Sf05's Slow And Steady

[Aquascaper]

I'd just like to say, being one who would normally be pointing out the issues of keeping the wrong fish in the wrong tank, I truely believe you could keep a Mandarin in a small tank. The dedication and research you've done in all aspects of the hobby so far does you credit

It really is a pleasure to see someone take the time to look into all aspects of a species of fish and to try and weigh up the possibilities to allow them to keep it rather than blindly jumping in and buying the fish first.

As you say, there has been sucess stories of people keeping Mandarins in small tanks with regular additional supplies of live 'pods which is how they've got round the recommendation of 75lbs of live rock per fish. There are a few things in this hobby that are finite and cannot be changed but there is always things that can be tested and adapted and as long as the potentials pitfalls are known and addressed.

My only input would be for you to look into a separate refugium above tank level, gravity feeding the 'pods to the tank, or creating a refugium inside the tank (maybe behind the live rock) as well as the sump.

I wish you ever sucess with the Mandarin when you get it and look forward to the pics

 

[Siamese Fighter05]

Thanks for your reply Aquascaper

I will diffently consider an above tank refugium when i move house. The idea i had was to build the tank into the wall.

In most of the bedrooms in new houses they have those cut in to the wall, so the idea is you can fit in a dressing table or warbdrobe in there without taking needed space in the room.

My idea would be to put the tank on a metal stand and bring it level with the normal wall and then build some kind of fake wall around the edges of the tank up to the top.
I would then have find a way to get some kind of heavy duty stand fitted in above the tank where i would house the refugium. I've seen a thread on here somewhere where a guy has done this and it looks great.

Inside the fake wall he made a kind of hidden cupboard door which he opened to access the tank, this would be a great plan but i'd probably need two, one to access the tank and then the other for the refuge.

For now i will probably just stick to the current idea and then start getting things together when we have moved house.

I'm trying to limit spending on the current nano to a minimum ATM so i can finally start my driving lessons, my mum has been giving me some on my provisional whch is going well so hopefully when i do start lessons it shouldn't be too long before i pass and can then start back on the nano

Could be talking 1-2 years before i can even look at a mandain to buy

 

[Siamese Fighter05]

Hey everyone

Little update but nothing to interesting....

I can't remember if i've mentioned it in this thread so i'll go on anyway, i've caught the fireworm that killed my shrimp and majoirty of my clean up crew

Posted pics in marine chit chat with the the thread called 'Fireworm!' My cleanup crew now consists of

2 hermits
0 cerith (Must've been the most tasty snails?
3 astrae (found one that had overturned this morning, must've been too late
2 nassaruis
1 turbo

Planning on topping it back up this friday when i get EMA so i have a few more snails than orignally. Substrate is looking quite bad due to the lack of cleaning and my aquascaping is gone because i had to remove everything to get the coral beauty out and then this damn fireworm. Overall the tank is looking at its worst since setup TBH so no piccies until tommorow when i try and tidy everything up.

As usual something came up which meant that we've had to delay the date of getting the flooring down, I'm in no rush to get it down but wan't to get this move out of the way.

After seeinh no signs of aiptasia for a week or two i thought i had finaly won the battle but today i saw 2 seethrough one poking out. They'll be dead by tommorow (Muhahaha!)

Other than that all is good

Dan

 

[@ombomb]

0 cerith (Must've been the most tasty snails?

Apparently ceriths and blue legged hermits are a VERY bad combination... for the ceriths anyway

 

[Siamese Fighter05]

I have red legs and as far as i know they haven't touched anyone but who knows

I can blame the fireworm for the death of 3 ceriths alone as one was right up in his rock and the other two only a few inches away

I'll see how things go when i add them

Thanks
Dan

 

[Siamese Fighter05]

Just finsihed weekly maintenance and the tank looks half presentable

I have tried to get the old aquascaping but got something no where near, the rock are a lot higher but oh well. When the tank finally moves downstairs which seems to change in date every week i think i'm going to go with a completley different aquascape as i'm getting bored of this one, perhaps it's because i have no corals but i fancy a change.

The 3ft tank is still going to happen but will be a while so i'll just keep at this one and carry on learning whatever i can.

