Mag/Calc and see if something's amiss. Could also be something dead or other debris trapped in the rock mucking things up.

I increased the surface agitation some and will see tomorrow. This is the tank where I had to smash rock, so I'm sure something is dying, as I did destroy their puny little planet with my giant hammer of death. Scape looks fab, though. Was worth the genocide. If it doesn't improve, I break out the Ca, Mg, and kH tests. Which I have.

 

[GrayScale]

Mcd is millicandelas and you can find conversions for lumens on the net. 1 candela =1 lumen and 1 candela = 1000 millicandela I think... It also depends on the angle of light which the calculators account for that as well.

Not sure why it censored it I didnt write any bad words I sware.

 

[lljdma06]

Mcd is millicandelas and you can find conversions for lumens on the net. 1 candela =1 lumen and 1 candela = 1000 millicandela I think... It also depends on the angle of light which the calculators account for #17##### well.

OMG, you are knowlegeable, this will be a NPS tank for sure...

I got hitchikers check out the thread in chithcat.

 

[lljdma06]

Day 2 stats...

pH - 7.8 (better)
amm - Still 0ppm
sg - still holding at 1.027

fts...

I took it with my HD camera. Was about time.

Thanks for looking

llj

 

[bae1994]

Looks good will look better with corals

 

[lljdma06]

Hehehe, very funny Bae. This got more LR too. Will post pictures after sunset.