Nano Reef Diary... Updated 18/06/06

[bunjiweb]

Without corals also...

Tank - £65
Heater - £15
Skimmer - £28
Coral Sand - £3
Salt - £4
Hydrometer - £8
Powerhead - £10
Auto Light-Timer - £4
Live-Rock - ~ £40

= £177

Fish - £50 - £60
Corals - £100 - 150

So I've spent somewhere between £300-400..

Ben

 

[Ben]

Inspiring tank Bunji
The gobies are awesome

DD

 

[bunjiweb]

Latest pics, Added some more live-rock to make the tank look a bit more full, and added another coral and a couple of tiny frags/shrooms.

Ben

 

[steelhealr]

Ben...your tank is awesome. Just a note...that looks like a non photosynthetic gorgonian. Am I right? If so, the amount of plankton needed to keep it alive is enough to overload your system. Many of them survive on small bacteria in the water. Just be careful...better to either let it die/return it than to fight to keep it alive with too many nutrients. Good luck with it...it's gorgeous. SH

 

[bunjiweb]

It seems to be doing very well, better than it was at work in a 300Gallon Invert system! I use Salifert Coral food and very occasionally a bit of frozen plankton so hopefully it will get enough food.

Don't worry, i keep a very close eye on my corals and anything which doesnt appear to be doing well will get removed or returned. Fortunately i havent had to do this yet as everything i have added is thriving and looks better than it did in the shop!

Thanks for the comments.

Ben

 

[bunjiweb]

Well, tank is finally getting towards its final stages. Finally happy with my fish stocking, so no more inhabitants, maybe just one or 2 more coral frags.

Tank shot... New mushrooms bottom right...

cute little bean goby...

neon goby...

shrimps on pussey coral...

Cleaner getting BIG!...

And some nice star polyps doing well...

I'm really pleased with the current results.

 

[Clownfish11790]

I just finished reading your whole thread. It is really sweet. You said you never had an algae attack, you are very lucky. I have been fighting algae for a while. I also am mad because I bought a anemone and two clarkii clowns, which I will eventually have to get rid of. I love all of the gobies and the shrimps in your tank.

What kind of protien skimmer is that, or did you make it?

Did you buy your two sexy shrimp as a pair or as just two randoms ones?

You also said you added more live rock. Where did you get the live rock from, your tank at work?

I wish my aquarium would have turned out like yours, but all mine is, is a mess of algae. Sometimes I feel like its not even worth it. Well keep up the good work.

-CF

 

[bunjiweb]

The thing is i bought FULLY mature live rock to start with, this meant that i didnt have an algae bloom because of horrid levels in the tank.

I have used carbon in the tank since day one and i have used a little bit of rowa-phos now and then to keep the phosphate level in the tank low enough. I never even really had a cycle, and this i believe is again down to the quality of the live-rock.

Take a look at the picture here:
http/www.bunjiweb.co.uk/hermit1.jpg

This was 10 days after i started the tank when i added the beginnings of the clean-up crew, as you can see the rock already looks mature and full of life, algae etc.

The protein skimmer i bought from work is a Sander maxi-skim 200 available from TMC.

I added only a little bit more live rock, and also some "dead" rock to bulk the reef up a bit. This Live rock again was from our live-rock vat at work.

Don't give up hope, sometimes its down to the water you are using, sometimes its simply the fact that the nice cheap "live" rock you bought from your LFS isnt infact live at all and barely has anything in it to kick start the cycle in your aquarium.



Ben

 

[steelhealr]

Great job Ben and good advice. I, like you, have reached the point where you have to say enough is enough or you'll risk the tank's safety. We both know that it is tough to resist that 'just one more fish or just one more coral' urge.

Kudos....beautiful tank. SH

 

[bunjiweb]

if i find small enough frags im sure i could fit in some more polyps!

Thanks anyway steelhealr, your compliments are well appreciated.

Ben

 

[Clownfish11790]

I wish I could buy frags, none of my LFS sell them and all the coral costs about 40 bucks each. It sucks.


-CF

 

[bunjiweb]

Thats a real shame. I travel around alot looking at different shops and there are always little bits i can pick up for next to nothing. At work we get in a lot of small frags so i've always got a good selection of them to choose from.

Ben

 

[Ami]

Ben - absolutely gorgeous tank! Your hard work obviously paid off.

Love your Bean Goby, that's a Black Eye Goby right? Do you have any more pics or info on him as I can't find anything regarding max sizes online?


Ami

 

[bunjiweb]

never heard them referred to as a black eyed goby. Can't find much info on them online, always just treated them with the same info as yellow bean gobies -

- Loves plankton (frozen stuff)
- Hops around but likes residing on mushrooms particularly
- Can go with pretty much anything else (that wont eat it).
- Grows to about 1.25"

Ben

 

[Mr Miagi]

Nice nano Bunji! I love the start polyps. I have purple with yelow centres, and cant find any of the green variety. Very nice indeed.