On a good not i've got my PH up to 8.1, i put this down to the re-addition of the hydor 400, i've put it opposite the mj1200 and they push the flow upwards so i have alot of surface flow. At night after lights put i also use an airpump with a piece of condensation tray to stop my light cover getting salt splashed. I also leave my window open whenever i'm in the house so hopefully the tank has alot more oxygen in it these days

As said i'm topping up cleaner crew next week and then maybe the week after i may get a pair of sexy shrimp. I do want to add a cleaner shrimp sometime down the line so i wondered if a pair of sexy shrimps would get on with him? Not set in stone yet but i do like the look of these little guys. I may just scrap this idea al together and get a trio of blood shrimp

Any thoughts?

I'll add some pics tonight when everything has settled back down

Cheers
Dan

Edit: Just though i'd add that buble algae is almost completey gone, i was thinking of getting an emerald crab for the job but it's been done by god knows what
Macro algae is growing nicely also and my caelapra (sp?) has started growing in a second spot. Just wondering can i rip this stuff off when it becomes sexual?

 

[Fatty]

Things I've heard about caulerpa are not very good. A friends tank 300L had his sump caulerpa die off due to power failure on the sump light, weeks ago, and after 50% odd water changes he's still trying to get the nitrates down. They go 'sexual' just after lights out, so if you put it in a sump and never turn the lights out thats a good way to prevent the nutrient dump. I would prune it regulalry and not let it get too big, this i think should stop it from going sexual. But don't quote me on that!, just be extra careful if you have any taxifolia rapid growing stuff in a tank your size. And keep an eye on it, if it starts to look look withered, whip it out!

You could always stick it in a bucket, or keep a cutting growing in a pop bottle, and add it as you please.

Saying all this it does a great job in my sump, but i do prune it, and never turn the sump light off!

 

[Siamese Fighter05]

Thanks for that fatty BTW wher've you been aint seen you round here for a while

I think i'll probably take it out next water change so i can take the rock out of the tank and pull all off

Thanks again Dan

Anyone got any ideas with the shrimp?

 

[Fatty]

I've been around....
just not much to say!

From what I've heard Sexy shrimps are supposed to be easy to look after, they seem very similar to the anemone shrimp?, if not the same?? not sure.

I have an anemone shrimp hosting a BTA and he gets on fine with peppermints and cleaners, he will see them off if they get too close to the nem tho!, Funny to watch coz he's tiny compared to the cleaner!

Don't be completey put off by caulerpa, the grape stuff I think is one of the safer varieties.

 

[akilles-13]

Those sexy shrimp are pretty cool B) , although Im not to sure if another shrimp, like the cleaner or peppermnt shrimp, will harass the sexy's.

 

[steelhealr]

They are tasty prey some nano inhabitants (eg, sixline wrasses may go for them). Stock carefully. SH

 

[Chac]

Hey Dan

Was meaning to say do you want some Xenia Frags I ripped some out the other day and its been floating around in my breeding trap awiting a new home or the bin


D

 

[Siamese Fighter05]

Hey Dan

Was meaning to say do you want some Xenia Frags I ripped some out the other day and its been floating around in my breeding trap awiting a new home or the bin


D

Ooooooo!!! Yes please How much do you want for them and how much is shipping?
Thanks alot was hoping to get some from that guy who lives near me but he's gone off
Look forward to response

Dan

 

[Chac]

Hey Dan

I aint looking for any cash for them, I also have some Green muchies & some Purple muchies floating around the tank as well that I 'll send, dont worry bout the carriage either I 'll put it throught my Carriier Work account, no sure if I have you addy or no but could you pm it to me and I 'll send them away on Tue for delivery Wed.

May be best given me an address that you will be at all day as if the carrier miss you you will have to collect from your local depot

Del

 

[Siamese Fighter05]

Hey Dan

I aint looking for any cash for them, I also have some Green muchies & some Purple muchies floating around the tank as well that I 'll send, dont worry bout the carriage either I 'll put it throught my Carriier Work account, no sure if I have you addy or no but could you pm it to me and I 'll send them away on Tue for delivery Wed.

May be best given me an address that you will be at all day as if the carrier miss you you will have to collect from your local depot

Del

Hey D! PM Sent!

You're to kind! I hope that i can give your corals a good home! (Off to do extra research on them )

I feel really guilty taking something that i'd probably be paying £60+ at the LFS for nothing, so i'll send money through paypal or whatever as soon as i can as a thanks for your kindness.

Hopefully when i start adding my own corals i can frag a few and send them up to you if you'd want them that is!

Cheers mate i look forward to recieiving them. I really like the look of all mushies but greens are my favourite for sure!

I'll do a waterchange on tuesday to get best poss conditions for the corals to get settled in

Thanks again
Dan