My Nano Reef Set-up/diary (upgraded 45g) Step-by-step

[littleme1969]

How much fish/invert & coral stock do you have ?
I did it by placing my fish in one container with small filter & heater and a few bits of rock and cover them and put them out of the way. Coral went into another container with salt water again from the tank and topped up with a bit of fresh mix. This tub had no heat or filter. The rock went into large tubs with no water and with sealed lids.
By this time all the water from my original tank was gone so all I was left with was live sand. I moved the tank to another location with just the sand init. I then set that tank up again, replaced the water back with the fish from the fish tub, topped up with about 50% new salt mix, few bits of rock for cover. The corals where then added back to this tank on the sand bed.
I then set up the new tank in the old ones spot. Added a new bag of live sand, 10kg of new rock that I just bought, topped up 3/4 full with fresh mixed salt water. Both tanks where left over night, the new one to stabalize temp and SG as it can vary a bit for the first few days. Once I was sure everything was as it should be. I added the fish back first plus the other bits of coral and finally roughly placed the corals with the full intention of going back in about 7 days to finalize rock and coral formation. I also added back most of the live sand/water at that point from the old tank using a cup to gently place it around the rocks so there was not too much mess. It took about 1hr with the filter going tto clear the water. I checked perameters of the water and also replaced the filter floss the next day in the filter. There was a bit of SG fluctuation over the first week but that was to be expected. I didnt notice any ammonia issues even with the extra 10kg of new live rock.
Everything went great, no deaths on either fish, inverts or corals
At the end of the day you do it how best suits you, but I found leaving the new tank 24hrs before adding anything to be better for me and it ment the fish went into a more stable enviroment all round.

 

[1entra]

Thanks for that Littleme, that is very informative and I am sure it will help me loads when it comes to moving my stuff around!

The only thing is however I have not really got anywhere to re-set my current tank for 24hours or so whilst I wait for the new one to settle. So have to do the transfer more or less straight away!

Not only that but what if the crack/leak is underneath my tank, then as soon as I go to move/lift it it may break etc so I do not wish to leave any room for error!

I think I might tanke verything out, put the new tank in place and then add some old water to it followed by my LR, then my one clownfish and my CUC, followed shortly after the few bits of corals frags I have got in the tank and then finally my live sand!

I will then leave it for an hour or so before adding approx 20% new water and then after a few hours I will top up the rest of the tank with saltwater.

Hopefully as his will be a quick transfer it should not stress my livestock out too much, what do you wrekon?

 

[1entra]

Tank as it looks now​

Whilst I'm waiting for the new tank to arrive I thought I would add some pics of how my current tank looks with some of the coral frags in it.

Various coral frags including shrooms, zoo's, a kenya tree and some sort of finger coral. Also 1 of the turbo snails can be seen munching away on some green (hair) algae on piece of LR.



Again various zoo's, pallys, shrooms etc on LR.



Close up



Serpant star "climbing" around tank walls. The growing amount of salt creep can be seen on bottom trim of tank.

 

[1entra]

Angled tank view

Front tank view

Nemo

 

[fishstick]

Good luck with your tank move. I have read all through your nano reef setup (took me over an hour) its extremely interesting as I am doing the same on a much smaller scale and havn't gone to nearly so much trouble as you have (qt tank etc) as well as writing up your diary each day. Now you really deserve something to go well!

 

[1entra]

Thanks for that Fishstick, I also hope things start looking up for me a bit when I get my new tank... shouldn't be long now.

I feel like a small child on Xmas eve ready for the big day to get my present!

 

[1entra]

Didn't get my new fishtank this weekend, the blumin shop didnt manage to complete building it yet so looks like it's going to be this coming weekend!

Not happy

 

[1entra]

Whilst visting a marine shop the other day I noticed thay had a sale on and most of their stock was going cheap so I couldn't help myself and bought myself another Clownfish along with a Skunk Cleaner Shrimp

I decided to take Littleme's advice and added the new clownfish directly into the main tank, but with it being slightly bigger than my old one it started chasing my first one around the tank after a hour or so after having been released into it. This got me a bit worried but the next day I noticed both fish swimming around the tank together without a single problem... glad to see they still getting on even now! Hopefully they will pair off!



My second clownfish is a much yellower clolour than my first one which is a very dark orange/red colour!

The first and second day after having been introduced to the tank my new clownfish did not have anything to eat so got me slightly worried due to my past experience with the clownfish that had died! However when buying I got the shop assistant to feed the clownfish in the tank and chose my one due to the fact it not only was the most active and healthiest looking but also because it was readily eating!

Today I fed both clownfish brineshrimp mixed with garlic and both fish ate like mad so I'm very pleased

Also my cleaner shrimp looks healthy and is quite active around my tank

 

[1entra]

Skunk Cleaner Shrimp

 

[1entra]

Clownfish swimming around the tank together, as you can see my second (new) clownfish is quite a bit lighter in colour than my first one. IMO they boh help bring each others colours out as they both really stand out!

 

[trace1]

glad your new fish has settled in well
i can't wait to be able to add live stock to my tank now

 

[1entra]

Thanks trace, it is really exciting adding any livestock to the tank, but its even more fun sitting closely observing the tank after lights go out and noticing all sorts of small weird and wonderfull craetures emerging from the shadows!

Ive been sat exploring my tank for almost 2hours now since the lights went out with the only light coming from my both my refugium and my computer screen.

I have seen 2 possibly 3 small smooth bodied white/gray crabs (approx 5-8mm) emerge from seperate small holes in my LR and scurry around looking for food, and boy they aint half fast! I have had to stay really still to watch them as they and sudden movement and they're gone and seem to disapear as fast as they appear so unfortunately I have no time to get a good enough look to get a decent I.D especially with the limited light! I really hope they dont get much bigger and are reef safe as so far I do not beleive they have caused any harm to anything!

Also I have noticed 5 or 6 different shape and size bristleworms appear out of nooks and crannys in the LR.

Finally the main thing I have noticed or more heard is really soft clicking on several occassions, sounds like the thermometer tapping against the glass tank wall (but it defo isn't!). I can think of this being one of 2 things: 1). its the glass cracking in front of my very eyes or 2). its a pistol or mantis shrimp?? I really hope it is the latter although I am not too keen on the idea of having a mantis shrimp in my tank as I have heard some negative stuff about them!

 

[trace1]

oh wow, i really need to move my tank where i can see it all the time lol. mines in the kitchen so we have to be really quick to see the bristle worms lol.
i have seen 2 different snails thou.
it is exciting when you find stuff in your tank you didn't realise you had, my kids are amazed when they see anyhting as during the day its a tank with just rocks in it lol.
hope your new tank turns up for you this weekend

 

[littleme1969]

Good news about the clown fish, hes so cute
as for the clicking sound like a mantic or pistol. Dont worry too much I had 2 mantis in my tank for some time, they never bothered any of my fish or inverts at all. If its so small youve never seen it, then chances are it will be one of the small varities and will harm nothing, and they are great fun to watch

 

[1entra]

Not again, Oh God Why me...?!!!! ​

I have lost another clownfish... my second one!!!!

Both my clownfish were left swimming around the tank as I went to sleep last night about 12pm.

Upon waking up at approx 7.30 I had a look at my tank (its in my bedroom) and could only see my first little clownfish, as I had to be at work in a hour I thought it's probably hiding somewhere in the LR and with the lights being off I thought I just ca't see it. But I felt my stomach turn and all day long I kept thinking the worst... and I was right.

Upon returning from work this evening my fear came true as there was still only one clownfish swimming around the tank! I immediately started searching and couldn't see it anywhere in the tank, not a single sight of it. So I had a look around the tank... nothing!

As I started to lose hope of ever finding it, from the corner of my eye I caught a glimpe of yellow about 2 metres away from the tank and there it was, as flat and dry as a crisp... poor fish had decided to take up carpet surfing... with nasty consequences!!!

little

I am soo peed off coz this is the second clownfish I have lost... and just as it was starting to settle in and do really well for itself! Blumin open top tank.

As soon as I get my new tank I have already swore the first thing I am getting before adding anything is a cover of some sort!!!

Not happy what so ever!!!!